Guardian Angels for the Kitchen of Hope

The Indian Springs drive to support downtown Kingsport's Kitchen of Hope was a great success! Thank you to the Third Grade for initiating this very worthwhile project and to all who contributed school-wide. There was a nice article in the Kingsport Times-News on Tuesday describing how the contributions from Indian Springs Elementary and other organizations have greatly eased the immediate financial concerns of the Kitchen of Hope. It truly is a heart-warming Christmas story, and we are proud to be a part of it. Three carloads of goods were donated by Indian Springs, along with $260 in cash donations. There is a video clip of Monday's visit by Indian Springs to Kitchen of Hope on the Times-News website. I could not attach a link directly to the video, but if you go to the local news page and look at the column titled "Local Videos", there is a clip called "Kitchen of Hope Receives Donations" about halfway down. You can see Mrs. Lancaster give an interview along with many of our students, other teachers, and parents. Great job as always, Indian Springs!

Gift Ideas

Are you wondering what to get that special teacher for Christmas? As parents, we strive to give our teachers thoughtful gifts that will be useful and also express our appreciation for the wonderful work they do every day with our children. We took a small poll of a few teachers to get their ideas on what makes a good teacher gift. Below are their suggestions:

Gift cards to restaurants, bookstores, teacher supply stores, and other businesses are always nice. Some nice places have opened up in Kingsport this year like Marble Slab, Panera, Starbucks, Books-a-Million, etc.

Donations to charity in honor of the class are a thoughtful, meaningful gift.

Other practical gift ideas include:

postage stamps for mailing of class letters or teacher notes

practical dish towels

pot holders

kitchen soap

cooking utensils (like wooden spoons)

cheese ball with crackers

basket of bananas or pears

packets of flavors for water

tub of lemonade mix

Picture frame

favorite teacher drinks (like Coke or Diet Dr. Pepper)

hand lotion

A Letter To My Teacher (just telling us what we do that they like)

One teacher summed it up nicely by saying, "Any gift given from a child's heart with a joyful smile is always appreciated. It humbles me that others would share the gift of giving with me this blessed Christmas season."

Happy shopping!

Don't Forget to Send in Items for Kitchen of Hope!

If you would like to help support Kitchen of Hope via the Third Grade Service Project, please send in your items by this Friday, December 12. You can place your items in receptacles at school or give them to your homeroom teacher. Just as a reminder, items needed are:

canned green beans
canned soup
macaroni noodles
canned corn
baked beans
paper towels
napkins
plain styrofoam plates
plastic forks
plastic spoons
toilet paper
instant tea
12 oz. and 14 oz styrofoam cups
monetary donations

Thank you!

Get Text Messages About Schedule Changes

If you would like to receive a text message when there are school schedule changes (closing, early dismissal, morning delays), text the Sullivan County code sull to 62582. You only have to do this one time. You'll receive a confirmation text message to let you know you've been signed up. Standard charges will apply to all messages.

Schedule Changes - Mon, Dec. 8

Sullivan County is on a 2-hour delay Monday, December 8. As a result, the daytime performance of the 3rd Grade Program will be at 2pm instead of 10am as previously scheduled.

Food Drive for Kitchen of Hope

A previous blog post described the third grade's adoption of the Kitchen of Hope as their annual Christmas service project. In lieu of doing a $5 gift exchange, the students voted instead to bring in items that are greatly needed by the Kitchen of Hope, an organization in downtown Kingsport that feeds hungry people every day. Below is a picture of the Kitchen of Hope that appeared in a Times-News article back in February.


We are thrilled to report that a caring 4th grade parent was inspired by this project and is working with the third grade teachers to involve the whole school in supporting Kitchen of Hope. A flyer was sent home Friday describing the school-wide effort. If you are out shopping this weekend, please consider picking up a few extra items and sending them in to school by Friday, December 12. There will be collection containers throughout the school, or you can give your items to your homeroom teacher.

Items needed are:
canned green beans
canned soup
macaroni noodles
canned corn
baked beans
paper towels
napkins
plain styrofoam plates
plastic forks
plastic spoons
toilet paper
instant tea
12 oz. and 14 oz styrofoam cups
monetary donations

Thanks as always for being such a caring community!

