Saturday, October 2, 2010

Davis Elementary Newsletter

Davis Elementary Newsletter   October 1, 2010

        Nancy Beck, Head Elementary Principal

We’ve had an excellent beginning of the school year.  Learning is well underway with students working hard to meet expectations. Please continue to see that your child is at school each day, ready to learn. Encourage your child to pay attention in class, work hard and complete homework each day.  All students will succeed if we work together to make it happen!

     Marcus McIntosh Reads to Students!

On Monday, September 20, Marcus McIntosh of KCCI Channel 8 in Des Moines, read And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss!  The assembly was the kickoff for the read across Iowa activity planned for third grade students. Thank you Mrs. Hughes, for arranging for Marcus McIntosh to come read to our students.  It was great!

                  David Abarr receives Golden Apple Award!

David Abarr, 4th grade teacher, was surprised in an assembly on Thursday, September 23, 2010 with the WHO TV Golden Apple Award!  Abarr was nominated by a former student, 5th grader Danica Nolton.  The award is co-presented by WHO-TV 13 and Allied Insurance.  Congratulations to Mr. Abarr!

   Davis PTO

Davis Parent-Teacher Organization plans to meet each month on the second Tuesday of each month, 6 pm, in the Davis media center.  Come and join other parents as they work to support the school. The recent fundraising event was a huge success!

         Davis Night at McDonalds

Mark your calendars! Davis Night at McDonalds is set for October 11, 4-8 pm.  Teachers and the principal will be at McDonalds that night, assisting in taking and filling orders for customers.  McDonalds will donate 20% of all sales from 4-8 pm to Davis Elementary.  Come join us at McDonalds for supper or a treat and help raise money for the school.

 

Upcoming Events:

October 1                  Third grade students to Faulconer Gallery

                             Homecoming tonight!

                          

October 6       Early dismissal, 1:08 pm, professional development for teachers

October 20, 21, 22  Early dismissal, 1:08 pm, Parent-Teacher conferences

October 20, K-8 PT conf: 1:30 – 6:00 pm

October 21 1:08 dismissal; K-8 PT conf: 1:30 – 4 pm

October 22 1:08 dismissal; K-8 PT conf: 1:30 – 4 pm

You will receive notice of a time for your conference.  Please let us know if you have questions or need to change the time of your conference.

 

 

Monday, October 11, 2010

4 – 8 pm

McTeacher Night ---- for Davis

 

 

 

HyVee Shop and Share

From Oct. 1-10

Take your coupon!

 

Thursday, September 23, 2010

HYPER Hair!

Julia Chamberland, fourth grade student in Mrs. Blunk's class, chose hyper hair as her prize in the homework lottery.  Students who complete their homework each day are entered into the lottery, with one winner chosen each week.  The talented beautician creating the hyper hair was Mrs. Blunk.

Read! Read!

Leesa Hodgson and Emily Small, third grade students of Mrs. Gantz, enjoy reading together.


Reading is a focus area at Davis Elementary this school year.  Mrs. Gantz, third grade teacher, encourages reading by having her students read to and with each other. Students choose partners, a reading location, and then read the assigned story.  Students help each other understand the story and sometimes complete a related assignment together.  Reading together helps motivate students and they can often help each other with difficult words or in understanding the story.  

 

 

Happening at Davis Elementary


 

It has been a fun week at Davis Elementary. Marcus McIntosh, KCCI TV news anchor, read to the students at Davis to kick off a special reading activity for Davis third grade students. Pictures of classes were taken with Marcus McIntosh and may be shown on the early news on Channel 8 morning news.  Watch for more news about the third grade reading event!
On Thursday, September 23, David Abarr, fourth grade Davis teacher, was surprised with the WHO TV Golden Apple Award.  Mr. Abarr was nominated by a former student, Danica Nolton.  WHO TV and Allied Insurance co-sponsor the award.  Congratulations to Mr. Abarr!  We think the event will be televised on the morning show on WHO TV next Friday, October 1 and then repeated again during the noon news.  
No school for students on Friday, September 24.  Teachers will be working together on curriculum. 

