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December, 2014
Fred Assam Elementary School
Brandon Valley
School District
Assam Anchor
Important
Reminders:
December 18
District Elementary
Orchestra/Band
Concert @ 6:45
Performing Arts Ctr
December 23
End of 2nd Qtr
Early Dismissal at 2:00
Tuesday, December 23
Winter Break
December 24—January 5
January 6
Back to School
Tis the season . . . for Acts of Kindness! Students display kind gestures, smiles,
laughter, and generosity every day! They share their high-fives, knuckle bumps, and
thumbs up with each other as they play on the playground and walk the hallways of
our building. Students learn at a young age what Acts of Kindness are all about
through modeling from parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, and other special
people they know.
Acts of Kindness
CARING/KINDNESS and EMPATHY.
Caring/Kindness means to show interest and
concern for others – to be friendly and considerate.
Empathy is understanding and caring about another person’s
thoughts and feelings. It’s like putting yourself in their place.
What are some ways you can show others you care?
How do being kind, sharing, and helping relate to caring?
Think back over your week and put yourself in someone else’s place who
may have had a difficult time. Discuss how you may have thought or felt if that
were you. Share how you can help and show the person you care.
What is your plan for this week to show others you care?
Give the Gift of Kindness . . . During the month of December, I encourage you and
your child(ren) to share the Gift of Kindness. *do a chore for someone else without
them knowing; *write a note to someone to let them know how much you appreciate
them; *smile at people; *secretly clean out someone’s car; *make a plate of goodies
for someone; *pick up trash you might see; *prepare a meal for someone; *do homework without being asked; *visit a neighbor (not just a friend); *draw a picture for
someone; *do something nice like holding a door open or giving a compliment; *read
to another person; *speak kind words all day long; *no complaining allowed; *help
someone with work; *sit by someone new at lunch; *help someone who has dropped
something; *give up your seat; *give a silent wave; *share positive comments with the
people around you – let them know you care about them!
I BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC OF KINDNESS! The holiday season brings family and
friends together. It helps us appreciate the love in our lives we often take for granted.
May the true meaning of the holiday season fill your heart and home with many blessFred Assam Elementary School ings. I hope your holiday season is filled with Acts of Kindness and Special Moments!
Telephone:
605-582-1500
Susan Foster – proud principal
Fred Assam Elementary School
Important Phone Numbers
Fred Assam Elementary Office
Nurse at FAE
Transportation
Child Nutrition Manager
582-1500
582-1502
582-3514
582-3926
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
Tuesday, December 23 - Early Dismissal at 2:00
Wednesday, December 24 - Winter Break begins
Tuesday, January 6 - School Resumes
Orchestra Notes:
The 5th Grade Orchestra is busy preparing for their Holiday Concert on December 18th. Come and join us at the Performing Arts Center at 6:45 p.m. for
some wonderful music. See you there!
The 4th Grade Orchestra is learning the new skill of playing on their bows.
They will have a performance to be scheduled after the holidays.
Patti Nelson
Brandon Valley District Elementary Orchestra
http://pn023.k12.sd.us
Remember our school day ends at 3:00 p.m.
Supervision ends at 3:15. Please make every effort to pick up your child on time.
Please send your student with hats, gloves, snow pants
and an appropriate coat for going outside. The weather
has changed, and recess is much more fun when the
students are dressed warmly.
Our “Lost and Found” is HUGE!!!!! Coats, sweatshirts,
hats, gloves...if you are missing anything, we probably
have it. Please either stop in the office or have your child
come down and go through our collection.
Starting January 6, 2015, we will be accepting registrations for the
2015/2016 kindergarten screening process. Any family who has a child
who will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2015 will be eligible to
start kindergarten next fall. Screening will be held on Tuesday, March 3
and Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at Fred Assam Elementary.
Please call the proper attendance center that your child will attend to
register.
Robert Bennis Elementary
Fred Assam Elementary
Brandon Elementary
Valley Springs Elementary
582-8010
582-1500
582-6315
582-2948
REMINDER!
2ND SEMESTER BEGINS RIGHT AFTER
CHRISTMAS BREAK WHICH ALSO MEANS
THAT 2ND SEMESTER BUS PASSES ARE DUE.
PASSES CAN BE PURCHASED AT ANY TIME BY
STOPPING IN AT OUR OFFICE, SENDING A
CHECK WITH YOUR STUDENT, MAILING A
CHECK TO US OR GOING TO OUR WEBSITE!
BUS PASSES ARE $75 PER SEMESTER WITH A
FAMILY MAXIMUM OF $175.
CALL THE TRANSPORTATION OFFICE AT 605582-3514 WITH ANY QUESTIONS. THANK
YOU!
