Shaffer Leader – Your PTO Newsletter
December 2011
Inside this issue:
PTO Message
Upcoming PTO Meeting
Fun Fundraising
Teacher Tidbits
Holiday Concerts & Events
Holiday Food Drive
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Shaffer Holiday Shoppe is the week of December 5th. We will be setting up Tuesday morning starting at 10am. There will be classes shopping Tuesday afternoon, all day Wednesday and Thursday with make-ups on Friday morning till 11:30am. All items are $1 and that includes tax. We need heroes to help with the following: 1) help the little ones shop 2) wrap gifts, 3) set up Tuesdaymorning and wrap up Friday. Please contact Deborah Pike, if you can volunteer during the school day.
Can you believe it is already December? Wow, what a year we are having! We wanted to give a special thanks to all of those who helped with the Staff Appreciation Luncheon before Thanksgiving. Your willingness to help is very much appreciated!
Please be aware of a few events that are coming soon!
- Tambellini’s Fundraiser Orders are due Friday, Dec 2nd. Pick-up is on Monday, Dec 19th at dismissal time.
- Yearbook Deposits are due now. $10.00 for deposit; $16.00 total cost. Please list your child’s name and class number on deposit form. Also, please submit event pictures via email to Amy Roth @ or hardcopies to the office. Thanks!
- Shaffer IDOL IV will be on Friday, December 16th at 7pm at the Woodland Hills High School.*
*more details found in the ‘Holiday Concerts’ section of the Shaffer Leader Newsletter.
Happy Holidays to you and your families! Please feel free to contact a board member below if you have any questions or concerns.
Tara Reis,
Denise Eskelson,
Amy Roth,
Deborah Pike,
RoryannReinbold-Rice,
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Our next PTO meeting is on Tuesday, December 13th at 6:30 pm in the library. All are welcome, so please join us!
Labels, Labels, Labels – The Results!
You have submitted over 4900 Box Tops since last April, earning our school just under $500. Way to go! And congratulations to Ms. Gable’s class for submitting the most labels in our Fall Contest. Hooray! Keep it up. We will continue our contest during the winter months to the end of February.
Another Fundraising Option – Target!
We are asking those that shop at Target to sign up for the Target debit card (it is not a credit card, it is tied into a bank account and acts as a debit card, but only at Target.) It only takes a few minutes sign up for and can be done in the checkout line. Upon signing up, if the cardholder goes to the website and chooses Shaffer as the school in the education section, 1% of every purchase made with the card goes to Shaffer. Additionally, anyone who has the Target debit card saves 5% on EVERY purchase!
GIANT EAGLE
If you shop at Giant Eagle, please be sure you are registered as a Shaffer School Supporter. Our school code is 0970.
To register, have your Advantage Card handy and call 1-800-474-4777 or go on-line to:
Sixth grade students at Shaffer are monitoring the quality of the water in the Allegheny River. They are working with ORSANCO (The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission). ORSANCO is an organization located in Cincinnati that monitors the water quality of the Ohio River and its tributaries.
They are also working with the Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority. Each month, a representative from the Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority collects a sample of water from the Allegheny River and delivers it to Shaffer. The students then conduct tests for certain factors that determine the quality of the water.
They measure pH, dissolved oxygen, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, nitrates, turbidity and E. Coli. They then calculate the quality of the water according to established formulas.
Finally, they report the data to ORSANCO via a data entry form on the ORSANCO website. They are happy to report that the water quality of the Allegheny River has been in the “Excellent” range so far this year!
Mrs. Pearson and the Woodland Hills School District have been collecting and reporting data on the Allegheny River to ORSANCO for 17 years. Please visit to learn more about the organization.
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Happy Holidays from Room 109
Just a reminder, that students must complete their 25 book standard by January 13, 2012. The next nine weeks, students must complete 7 books to achieve their goal. We are in need of tissue to prepare for the fast approaching winter season.
The final month of 2011 is here! As the midpoint of the school year approaches, we at Shaffer are making excellent progress.
In the Primary Grades, emphasis is on Reading and Math. Classroom Story Town Tests and Dibels Scores indicate steady progress in Reading. In Math, students show progress in Everyday Math Tests and new computer administered tests called EasyCBM Diagnostic Assessments. Data indicates the Primary Grades are stronger in Reading than in Math.
In the Intermediate Grades, students “read to learn.” Data indicates that Students in Grades 4 through 6 need to improve their reading vocabulary and comprehension. Our Story Town Curriculum and Content area subjects such as Science and Social Studies provide rich opportunities for students to improve in both vocabulary and comprehension.
In Math, new concepts are being introduced at all grade levels. With the administration of the second 4Sight Benchmark tests in December, we look forward to seeing significant gains in both Reading and Math.
In the New Year, let’s all make a resolution to always do our best, and to improve in areas that challenge us!