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Books for Classrooms

Save those Sunny Delight UPC codes and send the codes to school with your child.  Each classroom teacher can send in 20 codes (excludes proofs for 6.75, 8.0, 11/3, 12.0 ox bottles and cans) and receive 20 books for their classroom.  Help build the classroom libraries! 

Exciting first day of school!

Students and parents filled the three elementary buildings today to visit the new classrooms and meet the new teachers.  Everyone is excited for the first day of school tomorrow.  We all look forward to a great year. Please let your child's teacher and/or the administrator know if you have questions or need to relay important information to the school.
Make plans for what your child is to do after school.  A student will often worry all day if he/she does not know plans for going home after school.
Remember  the Galaxy is still running an after school program for K-4 students, housed at Davis Elementary.  Registration forms are available at the schools. 
See you at school tomorrow! 

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

                Welcome to Davis Elementary!

If you have questions or concerns about your child or the school please contact your child’s teacher or Nancy Beck, Head Elementary Principal (236-2780).

  For attendance reporting call 641 - 236 - 1414.

 We have emailed the elementary parent handbook to those parents who have provided email addresses.  The handbook provides valuable information about the schools for elementary parents.  Please read the handbook carefully and let us know if you have questions. The handbook is also posted on the Grinnell-Newburg website (http://www.grinnell.k12.ia.us/) under parent resources.  If you do not have email access and need a hard copy of the handbook pick one up in the office.

 Make sure you have a plan for after school and that the school knows what your child is to do after school.   We must know what each child is to do each day.  If the typical routine changes, please let us know.  At Davis Elementary students must be more independent regarding end of day routines – the students must know which bus they are to get on and where it is to take them.  We do not keep lists of students leaving on each bus each day as is done at Bailey Park and Fairview.

Keep the lines of communication open.  If there is a question, concern, or need please let us know.

We cannot deal with a concern unless we know of the concern.  You can contact your child’s teacher, David Ford, the guidance counselor, or Nancy Beck, the head elementary principal.

 

The Davis PTO is active and provides much needed support for the school.  Please join

the PTO, attend meetings, and help with special events.  You’ll get to know other parents

and help the students at the same time.

 

September 30 is Picture Day at Davis Elementary!  You will be receiving more information about pictures in the near future.

 

               Food Allergy Task Force

The Grinnell-Newburg School District’s food allergy task force would like to thank all district parents, staff, and students for their cooperation, compliance, and flexibility last year as we implemented new procedures to manage life-threatening food allergies. We have appreciated the compassionate understanding of our district staff and students and community members as we work together to ensure that our schools and school functions are welcoming and safe for students who live with life-threatening food allergies and attend our schools.

 

As a reminder, a copy of the procedures as well as an FAQ is posted on our district website under “Parent Resources.” We encourage you to reread the documents. They are a great resource for all of us. Also, should you have any questions about the procedures or what you may or may not bring to a classroom or event, please contact a building principal or your child’s teacher.

 

Many children with food allergies will experience the following minor symptoms: hives, itchiness, rash, and sneezing. But a few, including those allergic to peanuts, have allergic reactions that are more alarming such as vomiting, swelling of throat muscles, breathing problems, and even death. Even if they learn to read labels and avoid certain foods, these children may be exposed to minute, harmful residues by touching doorknobs, tables, and others’ hands. For the ever increasing number of students and their families who are affected and for whom anaphylactic shock could occur within seconds of ingestion or tactile contact with an allergy causing food, this is a serious issue. We know our district-wide procedures provide a safer environment to manage food allergies, especially those to nut products, which are the most severe. Strict avoidance of all nut products is the only way to prevent a life-threatening allergic reaction.

 

Our task force is composed of teachers, administrators, parents of children with food allergies, and parents of children who do not have food allergies. With your help, we accomplished a great deal last year as we have all learned to adapt the new procedures district wide. In some instances, when there is a child with a food allergy in a classroom, the procedures for that classroom or building may be stricter than those required district wide. This has sometimes caused confusion, and we appreciate your understanding while we work out the finer points of keeping all our children safe.  Once again, we appreciate your support. As an educational environment we believe in our capacity to educate our families, teachers, and students to better understand and live with life-threatening food allergies.

