From The Principal’s Desk… Dear Indianola Families: Thank you for helping us to have a nice start to the school year. We are hard at work in math, literacy and integrated units of study. There is evidence in our school each day of a culture of high expectations focused on student achievement. Strong teacher-student-parent relationships support our overall goal of 100% student success. As a staff, we are committed to ensuring that our instruction is relevant to the lives of our students and that we prepare them for a world of predictable and unpredictable situations. This year, our staff will participate in on-going professional development with the staff members of CAHS, Columbus Global and Africentric K-12. We will meet regularly to discuss strategies for using formative (on-going) assessments to support student achievement at each level. Our first meeting was on Wednesday, September 28. Additional meetings will occur on professional days during the school year. It was great to see such a crowd for open house/ice cream social last month. I hope to see many of you for fall festival activities on October 31. The annual parade will start at 2:00 p.m. We have a couple more weeks of middle school volleyball and soccer. The kids love to have a big crowd to cheer them on! Go Knights! Mrs. Moser Principal

Thanks… …to Holly Ruggiero, Patricia Brown and Amy Staz for all of their help on picture day! …to Vienna Ice Café for donating the ice cream for the Ice Cream Social.

Announcements… School Absence If your child is absent, it is necessary to contact our attendance secretary, Denise Holland. An email to Denise is preferred (dholland@columbus.k12.oh.us), as your email will also count as your excuse note. You may also call (365-5579), then send a note with your child when he/she returns to school. If you are bringing your child and arrive at 9:05 or later, please sign your child in (in the office). Traffic Jam Please be patient and courteous during drop-off and pick-up times. There is a large volume of traffic and number of children and adults trying to get to and from the building all at once. Drive slowly and safely and remember that 2-way traffic must be maintained on Tibet Road at all times; do not pull around cars parked along the curb for drop-off. On the other hand, please be sure your children have all of their things ready so they can exit the car as quickly as possible to keep the line moving. Please remain in the line after your child exits your car and wait for those in front of you to pull ahead. Do not, under any circumstances, stop on Weber Road to drop off your child. Thank you for your help in keeping all of our kids safe. Playground Safety after School There have been some questions about after school play on our playgrounds; here are some things to keep in mind… Though children know the rules during school, they may not follow through with this same behavior without teacher supervision. There may be siblings or other children present who do not attend Indianola and do not know the rules. Children may be tired after school and less able to respond well to social conflicts. These issues can make after school play difficult or unsafe, so it is imperative that parents closely supervise their children.

Parent Consultant News Indianola K-8

October, 2011

Cass Freeland Pat Merkle cassfreeland@yahoo.com pmerkle@columbus.rr.com 784-8140 262-2013

Additionally, we have asked our students to not play with the traffic cones around the school. We understand that they are tempting to students, but they are expensive to replace. Please help enforce this rule during after school play. Thank your for cooperation and understanding. What’s for Lunch? You can find our school lunch menu on the CCS website (www.columbus.k12.oh.us). From the home page, click on “Food Service”, then scroll down until you see “Your School’s Breakfast & Lunch Menu”. Click on that, choose “Indianola K-8” as your school, then click on the MIDDLE SCHOOL lunch menu. Lost Gadgets Bonnie, our school secretary, has a stash of lost & unclaimed cell phones, calculators, & flash drives in the office. If you have lost one of these items at school, please see Bonnie. PTO Treasury Update The PTO began the year with a balance of $8,628. The PTO pays for math workbooks, which cost approximately $1,500. An additional $2,500 was set aside for future curriculum material needs. Approximately $1,000 will go toward the art installation at Indianola. A snow removal line item has been set up for clearing the playground in the winter and $400 was allocated to that. Finally, the PTO also purchased a lock box for PTO deposits in the office, and established a line item for the Wellness Committee that began last year and deposited $100 in it. Newsletter Submission Dates If you have something you’d like us to include in the newsletter, email it to Pat Merkle by the corresponding date. Submission date Distribution date (Mondays) (Thursdays) Oct. 31 Nov. 3 Nov. 28 Dec. 2 Jan. 9 Jan. 12 Jan. 30 Feb. 2 Feb. 27 Mar. 1 Apr. 2 Apr. 5 Apr. 30 May 3

