Ski Program Begins Today: Monday, Dec 12^th. Please make sure that your child’s ski waiver is turned in to the office so they can participate.

• Grades 1-3 ski on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30-2:30
• Grades 4-8 ski on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:30-2:30
• Kindergarten skis on Fridays from 9:30-10:30

Please make sure your student comes prepared for skiing with the appropriate winter clothes: jacket, water-repellant pants, gloves and a hat.  The ski schedule is posted in the school office & classrooms.

We need several parent volunteers to help with the ski program.  You can help with any or all of the following:

• skiing with the students
• helping them with gear
• walking the students up to the lodge to ski and then to the parking lot for pick-up

Karla Willis is heading up the parent ski volunteers this year.  Please contact her if you would like to help, or if you have any questions.

Soldier Hollow Lodge will be doing cross-country ski training for any parent volunteers that are interested on Dec 14^th and 15^th, from 11:00 – 12:00 each day.  Wednesday the 14^th will be classic skiing and Thursday the 15^th will be skate skiing.  It is a good opportunity to learn technique (or just take a refresher class) and as always, the equipment and skiing is free for parent volunteers.

The Little Vikings after-school ski program will begin today.  It is available for children between the ages of 6 – 13. Little Vikings is on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00 – 5:00.  Soldier Hollow students involved in the program will stay at the school in designated classrooms and do their homework until it is time to go to the lodge.  Parents will need to pick up their student at the lodge at 5:00.  If you have any questions about this program or need to register and pay any fees required, contact the Soldier Hollow Lodge at 435-654-2002.

Rewards Program: Box Tops, Campbell’s labels, Sunny D labels….how many did you collect over the Thanksgiving break? From now until December 16 we will be competing. Whoever brings in the most labels/box tops wins- one winner per grade.

The Last? Pizza Friday – Orders due by noon on Wednesday, Dec 14:

• Friday, December 16.  This may be your last chance to enjoy a pizza Friday.
• Small (one slice) lunches are $3
• Large (two slice) lunches are $5
• All lunched come with fruit or veggie and a healthy drink
• Questions?  Contact Kim Moody
  

Pizza Friday have been sponsored by your brilliant and entrepreneurial sixth grade.  Thanks for your support!!

Chess Club: The Soldier Hollow Chess Club is meeting on Wednesdays, from 3:00-4:00, in Mr. Sproul’s classroom. The cost is $15 per semester/ or $25 for the entire year.  If you have any questions, please contact Karla Willis.

Provo River Watershed Festival: Rock Cliff Nature Center on Sept. 24, 2011. Our school started this festival four years ago and hosted it with State Parks. It has grown to include many more entities and while we no longer organize the festival, we are still a very active part of the festival. This year’s festival celebrates the Provo River and all the land that drains into it (what an amazing natural resource!) and National Public Lands Day. The goal of this year’s festival is to make the public aware of this natural resource! The festival will offer live music, clowns, informational and educational booths by non-profit organizations and our students, kayaking, birds of prey show, Utah wildlife presentation by Hogle Zoo, Living Planet Aquarium van, crafts, fly fishing, dutch oven cooking, wildflower identification hikes, geocaching, a duck derby, and much more!  Please plan to bring the whole family out for a free day of fun at Jordanelle State Park.

As with any festival there are tons of things that need to be done! Volunteers are needed for the day to help:

-   Help with the Soldier Hollow Charter School booth.
-   Run educational games (already made and set up).
-   Run the Duck Derby (sell ducks, catching ducks in the race, recording winners)
-   Help at the Welcome Booth and direct visitors to the fun!
-   Staffing the nature center (checking out GPS units, starting movies, answering questions)
-   Set-up and take down

This is a great and fun way to get some of those volunteer hours in, especially if you have trouble getting into the school on weekdays. If you can volunteer for the day or any part of the day, please contact Kelly Gallo.

The Duck Derby: A fun fund-raiser  (for EE Week) that our school coordinates at the festival. Participants pay $2.00 to decorate a blank rubber duck. The numbered duck is entered into the Duck Derby at noon and 3:30pm (two chances to win!). Ducks are dropped into the Provo River and race to the finish line (where they are collected and returned to the designer). Winning ducks are eligible for prizes. Please send your friends and family to the festival to enter the Duck Derby!