Mrs. Romito
Instructional Coach
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Kindergarten is learning their letters and sounds in reading. They are learning about 3-D shapes and counting to 100 in mathematics. We are asking parents to continue reading with your child daily and counting to 100 by 1s, 5s, & 10s to 100. Please practice self-help skills like shoe tying daily until mastered by your child.
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This was our first report card period, so Room 116 wants to congratulate many of our classmates for outstanding achievements! High Honor Roll Recipients were: Adam Borst, Elise Jenkins, Travis Krusey, Gina Davis and Ben Pike; Honor Roll Awardees were: Anthony Cole, Adam Reis, Matthew Horvath, Vicie Simpson and Cierra Tibbs; Perfect Attendance Certificates went to Adam Borst, Elise Jenkins, Cierra Tibbs, Laval Hammett II, Travis Krusey, and Naszhir Taylor.
In addition, Mrs. Gable is proud to announce our Homework Stars for the past six weeks: Adam Borst ******, Gina Davis *****, Laval Hammett II *, Elise Jenkins ******, Travis Krusey *****, Ben Pike **, Adam Reis *, Vicie Simpson *, Arthur Thomas **, and Cierra Tibbs **.
Also, we want to thank Damien Dagan and Vicie Simpson for doing a stellar job as morning announcers for the past two weeks. Our last shout-out goes to Vicie Simpson, who was the focus of an on-line news article for her efforts to assist with food collections for local shelters.
The week after Thanksgiving we finished our classroom novel about life during the summers of the Great Depression: A Long Way from Chicago, by Richard Peck. Our shoebox dioramas of our favorite scenes from the book should be finished by the time this goes to press; look for pictures of our projects on Mrs. Gable’s web page. In reading class, we have been delving into a variety of nonfiction articles on topics varying from “Life Beneath the Antarctic Ice” to the jobs of “Smokejumpers” in the American West. We also did a “flipped” lesson on the Iceman of the Alps.
(You can view our reports and skits by going to Mrs. Gable’s webpage at Shaffer under schools on the WHSD web site.) Finally, with the help of our Promethean board and video lessons, we learned in Science about pendulums, and created our own sets of pendulums, experimenting with variables such as the length and weight of the pendulum, and the height of the initial drop. Photos of our final graphs of our findings will also be posted on our web page. We hope you enjoy sharing in our learning!!!
Shaffer Holiday Events & Concerts
December is jam packed with wonderful events to celebrate our school and the season! Please join us at one or all of the following events to support our dedicated and talented students, staff, and parents.
December 2nd – Tambellini’s Fundraising orders are due!
December 6th – Lifetouch will be at Shaffer in the afternoon for Fall Picture re-takes. Please bring in your full portrait packet and you can have your child re-photographed at no charge.
December 6th - The Children's Hospital Care Mobile is coming to Shaffer Elementary on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 from 9AM to 2 PM. They will provide, free to all students who have a signed parental permission, the following health services:
Mandated Immunizations, Asthma screenings and check ups, Physical exams. K and 6th grade students are required to have mandated immunizations and physical examinations. 6th grade students must have menningitis and Tdap immunizations prior to entering 7th grade. Please call Mrs. Walter @ 412-371-4535 ext 2250 if you have not received a form in the mail for the services provided and wish to have your child take part in the free health services on the Care Mobile. Thank you.
December 7th – 9th - Holiday Shoppe! Set-up is Tuesday at 10 a.m. We need volunteers for set-up (10-noon?), all day Wed, Thursday from 9-1 pm, and Friday from 9-12 pm. Please contact Debbie Pike at to volunteer or for more information.
December 10th - Intermediate Orchestra rehearsal at the WH Academy to prepare for the Winter Concert. Orchestra students are to come prepared with their instruments and music. Light snacks will be provided.
Rehearsal is from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
December 13th – PTO Meeting@ 6:30 pm. Join us in the library to discuss upcoming activities, fundraising, and other items. Children are always welcomed and refreshments will be served!
December 16th - Shaffer IDOL IV takes the stage at 7pm at the Woodland Hills High School Auditorium. Shout-outs to the performers of 14 words can be purchased for $2. Shout-outs must be received in the school office by Monday, December 5th. DVD's of the show can be purchased for $20 until the night of the show. After the show, they will be $25. Cash and checks made payable to Shaffer PTO will be accepted.
December 19th – Tambellini’s Fundraising orders will be ready for pickup at dismissal time. Please do not arrive any earlier.
December 19th - Polar Express Night at the High School starting at 5:30pm. Lots of goodies and hot chocolate will be served before the movie is shown in the Auditorium. Prizes are given and children are encouraged to wear their pajamas! All District families are invited!
December 20th –Students from Shaffer, Fairless and the Academy will combine to present a Winter Concert featuring the Intermediate Band & Orchestra, and the 6th grade Chorus. It will take place at 7:00pm in the WH Academy auditorium.
December 21st - Shaffer Winter Sing Along. All students in grades K-6 will gather in the multipurpose room to sing their favorite songs of the season. Program begins at 2 pm.