Newsletter: May 2023

Thayne Elementary Husky Headlines

May 2023

We are excited to announce a drawing extravaganza!

  • You could win a gift certificate to the Skyview Lanes and Cineplex, Tootsies in Thayne, or a school spirit t-shirt! 
  • How can I enter?  As all students must be registered for each school year, complete the online registration for the 2023-24 school year by specific dates and you will be entered. Check out https://thayne.lcsd2.org/registration-drawing-extravaganza/ for the details.  

School News:

  • Third grade students from Thayne and Afton Elementary will participate in Star Valley Days at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds on Thursday, May 18. Students will get to dance to pioneer music, learn about the Lander Trail, try their hand at calf roping, tour the Star Valley Pioneer and History Museum, and ride in a covered wagon. It’s a day full of learning and fun!
  • Second grade is going on a walking field trip to the Thayne Library on May 24th. Watch for exact times and details from your student’s teacher.
  • First grade is planning a field trip to the Auburn Fish Hatchery/Simplot Smokey Canyon Mine on May 23.  More information pending.
  • Kindergarten graduation and picnic, Wednesday, May 24th, at 10:00. All parents/guardians, guests, and students are asked to bring a picnic lunch.

Literacy Corner:  Learn about “summer slide” and how to avoid it.

  • According to research, some students lose anywhere from one to three months of growth while away from school in summer. It takes about one to three months to regain the losses. In other words, it could be the end of November before your child can read the same books they were reading at the end of the school year. How do you help prevent this from happening? READ! 
  • Take advantage of the summer reading programs at the public libraries. Let your child go and choose the books that they are interested in. If you need ideas for books to read during the summer, ask your child’s teacher or Mrs. Nelson.  Have an amazing day!

TVC News:  Click here 

Phone 307-885-2380

Fax 307-883-2032

PO Box 520, Thayne, WY  83127

 

Newsletter: April 2023

Thayne Elementary Husky Headlines

April 2023

From Principal Barnes:

Class Placement for 2023-24 School Year:
It is that time of year that we will begin the complex process of determining class placement for students for next school year. If parents/guardians would like to provide input in this process, a completed application form must be submitted to the office BY APRIL 27The form can be found on our website under “Class Placement Application” at thayne.lcsd2.org or hardcopies are available in the office. Any applications submitted after April 27 will not be considered. Thank You!  

 

School News:

Third grade has begun their preparations for the Wyoming state assessment, WY-TOPP. Each third grade class practices how to take the test by taking modular assessments. Students are learning how to highlight text, type in answer boxes, use graphing tools, create fractions, and use many other features. Third graders will take the assessment over three days:  April 18 (reading), April 19 (writing), and April 25 (math). Parents can help prepare their third grade student to take the assessment by serving a healthy breakfast and making sure their student gets plenty of sleep before the test.

Family Game Night sponsored by Title One – Monday, April 10 from 5:30-6:30 pm (all families from Thayne and Etna schools are invited):  

Come and play some games with us! Let’s learn how you can use those board games and card games around your house to help your child with math, reading, and critical thinking skills. We will also have suggestions on ways you can adapt the games to help your child with something they need to work on – without them even knowing! You might even leave with some ideas for birthday gifts, new favorites, or remember some old favorites collecting dust! Snacks will be provided. We hope to see you there!

Newsletter: March 2023

Thayne Elementary Husky Headlines

March 2023

Principal’s message:

Please become familiar with Thayne Elementary’s policy “Student Use of Personal Electronic Devices”. 

Literacy Week (Mar. 6-9):  Monday March 6th – We are so excited to have the opportunity to host, Author and Illustrator team, Caralyn and Mark Buehner!

Caralyn and Mark Buehner will be visiting our school and working with individual grade levels to share their joy of reading, writing and art.

 

Dress up the week include:

    • Monday –  Wear a hat
    • Tuesday – Wear something green
    • Wednesday- Wear a shirt you can read
    • Thursday – Wear crazy socks

Literacy Corner:

Family Game Night sponsored by Title One –March 22nd – (time pending)

 

Come and play some games with us on March 22nd! Let’s learn how you can use those board games and card games around your house to help your child with math, reading, and critical thinking skills. We will also have suggestions on ways you can adapt the games to help your child with something they need to work on – without them even knowing! You might even leave with some ideas for birthday gifts, new favorites, or remember some old favorites collecting dust! We hope to see you there! 

