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November 2014
Insights from the Desks of our Wildcats
Principal’s Message
Elizabeth Yezierski
Principal for Sealston Elementary
Chilly temperatures, colorful leaves and shorter days are signs fall is here!
Report cards for the 1st nine weeks will be issued on Friday, Nov 7th, and I
hope you are excited to learn about your child’s progress. Students in
grades 2-6 are gearing up for benchmark tests in reading and math between
Nov 3th and Nov 14th . Benchmark tests are assessments given each nine
weeks to help teachers determine how well students have mastered skills in
reading and math.
PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCE NIGHTS
Parents of kindergarten students, please make sure you have scheduled a
time to meet with your child’s teacher on Nov 4th to review your child’s
academic progress. I would like to encourage SES families of students in
Grades 1-6 to attend Parent/Teacher Conference Night on Nov 25 th from
4:00-7:00. Please call the school office at 775-3400 and Mrs. Colwell or
Mrs. Myers will be happy to assist you with scheduling an appt. Please
take advantage of this opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher to
discuss academic progress and goals.
Calendar of Events
NOVEMBER
3……..End of first nine weeks
4……..Student Holiday
5……..Spirit Night-King’s Pizza (4:00-9:00)
6……..4th Grade Social (3:45-4:45)
7……..Report Cards Issued
9……..Chorus
10……Snakes Alive Program (grades K-2)
11……School Closed – Holiday
13……PTA Meeting/Title I Night (5:30-7:00)
14……Thanksgiving Lunch
15…….GEM Club begins
16…….Reading Night (5:00-7:30)
21……3rd Grade field trip to Washington DC
24……PTA Chili Cook Off (6:00)
Parent Teacher Conference Night
26-28.. School Closed – Thanksgiving Holiday
Learn from my mistakes: What I wish I had done to get more out of
parent-teacher conferences, an article by Lisa Heffernen, was recently
published in the Washington Post. These tips may be beneficial to you as
you prepare to meet with your child’s teacher.
I should have listened. Teachers know things I didn’t. My children’s
teachers saw a child that I didn’t and they had a way of putting him into
PAGE 1….… Principal’s Message/Calendar
context that I didn’t. The single best thing I could do at a parent-teacher
PAGE 2-4..…Grade Level News
conference was to listen.
PAGE 5….… Specials News
I should not have been blindsided. Talk to your kid before you go to
PAGE 6 ….... PTA News
school, ask if there is anything you should know before the meeting. The
PAGE 7……. ITL & Guidance News
meeting will go far better if you know of any impending big issues.
PAGE 8……..Reading & Math News
A lot of what gets said, goes unsaid. Listen to what is being said and what
is not being said. Reading between the lines, hearing the implications, can
be vital.
Drag your child’s other parent along. My husband came to these conferences and always learned something other than what I did.
He heard a slightly different message or thought of different questions and we got twice as much out of our meetings.
Be prepared. Come armed with one must-ask question and one must-reinforce point and the meeting will be a success.
Do not get defensive, no matter what. Defensiveness never yields open communication. Most of the time, most teachers showed true
insight and care for my children and it behooved me to listen to their insights, without argument. I was there to learn about their
behavior, good and bad not to defend their actions.
If any of your questions require info, email the teacher ahead of time.
Don’t shortchange your child because the parent meeting with the teacher ahead of you lost track of time. When I found myself
allotted 10 minutes and ushered in seven minutes late, my impulse was to speak at twice my normal speed. I finally realized that I did
not need to make-up for another parent’s bad manners by cutting my session short.
No need for panic. The school year is long, the means of communication are many, so whatever does not get said in this one hurried
encounter can be revisited.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Sealston Elementary School
11048 Fletcher's Chapel Road, King George, Virginia 22485
Phone: (540)775-3400
Fax: (540)775-9953
www.kgcs.k12.va.us
Grade Level News
On the Prowl with Sealston Wildcats
Page 2 of 8
Kindergarten News
First Grade News
The month was filled with lessons of fall and pumpkins.