Classroom News and Events… Witch’s Herb Garden On September 16th, the 8th graders planted a witch’s herb garden which accompanied their study of the Salem with trials. They researched which herbs were used during that time and their different uses. The herb garden is located just outside the southwest entrance off Tibet Road. The students worked very hard weeding, planting and digging a huge hole to sink a small pond, donated by Jim McMahon, K-5 art teacher. The list of herbs includes Chamomile, Fennel, Oregano, Scented Geranium, Thyme, Lovage, Winter Savory, Summer Savory, Lavender, Pennyroyal, Mint, Marjoram, Echinacea, Eucalyptus, Lemon Balm, Lemon Grass, Chives, and Garlic Chives. Thanks to Stephanie Baumgarten, 8th grade teacher, and Cindy Gunn, Indianola parent & garden coordinator, for initiating this. Mulch and signs about the herbs are still to come. Check it out and have a look, and smell. It’s wonderful! --Denise Jacobs, 8th grade parent

Fall Parties & Parade On Monday, Oct. 31st at 2:00 K-5 students will participate in a costumed parade—outside if weather permits, indoors if it doesn’t. After the parade, each classroom will celebrate fall with a party. If you do not wish your child to participate, please talk with your child’s teacher. You should receive a classroom email or other notice requesting contributions and helpers for your classroom’s party. Community service We, Mary Doherty and Silas Gates, interviewed some college students out in the community garden. They were doing community service for the Scholars Program. In the Health Science Scholars Program they have to do 10 hours of community service each quarter. We interviewed four girls; three were from out of state. We interviewed Megan from North Carolina; Tara from Maryland; Leeana from Indiana; and Ariel who is from Ohio. They were working in our community garden breaking down yard waste. They were breaking down the yard waste because there was so much clay in the soil that when the yard waste decomposes the soil will be more enriched and it will be better for the clay. They were doing a small program called the outdoor learning center for students in the health science scholars program. In order to get into the scholars program they would have to have certain test scores. There were also four boys that go to Ohio State University doing community service. They helped move some storage and then they mowed the lawn and trimmed. They then went around the schoolyard picking up trash. --Mary Doherty & Silas Gates, Room 116 (Trina’s 6th grade) Project Mentor Project Mentor is a fundamental learning environment out of the classroom. It is a physical and mental building experience. Students from OSU come and interact with fourth through seventh grade kids. Project Mentor takes all of our lunch and recess. During that time we do a lot of fun learning activities. We also do other activities like checking homework, sharing test scores, and reviewing other important things. At the end of the school year we have a mentor/mentee get together. We do not play around in Project Mentor; it is a straight on learning only program. --Levi Hairston & Edward Donis, Room 112, (Andrew’s 6th grade)

Outdoor Learning Center The Outdoor Learning Center has experienced a growth of activity during September. Currently there are nine different classes working in our Outdoor Learning Center. Students have planted, examined, picked, and danced through the garden. Jim and Marlene are using the garden in Art and Dance to introduce different techniques to their students. Classroom teachers are examining the soil, building butterfly habitat, planting seeds, installing an herb garden, and writing poetry in the garden. On September 20th a group of OSU student volunteers helped build compost bins and break down materials for the garden beds. This could not have been possible without the support from school staff and parent volunteers. Thank you to Denise Jacobs for planting the herb garden with the 8th graders, Rico Jones for building the compost bins with the OSU students and Sean Sponhaltz for a donation of wood chips. You too can get involved! Parent volunteers are needed to join the Steering Committee, work with groups of 4th grade students to plant winter rye, and general garden maintenance. Please email Cindy Gunn at cgunn1971@yahoo.com if you are interested in bringing an ecology study to Indianola Informal School. --Cindy Gunn, Indianola parent & garden coordinator Spelling Bee Info for Grades 1-8 Indianola is registered for this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee. Please go to http://www.spellingbee.com to get spelling activities, ideas and register for the Beehive electronic newsletter. Scripps and The Great American SpellCheck provide spelling word lists and resources for grades 1-8. The middle grades written spelling test will be given in Dec. The elementary school bee is scheduled for Jan. 27 and middle grades school bee will be held in Feb. (date TBA). The goal is not the spelling competition, but that students become better spellers to increase vocabulary and understanding. --Michelle Ballinger, Middle Grades G/T teacher

