PEARL LEAN PAW PRINTS HOME OF THE PANTHER MICHIGAN BLUE RIBBON EXEMPLARY SCHOOL NCA Accredited by the North Central Associations of Colleges and Schools WARREN CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS Robert D. Livernois, Ph.D., Superintendent Joseph Konal, Chief Academic Officer Marianne Ochalek, Executive Director of School Improvement Mark Corless, Principal Renee Haddad, Secretary Judy Greszczuk, Clerk MISSION STATEMENT The Pearl Lean Staff, in partnership with parents and community, is dedicated to educating our children intellectually, socially, and emotionally; therefore, empowering them to become responsible citizens, life-long learners and positive contributors to our ever changing world. VISION STATEMENT The fundamental purpose of Pearl Lean is to ensure high levels of learning for all students. 24-HOUR ABSENCE REPORTING 1-586-574-3230 OPTION 2 (Please report your child’s absence before 9:00 a.m.) October 2014 FALL IS HERE Pearl Lean Elementary 2825 Girard, Warren, MI 48092 Phone: (586) 574-3230 Fax: (586) 698-4366 http://www.wcs.kids.net/lean/ Monday – Friday Start: 8:47 a.m. Half day dismissal 12:03 p.m. Full day dismissal 3:59 p.m. The kindergarten students have been learning all about the ABC’s of going to school! They have done a fabulous job of adjusting to the classroom and lunchtime procedures. We are so happy to welcome our new K teacher, Amy Capozzo, who joined our team to help keep our class sizes small J. The students have been reviewing colors with the help of Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle’s Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? They have also been practicing rhyming, tracing, cutting, gluing, and coloring using classic nursery rhymes. Shapes and sorting have been the focus in math. Best of all, we have been getting to know our new friends in kindergarten! We had a great time at the students’ first Fun Run! Thanks to all of the parents for support and cheers! It means so much to the kids!! We are ready for a fun and successful school year! The children have adjusted well to the new challenges of first grade. During the first few weeks of school the children have been reviewing skills and concepts learned in kindergarten. The children have practiced their colors, letters, letter sounds, numbers, counting, and handwriting. We have also spent a lot of time teaching our classroom rules and procedures. Now they are ready to begin the first grade curriculum. This year, first grade will be identifying with local Detroit Teams. Mrs. Carpenter’s first graders are representing the Pistons, Mrs. Eichenberg and Mrs. Lesner’s students are representing the Tigers, Mrs. Wybo’s students are representing the Lions, and Mrs. Greco and Mrs. Madden’s students are representing the Red Wings. We know that Together Everyone Achieves More! The first month of school has flown by quickly for the 2nd graders. We have been busy learning about our new friends and forming stronger bonds with old friends. P.A.W.S. cards have been handed out to many of the students for showing pride, a positive attitude, wise choices and being safe in the school and our own classroom. Stamina may be a word you hear the 2nd graders mention often. We are almost complete with introducing the first of the Daily 5 choices, Read to Self. Students have been taught how to choose good fit books that will help them become better readers, writers, and spellers. We are looking forward to building our stamina for Work on Writing. We are excited to introduce the students to our new spelling strategies using Words Their Way. Based on the student’s knowledge of spelling patterns, they will be given a strategy to study during the week. They will be using lots of different sorting activities throughout the week to practice the strategy. In math the students have been learning different strategies to help them become even more skilled mathematicians. Different games have been introduced to help us practice and improve our addition and subtraction skills, along with using the new math vocabulary we are learning. The students raced around the track to help earn money for Pearl Lean at the annual Fun Run. We had a great time exercising while also enjoying the snacks the PTO provided the students. Thank you to all of the parents and families who supported this great fundraiser. The month of October brings more excitement to our classrooms. We are looking forward to a great year ahead! What an exciting year in 3rd grade we have had thus far! The third graders have been very busy learning new and exciting concepts. We’ve been learning and practicing C.A.F.E. strategies to strengthen reading comprehension and fluency. In writing, we’ve begun to fill out our Idea Notebooks by storing ideas and personal experiences for future use. We have already begun our personal narratives with writing about our “Favorite Day”. We’re well on our way to learning about Michigan in social studies. We’ve learned about the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, climate, and it’s geography including the Great Lakes. In our first science unit “Organisms Have Character,” we’re learning about the physical characteristics of living things. We will have a few crayfish and beetles that we’ll be studying. It’ll be fun to learn how to observe and do scientific investigations. In math, students began learning about place value. They have also practiced two and three digit addition skills using various methods and tools. The kids had a blast raising money for the school and participating in the Fun Run. A great big THANK YOU goes out to all the parents/guardians that came to help and to cheer on our runners. This month, the fourth graders are busy practicing organizational skills by using their PAWS Binders and are looking forward to their first report card in November. We