NOVEMBER 2008
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Kindergarten News
The first quarter flew by in kindergarten! We are showing amazing growth in our handwriting skills and are very proud of our Handwriting Without Tears workbooks. We have met the first few alphafriends and love to sing their songs! We know how to read and spell our first two sight words: I and see! Please help us find these in the books we read at home.
In Math, we are counting sets of numbers, practicing writing the numbers correctly the HWT way, and learning how to extend and make our own patterns. When practicing writing numbers at home, please remind us to start AT THE TOP!
As we begin the second quarter, please make sure that you review the new "I Can Statements" so that you and your kindergartener know what we will be testing on next.
We had fun at the first kindergarten field trip to Spring Mist Farms! We wish the weather had been warmer, but thank goodness it didn't rain! Thanks to all the volunteers who braved the cold and came with us. We also enjoyed our first class party! The head room moms did a wonderful job of planning activities for us to do, and we loved parading around the school in our costumes! It was good seeing many of you there!
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and we will begin discussing the holiday and doing various Thanksgiving projects in class. We will also be enjoying a Thanksgiving feast in kindergarten on Tuesday, November 25th. Please mark your calendars now if you'd be interested in helping out on that day.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Miss Mason and Mrs. Jesse
1st Grade News
It’s hard to believe October is gone and November is here. November promises to be a busy month. The first graders are learning about Patriotism/Veteran’s Day. We are looking forward to the Veteran’s Day program on Friday, November 14.
In Reading, our theme is friends and family. We’re also focusing on blends and endings (s, ed, ing). Please continue to practice the quarter one and two vocabulary words.
The students will continue to count money, including dimes, and solve addition and subtraction problems in Math. Please ignore any requests for money on math home-link assignments. We use realistic looking coins for money, so we don’t lose the real thing.
Please keep a look out for the creative family turkey projects due on Monday, November 17th. Also, please remember to return the starfish goal sheet that went home with report cards. The goal needs to be an “I Can Statement” from Quarter 2. You may want to check with your child to see if they need any school supplies. We’ve been working hard, and the supplies are dwindling. The cold weather is upon us! We will continue to go outside for recess unless the temperature falls below 32 degrees. Be sure to wear those winter coats, gloves, hats, and scarves!
We hope you and your family have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Mrs. Barbarotta, Mrs. Braun, and Mrs. Radabaugh
2nd Grade News
Second grade is flying by! Can you believe we are already in our second grading period? Since the grading period has already started, be sure that you are working with your students on their sight words.
In reading, we are starting a unit on our communities and neighborhoods. The first story that the students will read is called Chinatown. With this story, we will introduce consonant blends like "gr" and "pl". This story will also be a great tie into a future Social Studies lesson on different cultures.
In Science, we are working on keep ourselves healthy. Some of the areas that we are discussing are brushing our teeth, proper grooming habits, exercising, covering our mouths when we sneeze, discarding tissues, and eating healthy. We will also briefly discuss avoidance of drugs and alcohol in the near future.
In Math, we are working at addition strategies for adding a two digit number to another two digit number. We will also work on front end estimation, looking at attributes of an object, tiling, and comparison of an inch to a centimeter.
We are looking forward to this upcoming successful month. Please be sure that you practice your addition and subtraction facts daily!
Thank you for all you do for your child,
Miss Boyer, Mrs. Dick, Mrs. Hunter and Mrs. Sinko
3rd Grade News
Rocks, rocks are everywhere! It has been a busy month learning about rocks and soil! The children have eagerly performed experiments using the scientific method on the rocks that they brought from home. We also had fun creating edible rocks! We will be taking a field trip to the Princess Ledges in Brunswick during the month of November. This field trip will help us to see first hand how rocks are formed! More details about the field trip will be coming soon. Our next unit of study will occur in Social Studies. We will begin learning about our government.
In Math we have started our unit on measurement. The children are having fun figuring out the perimeter and area of different objects. Remember to continue studying the math facts at home. Multiplication facts are just right around the corner!