Physical Education at Fred Assam Elementary
“EVERYONE plays, EVERYONE gets a turn, EVERYONE tries.
We are not here to develop just the talented, BUT EVERYONE.
We are not the minor league for athletics.
In physical education, EVERYONE WINS."
--- Lisa Dorato
The 3rd-5th graders have been participating in “cooperative learning” activities this month in Physical
Education class. Cooperative learning is an educational term meaning small teams, each with students of different levels of ability working together. This learning style utilizes a variety of activities
to improve their understanding of a sport/activity. We have been very impressed with the leadership, strategies, and teamwork that has been displayed by our students during class this month.
K-2nd graders have been working on eye-hand coordination. Ask them to show you and tell you
how they throw OVERHAND (Strongman, Shoe, I Want You) and UNDERHAND (Tick, Tock).
Don’t forget to keep moving during this season. Many fun activities take place in the winter months.
You can go sledding, skating, shovel snow, or make a snowman. Enjoy your kids and their abilities.
ELL has been having extra fun and keeping extra busy as the weather is changing from cool
to cooler. It is hard to imagine in only a short month the holidays will be here and the kids will
have extra time on their hands! Here are some fun ideas that you can do with your kids at
home that we will also be trying here at our special Fred Assam home.
Wrap 25 books (new or used) and each night have your child unwrap a book to read.
There are 26 letters in our alphabet. See if your child or children can come up with a word
that relates to Christmas or the holidays for each letter of the alphabet. For example:
A-Angel, B-bell, C-cookies etc…each day they can color a picture and write the word
on the calendar for December.
Have the kiddos decorate Dixie cups to look like trees and practice lining them up and
counting them for 25 days before Christmas. Each day stack one on top of the other,
unstack, or line up beside each other.
Write letters to Santa and his elves before and after Christmas! Santa always loves to receive a thank you card along with those aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends. It is
great writing practice and a nice gesture to those we care about during the holidays.
Extra fun on those days 0ff!
Have students measure the amount of snowfall overnight.
Practice multiplication with grouping snowballs.
Count how many seconds it takes to get up and down the sledding hill. Compare
with friends.
Have kids practice measurements or converting measurements making holiday
cookies.
Put food coloring in spray bottles and spray snow; write letters, numbers, draw pictures, give your snowman clothes.
Image from: http://sandbergsmartyarties.blogspot.com
Reading Fluency
Fluency is defined as the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. In order to comprehend (understand) what they read, children must be able
to read fluently whether they are reading aloud or silently. When reading aloud,
fluent readers read in phrases and add expression appropriately. Their reading is
smooth and has expression.
Here are some ways parents can help develop fluency at home:
* Read aloud to your child to provide an example of how fluent reading
sounds.
* Read aloud with your child having them match their voice to yours as you
read.
* Have your child read aloud to you. Record their reading and listen to it
together and listen for reading speed, reading smoothness, and reading expression.
Happy Reading!
Mrs. Van Dyke
Reading Specialist
Dear RBE and FAE students, parents, and friends,
Winter is settling in and the Holiday season is at hand! We will be starting our
Christmas/Winter Holiday projects before the Thanksgiving break. We have just
finished our fall projects. Your kindergarteners should be bringing Pete the Cat
home, first, second, and third graders will be showing up with cornucopias,
blended chalk pumpkins and Thanksgiving turkeys, and glue pumpkins colored
with oil pastel crayons. The 4th graders made waving USA flags using oil pastel
crayons, and the 5th grade is working on a fall/winter Mosaic using colored construction paper. Be looking for our Holiday projects to come home before the
Christmas break. The kindergarteners will make a Reindeer Collage, the first
graders will be assembling Fringy Wreaths and Trees, the 2nd graders will be
making Translucent Ornaments, the third grade will be wrapping God's Eyes, the
4th graders are creating a greeting card with a winter/holiday Print, and the fifth
graders will be planning and assembling a holiday banner using burlap and
felt. Have a great end to 2014 and Merry Christmas!
Mr. Gibbons
Art
Cookie Dough Sales
Written by: Katelynn Bills
The sales for this year were off the charts, thanks to the
people who sold or bought it. Our profit is over
$10,000! There were so many, Student Council had to
help. First, they had to get all the boxes inside and help
get them unwrapped. They then had to get all the boxes
to the right classes. It was a lot of work! At the end of
the day, some of the Fred Assam students helped to get
the boxes to the right people. At last all the cookie
dough was taken home and given to the people who
bought them. I hope they are all happy. Thank you
again if you sold or bought cookie dough. You can keep
other people happy if you sell again or just started selling. Sell again and get more happy people each time. I
hope you had fun selling. Next time, try selling to even
more to get happy people that you can sell to again and
again. Selling cookie dough can be for fun and for making people happy. Now just remember that the more
cookie dough you sell, the more happy people there will
be.
