April 2008
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Kindergarten News
We've been doing a lot of math in the classroom, specifically addition and counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's. We're also practicing with reading longer sentences in our mini books. The students are really growing as readers! We are in the last stretch of the year and will be moving at a faster pace than ever before. We will be building upon what the students already know as well as learning new material. There will be a new word family and a new math skill almost every week.
Please pay close attention to the newsletters to have an idea of what to be practicing at home each week. It is VERY important to be working on the 4th quarter skills at home because we have to move so quickly now and get ready for first grade.
Lastly, we are looking forward to two spring fieldtrips and graduation! More information will be sent home soon. Hope you're enjoying the spring weather!
Miss Mason and Mrs. Jesse
1st Grade News
Our daily countdown sheet is beginning to show us how little time we have left with our first grade friends.
Reading
Please continue to practice reading all the quarter 4 sight words as well as any previously missed words. After reading a story with your child, please ask the who, what, where, when, why, and how questions to help them with comprehension.
Math
We are working with 3-dimensional shapes, polygons, and symmetry. We are continuing to count and exchange money. Please keep practicing math facts with your child so they are able to pass the time tests.
Writing
The spelling words are part of the writing grade. You’ve probably noticed the weekly words are getting more difficult, so please practice words nightly. The students will be writing letters, short stories, and making invitations.
Science
We are discussing healthy and unhealthy choices. These include the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.
Thank you,
Mrs.Braun, Mrs. Radabaugh, Mrs. Allison, Mrs. Sinko
2nd Grade News
Happy Spring!!!
Second grade continues to work hard each day. Our field trip to the Western Reserve Museum was a lot of fun. We were able to see how Native Americans lived long ago. We also saw how different jobs such as a blacksmith were done.
Our next field trip is scheduled for April 22, 2008. We are going to the Medina County Recycle Center to learn about how we can help to keep our Earth clean. Please send in your form and money if you haven't done so already. We're also going to tie that theme to our loyalty parade, which will be in May (a date will be given to you soon). Second grade will be in charge of the theme, "Loyalty to the Environment." We are going to use clean trash to make decorations for the parade! So before you throw things away, see if we could use it! Please send in clean plastic jugs, two liter pop bottles, plastic laundry detergent containers, aluminum rectangular or round tins, paper towel rolls, empty Kleenex boxes, magazines, or newspaper. Please DO NOT send in any glass items. Thanks so much for your help!
Also, please continue to work on addition and subtraction facts at home. Mastering the facts will make the transition to 3rd grade much easier for your child.
Miss Boyer, Mrs. Dick, Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Popa
3rd Grade News
Third graders have been very busy preparing for the upcoming OAT tests. In reading and English, we have been working and reviewing skills that we have learned this year. We have also been reading stories from our theme Incredible Stories. This has been a favorite theme as all the stories are make believe.
We are continuing to practice our cursive writing and finding it easier to use in our daily work. In math, we have been working with fractions and continue to practice our multiplication facts. Many of us have passed all our time tests! In Social Studies, we are starting to work with maps and government.
Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Velic, Mrs. Reisinger, Mrs. Werner
4th Grade News
Reading
Happy
Spring!
The sun is finally shining and the sky is blue! Please be aware that your child's Reading log still needs to be completed and signed on a nightly basis. I have seen some great improvements in the answers, and thought put into the answers since the beginning of the year.
Please also be aware that June 1st is the traditional cut off date for recording the Wall of Fame Accelerated Reading scores. By that date, if your child has 100 or more points in AR, they will get their name on the plaque in the back hall. If your child is close to 100 points, please encourage him/her to continue to reach the 100 point goal. We already have several fourth grade students that have 100 or more points.
Next, the end of April is the OAT testing, finally. Your child has all the tools needed to do a good job on the test. Continued practice with former tests and continued discussions on how to get a better score will continue through the month of April. Please keep your child relaxed and unstressed. There is no reason to be nervous or concerned about the OAT test. We ask only that your child comes with a good attitude and gives 100% effort on the test. Failing or doing poorly on this test does not mean your child will fail fourth grade. It means next year we will look at additional ways to help your child with his/her reading skills.
Have a great spring! Enjoy the sunshine!
KEEP READING!
Mrs. Arnold
Math
As we approach achievement test time, we are completing a few units before we review. We have covered basic fractions and fractional parts of a whole: ex. What is one fifth of 30? We have also practiced writing equivalent fractions. Now we will compare and order fractions and practice adding and subtracting (like denominators). Students will need to know how to estimate the size of fractions. An example of this would be the fraction 5/8. Is it closer to 0, ½, or 1? Practicing this at home would be very helpful.
We will also complete our measurement unit and work with finding area and perimeter of shapes. Lastly, we will discuss probability.
The students have learned a lot and are showing mastery in many areas of math. Computation is much improved! I still have many extra worksheets and bell work review sheets that students may take home for extra review and practice. Encourage your child to take some of these for practice.
