Mr. Hoskins’ Blog

The word in the 5th grade hall is that our students are doing an incredible job of working with fractions! Congratulations to the 5th graders, 84% of whom scored Proficient or Distinguished on their Economics test!

I will be using Twitter to showcase some of what is going on here at Westside. Announcements and updates will also be found there. Westside can be found at @Jon_Hoskins.

Those 6 little words will mean a lot coming from you. School is a place where your children experience several successes every day. Some of these are small, some are enormous. Be sure to take time each day to find out about a few of the ways your child succeeded at school, and let them hear you say those six little words. It means a lot to them to know that you believe in them.

Similarly, when your child comes up against a tough challenge, “I know you can do it if you keep working and do your best.” Your faith in them, along with the understanding that some things just take work, will help them overcome countless obstacles in their schooling and their lives.

We’ve had some trouble with our automated calling system. Our Open House will be tonight, Thursday, the 4th, from 5:30-7:00. We hope to see you here, “Rockin’ to Proficiency” with us!

Concerns of Home Safety with Flooding
The Kentucky Department for Public Health issues these safety guidelines for after floods due to threats of extensive flooding with storms occuring:
Tetanus:
· Avoid contact with flood waters. Flood waters are unclean and can be a risk for tetanus for those who have open wounds that come into direct contact with them. Contact your regular health care provider or your local health department if you believe you may need a tetanus shot.
Mold Cleanup:
· Mold may be present in homes that were flooded. An air conditioner or dehumidifier may be used to lower the level of humidity to prevent mold growth. Use exhaust fans when showering and cooking.
· When cleaning up small areas affected by mold, make sure the area has enough air by opening doors or windows. Use protective glasses or goggles, rubber boots and waterproof gloves. Wash clothing afterwards. If there is heavy mold growth, use a respirator or suitable mask to prevent breathing the mold.
· Remove all wet items that have been wet for more than 48 hours and are not able to be cleaned and dried.
Mold
· If mold is growing in your home, you will need to clean up the mold and fix the moisture problem. Mold growth can be removed from hard surfaces with commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Severe mold cases may require an expert to clean up.
Food Safety:
· If you have power outages keep freezers closed to help keep frozen food from going bad. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours and for 24 hours if the freezer is half full.
· Refrigerated foods should be safe as long as power is out for no more than four hours. Throw away any perishable food in your refrigerator, such as meat, poultry, lunchmeats, fish, dairy products, eggs and any prepared or cooked foods that have been above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours.
· Fresh fruits and vegetables are safe as long as they are still firm and have no mold or slimy feel.
· To remove spills and refresh the freezer and refrigerator, DPH recommends washing with a solution of 2 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of warm water. To get rid of any odors, place an open box or dish of baking soda in the freezer or refrigerator.
For more information about public health issues related to flooding, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Web site at: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/ .
Spanish Translation:
El Departamento para la Salud Pública de Kentucky emite estas recomendaciones de seguridad para el periodo después de las inundaciones.
Tétanos:
· Evite el contacto con el agua de inundaciones. El agua de inundaciones no es limpia y puede conllevar un riesgo de tétanos para aquellas personas con heridas abiertas que entran en contacto directo con estas aguas. Comuníquese con su proveedor de atención médica regular o su departamento de salud local si usted cree que necesita una vacuna contra el tétanos.
Limpieza de moho:
· Es posible que el moho se presente en los hogares que fueron inundados. Se puede usar el aire acondicionado o un deshumidificador para reducir el nivel de humedad y así prevenir el crecimiento del moho. Use ventiladores de escape cuando se ducha y cocina.
· Cuando está limpiando áreas pequeñas afectadas por el moho, asegúrese de que el área tenga suficiente ventilación abriendo las puertas o ventanas. Use lentes o anteojos protectores, botas de hule y guantes impermeables. Lave la ropa después. Si hay mucho crecimiento de moho, use un respirador o una mascarilla adecuada para prevenir que usted respire el moho.
· Retire todos los artículos que han estado mojados por más de 48 horas y que no pueden ser limpiados y secados.
· Si hay moho creciendo en su hogar, usted necesitará limpiar el moho y corregir el problema de humedad. El crecimiento de moho en superficies duras puede ser eliminado con productos comerciales, jabón y agua, o una solución de cloro de no más de 1 taza de cloro en 1 galón de agua. Es posible que se necesite un experto para limpiar los casos severos de moho.
Seguridad de alimentos:
· Si usted tiene apagones, mantenga los congeladores cerrados para prevenir que los alimentos congelados se pudran. Un congelador lleno mantendrá la temperatura aproximadamente por 48 horas, y por 24 horas si el congelador está medio lleno.
· Los alimentos refrigerados deben estar seguros con tal de que el apagón no dure más de cuatro horas. Tire a la basura cualquier alimento perecedero en su refrigerador, tales como la carne, carne de ave, fiambres, productos lácteos, huevos y cualquier alimento preparado o cocinado que haya estado a más de 40 grados Fahrenheit por dos horas.
· Las frutas y verduras frescas están bien con tal de que todavía estén firmes y no tengan moho ni se sientan viscosas.
· Para eliminar derrames y refrescar el congelador y el refrigerador, el DPH recomienda lavar con una solución de 2 cucharadas de bicarbonato sódico disueltas en 1 cuarto de galón de agua tibia. Para eliminar olores, coloque una cajetilla abierta o un plato de bicarbonato sódico en el congelador o el refrigerador.

