WARMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Where Everyone Succeeds 403 4th Street West, Warman, SK. S0K 4S0 School Phone (306) 933-2066 Fax: (306) 933-4714 School Website: http://blogs.spiritsd.ca/wes/ Email: [email protected] April 2015 NEWSLETTER From Your Administrative Team… Well it looks like Spring is here and hopefully it will stay here. The rubber boots are out and we are pumping all of the water off of our playground. These are all of the typical signs of Spring. We started this last week of March and first week of April with our student-led activity conferences and I know that there were many students excited to share with their parents what they have been learning at school over this past term. This is a newer process for us so we do value the feedback that you provided for us. We also were busy over the noon hours this past week with our Zoo at Midnight activities in the gym. Next week is the Easter Break and we hope that everyone has a great break and takes advantage of the Story Walk that is posted around the City of Warman. Many thanks to the various businesses that posted one of the pages of the story in their front window. We encourage everyone to go out for a walk, read the story, answer the questions on the entry form and submit them after the Easter Break to hopefully be drawn for some great prizes. We are hoping that this is a good reminder of the importance of reading with your children at home on a daily basis. Reading at home with a loved one is when a child experiences huge gains in their reading ability and develops a lifelong love for reading. We want to thank our SCC and the many parents who contributed to the staff appreciation lunch this past week. It was a delicious lunch as usual and was greatly appreciated by the entire staff. We feel so fortunate to work in such a supportive community. During the last week of April on Wednesday, April 29th we will be hosting our annual Fine Arts Night where our many talented students who work hard throughout the year taking lessons in all of the fine arts are able to showcase their talents for their families, friends and peers. Information was sent home about this event earlier with any interested students. Have a great April and a Happy Easter. Your Administrative Team, Scott Dyck Orlando Pauls Dates to Remember Thursday, April 2 Friday, April 3 Monday, April 6 to Friday, April 10 Monday, April 13 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 24 Wednesday, April 29 7:00 p.m. Monday, May 4 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 5 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 12 Monday, May 18 Friday, May 22 Wednesday, May 27 6:00 p.m. No School at Warman Elementary Good Friday. NO SCHOOL Easter Break. NO SCHOOL Warman Elementary S.C.C. Meeting Wacky Hair & Clothes Day! Fine Arts Night at Warman Elementary S.C.C. Elections & Annual Meeting Grade 3 Parent Info Night at W.C.M.S. Bike Rodeo at the Firehall for Grades 1 to 3 Victoria Day Holiday. NO SCHOOL Twin Day. Dress up as twins! 2014/15 Pre-K Information Night Parking at School We just want to remind parents that when you are at the school to drop off or pick up your child, we would appreciate it if you could use the parking across the street from the school or along the west side of the playground just outside the trees if you are going to be parking and getting out of the vehicle. We would like to reserve the west drop off zone for those vehicles that are just stopping long enough to let their child out of the vehicle or get their child into the vehicle without the parent having to park to come into the school. Thanks for helping us out with this! 2014/15 WARMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YEARBOOKS There is still time to order the W.E.S. 2014/15 Yearbook for fall delivery. Yearbooks can be ordered for $26.00 online at ybpay.lifetouch.com using the yearbook CODE 12359115. Orders are due by May 15, 2015. Fine Arts Extravaganza Please join us Wednesday, April 29th at 7:00 p.m. to enjoy the performances of Warman Elementary School’s talented students as they sing, dance, and play various instruments at our Fine Arts Extravaganza! Also on display will be visual art produced by students in our school. We ask that all students be accompanied by an adult and that the students please sit with a parent until it is their turn to perform. Light refreshments will be available after the program. Please come and support the artistic endeavours of our young people! NEWS from Grade 3Becker We have had a great year in 3JB. The students have been learning about internet safety and blogging. Mrs. Woodward has been helping us create our own blogs. In science we have been learning about structures and materials. To wrap up the unit we have built straw towers that needed to be 1 meter tall, strong and stable. In language arts we have been learning about what good writers do to make their writing interesting for the reader. We have created many interesting pieces but I think the student’s favorite was when they got to write about an imaginary creature! In math we have just started our unit on multiplication and division. The students are eager to learn their multiplication facts and strategies to solve multiplication problems. The students did a great job on their Inuit projects and they were displayed in the library at the end of February. It has been great learning with them so far this year and we are looking forward to the exciting months to come! WARMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WEBSITE Our school has a website that is updated each school day morning, and during the day if required. Everyone is encouraged to bookmark and check out the Warman Elementary School Website regularly. All the information you will need is available there, such as basic school information, daily WES activities, school hours, policies, milk program, the link to Prairie Spirit School Division Urban and Rural Busing, newsletters, information about S.C.C. activities as well as links to classroom blogs. The school website is not to be confused with the WES School Community Council Facebook page. Visit their page for the latest School Community Council news at WES S.C.C Facebook page. Their Facebook page has information on S.C.C. activities, and they occasionally post notifications taken directly from our