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Manatee Bay Messenger
Principal’s Message
Greeting Manatee Bay Families,
!
As you can tell we are fully engaged in the learning process and moving full
steam ahead to another month. Our September events were very well
attended. Our very first Partner night at Coldstone Creamery was a huge hit,
and our parent volunteers have been faithfully coming in to support us after the
amazing volunteer/partner orientation.
!
!
VOLUME IV
OCTOBER 2014
!
Mission Statement
We, the Manatee Bay Elementary
School Community, pledge to
provide a quality education that
focuses on high expectations and
achievement for all stakeholders
in a safe and supportive learning
environment.
Vision Statement
The vision of Manatee Bay
Elementary School is to be a
community of lifelong learners who
value quality and integrity as we strive
to create a nurturing environment in
which children will develop selfesteem and respect for themselves
and others.
Academically, we are learning through the Florida Standards this year which
are very similar to the Common Core Standards. We are also looking closely
at all that we do to create life-long learners. This year we are more closely
monitoring student progress and empowering our students to be more
engaged in the learning process through a variety of strategies.
!
Not sure if you are aware but although we have some strong competition this
year, Manatee Bay is currently number one in the Nation for the First in Math
Program! Way to go Fifth Grade! The deadline is in May so we are hoping to
keep strong all the way through!
!
As you know we have started our big fall fundraiser and the students are
excited about helping our school with technology. Last year our PTA
generously purchased 39 laptops for our students. We are also excited to
know that our wonderful aftercare program ASP, is donating another 20
laptops. Although this is a huge help, we still have most teachers with very old
or no computers in their classes for students to use. Many current computers
are outdated and unable to accept the current software that we are
purchasing. Please know, that If the SMART Bond initiative passes on
November 4th, Manatee Bay will receive over $400,000.00 to be used in
technology alone. This will be a great boost for our students and will help to
create some digital classrooms. For more information, please visit the
Broward School Website and see the section on the SMART bond. Please
note when you see the report for Manatee and the Weston Schools. Thanks
for ALL you do to assist us to help our students become college and career
ready!!!
!
To keep you learning with us, we are offering support on how our curriculum is
different this year and how to best prepare your children in 3rd through 5th for
the FSA (Florida Standard Assessment) and most importantly how to be
“College and Career” ready. We will be doing this through our Parent
Universities…stay tuned.
!
Please know that Manatee Bay thrives on your support and participation in the
learning process. We can’t thank you enough for ALL that you do to make our
jobs easier.
!
!
!
Have a safe and family-filled month.
Sincerely,
Heather Hedman-­DeVaughn and Marie-­Dominique Price Dumervil
Principal and Assistant Principal
Saludos Familias de Manatee Bay,
October
!
10/1-2
10/7
10/8
10/14
10/15
10/16
10/21
10/21
10/23-31
10/23
10/24
10/27-31
10/31
5th Grade Nature Scapes
Papa Johns Night
Walk/Bike to School Day
SAC Meeting @ 2:20pm
Picture Retakes
Dunkin Donuts Night
Pajama Day for Pre-K and K
PTA General Meeting @ 5:30pm
Red Ribbon Week
Early Release at noon
Teacher Planning Day - no school
BAFS I
Book Fair Preview
!
Podemos decir que estamos totalmente dedicados a el
proceso de aprendizaje y vamos a todo vapor por otro
mes. Nuestros eventos septiembre estuvieron muy bien
atendidos. Nuestra primera noche Socio de Cold Stone fue
un gran éxito, y nuestros padres voluntarios han estado
viniendo fielmente para apoyarnos después de la increíble
orientación para voluntarios.
!
Académicamente, estamos aprendiendo a través de las
Normas de la Florida que son muy similares a las normas
básicas comunes. También estamos mirando de cerca a
todo lo que hacemos para crear estudiantes de por vida.
Este año estamos vigilando más de cerca el progreso del
estudiante y motivando a nuestros estudiantes a ser más
comprometidos en el proceso de aprendizaje a través de
una variedad de estrategias.
!
No estoy segura si ustedes lo saben, pero a pesar de que
tenemos una competencia fuerte este año, Manatee Bay
es actualmente el número uno en la nación para la en el
Programa de Matemáticas! Así se hace Quinto Grado! La
fecha límite es en mayo, así que esperamos mantenernos
fuertes a través de todo el camino!