 

 

New School Year

The new school year is about to begin.  Be sure to visit the elementary schools for their open houses on Wednesday, August 18.
Bailey Park and Fairview each have Open House from 12 - 2 pm on Wednesday. Students and parents, please come to meet the teachers and bring supplies. School begins on Thursday.

Davis Elementary has Open House from 5:30 - 6:15 pm on Wednesday. Come and see the classrooms and meet the teachers.  There will be a short meeting in the gym at 6:15 pm for those who can stick around.  I will use that opportunity to welcome all parents to Davis.  I'm looking for a great year.

In case you do not know yet, I will now have my main office at Davis Elementary. Sarah Seney will be housed at Bailey Park as assistant principal and Matt Marietta at Fairview as assistant principal.  We're all excited about working together to make this school year a great one!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Elementary News

I have now relocated my office to Davis Elementary and will be available there when I return to work in early August (236-2790).  Jean Halverson, the Davis administrative assistant, will also be able to reach me during July.
Matt Marietta, the new assistant principal at Fairview, will be in the office at Fairview just before school begins in the fall and Sarah Seney, assistant principal at Bailey Park, will also be back in her office just before school begins.
Registration materials and class assignments will be sent out in mid July.  Be sure to complete the forms and return those forms at the August 3 registration day, held at the Grinnell High School, or to your child's building.  We look forward to seeing you and your child in the fall. 

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Kindergarten Students Study Endangered Animals





Fairview Kindergarten students have been studying endangered animals and creating pictures of the animals.  Stop in at Fairview to view all the pictures. 

Go the Distance Day






Fairview students participated in Go the Distance Day on Friday, May 7.  Students were active in a variety of activities, including aerobics, obstacle course, Hokey Pokey, and hula hoops. It was fun to all students active!

Second grade students to Davis






Bailey Park and Fairview second graders traveled to Davis Elementary to learn about third grade, meet the teachers, and tour the building.  

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Fairview Second graders Environmental Unit








Fairview second grade students have been learning about the resources during their environmental education unit.  They have created projects from recycled materials, designed paper sacks with environmental messages, and made glyphs in math class.  Check out the pictures or come to Fairview to see the projects, sacks, or glyphs in person.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

April Newsletter for Fairview


Fairview News

April, 2010

Nancy Beck, Principal



Only two months of school left!  It’s hard to believe.  I know soccer or baseball or other special activities will begin soon, but it’s important to keep the students reading and learning for the rest of the year!  Try to maintain a consistent bedtime and students will be ready to learn here at school.  We still have lots to learn!


Fairview Fun Night


April 16 is Fairview Fun Night.  Plan to come and enjoy the games, food, and prizes.  It’s always a wonderful time for children and their families.   The PTO is working hard to raise funds for their many projects that support students and teachers at Fairview.  Support the PTO and have fun! 


  No teacher requests please


Please note that we are again asking that you not request teachers for next year, but trust us to make good choices for your child.  If you have specific concerns or feel your child has specific needs that I need to consider, please set up a meeting with me to discuss those needs.  I do my very best to accommodate the needs of all the students. 



Upcoming  Events:


Wednesday, April 14 School Board meeting, 5:30 pm


Tuesday, April 20 Vocal concert, GHS, 7 pm


May 3 - 7 MAP testing, second graders


Kindergarten swimming


Wednesday, May 5 Noon dismissal, professional development for teachers


Thursday, May 27 Movie, Grinnell College


Friday,May 28 Des Moines Zoo, kindergarten


Friday, May 28 2nd grade picnic with Bailey Park 2nd grade, Ahren’s Park


Tuesday, June 1 Last day of school, noon dismissal

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Elementary Vocal Concerts

Davis vocal concert -- April 13, 7 pm, GHS
Fairview vocal concert -- April 20, 7 pm, GHS
Bailey Park vocal concert -- Aprl 22, 7 pm, GHS
The students are working hard preparing for the concerts.  Plan to attend and see the students perform!

