Don't miss Discovery Night at The Farmstead on Monday

It's finally time for Discovery Night at The Farmstead, and it looks like the weather will be cooperating for a nice crisp autumn evening. We hope to see your family out at this fun PTA event.

Our event will be from 4 to 9 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 3. The Farmstead is offering a special discounted admission of $5.25 per person, and this includes the MAiZE, hayrides, jumping pillow, cow train, corn box, spider web, and slides. The Farmstead MAiZE this year features Jimmy Fallon and has been featured on The Tonight Show twice; it also has been named the No. 3 corn maze in the country by USA Today. Among the activities not included in the admission are pony rides, pumpkin blaster shots, and pumpkin purchases.

The racing pigs show and much-anticipated kissing of the pig will take place at 6:30 p.m. We raised over $700 in our penny collection last week for the Kiss a Pig competition and will announce the winner on Monday afternoon.

The Farmstead also will donate $1 for every Discovery admission back to the PTA, which we will use for field trips, assemblies, and other classroom initiatives.

Who will win the Kiss a Pig competition? Will it be Mrs. Jensen or Mrs. Critser? Or will a dark horse emerge as the winner?

We are happy as pigs in the mud to announce that Mrs. Critser and Mrs. Jensen are currently tied for the honor to pucker up for a pig at The Farmstead on Monday evening. They have each raised $111.78 for Discovery, bringing our total to $515.19. But there's still one day left for students to vote with their pennies, so the honor could still go to one of our other eight contenders.

We will announce the winner on Monday afternoon, and the much-awaited smooch will take place at 6:30 p.m. during our festivities at The Farmstead. In addition to our kiss a pig money, The Farmstead will donate $1 for each person that attends from Discovery!

Here are the tallies as of Thursday:

• Mrs. Critser, Safe School Assistant: $111.78
• Mrs. Jensen, PE/Health: $111.78
• Mrs. Olsen, 3rd Grade: $70.24
• Mr. Thie, 5th Grade: $62.34
• Mrs. Wright, Kindergarten: $46.60
• Mr. Dudley, Principal: $33.88
• Mr. Johnson, PE/Health: $29.96
• Mrs. Morris, 4th Grade: $24.87
• Mrs. Arevalo, 2nd Grade: $13.60
• Mrs. Howard, 1st Grade: $10.31

Mrs. Critser Back in the Lead to Kiss a Pig

Thanks to all of the students and parents who have sent in the bacon for our Kiss a Pig contest. So far we have raised $315.85, and we still have two days left for students to vote with their pennies and loose change!

Mrs. Critser has regained her lead with a whopping $61.23. Mrs. Jensen, Mrs. Olsen, and Mr. Thie aren't that far behind, so the coveted position of kissing a pig at The Farmstead on Monday night is still up for grabs. We will announce the winner on Monday afternoon, and the actual kissing of the pig will take place at 6:30 p.m.

Here are the latest tallies:

• Mrs. Critser, Safe School Assistant: $61.23
• Mrs. Jensen, PE/Health: $55.32
• Mrs. Olsen, 3rd Grade: $44.49
• Mr. Thie, 5th Grade: $41.17
• Mrs. Wright, Kindergarten: $28.03
• Mr. Johnson, PE/Health: $24.65
• Mr. Dudley, Principal: $23.88
• Mrs. Morris, 4th Grade: $21.63
• Mrs. Arevalo, 2nd Grade: $10.60
• Mrs. Howard, 1st Grade: $4.85

We hope to see Discovery families come out to The Farmstead from 4 to 9 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 3. The Farmstead will offer students, families, and friends a discounted general admission of $5.25 per person and will make a donation to the PTA in the amount of $1 per admission from our school. All of the funds raised through the Kiss a Pig competition and The Farmstead donation will go toward classroom initiatives, such as field trips, year-end celebrations, and Scholastic News.

Mrs. Jensen Steals Lead for Kiss a Pig

Mrs. Jensen

Mrs. Jensen has come from behind to take today's lead in the Kiss a Pig competition, bringing in $40.94. But it's still a close race. Mrs. Critser is in second place with $38.46, and Mr. Thie is in third with $34.77. So far we have raised $218.73 to benefit Discovery!

