Winter Recess: When is cold to cold?

I came across this article in one of the many Administrative blogs/newsletters that I follow and it got me thinking about when we make the decision here in Audubon about sending kids out for recess or not.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-01-18-winter-recess_N.htm

I've always wondered why we don't send our kids out for recess when it gets below 16 degrees? (not 16 below zero, just below 16 degrees) How (and who) came up with the magic number of 16? I know that people (read mothers) are always concerned with frost bite and pieces of their kids falling off...fingers, toes, noses....but in my 51 years (that's age, not administrative experience) I have never experienced one case of frost bite during school recess. 


Believe me when I say that I have been lucky enough (or stupid enough according to my wife) to live in some of the coldest parts of the Midwest.  I spent two years 20 miles south of the Canadian border and 14 years total in North Dakota...not exactly the tropics!!  I grew up in Northeastern South Dakota and spent most of my youth ice fishing. (a sport I continue to enjoy to this day)  So I know cold!! and believe me 16 degrees is not cold!!


In both Dakotas we sent students out for recess when the temp was well below zero...once in northern North Dakota we went 39 days without the temperature getting above zero, now that's COLD!!

They use to have a saying way up north; " 10 below or 30 below..it all feels the same as long as the winds not blowing." (they are some hearty souls up north!!)  During those 39 days of below zero temps our students went out for recess...every day.....and no loss of extremities was ever reported.

Schedule for the Week of January 31 - February 5

Here is my schedule for the week of January 31st through February 5th. On Monday Audubon will be hosting the State Jazz Choir competition starting at 4:00. The public is welcome to attend and enjoy the great music. We end the week on Saturday with the Sectional Wrestling Tournament starting at noon in Griswold as our wrestlers try to earn their way to the 2011 state meet and with our Large Group Speech students performing at their state meet in West Des Moines...Good luck to all!!!

Monday, January 31st

State Jazz Choir - Home - 4:00
JH GBB - Home - 4:15

Tuesday, February 1st 

Administrative mtg. - 9:00 - ICN
G/B Basketball - 4:30 - Home Parent's Night

Wednesday, February 2nd 

Apple Meeting - 9:00 - Office
PD Day - 2:15 Dismissal
Technology Committee mtg. - 2:30 - ICN

Thursday, February 3rd

 DMACC mtg. - Carroll - 10:30

Friday, February 4th

Webinar - 11:30 - Office

 Saturday, February 5th

State Large Group Speech Contest - West Des Moines
Sectional Wrestling Tournament - Griswold - 12:00

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me or stop by the office for a visit.

Schedule for the Week of January 24 - January 29

Here is my schedule for the week of January 24th through the 29th. It will be a busy week to wrap up January highlighted by the Pink Out during the Friday night basketball game versus Underwood with the Audubon Lion's Club serving Pork Sandwiches starting at 6:00.  On Saturday the Wheeler Invitational Wrestling Tournament will take over the gym as the wrestling team wraps up it's regular season and prepares for the Sectional Tournament.

Monday, January 24th

Crisis Management Committee mtg - 3:30 - ICN
Policy Review Committee mtg. - 6:30 - ICN
School Board mtg. - 7:00 - ICN

Tuesday, January 25th

Administrative mtg. - 9:00 - ICN
JH Wr. - 4:00 - Home
H.S. Wr. - 6:00 - Home
Lion's Mtg. - 6:30 - Memorial Building

Wednesday, January 26th 

Xerox mtg. - 9:00 - Office
PD Day - 2:15 Dismissal
PE4Life mtg. - 2:30 - ICN

Thursday, January 27th

AEA Regional mtg. - Carroll - 2:00
Swim Meet - Carroll - 6:00

Friday, January 28th

Lion's Pork Feed - High School - 6:15
G/B BB - Home - 6:15  (Pink Out)

 Saturday, January 29th

Wheeler Wrestling Tournament - 10:00

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me or stop by the office for a visit.

