WARE ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTER October 2014 Office Staff LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL As I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, Ware Elementary is in the midst of transition as we bring several new staff members on board. Given the fact over forty percent of our staff is new to our building, we have had a wonderful start to our school year. Parents, staff and students are working in tandem to provide a positive and supportive environment in which we can work and learn. While I serve as the Principal of Ware Elementary, we are blessed to have the support of two Assisting Principals. We are going to use this column for the next three months to introduce you to your building principals. I am entering my thirtyseventh years as an employee of USD 475 and if you count the years I spent in the district as a student that would expand to forty-eight. I grew up in the county jail as my dad severed as Sheriff. I now live on a ranch in the Flint Hills where my husband and I raise Hereford Cattle and Quarter Horses. During my years in USD 475 I have served as a custodian, teacher aide, secretary, teacher and principal. I served as principal at Lincoln Elementary for ten years, Grandview Elementary also for the last three of those years. I am entering my fourteen year as principal of Ware Elementary. I also serve as an Assistant Professor at KSU teaching Educational Administrative Coursework. I am beyond blessed with a beautiful daughter and a precious six year old granddaughter. Principal As you can tell by my history, this school district and Ware Elementary are a huge part of my life. I care deeply for our staff and students as well as our district. I want you to know dogs are also a big part of my life. My daughter owns and operates a facility where she grooms and boards dogs. I share this to make the point that I understand the relationship many of you have with your pets. However, please help us by following our rules of no pets allowed on school grounds. We have students with severe animal hair allergies and those who are extremely fearful of dogs. In addition, even well trained and managed pets may react differently when faced with the volume of 650 dismissing students. For your liability and ours, please leave your beloved family pets at home when coming to the school. Our district lost a student to a tragic dog mauling several years ago and therefore we take this policy very seriously. We will soon be entering the holiday season. Please be reminded one of the strongest acts a parent can provide for their school aged child is to ensure regular school attendance. Excellent attendance is a direct correlate to high academic achievement. And finally, thank you for the opportunity to educate your child. Dr. Deb Gustafson Assistant Principals Alicia Scofield Dana Williamson Secretaries Olga Delgado Chris Regan Norma Cornejo Karla Moody Student Support Kathi Blankenship Jesse Shane Erica Flenoury Walk A Mile Day 2:00 pm 3 Picture Day 8 Third Gr. Music Program 6:00 pm 9 No School Elementary Plan Day 10 No School—Professional Development Day 13 Parent/Teacher Conferences No School Dr. Deb Gustafson Principal Fall Festival 21-2223 23-24 31 WARE BEAR NEWS Page 2 Geary County USD #475 NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION Geary County USD #475 does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and/or activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. For questions or complaints based on race, color, national origin, sex or age, please contact: Director of Human Resources at 123 N. Eisenhower, Junction City, KS 66441. Telephone 785-717-4000. For questions or complaints based on disability, please contact: Director of the Exceptional Student Services Division at 123 N. Eisenhower, Junction City, KS 66441. Telephone: 785 717-4000. Ware Elementary is a Blue Ribbon School with over 700 students per year in kindergarten through fifth grade. Students reside in the McClellan, Burnside Loops and Forsyth areas on Ft. Riley. Due to the Army transition, we see an annual turnover of about 55% of our total student population. “Where All Reach Excellence” 6795 Thomas Ave. Fort Riley, KS 66442 Phone: 785-717-4600 Fax: 785-717-4601 We Are On The Web! www.usd475.org Ware Elementary has approximately 100-115 certified staff members per year. An inclusive Special Education Program and an English Learners Program (ELL) are part of the Ware educational setting. Ware Elementary is a Professional Development School in cooperation with Kansas State University. As a Professional Development School the outstanding teachers at Ware agreed to assist pre-professional teachers develop instructional methods, lesson preparations, and assessment techniques to facilitate learning for all students. Our school benefits from this program by having additional people at Ware with an interest in the success of our students. We look forward to continuing