Baker Elementary School
Principal’s Corner
During the next few weeks, Learning Facilitators and
Learners are busy taking the Pennsylvania System of
School Assessment (PSSA). Integration of the
standards expected to be tested is the focus of our
core subject lessons. The PSSA provides a
benchmark by which we are able to assess
students’ strengths and weaknesses. This analysis
enables us to identify areas of concern and
strengths so we can design instruction for addressing
both. Historically, our learners at Baker work hard
and perform well on these assessments.
Third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade learners will be
taking the State Assessment in ELA and Math the
weeks of April 13th through April 24th.
Fourth grade learners will be taking the State
Assessment in Science on April 28th and 29th.
IMPORTANT: Please make all attempts to plan family
trips around these testing dates. Additionally, once
testing begins, a child arriving late due to tardiness,
and/or an outside appointment, will not be
admitted to the classroom during the testing
process. They will be assigned to a location in the
building to wait until the test is completed in the
classroom. Likewise, once testing begins in the
morning, a child cannot be released from the
testing situation until the test has been completed.
Therefore, should a parent have need for releasing
a child for an appointment outside the building
during the school day, please contact the teacher
for making special arrangements.
Let’s all continue working toward making
outstanding things happen at Baker Elementary
School and keeping it a terrific place for children to
grow.
For your
Calendar
May 7th
STEAM Career
Day
May 14th
STEAM Fair
Tips for PSSA Success
 Promote good attendance. Taking the
test with your classmates and teacher is
easier than during a make-up session.
 Ensure that your child gets a good
night’s sleep and eats a nutritious
breakfast.
 Reassure your child that test scores are
only one measure of his or her abilities,
not the whole picture.
 Talk with your child about what they are
doing in class and ask what he or she is
reading.
 Express a positive attitude about the test
and confidence in your child’s ability to
do well on the test.
 Realize that putting too much emphasis
on the test and the results can increase
your child’s anxiety about the test. Too
much anxiety can prevent your child
from doing his or her best.
Morning Mindbenders
Also new at Baker, is a homework help club
called Morning Mindbenders. Learners are
able to come in before school to receive oneon-one assistance to complete assignments.
Morning Mindbenders offers a quiet, structured
environment for our learners to improve their
academic growth. The members of Morning
Mindbenders range from 3rd through 6th
graders. The club meets Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday mornings at 7:45 until 8:20.
May 15th
6 Grade Social
th
April 2015
May 22nd
Sports Assembly
May 27th
Kdg. Music
Perfomrnce
May 28th
6th Grade
Recognition
A BIG WOW!
This year we raised $1,731.00 at the Glow with the Flow themed
Make-A-Wish dance. A big thank you to all students, parents, and
staff who helped to make this event successful!
Upcoming April Events
On April 10th, be ready to come dressed like a friend. Our annual twin
day is a fun day to dress like a friend, or several friends, and have your
photo taken for the yearbook. Join us! Also, in April, we will be having
hat day. Wear your favorite hat to school on April 24th for just $1.
Upcoming May Events
In May, student council members will help to celebrate our hardworking staff during Teacher Appreciation Week. We will be having a
staff breakfast. The date will be announced at a later time.
On May 22nd, plan to wear red, white, and blue in honor of Memorial
Day! As always, we plan to hold our annual beach day celebration on
May 29th. This date is tentative due to weather! Summer is just around
the corner!
Got Talent?
Our talent show will be held the last 2 student half days of school.
Identify your talent, and share it with the school! We are so pleased to
have so many talented learners here at Baker Elementary!
Baker's Spectacular
Evening will be held
on Thursday, May
14th from 5:30 PM to
7PM. Baker's
S.T.E.A.M. projects
will be on display in
the gym, Spring
Scholastic Book
Sale will be in the
Baker library (5:30
PM to 7:30 PM), and
Q-SITE's Used Book
Sale will be on the
stage. We look
forward to seeing
you there!
Attendance
Attending school on a regular basis is vital to your child’s education
and over all well being. Attendance letters are sent daily for students
who miss 5 days or more. On the 10th day of absence, a letter will be
sent from the school to parents/guardians requiring a medical excuse
for each absence thereafter. If a physician’s excuse is not obtained,
the day(s) will be marked “illegal”. Students absent for 35 days may be
retained in his/her grade.
Please have your child at school before the late bell rings at 8:30 a.m.
Students who arrive late disrupt school and classroom activities.
All students will be considered tardy if they arrive after the opening
bell.
Please refer to the Altoona Area School District Parent Handbook to
review the district Attendance Policy in it’s entirety.
