Week of September 1

TA’s Notes

• Day Planners are now being covered by Voyager house so there is no need to send in $7 for day planners!  If you have already sent in the money, it was sent home in an envelope with each student today.
• Picture day is Wednesday, Sept. 18th!  Order forms were sent home with students.
• Families as Partners (FAP) has kicked off their donation drive, Williston Schools Annual Fund.  This group has already funded Voyager’s two field trips and will assist in funding much more throughout the year.  A suggested donation of $45 per Voyager student is much appreciated!  

Katie Fieldsend     871-6148    KFieldsend@cssu.org

Highlights of the Week in Voyager House

We had a great WEEK!  Students have really shown up to learn.  Special shout out to 8th graders who are showing just how committed they are to leadership in the house.  Ask your 8th grader about the Kiva meeting today.

• What is Peace One Day?:  Jeremy Gilley is an actor turned filmmaker, who in the late 1990s became preoccupied with questions about the fundamental nature of humanity and the issue of peace. He decided to explore these through the medium of film, and specifically, to create a documentary following his campaign to establish an annual day of ceasefire and non-violence.

• In 1999, Jeremy founded Peace One Day, a non-profit organisation, and in 2001 Peace One Day’s efforts were rewarded when the member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted the first ever annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence on 21 September – Peace Day.
• Peace One Day’s objective is to institutionalise Peace Day 21 September, making it a day that is self-sustaining, an annual day of global unity, a day of intercultural cooperation on a scale that humanity has never known.
• For the month of September, Williston Central School is studying global issues, using “Peace One Day”, as a platform for the unit.  On Wednesday, students watched a 32 minute documentary on the the creation of Peace One Day.  Later, students generated questions for student representatives who had a SkypeTalk today with the founder of Peace One Day, Jeremy Gilley.
• Next, week ⅚ students will begin a project on Peacemakers and ⅞ students will be studying the Consequences of War and the United Nations.
• Literature groups will also start their first rotation next week, and all books are connected to the theme of Social Justice and Peace.

• Assessments:  Thursday was assessment day!  We appreciated the effort put in by each student to focus and hang in there during our fact finding missions in reading comprehension, spelling and math computational fluency.  

• Classes Begin:  Friday was our first day following the regular schedule.  Students are doing a lot of housekeeping, to organize for learning, to learn how to transition, to persevere through less than inspiring prep work necessary for each class.  Students received planners this week (take a look!), information about grading systems, and for some books for class.  We appreciate all of the efforts you made to buy such wonderful school supplies.  Ready, set, go!

Voyager FAP

Voyager House is looking for co-representatives for the Voyager FAP.  We have a couple people interested, but the more support we have, the easier the work.  Voyager House has really benefited from having amazing representatives and parent support in the past.  Please help us keep this momentum going forward.  Contact Aron Merrill if you are interested.

Peanut Allergy Alert to Families

There are students in your child’s classrooms this year that have a life threatening allergy to eggs, all peanut products and all other nuts.  For this reason, students in our classrooms will be peanut and nut free this year.

Please do not send any of the following items to school for snack:

• Peanuts
• Peanut butter
• Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.
• Snack crackers with peanut butter fillings
• Coconut

Please check the labels on prepared foods and mixes.  It will state on the ingredient label if any peanut or nut products are used.  Classroom teachers will be monitoring snacks and lunch to assure this child’s safety.  Additionally, please talk with the classroom teacher prior to sending food in for birthdays or other special occasions.  Attached please find information for reading labels.

Students with peanut butter lunches can sit at a peanut/nut free table in the cafeteria for easier monitoring. Students will be asked to wash their hands when entering the classroom in the morning and when they return from lunch.

I understand that this request may be an inconvenience for you, but it could save a child’s life.  If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to speak with me or our school nurse.  Thank you for your help in making Williston Central School and Allen Brook School a safe place for every student.

HEALTHY PEANUT FREE/TREE NUT FREE SNACKS

• fresh fruit and dried fruit
• apple sauce
• fruit with yogurt dip
• ants on log (banana sliced lengthwise, cream cheese, raisins)
• ants on hill (half cored apple, cream cheese, raisins)
• carrots, celery, raw veggies, with ranch dressing
• cream cheese and jelly sandwich
• pretzels (but NOTE: NOT SNYDER company pretzels, Snyders are all potentially nut contaminated) (Rold Gold brand is ok)
• cheese and crackers (but NOTE: NOT packaged cheese and crackers, and NOT
• RITZ crackers and cheese sandwiched crackers)
• GORP (cheerios, raisins, pretzels)
• popcorn (with cheese shake parmesan or cheddar)
• quick breads - corn, apple, blueberry
• gold fish crackers
• tuna fish quarters
• cooked pasta
• string cheese
• cereal bars (CHECK LABELS, Nutrigrain are ok, Special K strawberry and
• blueberry are ok...but not all are ok)
• salsa /chips
• toast
• fruit yogurt
• non sweetened cereals (CHECK LABELS)

*PLEASE DO NOT SEND* the following as these are all nut containing or nut  contaminated products and would be of potential harm if a nut-allergic  person ate any of these products:

• elmo snacks
• chex mix
• M & M's
• packaged cheese and crackers
• candy (For example, Brach company candies are all potentially nut contaminated)
• Snyder pretzel company products are all potentially nut contaminated
• granola bars (most all are nut containing or nut contaminated)
• yogurt covered raisins
• anything baked with Nestle chocolate chips
• sunflower seeds
• Sunbelt company snacks
• Little Debbie company snacks
• most Entennmann's company bakery products
• most packaged cookies

*As far as sending in birthday cupcakes or cookies:*

NEED to READ LABELS and CHECK for ALLERGY ALERTS under INGREDIENT LIST

**chocolate chip cookies made with Hershey chocolate chips, Hannaford brand chocolate chips,     

   Ghirardelli chocolate chips are ok

**oreo cookies are ok

**Duncan Hines , Pillsbury, and Betty Crocker cake mixes are okay, and

   matching frostings are ok as long as it is the regular frosting (BUT

**NOTE that THE WHIPPED FROSTINGS ARE NOT SAFE)

**pudding is ok

**sprinkles are ok, but still please check labels carefully

**homemade cookies and cakes are great, as long as no nuts are added, and no

   nut butters, nut flavorings or nut-contaminated products are used

**Most local bakeries will not guarantee their cakes, cupcakes, or muffins are peanut and tree

   nut free and so should be avoided