Christmas Party and Other Girl Scout Happenings

Hi all,

Sorry it took me so long to get this updated, I needed to confirm a location and now I am ready to go.

Christmas Caroling
Our troop will be Christmas caroling at the Barnes and Noble Book Fair on December 14 from 10:30-11:00.  The girls were very excited about this opportunity, especially when given the opportunity to suggest which songs they would be singing.  Please let me know ASAP if your daughter will be Christmas Caroling with us.

Christmas Party
In preparation for our caroling, we will be having our Christmas party on Friday December 13 from 6-8:00 p.m. at Riverchase Community Center in the Missouri Room.  Adults and tag-a-longs are welcome.  I only ask that you RSVP how many, so I get enough ice cream.

Events that will take place at the Christmas Party are:

• Ice Cream Party - This has become a tradition for the girls since Kindergarten.  I will bring the ice cream and ask everyone else to bring the toppings.  Please let me know what you would like to bring.  In addition to the toppings, I will need bowls, spoons and drinks. 
• Secret Santa Gift Exchange - Another tradition...at our last meeting the girls exchanged names for our annual homemade gift exchange.  If they have misplaced or don't remember who they drew, I have a list.  We also drew names for Sydney and Oksana since they were not at the meeting.   The rules for the gift exchange are simple.  The gift must be hand made and nothing may be purchased to make the gift.  It is really fun to see the creative things that the girls come up with.  
• Practice Christmas Carols - The girls made a list of 20+ songs that they would like to sing in the 30 minute time period of Christmas Caroling.  They are ambitious, but I am not going to be the one to tell them something can't be done.  I will have printed words to the Christmas Carols they chose and they can sing their carols.

Meeting Cancelled

Since we will be getting together on Friday and Saturday, I have chosen to cancel the scheduled meeting on Monday.  We will not have a meeting on December 16.  

Meeting Schedule

Changes, changes, changes...seems to be a theme.

Schedule:
I have opted to move the meetings back to the evenings and to once a month rather than twice.  I feel that this will allow them to start acting on a lot of the extra-curricular activities that the girls want to do without making schedules insanely busy.  We will most likely add at least one "field trip" each month. Location will be the same. (I am not posting because this is a public blog.)

All meetings will take place from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. on the following Mondays:
September 30
October 28
November 25
December 16
January 27
February 24
March 31
April 28

Drop Off/Pick Up
You must come inside the building to pick-up your daughter.

Snack Schedule
I do ask that you sign up to bring a snack and attend (or send a representative) at least one meeting. Those of you who have not signed up, please send me your first and second choice ASAP.

Here is the schedule so far:
9/3- Leslie
10/28 - Anndee
11/25 -
12/16 - (I bring ice cream) Ice cream toppings needed
1/27 - Jo
2/24-
3/31-
4/28 - Jody

Simple snacks like Teddy Grahams, Cheese It's, Oreos or pretzels work best.  They do not have to be individually wrapped and you can make them at home.  I have a water pitcher that I fill in the fountain, so drinks are not necessary.

Parent Meeting Information - Registration and Fees

Thank you to all of you that made it on Monday.  This next few blog posts basically recap what we went over at the parent meeting.  Please review the entire update and any that follow.  If you have any questions or issues, the best way to contact me is via email, cell phone or facebook.  My phone will only accept texts from other iPhone users.

Registration
This is the most current list (9/19) of girls that Girl Scouts is showing me as being registered:

1. Lydia
2. Hailey G.
3. Kelsey
4. Ainsley
5. Amber
6. Sydney
7. Teppy
8. Presley
9. Oksana
10. Hailey W.

This is the most current list of adults (9/19) that Girl Scouts is showing me as being registered:

1. Jo
2. Anndee
3. Stacey
4. Milli

Obviously, there were some registration changes this year.  Girl Scouts of Eastern MO is encouraging all families to register online, if possible.  If your family requires financial assistance, you don't have access to a computer or aren't comfortable paying via credit card online, you can still do the paper form.  The additional change is that it is your responsibility to complete and mail in the paper registration to the Girl Scout Council. If you would like the paper forms that you need to submit, please let me know when you would like to come to my house to pick them up.

Any adult that stays in the cafeteria during meetings, drives to field trips, etc. MUST pay the annual $15 registration fee and must submit to a one time background investigation done by the Girl Scouts of Eastern MO .  Adult registration is also done online, but can be done via paper as well.  Just let me know when you want to pick up the forms.

How to register online:

go to http://www.girlscoutsem.org/

click "Program Information and Online Registration Site" and follow prompts

Questions? Contact the Help Desk

Phone 314-400-4600 M-F 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Email: helpdesk@girlscoutsem.org

Fees:

Because you are already paying the $15 annual fee to Girl Scouts out of pocket and the troop is financially stable, the will be no additional dues collected.  

I strongly believe in the girls raising their own money to pay for the things they want to do.  So, we will be participating in Fall Product Sales as well as Cookie Sales.  More information on that to follow.

Showering the Community

On April 13, Girl Scouts will be "Showering the Community" at Walmart stores throughout the area. Troops are needed to handout "raindrops" that list personal care items needed to Walmart customers. Items will be collected at the exit doors of Walmart. Each girl that participates in the Showering the Community event will receive a raindrop patch as a thank you.

Our school district has been assigned to the Arnold Walmart. They are still in need of troops from 2-4 p.m.

I know this is last minute, but if your daughter would like to participate, I was going to try to pull enough girls together to take down there. Let me know if you girl would be interested ASAP.

Thanks so much!