Donations of prizes for the Derby would be GREATLY appreciated! Past prize donations have been field guides, binoculars, bird houses, t-shirts, books, gift cards, etc. Any level/ size of prize is GREATLY appreciate and will make our fund-raiser grand! Please bring these donations to Kelly Gallo in the yurt or call me and I will pick them up. Kelly Gallo.

Envirothon Team Bake Sale: The Soldier Hollow Envirothon Team is holding a bake sale on Saturday at the Provo River Watershed Festival! Last year, our team of 6th and 7th grade girls won 1st place in the oral presentations. They won 2nd place over all among groups of high school contestants. If students or parents are interested in donating a batch of homemade cookies, muffins, brownies, or other yummy treats, students can talk to Bryn Dayton, Ingrid Norton, or Stella Trincado in the 6th through 8th grade portable from 11:30 to 12:30 this week. If you decide to donate treats, please drop them off at the yurt on Friday before school ends. The proceeds from the bake sale will go to travel expenses from the Envirothon team. Thank you so much for helping to send our team to Zion National Park for the state competition this year

Look Out SHCS!!  Annual Student Fundraiser: We’re still finalizing all the details, but expect to be ready to launch our Annual Fall Gala Student Fundraiser on Tuesday, September 27^th.

We do have one secret we can reveal:  Once again, we’ll be giving away an i-Pad to one of our top fundraisers!!

We’ll try to make this a really fun and friendly competition to help the school.  To spice things up, we’ll be adding some fun new class incentives, etc  (so, look out Mr. Weber and Mr. Gallo!)

Another new twist:  Half of the funds raised by each class (3^rd grade, 4^th grade, etc.) will be set aside in a fund to be used for multi-day trips (such as Moab, Washington DC, etc) for that grade.  Since fifth and sixth grades are now left scrambling to raise enough for their DC trips on a short timeline, 100% of the funds raised by those classes will go into their respective funds.  The remaining funds will be used to purchase additional technology equipment.

Last year’s funds were used to purchase additional technology equipment for the school – including 10 i-Pads that are currently on backorder – and to help the 5^th (now 6^th) in their Washington DC field trip fundraising.

We hope parents will support their children in helping the school (and their own opportunities for enrichment) through this fundraiser.

Soldier Hollow Charter School Fall Gala, October 15^th: It is that time of year.  Autumn is in the air and the Annual Fall Gala preparations are in full swing.  For those of you who do not know what the Fall Gala is; it is the largest fundraiser of the year. This is an amazing event with good food, great people, and silent and live auctions with proceeds benefiting the school.

Each year we ask each family to participate in a number of ways:

• Attend and Invite. This is a fun social event, all who attend will be happy they did.  Tickets this year will be $15, and we will begin selling them soon.
• Donate or Solicit.  Traditionally we ask that each family donate or solicit a product or service that can be auctioned off.  In past years we have had so many wonderful items i.e. Teacher dates (these are always a very coveted auction item,) great gift baskets, a Lake Powell private house boat rental, a helicopter tour of the beautiful Heber Valley, snow boards, Provo River rafting trips, Moab adventure trips, hand-made scarves, jewelry, birthday parties, lots of great gift certificates to restaurants, hotel stays, ski resorts, massages, manicures and pedicures, etc.
• Support your child in selling “raffle-style” drawing tickets to family, friends, and neighbors.

• Jacqui Jespersen

• Prima Zipp

If you are interested in joining the Board and making a difference at Soldier Hollow, please complete the online form.

Please complete by this Thursday as voting will take place Friday.

Thank you.

The Heber Valley Pow Wow at Soldier Hollow: is having a fundraiser that includes dinner, live music and fantastic auction items on May 21^st at 6:00pm at the Lodge.

Bring gently used bikes, scooters, balls, bats, skates, skis, boots, helmets, goggles, life preservers, and other youth and adult sporting equipment to our swap.  Find a broad array of affordably priced equipment that reflects the interests of our outdoor-oriented families and neighbors.  Invite your friends and neighbors to participate in this fun event, both as sellers and buyers.

Drop off equipment before and after school on Thursday, May 19th.