Students learned about the letters Ss, Mm, Aa and Tt.
They were introduced to the sight words: I, like, the, and,
see and we. They have also been learning about
rhyming, beginning sounds and practicing concept of
word. As you can see we have been busy little wildcats.
During math we will be
building on concepts
already learned like
number sense and what
we can do with numbers.
Students continue to
practice measurement,
sorting,
patterns,
comparing and counting.
Kindergarten
had
a
wonderful time on the
field trip to the pumpkin
patch. The students learned about how pumpkins and
apples grow. They also got to visit with goats and pick
their own pumpkin. Thank you to all the chaperones that
helped out on our trip. We appreciate all your help. We
will be holding parent/teacher conferences on November
4th. We highly encourage parents to schedule a time to
meet with your child’s teacher concerning his/her start to
kindergarten. Teachers will also be reviewing report
cards and PALs (Phonological Awareness and Literacy
Screening) scores. The Kindergarten Team is very
excited to announce we will be having our annual
Thanksgiving Day Feast on Tuesday, November 25th.
More information will be coming home soon.
In math first grade students are focusing on geometry
concepts such as composing and decomposing shapes and
describing and sorting shapes. They are also working on
coin recognition (penny, nickel, dime and quarter) and
counting by 1's, 2's, 5's and 10's to 100. Practice, practice,
practice! Throughout November in reading students will
work diligently on spelling words with short vowels, blends
and digraphs. They will build sight word vocabulary by
adding approximately 24 more words to their flip
books. Comprehension focus will be on nonfiction text
structure (table of contents, glossary, heading, topic, etc.)
In science students have learned about the life needs and
characteristics of plants and animals.
They will move on to the
next social studies
concepts related to long
ago versus today,
including sequencing of
events in picture
timelines and
distinguishing among
past, present and
future. Firstinmath.com
and Raz-Kids.com are
excellent websites for
your child to use at home
in order to practice
important concepts like
math facts and reading fluency. Please be sure you are
using these resources regularly!
Cafeteria
Parents are invited to eat lunch with their children
on Friday, November 14th at their regular lunch
time. An RSVP has been sent home for the adults
to sign up. The cost is $3.50. Students will pay
the regular price of $2.40 and they will sign up in
their classroom like they do each day. RSVP
need to be returned by Monday, Nov 3rd. Please
no late responses.
Sealston Elementary School
11048 Fletcher's Chapel Road, King George, Virginia 22485
Phone: (540)775-3400
Fax: (540)775-9953
www.kgcs.k12.va.us
Grade Level News
On the Prowl with Sealston Wildcats
Page 3 of 8
Second Grade News
Wow it is November already!! Our second grade students are getting into the swing 2nd grade expectations, rules, and
procedures! We will continue to focus on building student independence, responsibility and accountability. Students
have completed the fall PALS and the Numeracy Assessments! PALS results were sent home with the Quarter 1
Interims. Academically students have adapted well to the routines and procedures of Daily 5! All facets of Daily 5
(Read to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading, Word Work and Work on Writing) have been introduced. We are
pleased that the students are working hard to select “good fit” books to read independently! Students have also adapted
well to the procedures and processes of Word Study (spelling curriculum) and their differentiated spelling lists. In reading
we will continue to focus on story structure (characters, setting, plot and problem/solution), interpreting illustrations such
as diagrams, charts, graphs and maps to make predictions and locate information. We will also break down Nonfiction
Text Structure by learning how to use print clues, such as bold type, italics and underlining to assist in reading. In writing
students will focus on the writing process and writing sentences correctly with correct punctuation. They will also learn
about writing proper nouns correctly, identifying difference between nouns/pronouns, verbs and adjectives. In math
students are working on the Investigations Math series - comparing 2D & 3D shapes using geoboards. Students will learn
what symmetry is and how to find symmetry in geometric shapes. In science they will learn about weather. In social
studies students will learn about lives and contributions of the Lakota, Pueblo and Powhatan American Indian cultures
and create projects on Native American homes. Information will be sent home soon. Finally, please do not forget about
parent conference night that will take place on Nov. 24th. We hope to see all of you then!