Fairview Second Grade Cowboy Unit

Wanted poster created by Sierra Veverka, Fairview second grader.

                        Cowboy stories were created as part of their literacy instruction.

                                           

Fairview second graders enjoy their "cowboy" lunch. 

                                                 




                                                       Fairview Second Grade Cowboy Unit

 The second graders at Fairview Elementary spent several weeks working on a cowboy unit as part of their literacy instruction.  Students read books and stories about cowboys, designed and created wanted posters, and wrote stories about their own adventures as a cowboy.  The culminating event of the unit was a cowboy lunch, where all second grade students, dressed as cowboys, sat on the floor and ate together using their tin plates.  The cowboy unit is a favorite of students each year. 

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Ryan Sloth Visits Grinnell Elementary Schools

Ryan Sloth signs his book for Fairview first grade student, Davis Hamilton.

Ryan Sloth reads his book to the students at Fairview Elementary on March 9.

Ryan Sloth, former cornerback for the Iowa State Cyclones and current coach of the Iowa Barnstormers and a children’s author, visited each elementary school in Grinnell to share his book, Sammy Sloth, Sport Superstar, with the students.  Sammy Sloth, the main character in the book, struggled to find “his” sport, but learned with continued effort and hard work he could succeed.  Coach Sloth told the students about writing and illustrating the book as a high school student and shared information with the students about his sports career.  Students were also able to purchase a book and have it personally autographed by Ryan Sloth.  Ryan Sloth currently lives in Ames, Iowa with his wife and two small children.  

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Art Show, March 12-April 8

The annual Elementary and Middle School Art Exhibition will open Friday, March 12, and continue through April 8 in the Community Art Gallery. Due to a recent resignation this year there will not be any elementary art displayed. I hope you were able to attend the All Elementary Art Show on February 27 to see all of the K-4 student art work that was displayed. Please try to attend the Art Exhibition at the Community Art Gallery in the Grinnell Community Center to view the middle school art on display.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

KIndergarten Pre-Registration

We were busy yesterday with parents and children coming to Fairview to pre-register for kindergarten for the 2010-2011 school year.  If your child will be 5 years old on or before September 15, 2010 the child is eligible for kindergarten.  Please come to Fairview Elementary, 1310 Hobart, to sign up your child.  Bring your child's birth certificate and immunization record if possible.
We are also holding preschool registration on Saturday, March 6, 10 am, at Fairview.  Sign up is on a first come, first serve basis.  Morning sessions are typically for 3 year olds and afternoons are typically for 4 year olds.  All you need when you register for the preschool is the child's name and birthdate. 

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Fairview News, March, 2010

Fairview Elementary News

March, 2010

                                      Nancy Beck, Principal

 

Finally, a week when students can get outside for most recesses!  Remember to send snow gear and warm coats – the students love to play in the snow! 

 

                                     5tth Annual Elementary Art Show

Did you see the art show and all of the wonderful art projects?  Congratulations to all of the students and Mr. Murray for the great showcase!  Check out my blog at http://grinnellnewburgelementary.blogspot.com/ for some pictures of the art show.  The students and Mr. Murray make us proud!

 

            Kindergarten Pre-Registration for 2010-2011

will be held at Fairview School

March 3 from 11:00 am - 5:30 pm

 

A child who will be 5 years old, on or before September 15, 2010, is eligible and invited to attend kindergarten.

Parents are asked to bring the child’s immunization record, along with the birth certificate issued at the county/state level.  The school cannot recognize the certificate from the hospital.  Should parents not have a birth certificate, and if the child was born in Iowa, one can be obtained from:  Division of Records and Statistics, Lucas State Office Building, 321 East 12th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075.  Typically the Court House of the county where the child was born has information about the certificate.  Please register the child even if the birth certificate is not currently available.

Generally speaking, students attend Bailey Park if they live west of Highway 146 and those who live east of Highway 146 attend Fairview.  However, the aim is to have equal class sizes, so usually there are some exceptions to this general arrangement.

