“Freer Focus”
. . . a monthly newsletter of Freer Elementary School K – 3
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Mr. Charles Bouzek, Principal
January, 2015 Volume V, Issue II
A Word From the Principal
Bouzek’s Blog
Happy New Year!
As we welcome 2015, I'm sure many of us have thought about things we'd like to do differently in our lives. Typically, we make goals to make better food choices, be more active, and spend time with family. While these are all worthwhile goals, I'd like to offer this challenge - read more.
Reading is a critical for future academic and professional success. Promoting reading within your home is easier than you might think.
Here are some tips for prompting reading with students who learning to read:
-Set aside a time and place for reading like a comfy chair with a reading light for bedtime stories.
-Make a game out of finding words that rhyme or begin with the same sound.
-When you're reading a magazine or newsletter, ask your child to look on the pages for pictures or words that start with a certain sound or letter.
To nurture a love of reading in older students who are or are becoming independent readers:
-Read mysteries with your child and try to figure out the clues together.
Movie version coming out? Read the book together first, then talk about which you each liked better.
-Ask your child to draw a comic strip of what happened in the story.
Until next time, keeping reading!
Charles Bouzek
Principal, Freer Elementary (636) 464-2951
Teacher E-mail Voicemail Information
If you would like to contact your child’s teacher by e-mail, you may do so using the following format – .
In order to reach a teacher’s voicemail: Dial 636/464-4401 – press 2 to leave a message, then enter the mailbox # of the teacher. Listed are the mailbox extension numbers.
ALLEN / 4925 / BEST / 5460 / BOUZEK / 4446CAFETERIA / 4441 / CARTER / 4627 / BOYETTE / 4730
DILLINGHAM / 4686 / GOBEL / 4928 / GRAWITCH / 4672
GREER / 4673 / HEITMAN / 4911 / HOWELL / 1114
JORDAN / 4927 / LATCHKEY / 4449
MARKS / 4799
MARTIN / 4447 / MCROY / 1105
MOORE / 4684 / MUELLER / 4685 / O’BARR / 2951
PESEK / 4690 / SEABAUGH / 4930
PLUFF / 4929 / PODOLSKY / 4448 / ROSVALL / 5494
REESE / 4694 / SCHMUTZLER / 4677 / SCHORR / 4655
SMITH / 4478 / STERZIK / 1134 / SWAIN / 4460
BELMAR / 5465 / WEBB / 5486 / WEISS / 4663
Please do NOT leave messages concerning dismissal changes, medications, custody issues. Please call the office at 636-464-2951 to leave a message concerning these issues.
From the Office
Parents, please continue to collect Karsch’s receipts dated thru February 28, 2015. Thank you!
Drop Off/Pick-Up Guidelines:
--Please note that Freer uses one-way traffic for all drop-off and pick-up procedures. Please make sure that you follow the guidelines to avoid any potential accidents.
--In the event of school cancellations/early dismissals due to inclement weather, the following news media will be notified.These media resources will also be posted to our web page at If school is closed due to inclement weather, that announcement will also appear on the district’s web page.
TELEVISIONINTERNETRADIOINTERNET
KSD – Channel 5 1120 AM
KMOV – Channel 4KTJJ 98.5 FM }
FOX 2 News 11– Channel 11KJFF 1400 AM} “
Additionally, we will also be utilizing our “all-call” (SIS Call) phone system that allows us to reach all households to share this same information. However, if parents do not receive a call at home, they should not assume that school will be in session. Please refer to the media contacts noted above.
Parents we ask that you not call the school for closing information. Announcements to the media will be made as early as possible depending upon the weather conditions.
Counselor’s Corner
By Robin Swain
Freer Elementary students have been very busy. Model Guidance is completed in Kindergarten and First Grade. Students have learned about safety, body language, careers, goals, and socialization skills. Model Guidance will begin in Second Grade next week.