(Equipment only – we’re not set up to receive clothing)

More details forthcoming.  Questions?  Contact Karla Willis (801-864-7190, karla.willis@gmail.com) or Kim Gilboy (435-654-5156, kim@4specs.com)

This year’s sale will be run by 5^th grade parents and students in support of their never-ending quest to visit the nation’s capital.   (30% of sale proceeds will go towards supporting this project.  70% of sale proceeds will be repaid to the sellers.)

Please turn in all of your other reward items by Monday, May 16^th.  This includes Box Tops, Campbell’s labels and Cream O’Weber milk caps. Thank you!

School Board Openings: It is election time and the Soldier Hollow Charter School Board has four member positions open.  We are looking for qualified individuals to throw their hat into the ring.  Besides having a passion for making our school better, we’re looking for candidates with law, finance, academics and/or management and fundraising experience.

It is a job that requires responsibility and commitment but, for the right person, is an important way to help set the directions and growth of the school.

What does the Board do? The Board of Directors is a seven-member group that governs the school.  Their most important function is to provide oversight while staying true to the school’s unique educational focus and charter.

• The term of office for each board member is two years.
• The Board meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00pm at the school.

If you are interested in running, please go to the Soldier Hollow Charter School website and fill out the board candidate sign-up form. http://myshcs.wufoo.com/forms/2011-shcs-board-candidate-signup/

If you have any questions please contact Claudia Heusch, SHCS Board Secretary, at Claudia.heusch@att.net or (435) 654-7019

• Each of the 16 teams is comprised of children from 2nd-7th/8th grades.
• Teams will meet every Wednesday (8:30-9:30) in designated classroom to learn about their country and create a presentation that will be viewed by all students.
• Country Presentation day: Tuesday, Feb. 22nd
• SHCS Olympics: Wednesday, Feb 23rd
• Parents and Guardians: Need lots of help preparing your child’s country’s food, setting up presentations, walking teams to different displays, presenting country information, and assisting with Olympic events. Please contact your child’s team leader to help.

Kindergarten and First Grade have their own competitions during the Olympic events. They will be representing a country with their own class. They will also be participating during the country presentations. Your teacher will let you know what help she needs.

Any questions, please contact either Tricia Livingstone or Stephanie Roberts

Walk-to-School Day: National walk-to-school day is on Wednesday, October 6th.  For all of those that would like to participate, we will be walking from the Tate Barn (there is a parking area just down the road from the barn) to school that morning.  Walkers will need to be dropped off between 7:30 – 7:45 am so they can be to school on time.  Amie Thaxton will be overseeing this event.  If you are able to help that morning, please contact her .  The more parents, the merrier.

PTO Meeting: Monday, October 4th, at 8:30 a.m. Parents are invited to attend the monthly meetings.  We will be discussing upcoming events for October & November, and parent input is always welcome.

Rewards Program: Keep sending in your box tops for the contest.  Every participating student in the winning class will get to choose a prize from the treasure chest.  Box tops are on hundreds of products, including non-food items, so every student should be able to participate and help their class.  So far, Ms. Drozd’s class is in the lead (thanks to Ali Wills), but it’s still anyone’s game!

Remember to shop through the Box Tops Marketplace for all of your online shopping.  Just go to www.boxtops4education.com, click on “marketplace” and shop as usual at any store.

Environmental Program News: Our theme this school year is Conservation. Students will not only study the concept of Conservation throughout EE Week (new dates- Oct. 11-13, 2010), they will have many opportunities throughout the year to explore several themes of conservations with field trips, speakers, special activities and contests, etc.
This years schedule of themes (with a concentration in:):
September- Conservation of Resources (3R’s- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
October- Conservation of Soil (Compost)
November- Conservation of Energy
December- Conservation of Energy
January- Conservation of Air Quality
February- Conservation of Community (Land Use, Caring for Community)
March- Conservation of Water
April- Conservation of Native Plants and Animals (Invasives)
May- Conservation of Biodiversity (HIPPO)

This week, students are focusing on the 2nd R- Reuse. Watch the parking lot for the Plastic Bag Monster. He reminds you to REUSE by using a cloth bag instead of plastic bags. He and his friends will be handing out stickers for you put on your car window to help remind you to “Bring Your Own Bag”.