 

 

  •  

 

 

From the School Nurse:

Sleep is a gift we give our bodies.  It is the time for cell and tissue regeneration.  Sleep powers the mind, restores the body, and fortifies virtually every system in the body.

 

Our school nurse recommends visiting

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need to find out more about children’s sleep needs.

 

Library News:

Book Fair Hours:

Wednesday, Mar. 1: 7:30-8:00, Morning recess, 2:30-7:00

Thursday, Mar. 2: 7:30-8:00, Morning recess, 2:30-4:00

The Book Fair accepts cash, credit and debit cards, personal checks and Scholastic E-wallet funds.

Profits from the Book Fair help fund library maker space activities and more.


Thayne Volunteer Committee News:

TVC is looking for volunteers for a bake sale, teacher appreciation activities, and Field Day.  You can sign up at Parent Teacher Conference, come to the next meeting on March 15th after school at 2:50, or email tvc@lcsd2.org.

Newsletter: February 2023

Thayne Elementary Husky Headlines

February 2023

Principal’s message:

Dear Parent,
Parent Teacher Conferences are almost here!  We’re excited to have the opportunity to visit with you about your wonderful children, the progress they are making, and how best to help your students succeed!  Our school is using PTCFast.com to make Parent Teacher Conference sign-ups as convenient as possible. If you haven’t already, please click here beginning on Feb 13th to schedule your conference.  Conferences will be held Feb.28 and Mar. 1.

Please become familiar with Thayne Elementary’s policy “Student Use of Personal Electronic Devices”. 

Parents are invited to learn more of this upcoming opportunity to learn about “Present Parenting”.  Click here!

Literacy Corner:

After your child reads to you it is important to check for comprehension. Here are some ideas of questions you could ask after your child finishes a book or a chapter:
  • Tell me what happened in the story/chapter.
  • Tell me about the beginning, the middle, and the end.
  • What did this story make you think about? Did it remind you of anything?
  • What characters were in the story?
  • Where did the story take place?
  • What was the problem/conflict in the story?
  • Did they solve it? How?
 

School News:

The Thayne 3rd grade received a visit from local sled dog musher, Lila Wheatley, and junior musher coordinator for Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race, Julie Buckley. The pair introduced two of Lila’s sled dogs as well as gave information on sled dog racing. The 3rd grade read two books on sled dog racing, Stone Fox and Balto, so it was a treat for students to see real sled dogs up close.   Please see photo below.

Students collected funds for Make-a-Wish… total was $490.57. Great job students!

 

From the School Nurse:

February is American Heart Month.

The HEART is a muscle about the size of your fist!  It carries blood full of oxygen and nutrients all around the body and rids the body of waste.  For school age kids, the heart beats anywhere from around 60 to 118 times a minute when you’re resting and even more than that when you’re active.  That’s hard work!

Exercise is the best way to keep the heart strong and healthy. Kids can make it a goal to play outside as much as possible, get involved in sports, or even to participate in activities often such as tag or hide and seek!

Healthy eating is another great way to take care of the heart.  Fruits and vegetables are at the top of every pediatrician’s heart-healthy food list. Try mixing them in a smoothie or preparing low-calorie dipping sauces to pair with them. Pediatricians also recommend whole grains, fish, and lean meats. (Cleveland Clinic, American Academy of Pediatrics.)

 

 

Library News:

We have the awesome opportunity to have the author/illustrator team of Caralyn and Mark Buehner visit our school on Monday, March 6th, to kick off literacy week.  Click here to learn about the Buehners.
We are so excited to have them visit our school and share their magic of writing and illustrating with students and staff alike. Each grade level will get an opportunity to hear their presentation and work with them.
Families can order Buehner Books – a form was sent home with students recently. All books ordered will be signed by the Beuhners. The order forms need to be returned by Monday, February 13th.

Book Fair Monday, February 27th – Thursday, March 2nd:

7:30-8:00am students may shop with an adult.
Morning recess any students may shop if they have brought their own money.
2:30 – 4:00pm Monday 27th and Thursday 2nd
2:30 – 7:00pm Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 1st
 
The book fair accepts Cash, Cards, Checks and Scholastic eWallet.
All profits benefit our library and its programming.
 
