PRINCIPAL’S PAWSE
What an exciting week we’ve had at Chaires Elementary School!  Our word for
the week is “thankfulness” so many of the children thanked our Chaires
Panther PTO for providing such a wonderful guest speaker on Tuesday.  Mr.
Calvin Sims, cowboy and storyteller, enchanted the students with his
message and his horse.  It was a great message stressing character,
integrity and perseverance.  Thank you, PTO for such a terrific event!
I would like to remind parents who bring their children to school that
morning supervision begins at 7:00 a.m.  For the safety of your child, no
one should not be dropped off before Mrs. Melvin appears in her bright
yellow safety vest to supervise morning drop off.  In addition, the first
bell rings at 7:25 a.m.  Anyone arriving after 7:30 is tardy and MUST be
checked in by the parent at the office.  Again, if Mrs. Melvin is not
present, children should not be dropped off in this area.  We appreciate
your help in making sure children are properly supervised and arriving at
school on time each day.
As next week is a VERY short week (no school for children on Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday), this will be our final newsletter for the month of
November.  Can you believe it’s almost DECEMBER already?  Our PTO needs
your help.  Please be sure to sign up for a time (or just drop in if you
have an hour to spare) during the week of Dec. 6-10 to help out with the
Holiday Shop!

MRS. MCCASKILL’S CORNER
The Florida Attorney General’s office cares about the safety of children in
our area and is hosting the nationally acclaimed Escape School program free
of charge for parents and children.  The program teaches critical abduction
prevention and life-saving tactics on how to survive if faced with a
potential abduction situation.  Escape School featured on the Today Show,
The Oprah Winfrey Show, America’s Most Wanted, Good Morning America and
Extra, helps to dispel fear by teaching proactive strategies in a fun, non-
threatening manner.  The program covers topics such as:
 How to be smart, not scared
 How all the rules change in an abduction situation
 How to tell the difference between “good” and “bad” strangers
 How to demand help & much more
The program will be held at Leon High School, 550 East Tennessee Street on
Monday, November 22, 2004 at 6:30pm.  You can also register to win a free
child’s bike and helmet.

Student Council News
Thank you for the overwhelming response in donating canned goods for the
holidays.  The items will be donated to the Salvation Army and The Refuge
House. We have now begun collecting items for the Christmas Holidays. The
student council has decided to collect stockings.  We are asking our 3rd -
5th graders to donate the stockings and Pre-K - 2nd grade to donate the
small items for stocking stuffers.  Student Council will then put them
together and donate them to community organizations. Items may be brought
to the front office.

TURKEY TROT
Capital Health Plan and Gulf Winds Track Club are sponsoring this year’s
Turkey Trot on Thursday, November 25th, at Southwood. The kick off
celebration will be held on November 21 at 3:30pm at the American Legion
Hall on Lake Ella with a Music Fest.  Come pick up your race packet, listen
to music orchestrated by Bill McGuire, bring contributions and pledges for
Refuge House, The Shelter or the Chenoweth Fund and get in the Turkey Trot
spirit.  The entry fee for the 5K, 10K and 15K races is $10.00 if paid by
November 21st.  The entry fee for the 1 mile Turkey Gobbler is only $4.00.
You can register at Sports Beat on Ocala Road or with David Yon, 313 N.
Monroe St. Suite 200, at 668-2236.  More information is available on the
Gulf Winds Track Club home page at www.gulfwinds.org/turkeytrot.

Media Center News
A big THANK YOU to all the wonderful parents who helped make our book fair
so successful!!  And special recognition to Julie Sanders for all the hours
she has put in year after year!!

PTO NEWS
The Chaires Panther PTO will be sending home a booklet on Monday November
29th with a picture of the “SpongeBob SquarePants” shirt for parents to
fill out. Each person will receive a small catalog for the School Mall.
The School Mall carries many magazines, gifts, and items from merchants
such as: JC Penny, L.L.Bean, Dell, Chadwicks, and Oriental Trading
Company.  By completing these booklets, you will be helping our school meet
its goal of earning $1000.00.  Our school will receive $2.25 per completed
booklet and up to 40% on all paid orders.  You will also find details on
how your child can receive a FREE “Glow-In-The-Dark” SpongeBob SquarePants
shirt and how you family could win a vacation to Orlando, Florida. Thank
you for supporting the PTO.

Picture Retakes
Leonard’s will be here on December 3rd from 8:00am-12:00pm for picture
retakes.  If your child was absent on October 13th they will need to have
their photo taken for the yearbook.  If you had pictures taken and you did
not like them, send the packet to school with your child to hand to the
photographer at the sitting.  These pictures are pre-paid and order forms
are available in the front office.


UPCOMING EVENTS

Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for these upcoming events!
Please note that the items with an X indicate that we will be seeking
parent volunteers to assist us.  If you are able to assist, please contact
the front office by calling 878-8534.
Nov 24-26 Thanksgiving Holiday (NO SCHOOL)
Dec 3  Fall Photo Retakes
X Dec 6-10 PTO Holiday Store
Dec 7  Skate Night, 6:30pm-8:30pm at Skate World
Dec 14  Holiday Program 8:00am, 9:15am,
  Holiday Dinner 5:00pm Holiday Program 6:00pm
Dec 17  Early Release Day 11:20am dismissal
Dec 20-31 Winter Holidays School Closed
Jan 3  Teacher Planning Day No School for students
Jan 4  Students Return
  Skate Night, 6:30pm-8:30pm at Skate World
Jan 12  Report Cards go home
Jan 17  Martin Luther King Holiday School Closed

Good News At Chaires

Citizen’s of the Week
Congratulations to the Citizens of the Week.  KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

Spirit Stick Award
Congratulations to the following most “Sprited” classes for the week of
November 8th.  These classes had the most students in their grade level
wearing purple and gold on Friday.  They are:  Mrs. Davis, Mrs. C. Turner,
Mrs. Loney, Ms. Shaner, Mrs. Perez, and Mrs. Horne.

Morning Announcement Helpers
We would like to thank the students who helped deliver morning
announcements from Ms. Miller’s third grade class the week of November
8th.  WAY TO GO!

Artwork on Display
Congratulations to our Chaires students who have artwork on display at the
Leroy Collins Public Library.  Awesome!

Awesome Panther
Congratulations to Veronica France in Mrs. DeRouin’s fourth grade class for
winning “Best of Show” ribbon for her Caramel Cheesecake she entered in the
North Florida Fair.  Veronica also entered several other items and took
home 4-1st place, 1-2nd place and 1-3rd place ribbons.  Keep up the cooking
and crafting Veronica!

You are on this list because you subscribed to the ChairesPTO Listserve.
However,if you wish to unsubscribe, please go to
http://listserv.leon.k12.fl.us/scripts/wa.exe?REPORT&z=3 and
unsubscribe yourself. Thank you.