Conrad's Crafty Critters

Mrs. Conrad's first grade class had their Christmas Crafts today, December 4. They had a fun day of activities planned. They made ornaments for Christmas trees that are on display in their classroom. They also made stockings and t-shirts. The boys' shirts were reindeer and the girls' shirts were angels - made from feet and hand prints.


Mrs. Conrad's class also made blankets and handmade Christmas cards to deliver to a local nursing home. In all they had a fun and exciting day!



Thanks to Cheryl Gray for submitting this post!

Third Grade Holiday Service Project

Over the years, the third grade classes have chosen to help someone in need rather than do a classroom gift exchange. This year's third grade is providing some much-needed help to the Kitchen of Hope in downtown Kingsport. A recent article in the Times-News highlighted the struggles that Kitchen of Hope is facing, with costs increasing and donations decreasing, all at a time when more people than ever are in need. The Kitchen of Hope was founded and is run by Mrs. Geraldine Swagerty through the Full Gospel Mission Church on Sevier Avenue. The kitchen serves a meal at 3:30 each afternoon to between 65-125 people, from elderly folks down to children of 2 or 3 years old. Our big-hearted third graders will be bringing in food items, paper products, and monetary donations, all of which will be presented by them to Mrs. Swagerty on the afternoon of Monday, December 15th.

Third graders, we are very proud of you and thankful to your teachers for encouraging you in this very worthwhile service project.

Thanks to Mrs. Counts for providing the information for this post!

Fourth Graders Strut Their Stuff

A rite of passage for fourth graders at Indian Springs is learning to recite all our American presidents in order. Mrs. T. Calhoun has been teaching fourth graders their presidents for years via her own invention - a catchy, rhythmic chant. Parents of fourth graders past and present (and their siblings) can probably recite stretches of this chant themselves - it sticks with you!

Below we have our first two video clips on this blog. First, Mrs. T gives us an introduction, and then you see the 90 or so fourth graders give a group performance. The second clip takes a minute or two to load, so be patient.

Enjoy!

The Spirit of Giving

The fourth grade enjoyed Christmas crafts on November 25th. As part of craft day, each child made a fleece lap blanket for a nursing home resident and decorated a nice Christmas card to go along with it. All ~90 blankets and cards will be delivered to the nursing home in December. Thanks to the teachers and homeroom volunteers who make our wonderful Christmas crafts days possible!

Thanks for the Successful Book Fair!

Mr. Dale reports that our total sales for this year's Scholastic Book Fair were $8500, an awesome total given the state of the economy! Our library will get back about 30% of that total to spend on improvements - this year the goal is to convert to a web-based Accelerated Reader (AR) program and to replace our library's 15-year old checkout system with something more technologically up to date. Thanks so much to all who supported the book fair through their purchases and/or volunteer hours. We had THIRTY (30) volunteers who worked at the book fair in various capacities, which is almost as exciting as the sales total. Thanks for giving of yourselves to support the school!

We're Red, White, and Blue for Books at ISE!

Our Scholastic Book Fair is in full swing at Indian Springs. The library is full to overflowing with a colorful array of books and merchandise - just in time for early Christmas shopping! The book fair runs all week, so be sure to stop by if you haven't already!


We kicked off the book fair with a fun Family Night on Monday, November 10. Thanks to all who came out with their families to enjoy the shopping opportunities, games, and good times. In keeping with the patriotic theme this year, Uncle Sam was on hand to answer questions and help point shoppers in the right direction.


Uncle Sam (a.k.a. Mr. Dale, of course) showing his patriotic spirit and enthusiasm for our book fair event!


Book Fair takes a great number of volunteers on Family Night and all week long. We are so fortunate to have had many volunteers pledge their time this week to make the Book Fair a success! Thanks to all you ladies and gentlemen who helped run the games and cash register at family night, are helping with sales duties and money counting during the school day this week, and will help with tear down next week. You are very much appreciated!!

What is the Clinic?

Our last post explained all about what Nurse Laura does for our school. Now we'll explain what the Clinic does and how the Clinic differs from the nurse's office.