 Information about kindergarten and other school programs will be distributed at registration.  We ask that parents not request teachers for their children.  If a child has a specific need please notify the school in writing of that concern.

 

There will be a district-wide registration this summer for all parents of students attending Grinnell schools.  It is important to attend or submit information at that registration process also. 

 

Please contact Fairview Elementary with questions (236-2780).

 

 

                                      Preschool Registration

 

Registration for the Grinnell-Newburg Preschool will be held on Saturday, March 6, 10 am, in the Fairview gym.  Please enter through the front office door.  Names will be taken on a first come, first served basis.  

 

Please contact Fairview Elementary with questions. (236-2780)

 

    No teacher requests please

 

Please note that I am again asking that you not request teachers for next year, but trust me to make good choices for your child.  If you have specific concerns or feel your child has specific needs that I need to consider, please set up a meeting with me to discuss those needs or communicate those needs to me in writing.  I do my very best to accommodate the needs of all the students.

Upcoming Events:

March 3            Noon dismissal

March 3            Kindergarten Pre-registration, 11 am – 5:30 pm

March 6            PK registration, 10 am

March 24          Noon dismissal, PT conferences

March 25          Regular school day, PT conferences 4-8 pm

March 26          No School K-8, PT conferences 8 am – 3:30 pm

March 29 – April 2            Spring Break (Hope it’s spring by then!)

April 5               First day back from break

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, March 1, 2010

5th Annual All Elementary Art Show, February 27, 2010




Mrs. Lloyd's 2nd grade students created "cut-out repeaters" after a discussion of positive and negative space.

Leafy trees, Mrs. Petersen's first grade students



 Noah Furness, 4th grade, creature in clay and acrylic paint




                                                                                                                                     
                                   2nd grade footprint, ceramic slab tiles with acrylic paint

                             Expressive Animal in Mixed Media by Eyon Moore, 3rd grade

                              Art projects from Ms. Gerleman's class, 2nd grade at Fairview 

                      Media inspired design in oil pastel by Mary Blanchard, 2nd grade at Fairview

                       Great art work shown at the elementary art show! Congratulations to all!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Mathematical Games

I found this article in a Rochester, New Hampshire School Newsletter and thought it was worth sharing. Games are great learning experiences.

Want to Help Build Your Child’s Mathematical Thinking? Play a Game!       by Mary Moriarty

Did you ever spend a summer afternoon or cold winter night playing round after round of Crazy Eights or Sorry!® or take pleasure in making one’s sibling say the dreaded words, “You sank my battleship!”? You were probably having fun playing these games, (unless it was your battleship being sunk), but what you probably didn’t know is that you were actually improving your mathematical thinking.

 In 2007, Geetha B. Ramani and Robert Siegler of Carnegie Mellon University conducted a study of preschool students enrolled in Head Start to see what the impact of playing linear board games (such as Chutes & Ladders®) would have on “enhancing young children’s numerical knowledge”. They concluded that “playing such a game for roughly one hour (spread out over four fifteen to twenty minute sessions) increased (the preschoolers) proficiency on four diverse numerical tasks: numerical magnitude (how much a number is worth) comparison (is 4 less than or more than 5), number line estimation (on a number line from 1 – 10, where would 5 go), counting (1, 2, 3….), and numeral identification (the symbol 3 represents what number). The gains remained nine weeks later.” (Ramani, Siegler, 2007)

 It doesn’t stop with Chutes and Ladders®, such games as Jenga® and Guess Who?® help children to develop their mathematical thinking as it re-lates to strategy, spacial perceptions, attributes, patterns and/or geometry. The benefits of playing these games, extends beyond the mathematics, and opens the door to a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about: turn taking, being a good sport, interacting with others, understanding and following directions and having fun with-out the television or computer being on!

Consider setting aside one night a week to have Family Game Night. You will not only help build your child’s mathe-matical knowledge, but are sure to create some lasting family memories!