 

Thayne Volunteer Committee News:

Please click the links above if you would like to help provide an evening meal for the teachers during Parent Teacher Conferences.

Our next TVC meeting will be February 15th.

 

Newsletter: January 2023

Thayne Elementary Husky Headlines

January 2023

LCSD2 Early Childhood Census:

Parents, our annual Early Childhood Census is now happening! We ask that you click here to access the census and fill it out for any of your children who are birth to 5 years old and not enrolled in kindergarten yet. The district uses this information to plan for future needs of our schools and to get important information to you the year before your child will enter kindergarten. In January, there will be a census worker in your area that will contact you if you have not filled out the census online. The census will be open now through January 25. Thank you for taking the time to complete this census! If you have any questions about the census or have trouble accessing it, please contact Emily Isaacson 307-885-7129. 

Literacy Corner:

Play Word Games

Playing word games as a family will help kids notice sounds in words and increase vocabulary. For kindergarten students, sing songs or say silly tongue twisters. For first grade students, start with a word and then change one sound. For example, say hat and change /h/ to /f/. The new word is fat. Be sure to use sounds and not letter names. For second grade students, tell a family story and have children add details to the basic story. For third grade students, talk about homonyms. For example, jam could mean a sweet spread on toast or cars stuck in traffic.

Remember to have fun and enjoy your time reading together.

School News:

From our 3rd grade team:

One of third grade’s reading units includes a whole class read aloud of the books Stone Fox and Balto, both of which focus on sled dog racing.  In January, the third graders will get to meet real sled dogs when they attend an assembly on January 26 hosted by local musher Lila Wheatley who will bring a small team of sled dogs for a demonstration. Afterwards, on February 3, the third grade will watch the Alpine Stage of the Pedigree Stage Stop Race where they will get to cheer on sled dog teams at the starting line as they race to the Box Y Lodge in the Grey’s River area. The public is also welcome to watch the race. For more information on the race visit https://www.wyomingstagestop.org/

Thayne Volunteer Committee (TVC) News:  

January 18 -TVC meeting at 2:45 pm in the library.

What is TVC?  It is a group of parents, guardians, stakeholders interested in being involved in school activities.  All those interested in participating are welcome to come!

 

School Nurse Information:

 

 

Newsletter: December 2022

Thayne Elementary Husky Headlines

December 2022

News from last month:

We are so proud of our 2nd graders!  They presented a wonderful Thanksgiving program for their parents and the other students!  Well done, 2nd graders!

Our students presented a special program for our local veterans for Veterans Day.  We appreciate the veterans have done to serve our country! 

 

 

Literacy Corner:

Help!! What if my child doesn’t love reading? What if my child only wants me to read to him or her? 
This is actually more common than you think! 
 
Here are some ideas to help:

*Read aloud to your kids. You will not regret this time spent with your kids and you won’t make your child less of a reader by reading to them. 
Reading aloud to your child actually helps them because they are hearing things that are grammatically correct, listening to sophisticated language, and hearing how a good reader sounds.

*Use audiobooks. Let your child listen to an audiobook while they draw, craft, do puzzles, play with legos, etc. 

*Use graphic novels. Your child has to use multiple parts of the brain when reading graphic novels because they have to read and interpret both the text and the pictures. 
 
Remember that your child won’t fall in love with reading overnight. Stay consistent and it will happen over time. 
From the School Nurse…..
 
Reminders about safety with medications at school:
 
If a student requires medication during the school day, please be sure to contact the School Nurse to come up with an administration plan and complete appropriate forms.

Students who “self-carry” their medication, must have an approved medical plan AND are only allowed to carry enough medication for ONE DAY at a time. The medication must be in a labeled container with the student’s name and the medication name.
 
Prescription medication must be in the original prescription bottle labeled with the student’s name, medication name, dose/strength, instructions for administration and expiration date. (You can request an extra container with a label from the pharmacy for school doses.)
 
Over the counter medication must be in the original,sealed, container and be clearly labeled with the student’s name (be sure it’s not expiring).
 
Prescription medications need to be brought to school by a parent and then counted with staff upon receipt. They CANNOT be sent to school in a student’s backpack. They could be harmful if taken by the wrong student and some medications are Controlled Substances. It’s important they’re labeled, so lost medications can be returned to the appropriate school/student.
 