In the pod, across from the Nurse's office, is our Indian Springs Red Cross Clinic.
Lisa Lambert, one of our Clinic co-chairs, gave us this description of the Clinic and how it fits in to the school (thanks Lisa!):

The school clinic is provided through the American Red Cross School Clinic Program and is separate from the school nurse program. All clinic workers are volunteers who have taken a Red Cross Clinic training course, have completed a background check, and have worked for 10 hours with a trained clinic volunteer. Although a few volunteers have a medical background, most do not. The Clinic must follow all rules and guidelines set forth by the Red Cross. Volunteers may not attempt to diagnose, give medications, or even remove splinters (even if that volunteer is a nurse or other medical professional). Those types of issues are left to the school nurse. But the Clinic volunteers can do many things which frees up our school nurse and teachers to do what they are hired to do. The Clinic volunteers can take temperatures, apply bandages and ice packs, offer crackers and Sprite for upset tummies, and provide comfort and TLC to our students. They even keep some spare items of clothing for students who may have spilled something or gotten sick on theirs. So when the Clinic volunteer calls you about your child complaining of a sore throat, please understand why they will not be able to tell you what your child's throat looks like. They are following the rules that have been established by the Red Cross. You might also like to know that not all schools in Sullivan County have a Clinic. It takes space and willing volunteers to have a Clinic. We are fortunate at Indian Springs to have both!

We appreciate our dedicated Clinic volunteers who provide such a valuable service to Indian Springs!

What Does Our School Nurse Do?

Everyone recognizes this door, right?


But do you know the lady whose office is behind it, Nurse Laura, and what she does at Indian Springs every day?


Laura Jennings, RN, is our school nurse, of course, but her job involves far more than just taking temperatures and handing out band-aids.

Nurse Laura has been at Indian Springs for 8 years. As the school nurse, Laura is an employee of the Sullivan County Health Department. She is contracted out to the Board of Education to serve Indian Springs Elementary. We are lucky to have Nurse Laura all to ourselves. Some school nurses must cover two schools every day.

The role of the school nurse has evolved over the years. School nurses have taken on more and more responsibility in terms of helping children with chronic health issues remain in school. In this vein, our own Nurse Laura does a variety of daily procedures at Indian Springs such as catheterizations, blood glucose checks, and feeding tubes. She also administers all prescription medications and treats asthmatic patients by doing peak flow meters and giving inhaler and nebulizer treatments. Administering these treatments for chronic conditions are a high priority for Nurse Laura each day.

In addition to these procedures, Laura also gives all over-the-counter medications, treats injuries, and follows up on all accident reports. Laura keeps track of all the medical conditions and allergies of the people who work and learn at Indian Springs and works with the cafeteria staff and others as needed to make sure everyone stays safe. Her role involves participation on the disaster preparedness team at ISE and she also chairs the Health and Safety committee for the PTA, where she tries to teach a health/safety topic to the students each month. Laura also works with families with financial difficulties to obtain medication and health care. She oversees the medical aspects of school events such as Grandparents Day, Mega Party, Field Day, Walkathon, etc. This is only an abbreviated list of what Laura does at ISE each day - whew!

Since she has been at ISE, some of the more serious issues Nurse Laura has dealt with are staff with strokes, a staff member with a heart attack, a grandmother who fell and fractured her hip at grandparents' day, serious cuts, broken bones, and teachers in preterm labor.

As you can see, Laura is VERY busy and plays a huge role in keeping everyone at our school safe. We are very thankful for her!

Now, you might ask, what goes on in the Red Cross Clinic located near the Nurse's office?

Stay tuned for an upcoming post to find out!

Pie in the Eye

One of the most popular attractions at the Carnival was the Pie Throw. Thank you to all the teachers and staff members who volunteered to be on the receiving end of the pies. Below, Mrs. Jessee models the new and improved Personal Protective Equipment used at the Pie Throw this year. The poncho, shower cap, and safety goggles made cleanup MUCH easier this year!


Of course, getting to throw a pie at your principal was a big hit!


But then, the tables were turned! Is this some sort of new employee motivational technique?


I didn't know Santa Claus made an appearance at Fall Carnival! Oh wait, that's Mrs. Lancaster!


