Principal's Corner

Dear McMullen Booth Families,

Last week we hosted our Evening of the Arts for 2nd – 5th grades. Although the dreary weather kept many away, those of us in attendance were in awe of the amazing art work on display that reflected the Australian theme that has been the focus for this year’s arts. There were didgeridoos, koalas, Crocodile Dundee styled hats, and an amazing painting created by the entire student body, just to name a few. If you were unable to make it, you missed a great show! 

Each year we give our community the opportunity to give us feedback through a survey about our service to you, our customers. The survey is now available on our web site at www.mbes.com. Just click on the yellow banner stating, “CLICK HERE  TO TAKE OUR SCHOOL  SURVEY, THANK YOU!”  The survey will close on March 20, 2011, so don’t delay.  Let us know how you feel about the job we are doing, complete a survey today! Thanks! 

We have started a new Complimentary Referral program at MBES. These new referrals are given to students who are working hard to produce exemplary work, show character or improve in a particular area. Students have been visiting the office to have administrators and staff give them a high five, the Manatee Salute (flippers in the air), a whoop! whoop! and a positive comment and/or signature on their purple referral form. We are focusing on the positive and hope that  you will do the same for your students who are working hard each day to make choices filled with character and giving their best effort in all they do. Working together, we are making a positive difference in the lives of our children!

~ Sherry Aemisegger, Principal

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Dates To Remember

	February 25	Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast, 9:00am Cafeteria
	March 2	Walking Wednesday (Meet at Soule Park, 7:45 am)
	March 3&4	Vision/Hearing Screening
	March 8	PTA Workshop, "Cyber Bullying" 6:00pm, Cafeteria
	March 8	SAC Meeting, 7:00pm Media Center
	March 15	Crispers Family Night 5:30-8:30pm
	March 22	Field Day, K-1st
	March 24	Field Day, 4th & 5th Grades
	March 25	Field Day, 2nd & 3rd Grades
	March 28-April 1	Spring Break, No School
	April 4	School Resumes
	April 6	Walking Wednesday (Meet at Soule Park, 7:45 am)
	April 11-22	FCAT Testing Grades 3rd-5th
	April 12	SAC Meeting, Media Center 7:00pm
	April 25	Pro Ed Day - No School for Students
	April 28	Grades K-1st Evening of the Arts 6:30-8:00pm
	April 28	PTA Meeting, 6:30pm, Cafeteria
	April 29	Earth Day Activities during PE time

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Did You Know?

Smoking is not allowed on school property which includes the parking lot and outdoor green areas.  Thank you

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Community Happenings

The following flyers are located in the school office, and you are welcome to stop by and pick up any papers that interest you.

The school is neither endorsing nor sponsoring the events nor approving or endorsing
the views of the organization sponsoring the activity.

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Family and Community Relations
Our Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast is next Friday, February 25th at 9am in the Cafeteria.  Please plan to join us for our tasty buffet, door prize giveaway, musical entertainment and the camaraderie of friends.  If you haven’t received your invitation, please call the office to RSVP so we can plan accordingly. Don’t miss out on this fun event.  It is our way to show our volunteers how much we appreciate all they do for our school!

~ Barbara Hajko, Family & Community Liaison

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Crispers Family Night

Our first Crispers Night was a great success! We hope to see you at the our next Crispers Night on Tuesday, March 15.  MBES gets 20% of all sales recorded during the 5:30 to 8:30 time period. We will be using these funds to enhance technology throughout our school. Please come and join us next month and help us move our technology initiatives forward!  Thanks!

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Thank You Sweetbay Supermarket!

We received a check in the amount of $160.00 from Sweetbay Supermarket to support our PE Program!

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Counselor’s Corner – Parent Power

There are many ways you can support your child’s learning and school.  Here are a few ideas:  

• Spend a few minutes every evening looking over handouts your youngster brings home.  Fill out forms to  return the next day. 
• Tell your child’s teachers if you can help them out at school or home. 
• Make sure teachers know you appreciate their efforts.  From time to time, send a thank-you note or an email. 
• Contact your child’s teacher immediately if you see a problem.  Working together will help your child succeed. 
• Attend conferences, parent meetings, and school events regularly. 