Como ustedes saben, hemos iniciado nuestro gran evento recaudador de fondos de otoño y los estudiantes
están emocionados por ayudar a nuestra escuela con tecnología. El año pasado nuestra PTA adquirió
generosamente 39 computadoras portátiles para los estudiantes. También estamos muy contentos de saber
que nuestro programa maravilloso de cuidado después de clase, ASP, donará otros 20 ordenadores
portátiles.
!
Aunque esta es una gran ayuda, aún tenemos la mayoría de los profesores con computadoras antiquadas en
sus clases para el uso de los estudiantes. Muchos ordenadores son obsoletos y no pueden aceptar el
software moderno que existe actualmente. Por favor, sepan, que si la iniciativa de SMART Bond pasa el 4 de
noviembre, Manatee Bay recibirá más de $ 400,000.00 para mejorar el equipo de tecnología. Esta será una
gran motivación para nuestros estudiantes y ayudará a crear algunas aulas digitales. Para obtener más
información, visite la Web de las Escuelas de Broward y busquen la sección de SMART. Manténganse
pendientes de buscar el reporte de Manatee y las Escuelas de Weston. Gracias por todo lo que hacen para
que nos ayuden a educar a nuestros estudiantes a prepararse para la universidad y listos para una carrera !!!
!
Noten que estamos ofreciendo ayuda debido a que nuestro plan de estudios es diferente este año con el
motivo de preparar mejor a sus hijos desde el tercero hasta el quinto nivel para la (Evaluación Estándar
Florida) FSA. Vamos a hacer esto a través de nuestras Universidades para Padres ... estén atentos.
!
Por favor sepan que Manatee Bay se beneficia con su apoyo y participación en el proceso de aprendizaje.
No podemos agradecerle lo suficiente por todo lo que hacen para hacer nuestro trabajo más fácil.
!
Tengan un mes con paz y lleno de familia.
!
Atentamente,
!
Heather Hedman-­DeVaughn y Marie Dominique Price-­Dumervil
Kindergarten
Kindergarten is off to a terrific start! We are
listening to and discussing stories, writing in our
Author's Notebooks, creating poetry and academic
journals, participating in cooking and art activities,
and learning how to use our daily centers. We
attended our very first field trip to Disney on Ice,
and had an amazing time! Fun and learning definitely
go hand in hand in the Land of K! Over the coming
weeks, we will be continuing to learn about the five
senses, energy, Fall, fire safety, and Christopher
Columbus.
!
The Kindergarten Team would like to thank you for
helping to make the start of the year such a huge
success! Please remember to sign agendas nightly.
!
Partners in Education !
Manatee Bay would like to extend our
appreciation to our Partners-In-Education
this month. Memorial Hospital Miramar
donated 6 ponchos and umbrellas to
Manatee Bay, to be used by personnel
during our rainy day dismissals. Additionally,
Carolina Ale House donated coupons for this
month's KIDS OF CHARACTER. Parents and
teachers made ColdStone Creamery Night a
huge success! We finished off September
with a fantastic Delvecchios, Burger Zone
and UdderSweets night.
!
Thank you!!! Thank you!!!!
!
Future fundraiser dates:
!
10/7 Papa Johns Night
10/16 Dunkin Donuts
The Kindergarten Team
First Grade
!
Happy Fall Y’all,
!
We can smell the AUTUMN dancing in the breeze.
The sweet chill of PUMPKIN and crisp sunburnt
LEAVES! First Graders have had a busy start to
the school year. The students have been working
hard and adjusting to their daily routines. Our
Math skills have improved since the beginning of
the school year. We are starting Chapter 3 which
is working on different types of addition strategies.
In Science we are moving on to Compare/Contrast
living/non-living. Continue to read daily and
encourage your child to come into school ready to
take an AR quiz. !
First grade is looking forward to our first field trip
to the Fish Hall Of Fame in November. A friendly
reminder for parents to please sign the agenda
daily and make sure your child does their
homework every day! !
Thank You (:
Second Grade
Second Grade is off to a great start! Now that we have completed our first full month of school, we are very proud to see our students settling into a great routine. Let’s stay on this positive path to a successful school year. !
Math Superstars will begin October 7th. Please see our Second Grade Website and click on Math Superstars to print the worksheet each week. !
Accelerated Reader is very important to your child’s Reading development. Help your child soar to AR success by encouraging them to take AR test on their library books, Reading Log books, and any book they might be reading for pleasure. Parents can go to www.ARbookfinder.com to check the AR level of any book. READING NOOK
!
There’s an App for that!
!
