Pierce Elementary School
Volume 21 Issue 3
PRINCIPAL’S CORNER
This year, the Iowa Core Standards continue to drive our work. These state standards, with
increased rigor and complexity, have had a major impact on teaching and learning in our school.
The standards are based on, and connected to, college and career readiness skills for the 21st
century. These academic standards are important because they help ensure that all students, no
matter where they live or what school they attend, are prepared for success in college and the
workforce. Standards provide a clear roadmap for learning for teachers, parents and students.
These clearly defined goals help families and teachers work together to ensure that all students
succeed. Developing critical thinking skills prepares students for whatever their futures may
hold. Your child’s teacher should have provided you with a “Parents Guide to Student Success”
to assist you in becoming more familiar with the grade level standards for your child (ren). If
you have not received that please contact the school and if you are interested in finding out
more you can visit www.corestandards.org
Mrs. Davidson, Principal
“LET’S BE FRIENDS”
By Mrs. Collier
Isn’t it great to have a friend? Someone to talk to? Go to the movies with?
Have fun with? The second and third graders are performing a music program
on November 6th called “Let’s Be Friends”. The songs are all about friends
and will include instruments, movements and fun! The third graders need to
meet in the Pierce gym at 5:10 pm for their 5:30 performance.
The second graders need to meet in the gym at 6:40 pm for their
7:00 performance. Both 2nd and 3rd graders should wear a short
sleeved shirt and dark pants to the afternoon rehearsal on Nov.6
and also to the evening performance. The students will put on
their “Panthers Rock” shirt on top of their other shirt.
PIERCE MISSION
Exceptional learning for all in a safe, caring environment.
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RULES FOR GOOD HEALTH:
Wash your hands with liquid soap and warm water.
Wash your hands before preparing or handling food.
Wash your hands after using the bathroom.
Wash your hands after playing outdoors.
Wash your hands after playing with pets.
Wash your hands after blowing your nose, coughing or
sneezing into your hands.
Take a bath or shower daily.
Keep cuts and scrapes clean.
Avoid contact with anyone who is
contagious.
Eat a variety of good, healthful food.
Be sure to eat breakfast.
Brush your teeth after waking up
and before going to sleep. Don’t share drinking or eating utensils with others, and
don’t eat or drink things that other people have already
put their hands or mouths on.
Get plenty of rest. School age children need between
8-10 hours of sleep.
Do some type of physical activity every day
See your doctor and dentist regularly for checkups.
Get the shots you need.
2014 AMERICA READS
On October 17th, students of Pierce Elementary participated in the 18th annual America Reads event. The highlights of the
week included special morning
announcements about selected
authors, book trivia, and every
class having community readers
to share a story with them on
Friday. We had a lot of fun and
hopefully along the way lots of
Pierce Panthers were inspired to
keep on reading! FACTS ABOUT INFLUENZA
There are several types of influenza viruses. Influenza A and
B cause respiratory illnesses. Symptoms begin suddenly 1-5 days
after exposure and usually last for 2-7 days. Symptoms include
fever, cough, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. It generally
occurs in the late fall and winter. Anyone can get influenza,
but those at highest risk for severe illness are the elderly, the
very young, and those with chronic medical problems such as
diabetes and asthma, or heart or lung conditions.
It is spread by coughing or sneezing. Treatment is rest and
lots of fluids to drink. Since there is more than one type of
influenza, it is possible to get it more than once a year.
There is a vaccine for Influenza. Those people at particular
risk for getting a serious case of influenza should get the vaccine yearly.
What can you do to prevent the spread of influenza? Children (and adults) who are ill with fever and cough should stay
home. Cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
This is generally done by coughing/sneezing into your sleeve/
elbow. Consult your medical provider to determine if he/she
thinks you and your family should receive the Influenza Vaccine.
