READY...SET...ACTION!!!!

READY...SET...ACTION!!! Our school musical is almost here and we are so excited!!!! Mr. Smith, Ms. Decker, Mrs. Schmidt, and Mrs. Satterfield have worked hard to organize a fun, educational, and entertaining musical experience for our 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. :) On February 19th and 21st, they will be holding auditions and it would be helpful if we could get a few parent volunteers to help students fill out audition forms, keep the auditions on schedule, etc. Due to the high number of interested students, auditions will begin at 3:30 pm till 7:30 pm both days.

I know that four hours can be a long time so here is a sign up schedule:

Tuesday, February 19th and Thursday, February 21st:

3:30-5:30 pm
1.
2.

5:30-7:30 pm
1.
2.

If you are interested in helping on these days...please leave a comment on this post and I will get in touch with you!! :) Thanks SO much!! Sheryle :)

STOCK UP ON BOX TOPS!!

  We are grateful for the immense support we have received from our parents this year and we are hoping that together, we can raise the funds needed to complete all our PTA programs this year and help kickoff next year WITHOUT DOING A PTA FUNDRAISER THIS YEAR!!! :) IF we can collect enough Box Tops by February 25th..we will NOT need to hold/conduct ANY PTA FUNDRAISERS this year and we hope that by doing so we can have an INCREDIBLE show of school support during our SCHOOL COOKIE DOUGH fundraiser during the last week of February!!! :)

SO CLIP, SAVE, and SEND in your Box Tops!!! We will have a "Battle of the Grades" Box Tops competition starting February 4th, so if you want to hold onto them till then...that works too!! Thanks Raptor Parents!! :) Sheryle

A Few Imiportant Things from Principal Theler

Hello Thunder Ridge Families,

As part of our ongoing PTA Super Bowl Reading program, this Friday’s Spirit Day will have a “Pajama Read-a-thon” theme. Here are two guidelines for “pajama” attire:

1. Students need to come dressed in clothes that still follow dress code. This means that there are no short-shorts or tank-tops allowed—even if it is what a student normally wears to bed.
2. Students need to wear warm, winter-style pajamas, robes, etc. However, it is recommended that students wear the pajamas over the top of some regular clothes for extra warmth and additional modesty. Students also need to wear shoes that allow them to go outside or participate in PE. They can put on slippers once they are in class, but they need to wear regular shoes to and from school.

Finally, please read the message below from our wonderful PTA President, Sheryle Coray.

Greetings Raptor Parents! 2013 is in full swing and the PTA is having a blast planning and running our Winter Programs this year! As we continue to plan ahead, for this and upcoming years, it is our goal to continue finding creative ways to raise the funds we need to run our programs and activities while minimizing any financial burden on our Thunder Ridge parents. As a PTA, we have worked together with Principal Theler to limit the need for school fundraising to the lowest minimum possible during our second year. Each of our PTA Program Coordinators have worked and scrimped in all possible ways to live within our already low budgets and it is our plan to continue to do so.

 

We are grateful for the immense support we have received from our parents this year and we are hoping that together we can raise the funds needed to complete this year and kickoff next year without ever doing a PTA fundraiser!!! Our last Box Tops collection brought in over $1,700.00 for our school. What incredible support!!! We are so grateful for all of the clipping and saving! Because of this great success, we would like to introduce our "Battle of the Grades" Box Top event. Here is how it will work:

• If we collect enough Box Tops by February 25, 2013, we will not conduct our PTA Walk-a-thon fundraiser, tentatively scheduled for this April. :)
• Each grade will compete to gather the highest percentage of Box Tops earned per student. The winning grade will receive a GRAND PRIZE!
• The contest will start February 4, 2013.

Again, we appreciate the support both our PTA and school have received as we create learning opportunities that are fun and beneficial for our students. It is our hope that by utilizing "little to no-cost" programs like Box Tops, we can avoid any other PTA fundraising this year and all of us can be in a better position to support the school Cookie Dough fundraiser that will be coming the end of February.