If you have further questions, or need medication forms, please visit our webpage https://lcsd2.org/student-health/  or call your School Nurse (885-7110).
 
Thank you for helping us keep your students safe while at school.

PTO News:  

Thank you for all the support with our food drive! We ended with a total of 1,305! (About $625 and 680 items of food) that’s incredible! 

Mr. Matthews’ class was the winner of the competition with a total of 323! 

Our school will be using the website 1st Place Spiritwear for school gear. Parents can order from anytime and pay online. Here is the link if you would like to take a look! 

https://1stplacespiritwear.com/schools/WY/Thayne/Thayne+Elementary+School

Our next TVC meeting will be a week early on December 14th because of the Christmas break. If you have any ideas or suggestions for future activities or events, please let us know or join us at our next meeting. 

For December, we are partnering with social committee to do dress up days the week before break. The plan for Holiday Spirit Week Dress Up Days is:

December 19th – Crazy Sock Day

December 20th – Red vs. Green Day 

December 21st – Christmas Sweater/ Shirt 

December 22nd – Cozy Day 

Newsletter: November 2022

Thayne Elementary Husky Headlines

November 2022

Please note:

Parent / Teacher Conferences are November 1 and 2!  Click here to schedule your appointment. We hope to see you there!

Veteran’s Day Celebration is Thursday, November 10, from 9:30-10:00 a.m.

Retakes for individual photos will be taken the morning of Thursday, Nov. 17th.

Early release on Nov. 23 at 10:54 a.m. for the Thanksgiving Break.

Check out the photo carousel below to see fun photos for October!

Literacy Corner:

Parents Making a Difference
 
Multiple times throughout the year parents are invited to attend the Parents Making a Difference meeting to give suggestions on how to improve our school and Title 1 program. Please attend one of the following meetings if you would like to give your input. 
 
November 1 and 2 – Drop in any time from 3:45-6:45 during Parent Teacher Conferences. Mrs. Nelson will be at the entry with more information.
 
November 16 – Mrs. Nelson will be at the Thayne Volunteer Committee meeting beginning at 2:45 . Join us in the library that afternoon!

Thayne Volunteer Committee News:

Thayne Elementary will be having a non-perishable food drive to help support the Thayne Community Food Bank. All donations are due by November 16th. Please email tvc@lcsd2.com with any questions.

Any non-perishable food item can be donated. Food cannot be more than a year past expiration. 

Monetary donations will also be accepted.

Did you know that 10 cents = $1.40 for the food bank?

Also, 1 dime buys 1 can of soup! 

Our next Thayne Volunteer Meeting will be held on November 16th at 2:45 in the library. We hope to see you there!

 

Library News:

The Fall Book Fair begins Monday, October 31st and ends Thursday November 3rd. 

Book Fair Hours: 

  • Mon-Thurs: 7:30-8:00 am Students may shop before school, IF they are accompanied by an adult.
  • Monday & Thursday: 2:30-4:00 pm
  • Tuesday & Wednesday: 2:30-7:00 pm

Students may also shop during their morning recess time.

The book fair takes cash, check, credit/debit cards, scholastic e-wallet.
Starting October 31st, the Scholastic Book Fair website will be available at https://www.scholastic.com/bf/thayneelementaryschool1 .

Newsletter: October 2022

Thayne Elementary Husky Headlines

October 2022

Upcoming events:

Class and individual photos will be taken on Oct. 13th.  Photos begin first thing in the morning, so please arrive at school on time so you don’t miss your classroom’s turn. 

Mark your calendars for Parent / Teacher Conferences coming up on November 1 and 2!  More information of how to schedule your appointment will be coming from your student’s teacher shortly.  We hope to see you there!

Upcoming Program, Parent/Early Educator Night:  Please see the attached flyer for a great opportunity for parents to attend the Parent/Early Educator Night in October.  Instructions for reserving your spot is included.  Click here for more information.

 

Literacy Corner:

Help your child develop a love of reading by making reading a part of your family’s daily routine. If your child reads 20 minutes each day, they will read over 3,600 minutes in a year! WOW! Here are ideas to help build a love of reading by making it special, fun, and purposeful:

  1. Make a special time to read each day.
  2. Choose a comfortable spot to read.
  3. Find a great book.
  4. Ask questions and have a discussion.

