Ellington Elementary Update

September 2012 Volume 5, Issue 1

Ellington ElementaryOne School Road

Ellington, Missouri 63638Principal: Carolyn Bouma Phone: 573-663-2293

Fax: 573-663-2144

Welcome to the 2012-2013 school year. We are excited to get the year off and going. As many of you have already noticed, Ellington Elementary has taken on a “Wild About Learning” theme this year. The teachers and staff have worked hard at decorating the building.

Class T-ShirtsStudents (and parents) have the opportunity to purchase a class t-shirt to wear for school activities, assemblies, field trips, and Field Day. The class shirts can be purchased for $5, so remember to turn your order in by Thursday, September 6th.

Bus notes/Student pickupPlease remember to call before 2:30 with bus notes or changes of student pickups as this requires time to get these messages to the students. Please do not leave bus messages on the voice mail system. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

LEAP

The LEAP (Learning Enrichment Afterschool Program) Afterschool program will be starting on Tuesday, September 4th. Students must be enrolled in the program to be able to stay. The LEAP program provides an after school snack, tutoring/homework time, enrichment activities and a variety of clubs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students in grades second through sixth will begin going to Whole Kids Outreach on Mondays and Wednesdays. Please make sure the “equine forms” are filled out and returned to school as soon as possible. These forms are required by WKO for the program using horses. If your child would like to join the LEAP program, please contact the elementary office.

Grandparent’s DayGrandparent’s Day will be Friday, September 28th starting at 1:00-2:00 PM since our afternoon traffic is so congested. Grandparents are invited to attend their grandchild’s classrooms. Each classroom will have an activity planned. The activities may include: Grandparent story

time, reading a book, an activity sheet, or a craft. Our wonderful kitchen staff will be making cookies to celebrate the event. For future planning purposes, Grandparent’s Day will be held annually the last Friday in September.

Positive Behavior SupportsEllington Elementary will be implementing Positive Behavior Support (PBS) again this school year. PBS is a school's process for teaching social and behavioral skills so the focus can be on teaching and learning. Our PBS mission statement is to foster an environment to create responsible, respectful, lifelong learners enabling them to follow their dreams. Our Big 3 are: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Ready to Learn. The students enjoyed a "Wild About Learning" PBS assembly on Friday, August 17th where they learned all about just how important it is to show our big 3! The Ellington Elementary Staff has been busy teaching the students the expectations for the hallways, classrooms, playground, cafeteria, restrooms, assemblies, and on the bus. These behaviors will

be reinforced by all staff. The students will be rewarded for their positive behavior weekly and quarterly! The students will be working hard to fill up their PBS punch cards. The students will be recognized for their positive behavior in the hallways. So, if you are in our building be sure to check it out! We are excited to implement PBS again this school year and can't wait to see the positive results for our students! If you have any questions about PBS feel free to contact your child's teacher.

Start/End TimeRemember that school starts at 8:10 everyday so if students need to eat breakfast they must be here in time to eat. Breakfast is over at 8:05. School dismisses at 3:15 and buses will leave around 3:25.

FundraiserEllington Elementary will be participating in a Bar-B-Q fundraiser at Town and Country on October 12th from 10:00 to 2:00. Proceeds will support state testing incentives and rewards, field trips, incentives for grades, assemblies, and other exciting events that happen over the school year.

Parents as TeachersAs some of you have already heard, Ellington Parents as Teachers is back in full swing! We are very excited to begin the 2012-2013 school year. As a parent, you are your child’s first and most important teacher. Your home is your child’s first school house. Your child will learn more during the

first three years than at any other time in life. How your child grows and learns during these years, beginning at birth, will affect his or her later development and success in school. Parents as Teachers is a FREE and voluntary program offered to anyone who is expecting a child or a parent with children ages birth through age four. As a PAT family you will receive personal home visits, developmental screenings, activity nights, and drop in and play groups in the PAT room. The years between birth through age four is an important time when specific kinds of learning, language, sight, basic motor skills, must take place for your child to develop to the fullest. PAT can help you capture those windows of opportunity so your child starts school ready to succeed. The program covers child development, suggested activities that encourage language development, intellectual growth, social and motor skills, strengthens parent-child relationships and develops true partnership between parents and school. By participating, you are preparing your child for success in school and in life. For more information about the program or to enroll, call your parent educator, Pam Roderman, at 663-2293 or email roderman@ellington.k12.mo.us

