7-13 June 2010

14 June-Monday: FLAG DAY--Wear red, white, and blue!
17 June-Thursday-Last 1/2 day of school!! Dismissal: 11:15
20 June-Sunday-Father's Day!!
21 June-Monday-1st Day of Summer!! Don't forget to visit the base library once a week!

We're down to our last 8.5 days of school. If you notice, we're also counting down to the first day of summer on 21 June. If you haven't done so already, please visit the post library and register your child for the Summer Reading Program and activities. The Base Library always does a fantastic job and it's something to add to your weekly plate. Reading Lists will be sent home to your e-mail account, so please write me a message to this address: elizabeth.petty@eu.dodea.edu , so I know exactly what e-mail address to use for you. Just place this in the subject bar: Summer Reading Books List.

Please continue sending in a bottle of water for your child this week. The weather has warmed up and they still need hydration. They'll be keeping their water bottle at their desk, so fill it up every day. Thank you for helping with this. It made a huge difference in interruptions and general comfort with little drinks throughout the day.

The extra pencils have been so helpful. Please send in sharpened pencils, if you're able. All our supplies are looking pretty rough, but with so few days that are left, we'll be using what we've got to the end.

We're finishing up our consumable math chapters, reading out of the new Reading Series in the last unit of the year, taking Reading Counts tests and nearing 700 class points as a total, and cleaning up our Language Arts folders, and completing end of year assessments. It's a busy time and so much of it takes some individual assessment time with each student. We were the 1st class to return ALL student library books. Thank you so much. The students are not happy with the end of checking out books from the information center. TIME TO GET THEM A LIBRARY CARD!! I am still waiting on one library book to be returned that someone used from the classroom: Chester Please check around the house and send them in if you see it. It belongs to the school library. Thank you so much.

Continue to visit the links on the right and enjoy the last few days. Don't forget the water bottles and the hunt for the sole library book, Chester. Also, encourage good work habits and staying on task these last few days!

Have a wonderful week.

Mrs. Petty

23-30 May 2010

IMPORTANT DATES:

31 May-Monday-Memorial Day - No School - Federal Holiday
1 June-Tuesday-NO HOMEWORK DAY-Incentive/Reward for READ for the GOLD
14 June-Monday: FLAG DAY--Wear red, white, and blue!
17 June-Thursday-Last 1/2 day of school!! Dismissal: 11:15
20 June-Sunday-Father's Day!!
21 June-Monday-1st Day of Summer!!

Thanks a million for the great parent turn-out for the Field Day Events. My students' parents are the BEST!!

Thank you to all 13 Parent Chaperons for making our Study trip at Gulliverlandia a success. The weather cooperated and fun and learning was had by all. We'll return to school in the morning and work on our unfinished reading unit, among other activities, then participate in Field Day on the grassy area across from the chapel. We have 2 parent volunteers who will help manage an event, and we'll see them during our rotation. We're hoping for sunshine again, of course. Good luck to the Home Team! Come dressed appropriately and wear shoes that fit well; and NO sandals.

We have several students who will PCS with families this summer: Good-by to Marcus, Destany, Analena, and Carter! They're all excellent friends and students, so we all know that they'll meet new friends in the near future.

Keep on Reading those take-home books in the Reading Bag. We're trying to make 1,000 Reading Counts points before school lets out for the summer. We're currently at 629. We've set our goal high and we all think we can do it.

Watch our new ticker that shows how many days until summer break begins!

I'll give each student their final reading assessment in the next 2 weeks, and we'll work to the end of the year and review everything we've learned this year. We've come a long, long, way!

Have a great week!

Mrs. Petty

16-22 May 2010

STUDY TRIP UPDATE-Be at school on Friday, 21 May NLT 8:15-Please check the last paragraph of this post for further instructions about the trip.

Buses DEPART @ 8:30 so make certain you secure a parking place at the school if you ride the bus. Your entry fee is 10 Euro. If you haven't already paid, please pay before leaving the school.

I sent a letter home to all interested parents concerning the study trip today. We have several parents who are going to chaperon on this trip. We are sharing a bus with another class and the bus has 55 seats. Some will be driving, and teachers have decided that if you choose to drive (follow the bus), you are welcome to take your child home with you at the end of the day. Because we return so late (right before the buses), you can depart Gulliverlandia with your child as long as you let us know of your plans.

IMPORTANT DATES
20 May-Thursday-SPELLING TEST-Visit Spelling City for extra practice--
21 May-Friday-Study Trip to Gulliverlandia! Send in 10 Euro, if you haven't already.
24 May-Monday-Field Day 12-2:15 p.m. Bring a water bottle-Hoping for sun!
31 May-Monday-Memorial Day - No School - Federal Holiday
1 June-Tuesday-NO HOMEWORK DAY-Incentive/Reward for READ for the GOLD
17 June-Thursday-Last 1/2 day of school!! Dismissal: 11:15

Welcome to a new week. We've got a bad case of Spring Fever! Even the specialists have noticed their activity and talking level has increased over the last two weeks. Please talk to your child about working and cooperating to the last day of the year. Cooperation and improved citizenship is always highly encouraged. Thank you so much.