Fundraising & Donations… Principal’s Fundraiser The candy/wrapping paper sale kicked off earlier this month; orders and money are due Oct. 17th. Funds will be used to provide transportation to many fieldtrips and guest speakers for classes (K-8). Funds are also used to provide supplies for unit projects and instructional resources, piano tuning, sheet music for vocal and instrumental music as well as awards for many student activities. Box Tops Don’t forget to save your Box Tops and place them in the “Box Tops” box in the office. 10 cents per Box Top will really add up if we all participate! Save Your Pop Tabs Please save your pop tabs and send them in to room 217, Maree’s 5th grade classroom. Coat Exchange If you have a coat your child has outgrown, or a child who has outgrown his or her coat, try our Coat Exchange! There is a box in the Parent Room for coats. If you have one to donate, stop by or send it with your child. If you need one, stop in and see what's there. Contributions of other cold weather attire are also welcome. Contact Cass Freeland at cassfreeland@yahoo.com if you have questions. You Eat? You Shop? Support Indianola! You can help Indianola's PTO by using your Kroger Plus or Giant Eagle Advantage cards. Register in the following ways: Giant Eagle Go to www.gianteagle.com/about/apples-for-students or call 1-800-474-4777. Sign in or ‘Enroll Now’ and register your Advantage Card. Provide School ID #4403 and ‘Add’ Indianola.

Kroger Go to www.kroger.com. Click on the Kroger Plus icon and Sign in or Create an Account. Once logged in, go to ‘My Account’ and find ‘Account Settings’. Click on ‘Community Rewards’ and ‘Edit Community Rewards’. Enter 90115 or ‘Friends of Indianola Informal School’ to search. Select “Indianola” and click “Save”.

Room Reps…

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our first meeting Sept. 15—we had a great turnout! A few reminders regarding classroom email lists: 1) be sure your classroom teacher’s name is on your list; 2) add Cass & Pat’s names to your list and send us an email so we know the list is set up and will be aware of emails going out to classrooms; and 3) send Cass the names of any children who need a paper copy of the monthly PC newsletter. Our next meeting is Monday, October 17th at 9:15 am. Please let Pat know if you can make it. Thanks to all who have agreed to contribute to our school community by being Room Reps this year!

2011-2012 Room Reps

Teacher Room Rep(s) Mrs. M Jennifer Schmied Michelle Holly Ruggerio Elizabeth Kate Wilkinson Julie Lisa Pfeifer Amy H. Elizabeth Douglass Emilie Mark Klingler Shannon Jennifer Nolte Sue Catherine Bird

Chrissy Gilbert Danielle/Nicole Jessica Starr

Cass Freeland Tracey Kelly Chellis

Amanda Hullinger Amy P. Karen Staley Tiffany Maria Conroy Ronda Sarah/James Bartczak Sylvia Tani Kushner Melissa Patti O’Toole Maree Lyen Djakov Andrew Marty Biggs Trina Mary Brown Jennifer Susan Belair Lisa Elizabeth Days Stephanie Denise Jacobs Monica Emily Adesiji

Sports & Wellness… Go Knights!! The schedules for the remaining games are printed below. You can check for any changes at www.Columbus.k12.oh.us. (Click on “Activities”, then “Athletics”, “Middle School Athletics”, and “Schedules”.) Come cheer on our Knights!