Preschool NewsWe’re Wild About Preschool! Preschool had a very busy first few weeks learning rules and routines of the school. This month we will start doing letter of the week with our theme. We

will do Aa for Apples the first week, Nn for Nursery Rhymes, Ff for Farm, and Cc for Community Helpers. In the weekly newsletter, you will get an idea of the activities we do with that theme. Please remember to work with your child nightly on their name writing sheets. We sign in every morning in our classes. We will teach the letters of the alphabet based on our themes and using proper handwriting formation which we have sent home. We are really going to work hard on writing, letter recognition, letter sounds, counting and graphing. Let’s get ready to ROAR! Mrs. Chase and Mrs. Eddington

Kindergarten NewsWe have had a terrific first few weeks in Kindergarten! Students have done well with the transition of moving up to a new building with all new rules and new procedures. We have asked parents to send towels or blankets for nap time every day to begin the school year just as they did in preschool. However, after the holiday we will no longer be lying down for naps.We have spent the first three weeks reviewing and now are ready to start moving at a faster pace with learning to read, write, and more math skills. Our next unit theme will be about Families in reading. We have learned sight words I, can and will learn we, the, like and letters Mm, Aa, and Ss. In math, we will learn about patterns and also counting, reading, writing and making numbers 0-5.Please continue to check your child’s back pack each day for

notes from the teacher and/or homework. Kindergarten teachers would like to thank you for helping us swing into kindergarten!Ms. Blakemore and Mrs. Hime

First Grade NewsThe school year is off to a great start! We are very proud of our first graders for all of their hard work and effort. They have all been trying so hard to follow the rules and do their best work! In reading, we will continue with our Start Smart program. We will be reviewing all the letters and their sounds. Also, we will be reviewing the high-frequency words they learned in Kindergarten. In math, we will be working on the numbers to 12 and spatial patterns. The students will be tested on their numbers and number words to 10 so please be practicing this skill with them at home. In first grade, the students will be bringing home homework a few times a week. Please make sure you complete the homework with them, sign it, and return it to school the next day. Don't forget to send in the class t-shirt form with payment as soon as possible! We look forward to working with your child this school year!Mrs. Long and Ms. Morrison

Second Grade NewsSecond graders have been doing a great job starting the new year! Please work with your child at home on basic

math facts. This will be very helpful with the skills we are working on in math. Please send an extra change of clothes to school with your child in case they are needed. Please check your child's folder each week and discuss their work with them and see that any Study Guides that come home are being reviewed. You will be receiving a weekly newsletter that will explain the objectives for the week and reminders for upcoming events. We also appreciate your help with seeing that any homework is returned on time. With your help we know that 2nd grade will be a great year! We appreciate all your dedication to your child's education.Mrs. Loyd and Mrs. Tucker

Third Grade NewsWe are off to a great start for our new school year! The students are remembering the "Whippet Way". They are showing that they can be respectful, responsible, and ready to learn as new 3rd graders. We have been working on reading and writing numbers up to the hundred thousand place value in math, and next we will be working on comparing and ordering numbers. In September, we will be working on counting money and making change. These can be very challenging skills for 3rd graders, so please practice these skills with your child at home. In Social Studies, we will be working on reading maps and map skills. Science will focus on finishing chapter 1 on plants. Look for a study guide for the first Science

test around the second week in September.As always encourage your child to read at home for a few minutes each day.We are looking forward to a great year!Mrs. Loyd and Mrs. Whited

Fourth Grade NewsWell, we are off and running. We have developed our routines, been reviewing, and now we are moving on. We have already finished our first topic in Math and are starting our second one. We will be Adding and Subtracting Whole numbers, up to millions, so be practicing regrouping (borrowing and carrying). We finished our first chapter in Missouri History, as well. We are now studying where Missouri is located in the world. We have also chosen our Famous Missourians and will begin researching them this month, so we can write a report and speech. In Science, we have been studying the World of Living Things. Remind your student to keep all of their Science work together, as their notebooks are due when we take the test!!! Accelerated Reader is part of your child’s Reading grade this year, so remind your student to read and take his/her AR tests. Don’t forget, Homework Journals are filled out each day. Look for any notes/information from teachers, as well as what work your child has completed that day. A signature is worth 5 points each day which will help us to communicate on a daily basis. We are looking forward to a great year. If you have any

questions, feel free to contact us at any time.Mrs. Barton and Mrs. Bass

Fifth Grade NewsWelcome Back!