are working on our first science unit, Organisms in Their Environment. They have done hands on activities that have helped them understand concepts dealing with learning how habitats are needed for different organisms. In Math, we are reviewing place value along with addition and subtraction word problems. Please review these concepts at home. Please review multiplication facts at least 10 minutes daily. In writing, students are using the writing workshop approach to develop personal narratives. In Social Studies, we are learning about our great state of Michigan. In Reading, we are working on various strategies to help us become better readers. Please remember to listen to your child read at least 20 minutes daily. We would like to say a big welcome to all the new teachers and families here this year. We also would like to send out a big thank you to all those who attended the Meet The Teacher Night in Sept. Your participation in this first meeting with the teachers encourages your child to do his/her best. We all need to work together to help your child . Our first day jitters are gone and we are already in the routine of 5th grade. The first few weeks consist of scheduling, review and practice, policies and procedures. Everyone in 5th grade is introduced to the Instrumental Band program. The district has purchased instruments for all fifth graders to give them the opportunity to participate in band. Parents, please continue to check your child’s agenda on a daily basis. The fifth grade teachers are working hard to instill the Life Skill of responsibility into all fifth graders. Please make your child accountable for all assigned work. Everyone is looking forward to a great year! MEDIA NEWS Media Message By Ms. Cardamone Hello from the Lean Media Center! It has been a fun seeing all of our Pearl Lean students happy and excited to be back at school! Students visit the media center each week for their grade level curriculum and for book check out. You can help your child make his/her trip to the media center a pleasant one in the following ways: * Help your child be responsible for books at home. Keep them away from pets, younger children and food. Have a special place at home to keep library books. * Help your child return books on time. Books are due each week on “library” day. Thus, if your child comes to the media center on Tuesday, books are due the following Tuesday. * Encourage your child to share the books with you. Read together. Please be aware that if your child does not return books each week, she/he may not borrow new books. We do not charge a fine for overdue books; simply return them the following week. However, if books are lost or damaged, payment will be expected. Thank you for your support – I am looking forward to a great year! CAFETERIA NEWS See the monthly calendar of lunch selections which is sent home at the beginning of each month or it is located on the district website, www.wcs.k12.mi.us/foodservices. The cafeteria does not allow students to borrow lunch money, parents may pre-pay by the week, month, etc. by paying for meals with cash or pay online at www.sendmoneytoschool.com. This service is free to all parents. We will NO longer accept personal checks. BREAKFAST & LUNCH PRICES Breakfast - $1.25 Lunch - $2.75 Milk .60¢ PEARL LEAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Student Name: _____________________ At Home Reading Calendar Teacher Name: __________________ October 2014 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday 1 Count Day Thursday Friday Saturday 2 3 Pop Corn Sale 4 9 10 11 Paws Assembly @ 3PM 5 12 6 school starts @ 8:47 13 school starts @ 8:47 7 PTO Meeting @ 7 PM 14 26 2014 KDG Field Trip to Miller’s Big Red Apple Orchard 15 16 20 school starts @ 8:47 21 27 school starts @ 8:47 The School Dentist 28 22 17 K-2 Students: 18 Read for a minimum of 15 minutes each day. 25 Grade 3-4 Students: Iowa Ends 23 24 ½ Day of School, Dismissal @ 12:03 PM Title 1 meeting @ 3PM 29 ½ Day of School, Dismissal @ 12:03 PM Fun Run Prize Assembly National Boss’s Day 1st grade field trip to the zoo Fun Run money due 19 8 Each day that the student reads the required amount of time, a parent / guardian will initial the appropriate box on the calendar. Students turn in the calendar during the first week of the following month. 30 31 Halloween Read for a minimum of 20 minutes each day. Students should read the required amount, a minimum of 20 days per month. IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER October October October October October October October October October October October 1 7 9 10 13 15 17 17 22 24 27 *** COUNT DAY *** PTO Meeting, @7:00 PM KDG Field Trip ½ Day of School, Dismissal @12:03 PM Fun Run Money Due 1st Grade Field Trip to the Zoo IOWA Ends Fun Run Prize Assembly @2 PM Title 1 meeting @3 PM ½ Day of School, Dismissal @12:03 PM The School Dentist SCHOOL VISITORS/SECURITY Please make sure when visiting a classroom, teacher, lunchroom, media center, etc. that you sign in at the office and receive a badge. It is imperative that we know who is in the building and visitors must wear badges. Lean Elementary is a title 1 school Under Federal law, you as parents may request the following specific information about the professional qualifications of your children’s teachers: 1. Whether the teacher has met the state qualifications/licensing for their grade level/subjects. 2. Whether the teacher is on a temporary permit or waiver. 3. The teacher’s majors, graduate certificates/degrees, and discipline fields. 4. Paraprofessional services and qualifications. For further information, please call: 586-574-3230 Breakfast starts @ 8:30 AM Lunch Schedule Grade/Time A B C 11:45 - 12:05 12:15 - 12:35 12:40 - 1:00 Recess Eating K 1 Recess Eating 2 Eating Recess 3 Recess 4 Recess Eating 5 Eating Recess Eating