School News:

Bus safety – Student’s practiced bus safety during a practice drill in September.  We appreciate our drivers and bus aides for taking such great care of our traveling students.

Kindergarten Leaf Safari – Have you noticed the beautiful Fall colors?  The kindergarten students did!  They enjoyed a morning of gathering colorful leaves and learning about the changing of the seasons.  What’s next?… See their artwork of Autumn leaves on the photo “carousel” below!

Library News:

The book fair will run October 31st – November 3rd.

  • It is open to students before school with a parent.
  • Students can also shop during their morning recess and after school.
  • The book fair will be open until 7:00 pm on Tuesday, November 1st, and Wednesday, November 2nd. 

Thayne Volunteer Committee News:

October Events:

Door Decorating Contest:  Each classroom will have the opportunity to decorate their classroom door to compete against other grade level classes to win a sweet treat! If you are able to volunteer to help your child’s teacher with their door, please reach out to them. Voting will take place the week of the 24th. Please join our TVC facebook page to cast your votes!

Hallway Halloween Decorations:  Students may bring a decorated recycled item to put in the hallway above their cubby. It can be a tissue box, can, bottle, etc. – as long as it is smaller than a milk jug. Students may color or use any crafting materials to create their masterpiece. Please bring these on October 17th to start decorating our hallways. 

Halloween Costume Parade:  Students are welcome to dress up on the 31st. Masks and weapons are not allowed. Please make sure all costume preparations are done before school to help minimize any learning distractions. Our school will be having our costume parade at 2:00 on October 31st. Please contact your child’s teacher beforehand if you plan to take them with you after the parade. 

Our next TVC meeting will be October 19th at 2:45. It will also be available via zoom. We hope to see you there!

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or suggestions at tvc@lcsd2.org

 
 

Newsletter: Aug/Sept 2022

Thayne Elementary Husky Headlines

Aug/Sept 2022

Principal’s message:

Welcome to a new school year! I would like to express my gratitude to the staff, parents, and students for the warm welcome I have received. It’s great to be a husky! As the new principal, I am so impressed with the professionalism of our staff and their genuine care and dedication to our students. Likewise, I appreciate all you do with your children to help them be successful at home and school. Our staff and your families comprise a super team of advocates for students, a positive partnership that can accomplish so much good! Working together, we can facilitate opportunities for our students to learn and grow academically and socially, helping them be successful in various aspects of their lives. We are so excited for a new learning adventure this year and eagerly anticipate celebrating the many accomplishments of our students along the way. Go Huskies! 

 -Daniel Barnes, Principal

Literacy Corner: What is Title I?

 According to the U.S. Department of Education, the purpose of Title 1 funding, “is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach, at minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.”  Schools qualify for Title I Services based on the percentage of enrolled students in economic need. This qualification is based on the number of students in the free and reduced-price lunch program.

 

Any student enrolled, who needs extra academic help, is eligible for assistance. All students complete a universal screener three times per year. These test results along with teacher recommendations are used to identify students needing supplemental instruction.

 

Here at Thayne Elementary, we use the majority of our funds for our Title I paraprofessional team. With this team, we are able to offer small instructional groups to meet the needs of our students.

School News:

School Lunch and Breakfast no longer free:

Starting August 2022, no meals will be free unless you qualify for free and reduced-price school meals.

Meal prices for school year 2022-23

Elementary Breakfast $2.00

Elementary Lunch-$3.00

 

School photos will not be on the same day as Etna Elementary as in the past.  This year, Bell Photography will be at Thayne Elementary on:

  • Oct. 13 for picture day
  • Nov. 17 for retakes
 

Library News:Thayne Volunteer Committee (TVC) News:  TVC will hold their first meeting of the year on Wednesday, September 21, at 2:45 in the school cafeteria.  All parents, guardians, teachers, grandparents, and community members are invited to join the committee.  Please come join us and participate in planning some great events that support the students and staff!

Upcoming Program, Parent/Early Educator Night:  Please see the attached flyer for a great opportunity for parents to attend the Parent/Early Educator Night in October.  Instructions for reserving your spot is included.  Click here for more information.