School Health Screenings As part of the School Health Services of Columbus City Schools, and in fulfillment of Ohio Law 3313.69, school nurses conduct periodic student health screenings. The State of Ohio mandates that screenings include: height, weight, vision, hearing and dental. The school nurses perform various screenings in kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th grades and students new to the school district. A healthy child performs better in school. These screenings are important to help the school make sure your child is as healthy as possible. In addition to state mandated screenings, children in kindergarten, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th grades and students new to the school district will have their Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated using their height and weight. Body Mass Index is a screening tool designed to help parents understand their child’s growth and development. Research shows that over 30% of the children in Ohio are overweight and overweight children are more likely to develop health complications such as Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure and social problems such as bullying. We want all parents to be aware of their child’s BMI percent and whether it falls in the underweight, normal or overweight category based on the recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Parents/Guardians will receive the results of all screening. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I am once again at Indianola every day of the week this year. --Katie McKeel RN, BSN, MA School Nurse Wellness at Indianola This fall, the Wellness group will focus on food and nutrition at Indianola. Is It Nutritious? Once you’ve jumped through the hoops and found the lunch and breakfast menus, you might now wonder how much saturated fat there is in a pulled BBQ sandwich, or how much sugar a carton of chocolate milk contains. Unfortunately, all you’ll be able to find on the menu is the carbohydrate content (sandwich: 37g; chocolate milk: 24g). That’s useful for diabetics, but doesn’t tell you much about the overall nutritional value of school meals. But according to CCS Registered Dietician Stacie Johnson, that will soon change. The district Food Service Production Team is working to post nutrition information on the Website (see above)—along with ingredients if space permits. She’s not sure when that information will be available. Watch the Parent Consultant News for updates. Ms. Patty: CCS Celebrity Our own kitchen manager, Patty McClelland, is changing the way kids in Columbus eat. Ms. Patty has been offering kids meatless options at lunch for years now. Eventually, she decided to set aside Monday as a day to encourage kids to try vegetarian entrees. Now the whole Columbus City Schools district has adopted her idea, and will be feature “Meatless Monday” through the month of October. (See the eye-catching promotional poster hanging in our school cafeteria.) On Mondays, in addition to the usual menu options that contain meat, school cafeterias will also offer vegetarian options. Ms. Patty stresses that all the items listed on the district menu containing meat will still be available, and no one will be pressured to take a vegetarian entrée. But she’s eager to encourage kids to try new ways of eating—especially ways that are potentially healthier. On a recent Monday, for instance, alongside cheeseburgers and chicken corn dogs, Ms. Patty and her team were serving up veggie burgers and macaroni and cheese. While the district’s Meatless Mondays will end at the end of the month, Ms. Patty and the kitchen staff will continue to serve vegetarian options on Mondays—and throughout the week to kids who request them.

Volleyball Schedule Home games in BOLD

October 10 vs. Woodward Park October 12 @ Mifflin

Soccer Schedule All soccer games are away--

Indianola does not have a home field.

October 10 @ Woodward Park October 12 @ Ridgeview

(Kenwood)  

But if your child is a vegetarian, or is just curious about meatless dishes, he or she can ask kitchen staff any time for meals without meat. They are always glad to accommodate. And vegetarian meals aren’t the only special meals the Indianola kitchen servers. Ms. Patty notes that she serves vegan meals to a few students who ask for them. There are also students who do not eat pork, and the kitchen staff finds appropriate dishes for them. Finally, a number of students are allergic to nuts, dairy, or other foods. In cooperation with Nurse Katie, special arrangements are made for these students. The check-out system in the cafeteria even sends out an audible signal when a student with an allergy enters his or her account number, alerting kitchen staff so they can check that the student has taken only food that is safe. Honey Bun: RIP “Some kids still cry about it,” says Ms. Patty. The sweet and sticky honey bun, once popular with kids but scorned by school nurses and many parents, is no longer on the breakfast menu at Columbus City Schools. “I heard a lot of complaints from school nurses about the high carbohydrate content,” says CCS Dietician Stacie Johnson. She worked with the supplier, and was able to discontinue delivery of the sugar-bomb pastry from the start of this school year. Ms. Patty and her counterparts at other Columbus schools now offer alternative pastries at breakfast. They look less enticing than the white-glazed honey buns, but they’ll contribute less to obesity and diabetes. Can nurses, parents, and forward-thinking administrators get rid of other unhealthy foods? Maybe, but the necessity of meeting nutritional requirements on a tight budget, and the details of contracts with suppliers make it difficult to specify exactly which items will and won’t be delivered to schools. If you’d like to contribute ideas about food, nutrition, or other wellness related matters, or would like to receive periodic updates, send a message to mark.klingler@sbcglobal.net. Mileage Club Mileage Club is a walking club that meets Tuesday and Thursday mornings 8:20-8:50. We are off to a great start! The kids have already walked over 220 miles. Many thanks to Rebecca and Eric Wagner for providing new markers, and to Mark Klingler for providing new cones. If your child is attending mileage club, please consider contributing a few dollars to defray the costs of supplies. Thanks!