The children are learning how to be great readers by using the strategies of a reader. The children know how to visualize, monitor, make connections, predict, summarize, question and evaluate while they are reading. We have been working hard on using the details from the passage to support our answers. We will begin working on non-fiction passages and the realistic fiction genre during the month of November.
We have been learning how to write more complete and descriptive sentences and paragraphs. The children know that a good third grade sentence should begin with a capital, have the correct punctuation, have a subject, have a predicate and make sense. We continue to work on letter writing and will soon begin learning how to write a great story!
Mrs. Burke, Mrs. Reisinger, Mrs. Velic and Mrs. Wright
4th Grade News
Writing
As we begin the second quarter in Writing the focus will be on narratives and responding to a text. Responding to a text is when one retells the selection .Then the student writes their opinion of the piece supporting it with an idea from the selection.
You can help your child by having them retell their favorite TV program or book at home. Also, please encourage your child to write letters to family members and write notes.
Last, please remind your child to proof read his or her work after they write one paragraph. Spelling lists will continue to be given on Monday from frequently missed words in everyday writing.
Thank you for your cooperation. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Mrs. Holdash
Reading
We finished the first theme in Reading. The second theme entitled "American Stories" contains four main selections and fits in nicely with our Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving celebrations this month. The stories are: Tomas and the Library Lady, Tanya's Reunion, Boss of the Plains and A Very Important Day. The focus will be to master reading strategies such as predicting, inferring evaluating and summarizing. We will continue to develop the child's ability to make generalizations, categorize and classify. Please continue to read with your child everyday. We appreciate the effort you put forth to complete the reading logs with your child.
Happy Fall!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Arnold
Mrs. Nelson
Social Studies
A new quarter and new topics. We have finished the 3 branches of government and most of the students have the basics. I am pleased with how well they worked and the interest they showed in the Presidential Election.
Now we are onto Native American Indians in Ohio and then onto cultural differences within Ohio. One of our reading stories A VERY IMPORTANT DAY will also focus on immigration and how this has changed our country. I will attempt to connect these two, to make it even more interesting.
Happy Thanksgiving and see you at conferences!
Mrs. Arnold
Science
We continue to study Earth and Space Science. The students did an excellent job studying and understanding the make-up of the Earth. Their study concluded with the creation of their Earth books. This week we will focus on the relationship of Earth to the sun and other planets. I'm hoping it will be out of this world!
Mrs. Nelson
Math
We have completed our unit on place value, data collection, addition, and subtraction. Your child should have brought home the graded test. Please encourage your child to correct errors. We will be going on to a unit on multiplication and beginning algebra now. Students who do not yet know their multiplication facts will have trouble keeping up with the many skills we will be completing. Very soon, your child will be doing more advanced multiplication with 2 and 3 digits and regrouping. Students who have not yet mastered their facts will be bringing home an extra practice multiplication practice to do each night for homework. You can help your child have more math success by helping him/her master unknown facts.
We will continue to review skills we have already covered in class on a daily basis. Thank you for your help at home.
Mrs. White
5th Grade News
Reading
We will be starting a new theme of Person to Person. We will be focusing on skills like noting details, problem solving, cause and effect, comparing, and inferencing. We will be reading 2 stories out of the text and also 1 novel. We will spend some time on poetry in December. Continue to read to reach your monthly reading goal for Book It. This quarter's total AR points = 20!
We will be writing instructions, how to paragraphs, and a personal narrative. Be sure to be helping your child at home peer edit for capitals, overall appearance, punctuation, and spelling (COPS). If they are typing be sure they know how to use spell check
Science
We will be wrapping up resources and Earth Science this week. We will move into Physical Science and be focusing on properties and changes of matter. Be sure all science tests are signed and returned which is for a homework point and then placed in their black binders for reference when the Ohio Achievement test comes about.