Fourth Grade News
Third Grade News
Third grade students are looking forward to going to
the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., on November
21. Permission slips and money are due by November
14. At this time all chaperone slots are filled. Any
additional chaperone names will be placed in a lottery.
In math students have completed the unit on place
value to 6 digits, comparing numbers and rounding up
to the thousands place. They are currently working on
graphing as well as 2- and 3- digit addition and
subtraction. In reading students are working on
making inferences and predictions. They are telling
things the author does not explicitly say and giving
specific details that led to their inference. Please
continue to read to or have your child read to you
nightly. They should be using the “IPICK” method
when choosing a book. In social studies students have
discussed the importance of rules and laws in a
community. They are currently working on map
skills. In science they have investigated the physical
properties of matter, three states of matter and how to
measure matter. We will be discussing if and how the
matter can change from one state to another.
In math fourth grade students are learning how to identify
place value, compare and round whole numbers and add
and subtract whole numbers. Continue to check out our
interactive notebooks to see more of what your child is
learning. In social studies students are learning how
slavery and agriculture were woven into everyday life in
Colonial Virginia. They are learning how migration
affected growth of the Virginia colony and led to changes
within the geography of Virginia. In science fourth grade
science classes will learn about electricity and life
processes. Key vocabulary to learn is static electricity,
conductors, insulators, open circuits, closed circuits,
poles, repel, attract, magnetism, magnetic fields, current,
electromagnet, compass, plants, roots, stems, leaves,
photosynthesis and chlorophyll. They will also study the
contributions of Benjamin Franklin, Michael Farady and
Thomas Edison. In reading students will focus on skills
such as fact and opinion, text features and the
significance of nonfiction. Students will begin to
understand that narrative nonfiction is a story that is
based on factual events and information. They will also
work with word reference materials, such as dictionaries
and almanacs, to help them learn the difference between
these resources. More activities with grammatical
aspects, such as nouns and pronouns, will be provided to
the students to strengthen their skills.
Sealston Elementary School
11048 Fletcher's Chapel Road, King George, Virginia 22485
Phone: (540)775-3400
Fax: (540)775-9953
www.kgcs.k12.va.us
Other News
On the Prowl with Sealston Wildcats
Page 4 of 8
Fifth Grade News
Sixth Grade News
Fifth grade reading classes have been doing a voracious
amount of reading for Just Read tickets. Reading
comprehension is focused on story structure including
drawing conclusions, inferring, cause & effect, character
development, plot & conflict and point of view with
narrative text structure. Students are using prefixes and
suffixes to increase their vocabulary. Be sure to ask your
child what affixes he/she is studying and what they mean
along with example words that use those prefixes and
suffixes. Students have completed their American
Indians Google Presentations in Mr. Hixson's class
which allowed them to utilize Chromebooks for the first
time. Thank you PTA for purchasing the Chromebooks!
Students will begin to study and discuss European
Exploration throughout November, and Mrs. Scott's
classes will start the unit on American Indians.
Remember all students should read for at least 20
minutes each night. In science students will venture into
the ocean unit which entails quite a bit of
vocabulary. Please encourage your child to bring home
the binder/flash cards which can be used to play a
Concentration/Memory Game. Students need to study
their binder on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 10-15
minutes. Checking your child’s binder as well as Parent
Portal allows you to check his/her success and each unit
test grade. In math students will continue to work on
number traits and decimals: place value, expanded
numbers, word form, addition and subtraction. We will
review angles and extend the knowledge into
identification of triangles. Children need a protractor to
use AT HOME. Your child needs to begin reviewing the
topics for our benchmark test which will be given
soon. Everything we have studied thus far, as well as
any math strands from fourth grade may be on this
benchmark. Your child should use the materials in their
binder and the completed Learning Opportunity (L.O.)
assignments to prepare for the benchmark. Ask about
his/her grades on the L.O. quiz each week and ask about
the class average. Scores are being plotted so we can
check our progress individually and as a class. Please be
reminded that students are required to bring their agendas
to class each day. Check your child's agenda nightly to
be sure he/she is completing the given assignments. Also
ask your child about his/her school supplies. Some
students are running low on pencils, crayons, markers
and highlighters. Students should bring these supplies to
the classes each day.