~ Marilyn Taylor, Guidance Counselor

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HEARING AND VISION SCREENING

On Thursday, March 3rd and Friday, March 4th, students in grades PreK (as required), Kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grades will have their hearing and vision checked by a county screening team here at school. Also any students new to Pinellas County will be included in the screening. It is important that students who wear eyeglasses have them available for the screening. If you would not like for your children to be screened, please send a written note to school indicating your wishes.

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Earth Day 2011 - April 29

We are gearing up for another Earth Day at McMullen Booth. We will need lots of adult volunteers to host this special event. Please let us know if you can help on Friday, April 29. There is a sign-up sheet posted in the front office.  Also, if you have any ideas you’d like us to consider for Earth Day, please let us know.  We are collecting pots to plant seeds, so if you have any extra you can spare, please drop them off to Ms. Steakley. It will be a fun-filled environmental-learning day for our children! 

Thanks for your support! Contact Carrol Steakley if you have any questions or ideas

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5th Grade Graduation Meeting

Parents it is time to schedule our first 5th Grade graduation planning meeting. In order to make this special day a success, we need volunteers.  There are many positions to fill, and even if you work, there is something to fit your busy schedule. We will be meeting at the picnic tables outside the cafeteria Friday, February 25, 2011, at 2:00. Please RSVP to Kim Dickman (727)-725-9404 or markld55@yahoo.com, and if your unable to attend and would like to volunteer please give me a call.

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Positive Behavior Supports from Mrs. Peters

Part 3: Give Clear, Specific Directions 

Step 1:	Make sure you have the child’s attention.  If the television or video games are on, it is pretty safe to assume that your words are not the top priority.  Shouting directions from one area in the house to the next is not the most successful way to have your directions followed. If your directions need an immediate response, be prepared to go to the child or ask the child to come to you. Sometimes eye contact is enough, however more often than not, if you are struggling in this area, it is because their attention is still on the television or video game playing in the back ground.  You may need to go one step further and pause the game, movie, show or turn it off all together.
Step 2:	State what you want your child to do instead of what not to do.  We sometimes assume that children can reason and problem solve the next steps beyond “no running”, “no balls inside”, “this room is filthy”  to mean “walk inside”, “take the ball outside”, or “pick up the toys and put them in the toy box”.  Instead of stating what you do not want, try stating what you do want.
Step 3:	Reword or restate directions.  This means that either you simplify what you are saying to no more than one sentence, or you ask the child to tell you what you just said.  What they heard  may not be what you think you said.  This is a breakdown in communication and a lack of understanding of what to do and not necessarily a child choosing not to do it. Our frustrations can come through when we feel that we are giving the same directions over and over again, or are not being heard. This frustration can often lead to long rants or venting of our feelings.  Within the rant you may have given the direction of what to do, however your child might not have picked it out, or remembered it by the time you are finished venting. Remember to restate what you want them to do and ask them to repeat it back to you.
Step 4:	If you are not involved in a power struggle, you may want to remain close by to make sure that the child has begun the task you have asked of him, and reward the effort. “you are doing a great job picking up those clothes.  Keep up the good work!”  “Thank you for picking up your room the first time I asked.  I really appreciate it when you listen to me right away.”  If you are involved in a power struggle, it may make the situation worse to stand nearby and wait. In this case, set limits around your  expectation. “You have 30 minutes to put your dirty clothes in the basket and toys in the toy box” then walk away. You may also use an If/Then statement.  “If you would like to play outside this afternoon, then you must clean your room first.”

Clear specific directions allow your child to know exactly what you want them to do in a positive way.  Following up with praise for the effort (not the outcome) keeps the momentum going and your child is more likely to complete the task you asked of him. Communicating  5  positives to every 1 negative allows your child to feel successful and allows us to set the tone in our home and environment.  