Hello! My name is Ben Livingston and I am in student council for FAE. I am a room representative
for 3rd grade Mrs. VanLeur. We plan assemblies,
fundraisers, and fun days to make FAE a great
school. We have meetings every other Friday. We
do service projects like collecting items for the
humane society and for the food pantry. My favorite things about student council include sledding
in the winter and meeting people in student council. Thank you for participating in our fundraisers!
Fall Book Fair Success!
By Carin Griffith
Sales and Rewards:
The total sales were $7730! (That is almost $2,000 more than last fall!) This generated $3835 in Scholastic Dollars for us! What a
profitable fair for us! We spent $2202 in Scholastic Dollars at this Fair, which went toward books for our teachers’ classroom libraries as well as the school library.
Lunch with Someone Grand:
We had over 150 “grand guests” at lunch! Grandparents, parents, friends, and students all enjoyed this event.
Thank Yous!
A big thank you to all of the volunteers! (in no particular order):
Teresa Matthies, Jill Reindl, Amy Van Es, Linda Schoby, Becca Johnston, Jennifer Klein, Leah Hofer, Emily Holmquist, Kelly Caron,
Sue Harms, Amy Hieb, Gretchen Jepperson, and Sharon Wentzy. We also had some awesome kid-helpers who came along with
their moms!
I appreciated everyone’s help so much!
Thanks to the EAs for helping during set-up and at the “Lunch with Someone Grand” sign-in table.
Thanks to Gay Anderson, Heather Schreiber and the kitchen staff for making the “Lunch with Someone Grand” possible!
Also, a huge thank you to Sue Foster, Debbie Arrowsmith, and Barb Langner for the help they provided in making the Book Fair
possible!
Thanks to everybody for supporting the book fair!
We’ll be having a Buy-One-Get-One Free Book Fair in the spring!
The Student Council from Fred Assam Elementary is sponsoring an Angel Tree for the Humane
Society this holiday season. Any donations ~ such as dog food, cat food, litter box supplies, toys,
leashes, collars, anything to help them at the Humane Society – is welcome! Simply send or bring
your items to school and place them under the Christmas tree in the Commons Area. Be sure to
check out the tree, too! Each classroom is providing ornaments and decorations for our “Animal”
Christmas tree this year.
A Day in the Life
Of a
Junior Kindergartner
Learning-Growing-Creating
Making Friends and Memories
We Are Ready to Read!
Students in Mrs. Feenstra’s Kindergarten class are very excited to READ! We learned some
strategies to help us be a successful reader. The first tool we need to read is a pointer. It can
be a pencil, popsicle stick, our finger, or even a witches nail (our favorite!) This helps us keep
our eyes on the words and point to each one. Next we look for popcorn or sight words. These
are easy and we can read them quickly. Then we use the pictures to give us clues on what
the words say. Finally we try to sound out words we don’t know. We try to think about a slinky
that can stretch out the sounds and put them back together. Use these strategies at home and
have fun reading!
Mrs. Nuebel’s kindergarten class learned all about owls. Did you
know that owls can’t digest the fur and bones of the animals
they eat? After they eat they regurgitate the remains into
an owl pellet. Our class investigated sterile owl pellets and discovered different bones of the prey the owl ate. We had so
much fun!
1Be is
Thankful
We would like to share with you what
the students in Mrs. Becker’s first grade
class are thankful for.
Bryce-my monster truck toy
Sylvia-for having a little sister named Stella
Addison-my house and my mom and dad
Adelyn-my family and my dog named Marmaduke
Talen- my family and my dogs
Brek-for helping people do their chores
Raegan-God and my family
Alexa-for my family, my house and water
Malik-my toys and my bed to sleep in
Tobias-for sharing a room with my brother
Yahye- my mom and dad
Susanna- my sisters Yana and Anita
Jackson- my house and food
William- my mom, dad, brothers, grandpa and grandma
Claudia- my family, toys, and my pets
Brody- for having a home and a family
Riley- for my food, house and my toys
Calvin- my toy cars and Transformers
Mrs. Bisbee’s 1st Grade
We have had a very busy month! We learned about Veteran’s
Day, fact families, the Mayflower, the Pilgrims, and the First
Thanksgiving (it lasted 3 days!).
We learned how to draw the
Mayflower! The Pilgrims
sailed on it for 2 months!
