NOVEMBER 2014 Helen M. Jydstrup Elementary School THE JAGUAR PRIDE Calendar of Events November 2-Daylight Savings Time 3-4: Staff Development Day-NO SCHOOL 5: Fall Picture Retake Day 6-Skate Night 6:30-9:00 p.m. 10-11: Veteran’s Day-NO SCHOOL 15: Jydstrup Garage Sale 23: Girls on the Run-5K 26: 2nd Cup of Coffee 8:15 a.m. 27-28: Thanksgiving-NO SCHOOL Principally Speaking Mr. Frydman It’s hard to believe, but it is November! So many exciting things have been happening at our school. Our fall carnival was a huge success. It was so great to spend time with families and having fun playing games, dancing, trick-or-treating, and seeing all of the great costumes. We hope you had as great of a time as we did. We have just reached the middle of the first semester. It’s wonderful to see all of the great things happening in our classrooms and seeing our students grow every day. Teachers are sending home progress reports to update you with how your child is performing according to grade level standards. The end of the first semester will be in the middle of January and you will be receiving a report card at that time. If you have any questions about your child is performing, want to find ways to support your child’s learning at home, or have questions about the Nevada Academic Content Standards, please feel free to speak with your child’s teacher to address those questions. Time has truly flown by to this point. We are excited about all of the upcoming events and opportunities over the next couple of months. Please keep a look out for flyers and information coming home. Sincerely, David Frydman, Prinicpal Melissa Baker, Assistant Principal PAGE 2 NOVEMBER 2014 Second Grade Ms. Jorgensen, Ms. Puckett, Ms. Guevara, Ms. Hopkins, Mrs. Neilson Second grade has been very busy this year. In reading, we have been studying different genres of literature, including realistic fiction, fantasy, and informational text. Students have been doing word sorts to learn spelling patterns. In math, we have been working on making tens using lots of hands-on activities in addition. Also, we have been finding strategies to solve word problems. We have started Math Blasters and students are working on memorizing their math facts. In writing, students are writing narrative stories about small moments in their lives. Also, we are working with our writing partners to edit our stories to make them even better. In science, we have been learning about bats and plants. Please continue to read and practice math facts with your child each night. Thank you for your support! Social Media/Web Twitter: www.twitter.com/helenjydstrup FaceBook: www.facebook.com/jydstrup Website: www.jydstrup.org Third Grade Ms. Chester, Ms. Davis, Ms. Gennaro, Ms. Polzin, Ms. Shahid Third grade is having an awesome year so far. We were able to review and show how much we learned in second grade. Now we are working on new and exciting things. In reading, students are working on asking and answering questions to demonstrate understanding of a text. Students will be able to answer questions about informational text with appropriate information and details. We are also incorporating science into our reading. These past couple of weeks third graders having been learning about the physics of sound. In math, students have been learning about rounding to the nearest 10 and nearest 100. They are able to use place value understanding to round whole numbers. Also, students have been working hard on their math facts, addition and subtraction. Everyone is very excited to pass each Math Blasters level. In writing, students are working on writing personal narratives on a small moment in their lives. Students are focusing on these narratives to be able to develop real experience or events using effective techniques, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. A very important part of writing is journaling, we encourage every student to journal their everyday experience a home. Please continue to support your students’ academic success by having them read every day for at least 20 minutes. Thank you for your continued support! NOVEMBER 2014 Primary Autism Ms. Baumgartner and Ms. Francis Students are settling into the routine of being in a new school with a new teacher. Our primary focus is teaching student’s appropriate behaviors in all social and educational settings. While doing that we are also increasing the academic skills of each student. Currently we are working within a fall theme based curriculum to help support teaching standards to the students. As a class students are reading and writing about pumpkins and all things fall related. During math, students are working their individualized programs with the help of fun fall item manipulatives. Exciting news for our program is that we have incorporated the Best Buddies program. First grade students after recess take their buddy into the lunchroom and often times continue to sit by their buddy. This prompts independence and social skills for the students. During specials my class is supported by second graders, who make sure that their buddy is following rules and are included in the activities. It is very exciting to hear my students come back from lunch and specials and talk about their buddy. I am very pleased with the progress of the students this far and am excited to see the continued growth. PAGE 3 Veterans Day World War I, known at the time as The Great War, officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” An Act approved on May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day. Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen in the Nation’s history, the Act of 1938 was amended by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars. NOVEMBER 2014 PAGE 4 Instructional Coach Ms. Carter Are you afraid to read aloud to your kids for fear that you will make mistakes? You’re not alone. Many parents hesitate to read with their students. Reading aloud is a great way to help your child be successful in school. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.  Everyone makes mistakes. When your child hears you make mistakes, they will learn that it is okay to make mistakes.  Find a book that you enjoy and read it aloud as many times as it takes to feel comfortable before you read it to your child. Thanksgiving Following the Mayflower’s arrival at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620, the Pilgrims suffered the loss of 46 of their original 102 colonists. With the help of 91 Native Americans, the remaining Pilgrims survived the bitter winter and went on to a bountiful harvest in 1621. In celebration, a traditional English harvest festival lasting three days brought the Pilgrims and Native Americans to unite in a “thanksgiving” observance. George Washington proclaimed this event a national holiday in 1789, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving to be the last Thursday in November in 1863, and Congress sanctioned it as a legal holiday in 1941.  Take your time and really enjoy the book together. You can even discuss it as you go along.  Involve your child in the story. Take turns reading lines, paragraphs or pages.  As you get comfortable, try changing your voice to show the characters’ feelings of joy, sadness, or fear. Making these little changes can make your book more exciting and fun.  Read different types of materials such as comics, newspapers, magazines, or poetry. Above all, relax and enjoy spending time with your child. Reading Connection October Math Blasters Ms. Kenney-Level 5: Josh, Pricilla, and Bryan Ms. Polzin-Level 5: George, Emmanuel, Andy, Christian Congratulations! NOVEMBER 2014 YEAR MONTH DAY PAGE 5 Art Specialist Ms. Quander Did you know there are only three positions a line can ever be placed? Did you know the lines you use to write/print your name are the very same lines used for drawing? Did you know that during the Paleolithic Period early man used lines to record his daily routines in the form of drawings on the walls in the Lascaux caves in France, Altamira Caves in Spain and many other areas found throughout this world? Did you know that every country, and every culture has its’ own artists? So far this school year the fifth graders have become familiar with American born artist, Georgia O’Keefe and her unique semi-abstract style of painting extremely large flowers. They’re in the process of applying rich oil pastels in vibrant colors to the large flowers they have drawn in class. What a tremendous job they are doing! INSERT HEADLINE HERE The fourth graders have looked at the works of Russian born artist, Wassily Kandinsky who has blended his love for music and art into the abstract work of art with both familiar and unfamiliar objects super imposed with subtle colors and bold lines. You may see Wassily Kandinsky’s art hanging on the walls of local McDonald’s restaurants. Our students have challenged themselves to create their own art work influenced by this great Russian painter. They are meeting this creative challenge with much success! The third graders have been given a great task of mastering the technique of pointillism. This is simply the application of color using only the tips of a very fine point marker or paint brush. French artist Georges Seurat, invented this technique after his traditional style of painting was rejected by a famous Gallery. Like many artists, Seurat developed his own methods called pointillism. The third graders practiced repeatedly drawing lightly and erasing, drawing lightly and erasing with still some forgetting what they had practiced and applying pressure with their pencil and unable to erase their drawings in its entirety. This project is a work in progress and all I can say, whoever will be the recipient of these flowers you are indeed truly special. Second graders are creating a hot air balloon using their imagination to draw a personalized balloon. Students had an opportunity to see pictures of a variety of balloons during a huge hot air balloon festival in New Mexico. Students are excited and working very hard, assembling the balloon, preparing the background for drawing and making the wood basket. Again this is a work in progress and they are eager with creative energy. First graders are making a bird mobile. They had an opportunity to view birds from the Audubon Society. The many colors and types of birds simply fueled their enthusiasm. With four different size birds, each student carefully selected their color choices. Soon their birds will be completed and maybe they will give their consent to hang the birds in school before taking them home and proudly sharing for all to see. With kindergarten, we are slowly working our way to recognizing shapes, colors and lines. We have worked on multi-media torn paper sea turtles. For this project students applied torn paper to the turtle only and applied crayons to the surrounding water and other sea objects. We made dots, we drew trains over a bridge, and we made a fall tree with a house nestled underneath. The more we practice coloring within the lines the more proficient they become. Keep in mind, practice makes perfect and all the kinder kids want to make moms and dads very proud of what they can do! During the next few months, the art projects will increase the student’s critical thinking skills and developing creativity. It is going to be a great year for art at Jydstrup!