NEWSLETTERSeptember 2012

After School Library Programs!

Grade Level News

SEWARD ELEMENTARY

Read, learn and connect this fall at the Seward Memorial Library after school programs! Kindergarteners and first graders will have “good times with fun authors – A-Z” on Mondays at 4:00-4:45pm starting Sept. 10th for activities, stories and snacks. First through eight graders meet on Wednesdays at 4:00-4:45pm starting Sept. 12th for a game or two of chess and a snack. Second, third and fourth graders meet on Thursdays at 4:00-4:45pm starting Sept. 13th for snacks, games, stories and fun! The programs continue for 10 weeks this fall. Busses make a stop at the Youth Center, so children are able to walk over from there. Please sign up on the SML website (sewardlibrary.org), by phone (643-3318) or in person. See you in a couple of weeks!

Counselor’s Corner:Welcome back! If you didn’t grow up knowing a school counselor outside of high school you will learn that my job is to help you and your child find success by connecting you to a multitude of resources. It will be more challenging as I am in the classroom full time now but together we can solve financial, behavioral, social, and emotional problems for your child. I also teach life skills in guidance class so watch for upcoming units. We are studying safety and friendship currently.

KINDERGARTENThank you for attending the

parent meeting. It was nice visiting with each of you.

Students have been participating in a variety of name writing activities, learning shapes, and recognizing numbers 1-15.

*Please don’thesitate to contact us at anytime!

FIRST GRADEFirst Grade is off to a great start! We are learning how to work hard, do our best, follow the rules and use our manners. Remember to eat a BIG breakfast in the morning to build up the energy needed for each very busy first grade day!

SECOND GRADEReading-Our “walk to read” is starting off on the right foot!Grammar-This month we will be working on sentence structure, nouns, and verbs.Math- Money, time, and additionfactsScience/SS: Pond and Plant Life

THIRD GRADEThird grade is off to a great start! We welcome six new students, which makes 105 third graders in all! In Reading we are “walking to read” among our five classrooms. In Math we are studying place value and communities in Social Studies. We are also reviewing cursive handwriting and our math facts.

FOURTH GRADE*Thanks to all parents who attended our fourth grade parent meeting!*Continue to check and sign your child’s assignment book daily.*Please be certain that your child is completing their homework.*Watch for notes coming home about our fall NWEA testing dates. Please avoid any appointments during these days, if possible. Thanks!

Calendar Dates: September 3 --- No School - Labor DAySeptember 17 --- No School - Professional Development Day

September 20 --- Plum Creek Literacy Festival - Authors visit SES

September 24 --- PTO meeting - 7 p.m.September 25 --- RUNZA Fundraiser

News from the....Music Room

I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you the calendar of music performances for this school year. All grade levels have one concert each year, and the concerts are held at 7:00 P.M. in the High School Theatre. Students should plan to arrive at the High School at 6:45 P.M. for their concert.

2012 Performance Calendar3rd Grade - November 8th1st Grade - December 18th

Kindergarten - February 12th2nd Grade - April 18th4th Grade - May 9th

Library On Thursday, September 20 we are lucky enough to welcome authors and illustrators Tom Lichtenfeld, R.W. and Zoe Alley to our school for the Plum Creek Literacy Festival. Students will be able to listen to their author and illustrator presentations when they visit our school. We have been reading many of their books getting ready for their appearance. Keep your eyes out for book order forms if you are interested in getting books autographed by them. This year they even have a Plum Creek Literacy T-shirt you can purchase with custom art-work by Steven Kellogg! All book order forms and t-shirt orders are due back by Monday, September 10, 2012. Happy Reading!

Nurse Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Not only does it give you energy to start a new day, but breakfast is linked to many health benefits, including weight control and improved performance. Studies show that eating a healthy breakfast (as opposed to the kind containing doughnuts) can help give you: d d• Improved concentration and performance in the classroom or the boardroom dddddddddddddddd d kdk•More strength and endurance to engage in physical activity dddd dd

Eating breakfast is important for everyone, but is especially so for children and adolescents. According to the American Dietetic Association, children who eat breakfast perform better in the classroom and on the playground, with better concentration, problem-solving skills, and eye-hand coordination.

Gym Welcome Back to school. My name is Mr. Anderson and I am the PE teacher at the elementary school. I am very excited starting my 2nd year in Seward and teaching your children. The first few weeks of school have gone very well in the gym. We started off the year in PE by learning the gym rules, routines and procedures. Once these are all in place, we will be very safe and productive every day in PE. The students have really picked up the routines fast and have done a great job so far. Keep it up! Our first unit we are covering in PE is Soccer. We are learning the skills of dribbling, passing, shooting and goalkeeping. Once we learn and practice these important skills, we will apply them in a variety of games. One last important note for PE is that proper shoes are required to participate. Please wear tennis shoes every day. Boots and sandals will not be allowed in PE. Thanks!