school website. NEWS FROM Grade 1Guenther Spring has arrived! April is a month of continuous growth and learning for the students (and teacher) of 1G. We have learned about many interesting topics thus far, and the next few months are filled with even more invigorating topics of study. Currently, we are exploring the characteristics of living and non-living things. After the break we will be working with Mrs. Woodward, our teacher librarian, to learn about the features of non-fiction texts, and how to use non-fiction texts to research an animal of interest. In Math, we will be wrapping up our Numbers to 100 Unit and beginning our Addition and Subtraction to 20 Unit. In Reader’s Workshop, we’ll being learning about the comprehension strategy of Asking Questions, and in Writer’s Workshop we’ll be learning how to write our own fairy tales. If you are interested in knowing more about what we are up to in 1G, please visit our blog at http://blogs.spiritsd.ca/ml169/. Thank you to the awesome students of 1G. They are such an imaginative and kind group of boys and girls. NEWS from Kindergarten Streeton Both KSA and KSB Kindergarten classes have been very busy playing, exploring and learning together! There are so many projects happening in our classes! Here are a few highlights: Members of our KSA class have been very interested in learning about animal habitats. A group of students, with their teacher’s guidance, has been researching animal habitats in books and on the classroom IPad. After researching the habitat, the Kindergarten kids have built it in our classroom, complete with vegetation and animal life! After a few days of playing and adding to our habitats, we use our classroom globe to map where the habitats are in the world! So far, we have learned about the rainforest and the arctic. Our arctic habitat even included the northern lights! I cannot wait to see what they choose to research next! Members of our KSB class have shown a major interest in hockey! Each day, we work together to set up teams, decide on a “score keeper,” and equip the interested players with their hockey numbers and safety equipment! The game has really grown over the past several weeks, to the point where we had a mini tournament! It is so wonderful to see children using numbers in real ways, and demonstrating their turn taking and cooperative skills! Lego Club Warman Elementary School is excited to continue our Lego Club for students in Grade 1 to Grade 3 this year. Students have the opportunity to attend Lego Club once a week at lunch recess for 6 weeks. This provides an opportunity for all interested students to take part. We will gratefully accept donations of new or used Lego and Mega Blocks to grow our club. These can be loose pieces, sets, or odds and ends, including Bionicle, Hero Factory and Lego related books. Helping Children Manage Anger Everyone gets angry from time to time – and for most of us, we have had times in which we have been stuck – not knowing what to do or say with angry feelings. Angry feelings are okay as long as they are expressed in appropriate ways. When we are made to feel that anger is wrong or bad it can lead to unhealthy ways of managing such as holding or anger inside until it comes out in explosive ways such as yelling, hitting, or damaging property. Here are a few strategies for parents to try with their children to deal with anger in a positive way. Role modeling – children may learn aggressive behaviors from friends, books, TV and video games, but a primary influence is the family – modeling how to express anger in positive ways in the family unit is a good starting point for your children Anger Invitations – is a term for anything that happens that typically makes you angry – everyday holds many “anger invitations” – the trick is to be able to say “no thanks – I do not accept the invitation” by using some of these strategies instead of becoming angry: Coach children about “big deal versus little deal” – there does not need to be a reaction to all the things that would be in the “little deal” pile Life is busy and routine can be important to manage all the activities of a day – but sometimes we need to just “go with the flow” rather than trying to control the flow and increase our frustration levels – this is the same for adults and children Discuss with children that we are in control of our own choices – other people may make us angry – but we control what we do with our anger Time Out – encourage children to take a time out using the “four R’s” Recognize when you are becoming angry; Retreat for a break; Relax until you are feeling calm; Return to solve the problem – not just Runaway! Communicate – try to discover the reason behind the anger – this is a process best undertaken outside of angry moments – once you know why your children are becoming angry you can start the conversation on how to solve these problems Write or Draw Your Feelings – not all children like to verbalize how they are feeling – some prefer writing or drawing to sitting down and talking – encourage your children to write, draw, or talk their feelings out Talk to Somebody – everyone needs someone that they can trust to talk to – encourage your children to talk to parents, grandparents, friends, teachers, school counselor, etc., about their angry feelings (Heegaard, 2003; Potter-Efron & Potter-Efron, 2011; Verdick & Lisovskis, 2003) Home&School ® CONNECTION Working Together for School Success April 2015 SHORT NOTES Sponsored by your School Community Council Stretch your memory Develop strong communication skills Try this on-the-go game to sharpen your child’s memory. Pick something you see out the car window, and describe it using one adjective. (“Red barn.”) Your youngster repeats your words and adds another object with a different adjective. (“Red barn, big bulldozer.”) Keep going until someone can’t remember the list. Whether your child is participating in a class discussion, chatting with a friend or relative, or answering a teacher’s question, she’ll need to be a good communicator. Here are strategies to try. Pretend play Get started Imaginary play boosts creativity and lets children practice adult roles. Offer props that inspire your child to pretend, such as old clothes and shoes for dressing up or a chalkboard and chalk to play school. You could suggest ideas that will spark