DATES TO REMEMBER
NOVEMBER 2014
3 .......... School Food Drive and Toys for Tots Drive begin
Running Club 8:00-8:45
4................................................................EDP 3:50-4:50
Board Game Club 3:45-4:45
5.......................................................Lockdown Drill 2:00
6...............................................Third Grade Musical 5:30
Second Grade Musical 7:00
EDP and Running Club do not meet today
Check Virtual Backpack online
10..........................................Conference Window Opens
Running Club 8:00-8:45
4th Grade to CR Symphony
11........................................ Kindergarten Turkey Tuesday
EDP 3:50-4:50 p.m.
13.................................Family Conference Night 4-8 PM
Book Fair
Check Virtual Backpack online
14.......................................................................Book Fair
Food Drive and Toys for Tots Drive ends
17...................................................................... Book Fair
PTA Meeting 12:00 - IMC
18............................... Family Night Conferences 4-8 PM
Book Fair
NO EDP
19..............................................................EDP 3:50-4:50
20.............................................. EDP 3:50-4:50 (last day)
Panther Press home
Check Virtual Backpack online
21............................................Conference Window closes
4th grade Medical Ambassadors visit fourth grade
24-28.................................. Holiday Break - No School
Everybody,
Every Day!
Good Attendance
Matters
WE NEED YOUR CHILDREN HERE SO
THEY CAN LEARN
It is very important for children to be on time to school
and to remain here all day. We certainly understand that there
are some appointments that can only be scheduled during
the school day and that emergencies sometimes arise, but by
coming in late or leaving early students miss instructional time
and the important morning and end-of–the-day procedures
and routines.
While those times may not always seem like critical instructional times, they are actually very crucial times for students.
The activities that go on during these times help students
develop personal responsibility and reinforce social skills and
self-management.
We appreciate your efforts to keep your child in school all
day, every day.
DEVELOPING STRATEGIC READERS:
A PARENTS’ GUIDE
Parents are vital links with the school in helping their child
develop into a strategic, skillful reader. Here are some suggestions you can use at home to develop these important skills
that your child will need throughout his lifetime:
• Occasionally read aloud to your child without showing
him the pictures. Asking questions about the story will
encourage him to listen carefully to the words.
• Use picture books for the whole family to enjoy and discuss
together. Many of them have themes and messages that
support the values you want to instill in your children.
(Mrs. Annis can recommend many great titles for you to
check out through the Pierce IMC.)
• Practice the skill of prediction every day. When reading a
book, ask your child what he thinks will happen next. You
can do the same thing during commercials when watching
a program with a plot.
• Before reading books about
a subject, ask your child
what he already knows and
what he wants to know.
After reading, ask what
he’s learned and what he
still wants to learn.
• Think aloud. Model your
thinking and problem solving for your children.
• When reading or watching television ask your child to pick
out the important information, summarize, list details, or
give an opinion that he can support.
• Ask your child how the story might change if the story
setting was different, i.e., Cinderella in the future.
• Have your child summarize a story. This is different from
just retelling a story. This skill requires a student to decide
what’s important and put those important ideas into a
logical sequence.
• Make increasing vocabulary an everyday priority for your
child. Use increasingly more sophisticated language and
ask your child to tell you what he thinks a word means
in context.
• Have your child read at least 20 minutes every night.
Experts say that children must be exposed to 1,000,000
words per year for adequate vocabulary development.
Parents should model silent reading skills for their child
at the same time the child is reading.
• Build a home library so that children always have books
to read and enjoy.
Follow the District on
and
,
@crschools,
FAMILY CONFERENCES ON
NOVEMBER 13TH AND 18TH
4:00-8:00 PM
November is always conference time at Pierce School.
We look forward to meeting with every Pierce family
this month. Our goal is 100% participation!! Teachers
have set aside time to meet with each family so “make it a
date”. We have conveniently arranged conference times
on two nights with parents having the opportunity to
sign up for the time that works best for you. Below are
some general hints for having a successful conference:
• Ask your child if there is something that they
would like to discuss.
• Arrive promptly or a few minutes early. If you
are unable to attend, please be considerate of
the teacher’s time and let them know.
• Avoid lengthy discussions about topics that are
not related to the conference.