Update on Food Matters If you have recently had a student in K/1 at Indianola Informal K-8, you are aware of the nutrition education program called Food Matters. This year, Food Matters will continue as a volunteer-based program. A small group of dedicated parent volunteers participated in 2 full days of training with the Food Matters staff. Several parents have stepped up to co-teach the program. We are going to start with 2 classrooms and add to that number based on available volunteers. The Food Matters organization is working to expand their program in additional schools for a per classroom fee. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Holly Ruggerio at hollyruggerio@me.com.

Indianola Events… Artist in Residence We are fortunate to have Helma Groot as our Artist-in-Residence again this year, funded by the PTO. Helma is a local artist and graduate of CCAD, as well as a former Indianola parent. She is working with students on a project that will culminate with the installation of two large permanent sculptures in front of the building. Middle school students designed “people shapes” and drew them on plywood. Helma cut out 150-200 shapes and then a core group of K-5 students painted those cut-outs with assistance from the middle schoolers. Now Helma is building the structures. Look for this amazing artwork to be installed outside school this fall….there is not yet a firm date for installation. PTO Wienie Roast The PTO has arranged a wienie roast again this year at Lynd’s Fruit Farm, Friday, Oct. 21st, 6:00 pm. Lynd’s is located at 9090 Morse Rd (43062). For details on cost and available activities, contact Rob Cohen at rbcohen@gmail.com. (Note: there is no school that day.) Book Fair Coming Up! The fall Book Fair is fast approaching! This year's Book Fair will be through Scholastic and will be held Friday, November 11 through Friday, November 18. Classes will visit to browse and come back to make purchases. There will also be shopping opportunities for parents during one of the evening Parent-Teacher conference. Perfect timing to get your holiday shopping started! The Book Fair raises money to purchase materials for our fabulous Indianola library and also allows teachers to make "Wish Lists" for materials they

would like for their classrooms. There will be books for every age so be sure to come and come often! The success of the Book Fair depends on the help of our wonderful parent volunteers! April and I will be looking for volunteers to help with the Book Fair set-up, daily class visits and take-down. More information on volunteering will be coming in the next few weeks, but if you already know that you'd like to help out, please email Jennifer Nolte at jjnolte@att.net (preferably) or April Repka at aprilrepka@yahoo.com. THANKS! --Jennifer Nolte (mom of Jane in Shannon's class), Book Fair Co-Chair Gender Issues Book Discussion Mrs. Moser has supplied each staff member with a copy of two books on gender issues written by Leonard Sax, M.D., PhD: Boys Adrift and Girls on the Edge. These books will be the focus of professional development this year, with an emphasis on how teachers can use research on gender differences to improve instruction and classroom climate. Cass & Pat are planning discussion sessions around these books for parents. Dates and times are yet to be determined. We are considering Tuesday coffee time (9-10 am), a brown bag series from 12-1:00 on Thursdays, or evening sessions, most likely in the first months of the new year. If you are interested in joining us and have a preference regarding the time of day these sessions are held, please let us know. We would like to include as many interested parents as possible.

Events Around Town… Slate Run Fall Fest Celebrate Slate Run’s 30th anniversary Saturday Oct. 22, 2--5:00 p.m. Family-friendly activities include: *Pioneer toys *Crafts *Tram rides *Giant leaf pile *Games & farm activities *Apple cider & popcorn *Hayride & hoedown *Live music For directions or more information, call Metro Parks’ Info Line at 614-508-8000 or go to www.metroparks.net. COSI’s Spooky Science Fri. Oct. 28, 5-8 pm & Sat. Oct. 29, 11-am-2 pm Come for Halloween fun with spooky activities, creepy crawly creatures, and make your own rock candy. Featuring the Pumpkin Patch Live Show and You Try It! Family Workshop. Fees may apply. For more information, go to www.cosi.org.