Thank you for your continued practice and help at home. I am noticing most students have more math confidence now and they're applying the skills they've learned when we do problem solving!
Mrs. White
Writing
This month students will be reviewing all forms of writing applications for testing. At this time students need to read the directions carefully. We are using PEPSE in order that students write on topic on the week of April 29th.
Please ask your child what this means. In my classroom one will circle all the important words in the directions. Then when their task is completed, students will place a star or check above the direction word.
Please give your child a lot of POSITIVE feedback as they prepare for testing. Students will perform much better if they are relaxed. I believe they are ready. Thank you for all your support.
Mrs.Holdash
5th Grade News
Science
We are having a lot of fun studying Life Science. We continue to develop our scientific ways of knowing and scientific inquiry.
The students are learning about adaptations, life cycles, food chains and food webs. We were amazed during our experiment entitled "Investigating Eggshells". The students enjoyed creating a bird. The students designed the bird's adaptations, physical appearance and diet. Their challenge was creating a bird that could survive in a specific biome. The children were very creative and extremely scientific.
Mrs. Nelson
Language Arts
This month we will be continuing to practice heavily for our Reading Achievement test. We will be working daily with one practice test and have some nightly homework as well. We will be doing a lot of independent reading out of the textbook with comprehension. We also will be continuing to work on our short answer and extended response writing and answering thoroughly. Keep reading and practicing at home!
Miss Lamphear
Hiram House
Final payment for Hiram House is due May 1, 2008. Please send in money accordingly. Also, book fees need to be paid before your child attends. Please remember to send in any other necessary items that are needed for a successful trip i.e. items for snack, white tees, etc. Thanks for your help.
There is a mandatory parent volunteer meeting on April 30th at 6:00 p.m. in Miss Lamphear's room. Those parents attending Hiram House are in need of attendance. Thanks!
Miss Lamphear
Video Club
Thanks for being patient with our morning announcements. We are still working some bugs out, but things are going well. We look forward to continue to broadcast live daily!
Miss Lamphear
Math
We have been working hard reviewing all of the fifth grade indicators in preparation for the Ohio Achievement Test which will begin the week of 4-28-08. Please make sure your child has a protractor and yellow colored pencil in school as soon as possible.
Mrs. Schweisthal
Social Studies
We just added our Constitution to our government and now our nation is starting to grow! We will be discussing the War of 1812, our canal system, railroad system, and western expansion. OAT is getting close! I have copied some information sheets for each student that should help them to understand some concepts. Please go over them with your child. We will be doing SSOAT's that cover these concepts but, all extra help is welcomed. Ask your child to see their SSOAT's pages. You can help by reviewing them. Thanks for your help.
Mr. Hunter
Spring is here, and students are practicing their comprehension skills through a variety of seasonal materials. Books about plant growth, creatures that hatch, and environmental issues are helping students to identify main ideas and details. They are also helping students understand sequential order, and answer questions concerning the “who, what, where, when and why” within their informational books. Students are also learning to recognize the different types of literary forms, such as plays, poems, fables, and stories. I am currently appearing on Brunswick cable TV in a program entitled, Inviting The Standards Home. It focuses on how you can become a partner in your child’s education through activities that can be done at home. It will also be available on DVD’s that will be available in the fall.
Mrs. Pollick
Grades 1-2
News from Title 1
With the Ohio Achievement Tests quickly approaching at the end of this month, I have been helping students in all three grade levels brush up on many reading skills, strategies, and test taking tips. Some of these skills and strategies include: main idea and supporting details, summarizing and retelling, using context clues for unfamiliar words, comparing and contrasting, making inferences and drawing conclusions and using the PEPSE method to answer question in both extended response and multiple choice formats. We will continue to work hard in Title 1 so that your child feels confident and prepared when taking the achievement test.
Mrs. Jan Kellar
Grades 3-5
Physical Education
April is here and we just finished our March Madness tournament. The fourth and fifth graders did a fantastic job with the tournament. The thing that really stood out this year was their level of cooperation and sportsmanship. Jump Rope for Heart prizes were passed out this week to all children who participated. Hopefully, the remainder of the year will bring some warm weather. With the warm weather, we try to go outside for class as much as possible. After April and May, the last major event is Field Day. We are looking for volunteers. If you would like to volunteer, please contact the school by phone (330)273-0487, or feel free to email me (tharrington@bcsoh.org).
Mr. Harrington
Music
I am back from maternity leave, and I can see that the classes got a lot done with my Music sub, Mrs. Walker. There is still plenty to look forward to in Music class this month.
First grade is learning that music can tell a story, like in Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf". Students have been identifying instruments like clarinet, violin, and French horn by sound as it plays a certain character in the tale. First graders will also be performing songs with different dynamics and tempos and will be moving to show these expressive elements.