Divorce Groups will be starting soon. Look for permission slips to come home with your child. Kindergarten and First Grade will be first. Second and Third Grade permission slips will not be sent home until late February. If you are interested in this service and have children in different grade levels please do not sign them up together.
As always, if your child is in need of individual or group counseling contact me. I’m available daily from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. My phone number is 636-464-4460 and my email address is .
Healthy Comments
By Connie Podolsky, RN Windsor C-1 Health Services Director
Since we are in the midst of the cold and flu season, I thought it would be beneficial to go over some topics that will make this time easier for both you as parents and for me the school nurse.
- Please make sure your child has a good breakfast before each school day. Proper nutrition will make a difference in how they fight off all the germs they encounter.
- Please remember that when your child is sick, they need a day to recuperate and should be without symptoms for 24 hours before they come back. Often, those that return too early, catch something else very easily.
- Sleep is so important for their ability to stay healthy during these days. 10 hours of sleep can make a huge difference in their ability to fight off infections and viruses.
- Encourage your child to use good hand washing and proper respiratory etiquette- cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze. In school, we instruct the students to cough or sneeze into their elbow or arm. They also need to remember how to dispose of the soiled tissues.
- Make sure your child gets plenty of fluids (water), during this season especially with a cold. It keeps all the nasal secretions thinner and less likely to become infected.
Hope everyone has a healthy winter season.
The Art Part!
Dear Parents - I would really appreciate donations of baby wipes! I do use the baby wipes, not wet wipes. Thanking you in advance!
Mrs. Allen
Art Educator
Library Media Center
Happy New Year from the Library!
What better way to endure these frigid temperatures, than curled up with a good book!
For those of you with reluctant readers, here are a few suggestions that may spark their interest:
❖Find high-interest books that are easy to read, and slowly progress into more difficult high-interest books.
❖Create a special cozy spot, a “book nook”, for reading. Check out Pinterest, they have tons of cool ideas for kid book nooks.
❖If your child is just beginning to read, take advantage of all of the environmental print when you are out and about. Have your child read all of the fast food, stores, traffic signs, etc.
❖Technology is our friend! There are tons of great reading apps.
❖Take advantage of our great public library. They have tons of great books, magazines, and activities.
❖Model, model, model! Read to, with, and also in front of your kiddos.
❖Pair books with activities. After reading a book, do an activity, craft, recipe, etc. to go along with it.
Students generally love to read nonfiction. We have a few online resources we subscribe to that the kids can take advantage of at home.
Pebblego: Username: freer Password: school
Worldbook Online: Username: Windsor Password: goowls
Happy Reading!
Mrs. Sarah Smith
Library Media Specialist
PE News
By Laura Carter, PE Teacher
Physical Education 3rd quarter unit activities
●Running and Exercising everyday
●Hockey lead-up skills and games
●Noodle games and activities
●Basketball lead-up skills and games
●Scooter games and activities
●Chase and flee tag games
●Soccer lead-up skills and games
●Parachute rhythm activities
Just a reminder... Tennis shoes are required for PE class.
Music Notes
By Ms. Allison Web, Music Teacher
Third quarter is here already...new year, new songs and activities!
Early Childhood- following directions, scarves, introduction to instruments
Pre-K- simple singing games, instruments
Kindergarten- writing and reading "how the words go" (as introduction to rhythm), singing games, instruments, scarves
1st Grade- reading and writing ti-ti, ta, and Z, sol-mi patterns, singing games, instruments of the orchestra
2nd Grade- reading and writing half note (ta-a), sol-mi-la-do patterns, folk songs, more complex singing games
3rd Grade- reading and writing rhythm review, folk songs, patriotic songs, reading notes on the staff
Songbird Choir members- we will resume choir at the end of January. Calendars will be sent home soon!
Computer Class
Mrs. Tammy Moore
All classes are now using Google Chrome. Kindergarten is familiar with three or four websites and they can go from one website to another on their own! First grade are like pros keyboarding their spelling words! Second and third grades continue to practice their keyboarding skills. They continue on tenmarks.com and studyisland.com, along with other websites.