Mr. Hoskins’ Blog

3rd, 4th, and 5th are taking the KPREP test this week. I have been really proud of all of our students, who are working very hard! Please continue to encourage your children to get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast.

*Follow Westside on Twitter, located at @Jon_Hoskins

Leading into Spring Break, we have had several exciting things going on! Thanks to all who participated in our Blood Drive, attended or participated in the Health Fair, or volunteered in classrooms for special activities this week.

We have completed round 3 of DIBELS, our schoolwide reading assessment. I was very proud of the progress our students have made this year in Reading! Westsiders have checked out more than 26,000 books from our library this year, and every week I am adding new members to the Reading Counts 200 Point Club.

Remember, you can follow Westside on Twitter! We’re located at @Jon_Hoskins.

Westside teachers DeDe Shirley and Kari Mitts will be on Coffee Break Tuesday morning, the 13th, with two of our 5th grade students, discussing the collection of supplies for tornado relief. Tune in to WCYN to hear the interview!

I am very proud of Westside’s students and the Harrison County community! The outpouring of generosity that we have seen this week has been absolutely incredible. Thanks to everyone who donated, either supplies or time, to the people of West Liberty!

The news story that WKYT ran can be seen at http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/142138473.html

“Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.”
Lady Bird Johnson, former First Lady

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”.