We appreciate all who worked so hard to make Fall Carnival a success. We raised $2500 for the PTA at this event! Thank you Indian Springs!

And More Carnival Pics...

Entertainment at the carnival included fun games to play. Stone Drive Putt-Putt provided a portable mini golf hole for testing your putting skill:

There was a race track for those who love the thrill of tiny speeding automobiles!

The classic ring toss game was very popular:

As of course were the inflatables outside (thank you to the school for allowing us to use these for the carnival!):

This of course is but a small sampling of the many entertaining games enjoyed by carnival-goers.

Stay tuned for the next post which will include pictures of the ever popular "throw a pie at your teacher/principal" attraction...

More Carnival Pictures...

Thank you to Mrs. Webb for taking literally hundreds of pictures at Fall Carnival last week! Here are a few more for your enjoyment...

Some excellent face-painting was seen at the Carnival:


Along with some very interesting hair:


The crafty among us were able to enjoy making fun masks:


Like this very cool elephant!


More pics soon...

Thank You for Making Fall Carnival a Success!

Fall Carnival is but a fond memory now. Thank you Indian Springs families and friends for making the evening a great success! A very special thank you to the committee who brought you this event - Amy Falin (and her husband and staunch supporter, Scott Falin), Michelle Easterling, Bridgette and Brent Whitmore, Jane Miller, and Rene Cox and to the dozens of volunteers who worked at the event to help things run smoothly.


Many thanks also to the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts for their help in set-up and clean-up.

Thanks also to Ms. Nave and all the teachers who helped run the event and who (like Mr. Dale below) took a pie in the face for the team!


Special thanks also to Mr. Winchell and Mrs. Webb for their help throughout the carnival and for staying to the very end to help with clean-up.

We hope everyone enjoyed their evening at the Carnival! Stay tuned over the next week or so as we will try to post more Carnival pictures on the blog.

Last Call for Spirit Item Orders!

The deadline to send in your spirit item order form is this coming Monday, October 20. This will be the last order we place this year. We will do final processing of the forms and payment on Tuesday and will promptly place the order. If you would like to order anything, you must send in your form and check on Monday. Thank you!!

Carnival - Rain or Shine!

If the weather turns poor on us today, the plan is to move the carnival inside into the gym and possibly hallways. Everything can be brought inside except the inflatables. So no matter the weather, please come out (hungry) and join us at Fall Carnival! Remember, spirit items will be available for pickup.

Thanks and see you tonight!

Spirit Items Are Here!

Our first order of spirit items has arrived! We will have these items available for distribution at Fall Carnival on Thursday evening. Look for our "Spirit Item" table near the main ticket table at the entrance by the pod. If you cannot pick up your items that evening, we will make other arrangements to get them to you. If you have not yet ordered spirit items and would like to, we will have order forms available at the spirit item table on Thursday. Look forward to seeing you there!

Update on Carnival Needs!

Thank you Indian Springs for the outpouring of needed items for the Fall Carnival!! We have received all requested items. Awesome!

Countdown to the Carnival!

4 days until Fall Carnival - Thursday will be here before we know it!

Our fantastic committee has put together a wonderful event for our ISE families and the Indian Springs community to enjoy. The weather forecast looks promising, and we hope you will come spend your evening with us. We will have food, games, inflatables, and shopping - something for every member of the family!

We do have a few more needs to be filled to help make the carnival an unqualified success. If you could provide any of these, please contact Amy Falin at adfalin@gmail.com or by cell phone at 963-3134.

STILL NEED:
"AA" batteries
8 "C" batteries

3 packs multi-colored chalk ($1 at Dollar General for a 12-pack )

6 large bags of Ice

1 large Pumpkin

HAVE BEEN DONATED - THANKS!!
200 Coffee Filters
2 large pumps-Hand Sanitizer
1 box Clorox or Lysol Sanitizing Wipes

Fire Safety at Indian Springs

Did you know that October is Fire Safety Month? It's a good month to think about fire safety, since the weather is typically dry and people are wanting to burn leaves. But did you know that Fire Safety Month also has its roots in the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred in October of 1871? This fire burned 2000 acres in the heart of Chicago, killing between 200-300 people and destroying over $200 million in property. Even today, according to the United States Fire Administration, fire kills more Americans each year than all natural disasters combined.