Second grade has been reading, singing, and playing instruments using notes DO, RE, MI, SO, and LA on the musical staff (with moveable DO). Soon, we will be distinguishing between rhythms in 2/4 meter and 6/8 meter. Even high school students would be proud to boast this skill!
Third grade has been conducting and working with 3/4 meter . We will be concentrating especially on identifying how notes move by sight (notes on the staff) and by sound.
Fourth grade is back on recorder! They have expanded their range to low E and low D, notes that use a lot of fingers but very gentle air flow. At the end of April, we will study extensively the instruments in each family of the orchestra: brass, strings, woodwinds, and percussion. At the end of that unit, students will even be able to make an educated decision about what instrument that they would like to possibly play next year as a 5th grader.
Fifth grade Strings and Band students did a great job at Festival in March!! We will feature Towslee students only in a concert the morning of MAY 1st. It will be held here at Towslee, in the gym. Details will be coming out next week. On the tails of another major performance, students will need to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE to be ready for their special concert May 1st.
General music fifth graders are learning about different career opportunities in the field of music, from writing commercial jingles to being a record producer. It's amazing when we think of how many ways music affects our lives!
Mrs. Gigax
Brushing Up on Art
This is the month where Towslee students can show off the best of some of the artwork they have done this year in art classes at Towslee. The Student Art Galley will run from April 19th to May 2, 2008, in the halls of Towslee. Much of the artwork will be hanging on the walls of the school. This Student Art Gallery gives the students a chance to see how an art gallery works, from selections of art pieces for the show as well as the display and judging of the artwork. Our judges will award a ribbon of participation to each student who shows work in the gallery. Additional placement ribbons will be awarded to outstanding judged work. (Three-dimensional work will be in the art room until it is judged by the art judges and then returned to the students.) What a wonderful way to see through the eyes of a child!
Keep drawing!
Mrs. Hunt
C. R. Towslee Ambassadors
Our Ambassadors are finding ways to beautify our school by helping to keep it clean and by setting up tables and chairs for events at the school. We are proud of the way they volunteer their time each and every month to help others!
"Can't Hide That Towslee Pride!"
Mrs. Hunt
C.R. Towslee Ambassador Moderator
Towslee Patriot Patrol
April is the month when we offer a chance for our fourth grade students to learn how to become our flag raisers for next year. Only ten students who volunteer for the positions are asked to assume this meaningful daily duty: raising and lowering our American flag and school flags. We are looking for responsible students who are patriotic and can work well with others on a daily basis. They must have respect for our flag. Students will be taught the correct way to fold the flag and the ceremonies involved.
Special thanks goes out to our wonderful fifth grade flag raisers of the Patriot Patrol for all of their fine sense of duty this past school year. Keep our flag flying!
"Towslee...Home of the Patriots!"
Mrs. Hunt and Mrs. Study
Library News
This year has been wonderful as our students are reading better every week. Here are some terrific things to do with books.
1. Meet someone new in a biography.
2. Laugh out loud with a humor book.
3. Take off with an adventure book.
4. Scare yourself silly with a mystery book.
5. Make discoveries with a science book.
6. Become a fan with a sports story.
It's time to change some of our children's attitude toward reading. The importance of reading in the lives of students cannot be underestimated. Being able to read well makes a student feel special. An excellent resource book is the Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease.
Happy Reading,
Mrs. Zeigler
Cafeteria News
Happy Spring from the cafeteria!
Our Special Tray meal will be on Manager's Choice Day - Wednesday, April 23rd.
We will have something new and exciting that was sampled and approved by the third grade, including Mrs. Reisinger!
Ham, Cheese and Pepperoni Stromboli (like a hot pocket)
Salad with Italian Dressing
Secret Recipe Trail Mix
Choice of White, Chocolate or Strawberry Milk
There will be lots of special tray winners! Join the fun!
Remember on Chicken Strip Day (April 28th) put an "s" by your name on the lunch count list if you want spicy ones.
Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Crouse, and Mrs. Theobald
Perfecting Parenting:
Tips from your School Counselor, Mrs. Lalos
Ask Questions to Help Your Child Stay Organized
For many children, getting organized to do homework is a tough job. Here’s a checklist of questions to ask your child every day that will help her focus on the job at hand?
Then help your child make a plan for doing the work. As she finishes each assignment, have her put it in her book bag. Before bed each night, have her check the list to make sure she has everything she’ll need for school the next day.
Source: “Dealing with Homework”, the Washington Post, March 4, 1997.
Parents Can Model Good Listening Skills for Children
Look on any report card and you won’t see a class marked “Listening”, yet studies show that children spend between 50 and 75 percent of their class time listening. Children need to learn listening skills. Parents can model good listening behavior for their children. Here are some tips to become a better listener:
Source: Carl Smith, “How Can Parents Model Good Listening Skills?”