• Be open-minded to suggestions from the
teachers.
• In split family situations, we urge parents to
conference together with your child’s teacher so
that each parent receives identical information.
If at all possible, put aside any personal differences for the benefit of the children.
• Do not stay longer than your allotted time…
there may be others waiting.
We can’t wait to share all the wonderful learning of
our students from the first trimester!
PROPER WINTER DRESS
As cold weather approaches, students need to be reminded
by parents of what they should be wearing to school. Hats,
mittens or gloves and a winter coat are essential for all students
to wear during winter weather. Body heat is quickly lost when
hats are not worn. For recess, please
see that your child has boots, gloves,
hats and snow pants so they can
enjoy the outdoor fun. If you are
unable to supply these things for
your child please notify our counselor, Mrs. Cobert, for assistance
at 558-2373.
Cedar Rapids Community School District takes your safety seriously and welcomes your input. Please contact your
building principal/administrator and report any safety concerns that you may have. Thank you for helping us keep staff
and students safe. You should contact the Pierce Elementary office at phone number 319-558-2373.
WORKING TOWARD
POSITIVE BEHAVIORS
This year begins year four of Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) at Pierce Elementary. Year four is a
continuation on our work with the guiding words – Respectful,
Responsible and Safe. We will be working hard to improve
behaviors in the common areas of the hallway, bathroom,
cafeteria and playground. We are also continuing our work
within the classroom as well. This year’s main focus will be on
respect. We hope that by the end of the year, all students will
know what respect is and feel that they are respected at school.
Pierce will continue with the celebrations for earning tickets.
We have already reached our 10,000 mark and the students
were able to “Spin the wheel” to determine an all-school reward.
Check out our “Respect Highway” in the cafeteria...it reflects
our ticket progress as a building. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SUPPORT OF THIS VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR
LEARNING AT SCHOOL!
FOOD DRIVE/TOYS FOR TOTS
This year, Pierce students will be involved with two holiday
community service projects. These two projects include the annual Pierce Food Drive and the addition of Toys for Tots. Both
community service projects will be happening from November
3rd to November 14th. Students are invited to donate to one or
both of these worthy projects. Please place your non-perishable
food items and new, unwrapped toys in the collection boxes at
the main entrance of the building. Both projects will directly
impact students at Pierce and in our local community. Thank
you in advance for your generous contributions. Teaching our
children to give to others is an important life lesson we are
pleased to promote.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR
FALL FUNDRAISER
Thank you to each parent who made the effort to
contact co-workers, relatives, neighbors, and friends to
support our school fundraiser. We have so many extra
learning opportunities at Pierce because of PTA fundraising. It might be easy to assume these activities will always
be available but the following sampling of PTA funded
items only happen because of your fundraising support:
Roller Skating-all month in January
Planners for 3rd-5th graders
Rock Star T-shirts for all students
Grandparents’ Day snacks
Red Ribbon Week pencils
Field trips-$6000 worth!
Parent phone directory
Your caring concern for your child’s educational experience is a large factor in making Pierce a great school.
TIPS TO GET READY FOR
COLD AND FLU SEASON
Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly for at least
20 seconds with soap and hot water. Frequent hand washing
is the most important, and perhaps the easiest step you and
your family can take.
Be sure to wash and disinfect surfaces regularly—including
computer keyboards and mouse, video games, remote controls,
telephone headsets, desks, kitchen countertops, doorknobs,
and even kids’ plastic toys.
Sneeze and cough into your arm at the elbow—not into
your hands.
Moderate the humidity level in your home. Do not let
winter heating dry out your sinuses.
Check with your medical provider about getting an Influenza Vaccine.
COUNSELING CORNER:
“NO NEED TO WORRY”
As the school year gets rolling and the stakes get higher,
you might notice that your child seems a little bit worried.
You might have observed that your child seems to be suffering
from frequent stomach aches, abstract injuries, or an increased
desire to avoid school. All of these signs can point to anxiety.