As part of Fire Safety Month educational activities, our Indian Springs Kindergarteners and First Graders were visited by the Sullivan County Volunteer Fire Department on Friday, October 10th. The children got to see a fire truck up close, see what's inside all its compartments, hear its very loud siren, and talk to and ask questions of the fire fighters (one of whom is one of Mrs. Conrad's former first graders!).


The children watched as one of the firemen donned his entire firefighting suit, including air tank, mask, and hat. The kids got to hear the "Darth Vader" sound that a firefighter makes when he breathes. They got to touch his gloves and learn that he's just a regular guy under the fire suit. This is an important experience for these young children to have, as it will help them not to be afraid of firefighters in an actual emergency.

Thank you Sullivan County Volunteer Fire Department for helping educate our children about fire safety!

Where can you....

. . . enjoy a fresh fried pie, after your kids scarfed hot dogs and nachos, while selecting a quart of applebutter, making plans for that special cake you just won, where you just bought your best friend's Christmas gift of jewelry, as your children have a great time winning prizes and burning off their energy - while THEY're supporting the 2nd Harvest Food Bank?

At the FALL CARNIVAL, of course!! Make sure you make time to check out all the great fun at this event. Remember that all proceeds will benefit your PTA - so come on out and PLAY!!

Fall Carnival is Thursday, October 16th, from 4pm to dusk. Hope to see you there!

Support Indian Springs Community Chest!

As many already know, this is United Way giving season. But did you know that you can designate all or part of your United Way contribution to the Greater Indian Springs Community Chest? These funds stay right here in our community to benefit our schools and residents. You can view the GISCC budget online to find out more about how this organization supports and impacts our local community. Just at our school, GISCC provides financial support for the Clinic, the Aid to Children program, and the Guidance curriculum. GISCC also provides support to various programs at Holston Middle and at Central. To ensure the continued support of these programs, please consider designating the GISCC as a recipient of all or a portion of your United Way contribution!

Thank You to Good Hope!

We would like to thank Good Hope Gardens & Landscapes for their generous donations of plants to our Grounds and Facilities committee, which is working very hard to beautify our school. Rick Cowden at Good Hope has also offered Indian Springs PTA members a 15% discount on their personal purchases! Good Hope is located on Memorial Blvd out towards McDonalds (on the left if you are heading toward McDonalds from ISE). Thank you Rick!!!

Coming soon... FALL CARNIVAL - Oct. 16th!

Have you felt the chill in the morning air? The final days of planning for the Fall Carnival have arrived. If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for Thursday October 16th from 4PM until dusk. No matter if you are a kid or just a kid at heart, there is fun in store for everyone. So, bring the family, have fun, and support the PTA!

Please help us make this an evening to remember. Here are some of the resources still needed and the contact information for each.

Items needed
The committee has called on local businesses for donations. Here are some items still needed. Please contact Amy Falin at adfalin@gmail.com or (423) 963-3134 for more information.

Canopy tents
Items to raffle
Homemade cakes/pies for the Cake Walk
Craft supplies (glue, chalk, shaving cream, poster board, etc)

Vendors needed
There are still openings for vendors who’d like to sale a variety of goods: from homemade goodies, to crafts, and more. Vendors pay an entry fee of $25.00, and then keep 100% of the proceeds from their sales. But please hurry-as we will only allow 1 vendor-per-product type at the carnival. Please contact Bridgette Whitmore at 914-9901 for more information.

Volunteers needed
We still need more help from parents, doting grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who want to get involved. The shifts will be kept short to make time for all to enjoy the fun. Here are some areas where volunteers are needed. Please contact Michelle Easterling at 963-0418 for more information.

5 volunteers – Set up the Carnival
5 volunteers – Ticket sales
10 volunteers – to Host the Games
5 volunteers – to Serve Food
5 volunteers – Inflatable toys
5 volunteers – Clean up

Teachers – It’s time to pay the PIEd Piper!
Who will be a good sport and take a pie in the face for the kids? The kids love throwing shaving cream pies at their teachers! To be a part of this fun event to raise funds for the PTA, please contact Amy Falin at adfalin@gmail.com or 423-963-3134.