Our Veteran’s Day Mural–
Thank you Veterans!
We became fact
family masters!
Check out our
cool fact family
turkeys! Gobble, gobble!
We’re meeting new people and
going new places in 2nd grade!
In Social Studies, we have been learning about the
three branches of government and the people that are
involved. After discussing the many government workers that keep our country running, we decided it would
be fun to research the buildings and monuments they
spend so much time in and around. Before we begin
our research, we will take a virtual tour of the White
House and Washington D.C. We will then be using PebbleGo to look up interesting facts about the White
House, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial,
the Washington Monument, and the U.S. Capitol.
During American
Education Week, we
were lucky enough
to get a visit from a
woman who works in
a museum and
knows all about
Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Everyone was sitting
still and quiet to hear
stories about the pioneer girl. This visit
was an exciting way
to learn about
someone that many
of us have read
about. Some classrooms are choosing
to read a Laura
Ingalls Wilder book
to get more of a feel
for life on the prairie.
Mrs. Hunsaid, Mrs. Jones,
Mrs. VanLeur and
Mr. Ganschow
DECEMBER, 2014
3rd Grade Review
Fred Assam Elementary—Brandon Valley School District
Special points of interest:
LET THE ADVENTURE CONTINUE!
 Spelling pre-tests are
Mondays and tests are
Fridays! Remember to
study your words at
home!
 Reading Selection Tests
are on Friday, also! Remember to study your vocabulary words at home.
Be sure to practice using
the words in sentences as
the vocabulary tests are
tough! Reread the story
online at Think Central!
Our Halloween party was a huge success thanks to our parents organizing the
fun event!
 Check out the 3rd grade
websites at: http://
dj002.k12.sd.us/ and
http://cv033.k12.sd.us .
Vocabulary & Spelling
lists!
 As the weather turns colder, please make sure your
student is dressed appropriately!
 Keep working on reading
books for AR points! To
look up the level and
point amount for a book,
go online to
www.arbookfind.com. It’s
very easy to use!
 You can check your student’s AR goals and
points by logging onto
the FAE webpage and
clicking on Students, WebLynx, and Accelerated
Reader.
On Monday, November 10th, the students were involved in and
attended our 2nd annual Veteran’s Day Program. The students
were able to invite Veterans to join them for breakfast in the morning and then attend the program which entailed Ms. Foster welcoming the Veterans, the Pledge of Allegiance, a poem from the
student council, and last but not least, a speech from Bill Miller, a
Veteran and former teacher.
3rd grade classes attended
the play “Frog and Toad”
put on by Brandon Valley
High Schoolers on Wednesday, November 12.
Junior Achievement this
year has started in most of
the 3rd grade classrooms!
The lessons this year is “Our
City”.
Mrs. Reiter’s 4th Grade class has
just finished reading the book There’s a Boy in the
Girl’s Bathroom by Louis Sachar. He is also the
author of Holes, The Wayside School series, and
the Marvin Redpost series, among others.
There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom is a story
about a boy named Bradley Chalkers. He tells
enormous lies, picks fights with girls, and according to his teacher, he has serious behavior problems. Absolutely nobody likes him—except the new counselor, Carla. She knows Bradley
can change, if only he weren’t afraid to try. He is the most hated kid in
school and he doesn’t believe it is possible to get people to like him.
Through the help of his counselor and a few of the other kids in school,
Bradley goes through a complete transformation.
We found a script for the play based on the book. Parts have been assigned and now we are practicing them daily. If all goes well, we hope
to present the play to the other 4th grade classes sometime next week.
My plan is to tape the play and make it available to parents through my
webpage.
Practicing our parts
Making our scene signs
What’s Up in 4 Harte?
We have started our journey across the United States in Fourth Grade
Social Studies. Our first stop was the Northeast Region. We explored
each individual state, their economy, and their geography. We also spent
some time touring Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
5th Graders in Mr. Peters’ class are reading the book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. As part of their reading each student was assigned a different character from
the story and had to create a character map of them. They then created these wonderful projects and inside each character is a description of who they are and how they
relate to the story. We have had a great time reading this story and enjoying all of the
Willy Wonka’s treats!
A special thanks to
Ryan and Sam for
providing breakfast
to the staff during
American Education
Week.
Notes from the Band Room….
Holiday Concert Time!
It is hard to believe that we are thinking about our Holiday Concert already!
The time has gone so fast! Please mark your calendars for Thursday, December 18, at 7:30PM at the Performing Arts Center for the District Elementary
Band Holiday Concert. The students have been busily preparing a wide variety
of instrumental selections for this concert. The band students will be going to
the PAC that same afternoon to rehearse on the stage. The rehearsal will take
place from 1:30-2:30. Parents/guardians/grandparents are invited to attend this
dress rehearsal if they are not able to attend the evening performance. I am
looking forward to having the students perform their first concert as I am very
proud of the work that they are doing and all they are accomplishing!