The upside is that you are not in this alone; anxiety is not at
all uncommon in children and, in most cases, there is plenty
you can do to help your child through it.
The most important thing to remember is to take your
child’s worries seriously. Not knowing where to sit on the bus,
for example, may not be a big concern in the adult world, but
to your child it may be monumental. If you treat their worry as
a valid concern and work with them to find ways to remedy it,
then they will be more likely to open up to you in the future.
Sometimes your child may not know why they are worried;
they may just feel some general anxiety. This can be a scary
experience for both your child and for you. In these situations it can be helpful to provide your child with some basic
relaxation strategies, such as taking deep breaths or counting
backwards from 10. The things that work for you just might
work for them.
For more information on childhood anxiety, as well as
resources to help your child, please visit any of these websites:
http://www.worrywisekids.org/
http://www.anxietybc.com/parent/index.php
http://kidshealth.org/
Non-Discrimination Policy
It is the policy of the Cedar Rapids Community School District not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (employment only),
marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and socioeconomic status (students/program only) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure
for processing complaints of discrimination. District employees with questions or a grievance related to this policy should contact Jill Cirivello, Director of Human Resources, 319-558-2421;
[email protected]. Students and others should contact Ken Morris, Manager of Student Equity, 319-558-1504; [email protected]. The District mailing address is 2500 Edgewood Rd
NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405-1015.
THE BOOK FAIR IS COMING,
THE BOOK FAIR IS COMING
Our BookHouse book fair is just about to begin. We invite
you to come out and see the quality books they have to offer.
The BookHouse is a local book store in Marion which strives
to get great books into the hands of your children.
Please mark your calendars now to attend the book fair
from November 12-18. There will be many affordable books
and products for your child. Remember: Books make GREAT
gifts. Shop for now or for holiday and birthday gifts for your
child. The proceeds from our book fair will be used to purchase
books for the Pierce Library. Come out and see the many great
books that are being offered.
You will have the opportunity to purchase books for your
child’s classroom or the school library through the Teacher Wish
List Program. Gift books are always appreciated.
Thanks for supporting this very special event! We look
forward to seeing you there!
If you have any questions pertaining to our book fair, please
contact Mrs. Annis or Mrs. Batterson in the library. Brooke
Baker is in charge of lining up volunteers to work at the book fair.
Book Fair Hours
Wednesday November 12
3:20-4:30pm
Thursday November 13
8:30-8:45 am and 3:20-8:00 pm
Friday November 14
8:30-8:45am and 3:20-4:30pm
Monday November 17th
8:30-8:45am and 3:20-4:30pm
BOOK
Tuesday November 18
8:30-8:45am and 3:20-8:00pm
FAIR
VIRTUAL
BACKPACK
The District offers an online Virtual Backpack
site to support the efforts of community organizations wanting to share information about
educationally-based programming.
Individuals or organizations wishing to post
material on the Virtual Backpack submit items
electronically and approved materials will appear online for families to access.
Organizations will find a link to submit flyers
for consideration on the District homepage at
www.cr.k12.ia.us . Families can access the
Virtual Backpack from their school Web site.
NO SCHOOL
NOVEMBER 24-28
PROGRESS REPORTS IN THE CEDAR
RAPIDS COMMUNITY SCHOOL
DISTRICT
The Cedar Rapids Community School District continues
to use a standards-based progress report at the elementary
level. A standards-based progress report identifies what a student should know and be able to do in a specific subject at a
particular grade level. The progress report is designed to give
parents/guardians more information about how their child/
children are progressing in School.
During the 2009-2010 school year, a committee of elementary teachers, curriculum facilitators, and administrators worked
to align district curriculum standards and expectations with
the Iowa CORE Standards. The product of the work was the
creation of student learning expectations for Kindergarten-fifth
grade students. Student and parent friendly “I Can” statements
were also developed to help inform parents and students of the
expected learning at each grade level for each student learning expectations, (SLE’s). The SLE’s and “I Can” statements
were then aligned with the elementary progress report at each
grade level.