REFLECTION'S AWARD NIGHT DATE CHANGE!

In our October newsletter, it stated that our Reflections Awards Night is tomorrow night but the actual date is THURSDAY NOVEMBER 29th at 6pm at Thunder Ridge!!! :) I apologize for any confusion!! Please let us know if you have any questions!! Thanks so much!! Sheryle :)

Gearing UP for GRANDPARENT'S DAY!!

 Our school Grandparent's Day will be on TUESDAY, November 20th!! :) Here are the times for each grade:

K AM-2nd- 9:30-10 am
3rd-6th - 10-10:30 am
K PM - 3-3:30 pm

We are SO excited to welcome our Thunder Ridge Grandparents and other family members!!! Sheryle :)

Patriotic Week a GREAT Success!!

What an INCREDIBLE Patriot Week we had!! Thank you Darcey Williams for all of your hard work!!! :) Principal Theler's Veterans Day assembly yesterday was truly inspiring, filled with much respect and love to all the men and women who have and continue to serve our great country and to their families who are sacrificing at home!! Our Troops received POUNDS of Treats for this Christmas!! :) Thank you for the AMAZING support you each give our school!! Sheryle :)

HALLOWEEN PARADES...RAPTOR READING...

Thunder Ridge Happenings this Week:

- Come watch your kiddos show off their Halloween Costumes at our Halloween Parades- Wednesday October 31st at 9:30 am and Afternoon Kindergarten at 1:45 pm

- Friday, November 2nd at 9:15 am- Raptor Reading for our Fifth Graders and their Parents

Have a SPOOKTACULAR week!!!!!! :) Sheryle

And the WINNER is......

We collected 17,385 BOX TOPS for our school during our Fall school competition this year, winning against Riverview!! Congrats to Riverview Elementary for collecting thousands as well!! :) Thank you Raptor parents for the incredible support in raising over $1,700.00 for our school!!! Please keep sending in your Box Tops in!!! Every one counts!! :) Sheryle :)

Fun Happenings at Thunder Ridge in October‏

  Hope you all are enjoying a wonderful Fall Break!! There are lots of FUN Happenings coming up at Thunder Ridge in the next few weeks!! Take a look...

*  School Spelling Bee for Grades 4-6 with the School Finals on Friday, October 19th!!

*  Reflection entries are due Tuesday, October 23rd!! This year's theme is "The Magic of a Moment"! Reflections is an awesome opportunity for each student to create something that reflects who they are, talents they have, and gives them the opportunity of turning their idea in something great. Entry forms can be found in the office and if you have any questions, let me know!!! Heather Lambert and Corrine Prestwich have done an incredible job with this year's 2012 Reflections!! :)

*  We are beyond THRILLED and GRATEFUL at the number of Box Tops already turned in this year...and we still have a WEEK and a HALF left!! Keep them coming!! Each class is competing to see who can turn in the most Box Tops from 10/1/2012-10/25. The TOP 3 winning classes earn a prize for their TEACHERS!! We are also participating in our second Box Top Competition with Riverview Elementary to see which school can collect the highest percentage of Box Tops per student!! Winning school gets to choose what the other school's Principal gets to dress up as for Halloween and come visit the winning school on Halloween. This was a really fun event last year and we have had an even more EXCITING time this year!!! :) Thanks for your support!

* October 26th- Orange/Black Spirit Day!!!

* October 31st- Halloween Parades- 9:30-10:30 am and 1:45-2:15 for PM Kindergarten. Parades will take place in the school's gym. :)

* November 2nd- Raptor Reading for our 5th graders and their parents!!

 Sheryle :)

School Picture Update!!