~ Stacey Peters, Behavior Specialist

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Commitment to Character

Kindergarten	Kayla Tywoniuk, Trey Dixon, Veera Tellez-Perez, Jason Clark, Kayla Bosser, Benjamin Davis, Bianca Moore, Nickole  Pate, Rahmad Maynor, Arbinot Ajvazi, Bryson Kennedy, Samson Cantrell, Veronica Oroko, Brandon  Nault, Melissa Hernandez, Rolan Rakaj, Aisha Moore and Ethan Toper.
1st Grade	Aaralyn Reed, Angelo Scott, Elias Gonzalez, Kamryn Booth, Manuela Menendez, Michal Tywoniuk, Michael Neville, Corey Gleeson, OLessley Osorio-Perez, Nathan Carter, Nicholas Allone, Ryleigh Powers, Ayden Riendeau, Talon Rodgerson, Arianna Reichold,  Daniel Pizzo, Elise Evener, Kylie Smith, Miranda Michaud, Brooke Palmer, Justin Rosa, Stella Lee, Swayam Patel, Katelyn Pingor, Alex Black, Alex Kemp, Alexia Hila, Casey Riquetti, Jasmine Brown, Victoria Reitmeyer, Wyatt  Martinez, Azaria Fortner, Cristian Meli, Gregory Murray, Jason Godinez-Cruz, Johana Garnica, Kadyn Cook, Michelle Gao and Gabriella Matos.
2nd Grade	Bailey Flomp, Hiram Garcia, Joselynn Granata, Julianne Bischman, Lucas Gonzalez, Bryant Ward, Cecilia Johnson, Emelia LaCognata, Jacob Rocha, Sean Roden, Athena Fisher, Marcos Alvarez Dominguez,  McKinnon Hatcher, Michelle Hernandez, Sophia Ward, Julia Bayne, Kevin Halilaj, Brian Cabrera, Erika Meya, Kameron Carvalho, Kim Jae Manapin, Sedriana Moore, Yadira Cruz-Martinez, Guillermo Romero, Jared Mendiola, Kurt Kemerer, Lauren Vonhof, Lexi Bates, Alicia Martinez, Gavin McClure, Shyla Shaw, Xzavion Dixon, Christopher Tejamanil-Gonzales, Eliana Taylor, Estefany Luna-Baxcajay, Mataya Schatz and Sara Bolick.
3rd Grade	Abigail Siegel, Feidra Zeldin-Almanza, Licette Dothe, Wilton  Rodriguez, Brittany Lara, Dean Carter, Lieska McCann, Seth Sumlin, Taylor Nieves, Angela Bush, Charley Aldama-Perez, Jose Menendez, Lindsay  Bautz, Rachel Murray, Alex Masselli, Ashley Pena Cecilio, Juniesha Lewis, Melissa Benitez-Ramirez, Phillip McKee, Rachel Cimmino, Ana Mengxian, Mya Cagwin, Nicholas Hannock, Paris Dzibinski, Ramiro Cruz, Ryan Rosal, Angel Kobani, Ella Brentzel, Isiah Judge, Jasmine Walton, Joseph Weyres, William Guerrera, Christopher Kennedy, Ein Shaw, Hana Kuster, Madison Spruill, Martin Naguib, Yosvany Napoles-Albino, Ariel Gracie, Jackie Cruz, Kathleen Ball, Logan Schwartz and Skylar Lund.
4th Grade	Autumn Capraro, Dominic Suhoza, Geoff Caminade, Hailee Dietrich, Kaytlyn Walsh, Angel Serrano, Sydney Day, Alec Latzke, Andrea Ocampo, Ariel Estes, Ashley Capraro, Jake Mitchell, Jay Joshi, Quincy Brown, Christopher Lotici, David Cassidy, Erin Hayes, Nayeli Martinez, Alexis Meader, Brooke Cwiklinski, Kiara Kilian, Luke Hilkert, Matthew Prejean, Sarah Barlow, Brielle McShan, Brittney Williams, Connor Vonhof, Dynazha Cason, Natalie Guge,  Tatiana Johnson, Brittney Williams, Brielle McShan and Julio Cantha.
5th Grade	Fernanda Brito, John Barrientos, Kendra Harris, Leslie Cruz, Lizbeth Hernandez, RJ Barrido, Andrew Nam, Brandon Lashbrook, Giannis Orsini, Hailey Roden, Jacob Long, Natia Norwood, Tyler Cole, Audrey Ward, Austin Siegel, Cameron Marcatos, Emily Long,  Selina Tan, Destiny Geter, Victor Perez-Aldama, Alexia  Moreau, Bradley Burgess, Daniella Ovalle-Santini, Kailey Freeman, Shane Robinson, Vicky Megaly, Ian Sowell and Tammy Nguyen.