Take a moment and check out http://
www.scholastic.com/teachers/
article/50-fab-apps-teachers This
article provides parents and
teachers with grade level
appropriate Apps that keep students
engaged. Everyone learns
differently. With just a few taps, you
can customize your device with
materials that fit your child's level
and learning style. With Apps, you
can teach all children the same
lesson — in different ways.This is
just another way to keep reading
and learning fun!
STEM is getting underway at Manatee Bay. We have opened our Robotics Lab, and our
Gifted/High Achievers classes will pilot a new Engineering program entitled Engineering
is Elementary.
!
We also have a new STEM program in our IND cluster. But STEM could use your help!
Our gardens are in need of some brawn power. We need to clear out the beds, and
add soil and mulch around the exterior of our raised gardens.
!
If you are interested in helping with either contributing materials such as mulch,
mushroom compost, soil and just plain man power, please contact Andrea
Perez at [email protected].
!
We could really use the help!
Third Grade
Third Grade is off to great beginning! The Third
Grade Team has a website to keep you informed
on Third Grade Matters. Please visit the MBE
site periodically. The AR program is currently
up and running. Please encourage your child to
read AR books and take AR tests. These tests
help to improve a variety of reading skills.
Remember, textbooks are available online.
!
In October, we are taking BAFs and the new
standards will be tested. This test replaces BAT.
See the following examples of Reading and
Language Arts Standards. !
!
-Answer questions to demonstrate understanding
of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the
basis for the answers.
!
-Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits,
motivations, or feelings) and explain how their
actions contribute to the sequence of events.
!
These are examples of Math Arts Standards.
!
-Use place value understanding to round whole
numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
!
-Solve one- and two-step “how many more” and
“how many less” problems using information
presented in scaled bar graphs.
Math Corner
The school year has begun with a bang. As the tradition continues, Manatee Bay's 5th grade students are participating in the online competition, First In Math. As of this writing, MBE is 1st in the nation and working hard to keep this position. Three of the class teams are in the top ten as well as two of our students. Wow! !
Grades 3-­‐5 are beginning to formatively assess the students in Reading, Math and Science using Broward County minis as we prepare for the first BAFs test, which replaces the BAT, in late October. K-­‐2 minis will be available sometime later in the school year.
Fourth Grade
NonDiscrimination
Statement
Welcome to Fall and getting back into the routine!
The School Board of Broward
County, Florida, prohibits any
policy or procedure which
results in discrimination on the
basis of age, color, disability,
gender, national origin, marital
status, race, religion, or sexual
orientation. Individuals who
wish to file a discrimination and/
or harassment complaint may
call Equal Educational
Opportunities (EEO) at
754-321-2150 or Teletype
Machine TTY 754-321-2158.
!
Reasonable Accommodation
Statement
Individuals with disabilities
requesting accommodations
under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) may call
Equal Educational Opportunities
(EEO) at 754-321-2150 or
Teletype Machine TTY
754-321-2158.
!
Evaluation Input
Per state statute, parents have
the right to be provided input
into the annual performance
assessment of their child’s
teachers and administrators. To
provide such input regarding
any Manatee Bay employee,
please address your comments
in writing to Mrs. Heather
Hedman-DeVaughn, Principal.
To provide such input regarding
your principal’s evaluation,
please address your comments
in writing to, Dr. Mark Strauss,
at the Office of School
Performance and Accountability.
!
The opinions expressed in this
publication are not necessarily
those of Manatee Bay
Elementary School or Broward
County Public Schools.
!
Classes are getting into their routines and homework should
be coming easier to get a handle of as well. As the school
started their fundraising activity, Fourth grade also enjoyed a
short play for Constitution Day and are preparing for their first
in house field trip on Native Florida animals. Fourth graders
are excited about learning all about the state of Florida and
look forward to the exciting field trips related to the study of
our state’s resources and rich history. We would like to remind
parents that all textbooks are available online at http://
beep.browardschools.com/ssoPortal/index.html.
School Advisory Council
On September 10th the School Advisory Council met
to install its newest officers. We are still in need of
three parents and one parent of an ESOL student to
sit on the School Advisory Council. Your duties as a
member of SAC are to attend one monthly meeting
to discuss what is best for Manatee Bay. If you are
interested in becoming a member of SAC please
email Ms. Leider or Mr. Schumann. After installing
new members we reviewed Manatee Bay Elementary
School’s data from last year’s testing. Future SAC
meetings will be on the following dates, October 10th,
November 18th, December 2nd, January 13th, February
10th, March, 10th, April 14th, and May 12. TYPING WEB
As a way to support students in the new writing component of the Florida Standards
Assessment for ELA, the Department of Literacy is recommending the website
“TypingWeb” as a means for instruction in the area of typing and keyboard skills.