Hi Thunder Ridge Parents,
We sent all of the pictures we've received from Capture Studios home yesterday afternoon (Oct. 1). If you are missing a picture packet, it is because the studio had a processing problem and some of the pictures did not print. They have informed me that the missing pictures should arrive here on Friday (Oct. 5) and we will send them home that afternoon. However, retakes were scheduled for Thursday (Oct. 4) and this would make it impossible for some of our parents to see the original pictures before retakes. Therefore, we have made arrangement with Capture Studios to move the day for retakes to next Tuesday (Oct. 9). We apologize for any inconvenience, but hope this will help improve the situation. Again, look for the missing picture packets to come home on Friday, October 5th and picture retakes are now scheduled for Tuesday, October 9th.

Thank you,
Principal Theler

Gearing UP for GREEN RIBBON WEEK!!

HOWDY THUNDER RIDGE PARENTS!!! We are SO excited for GREEN RIBBON WEEK start this Monday, September 24th!! Our Safety and Welfare Commissioner, Darcey Williams, has planned an incredible week filled with FUN activities for our Raptor students to bring awareness about the importance of being safe and kind to others.

This year's Green Ribbon Week includes:

Monday- Our School will be "Green" with excitement including Green ribbons hung inside and outside our school.

Tuesday- A "Say No to Bullying" banner will be hung in our school hallway and each student can have the opportunity to sign and pledge that Thunder Ridge will be a "No Bullying" school.
Wednesday- An identity kit will be sent home with each student in their Wednesday folder.
Thursday- "No Bullying-Safety First" Sidewalk Chalk Contest- Winning class gets a cookie party
Friday- 2012 Walk/Ride to School Day and "WEAR GREEN" Spirit Day

To make sure our Raptors walk or ride to school safely, we are looking for volunteers to come help cheer on our kids while they travel the safest way possible. If you are able to help us that morning, please sign up here, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZBOnBUIdndidONlq23fgHJdS2IWJbhvIjPDPzl_GZWM/edit!! We appreciate all of your support!!! GO GREEN!!! :)

Sheryle :)

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!

THUNDER RIDGE PARENTS: We are still in need of volunteers for our Vision Screening THIS FRIDAY, September 14th!!! If you are able to help...please sign up on our Google document!!! Thank you SO much!!! To sign up, visit- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_tPZCVxD0F4dKXw5MZf2uV0jeCOVZVj0VCopkK-TlHY/edit?pli=1.

Sheryle :)

Volunteers Needed!!

On September 5th, our school will be conducting hearing tests. :) We are need of some volunteers to help gather classes, direct students, etc. during these screenings. We have created a sign-up sheet, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ngd1YwovKebPSBbsPb_XcAQMLddM1caVQBDy7xgaFh8/edit if you are able to volunteer, please sign-up!!!! Each shift is one hour but if you would like to help longer, you are more than welcome to sign up more than once!! We SO appreciate your help!! Thanks!

What a GREAT frst Week Back!!

A BIG thank you the Faculty, Administration Staff, Principal Theler, and all our Raptor parents for helping make this first week a HUGE success.  Here are some FUN things coming up over the NEXT few weeks:

Tuesday, August 28th- First Day of Kindergarten
Monday, September 4th- Labor Day- NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, September 5th- Hearing Screenings
Tuesday, September 5th- Back to School Night- 6 pm
Thursday, September 7th- Room Mom Social- 3:15 pm in the Faculty Lounge

Have a great weekend!!

Sheryle :)

WELCOME BACK!!!

Dear Thunder Ridge Parents,

  Welcome back!! We are so excited for this upcoming school year!! If you would like to be involved at Thunder Ridge, joining the Thunder Ridge PTA is an easy first step.  There are MANY opportunities to volunteer and we always welcome new members.  We know that every parent’s schedules are different, and we appreciate any and all ways our Raptor parents are able to help our school.We are very excited about this year's PTA program!! Some of this year’s PTA programs include:

·         Reflections/Talent Show

·         Red and Green Ribbon Week

·         Patriotic Week

·         SEP Dinners for Teachers

·         Take Home Reading Library

·         Faculty Appreciation Month

·         Spirit Days

·         Thunder Ridge Super Bowl

·         Family Week

·         Family Skate Nights

·         Raptor Reading

·         Box Tops/Labels for Education

·         Character for Education

 To help lessen the financial school needs of our Raptor families, we will not be holding any fundraisers until the END of this school year. If you could PLEASE remember to CLIP, SAVE, and TURN IN your Box Tops throughout the school year so we can obtain the funds we need to run our amazing school programs this year, we would GREATLY appreciate it!! J

  The PTA organization serves as a STRONG voice for our children and we all are truly grateful for the opportunity to work with and serve the children at Thunder Ridge Elementary.  Please feel to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.

 Sincerely,

Sheryle Coray- PTA President. Thunder Ridge Elementary

sherylejackson_2@hotmail.com

BOGO Book Fair

The Scholastic Buy One, Get One Free Book Fair

Monday – Thursday

May 7 – 10

9:00am – 4:00pm (open until 3:00 on Monday)

Volunteers needed!  Please sign up at

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dc6roI7GbiZaC3c3cbopiRnTeJMZS_uuEXDZlTIwNPQ/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1#

Town Hall Meeting

TOWN HALL MEETING: INFORMATION FOR PARENTS ON HOW TO PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and as part of a nationwide campaign, Eagle  Mountain and Saratoga Springs' Communities That Care coalition, SAMHSA, and Parents Empowered are hosting a Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, April 19th, at 7:00 PM at Vista Heights Middle School in Saratoga Springs.  ALL parents and citizens are invited to attend.  Regardless of your child's age, the information provided at this Town Hall Meeting will be beneficial. Come learn valuable tips from professionals and community members that can help your child avoid the trouble that comes with underage drinking.

There will also be GIVEAWAYS.... a FREE 18 hole round of golf at Talon's Cove! and 9 holes at The Ranches golf course!!!  Plus, many more!

"Kids need help to stay alcohol-free.  Parents who are actively involved in their kids' lives and set clear rules and expectations on no alcohol use have a powerful influence on their children's decision to remain alcohol-free."-Parents Empowered

Chicks and Chocolates

Hey Everyone, tonight is our Chicks and Chocolates Open House!  It is in the Thunder Ridge Library from 6:30-8:00 p.m. - Members of our current PTA Board will be there to answer any questions you might have about next year.  There will be lots of chocolate to enjoy while you chat!  We hope to see you there! :) Mindi

Coalition of Character

Mrs. Tucker has asked me to announce a "Coalition of Character" Meeting, Thursday, April 5th:

Mr. Goodman along with Hal Urban (via Skype) will be the discussion leaders beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Saratoga Shores Elementary.

Mr. Urban's website:
http://www.halurban.com/index.htm 

Come join the discussion as we discuss how we can improve how we raise and teach children for good character.
Please pass this information along to parents and or other friends.

:) Mindi

Red Ribbon Week

Next week is Red Ribbon Week and it is our chance to celebrate good health and saying NO to drugs and alcohol!  Here's a schedule of what to expect:

Monday - No School
Tuesday - Wear RED Day!  "STOP and say NO to drugs!"
Wednesday - Pajama Day! "Be comfy with who you are and say NO to drugs!" (Please make sure that your children wear modest and appropriate pajamas.) *Miss Saratoga Springs will be joining us for our recess and playing games with us as we discuss the importance of staying fit.
Thursday - Hat Day! Wear your favorite hat. "Hats off to you for being courageous to say NO to drugs!" *Maturation Program for all 5th Graders and their parents! 1:15-2:15 p.m..  Boys will meet in the Kiva with well-known author/speaker Brad Wilcox.  Girls will meet in room 118 with our wonderful school nurse, Mimi!
Friday - Team Jersey Day! Wear your favorite Jersey. "Hooray to those for staying fit and saying NO to drugs!" *Fun school assembly