200 years of Growth in 4 minutes

Mrs. Olsen, one of my 5th grade teachers sent me this link....it shows the relationship between wealth and life expectancy and the worlds growth over the past 200 years....in these days of "gloom and doom", recession and depression, I found this four minute video very comforting and inspiring.....of course I'm getting up towards the top end of the life expectancy chart!!

Enjoy and Learn

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/12/200_years_in_4_minutes.php

Iowa’s New Gun Law and PK – 12 Schools

With the new Iowa gun law now in affect (Senate File 2379) there seems to be some confusion over where, exactly, Iowans can and cannot carry weapons.

Although the new law allows for a nonprofessional permit to carry that has no restrictions whether the weapon is concealed or not there are still restricted areas that apply to people with these permits.

Iowa Code section 724.4B clearly prohibits firearms on the grounds of schools even when the person has a nonprofessional permit to carry. In fact, the new law makes it even clearer that carrying on school grounds is still prohibited. Iowa Code section 724.7 now states that a carry permit “…shall be valid throughout the state except where the possession or carrying of a firearm is prohibited by state or federal law.”

The only exceptions to having a firearm on school grounds – exceptions previously enacted and unchanged by the recent law – are:

·         Law enforcement officers when required to carry;

·         Military when carrying the firearm as part of the person’s current duty;

·         A person who for any lawful purpose carries an unloaded firearm inside a closed and fastened container that is too large to be concealed on the person or inside a cargo or luggage compartment of a vehicle and the firearm is not readily accessible to any person;

·         A person specifically authorized by the school to do so, including for the purpose of conducting an instructional program on firearm safety.

I have purposely highlighted the word grounds to make sure that everyone understands that these exceptions apply to all school property, not just the buildings themselves.  If you have any questions or would like further details on the exceptions listed above please feel free to contact the Superintendent’s office at 563-2607 or the Iowa Department of Education at 515-281-8661.

High Tech Kindergarten

This is not the kindergarten that most of us remember, (at least those of us who can remember back that far.) I realize that change is hard for all of us...but more so for us adults than with these five year olds!!! 

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Schedule for the Week of January 17 - January 22

Here is my schedule for the week of January 17th through the 22nd.  I will be returning on Monday from Utah but will not be back in my office until Tuesday, January 18th.  I should be in the district the rest of the week except for my trip to Minden on Friday for the monthly WIC meeting. Just a reminder, the January School Board meeting has been rescheduled for Monday, January 24th.

Monday, January 17th



Tuesday, January 18th

Back in District
G/B BB Game @ Home - 6:15
Audubon Fireman Tour of Buildings - 7:30

Wednesday, January 19th 

PD Day - 2:15 Dismissal
Leadership Team mtg. - 3:30 - ICN


Thursday, January 20th

HS Wrestling @ Elk Horn - 6:00

Friday, January 21st

WIC Supt. Mtg - 11:30 - Minden

Saturday, January 22nd

District Large Group Speech Contest - Audubon


If you have any questions or concerns please contact me or stop by the office for a visit.

Schedule for the Week of January 10 - January 15

Here is my schedule for the week of January 10th through the 15th.  I will be gone on Friday to attend my son's wedding in Utah and will not be back in the district until Tuesday, January 18th.  For that reason the January School Board meeting has been rescheduled for Monday, January 24th.
Monday, January 10th



Tuesday, January 11th

Administration meeting - 9:00  - ICN
Lion's Meeting - 6:30 - Memorial Building

Wednesday, January 12th 

Copier Meeting - 9:00 - Office
PD Day - 2:15 Dismissal
Crisis Management Team mtg - 3:30 - ICN


Thursday, January 13th

Legislative Update Webinar - 11:30 - Office
DMACC Meeting - 1:30 - Carroll

Friday, January 14th

Out of Office


If you have any questions or concerns please contact me or stop by the office for a visit.