our association with Kansas State University and the excellent pre-professional teachers that are assigned to Ware. WARE BEAR NEWS Page 3 K I ND ER GA RT E N Fall is here! Can you believe your kindergartner has been in school for almost an entire quarter? Your child has grown so much in the two months he/she has been in school. You will notice that your child is reading simple words, sentences, and even books. We have learned about half of the letter sounds in the English alphabet. In October we should finish learning the rest of the letter sounds and use them to spell and read more difficult words. We have been working very hard to create a love of reading. You can help encourage this by providing guidance on R&R homework each night. Studies show that 20 minutes of NIGHTLY reading helps children grow into stronger, more proficient readers. Enjoy listening to your child READ! Autumn brings with it many exciting areas of study. We will complete our human body unit, Head to Toe, within the next week. We will also be studying the season of fall, and begin our unit on food and nutrition. All exciting concepts to kindergarten students. Children love learning about the world around them, how things work, and why we do the things we do. Help your child develop their love of wonder and discovery by discussing thematic ideas with them each night using the thematic vocabulary list for the current unit. The more meaningful dialogue your child has about our thematic concepts, the stronger the knowledge on the subject, as well as their overall vocabulary. Thank you for taking the time to talk to your child about their day and pro- mote learning in all areas of their life. In math we continue to explore the numbers 0-5. We are decomposing and composing numbers like crazy! The more a child practice, the more fluent they will become with math skills later in their elementary career. To practice these skills give your child 5 small objects and ask he/she to show you one way to make five. Praise and encourage your child to come up with as many other ways to make five as possible. This activity is fun for kids and using different manipulatives each time makes the activity even more inviting! Thank you so much for your support in your child’s education. A strong parent/teacher partnership is essential for academic success. Kindergarten Teachers Mr. Scruggs Miss Brown Mrs. Walker Miss Bartlett Miss Willems Mrs. Huff ESSD Teacher Ms. Tracy FIR ST GR ADE Ms. Francis Mrs. Scott Miss Schoen Miss Wilhelm Miss Otte Mrs. Blume ESSD Teacher Ms. Tracy Fall is officially here and all the pieces are starting to fall into place for our first graders! We are very pleased with the progress our students are making in reading! It is very important that your child is reading each night for twenty minutes as the stories continue to get more difficult. All students will be formally tested at the beginning of October to determine their new reading level. At that time, they may either stay with their current reading teacher, or move to a different group depending on where they test. We have been implementing the College and Career Readiness Standards in first grade for a few years and we continue to be amazed with the students’ growth in math. They are learning to understand the value of numbers. In addition, they are becoming amazing little problem solvers. Check your child’s Ware Bear folders for upcoming events including Fall Festival (October 31st) and Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place October 21-22-23. Please make every effort to attend as they are crucial to the success of your student. We look forward to seeing you! WARE BEAR NEWS Page 4 S E CO ND GRA D E Second grade is off to a great start! The first quarter is quickly drawing to a close and we are excited about all that we have been learning so far. In math we’ll be focusing on money and place value. Students will also continue to practice their math fact fluency strategies. Be looking for homework coming home each week. In reading students will continue to become more independent readers. All students are expected to read for 20 minutes each night and complete their Read and Respond form, which they turn into their reading teacher. In social studies we’ll learn about geography and how to read maps. Please make sure that you check your student’s Ware Bear folder each night for homework and important notes. Also, your student has a planner where they will write down their homework for each day. This is a great way to encourage communication between the parents and teacher as well. Parent/Teacher conferences will be on October 21 and 22 from 3:307:30 pm, and on October 23 from 8:00am-12:15pm. Be looking for more information on conferences and no school days. It is very important that you meet with your student’s teacher so that you can be informed. Your Second Grade Team, Mrs. Larson Miss Hutchinson Mrs. Morgan Mrs. Blagg Miss Stingo Mrs. Smith ESSD Teacher Mrs. Felton