This month sixth grade students will continue their
march through the early 20th century in US History.
They will be able to describe the impact the Progressive
Movement had on early working conditions faced by
factory workers. Students will also be able to describe
the impact on the early 1900’s society of both the
Women’s Suffrage groups and the Temperance
Movement. Students’ first cumulative test on all topics
will be given towards the end of November. Please
continue to check your student’s progress and make
sure you have seen and signed his/her interactive
notebook prior to all unit tests. In November students
will begin to dive into non-fiction reading. They will
read articles, books, pamphlets, newspapers and other
non-fiction writing. They will also continue to edit their
writing. In October, the students began their year-long
unit on Greek and Latin root words, a topic we will
continue to explore and expand upon throughout the
entire school year. Please continue to read with your
child at home and sign off on their Reading Log every
week. In science student will work on identifying the
elements on the periodic table of elements, and will
move on to units about matter and energy. They will
learn how matter and energy move through Earth’s
spheres, how weathering changes the Earth’s surface
and how wind, ice, gravity and water change the Earth’s
surface. In math students will continue learning about
fractions, decimals and percent concepts through
November. They will also start to work on multiplying
and dividing decimals. By Thanksgiving break,
students will begin exciting projects on area, volume
and circles. They will take their first benchmark and
work on review of skills learned from the first quarter.
SEALSTON SPIRIT NIGHT
Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 - 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Come to KING’S PIZZA on November 5 and
support Sealston Elementary School. Buy a
medium or large pizza and the school will receive
money for educational and fun items! You can dine
in OR carry out! Just make sure you give your
server the flyer or bring it with you when you pick
up your pizza! Flyers will come home with your
students the day of Spirit Night. The homeroom
with the most flyers will win a prize!
Sealston Elementary School
11048 Fletcher's Chapel Road, King George, Virginia 22485
Phone: (540)775-3400
Fax: (540)775-9953
www.kgcs.k12.va.us
On the Prowl with Sealston Wildcats
Specials News
Page 5 of 8
A R T with Mrs. Sheddan
M U S I C with Mrs. Haywood
We have some creative and exciting art projects planned
for the month of November! Kindergarten will create a
fish using colors and patterns. They will also learn
about symmetry and create a "symmetrical" tree. First
grade students will create a castle drawing out of
different shapes. They will also learn about the colors of
the rainbow and color a ROY G BIV pumpkin. Second
grade students will learn about Chinese number symbols
and create a scroll. They will create a 3-D drawing of a
street. For several weeks in November, third grade
students will learn about complimentary colors and
create a city picture. Fourth grade students will create a
geometric sunrise using warm and cool colors. They
will also illustrate and color an adjective word of their
choice. For several weeks, fifth grade students will
create a collage of different kinds
of lines (wavy, curly, zig zag) on
small paper squares using sharpie
markers. Sixth grade students
will spend several weeks creating
and illustrating their own
country.
In music class Kindergarten students are enjoying adding
instruments, playing games and acting out nursery rhymes,
including “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater” and “Little Miss
Muffet.” They read rhythms by sounding out picture cards
with pumpkins and pies. First grade students read and
wrote quarter and eighth notes for the song “Big, Black
Cats.” Second graders learned to recognize three pitches
on the music staff with a variety of songs
and games, including “Apple Tree.”
Third grade students learned about the
many musical choices composers make
by listening to an excerpt of Haydn’s
“Surprise Symphony.” They made their
own choices (instruments, tempo and
dynamics) to add to a performance of the song “Skin and
Bones.” Fourth graders learned a dance with 3 sections
called “Way Down Yonder in the Brickyard” and
improvised melodies on xylophones. Fifth graders learned
how to build chords and played fun Boomwhackers to show
chord changes in the songs “This Land is Your Land” and
“Dem Wacky Bones.” Sixth graders watched videos and
critiqued their dances for the jazz song “Dancin’ on the
Rooftop” and learned about the beginnings of rock and roll
with the song “Rock Around the Clock.”