Please continue to encourage their practice time at home – this is crucial for
their success as beginning instrumentalists. The time they spend on their instrument at home reinforces all of the concepts that we are introduced to in the
full band rehearsal and their private/small group lesson. The practice time also
builds up and strengthens their lip muscles and increases their breath endurance – techniques which set them apart from other ‘beginner groups’ as they
sound much more advanced when these techniques are reinforced!
I will be sending a note home with the band students regarding the final details
for the concert as the date approaches – watch for it and ask them about it!
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding our beginning instrumental program. Also, check out our blog at
http://hubersbandstars.blogspot.com for updates and information.
Until next month, keep practicing…..
Mr. Hubers
MUSIC NEWS!
December 2014
Mrs. Verburg, Teacher
It’s been a busy first half of the
year in the music room!
In November all the students
sang “My Country Tis of Thee”
for our veterans. It was awesome
to have over four hundred students singing at the same time!
Great Job- 3rd Grade on your HATS concert!
Ask your Child:
To sing for you!
Concerts!
In the High School PAC
March 17th-1st grade @7pm.
April 14th -5th grade @ 7pm
-4th and 5th graders have been learning
about the Star Spangled Banner
-2nd graders have been learning to draw
treble clefs
-1st graders have been singing songs about
squirrels.
-JK and K have been singing and working
on Steady Beat.
National Standards for
Music Education
1. Singing, alone and with
others, a varied repertoire
of music. 2. Performing on
instruments, alone and
with others, a varied repertoire of music. 3. Improvising melodies, variations,
and accompaniments. 4.
Composing and arranging
music within specified
guidelines. 5. Reading and
notating music. 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music. 7. Evaluating music and music performances. 8. Understanding relationships between
music, the other arts, and
disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in
relation to history and culture.
Look at These
Characters!!
Character Classroom of November
Mrs. Becker’s 1st Grade Class
Students below demonstrated
HONESTY during the month of
November by playing HONESTY
BINGO. Bingo cards contain
activities that promote the trait of
Honesty. Once seven of nine are
completed, they are submitted
to Mrs. Rus for a chance at a
prize!!
Character Award winners for
Honesty. One student from
each grade is selected as a
role model to their peers for
each character trait.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
12 Ways to A Healthy Holiday Season
Brighten the holidays by making your health and safety a priority.
1. Wash hands
* Wash hands with soap & water, scrubbing at least 20 seconds
2. Bundle up for warmth
3. Manage stress
* Balance work, home, and play. Get support from family and friends. Keep a relaxed and
positive outlook. Make sure to get proper sleep.
4. Don't drink and drive
5. BE SMOKE-FREE
6. Fasten belts while driving
7. Get exams and screenings
* Exams and screenings can help find potential problems early, when the chances for treatment and cure are often better.
8. Get your vaccinations
* Vaccinations help prevent diseases and save lives
9. Monitor the children
10. Practice fire safety
* Most residential fires occur during the winter months. Keep candles away from children,
pets, walkways, trees, and curtains. Never leave fireplaces, stoves, or candles unattended. Don't
use generators, grills, or other gasoline- or charcoal-burning devices inside your home or garage.
Install a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector in your home. Test them once a month, and
replace batteries twice a year.
11. Prepare dinner safely
* Wash hands and surfaces often. Avoid cross-contamination by keeping raw meat, poultry,
seafood, and eggs (including their juices) away from ready-to-eat foods and eating surfaces. Cook
foods to the proper temperature. Refrigerate promptly. Do not leave perishable foods out for more
than two hours.
12. Eat well and get moving
* Choose fresh fruit as a festive and sweet substitute for candy. Limit fats, salt, and sugary
foods. Find fun ways to stay active, such as dancing to your favorite holiday music. Be active for at
least 2½ hours a week. Help kids and teens be active for at least 1 hour a day.
Marian Cramer - Laura Ingalls Wilder Presentation
V
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December 2014
Sun
Mon
Tue
1
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
2
3
4
5
6
9
10
11
12
13
16
17
18
19
20
26
27
6:30 PTA
Meeting
7
8
BOE Meeting
@ 6:30
14
15
District Elem.
Band & Orchestra Holiday Concert @
6:45 p.m.
21
22
23
24
No School – Winter Break
End of 2nd
Quarter
Early
dismissal at
2:00
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29
25
30
No School – Winter Break
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