PBJ & Jazz When: October 15, 10 am & 11:30 am Where: 2nd floor ballroom of the Lincoln Theater (769 E. Long Street) Who: Pete Mills, saxaphonist What: Children receive a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, juice & a cookie. $5 a person, with a $20 family maximum For more information on this or other concerts or classes, go to www.jazzartsgroup.org.

Kindermusik Looking to spend some quality time with your young one? Try Kindermusik! Through singing, dancing, active listening, and story time, your child will develop language, literacy, listening, and social skills along with musicality.    Not  only  will  you  both  enjoy  dancing  to  your  own  drummer,  you’ll  get  to  sneak   in   a   bit   of   exercise   and   socializing   with   other  parents.  Kindermusik  home  materials  allow  the  fun  and  learning  to  continue  at  home.    

* 15% off regular tuition for Indianola families (online code: “Indianola”) *10% additional discount if you register by Oct. 10 (online code: “Early Bird”) Tuition includes at-home materials (cd, book, and instrument). To register or for more information, go to www.kindermusik.com or contact Pat Merkle at pmerkle@columbus.rr.com or 446-2013.

Our Time (18 mths-3 yrs) *Mondays 10:30-11:15 am Oct. 17-Dec. 19 *Saturdays 10:00-10:45 am Oct. 15-Dec. 17   $150 1st child; siblings $75 each* ABC Family Time (newborn-7 yrs) *Wednesdays 10:00-10:45 am Session I: Oct. 19-Nov. 9 Session II: Nov. 16-Dec. 7 *Saturdays 11:00-11:45 am Nov. 19-Dec. 10 1 session: 1st child $60; siblings $30 each* Register for both Weds. sessions: 1st child $105; siblings $50 each*

Classes held at Columbus Mennonite Church 35 Oakland Park Ave. in Clintonville

Blueprint: College Blueprint: College is a FREE series of college planning workshops for CCS middle school families. The first workshop, “College Bound”, will help parents and students begin planning for college as well as introduce services offered by I Know I Can. *Advanced curriculum will be available for those who participated last year.* Select your preferred date & location from the following list and register online at iknowican.org. All programs are held from 5-8:00 pm and DINNER IS PROVIDED. Registration deadline: Oct. 13th. Tues. Oct. 18 Weds. Oct. 19 Wedgewood Middle School Arts Impact M.S. 3800 Briggs Rd 546 Jack Gibbs Blvd. Thurs. Oct. 20 St. Stephen’s Community House 1500 E. 17th Ave. Tues. Oct. 25 Thurs. Oct. 27 Buckeye Middle School Berwick K-8 2950 Parsons Ave. 2655 Scottwood Rd. Questions? Email at blueprint@iknowican.org or call 614-233-9510 and ask for an Early Awareness college advisor.

PTO  Officers    

Co-­‐Presidents:  Beth  Rapach     Rob  Cohen  barapach@gmail.com   rbcohen@gmail.com      Treasurer:  Amy  Staz  astaz7@gmail.com    Secretary:  Brue  Hoyt  bruehoyt@hotmail.com    

Other  Positions  of  Note:    Fundraising:  Jenn  Eichorn     Sarah  Case  Jeichorn2@gmail.com   spcase246@yahoo.com      Webmaster:  Ray  Arabelo  arebalo1@gmail.com    Volunteer  Coordinator:  Mike  Barnes  mrbarnes@mac.com

Important Dates Mon. 10/10 Volleyball at Woodward Park

Soccer at Woodward Park 4:00

Weds. 10/10 Volleyball Mifflin Soccer at Ridgeview (Kenwood) 4:00 Thurs. 10/13 PTO Meeting Topic: Compassionate Communication 7:00 pm Indianola Library Mon. 10/17 Money & Orders Due Principal’s Fundraiser Mon. 10/17 Room Rep Meeting 9:15 am Parent Room Fri. 10/21 Wienie Roast 6:00 pm Lynd’s Fruit Farm Fri. 10/28 Middle School Dance 7-9:00 pm Mon. 10/31 Fall parade & parties 2 pm Mon. 10/31 Newsletter submissions due