We are starting off to another exciting school year! I hope everyone enjoyed Open House, we did! In reading, we will be starting Unit 1 Theme: Challenges. We will be working on character and plot in unit 1. In grammar, we will be working on sentence structure. In math, we are working on place value with whole numbers and decimals. In science, we are deciphering plants and their parts! In social studies, we will be discussing the Ancient Americas. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. We look forward to working with your child!Ms. Clark and Mrs. Francis

Counselor’s CornerWe are off to a great start this year! Students with birthdays in June, July, and August joined me for Birthday Lunch Club on August 30th. I want to send PTO a big thank you for donating a book to each student for their birthday. Our character word for September is good manners. So, take some time to remind your child(ren) about good manners that are important to you. This month, we are celebrating our academic successes. The fourth and fifth grade students that achieved advanced or proficient on any part of the Grade Level Assessment (MAP test) in Spring of 2012, will get to enjoy an afternoon of fun! On Friday, September 21st, we will be showing a movie on a

big screen in the old gym for these students. The afternoon event will be complete with an intermission and snacks that our school will provide. Those that get to attend will be given a special invitation to this event, coming soon! Please stop by or give me a call if I can assist you with anything!Mrs. Goodman

Librarian’s Tales Come see me in the Library where we are WILD about READING! It’s so grrrreat to be back and see all the students again. As in the past we have some great reading programs for the kids this year. For students in preschool – kindergarten we have the Missouri Building Block program. For students in grades first through third, we have the Show-Me Reader Program. Finally, for grades fourth and fifth, we have the Mark Twain Reader Award. We have a jungle of opportunities for students to take part in Reading Adventures! A new program, designed for third grade students, will be introduced in September. We will be taking a Reading Roadtrip as the students travel around the US with Jack and Annie in the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. I will have information about this adventure will be sent home very soon. Please encourage your child to take part.Our fall book fair is fast approaching. “All Star Reding” will be open the week of October 15th – 18th. This provides a great opportunity for the community to support literacy in our school. I am very

grateful for all the support and help that I have received in the past and looking forward to serving you in the coming fair. Look for more details to come.Mrs. Lee

Nurse’s NotesIf your child shows signs of illness, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, runny nose, cough, headache, please do not assume it is allergies or sinus infection. Also, if your child has a fever (even 99.0) that persists for a day or two, this is also cause for concern. Please take them to your family physician, who can determine if the illness is more than allergies. Your physician will advise you regarding when your child can return to school. But, as a reminder, your child must be fever-free for 24 hours, without fever reducing medicine, before returning to school.We are having an Immunization Clinic for all students whom need to get a vaccine or to get caught up. The Immunization Clinic is set for September 5, 2012 at 9:30 am. If you think that your child(ren) need a vaccine then let the Nurse’s office know. There is a short form to fill out. If it is a required vaccine, I will try to get a letter out. If Carol Massie sent you a letter and you were unable to get the vaccines then I need you to contact me or get me a copy of the updated vaccines. Some have turned those in and I thank you. If you have any questions please call (573) 663-2911. Mrs. Sharp

A note from the PrincipalWe are off and running… I am very proud of all the students and the start to this school year. The students are doing very well with the PBS expectations and it shows in the classroom, hallways, cafeteria, bus, and playground. If I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Feel free to stop by the school or call the elementary.Mrs. Bouma

Dates to remember:

Sept. 3: NO SCHOOL

Sept. 4: First day of LEAP

Sept. 5: Immunization Clinic

Sept. 6: T-Shirt orders due

Sept. 20: School Board Mtg

Sept. 21: MAP Reward Day

Sept. 24: NO SCHOOL: Teacher Workday

Sept. 28: Grandparent’s Day

Looking ahead:

Oct. 11: Character Ed Assembly

Oct. 12: NO SCHOOL: Teacher Workday

Elementary Bar-B-Q Fundraiser @ Town & Country

Oct. 15: Second Quarter Begins

Dental Screening & Varnish

Oct. 15-18: Book Fair

Oct. 17: Fall Sports Pictures and Picture Retakes

Oct. 18: 1st Quarter Awards12:30 DismissalNO LEAPParent-Teacher ConferencesBoard Meeting

Oct. 19: NO SCHOOL

Oct. 25: First Grade Field Trip

Oct. 26: Costume Parade Fall Parties