Last call for AES Yearbook order Pre-sales on Monday. I'll let you know what the rainy day policy is on the Gulliverlandia trip. I am still awaiting permission slips and Euro from a few of you. The chaperone situation will also be resolved by Wednesday and I'll inform parents who are going. Hopefully, everyone will come along. Thank you for your efforts to come with us.


Our new reading series is fun, and challenging. We're all enjoying the change in our work efforts and the new stories. This week we'll begin the last 3 stories, which are all non-fiction selections. This week's story is Simple Machines with science content! We are also taking our story tests on the computer, as the assignments and assessments can be completed on-line. Your child can go to www.kz.com and sign in using their UN and PW. They are welcome to sign-in and read their on line textbook, if they like. DO NOT complete any tests or assessments at home. We'll do all of those at school. It's really amazing, and the nice thing for me, is that they score the tests, as well. I'll place the link on this post, so watch for the READING STREETS link. Parents, you can also check your student's progress on line by clicking on the Parents link on the toolbar when your child signs in. Help you student explore the Taking it to the Net activities for Unit 5 also! There are 2 resources available to them: 1. Student Edition with stories, and Takin' it to the Net web/reading activities. We're all on the learning curve!

We just completed our final Math Assessment for measured growth with the Continuous School Improvement plan for our Grade Level. It measured each student's ability to use their problem solving skills in math. I was pleased with the overall results for the year. Please allow them to work on math skills over the summer. I will include summer links to math jobs, and invite you to utilize the IXL math web-site throughout the summer, as well.

Don't forget the field trip on Friday. Send your child to school with appropriate clothing and shoes for the day. They may bring their ALL-DISPOSABLE lunch with them in their backpack and will need to carry it with them at all times. Please do not send bags or paper sacks to carry, or plastic containers of food, as they break and/or leak. Spending money is allowed, as well, so tuck it in a zipper pocket, or a zip-loc bag.

Have a great week and check out Spelling City!

Mrs. Petty

9-15 May 2010

Important Future Dates:
14 May-Friday-No School for Students
16 May-Yearbook Pre-Sales Deadline- $20 (Best Price!) Place in envelope, please :-)
21 May-Friday-Study Trip to Gulliverlandia! Send in 10 Euro, if you haven't already.
24 May-Monday-Field Day 12-2:15 p.m.
31 May-Monday-Memorail Day - No School - Federal Holiday
1 June-Tuesday-NO HOMEWORK DAY-Incentive/Reward for READ for the GOLD
17 June-Thursday-Last 1/2 day of school!! Dismissal: 11:15

Thank you for the many gifts and thoughtful acts during Teacher Appreciation Week!
It is MY pleasure to teach your child!!! Thank you for the opportunity!

Please send in your Euro for our Study Trip to Gulliverlandia. I have submitted all the names for the chaperons and we had over 6 of you want to go. We'll see if we get more than 6 seats for chaperons. If not, I'll inform you whether or not you were among the first 6 to commit. So sorry it came down to this for selection.

As you already know, we're using the newly adopted Reading/Language Arts curriculum throughout the rest of the year. The transition has been seamless and I'm impressed at the students' flexibilities in new reading material. We call this 'transfer' in the learning world. Can students take what they know already and apply it to new learning situations and materials. I'm pleased at their ability to show this. Please continue reading the book(s) nightly and on the weekend through the end of the year. I am requiring everyone to take a minimum of 1 Reading Counts test each day. More than one daily is even better. We're closing in on 200 class points and almost 200,000 words read. Expect more and watch progression still occur.

Students are still visiting the Cool School part of the cafeteria, but we've had our problems lately. Many students are purchasing their lunch tray, but throwing away food in order to get to the Cool School and purchase extra items. Please encourage one or the other, the tray lunch OR the Cool School menu. There is not enough time to eat both during our lunch time.

I'm trying to give 'new life' to our homework links by researching some new sites. Continue with the current ones and remember that these links will be available to you over the summer, even if you're PCS-ing! RAZ-kids, IXL Math, and Sight Words w/Samson will remain as the flagships over the summer, as well. I am expecting your student to complete, entirely, ALL 28 lists on Sight Words with Samson by the end of May. In early June, I'll clear the results from the year, and enable your student to repeat all lists and their activities during the summer as extra practice on the high-frequency words lists.

May I encourage you all to visit the Base Library and enroll your child in the Summer Reading Program. They are such great readers now and I'll be sending home a list, electronically, so you can help your child select appropriate books that match their level of reading, which includes some library titles. The weekly events are always amazing, the culminating activity at the end of the summer, so fun......and it helps your child to avoid summer reading loss. I'll also include some math web-sites so that they don't show any loss in mathematics over the summer. Encouraging learning over the summer is especially helpful to students as they prepare for the next year's learning experience.

Mrs. Petty