The student progress report provides one piece of information about a child’s progress in school. Other very important
evidence of student learning includes, but is not limited to:
student work samples, student led conferences, and standardized assessment data.
When viewing your child’s progress report you will notice
the following marking key, which provides indicators for student achievement:
1-Student shows limited or no progress and does not meet
grade-level expectation
2-Student shows progress but is not meeting expectation
3- Student meets expectation (consistently and independently)
3+ - Student exceeds expectation (makes applications and
inferences beyond expectation)
X- not assessed/not applicable
Please keep in mind that the expectation is for students to
meet the grade-level expectation by the end of the school year.
The acquisition of, and scaffolding of many skills and learning
opportunities throughout the year will support your child/ren
as they work towards proficiency.
The SLE’s “I Can” statements, and standards based progress report are designed to ensure consistency of expectations
across the district, to assist teachers and students in focusing
on the essential learning, and to help parents gain more specific
information about their child/ren’s progress. However: if you
find that you have any questions or concerns about the progress
report, please share them with your child’s teacher.
November 12
French Toast Sticks &
Scrambled Eggs
November 19
Chicken Nuggets w/
French Bread
Daily Milk offered includes 1%,
skim, or skim chocolate
November 7
Loco Chicken Fajita
Sides: School Planned Fruits
and Vegetables
November 6
Submarine Sandwich
Sides: Applesauce
Side Salad
Roasted Chickpeas
Sides: School Planned Fruits
and Vegetables
November 20
Pizza Sub
Cheese Pizza
Sun Butter & Jelly + Cheese Stick
Fish Wedge
Friday Alternate
November 28
No School
Holiday Break
November 21
School Planned Menu
November 14
Ham & Cheese Toastie
Sides: Pineapple
Side Salad
Roasted Chickpeas
Sides: School Planned Fruits
and Vegetables
November 13
Beef-A-Roni w/ Garlic Bread
Sides: Fruit Cocktail
Side Salad
Roasted Chickpeas
November 27
No School
Holiday Break
Thursday Alternate
Yogurt with Muffin
Wednesday Alternate
November 26
No School
Holiday Break
Sides: Applesauce
Baked Beans
Baby Carrots
Sides: 100% Juice
Fresh Celery
Steamed Carrots
Sides: Mandarin Oranges
Baby Carrots
Cucumber Slices
November 5
Asian Chicken Salad w/ Chow
Mein Noodles
November 2014
Elementary School Lunch Menu
All meals include milk, fruit, vegetable, grain, meat/meat alternative
November 11
Soft Shell Tacos w/
Lettuce, Cheese, Salsa
November 18
Turkey Gravy w/ Mashed
Potatoes & Hot Roll
Tuesday Alternate
Chicken Patty
Sausage Pizza
Sun Butter & Jelly + Cheese Stick
Beef Honey BBQ Rib
Sun Butter & Jelly + Cheese Stick
Cheese Pizza
This institution is an equal opportunity provider
Sun Butter & Jelly + Cheese Stick
Pepperoni Pizza
November 25
No School
Staff Progress Day
Pumpkin Bar
Sides: Fresh Fruit
Green Beans
Mashed Potatoes &
Gravy
Sides: Apples
Refried Beans
Fresh Cauliflower
Sides: Fresh Fruit
Peas
Mixed Vegetables
November 4
Spaghetti & Meat Sauce w/
Breadstick
A Minimum of One Fruit or Vegetable is
required for a reimbursable meal
November 3
Crazy Chicken Wrap
Sides: Pears
Corn
Fresh Celery
November 10
Fish Sticks & Hot Roll
Sides: Mandarin Oranges
Broccoli
Mashed Potato & Gravy
November 17
Taco Nachos on Corn Chips
Lettuce, Cheese & Salsa
Sides: Orange Smiles
Refried Beans
Corn
November 24
No School
Staff Progress Day
Monday Alternate
Hamburger/Cheeseburger
Sun Butter & Jelly + Cheese Stick
Cheese Pizza
P May Contain Pork