Ellington Elementary Update
November 2012Volume 5, Issue 3 / Ellington Elementary
One School Road
Ellington, Missouri 63638
Principal: Carolyn Bouma / Phone: 573-663-2293
Fax: 573-663-2144
Parent Breakfast
Our annual Parents’ Breakfast has been set for November 14th, 15th, 16th, and 19th. Information about these days will be sent home soon so be watching for the information.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
We would like to thank everyone for coming to parent/teacher conferences. The teachers enjoyed meeting with you and discussing your child’s accomplishments this school year.
Box Tops
The Arrive Alive Team would like to ask for your help in collecting Box Tops for Project Prom! In February, the elementary will have a contest and the class that brings in the most box tops will receive an ice cream party. So, be collecting the box tops to help support the Arrive Alive Team.
Fundraiser
Thank you for everyone that participated in the bar-b-q school fundraiser. The fundraiser proceeds will go toward our school’s field trips, state testing incentives and rewards, incentives for grades, and other exciting events that take place over the school year.
Coats
It is the time of year when the weather is getting colder. Since students will be going outside for recess, please remember to send your child to school with a coat, gloves, hat, and/or boots for outside playtime.
LEAP
The LEAP (Learning Enrichment Afterschool Program) Afterschool program started on Tuesday, September 4th. There are 163 students currently enrolled in the program.
During the LEAP program the students are provided an after school snack, homework time, enrichment activities, and a variety of clubs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students in grades second through sixth have started going to Whole Kids Outreach on Mondays and Wednesdays.
LEAP also provides before school tutoring at 7:00 every morning. Students must be signed up for LEAP to attend.
If your child would like to join the LEAP program, please contact the elementary office.
Positive Behavior Supports
October 18th students who earned 5 punch cards receive their recognition. They got to choose between gym time, extra recess, computer lab or movie time. Their names will now be displayed in the hallway next to the “Behavior To Roar About” poster. For 2nd quarter, students will need 6 full punch cards to earn a reward. We are making it a little harder since students know what is expected of them. Students can also earn Whippet Way tickets from teachers and staff. Each Friday ten names are drawn from the ticket bucket to receive a prize and a have their picture taken for the newspaper. Encourage your child to show the Whippet Way: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Ready to Learn!
Preschool News
Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is here! What does that mean for preschool? We will be busy making crafts and family projects. This month we will learn who Eric Carle is and the books he wrote along with the letter “Ee.” The next two weeks we have a Thanksgiving theme and letter review. The letters we will review are “Aa, Bb, Cc, Ee, Ff, Ii, Ll, Nn, and Pp.” The children should be able to identify these letters and some sounds. The last week of November we will learn about “Dinosaurs” and the letter Dd. In math, we have been learning to count to 20, patterns, and graphing. In writing, we are learning to copy words and successfully write our first name. Have a “Gobblin” good month!
Mrs. Chase and Mrs. Eddington
Kindergarten News
In kindergarten, our reading unit theme this month will be about FOOD. We will learn about where food comes from, about different kinds of food and about different food traditions from different cultures. In addition, we have learned the sight words I, can, we, the, like, see, go and letters Mm, Aa , Ss, Pp, Tt, Ii. This month we will learn sight words to and have. Our new letters will be Nn and Cc. In math we will be learning about money: the names and values of coins. We will continue to review calendar skills, counting, patterns and all other skills learned this far in kindergarten. Our students are doing so well in learning to read! Thank you parents for all of the support you have given us to help achieve this success!
Ms. Blakemore and Mrs. Hime
First Grade News
Our first graders are "falling" in love with reading! They have grown so much in reading first quarter! We will continue to work on short vowels and their sounds. We will also be learning how to summarize and identify the main idea and details in our stories. In math, we will be learning five and ten relationships. We will continue to practice addition and subtraction facts up to 12. It is important that your child practice their addition and subtraction facts at home. These are necessary to build a solid foundation in math. We want the students to memorize their addition and subtraction facts and be able to recall them easily. We had a great Parent Night! Thanks to all that came and decorated pumpkins with us! We finished up our pumpkin unit in science by going to the pumpkin patch.
Our students really enjoyed the field trip and had a fun-filled day! A special thanks to all the parents who came to Parent/Teacher Conferences.
It was great to see all the parents and discuss the students' progress and growth! We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and that you gobble 'til you wobble!
Mrs. Long and Ms. Morrison
Second Grade News
We were very pleased to see so many parent's at Parent Teacher Conferences to discuss their child's progress. We appreciate your dedication to your child's education. We would also like to thank the many parents who helped make the Halloween Party such an enjoyable time for the students.
Please see that your child is bringing their coat to school each day. Soon hats and gloves will also be necessary. In Math, we are working on ordering and comparing numbers. We are still reviewing subtraction. Please work with your child on this at home if they are struggling. Flash cards over their basic Math facts would be helpful. We appreciate all of your effort at home with homework, study guides, Spelling lists, and extra reading you do with your child. We hope you are looking forward to enjoying your child during Fall Break on Nov. 12 and 13th and to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday on Nov. 21-23. School will not be in session on these days.
Mrs. Loyd and Mrs. Tucker
Third Grade News
We can't believe how fast the first quarter flew by. It was great to visit with all of the parents who came for conferences. Thank you for taking the time to come. We would also like to thank the parents who helped with our Halloween activities. We couldn't do it without you. As we move into November, we are wrapping up our Math unit on addition and estimation with rounding. We will be taking a test over it on Nov. 6th.