5th grade Other NEWS
Hiram House
Dates have been set for May 26-29, 2009. If you would like to volunteer for the entire week or a day or two, please email Miss Lamphear at klamphear@bcsoh.org . Thank you to those parents who have already contacted her! :)
Video Club
Video Club is going great! We will be having a meeting on November 20 at 8:45 a.m. Great job!
Miss Lamphear
Math
The students will be starting Unit 5: Fraction, Decimals and Percents this week. We will be focusing on changing a fraction to a decimal and then to a percent. The students will also be constructing and interpreting frequency tables and circle graphs. Please continue to work on facts at home. As always, please sign and return all "I can" statements and corrected tests.
Mrs. Schweisthal
Social Studies
We have entered the exploration of the United States. We will be having our test on Wed., Nov. 12. Please make sure your child brings home their study notes. Our next Unit will be on the colonization of the United States. Please make sure you are checking your child's red folder for all homework and study guides.
Mr. Hunter
November is a busy time of year, with many themes to focus on. Comprehension is still the main reason for reading, and the first and second graders will be practicing a variety of strategies. The second graders have created a “Real or Make-Believe” web for our bulletin board, exploring the differences between real and make-believe wolves.
Our elections will give us a chance to explore who, what, when, where, and why we vote. We’ll even vote on our favorite type of book and graph our results. Thanksgiving will offer opportunities to compare and contrast our lives, then and now, through Venn Diagrams. Of course all of those wonderful holiday recipes will give students a chance to write directions in sequential order.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Mrs. Pollick
Grades 1-2
News from Title 1
The Title 1 students have been working extremely hard so far this year. Last month we finished all of our I Can statements. We are looking forward to learning new material for November. Throughout the month the students will be working on various skills. Our third graders will fly through identifying the topic and main idea of a story, making predictions and inferences, and identifying cause and effect. The 4th graders will be very busy this month because they will be concentrating on describing characters, setting, problem, and solution of a story. Making inferences, examining the setting of a story, and differentiating between fact and opinion are just some of the things that the 5th graders will be working on this month.
Also, we have many special Thanksgiving activities for the students that will connect with their learning skills.
We would like to thank all of the parents that attended our Title 1 Parent Meeting. We look forward to seeing many of you at conferences this month. Parents we would like to ask you to continue listening to your child read. They have been working so hard to develop their reading fluency. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Linden and Mrs. Savage
Grades 3-5
Physical Education
As we move toward the middle of November, Towslee 3rd and 5th graders will have an opportunity to showcase their Patriotism. This year’s Veterans’ Day Show will take place on November 14, at 10:00 AM in the PAC. There is no doubt that this year will be another fantastic performance by the students at Towslee. They have been working extremely hard for this great opportunity.
1st and 2nd grade students have been working on their throwing and catching skills for the past few weeks and they are improving each day. Next month they will be working on some jumping and landing skills. The third, fourth and fifth graders will be working on their floor hockey skills. Keep up the good work!
Mr. Harrington
Music Notes' from Mrs. Gigax:
It seems like the whole school is abuzz with music! Congratulations to the 4th graders who did an OUTSTANDING job at the Halloween concert last Friday. Students in grades 3 and 5 are just about ready to perform for the veterans on November 14th at the Performing Arts Center (at the high school). These students will be walking to rehearsals at the high school all next week, so please have your child dress for the elements. On Friday the 14th, the entire school will walk over to enjoy the performance. Parents, too, are invited to the show, which starts at 10:00 a.m.
1st and 2nd grade students have just begun preparing for their holiday program, which will be at the P.A.C on December 12th. This year's theme is "Symbols of the Season", and the concert will feature songs from different cultures. The 2nd graders will even be singing in several different languages. Families and friends are welcome to attend this free concert.
If you would like a copy of the lyrics from the holiday program, please e-mail me at rgigax@bcsoh.org.
Mrs. Gigax
Brushing Up on Art
Our students are busy learning about many different artists and the way they created their works. The school halls are filled with many fine examples of student art!