April Showers

Hi all! April Showers is just around the corner. See below for important key information regarding dates and times for bag distribution and pick up.

Bag Distribution:
Friday, April 12 3:45 p. m. at school.
We will meet after school in the commons area. The girls will be paired off and will be assigned to a driver. It goes without saying that we need a lot of adult help with this. Please let me know if you are available to help out with getting the girls into the neighborhoods.

Following the bag drop off, we will meet at the back playground at Fenton City Park for a pizza party. Feel free to stay and have some pizza and let the girls play for a bit. Hopefully the weather will cooperate more than it did last year.

As a final note, I am scheduled for jury duty on Friday. If I am unavailable at any point, Anndee Glick will be handling the coordination until I arrive. A big Thank You to Anndee so that we don't have to interrupt the rest of your weekend with Girl Scout stuff.

Bag Collection
Saturday, April 20 9:45 at school.

We will meet at school before separating and heading back into our assigned subdivision to collect bags. Once bags are collected, we will meet at the Goode Pavilion in George Winter Park. (Same as last year, all the way to the left after entering the park.) The girls will use black markers to mark through bar codes. We are done once that is completed. No later than noon.

Again, we need lots of adult help so please let me know if you can help out.

Also, I will assume that unless I hear differently from you, that your girl will be in attendance at both bag distribution and collection. Please let me know any differently.

Camp Kiwi

You should have all received a "S'more Summer Fun" Girl Scout camp book. 

If you didn't here is a link to the book. http://www.girlscoutsem.org/News/Publications/Smore-Summer-Fun.aspx

Anyway, one particular camp that is being promoted is Camp Kiwi.  It is a "day camp" (that is actually help in the evening) at Mastadon State Park.    I am going to send Amber and Amy, so if anyone else is interested please let me know when you register. 

 

Camp Kiwi

The theme of the camp is: Reality TV Game Shows.

When: June 9-13, 2013

Where: Mastadon State Park

Time: Sunday 4:30-8:30 p.m., M-Th 5:30-8:30

For Whom: Girls entering Kindergarten - current 8th grade

Cost: $42/girl

 

To register go online at www.girlscoutem.com or refer to "GSEM Smore Summer Fun" publication for registration info (Use Day Camp Application)



Any further questions should be directed to Dana Bieg (camp director) 636-464-3972 or email tdbieg@aol.com

A few reminders

Hi all,

Just a few reminders.  If your daughter hasn't already done so, please remind them about the email portion of the Computer Expert badge.  I have explained to them several times that the patch work is their responsibility, not yours.  The details are posted on the blog.

April Showers is coming just around the corner.  I will send out a more detailed email, but please save the dates.  The bag drop off will be either April 13 or 14th.  Please let me know if you have a preference.  I have always done it on the Friday after school, but I got a lousy jury summons and I am afraid to commit to anything on Friday afternoon.  The bag pick up will be on April 20 at around 10:00 a.m. and we will be done by 12:00. 

Thanks and I'll see you on Monday!

Milli

Last Step of Computer Expert Patch

The last step that the girls need to complete their computer expert badge is to do one of two things.  They were given the options at the meeting and they have each chosen which they would prefer to do.  Some of them would like to do both options. 

Option #1 - Send me an email.  They can send me a note from your email address.  I doubt that many have their own email addresses and I will obviously recognize who the email is from.

Option #2 - Send an email to the President describing something they are passionate about.  A link to the White House Correspondence can be found here:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments

There is a box at the bottom of the form where you can request a reply.  The girls were very excited about this and several of them gave examples of what they feel passionate about.  I would LOVE to see a copy of their letters if you can sneak me a copy. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

P.S.  The next patch they are working on is a First Aid Patch.  If any of my nurse moms are interested in talking to them at a meeting, let me know.  I will send you the details of what the patch "recommends".

Open Door Animal Sanctuary Field Trip





Girl Scout Brownie Field Trip

to the

 

Open Door Animal Sanctuary 

6065 Duda Rd, House Springs, MO 63051

Monday, February 18

Meet at school at 1:30 p.m.

We will then carpool to Open Door.

The tour should last from 2-4:00 p.m.

 

Please let me know if your daughter is unable to attend, and if you are available to drive.  Siblings are welcome to attend. 

 

                     

Welcome Back, Badge and Cookies!

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday. I am not sure I am ready to get back into the swing of things just yet, but it seems that everything is gearing up to go whether I am ready or not.

Firstly, the next badge the girls chose to work on is "computer expert". Fortunately for me, maybe not so much for you, there will be lots of work to be done at home in which they will need help. In. order to earn the patch, they will need access to a computer and they will need printing capability. Please let me know ASAP if that will be a problem. I will make arrangements for them to come over and use my computer to do their "homework". One of the tasks the girls will be doing is using a drawing program/website to create a picture. I will send home iron-on transfer paper for you to print the picture. (I will send more clear instructions home with the girls on Monday.) They will bring their printed picture to the next meeting on January 28. At that meeting, the girls will (with much assistance) iron their pictures onto a mousepad. If you have any recommendations for good drawing programs/websites that are kid/user friendly, please leave it in the comment section on the blog.

Secondly, we will be handing out Cookie Order Forms on Monday. Cookie "Go Day" is not until Saturday, January 12. Girls are on their honor not to start selling until 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 12. In order to receive a cookie order form, you must first sign the permission slip. I will have permission slips at the meeting. If you are not planning to pickup your girl on Monday, please let me know when/where I can meet up with you to get it signed ans get you your order form before Saturday.