We will then begin our new unit which is subtraction of bigger numbers and more estimation with rounding. In Social Studies, we will be learning about some of our holidays and the history behind them. In Science, the focus will be on producers and consumers and how they affect the food chain. One of our main skills in Reading in November will be summarizing.
You can help by having your child read something and tell you about it. It could be a short book or even just a paragraph from a story. We hope you have a great November and an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.
Mrs. Loyd and Mrs. Whited
Fourth Grade News
Fourth grade has had an exciting 1st quarter. We have completed our Famous Missourian Project and presented them to our family and friends. Thanks to all that came and enjoyed our Wax Museum at our parent night. We really appreciate it. We also want to thank everyone who provided anything for our Missouri Day Feast. We had a great time making butter and enjoying some of the foods introduced at the 1904 World’s Fair. A big thank you to our cooks for making us rolls to enjoy our butter with. We appreciate you so much!
This quarter will be just as eventful. We will delve into harder multiplication, beginning algebra, and division. Make sure you are studying your multiplication facts with your child. These are vital to their Math success. In Communication Arts, we will continue to work on dictionary skills, word parts, problem & solution, and many other skills. Remember our spelling words are on our weekly newsletter sent home on Friday. In MO History, we will continue our study of Missouri’s History by learning of the past Indian tribes. In Science, we will begin Unit C – Earth Science - studying the Earth and Beyond.
Thanks to everyone who came to Parent / Teacher Conferences. We enjoyed meeting and talking with all of you. Remember the Homework Journals are our daily communication of what is happening in the classroom, as well as with your child. Feel free to write in it as well. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us at any time.
Mrs. Barton and Mrs. Bass
Fifth Grade News
We are looking forward to our field trip to Busch Stadium on November 7th.
In reading, students will be starting Unit 3: Turning Points. Students will read about people and events that have changed history. During grammar students will be working on verbs. The students have also been assigned new AR goals to work towards. In social studies we are currently on Unit 3. This unit is over the thirteen colonies. We are working on division in math. In science, we will be starting a new unit: Earth and Its Resources.
Ms. Clark and Mrs. Francis
Music Department
The Pride of Ellington Music and Band Department are currently working on the music for the Christmas Concert. Great strides are being made with techniques, breathing and lyrics. So mark your calendars for the Christmas Concert on Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 6:00 PM. I will be sending home a letter with the students with all this information so keep your eyes on the watch.
Upcoming events:
December
1 – Van Buren Christmas Parade – Marching Band
1 – Eminence Christmas Parade – Marching Band
4 – Ellington R-2 Christmas Parade – Pride Music and Band Department
8 – West Plains Christmas Parade – Marching Band
Mr. Kerley
Counselor’s Corner
November is a busy month! We will be out for deer season and Thanksgiving, so it will fly b quickly. I will be attending the Missouri School Counselors Association Conference November 4 - 6. Thank you to the parents, students, and staff that completed surveys for the Guidance program. This feedback will help us to better plan our curriculum and program. Rotary Club has once again initiated a Student of the Month program at our school. The students are chosen based on the character word of the month that I post in these newsletters and teach our students about in Guidance class. Congratulations to the following students for being the October (responsible) Rotary Student of the Month: Preschool: Lucias Neal Kindergarten: Shelby Jackson First Grade: Blake Tucker
Second Grade: Kylie Hampton Third Grade: Abbi Harper
Fourth Grade: Alora Crews
Fifth Grade: Gracie Price.
Look for their picture in the newspaper soon! November character word of the month is gratitude. Enjoy your extra days off this month! Please don't hesitate to give me a call or stop by if there is anything at all I can do to help you!
Mrs. Goodman
Librarian’s Tales
Greetings Everyone! I hope that you have had a SPOOKTACULAR Fall Season! I would like extend a BIG Thank You to all of you who supported our Fall Book Fair. Because of your patronage, we will be able to continue library programs such as Reading Road Trip, Mark Twain, Gateway, Truman, Dr. Seuss Day, and resources such as Book Flix in addition to new books! Thanks again for all you do! The book fair wouldn’t have been possible without my volunteers. I would like to give a special thanks to Deanna Dell, Amelia Buford, Shanda Beck, Karyn Hensel, Amanda Smith, Billy Parkhill, Grace Stroup, Jodianne Buckner, Dana Brunk, and Kylie Wakefield. I couldn’t do it without you!
Reading Road Trip Update: Evan Weaver and Tyler Conkright have successfully completed the journey! Way to go kids! We have a few others that are not far behind… keep reading and don’t give up!
We have one voter so far for Mark Twain. Congratulations to Cynthia Redman for finishing at least 4 books! She is well on her way to reading them all! I have a few others that are on their third book and just need one more to achieve voting status. Keep reading kids, you can do it!
Mrs. Lee
Nurse’s Notes
The health office will continue to do health screenings this month. During this time if a concern is found then you will receive a letter and/or phone call from our office. If you have any questions concerning these health screenings, please contact our office at (573) 663-2911 or (573)663-2291 ext. 111
On November 6th, preschool through sixth grade students will participate in a Food Power presentation by the University of Missouri Extension Office.
The Food Power Adventure, is a popular traveling exhibit, and gives elementary students an inside look at how the body turns food into energy. Students will learn answers to the questions, “Where does food come from?” and “How does it give me energy to help me grow?”
“Food Power Adventure is the kind of active learning experience students need to help them see how the food they choose gives them the energy they need to play and grow. This is a fun way for kids to learn about nutrition.”