Our Board of Education Art Gallery will take place in March, featuring a select group of student artists from each of our Brunswick Elementary Schools. Their artwork will be framed and hanging in the halls of the Board of Education for many months.
Some Towslee student art will be hanging on display at Medina Hospital. Students will be notified if their artwork is in any gallery.
Keep drawing!
Mrs. Hunt (Art)
C. R. Towslee Ambassadors
The Ambassadors are doing a lot of great volunteer work! In October, we were excited that the aluminum can drive, co-captained by Shannon and Kiley Morselli, brought in the most aluminum cans to our firestation on Rt. 303 and 42 than any other elementary school in Brunswick! Our whole school won a prize!
Thanks to the many Ambassadors who have brought in new socks and yarn for our veterans! Please continue to do so. The Ambassadors are trying hard to make our school the very best!
"Can't hide that Towslee pride!"
Mrs. Hunt (Advisor)
Patriot Patrol
Day after day, our flag raisers of the Patriot Patrol display our flags. It is a beautiful sight to see the flag of our country waving in the breeze above our school! We can be proud of the service that they do for Towslee!
Mrs. Hunt and Mrs. Study (Moderators)
Library News
Happy November! All the students are very excited about our recent Book Fair. A big thank you to our wonderful Book Fair PTO staff. You did a great job! Towslee received a nice profit to purchase new books.
Our students are reading so much better this year. One of their favorite authors is Beverly Cleary who writes about Ramona Quimby which the students love to read about her adventures. Junie B. Jones books are also very popular. The first of October, I started giving tickets to students for extra reading projects, memorizing the states, reading a biography and sharing the story with the class plus many other learning skills. The winners with the most tickets were Josh Herron, Julia Ryncarz, Kari, Knopp, Nicholas Barbopoulos, Kristen Mazur, Colleen Beck, Kiley Morselli, Dylan Nunnari, Dalton Kotlin, Holly Stacho, Paige Scharschmidt and Emily Beal. They all received a poster of their choice. Great job!
If any parents and grandparents would like to read to your child’s class or volunteer in the library please send a note or e-mail me.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Happy Reading!
Mrs. Zeigler
News From The Office:
Towslee Elementary School came in first place in the 6th annual Aluminum Cans for Burn Children sponsored by the Brunswick Fire Department & Mr. Chicken. The total amount collected was 731 pounds! Thank you so much for taking the time to collect and drop off all those cans to help the burn victims. Every student will be receiving a coupon for a FREE kids meal to Mr. Chicken. Thank you again for being so caring!
Cafeteria News
November greetings from the Towslee Cafeteria! We don't have a Manager's Choice this month, but here are a few reminders.
Prepaid lunches need to be purchased in the morning (preferably Monday) for at least a week. (Remember regular lunch is $2.50.) Cash or a check made out to Towslee Cafeteria should be placed in an envelope with the students name, teacher's name, and any special instructions.
Borrowing for lunch or milk should be limited to emergencies only. Paying back promptly allows us to replace the money to help another student.
Please remind your child to sign up for lunch in the morning so we can be prepared for them, many forget. Also we expect good behavior through the lunch line and in the gym or designated eating area.
Have a Happy Turkey Day!
Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Crouse, and Mrs. Theobald
Perfecting Parenting:
Tips from your School Counselor, Mrs. Lalos
Ask, Answer Questions about Your Child at Conferences
School conferences give you a chance to ask questions of your child’s teacher. They also let you answer some questions about your child—things that the teacher can use to help your child do better in school.
Before you go to your parent-teacher conference, jot down a list of questions and answers. Take the list with you. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Here are some topics you may want to have ready for the teacher:
Source: Parents Make the Difference, October 2001.
Busy Parents Can Find Many Ways to Stay Involved
Researchers have learned that busy parents find creative ways to support their children’s education. You, too, can do these things:
Source: “How Busy Parents Can Help Their Children Learn and Develop,” Early Childhood Digest, September, 1999.