Temporary Absences
Pupils may be excused from school to participate in an educational
trip at the parents’ expense, however, a Temporary Absence Form
must be completed. This form may be obtained from the office and
must be returned to school at least ten school days prior to the trip.
This request is subject to approval by the Assistant Superintendent.
Please do not schedule such trips during PSSA testing.
Progress Book
Progress Book is the AASD’s online grading/attendance program. The
website is http://grades.altoonasd.com. Username and password
information has been sent home at the start of this school year. If you
do not have your username and/or password, log on to the website
and click on “Forgot your password” or “Forgot your username”.
Information will be e-mailed to the e-mail address parents gave
Progress Book last year. This website is a great resource for
parents/guardians to check current grades, assignments, and school
events.
All school events can be retrieved thorugh your child’s Progress Book
account. Once you log on to Progress Book, click on the “School” tab,
then “Baker Elementary” listed on the left side. You can view events by
month or by list.
Be sure to check the AASD’s website for important information.
www.aasdcat.com
Baker Schedule
8:20
8:30
2:45
2:50
2:55
First Bell Rings
Tardy Bell
Kindergarten Dismissal
Bus Dismissal
Walker Dismissal
For safety measures, the front
parking lot will be closed
from 8:05 a.m.-8:30 a.m. and
from 2:45 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
insuring safety for all
students. The courtyard is
closed to all traffic.
Baker Family,
We need your help to ensure
the safety of all of our
learners and families. There
have been many concerns
about cars being parked
within the lines of the
crosswalk and the speed of
traffic flowing around Ward
Avenue. Please help by
being aware of where you
park and your speed. Thank
you for your continued
dedication to keep our Baker
Family safe!
Math Club
Baker is proud to introduce a new club that started in March,
Math Club! Learners in grades 3 through 6 have to opportunity
to show off their impressive math skills every Tuesday and
Thursday for one hour after school. During the hour, learners use
the First In Math program and the Challenge 24 card game.
These games improve focus and help learners understand the
importance of setting and achieving goals. Learners receive
immediate feedback, so practice is meaningful and engaging.
Baker has a total of 42 learners enrolled in the Math Club.
Art Club and Baker Mural
We are very excited to announce the creation of a Baker
Elementary School Mural and the opening of the Baker Art Club.
The mural will be developed and worked on throughout the
school year, with input and ideas from every student in the
school. The mural, being organized by Baker parent and
professional artist Julie Wohl, with help from our art teacher Mrs.
Miller, will focus on the concept of “Making Our World a Better
Place”. The final piece will be hung outside the library for all to
enjoy.
Each grade will focus on a smaller idea within the big concept,
and will create watercolor and oil pastel based artwork that will
be collaged into one large piece.
Kindergarten, First and Second Grade will focus on making the
world a better place by taking care of our environment.
Third and Fourth Grade will focus on making the world a better
place by using their unique talents and abilities.
Fifth and Sixth Grade will focus on making the world a better
place by using knowledge and education, with a particular
focus on the STEAM concepts (science, technology,
engineering, arts and mathematics) that are being taught in our
school.
In addition, twice a month 5th and 6th graders who were
accepted into the Art Club will have a chance to work on
special projects and assist in the creation of the Baker Mural.
We are very excited to embark on these exciting opportunities
and to give our students even more opportunities to engage
with the arts in a meaningful and long term way.
SWPBS
The School Wide Positive
Behavior Committee is
continuing to have an impact
on our Baker learners! The
committee has worked very
hard to provide the students
with a multitude of activities to
choose from. The learners have
continued their efforts in order
to purchase items with their
PAWS. New items have been
added to the moving cart. The
learners have also been able to
purchase larger activities.
Baker learners have enjoyed
making lava lamps, I spy bottles,
Wii activity time, and extra P.E.
with Mr. Picciotti. Our learners
were “RAK”ing up their PAWS as
well. Random Acts of Kindness
prizes were given out to
students displaying positive
behaviors and helping others.
We want to continue to make a
positive learning environment
for all!
Criminal Background
Checks and Child Abuse
Clearances
Effective July 1, 2015, all
volunteers will be required to
obtain clearances every three
years. They are the PA State
Police Criminal Background
Check, PA Child Abuse History
Clearance, and (FBI) Federal
Criminal History Record. All
three clearance applications
can be accessed from our
District’s website
(www.aasdcat.com) under the
Volunteer Tab at the top of our
Home Page or in the Office.
Thank you for your continued
cooperation!
PTA
Your Amazon purchases can now help support Baker Elementary PTA.
1.
Follow the instructions at http://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-5401690 to
add "Baker Elementary PTA, Altoona, PA" as your default charity on
your Amazon account.