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McMullen's Cafe

Good Morning!		Lunch		Lunch
Week of 3/7-3/11		Week of 3/7-3/11		Week of 3/14-3/18
Mon 3/7 Tues 3/8 Wed 3/9 Thurs 3/10 Fri 3/11	Sausage & Cheese Frittata Cereal Breakfast Bar Pancake Sausage Sandwich Cereal Grits Breakfast Pizza Pocket Cereal Oatmeal Chicken & Biscuit Cereal Grits Cinnamon Roll Cereal	Mon 3/7 Tue 3/8 Wed 3/9 Thur 3/10 Fri 3/11	#1 Chicken Patty on a Bun #2 Baked Potato w/ Cheese #3 None #4 Chef's Salad              #5 Turkey Sandwich               #1 Tacos #2 Fiesta Chicken #3 Yogurt Parfait #4 Egg Chef Salad              #5 Ham & Cheese Sandwich #1 Cuban Pork #2 Grilled Cheese              #3 None #4 Chicken BLT Salad #5 Tuna Salad Sandwich  #1 Breaded Chicken #2 Spaghetti #3 None #4 Farmer’s Salad #5 Bologna & Cheese Sandwich #1 Pepperoni Pizza #2 Fish Sandwich #3 Cheese Pizza #4 Mandarin Chicken Salad #5 PB & J Sandwich	Mon 3/14 Tue 3/15 Wed 3/16 Thur 3/17 Fri 3/18	#1 Mini Burgers/Hamburger #2 Hot Dog            #3 None              #4 Farmer's Salad              #5 Turkey Sandwich  #1 Roasted Chicken #2 Macaroni & Cheese              #3 None      #4 Tuna Chef Salad              #5 Ham & Cheese Sandwich #1 Popcorn Chicken #2 Pork Choppette  #3 Flat Bread Pizza #4 Chef's Salad            #5 Egg Salad Sandwich  #1 Corn Dog #2 Chicken Nuggets  #3 Ravioli/Cheese #4 Chicken BLT Salad            #5 Bologna & Cheese Sandwich #1 Pepperoni Pizza #2 Fish Sticks              #3 Cheese Pizza              #4 Mandarin Chicken Salad #5 PB&J Sandwich *** IMPORTANT NOTICE *** All Menus Subject to Change
Week of 3/14-3/18
Mon 3/14 Tues 3/15 Wed 3/16 Thurs 3/17 Fri 3/18	Honey Bun Cereal Oatmeal Canadian Bacon & Egg on Muffin Cereal Grits              Cheese Grits & Sausage Cereal  Oatmeal              Strawberry Pancake Sticks            Cereal Oatmeal              Breakfast Yogurt Parfait Cereal Oatmeal

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Cafeteria News

Have you wondered how much money is left on your child’s lunch account? Well, now you can find out, and it’s free! Go to www.mealpayplus.com. You will need your student’s ID number (located on their negative balance letters). Enter the number as the ID and PIN number. You can check the status of the account, see what they have purchased and get e-mail alerts when the account falls below a certain amount ($5.25 is a good number, that’s 3 lunches left). All of this is available at no charge to you!

You can also, for a small fee, add money with a check, debit or credit card. When adding to the account, if there is a negative balance in the meals, make sure you add money to zero that out, as well as adding to the “general” account if your child is able to purchase ala carte items.

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The School Board of Pinellas County, Florida, prohibits any and all forms of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, religion, orientation or disability in any of its programs, services or activities.