Here are some great reasons to reuse with cloth instead of plastic:
500 billion to 1 trillion (yes that is trillion!) plastic bags are consumed each year.
Only 1 in 200 bags is recycled.
They are produced with petroleum- a non-renewable resource we use for energy.
They take 400 to 1000 years to break down and their toxic elements enter our soil, streams, etc.
Since the average US family consumes 60 plastic bags in only 4 trips to the store, imagine how many natural resources you will conserve if you take REUSABLE bags instead!

Speak Up for Soldier Hollow Charter School: SHCS is looking to add new students for this school year.  We are asking you to share your Soldier Hollow experience with your neighbors, friends and family.

Trunk or Treat: Friday, October 30th, at 11:00. Please park your car in the corral next to the amphitheatre before 11:00.

Crossing Guard needed in the morning.  Please contact Cheryl Kightlinger or the school office.

Halloween Carnival:Wasatch County Parks & Rec will be Saturday, October 31st, from 1:00-4:00 pm, at the new Parks and Rec building (345 w 600 s).  Cost is $6 for an all-you-can-play wristband (pre-sold at Parks and Rec – $8 if you buy it the day of) or $ .50 per booth.  Over 20 booths to choose from including spider chase, costume contest, candy, prizes and more.  All proceeds go to the PTA’s of Heber Valley.

Book Fair: Nov 9th – 13th:  Volunteers needed!  Set up & clean up, breakfast @ the book fair, working the cash register and coordinating classroom visits.  Contact: Joni Taylor inclinecos@yahoo.com

Raffle Sales – SHCS STUDENTS ROCK! Once again, our students exceeded expectations with their participation in raffle sales! Together, they raised $8,480 for new technology equipment for the school. This was an average of over $41 per student!  The PTO has deposited these funds, and will make them available for specific technology-related requests from teachers. Requests from classes that raised more funds will receive priority for selection.

• Boys Rule Day: Close race! The girls’ total was $10 than the boys, but to make the races fair, we judged based on averages. The boys’ average was $43.66 per boy. Girls sold an average of $40.05 each. In celebration of their success, we’ll be declaring a lighthearted “Boys Rule” day within the next couple of weeks. (We’ll honor the girls a little bit, too.)
• Top Class Sellers: Mr. Drozd’s 3rd grade were the #1 sellers, with an average of $107 sold per student. Mr. McGinn’s 4th grade came in second with $92 per student and Ms. Poirier’s 4th grade had a great final week push to end with an average of $81 per student. Since the next closest classes were in the “50s,” the committee decided to honor all three of these top selling classes, with special emphasis on Mr. Drozd’s class. We offered this class a trip to Boondocks Fun Center with unlimited ride passes. The two 4th grade classes chose between a Kamas Pool Party and a Fire Truck ride.
• Top Participation: Ms. Poirier’s class came out tops with 90% participation. Mr. Drozd’s had the highest percentage on the “official” closing date (which was extended), so we also honored them with a pizza party as well.
• Top Sellers: This year, we had 9 students who sold 50 or more tickets (with sales ranging from $210 to $485 each). These top sellers included: Sean Gilboy, Katherine Hosack, Tyrel Graves, Cooper Jenkins, Alexander Speake, Mason Heimburger, Melissa Murcko, Zander Burkemo, and Jessica O’Hara. In addition to their chosen prizes, we’ll present each of them with Olympic-style medallions on Boys Rule day.

Thanks to you parents, for your support of your children and our school, in this fun undertaking!

And the raffle winners are:

• 1st winner is:  Loni Reed (ticket sold by student – Shaylen Reed- 4th)
• 2nd winner is: Suzie Turner (ticket sold by student – Isabella Bellini-4th)
• 3rd winner is:  Stephen Bumentaal (ticket sold by student – Stella Trincado-6th)

Adopt-A-Native Elder Program:  The Third Grade class is proud to be a part of the Adopt-A-Native Elder program.  This is our fourth year sponsoring a Navajo Grandmother, Grandma Pauline Begay. As we study Native Americans of the past, we also want to recognize those that are still living!  There is much to learn from these Navajo elders before they are gone and with them a culture that is truly unique. Please take the next few weeks to accumulate any canned goods, blankets, clothing, kitchen ware, etc. All items may be dropped off in Miss Drozd’s classroom.  We will be delivering our donations on our field trip to the Navajo Rug Show at Deer Valley on November 5th.
*Please refrain from donating anything that requires electricity, this luxury is unavailable to the elders.
For more information on donations or the program in general, please visit www.anelder.org.
Thank you! –Miss Drozd, Mr. Drozd, and the Third Grade

