“The Panther Press”
Preston Park Elementary School Newsletter
October 2016
A Message from the Principal
As you will notice in the “Upcoming Dates” section below, October is a busy month! As always, lots of great things are going on at Preston Park! On October 28th, all students should receive a report card to update parents on their child’s progress. Please take a moment to review and discuss these reports with your child. Then, please sign them and return them to your child’s teacher. If you have any questions about the report, feel free to contact your child’s teacher. (Conference Day will be coming on November 8th.) If you have not already joined the PTA, please consider doing so. Preston Park is lucky to have a wonderful PTA which is always looking for ways to support our students. As always, thank you for your continued support and for your dedication to your child’s education!
Upcoming Dates
--October 18—School Pictures (Retakes will be on November 16.)
--October 20—PTA Bilingual Night at 6:30
--October 21—End of First Nine Weeks; Two-hour early dismissal
--October 28—Report cards go home
--October 24-28—Red Ribbon Week (see article on the back)
--November 8—Parent/Teacher Conference Day (no students)
--November 23-25—Non-student days
Safety Concern—Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up
If your child is a car rider, please use the car rider line for drop-off and pick-up. We are having a major problem with cars parking in front of the school on Preston Avenue. This is causing a major safety concern with students crossing this busy road, while also preventing the buses from getting out to move on to their next schools. Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring our community’s safety!
Preschool
Our preschool class spent most of September getting to know our new friends, learning our class routine, exploring our new school environment, and building on our "family" theme.
October is a month for making lots of observations. We will be observing changes in the weather and noticing what effect that has on other living things around us.We are looking forward to our first field trip toa farm and fire station where we'll make lots of observations andlearn more about these community helpers in a fun and safe manner.
Please remember to check your child’s folder and notebook daily for important information being sent home that may need your immediate attention. Don't forget our first home visit is coming up near the end of the month, so watch for the form to schedule your time.
Kindergarten
October is shaping up nicely for us in Kindergarten! The fire department visit was fantastic and now we are looking forward to going on a field trip to Ikenberry Farms. There we will have outdoor school and learn all about the life cycles of apples and pumpkins. PALS testing will run the first two weeks of October, so please make sure your child is present each day and well rested. These tests help us evaluate your child’s literacy and reading readiness levels. Please join us for PTA Bilingual Night on October 20th (at 6:30).
In math we are learning about patterns and using tally marks to count and gather data. It's a great early way to also learn how to count by fives. In reading we are zipping through the alphabet and really working hard on learning the sight words that make learning to read so much easier. In social studies we are learning aboutcommunity helpers and about many interesting jobs there are out in the world. If any of our parents would like to come in and tell the students what your job islike and what kinds of toolsyou use in your job, let your child's teacher know. We are thinking of having a community helper day.
First Grade
First grade has been off to a great start! October will be an exciting month so please check folders daily for any important information that will be sent home. This month in reading, we will focus on understanding characters and features in the text, as well as the sequence of story events. In math we will spend the month adding and subtracting. We will wrap up our science unit on weather and seasons and begin discussing energy, force, and motion. Our social studies focus will be on maps and the geography of Virginia. As the weather starts to get cooler, please send your child with a coat as we will still go outside for recess when weather permits.
Second Grade
Fall is finally here! We are going to be as busy as squirrels this month. We will be adding and subtracting in math, learning about American symbols in social studies, and learning about weather in science. On October 20th, we will be going on a field trip to Ikenberry Orchard. Please make sure your forms are in to your teachers. If money is a problem for the field trip, please let your teacher know as soon as possible. We want everyone to go. As always, please contact your teacher if you have any questions or concerns.
Third Grade
We are off and running in third grade, and we are happy to say that we are having a fantastic time! We have covered many different skills during the month of September and have an exciting month planned for October. Students will be learning about fire safety on October 3rd and will get to go through the smoke house provided by the fire department. On October 26th, the students will be going on a field trip to Ikenberry Orchard to learn about the life cycles of a pumpkin and an apple. We are also planning on a science project that deals with the life cycle of different types of seeds. Also, don’t forget to read with your child. Make it fun, reading shouldn’t be a chore. Intentionally read with your child and discuss the book. Ask questions!
Fourth Grade
During the month of October, we will begin our Jamestown unit for Virginia Studies. In math, we will study patterns, multiples and least common multiples, and fractions. In reading, we will focus on understanding characters, comparing/contrasting, dictionary skills, and suffixes. Furthermore, we will also concentrate on test taking strategies and computer testing. In science, we will learn about Virginia resources and the Earth, moon, and sun. Lastly, the week of October 10th and October 17th, the students will take their first benchmark tests of the year. Please make sure your child gets plenty of sleep and eats a good breakfast.
Fifth Grade
Are you ready to "FALL" into a good book? WellOctober is the time! Students have been given their Fountas & Pinnell reading levels so they will be able toselect a book of their choosing on their level.All students will need to have a book selected by October 5.This is a great time touse those library cards.
As your child reads, reinforce the skills they have learned in class by asking questions about the novel. You can discuss the theme of the novel, sequence of events, state the plot, characters, and setting,along with reviewing any vocabularythat is introduced in the story. This is a fantastic way to spend time together.
This month in math, we will be working on number patterns, even/odd and prime /composite numbers. Please be sure your child is continuing their homework which is given daily but should take no longer than 20-30 minutes to complete. Students should also be practicing their multiplication facts.
October is a strange time to go to the beach. But, this month, that is exactly what we will do in our science lessons. We will learn about the geography of the ocean as well as the factors that influence plants and animals that live in an ocean environment. In United States geography, we will read about early European explorers in the New World.
Guidance News: “Red Ribbon Week”
“Red Ribbon Week” will be observed October 24-28. Special events are held during this week to remind students to stay drug free. Each day will have a special theme:
Monday, October 24th –“I elect to be drug-free!” Wear red, white, and blue.
Tuesday, October 25th-“Follow your dreams!” Wear pajamas.
Wednesday, October 26th-“Team up against drugs!” Wear your favorite team shirt, jersey, or uniform.
Thursday, October 27th- “Put a cap on drugs!” Wear your favorite hat.
Friday, October 28th- “Paws-itively proud to be drug-free!” Wear your panther colors: black and blue.