Commercial Games that Use Mathematics

Counting, Adding, and Subtracting

Chutes and Ladders® (3+)

Hi-Ho! Cherry-O® (3+)

Sorry!® (6+)

Trouble® (5+)

Uno® (6+)

Attributes, Patterns, and Geometry

Crazy Eights - traditional card game (4+) Guess Who?® (6+)

Guess Where?® (6+)

Jigsaw puzzles

Rummikub® (8+)

Tangrams (5+)

Strategy and Spacial Perception

The a-MAZE-ing Labyrinth® (8+) 

Fairview Elementary News February 1, 2010

Fairview News

February 1, 2010

Nancy Beck, Principal

 

We are hoping to have regular school days and weeks now!  It’s already been a long winter.  Our last day of school is now June 1, 2010.  We will make up snow days on April 16, May 27, May 28, and June 1.  Keep sending winter clothing for students, including warm coats, snowpants, gloves, and boots.  The students love to play in the snow!

                                  Perfect Attendance

We had 22 students receive perfect attendance certificates for the first semester!  Congratulations to all of those students.  It ‘s quite an accomplishment to be here every day for the entire first semester.

                                             Fairview Book Series Hall of Fame

The Fairview Elementary Media Center is a very busy place, with almost 10,000 books checked out so far during the 2009-2010 school year.  Circulation shows a 50% increase from last year.  Students, preschool through second grade, come to the library to browse for books, check out books, participate in special events and promotions, listen to stories and learn library skills.  Currently students are encouraged to check out and “pop” open a good book through a popcorn event.  Students are also recognized with their picture displayed as part of the “Fairview Series Hall of Fame” when they read book series, such as Junie B. Jones, Froggie, or Henry and Mudge. 

The Fairview computer lab is adjacent to the media center and teachers are often in the computer lab with their students.  The Grinnell School District purchased new computers for the computer lab at the beginning of this school year and the Fairview Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) has recently funded the purchase of KidPix, a computer program popular with students and teachers.  Teachers also have their students use educational internet sites when in the computer lab.

Kindergarten Pre-Registration for 2010-2011

will be held at Fairview School located at 1310 Hobart Street

March 3 from 11:00 am - 5:30 pm

 

A child who will be 5 years old, on or before September 15, 2010, is eligible and invited to attend kindergarten.

 

Parents are asked to bring the child’s immunization record, along with the birth certificate issued at the county/state level.  The school cannot recognize the certificate from the hospital.  Should parents not have a birth certificate, and if the child was born in Iowa, one can be obtained from:  Division of Records and Statistics, Lucas State Office Building, 321 East 12th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075.  Typically the Court House of the county where the child was born has information about the certificate.  Please register the child even if the birth certificate is not currently available.

 

Generally speaking, students attend Bailey Park if they live west of Highway 146 and those who live east of Highway 146 attend Fairview.  However, the aim is to have equal class sizes, so usually there are some exceptions to this general arrangement.

 

Information about kindergarten and other school programs will be distributed at registration.  We ask that parents not request teachers for their children.  If a child has a specific need please notify the school in writing of that concern.

 

There will be a district-wide registration this summer for all parents of students attending Grinnell schools.  It is important to attend or submit information at that registration process also. 

 
Please contact Fairview Elementary with questions (236-2780).
 
                                                   Preschool Registration
 
Registration for the Grinnell-Newburg Preschool will be held on Saturday, March 6, 10 am, in the Fairview gym.  Please enter through the front office door.  Names will be taken on a first come, first served basis.  Please contact Fairview Elementary with questions. (236-2780)

 

Upcoming Events:

February 3            Noon dismissal, professional development for teachers

February 10            School board

March 3            Noon dismissal, professional development for teachers

                        Kindergarten Pre-registration, 11 am – 5:30 pm

March 6            Preschool Registration, 10 am

March 24,25,26            Parent – Teacher conferences, no school for K-8 on March 26,

                                    Noon dismissal on March 24

 

Administrator's Bootcamp, February 2, 2010

We're practicing our tech skills.  Check out Scott McLeod's NEA presentation.