Rewards Program: We began a new contest last week!  We are having a horse race to see which class can bring in the most BOXTOPS!  Each student in the class that brings in the most boxtops will win a coupon for a cheeseburger from McDonald’s!  The points will be adjusted to percentages in order to level the different sized classes.  Both 4th grade classes will be combined, as will 7th and 8th grade.  Please have your children put these in the collection boxes in their classrooms.  Make sure your child’s name is on the labels.  This contest will end on November 13th.
Please shop through the BOXTOPS MARKETPLACE when making purchases online.  This is quick, easy and free.  You won’t receive junk mail!  There are more than 100 stores that participate.  Simply go to www.boxtops4education.com, click on “Marketplace”, select your store and shop as usual.  Since it takes you to the store’s website, you are still able to use coupons and take advantage of special offers.  The stores contribute up to 8% of your purchase to the school.  THAT’S A LOT!!  Other schools are earning $20,000 each year from this alone.  Since we have very limited shopping in our valley, most of us do shop online and every one of us should be taking advantage of this program.  The first time you shop you will need to fill out a brief registration so boxtops knows which school you’re supporting.  After that, all it requires is 2 extra mouse clicks – seriously! Encourage your friends, family and neighbors to help, too!  We collect all reward items all year long.  See the bulletin board at the bottom of the stairs for current information.  If you have any questions, please call or email me.  Thank you so much!
Jill Johnson  657-2136  gljill1@msn.com

Soldier Hollow Lodge: Snow is coming, as are some of Soldier Hollow’s favorite events.  Don’t miss:

• Pre Winter Ski Sale: Excellent used cross country ski packages as low as $189 for adults/$75 for juniors. The sale is Friday and Saturday, November 6-7, from 8 am to 5 pm. TOKO and SWIX wax, accessories, gloves and hats are 20-50% off.
• Discounted Season Passes: Saturday, November 7, is the last day for early season discounted season and ten punch passes.  Remember:  our ten punch passes don’t expire, and they can be shared by friends and family.
• Soup and Soldier Hollow Fundraiser: The ninth annual Soup and Soldier Hollow fundraiser is Friday evening, November 13, with great soups from eight of Heber Valley’s best restaurants. Soup’s on at 6 p.m., with many silent auction items to bid on. Our live auction starts at 7:30 p.m. Don’t miss this popular event, supporting Team Soldier Hollow.

To log your hours, go to the page and simply fill out your information. Make sure you select the correct Family Name from the pulldown list by checking the initials, which represent student names.

We will give you updates during the year as to your progress towards your family’s 100-hour goal.

Thanks for your support.

Ski payment Reminder: If you haven’t already paid for skiing, please call the office to arrange payment. Students will not be allowed to ski until payment is received.

Arts & Crafts Day, Friday, Dec. 5th: The entire school will be participating in this event.

Christmas/Tubing Party, Dec. 15th: Soldier Hollow’s Christmas party is for the entire family (siblings, parents, grandparents, etc.). There will be tubing (4-6pm), dinner (6-7pm) and a program (7pm) performed by the students. Dinner and the program will be held at the Golf Lodge this year. You will need to purchase tickets ($2 for each person over 3 yrs. old). Tickets on-sale Dec. 1 – 12th. You may purchase (cash or check only) your tickets before or after school from Tiffany McClellan or Sissy Davis. Final count for food is due by Dec 12th.

Volunteers Needed: Are you low on volunteer hours (Should have 36+ hours by now.)? Well, do we have a great project that needs lots of help — Our annual SHCS Christmas party! We need help with set-up & break-down and manning the hot chocolate/snack table which will be at the bottom of the tubing hill. Please call the office or Tiffany McClellan if you can help.

SH Winter Olympics, February 27th: The world famous Soldier Hollow Charter School Olympics is just around the corner. Preparation has already begun for this wonderful & fun event. If you are interested in helping with the Olympics, please contact the office or Tiffany McClellan.