her imagination, too. (“How would you teach your favorite subject?”) Good communicators know how to start a discussion and keep it going. Let your youngster ask you a yes-or-no question. (“Do you have a pet?”) Then, tell her to pose an open-ended question—one that can’t be answered with yes or no. (“Why do you think most people have dogs or cats rather than other pets?”) She’ll see how open-ended questions can lead to more interesting discussions. ? DID YOU KNOW Asthma leads to more school absences than any other chronic condition — and spring allergies can trigger attacks. If your child has asthma, talk to his doctor about ways he can stay healthy. You might help him keep a diary of attacks, with the date, time, and weather, and what he was doing beforehand. Together, look for patterns to identify triggers. Worth quoting “You cannot use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Maya Angelou JUST FOR FUN Q: How did the dragon burn his hand? A: When he sneezed, he covered his mouth. © 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated Jump in Your child can join a classroom discussion or everyday conversation by “piggybacking.” First, she should listen closely to what someone says. Then, she can build on it, adding her own ideas. For example, after a classmate speaks, she could say, “That’s true. I was thinking…” Or your child might restate in her own words what the person said and then share her idea or ask a follow-up question. Explain reasoning When your youngster expresses her thoughts, encourage her to back them up with facts or opinions. As she answers a teacher’s question, she can refer to something she learned in class or read in a textbook to support her statement. If she’s responding to a classmate during a discussion, she could say whether she agrees or disagrees and tell why.♥ Spring volunteering It’s not too late to be a parent volunteer! As the school year comes to a close, your youngster’s teacher will appreciate a hand. Ask if she needs help with any of these tasks. ● Organizing or assisting with a class party. You could email other parents, bring healthy snacks, plan games, or take photos. ● Packing up the classroom. The teacher may want someone to put books and supplies in boxes or to take down bulletin boards and other decorations. ● Wrapping up projects. There might be things you can do from home, such as binding student books or framing children’s artwork.♥ Home & School CONNECTION April 2015 • Page 2 ® Siblings who get along Consider these two ideas for building bonds between your children. They’ll gain friends for a lifetime—and life will be more pleasant for everyone now. 1. Be a team Show your youngsters how much fun it can be to team up. Play board games in teams —kids vs. parents. Or consider getting a cooperative board game like Race to the Treasure or Castle Panic. You could also suggest that they collaborate on a project, such as building a birdhouse or creating a website. ACTIVITY CORNER 2. Find common ground Having shared hobbies gives siblings something to talk about and to do together. Notice activities that your children both like, and encourage them to enjoy them with each other. For instance, you might sign them up for cooking lessons, get them new packages of trading cards to share, or send them out to play catch. Tip: Even though you might want to join in the fun, try to give them time alone to share their passions and build their relationship.♥ Explore nature Observing the busy animals and blooming plant life during spring can help your youngster learn about and appreciate nature. Try these activities. Classify animals. Q Chores: Good for everyone & A Q: I know it’s a good idea to give children chores. But by the time I listen to my daughter complain and show her what to do, it seems easier just to do the work myself. Any advice? Which creatures live in your area? When you spot one, have your child name it and say the category it belongs in. You may see frogs (amphibians), lizards (reptiles), robins (birds), deer (mammals), and butterflies (insects). Suggest that she draw and label pictures of the animals. A: Chores are important because they teach responsibility and encourage your child to be a contributing member of the household. Initially, it may take extra time to have your daughter do chores, but once she gets into the habit, her help will save you time. Start by giving her jobs that she can feel confident about, such as clearing the table after meals or watering plants. Once the chores become part of her daily routine, assign more challenging ones like vacuuming the car or mopping the kitchen floor. You’ll have fewer tasks on your list, and she’ll become more responsible.♥ Watch for blooms. Encourage your A reading challenge youngster to look for trees or flowers with closed buds, buds that are beginning to open, and blossoms. Talk about why some bloom before others. For example, they may get more or less sunlight, or they may have different rates of growth. Let her check back in a few days to see how the plants have changed.♥ O U R P U R P O S E To provide busy parents with practical ideas that promote school success, parent involvement, and more effective parenting. Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated 128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630 540-636-4280 • [email protected] www.rfeonline.com ISSN 1540-5621 © 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated By reading more complex books, your child can learn new words, facts, and ideas. He’ll also be exposed to more complicated plots and will grow as a reader. Share these suggestions: ● Provide context. Knowing some- thing about the topic or setting will make a tougher book easier to comprehend. If your youngster is reading a novel set in China, he could talk to someone who has been there or look up the country online (try a children’s site like kids.nationalgeographic.com). ● Encourage your child to look at a simpler book on the same subject. A picture-book biography about Harriet Tubman may help your youngster better understand a textbook chapter on the civil rights movement, for instance. ● Suggest that your child read complicated material with pencil and paper in hand. He can jot down questions, words to look up, or facts he wants to learn more about.♥
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