THIR D GR ADE Third Grade Rules! Mrs. Pushee Mr. Larson Mr. Williamson Miss Thurman Miss Keller ESSD Teacher Miss Tozier Unbelievable-It is Fall already and the first quarter of the school year is almost done. Time has just flown by since starting school in August and students are settled into their daily routines. Reading and math groups are exploring strategies to become better readers and mathematicians and students have learned to become better writers by using strategies to find great ideas to write about. Students should continue reading 20 minutes each night and complete their Read and Respond to bring to their reading teacher each day. Research has shown that when students practice reading, just like practicing any other activity, they become better readers. If your student is not bringing you a Read and Respond form to sign each night, ask them about it. Reading teachers keep track of who turns them in daily. Speaking of reading, ask your students about Reading Counts. Students should be reading books from the library and taking short quizzes on those books. Your student’s home room teacher can give you more infor- mation about how well your student is utilizing Reading Counts. We hope you and your family have a wonderful Autumn! WARE BEAR NEWS Page 5 F OURT H G RA D E All fourth graders will be participating in the district Water Safety Program during October. Don’t put away those swimming suits quite yet. In math we are continuing to learn about multiplication problems and one of our main focuses is learning those multiplication facts. Your child should be practicing on his/her facts at least 5-10 minutes each night if they have not yet learned them. We do have a timed test everyday to keep up with our progress. Your support at home is very much appreciated. The Northeast Region of the U.S.A. is still our concentration in social studies. Just a reminder that planners are sent home each night so that you know what homework needs to be completed. Please take a moment to review and sign them. We look forward to seeing all of you at the Parent/Teacher Conferences scheduled for October 21-22-23. Have a great October! Fourth Grade Rocks! Mrs. Akard Mrs. Patch Mrs. Hilton Ms. Besler ESSD Teacher Mrs. Parker KSU Student Karen Hays Sara Annis F I FT H GRADE Your Fifth Grade Team, Mrs. Deville Miss Taylor Miss Fairbank Mrs. Whitlock ESSD Teacher Miss Hemberger With the arrival of October, fall is in the air. We are looking forward to the changing season and the changing leaves. Please remember that fall is also a time for changing weather and have your Ware Bear dress accordingly. This month in math, our fifth graders will be working with decimals in many forms. In science, our students are studying the scientific process and investigating the properties of matter. In social studies, we will continue to learn about early American civilizations and begin discussing world exploration. October is a very busy month here at Ware. With the end of the first quarter, we are wrapping up our current units and preparing to take our end of quarter assessments. It will be very important for all students to be at school every day during this busy time. The end of the first quarter also brings with it Parent/ Teacher Conferences. This year conferences will be held October 21-23. We are all looking forward to this opportunity to meet with you and review your child’s progress. There are many special activities at Ware during the month of October. Awards assemblies for the first quarter will be held on October 30. The end of October is Red Ribbon Week, and our Fall Festival celebrations. Please watch for further information on those activities. Page 6 WARE BEAR NEWS L I BRARY LIN E S Our Ware Bears have been super busy reading! So far this school year, 7,315 books have been checked out from the Library Media Center. What can I say, our Ware Bears are rockin’ readers! Kindergarten classes have weekly lessons in the library. We recently finished an amusing book called, The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. Check with their homeroom teacher for their regular library day. You can help remind them to bring their books back so they are able to checkout a new book! Grades third, fourth and fifth have had the opportunity to preview the William Allen White Award Nominees for 2014 -2015. They are encouraged to read these books so they can vote on their favorite book in March. For more information on these books, visit h t t p : / / www.emporia.edu/libsv/ wawbookaward/. ship education in the library. It is our goal to help students flourish in a world of media and technology. We are learning to become respectful, responsible digital citizens. Veronica Wait Library Media Specialist Library Clerks: There are some incredibly interesting books this year! Mrs. Gyuran Mr. Miller Students are continuing their Digital Citizen- PE LINES Your PE Teachers, Mr. Derek Scott [email protected] Miss Aubrey Koeppe [email