P.E. with Miss Libby
In the month of November, kindergarten and first
grade classes will be working on command dances,
like the Hokey Pokey. Second and third grade classes
will work on square dances like Ole Suzanna and the
Virginia Reel. Fourth, fifth and sixth grade classes
will work on creative dances. They will work in
small groups to create a dance and will perform
it as a class mash up.
Running Club
Upcoming events in running
club include:
Nov 11th — Veteran's Day race
at KGHS in honor of Veterans
Nov. 27th — Turkey Trot in Fredericksburg
Nov. 1-Nov 24th – Team Fundraiser. The team
will be selling Thirty-One bags. If you would
like to purchase an item to support the team,
please see a running club member or contact
Miss Libby.
Chorus
Chorus is off to a wonderful start with 58 members in
grades 3-6. Chorus meets every Thursday from 3:45-4:40.
There will be a practice the first week in December to
cover the one missed during Thanksgiving (exact date
TBD.) Our first concert will be held with the school band
on Thursday, December 11 at 6:00.
LIBRARY
with Ms. Orolin
The book fair was an amazing success, and I can't wait
until March to do it again! In the meantime, I am starting
to accept Book Talks for the morning announcements. For
any details about how your kids can write Book Talks for
the announcements, feel free to e-mail me or check the
library website at
elemlibraryadventures.blogspot.
com. Additionally, the fourth
grade Book Talk Club will be in
full swing starting on November
5. I am so excited to see my
fourth graders reading, writing
and performing! It will be a
fantastic time!
Sealston Elementary School
11048 Fletcher's Chapel Road, King George, Virginia 22485
Phone: (540)775-3400
Fax: (540)775-9953
www.kgcs.k12.va.us
Math & Reading News
On the Prowl with Sealston Wildcats
Sealston Elementary School
Page 6 of 8
WATCH D.O.G.S.
PTA invites fathers, step-fathers, grandfathers, guardians and any
father figures to become more involved in their child’s education. You
are invited to join the Watch DOGs (Dads
of Great Students) program and become a
Sealston WatchDOG. For more information
about this great program, please contact
Mike Cahn @ 540-775-2845.
PTA Meetings and Events
The new school year is off to great start.
PTA would like all parents and guardians
to have a voice so please join the PTA.
For more information on becoming a
member of PTA, please contact your
child’s teacher.
PTA is Selling Spirit Wear!
Wildcat Cinch sacks $5.00
Water bottles $4.00
Keychains $2.00
Upcoming October events:
11/10 – Snakes Alive presentation
(grades K-2)
11/13 − PTA mtg and Title I Night (5:30)
11/24 – PTA Chili Cook Off
& Silent Auction
We hope see you at the next PTA meeting.
Labels for Education
Labels for Education is a fun and
easy program where families and
members of the community work
together to “Earn Free Stuff” for their
school! From soup, cereal and
snacks to dairy products, beverages
and food storage – your kitchen is
probably full of eligible Labels for
Education® items. For more
information go online to
http://www.labelsforeducation.com
or contact the Sealston PTA.
Box Tops
Box Tops is one of America’s
largest school earnings loyalty
programs. Families can clip and
send Box Tops to Sealston
Elementary School at anytime.
Each Box Top is worth 10¢ for
your school. For more
information visit the Box Tops
website at
http://boxtopsforeducation.info or
contact the Sealston PTA.
PTA BOARD 2014-2015
Gerri Leasure
President
Anna Van Theemsche
Vice President of Membership
Gina Hoffman
Vice President of Programs
Cathy Knapp
Treasurer
Catherine Greiber
Secretary
Brenda Rash
Volunteer Coordinator
Heidi Asbury
Teacher Liaison
Questions or Comments?