TypingWeb is a free, web-based instructional program designed to develop student
typing skills. It can be utilized by both beginning and advanced typists and allows for
growth in typing skills by students at all grade levels.
!
!
Access to TypingWeb can be found online at:
http://www.typingweb.com/ Fifth Grade School is in full swing and Fifth Grade is already well on its way to a successful year!! We have already had a few fire drills, taken Fall individual pictures, and enjoyed our first Partners in Education nights at Cold Stone Creamery and ordering pizza from Delvecchio’s! !
Plans are already in motion for our annual trip to Washington, D.C. Initial payments should have already been collected. Our trip will be from Monday, December 8th through Friday, December 12th. Needless to say, both teachers and students are excited for this educationally fun trip! !
Academically, our fifth graders have been very busy building their skills for success. In reading, our depth of knowledge skills are focusing on explaining texts, drawing inferences, learning to compare and contrast characters, settings and/or events in a story. We are learning to quote accurately from a text to prove our point. Main idea has been a topic of importance as well. Penmanship is also being practiced as we fine-­‐tune our cursive writing. !
In math, we are moving ahead in First in Math. Students are fully engaged and have accepted the challenge that our last two year’s students have set, working hard to be number 1 in the Nation. We are building our foundation with place value, multiplication and expressions. Division is now on the horizon. !
Science is taking us to new heights as we discover the characteristics of scientific knowledge. The Scientific Method and Process is so important to be able to think like a scientist. Who knew there was so much involved in doing experiments? Ask your fifth grader, he or she can tell you all about it! !
Our United States are incredibly diverse. We are learning about the fifty states and how location affects the people who live there. Regions and climate play such an important role. !
This is just the beginning of an incredibly successful year! ATTENDANCE POLICY
!
School Board Policy 5.5, Attendance, states both excused
and unexcused absences along with tardiness and early
sign-outs will continue to be counted when determining a
student’s pattern of non-attendance. A student has a
“pattern of non-attendance” if he or she is absent from
school a total of 30 hours (5 days) in any one marking period
or 60 hours (10 days) within 90 days.
!
The attendance policy is available online in the four major
languages and can be accessed at www.broward.k12.fl.us/
studentsupport/sswad/HTML/ap.htm. Parents are required
to maintain current contact information at the school. If you
have any questions, please call Geri Norris, Guidance
Counselor.
!
Students absences may be reported 24 hours a day by
calling our Attendance Line 754-323-6452 and leaving a
message, or by sending an e-mail to us at
[email protected]. Please
remember to provide student name, teacher, date of
absence, and reason for absence. For prolonged absences,
please be sure to provide appropriate documentation.
!
*Any calls received after 2:30 will be updated the following
school day. Calls are encouraged before 12:00 noon.*
Thank you.
October 23-31, 2014 is National
Red Ribbon Week. Every student
in the school signed a pledge to
stay alcohol, tobacco, and drug free.
Please speak to your children about
the importance of this campaign. !
All students are encouraged to
wear RED to school on Wednesday,
October 29 in support of Red
Ribbon Week. Specials
The Science special has been a busy place this month. All
students have been learning to use the science process skills.
Kindergarteners have been observing using their 5 senses. In 1st,
2nd and 3rd grade the students have learned how to form a
hypothesis and then test the hypothesis while observing and
recording the results. This has been taught through various
experiments. In addition, most grade levels have been using
science tools such as a ruler, thermometer and a pan balance.
Finally, in 5th grade the focus in the science special has been the
body systems, we have just begun learning about cells and the
skeletal system. We have had some interesting conversations, but
the students have hopefully learned a lot, too.
!
!
BAF 1
!
ALL students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will
be taking the BAFs 1 from October
27-31. This test takes the place of the
BAT. More information will be coming.
!
Please make sure your children are in
school and on time during these very
important days.
Duke Talent Search Program
for Grades 4 and 5
Fourth and fifth grade students who scored
a level 5 on the Reading and/or Math
portion of last year’s FCAT SSS Test OR
scored a 125 or higher on an IQ test are
eligible to participate in the Duke
University, Talent Identification Program. If
you would like more information about this
program, you can call Ms. Norris at
754-323-6450 to request a brochure or go
to the Duke TIP Web-site at
www.tip.duke.edu/enroll. Web registration
deadline is March 31, 2015.
