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PATHFINDER “THURSDAY THOUGHTS”
Good, Better Best! Never Let It Rest, Until Good Is Better And Better Is Best!”
May 2008
LET’S MAKE A DATE:
MAY 16
Brainstormer Assemblies
8:45 a.m.—Green & Blue
10:00—Purple & Red
MAY 19
Wills, Christoffersen, Wilk, Morse & Chandonnet to Camp Pendalouan
MAY 21
Red Pod 2nd graders to H.S. pool
Bob Pinder visits Mrs. Heyboer’s class
Heyboer’s class to Recycle
MAY22
Kempf to Bill’s Shop & Save and Bellwether
MAY 23
Field Day & Cookout
9:15 a.m.—3rd graders
1:15—1st & 2nd graders
LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS TO CHECK OUT BOOKS
MAY 26
MEMORIAL DAY - NO SCHOOL
MAY 27
3rd Grade Swimming
MAY 28
Mobile Dentist restorative work
3rd Grade Swimming
Red Pod 2nd grade to THS
MAY 29
Mobile Dentist restorative work
3rd Grade Swimming
ALL STUDENT LIBRARY BOOKS DUE BACK!
MAY 30
3rd Grade Swimming
Red Pod 1st grade to Country Dairy
JUNE 2
3rd grade swimming
Chandonnet & Morse to Mac Wood Dunes
JUNE 3
3rd grade swimming
JUNE 4
3rd grade swimming
Blue Pod 1st grade to Lakeside Swirl
JUNE 5
HALF DAY OF SCHOOL
JUNE 6
Heyboer to H.S. Pool
HALF DAY OF SCHOOL
SUMMER VACATION BEGINS!
Summer Garden
The jagged bits of gravel stabbing repeatedly into the fleshy bottoms of my callused bare feet crunched like ground glass with each measured step I took across the dry dusty driveway. Nearing the grassy side of the freshly tilled garden, the black loamy dirt bent like old men burrowing into the ground; the earthy scent of worms, compost, and ancient glaciers exploded into my nose so ferociously I almost forgot about the seeds in my hand or even why I was looking for Dad.
“Mom says you gotta plant some punkins or we won’t be havin’ any come Halloween!” I hollered.
Toes digging tight into the cool rich soil, I gingerly began crossing neat rows of dirt marked by seed packets impaled on bits of sticks fallen from the prehistoric oak tree in the front yard. Squatting like some prehistoric caveman beside a tire shaped mound of dirt maybe a foot high, partially facing away from me, Dad was seriously contemplating something just out of sight. He didn’t appear to hear me as I approached. His glasses were perched low on the end of his long nose as he continued to peer intently over them, oblivious as I repeated Mom’s command that he plant punkins. The frayed straw hat that covered Dad’s balding head was pulled low against the hot afternoon sun and shaded his face.
“Ya know” he began, speaking slowly without turning toward me, “the Tigers have a good chance ta win the pennant this year.”
The back of his blue t-shirt, faded almost white from too many washings and being hung to dry on the clothesline in the backyard, was now dark with sweat and a salt stain traced ragged wings across his narrow shoulders.
“Yep, that Denny MClain’s gonna be some kind of pitcher this year if he stays healthy, and Mickey Lolich ain’t no slouch either! “
Gripping something tightly in both hands Dad slowly turned toward me.
“But what about Bill Freehan and Willie Horton; they gotta chance to hit 20 homers and be All-Stars again, don’t they?” I asked hopefully while peering intently at the furry brown object wiggling gently in his large grimy hands.
Dad had a penchant for pitchers. He believed that with their selection of pitches and speed they alone were the masters of the game and controlled the outcome. Me on the other hand, I preferred sluggers like Freehan and Horton and Jim Northrup, who grew up in Breckenridge and attended Alma College. Those guys could knock the stuffin’ out of the ball and win a game with one swing of the bat!
The mole continued to wriggle blindly inside the confines of Dad’s hands as bits of dirt fell silently through his fingers onto the garden. Carefully, without hurting it, Dad laid the mole in the long greed blades on the grassy edge of the garden, safe from the sharp blades of hoes.
“So, where’s those punkin seeds your mother sent ya with?” “I got the mound ready for ‘em if ya want ta plant ‘em.”
“How ‘bout them Tigers?” I grinned as we squatted side by side and shoved seed into the ground.
If Spring is a time for planting then Summer is a time for growth. Pretty soon the kids will be out of school and their days will be filled with all kinds of exciting adventures and wonderful experiences. Like salmon traveling unknown miles through unknown perils before returning to the relative safety of their spawning grounds, the kids will return to school in the Fall taller, tanned, and talkative.
As important as it is to ensure your child’s healthy emotional development, during the summer it’s just as important to provide them with healthy mental and physical opportunities. The memory of planting a summer garden with my dad illustrates several easy ways for satisfying the needs children have of their parents.
First, kids want and need our positive attention. By spending time with them we show our children that they’re loved and important. Who doesn’t want to feel like they matter? And wouldn’t it be easier for us if they wanted to spend time doing the things we liked? Second, chatting with our kids about any topic (like the Detroit Tigers) stimulates their knowledge of the world around them while developing their ability to converse and reason. The magic of Blues Clues, Dora the Explorer, and Sesame Street eventually fades away. Third, and maybe the most important, kids need us to show them how to do things the correct way. Whether it’s preparing soil for planting seeds, catching a ball, or baiting a hook, these little demonstrations set the stage for many other more important teachable moments. I’ve already experienced four kids in driver’s training so trust me on this one!