Fun for Less
Armbands for unlimited play on the inflatables will be available for $5. Bring 3 non-perishable food items for Second Harvest Food Bank and get an armband for only $3. Individual tickets for food, games, and one-time rides on inflatable toys will be 50¢ each.

New Business Member

Thanks to the folks at Greenwood Market for joining us as a new business member.

Greenwood Market is located at 5121 Memorial Boulevard.

Thanks!

Wash Up Quick, Don't Get Sick!

From September 8-16th, Nurse Laura taught almost the entire school Scrubby Bear classes. 385 students and 33 staff members learned when and how to wash their hands. Remember Scrubby Bear's motto; "Wash up Quick, Don't get Sick!" It is especially important to remember good hand washing during flu season which is almost upon us. Nurse Laura is proud to announce the winning classrooms of her two contests held during Scrubby Bear week. Mrs Conrad's 1st grade class won the "Quick and Quiet" contest and Mrs. T. Calhoun's 4th grade class won the "Best Hand Washers" contest. Way to go students!

Below we see Mrs. Lancaster's 3rd grade class enjoying a Scrubby Bear video using their classroom projector/Smartboard.

Whirled Peace

Have you wondered what the enchanting collection of pinwheels in the grass near the school's main entrances are for? Our Art teacher, Mrs. Webb, had each child at school create a "Pinwheel for Peace" and plant it in front of the school on International Day of Peace, which was September 21. The students wrote their thoughts about war and peace, tolerance, and living in harmony with others on one side. On the other side, the students visually expressed their feelings through drawing, painting, etc. You can find out more about the Pinwheels for Peace project at their website here. Thank you Mrs. Webb for allowing our students to experience this program!

ISE Spirit Items on Sale Now!

Order forms went home yesterday for our fabulous Indian Springs Elementary spirit items (see design below)!


We have short-sleeve T-shirts for $10, long-sleeve T-shirts for $12, sweatshirts for $15, and car magnets for $7. If you need to pick up an extra order form, there are some in an envelope on our PTA bulletin board near the office. The order form is also available for download from the ISE website. Order forms with payment (checks only please) are due by Monday, September 29 if you would like to receive your items in mid-October. We will continue to accept order forms through October 20 and these items will be distributed in mid-November. Happy shopping!

Introducing...."The Indian Springs Drumbeat"

Congratulations to Kayla Herron (1st, Craft) and Taylor Herron (4th, Robinette), winners of the ISE/PTA Newsletter Renaming Contest. Their winning entry, “The Indian Springs Drumbeat”, will be the new name for the school’s newsletter. The girls will receive Indian Springs sweatshirts and laminated, color copies of the next edition of the newsletter featuring the new name. Honorable mention goes to Hayden Wallen (2nd, Holly) for “The Tribe’s Scribe” and Aaron Gray (1st, Conrad) for “Tribal Tribune”. Over 85 entries were submitted. Thanks to all who participated. Way to go students!

Tools for Schools

Hopefully everyone has gotten their Food City Value Cards linked to Indian Springs. Feel free to invite your family, friends, neighbors, and random people on the street to link to Indian Springs as well!

Did you know that Ingles also offers a similar program called Ingles Tools for Schools?



You can link your Ingles Advantage card to Indian Springs and help us earn credit toward educational materials for our school. To link your card, either ask the cashier in the store or go online to do it yourself. The website is:
http://www.ingles-markets.com/advantage_card/tools_for_schools/cardlink_step_1.php.
Our school code is 11753.

Thanks for your help!

Thanks Grandparents' Day Volunteers!

Grandparents' Day was a great success!
We had almost 600 visitors sign in during the three-hour lunch extravaganza. Thank you to our Grandparents' Day coordinators - Angie Sybert and Jodi Vanburen - for working hard to make all the arrangements for this special event.



Our wonderful cafeteria staff and parent volunteers kept it all running smoothly.

Special thanks also to Mr. Winchell and to Shirley Moody for helping to keep us on schedule.

Grandparents' Day is a fine example of how the parents and staff work together to benefit the children!