Three days remain for students to vote with their pennies. Stay tuned for updated totals on the blog each day as well as on the bulletin board outside of the cafeteria. The winner will be announced on the afternoon of Oct. 3. Here are the latest tallies:

• Mrs. Jensen, PE/Health: $40.94
• Mrs. Critser, Safe School Assistant: $38.46
• Mr. Thie, 5th Grade: $34.77
• Mrs. Wright, Kindergarten: $27.57
• Mr. Dudley, Principal: $18.21
• Mr. Johnson, PE/Health: $17.87
• Mrs. Olsen, 3rd Grade: $14.66
• Mrs. Morris, 4th Grade: $12.14
• Mrs. Arevalo, 2nd Grade: $10.60
• Mrs. Howard, 1st Grade: $3.51

Mrs. Critser Takes Lead in Kiss a Pig Contest

Mrs. Critser

Students are voting with their pennies this week on who they want to see kiss a pig at Discovery Night at The Farmstead from 4 to 9 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 3.

Today was the first day we collected pennies, and we have already raised $89.02 for our school. Mrs. Critser, Discovery's safe school assistant, is currently the one to beat, followed by Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Olsen.

The PTA will be collecting pennies every morning this week. Stay tuned for updated totals on the blog each day as well as on the bulletin board outside of the cafeteria. The winner will be announced on the afternoon of Oct. 3. Here are the latest tallies:

• Mrs. Critser, Safe School Assistant: $21.09
• Mrs. Wright, Kindergarten: $13.71
• Mrs. Olsen, 3rd Grade: $13.64
• Mrs. Morris, 4th Grade: $10.59
• Mr. Thie, 5th Grade: $8.91
• Mrs. Arevalo, 2nd Grade: $8.29
• Mr. Johnson, PE/Health: $7.44
• Mr. Dudley, Principal: $2.76
• Mrs. Jensen, PE/Health: $1.43
• Mrs. Howard, 1st Grade: $1.16

Who Will Kiss the Pig?

Get your pennies ready. Fall has arrived and with it our annual Discovery Night at The Farmstead with the Kiss a Pig competition.

We hope to see Discovery families come out to The Farmstead from 4 to 9 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 3. The Farmstead will offer students, families, and friends a discounted general admission of $5.25 per person and will make a donation to the PTA in the amount of $1 per admission from our school. A highlight of the night will be seeing our winning contender smooch a swine at 6:30 p.m.

Flyers will be sent home this week, and students can vote with their pennies next week for the teacher or staff member they want to see kiss the pig during this fun fall event.

Our brave contenders this year are:

• Mrs. Wright, Kindergarten
• Mrs. Howard, 1st Grade
• Mrs. Arevalo, 2nd Grade
• Mrs. Olsen, 3rd Grade
• Mrs. Morris, 4th Grade
• Mr. Thie, 5th Grade
• Mrs. Critser, Safe School Assistant
• Mrs. Jensen, PE/Health
• Mr. Johnson, PE/Health
• Mr. Dudley, Principal

We will post the tallies on the blog each day next week, with the winner announced the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 3. All money raised will go toward to classroom initiatives.

Get Box Top Bonuses Through New App

Box Tops for Education has launched a new app that can help you earn bonus Box Tops for Discovery!

It's a free app and simple to use. You look through the offers on the app, buy certain products, and then scan in the receipt to receive extra Box Tops. For example, purchase one can of Progresso soup, scan the receipt with that item on it, and earn two bonus Box Tops. Currently there are additional offers for purchasing products at WinCo. You can receive 10 bonus Box Tops with the purchase of any four Nature Valley Bars, Fiber One Bars or Betty Crocker Fruit X Foot, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gushers, or Mott's Fruit Snacks.

You can download the app at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/box-tops-bonus-app-school/id1150038564?ls=1&mt=8 or https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.generalmills.btfe. Just in the past week, I've earned 60 cents for Discovery, which will add up and help us meet our annual goal of $2,500.

The first Box Tops competition is now under way. The classroom that turns in the most Box Tops by Oct. 28 will win a free recess and a smoothie party. Half of the proceeds from Box Tops goes directly back to the classrooms, while the remainder goes to the PTA to fund other school activities.