Contact your PTA at
[email protected]
Sealston Elementary School
11048 Fletcher's Chapel Road, King George, Virginia 22485
Phone: (540)775-3400
Fax: (540)775-9953
www.kgcs.k12.va.us
ITL News
On the Prowl with Sealston Wildcats
Parent Portal
Page 7 of 8
Thank You Sealston PTA!
PowerSchool Parent Portal is an online tool that works
with our PowerSchool Student Information System (SIS.)
PowerSchool Parent Portal gives parents and students
access to real-time information including attendance,
grades and detailed assignment descriptions. You must
create an account in order to use Parent Portal. A parent
account allows you to view the information for one or
more students with a single sign in. You can also manage
your personal account preferences. If this is the first
time you are creating a Parent Portal account, you will
need an “Access ID” and “Access Password” for each
student. This information is available from the front
office secretary. If you have created a Parent Portal
account, but don’t remember your login information,
click the “Having Trouble Signing In” link on the login
page to recover your information. Parent Portal link:
http://ps.kgcs.k12.va.us/public/
Fifth grade teacher, Mr. Hixson uses Chromebooks for
collaborative projects in social studies, reading and
writing. With the Chromebooks, Mr. Hixson uses Google
Classroom to send assignments, provide feedback and
engage students with the Google Apps for Education tools.
We appreciate the new opportunities these Chromebooks
bring for learning with technology.
Guidance
The month of October was super for the school
counselors! Mrs. Herbolsheimer and Mrs. DeLoach
have been teaching classroom guidance lessons. It has
been fun getting to know all the students. During
classroom guidance, the students in grades K-3 met
“Kelso the Frog.” Kelso helps children learn the
difference between small and big problems. We will
be working with children and teaching them conflict
resolution skills. Grades 4-6 are also learning the
difference between minor and major problems and
how to solve conflicts peacefully. We look forward to
continuing to work with the students!
Fifth grade students proudly hold up Chromebooks which
were purchased by Sealston Elementary School PTA.
Word of the Month:
Honesty: Being truthful with others and with
one’s self.
Sealston Elementary School
11048 Fletcher's Chapel Road, King George, Virginia 22485
Phone: (540)775-3400
Fax: (540)775-9953
www.kgcs.k12.va.us
On the Prowl with Sealston Wildcats
Other News
Page 8 of 8
Just Read!
Sealston Wildcats are excited about our new school wide reading program – JUST READ. Students receive a ticket
for every book read. Students in the lower grades also receive tickets for books read to them. Upper grade
students may receive tickets based on the number of pages or chapters read. Total ticket counts will be graphed on
the bulletin board located in the front entry hallway. Check it out and watch our totals grow. Research shows the
more students read the more successful they are in school. Please keep reading with your child. We know we will
have a lot to celebrate at the end of the school year.
Mark your calendars for our reading
night, “Harvesting Good Readers”
scheduled for November 13, 2014
from 5:00 - 6:30p.m.
Math News
Monthly Math Moment:
Courtesy of “Reading Connection Sept 2013. © 2013 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated.
Even though our winter break is over, this is an excellent website that you might find helpful as you work with your
children learning math: http://www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx?id=24049 This link leads you to activities that can
be done ANY TIME!
AND,
Have you heard about “Bedtime Math”? It is a wonderful FREE website! Their mission is to help kids learn to LOVE
math by making problem solving into a nightly activity so that nightly math is as common as the beloved bedtime story.
It really has a lot of great ideas and fun questions. .. I hope you will check it out! http://bedtimemath.org/
Please cut along the dotted line for a handy bookmar as you help your children find math all around them. Please contact
me at [email protected] if have any questions about the math program for King George County Schools.
For information about how to help your child succeed in math, contact your child’s teacher or Fanya Morton, KGCS Mathematics Specialist [email protected]
Cut along this line for a handy book mark!
Sealston Elementary School
11048 Fletcher's Chapel Road, King George, Virginia 22485
Phone: (540)775-3400
Fax: (540)775-9953
www.kgcs.k12.va.us