Para más información sobre asuntos de la salud pública relacionados con las inundaciones, visite el sitio web de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) en: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/.

Thanks to all who made the luau on Friday night possible! What a great, fun, free event it was! We had a great crowd, a lot of fun, and I didn’t have to cook dinner for my kids. I look forward to more free family events in the future, with help from our PTO.

This week we are doing some assessments in grades K-5. These tests look just like the KCCT, with multiple choice and open response items. K-3 are testing in Reading and Math. 4th grade adds Science, and 5th adds Social Studies and Writing. These are a great way for us to help ease anxiety in our older students by giving them a taste of the real thing. They also help the younger students feel like part of the “big show”.

Thanks to your support through the Y-ties fundraiser and various PTO fundraisers this year, Westside will soon be installing a climbing wall in our PE room! Obviously, we are very excited to have this resource coming to our school and are very grateful to all of you for making it possible.

It seems we have some more snow coming, and I know that means kids at home when you planned to have them at school. Snow days can be a great time to sneak in a little family time.

Pull out the board games. Playing games as a family is always fun (even if your older children pretend they don’t want to). The same goes for card games.

Put on the warm clothes and get outside! Kids need to burn off some energy, and being stuck inside all day makes that tough to do.

If you know the bad weather is coming, hit the public library and pick out some books with/ for the kids. Reading together or on your own is a great way to pass the time, and it helps their brains get a little exercise on their day off. Pop some popcorn, grab some blankets, and make it an event!

Get them into the kitchen to make a favorite treat. Let them help you read the recipe and measure the ingredients.

Pull out some old magazines/ newspapers, and let them make a collage while they drink some hot chocolate.

Do you need to go through their clothes and toys now that Christmas is over? Snow days are a great time to pull out the clothes that don’t fit and the toys they’ve outgrown.

Whatever you choose to do during your snow days, it helps to have a plan. Know that the snow is coming sometime, and be prepared. You’ll enjoy your day a lot more, and so will your kids!

It’s 6:30 on Tuesday morning and your child gets up saying, “I don’t feel good.” How do you decide whether to send him to school of keep him home? It’s not and exact science, but guidelines help.

1. Take your child’s temperature. Though a child may not have a fever and still be sick, a temperature of 100.4o or over is a sure sign to keep your child home. Giving a fever reducer and sending him to school will almost guarantee a call from school when the medicine wears off, as well as exposing other students to whatever your child has.
2. If your child vomited or had diarrhea during the previous evening or night, please keep him home. If symptoms continue for more than 48 hours or worsen instead of improving, consult a doctor.
3. A blistery rash, especially if accompanied by fever and history if exposure, may be chicken pox. Keep your child home until you know for sure. If it is chicken pox, he will need to stay home until all areas are scabbed. usually 6-7 days.
4. If your child is diagnosed with a bacterial disease such as strep, he should be on prescribed antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school.

A child does not need to visit a doctor simply to obtain a doctor’s note for school. A note form a parent or legal guardian is sufficient for the first 5 absences each year. Any absences in excess if 5 days will require a note from your child’s doctor.

It is often difficult to tell how sick your child is. If he stays home and improves, you can always take him to school. Be sure that the school has current telephone numbers to reach you at all times n case your child become ill or injured. school is important, but sick children need to be at home.

wild-wild-west-news-4.pdf