2.
Once you have Baker set up as your charity of choice, any time you
make a purchase, use "http://smile.amazon.com" to do all of your
Amazon shopping so that Baker gets a percentage of qualifying
purchases.
3.
Tell all your friends and family to do the same!
To learn about more ways to support your school, check out
http://baker.aasdcat.com/PTABaker.htm
Please contact the PTA with any questions at 946-8388 ext. 4008.
From the Counselor—Mrs. Beard
Spending Quality Time With Your Child
It is important to spend time every day with your child.
 Tuck your child into bed at night and talk about their day.
 Take an evening walk together.
 Have dinner or breakfast together. Your child can help you with the
preparation and clean-up.
 Turn the music and cell phone off in the car and take advantage of
having an uninterrupted conversation.
 If you don’t live with your child, spend as much time as possible with
them. Find ways to talk to them every day over the phone or by
email.
These special efforts will help you stay connected with your child. It keeps
the lines of communication open and positive.
Principal
Secretary
Guidance
Nurses
Custodian
Kindergarten
Kindergarten
1st Grade
1st Grade
2nd Grade
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
3rd Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade
6th Grade
AmeriCorps
Instructional Coach
Title 1 Aide
Spec. Ed.
Spec. Ed.
Spec. Ed.
Spec. Ed. / Gifted Spt.
Spec. Ed. / A.S.
Spec. Ed. / E.S.
Spec. Ed. / Speech
Art
Library
Music
Music
Music
Physical Education
PTA
Cafeteria
Read 180 / S.T.E.A.M.
Contact
Information
Mrs. Fleegle
Mrs. Lloyd
Mrs. Beard
Mrs. Allender, Ms. Shaffer
Don Rossman
Miss Daniele
Mrs. Stacey
Mrs. Fennessey
Mrs. Moyer
Miss Richard
Miss Zemleduck
Mrs. Sipes
Mrs. Taylor
Mrs. Whitesell
Mrs. Baronner
Mrs. Berkhimer
Mrs. Amerine
Mrs. Piacentini
Mrs. Branas
Mr. Woomer
Miss. Williams
Mrs. Reilly
Mrs. Benton
Mrs. Dale
Mrs. Wasko
Miss Fairbanks
Mrs. Sackandy
Miss Repko
Ms. Hite
Mrs. Umholtz
Mrs. Miller
Mrs. Roberts, Mrs. Steinbugl
Mr. Hillard
Mrs. Myers
Miss Strayer
Mr. Picciotti
Email:
[email protected]
4000
4000
4081
4003
4092
4070
4071
4020
4090
4011
4021
4031
4030
4010
4040
4041
4051
4050
4060
4061
4082
4007
4070
4002
4002
4005
4004
4004
4004
4005
4080
4080
4084
4084
4084
4083
4008
4006
4082
Phone
(814)946-8388
Apr. 13th -17th
PSSA Testing/EnglishGrades 3rd - 6th
Apr. 20th – 24th
PSSA Testing/Math
Grades 3rd - 6th
Apr. 27th - May 1st
PSSA Testing/Science
Grades 3rd – 6th
Apr 30th – SWPB PAW Day
May 1st – 6th Gr. Field Trip
May 4th – 8th PSSA Testing/Makeup
May 4th – Kinder. Field Trip
May 5th – 2nd Gr. Mishler
May 5th – Student Council
May 5th – PTA Committee Meeting
May 7th – S.T.E.A.M. Career Day
May 8th – 6th Gr. Field Trip
May 8th – 5th Gr. Field Trip
May 11th – 15th - Spring Book Fair
May 13th – 6th Gr. Field Trip
May 13th – 4th Gr. Field Trip
May 14th – 3rd Gr. Field Trip
May 14th – Kinder. Field Trip
May 14th – Spectacular Evening
May 14th – Q-Site Used Book Sale
May 19th – 4th Gr. Field Trip
May 21st – 2nd Gr. Field Trip
May 22nd – Sports Assembly
May 22nd – Red, White & Blue Day
May 22nd – Jazz Band – Field Trip
May 22nd – 1st Gr. Field Trip
May 25th - No School – Memorial Day
May 27th – Kinder. Music Performance
May 28th – 6th Gr. Recognition
May 29th – Beach Day
May 30th - Picnic
Jun 1st – 6th Gr. Field Trip
Jun 2nd – Music, Arts & Academics
Jun. 3rd - End of Fourth Marking Pd.
Jun. 3rd - 4th – Talent Show
Jun. 4th - Report Cards Go Home
Jun. 4th - Last Student Day
Website:
http://aasdcat.com