FIRE PREVENTION WEEK
October 5 - October 11
Manatee Bay
Book Fair
!
Practice these important fire safety tips to stay safe:
!
-
Check the battery and test your smoke detectors at home
Check your fire extinguisher at home or in your car
Conduct fire drills at home
Check your first aid kit
!
Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives - Test Yours Every Month
Preview:
!
Oct. 31st
!!
Book Fair:
!
Nov. 3 to 10
ESE NEWS
ESE would like to welcome a new
teacher to our staff. Theresa
Bennis will be working with Mrs.
Podsada and Ms. Hartwell.
Welcome to Manatee Bay Ms. Bennis!
Ms. Hartwell and Mrs. Podsada's
classes have initiated a new program
called Ablenet - Focus on Stem. This
classroom library has 60 unique, nonfiction titles which offer students with
disabilities the opportunity to
practice literacy skills while
gaining background
knowledge in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and
Math (STEM). Students using
this library will be able to apply
learned skills with real-life math
and science content. The units
of study provide fun-filled learning
experiences. The first two themes were
HOW PLANTS GROW &
COUNTING IN THE CITY. In the
latter, students built a city,
adding a new part each day
(buildings, streetlights, taxi's
etc...), while at the same time practiced
counting skills. Look at us having fun
while learning!
Ms. Rabone's AM/PM Speech and
Language class is off to a great start! !
We have been learning about
colors, shapes, numbers, and
letters with a little help from
some friends! Mr. N helped us learn
about our names and our new
friends in our class, Ms. W
helped us learn about
seasons/weather, and
Ms. P is now
teaching us about parts of our
body and what they are used
for. We LOVE learning about
letters, sounds, and concepts with the
help of our Letter People friends!
Welcome to Speech and Language
!
We are getting to know all the kids and
get everyone use to their schedules.
Our Language students will be
working some skills like
comprehension and vocabulary. The
Speech kids are working on learning
how to say their sounds. At home it is
helpful to read with your children and
ask questions about the book. It is
essential for the students working on
articulation skills to practice at home.
We look forward to a great year in
Speech and Language!
WALK OR BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY
!
October 8, 2014 is a big day for Manatee Bay. It is Walk or Bike to school day. This day
is recognized around the world as a day that embraces the benefits of walking/biking by
encouraging kids to walk/bike to school.
!
WHY should you walk/bike to school?
1) it helps wake you up so you're more alert by the time you get to school
2) it helps keep your heart healthy and your body strong and fit
3) it helps make the air cleaner by not using a car
4) it gives you a chance to talk to your friends before school
5) it teaches you how to be safe on the streets
6) it gives you time outdoors
7) it helps reduce the number of cars on the road
8) it gives you time to ease into your school day
9) it helps you get to know your neighborhood
10) it puts you in a good mood for the day
VOLUNTEER PROCEDURES!
Keeping students safe is a priority. The STAR System (Security Tracking And Response) continues to
be used at all schools. The STAR System provides schools with high-speed security checks against
local, state and national sex offender databases and against state and local law enforcement files.
When parents, visitors, and volunteers come to school, the office staff will swipe their driver’s license
into a bar code reader, verify the name, take a photo and print a badge with this picture. All visitors
are asked to check out in the office when leaving school. !
!
Volunteers must complete the on-line volunteer/mentor application before helping in school. Go to
www.browardschools.com/getinvolved to complete the on-line application. The first time volunteers
come to assist, the front office staff will ask for their social security number and driver’s license. All
returning volunteers must complete the on-line application.
If you do not have access to a
computer or you need assistance, please contact the school. The Bay Cafe
On September 12th, we celebrated our Monthly
Fruit and Vegetable Taste Testing with guava.
Taste testing is a great way to introduce students
to different fruits and vegetables.
!
National School Lunch Week is from October 13th
to the 17th. You are invited to join your student
for lunch and enjoy eating together from our
delicious school menu. Please check in at the
main office first.
Broward County
PublicHeader
Schools
Week of September 29, 2014
BCPS is committed to providing
students with a high-quality
education to best prepare them for
success in college and careers.
In 2014/15, more than 19,300 high
school students are enrolled in at
least one Advanced Placement
course.
BCPS offers a wide variety of
educational options for students,
including magnet and innovative
programs.
To learn more, visit:
browardschoolsinnovativeprograms.com.
Parents and community members
are invited attend the District’s
Zone Community Showcase
events throughout the month of
October.
To learn more and review a list of
dates and event locations, visit
browardschoools.com.