Holiday Gift Baskets for the Needy: This holiday season each class at Soldier Hollow will be presenting a food basket to a local family in need. Please send non-perishable food items with your child to their class to help fill their basket! Donations will be accepted until December 12th. Thank you and Happy Holidays! — Soldier Hollow Student Council

Give Jake A Hand! There has been an amazing outpouring of love & concern for the family of Jake & Cordell Johnson. In August 2008, at the age of 4, Jake was diagnosed with a rare form of malignant cancer. Jake & his family’s lives have been turned upside down as they’ve battled this illness. While Cordell has been able to remain in school, Jake’s immunities are so low, that the family has been effectively quarantined. Jake’s parents have been making daily trips to the Huntsman Institute for daily radiation & weekly chemotherapy treatments. And, while the Johnsons have health insurance, uninsured medical expenses have also been accumulating.

Parents & former parents at the school have begun organizing several ways to help Jake & his family through this challenge. Here’s what’s in the works:

• Cash Donations: Donate in the school office or at Zion’s Bank (Jake Johnson #9366). Donations deposited directly at the bank are anonymous. If you leave a check written to Zions Bank (Jake Johnson #9366) in the office, the Johnsons would appreciate being able to send a formal thanks.
• Silent Auction at the Christmas Party: Soldier Hollow generously donated some wonderful items – ski gear, tubing passes, a Swatch Dive watch – that we’ll be auctioning off during the family Christmas party on December 15th. We’d love any additional donations for this or the raffle baskets.
• Aluminum Can Drive: We’ll be collecting aluminum cans over the next several months. There’ll be a collection bin near the front of the school. This is a great way for kids to help, too! Jolly Kids teacher and her family (who inspired this idea) raise about $800 per year on can collections.
• Raffle Baskets: In addition to coordinating can donations, former SHCS parent, Michelle Moore (Rhys’ mom), is putting together a couple of gift baskets that will be traveling around the valley to locations like Fit Stop where people can donate for chances to win. Again, we’d love donations for children and adult baskets.
• Winter Carnival: Angie Wycoff had the brilliant idea to hold a valley-wide indoor carnival sometime in January. Valerie Roadfuss is donating the use of several large inflatable play structures. As we nail down the details, we’ll need a lot of help with volunteers to create booths and staff the event. A community-wide event like this should be a terrific fundraiser and should bring great visibility to the cause.

For more information please contact Kim Gilboy at kim@4specs.com

Rewards Program: The snowball fight is off to a great start! Right now 1st grade is in the lead with 10 snowballs, and 7th/8th grade has 4 (thank you Mrs. Drake and Mr. Weber). Every time a class brings in 10 Cream O’ Weber milk caps, they receive a paper snowball to put on their door. The class with the most snowballs gets to have a real snowball fight when we return from Christmas break. Contest will end on December 18th.

There are two kinds of milk caps that qualify: the 5-cent caps are found on gallon & half-gallon containers and have a big 5 on them. The 2-cent caps are not marked and are on all quart & smaller containers. They are white, flat & really wide.

Please remember to shop through the Box Tops website if you are shopping online. We can earn a lot of money this way – and it doesn’t cost you any extra. The site is secure and you will not receive junk mail or be put on any lists. Please give it a try! The site is www.boxtops4education.com
Thank you for everything! — J. Johnson

Luna Sticks: In October the students participated in Circus Day where they were introduced to Luna Sticks. The children enjoyed them so much that Mr. Weber purchased a set for each class. If any parents are interested in purchasing a set of sticks, we have been given a special school price. We need to order these as a school, so if you are interested please contact the office.

STICKS – Spellbinder – Light & easy to use, specifically designed for beginners. Baton is made of solid fiberglass covered in rubber tubing with leather tassels, handles are made of wood covered with black rubber. The leather ends come in 3 colors, but selection will be limited to stock we have on hand.
DVD: Aaron Young, Sticks Play Fundamentals

School Fundraiser Prices:
Up to 24 sets: $18
More than 24 sets: $15
Holiday special: Set of sticks & Aaron Young DVD: $25

As mentioned these are our school fundraiser prices & are not available to private individuals.