Sure, it’s important for our kids to spend time reading books and playing with their friends. You can take them to the Fremont library where there’s a reading club and a great children’s section with enough choices that even the pickiest of kids will be satisfied. I wouldn’t be surprised that many of the titles there are on the accelerated reader list. But if you don’t spend time discussing their selections or showing them the value of reading by picking out books for yourself, what good is that? Myself, I prefer the non-fiction section with all of the interesting biographies, as well as the extraordinary music collection-particularly the jazz and vocal sections.
There’s also the beach on Fremont Lake, many river and riverbanks, several lakes and parks, back and front yards, as well as summer recreation programs to help growing bodies develop agility and stamina. Through play children learn the importance of sharing and taking turns. Sportsmanship is developed by winning and losing as a result of competition, while most of the important life lessons are learned naturally, through experience.
There’s a saying about kids growing like weeds that’s probably true in some cases. But I’ve never found a good use for weeds and most of my friends spend a lot of money, time, and energy trying to get rid of them. I tend to prefer the thought that kids grow like flowers and parents who use the right amount of attention, love, and patience tend to raise the finest bouquets-just like a good gardener.
Have an interesting and adventuresome summer! As the Principal of Pathfinder it’s been my pleasure to be a part of the extraordinary team that provides your family with some of the best educational experiences in Newaygo County.
URGENT! PLEASE HELP OUR CAFETERIA
Please take a moment to stop by our call our school cafeteria at 924-7262 to make sure that you are current on your child’s lunch account. The end of the school year is almost here, and there are MANY accounts that need to be paid up. Please take care of this matter as soon as possible. Remember that any balance left in your child’s account will carry over to next year. Thanks for your help in this matter!
LIBRARY BOOKS
The last day for students to check out library books is Friday, May 23rd. ALL BOOKS ARE DUE BACK TO THE LIBRARY ON THURSDAY, MAY 29TH! If your child has a book at home yet, please return it as soon as possible. Thanks!
MEDICATIONS
If your child has any medications at school, please stop by the office to pick them up. MEDICATIONS CANNOT BE SENT HOME WITH YOUR STUDENT! Any medications left in the office after Friday, June 13th will be disposed of. You can stop by the office any time Monday — Friday from 8:00 a.m. — 3:00 p.m.
LOST & FOUND We have many, many items on our lost and found cart. Please take time to stop by the school and check it out. Anything that is left here over the summer will be donated to Goodwill or another charitable agency. Thanks for your help with this!
REMINDER!
There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, May 26th due to the holiday.
Also, please remember that we have half-days of school on Thursday, June 5th and Friday, June 6th, which is our last day of school. Pathfinder dismissal time on half-days is 11:34 a.m.
Please make sure you have made arrangements for your child on
MORE PARENT GROUP NEWS!
Box top collections were a huge success this year! Please keep collecting them! As you know, we did have a few contests going on throughout the year, so we would like to update you on the winners and totals collected so far.
Pine Street and Pathfinder had a pizza party contest and a May flowers contest.
The winners were:
Pine Street—Pizza party AND flowers—Mrs. Hawes
Pathfinder—Pizza party—Ms. Berens
Pathfinder—Flowers—Mrs. Campbell 1st grade, Mrs. Ferris 2nd grade and
Mrs. Heyboer, 3rd grade.
The pizza party contest brought in approximately $1,500 worth of box tops. Totals are not in yet for the flowers, but it looks great!
Daisy Brook students had to work for their contest. The kids had to
name the capital, state abbreviation and nickname for all 50 states and
turn in 50 box tops to get their name in for a drawing for
a $50.00 WalMart gift card. This contest brought in approximately $200 worth of
box tops. The kids did a great job!
The winners were:
Zack Heller 4-th grade—Mr. Kallenbach’s class
Sydney Loss—5th grade—Mr. Mull’s class
Thanks for making these contests such a success! We will be teaming up with The Emerald Angel for our next contest. Keep your eyes open for the summer collection envelope which should be coming home the last week of school. We will be drawing for the chance to win a WebKinz. For every ten box tops you turn in, your name will be put in a drawing to win a gift certificate from The Emerald Angel for a free WebKinz. We will draw names after school starts next year. Start collecting now!
As a reminder, the box tops do expire, so please make sure and check the dates. Please use care when cutting them, because if the date is not on it, or we cannot see the year they expire, we have to throw them away.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or email me. Thank you!
SaQuana Mott
231-821-0362
smott@fremont.net
We are also collecting Campbell soup labels, so keep sending them in. We were able to send in 7,000 labels this year so far, and we have another batch that we are still counting. We have been using the Campbell points to purchase playground things (balls, jump ropes, etc.)
PARENT GROUP NEWS
The Parent Group still has some t-shirts and sweatshirts available. They are assorted colors, prints and sizes. If you, or anyone you know, is interested in them, please let us know and we will see if we have what you need. T-shirts are $6.00 and sweatshirts are $15.00. Again, please call SaQuana at 231-821-0362 or the office at 924-7230.
The next Parent Group meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 19th at 6:30 p.m. at Daisy Brook Elementary.
REPORT CARDS
Report cards will be sent home with your student on the last day of school. Please check your child’s backpack.
FIELD DAY
Next Friday, May 23rd is field day at Pathfinder. The schedule will be 9:15 a.m. for all 3rd graders and 1:15 p.m. for all 1st & 2nd graders. More information will be sent home next week.
Have a great summer!
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