Thank you to these parent volunteers, who worked at sign-in and in the cafeteria serving tea, cleaning tables, directing traffic, etc.:

Angie Sybert
Jodi Vanburen
Brandy Kisner
Charlie Ward
Cheryl Vincent
Cyndi Lyons
Karen Maness
Katrina Looney
Kim Moody
Kristen Leonard
Kristi Ponder
Lesa Renner
Penny Aquino
Penny Barker
Tara Lange
Marilyn Cotter

Thank you to these parents for donating ice:

Amy Adkins
Beth Baker
Cheryl Ratliff
Kim Barker
Kim Luna
Marsi Mullins

Artsonia Award

Congratulations to Mrs. Pam Webb for receiving the Leadership Award from Artsonia, the online art gallery used to showcase our students' artwork.

For the 2007-08 school year, the Art Program at ISE was ranked by Artsonia as #1 in the state of Tennessee and #41 in the nation. Last year Mrs. Webb and her volunteers loaded an amazing 5,174 pieces of student art onto the Artsonia gallery. This art collection has been viewed more than 200,000 times by friends and family the world over.

Did you know that when you purchase keepsakes imprinted with student artwork, Artsonia donates 15 percent back to the school art program? Last year, this raised more than $300 for our art program at ISE.

If you would like to help with our student art gallery on Artsonia, please stop in and talk with Mrs. Webb.

Link Up

Are you going grocery shopping this weekend?

Please don't forget to link your Food City Value Card to Indian Springs Elementary. Ask your relatives and friends to do so as well!

Simply tell the cashier our school name and he or she will link your card to Indian Springs Elementary.



The Food City program (Apples for the Students) began on Aug. 24 and will run through April 4, 2009.

Linking your card to ISE does not add anything to your bill. It simply allows the purchases you make to be credited to our school as "points". We cash in points at the end of the year for educational items the school needs.

Last year, we were able to obtain a digital camera, three DVD players, a multimedia projector, five overhead projectors, a set of prepared slides for science, and a set of
five playground balls.

All those grocery trips added up to some great equipment for our school. Let's do it again this year!

Schedule for Grandparents' Day

Don't forget Grandparents' Day this Friday, Sept. 5.

The time schedule for lunch is:
Kindergarten 10:45-11:25
First Grade 11:20-12:00
Second Grade 11:45-12:25
Third Grade 12:05-12:45
Fourth Grade 12:25-1:05
Fifth Grade 12:45-1:25

Lunch is $3.25, payable the day of the event at the sign-in table.

We hope to see you there!

New Business Member

Greenwood Market, 5121 Memorial Blvd., has joined the ISES PTA as a business member.

Thanks to Greenwood Market for their support of our school.

We appreciate you!

Aesthetic Improvements

Have you noticed the nice plantings and stone border around our ISE sign?



Or the freshly washed concrete in the front of the school and at the carpool entrance?



The Grounds and Facilities committee has been hard at work with these and other aesthetic improvements to our building's exterior. Thank you Cassie Scott and the Grounds Committee!

Big Win for PTA Membership

Congratulations to Mrs. Smith's Second Grade for winning the PTA membership contest. This class had the most memberships returned by the night of Open House, and they will receive a $20 gift card for their classroom to use as they wish.

It is not too late to join PTA. As of Thursday, Aug. 28, we had 241 members signed up - a great show of support for our school! If you would like to join, there are extra membership forms in the plastic PTA box in the office. You can fill out one of these and attach your check for $5/member and you're done!

If you have already joined PTA, you will be receiving your membership card soon, along with an appetizer coupon to Texas Roadhouse as a thank-you. Be on the lookout for those coming home in your student's backpacks. Thanks!!

A "Grand" Event

Grandparents' Day is coming up on Friday, Sept. 5.

At this event, we honor our students' grandparents by inviting them to eat a special lunch with us at school (if grandparents are not available to attend, other special adults in our students' lives are welcome to come instead).

A form was sent home this week regarding Grandparents' Day. We need these forms returned by this Friday so that we can plan appropriately.