protected] Friday, October 3rd, is Bramlage “Walk a Mile” Day and all Ware students will take an afternoon break to participate in a one mile walk around McLellan Loop north of Ware Elementary. All U.S.D. 475 elementary and middle schools will be participating, as well as students at the Freshman Success Academy and St. Xavier Catholic School. The purpose of this event is to promote healthy and active lifestyles and to show students that it’s as easy as taking a walk around the neighborhood. Each participant will be entered in a drawing at their school for a new scooter (grades Kinder- garten through second) and a bicycle (grades third through fifth). There will also be a district-wide grand prize drawing for an Xbox 360 console with Kinect, including two games: Kinect Adventures and Kinect Sports. All adult participants are also eligible in a drawing for a Fitbit Flex Band activity and sleep tracker. Learn more at www.fitbit.com. The grand prize and district adult prize winners will be announced the morning of Monday, October 6th, on KJCK 1420 AM radio during the 8:15am news. Ware Elementary prize winners will be announced to our students at the end of the day on the day of our Walk a Mile event. The day of our event we will meet in the new gym at 2:00pm for a brief assembly before beginning our one mile walk. In the event of inclement weather we will complete our walk indoors throughout the day during each grade level’s Block Activity Time. Make sure to send students to school with comfortable shoes for walking. WARE BEAR NEWS Page 7 NURSE NOTES Awww… Fall, one of my favorite Seasons! With the change in weather your Ware Bears need to be prepared for unpredictable weather. You may want to send them to school with a jacket, some mornings are very cool. Layering clothing may be helpful also, if the day turns warm, they could remove the top layer to be comfortable. Just a reminder that a good breakfast is so very important for your child’s ability to concentrate and learn. Cold and flu season is just around the corner! Remind your children about the importance of washing their hands. This is the single most important way to prevent the spread of germs. Also encourage them to cover their noses and mouths when they cough or sneeze. Please consider having your child vaccinated for the flu. Just a friendly reminder… Please bring in physical/ immunization form ASAP. Many physical are due in October. If you have a student that may require a change of clothing while at school, please put extra in their bookbags. My Ware Bears have visited my closet frequently and my supplies are getting low. If your child comes home in school clothing, please return them to me after they have been washed. Again please keep your contact information and emergency contact up to date. Your correct phone numbers are essential for us when we need to contact you for an injured or ill child. The Nurse office is still in need of small pants sizes 5 & 6 and new underwear for boys (size small) and girls (size 4 & 6). Any donations will be greatly appreciated. I am starting to do vision screenings. Notes will be coming home with the results. If your student needs further vision evaluation a letter will be mailed to you. Healthy Trick or Treating Eat a good meal before going to parties or trick or treating. Check all treats for tampering Try to ration treats Travel in groups If at all possible, walk with your children never to enter a home or car to get treats. Whishing you all a great October! Karen Roles, RN School Nurse MUSIC NOTES Your Music Teachers, Mrs. Susan Gillespie [email protected] Mr. Drew Horton [email protected] KSU Intern Erin Beal Please join us on Thursday, October 9, as the third grade students present “Just For Fun.” Their program will be at 6:00 p.m. on the Ware Elementary auditorium. We hope to see you there. Students have been doing a lot of singing, playing and moving in their music classes this fall. From drumming to the barred instruments, students are learning proper playing technique as they explore rhythmic and me- lodic patterns. Creative movement and folk dancing have been our focus for movement this quarter. All students are only being assessed on behavior and effort for the first quarter. Upcoming programs this semester include music from the U.S.A. by the fourth graders on November 13 and the fifth graders presentation of The Nutcracker on December 11. All programs begin at 6:00pm. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us at 717-4600 or send us an email. WARE BEAR NEWS Page 8 I have visited each classroom the last couple of weeks talking to student’s about perseverance. Perseverance is a part of our school guidelines for success. It means sticking to something even when it’s hard. This October I will continue visiting classrooms and teaching students about important character traits in order for them to have a safe and positive school year. As a reminder, If you feel you child needs to see me, please fill out an informed consent form in the front office or give me a call at (785) 717-4320 ext. 6930. Remember, school counselors do not provide “therapy” or “traditional counseling.” Referrals for outside counseling services are available if needed. I will be available at Ware Elementary on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays if you need to speak with me. Take care and lets continue to have a wonderful school year! Amy Hayward Elementary Counselor Ware Elementary- (785) 717- 4320 ext 6930 News from the Speech Team! Speech Services have begun! We are having a great time getting to know all our students. We enjoy seeing them learn and grow. Our first Homework sheets went home the end of September. These provide more practice opportunities for you to work with your child at home. Remember, returning completed Homework sheets earns your child a Pride Ticket. If you ever have any questions or concerns please call (785-717-6747) or email us. We will get back to you as soon as we can. Laura Twilling, M.A. CCC-SLP [email protected] Melissa Demuth, B.S. SLP [email protected] Page 9 WARE BEAR NEWS Math Challenge: Critical Thinking: Figur e out th e sh apes that need to go into each section of the tw o cir cles (venn diagram) that is labeled below them? Hint: one shape doesn’t belong in any section. Large Shaded Both Shaded and Large (Answers are located on the Ware Elementary website http://web.usd475.org/school/wr/SitePages/Home.aspx under “Parent Information”. October has some special weeks— October 6-9 is Fire Prevention Week. Ware invites firemen and women to visit the school to go over fire prevention and safety. October 13-17 is National School Lunch Week. If you are interested in joining your student for lunch during this week please call the school before 9:00 a.m. the day you are coming to request a school lunch. October 20-26 is National School Bus Safety Week. October 27—November 2 is Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is an annual alcohol, tobacco and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign. WARE BEAR NEWS Page 10 PTO General Meeting Tuesday, October 14 at 3:30 p.m. Interested in joining PTO? Come to the September meeting to find out more. Membership is just $3 per family. The Ware Elementary Parent Teacher Organization is a group of parents, teachers and Ware staff that work together to enhance the school experience for all of the students and teachers of Ware Elementary. PTO helps support many of the events at the school. For PTO to fund all of the special activities for students, we have to raise funds. We try to do this in ways that benefit your family and are not intrusive. We know there are lots of groups that are in need of funding so pick and choose what works for you and your family. PTO & Papa John’s Spirit Night PTO is excited to partner with Papa John’s once a month to raise money. It is easy to participate in, solves the “what to have for dinner” crisis, makes it easy for Ware families to eat together, and raises money for PTO. Papa John’s Nights are scheduled throughout the year for the third Thursday of every month (except December, March and May). Coupons are sent home to be used each month for this event. Box Tops for Education You wouldn’t throw away a dime would you? So, don’t toss out those Box Tops! Send them to school on collection sheets or in baggies. Make sure to include your student’s name and teacher’s name. Go online for a list of products, www.boxtops4education.com. Shop. Snap. Earn. Hassle-free Fundraising Download the free Shoparro app Join the 7,000+ schools already earning thousands through Shoparoo Snap pictures of your receipts Every receipt counts! Earn cash for Ware Shoparoo makes a donation for every receipt you summit Share with your friends There is strength in numbers—the more supporters we have, the more we earn!!!! WARE BEAR NEWS Page 11 Congratulations to the 2014-2015 Student Council Representatives: FORTH Grade: Jayden Garcia, Yazmin Gonzales, Makayla Flenoury, Mira Huff, Flavio DeNovellis, Emma Gray, Christian Cruz, and Abihail Feliciano FIFTH Grade: Elena Curtis, Malika Thomas, Tyson White, Jasmin Wright, Cole Donahue, Grace Ramos, Moeva Pine, Larry Wesley Ware Mart is our Student Council school store and will be open each Friday morning starting at 7:30 am. All students are welcome to shop after eating breakfast. Items are priced between $0.25 and $5.00. Proceeds from Ware-Mart are used to support school projects and community service projects. Spirit Day – Friday, October 3 – Tuesday, October 21 3:30—7:30 pm $6.00 each child & adult sizes Wednesday, October 22 3:30—7:30 pm Thursday, October 23 8:00am—12:15pm T-shirts are available in the office throughout the school year. We look forward to seeing you! WARE BEAR NEWS Page 12 R EB E BA EA EW WW AA RE R RNN EW SS Page 13 “This Institution is an equal opportunity provider” Page 14 WARE BEAR NEWS OCTOBER MENU
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