We also need lots of volunteers to make Grandparents' Day a success. This is a fun and rewarding event to help out with, so please consider spending part of your day with us! Please email Angie Sybert at angie_sybert@embarqmail.com if you would like to volunteer.

Bus Safety

Last Wednesday and Thursday, the PTA Health and Safety Committee sponsored a Bus Safety Program for our kindergartners.

School bus driver Paula Conn came to give the children a tour of the inside and outside of her school bus.



Ms. Conn talked with the children about the safety zones and rules of riding the bus in a safe manner. She showed them the areas around the bus where she cannot see them.

Two classes toured at a time while the other two classes were inside with Nurse Laura and Tammy Hammitt, who showed them a video and led a discussion about Bus Safety.

The Health and Safety committee uses $25 of its budget to sponsor the Bus Safety program at the beginning of every school year since many our new kindergartners have never ridden a bus before.

New Business Member

Thanks to Burk Consulting Inc., 2550 E. Stone Drive, which recently joined the ISES PTA as a business member.

We appreciate you!

Congrats

Congratulations to Ursula Ward on winning the $20 gas card at the PTA Fair scavenger hunt. Ursula's completed form was drawn randomly from all those submitted.

Thanks to all who participated. We hope you had fun and learned a little about PTA along the way!

Open House Success

Thanks to all who attended Open House Monday night. It was an action-packed evening, to say the least.

We hope you all enjoyed the PTA Fair and learned something new about PTA and what we do at Indian Springs. Many people signed up to help with the various committees - we really appreciate you all!



If you did not get a chance to browse the PTA displays at Open House, and would like to learn more, please feel free to contact me at karenm@chartertn.net.

It's Time for Open House

Don't forget about Open House this coming Monday, Aug. 18, from 6-8 p.m.

From 6-7 p.m. you will have time to visit classrooms, check out the PTA Fair (visit all displays to win a chance at a $20 gas card), view a SmartBoard demonstration, and join PTA if you haven't already.

At 7 p.m. there will be a program in the gym. A Sullivan County math specialist and a wellness specialist will be talking about new requirements from the State and how they will impact us.

Be sure to come out for a fun and informative evening.

New Business Member

All Season Storage, 4303 Ft. Henry Dr., has joined the ISE PTA as a business partner.



Thanks to the people at All Season Storage for joining us.

New Business Member

Triten Insurance & Financial Services, 1921 Hwy. 394 in Blountville, has joined us as a business member.

The ISE PTA thanks them and all our business members.

You are so appreciated!

We Want You!

PTA membership packets have gone home!

If you would like to join our PTA, please fill out the membership form and return it with the dues ($5/member).

A member information survey is also included in your packet - please take a few moments to fill this out. It will give us valuable info as we seek to improve our communication strategy and make plans for this year.

A Note From the Prez

I would like to thank everyone who attended our first PTA meeting of the school year last night.

I thought it was a productive session, enjoyed seeing some new faces, and am looking forward to future meetings. Our major business item was accomplished - we passed the proposed 08-09 PTA budget.

The meeting minutes will be posted on the PTA page on the ISE website soon, for any who were unable to join us last night but would like to see what was discussed.

Thanks again,
Karen Maness, PTA President

New Business Member

Indian Springs Elementary PTA has a new business member.

Farm Bureau Insurance of Blountville recently joined our group.

Thanks so much to Farm Bureau!

New Business Member

Thanks to Angie Millican for all her hard work securing another business member for our PTA.

Wireless City, 1946 Hwy. 23N in Weber City, has joined our group.

Thanks to the folks at Wireless City! We appreciate you.

New Business Member

CVS Pharmacy has joined the PTA as a business member.



Thanks so much to them for supporting our group.

We appreciate it!

Noteworthy New Rug

Mrs. Edwards' music students will be enjoying a new, educational floor rug in her classroom this year.



The new rug provides a nice place for the students to sit during music class, and the music symbols on the rug can also be incorporated into Mrs. Edwards' teaching.

PTA funds were used to purchase this rug for the Music Department at the end of last year. It looks great!

Another Business Member

Cherry Point Animal Hospital, 101 Island Road, just became a business member of our PTA.

Thanks so much to them.

We appreciate all our business members!

Kindergarten Orientation Day