NOVEMBER 2008
Newsletter
Calendar:
December 6th Mound Breakfast with Santa, 9-11a.m., Reservations Required
December 11th District Science Fair at Medlar View Elementary – 3:00p.m.
December 16th Mound PTO Meeting, 7p.m. in the school library
December 18th Board of Education Meeting, Neff Board Room, 7p.m.
December 22nd –
January 2nd Winter Vacation
Dear Parents,
I would like to thank the Miamisburg Eagles Post 2306 for their donation of $5,000.00 to Mound Elementary to purchase five classroom sets of clickers. The clickers will be used with our classroom Interwrite pads and projectors.
Over 130 parents, grandparents and veterans attended our PTO Veteran’s Day Program on Tuesday, November 18th. Our 5th graders put on an outstanding program. Congratulations to the following 5th grade essay winners: Gavin Brusca, Abigail Pacovsky, Emma Kilpatrick and Chelsea Pyburn. They wrote essays on how they could become better Americans. Thank you to all those who attended.
Please encourage your child to participate in our science fair, which will be held on Tuesday, December 2nd in the school gym.
Parent Tip of the Month:
Tutoring your own child can be a difficult undertaking. Kids can be overly sensitive and stubborn. Parents can get impatient.
It’s not a job for everybody. But if you’re committed to trying tutoring, these ideas can help:
1. Open the lines of communication. Point out that you know your child is doing fine in, say, simple
Newsletter
Calendar:
December 6th Mound Breakfast with Santa, 9-11a.m., Reservations Required
December 11th District Science Fair at Medlar View Elementary – 3:00p.m.
December 16th Mound PTO Meeting, 7p.m. in the school library
December 18th Board of Education Meeting, Neff Board Room, 7p.m.
December 22nd –
January 2nd Winter Vacation
Dear Parents,
I would like to thank the Miamisburg Eagles Post 2306 for their donation of $5,000.00 to Mound Elementary to purchase five classroom sets of clickers. The clickers will be used with our classroom Interwrite pads and projectors.
Over 130 parents, grandparents and veterans attended our PTO Veteran’s Day Program on Tuesday, November 18th. Our 5th graders put on an outstanding program. Congratulations to the following 5th grade essay winners: Gavin Brusca, Abigail Pacovsky, Emma Kilpatrick and Chelsea Pyburn. They wrote essays on how they could become better Americans. Thank you to all those who attended.
Please encourage your child to participate in our science fair, which will be held on Tuesday, December 2nd in the school gym.
Parent Tip of the Month:
Tutoring your own child can be a difficult undertaking. Kids can be overly sensitive and stubborn. Parents can get impatient.
It’s not a job for everybody. But if you’re committed to trying tutoring, these ideas can help:
1. Open the lines of communication. Point out that you know your child is doing fine in, say, simple
equations –but that the teacher says he needs help in graphing. Say you want to help and ask if that’s
okay.
2. Sit next to your child, rather than across from him. It’s easier for you to see the lessons, and the
2. Sit next to your child, rather than across from him. It’s easier for you to see the lessons, and the
closeness encourages a friendlier relationship.
3. Give directions slowly and clearly. Your child’s difficulty may not be with the subject matter, but with
3. Give directions slowly and clearly. Your child’s difficulty may not be with the subject matter, but with
following directions.
4. Work through one step, and one problem, at a time. This keeps your child’s attention on the work and
4. Work through one step, and one problem, at a time. This keeps your child’s attention on the work and
allows you to see where the difficulties lie.
5. Look at each other when you talk. It’s easier to see confusion than it is to hear it.
6. Don’t skip problems. You want your child to develop the habit of confronting challenges.
7. Don’t get discouraged and react when your child does. A child’s reaction is often based on a fear of
5. Look at each other when you talk. It’s easier to see confusion than it is to hear it.
6. Don’t skip problems. You want your child to develop the habit of confronting challenges.
7. Don’t get discouraged and react when your child does. A child’s reaction is often based on a fear of
not being able to do the work and disappointing his parent.
8. Minimize the use of negative phrases, such as “That’s wrong.” Just restate the question and give your
8. Minimize the use of negative phrases, such as “That’s wrong.” Just restate the question and give your
child more clues to help him get the answer.
9. Try to have some fun! Gentle teasing and puns can make the job a lot more enjoyable for both of you.
10. Remember these goals: You want to 1) offer help, 2) increase your child’s sense of capability, and 3)
9. Try to have some fun! Gentle teasing and puns can make the job a lot more enjoyable for both of you.
10. Remember these goals: You want to 1) offer help, 2) increase your child’s sense of capability, and 3)
preserve your relationship with your child.
There has been an increase in the number of students being dropped off early in the morning. Please do not drop students off before 8:30a.m. We do not have supervision for students until that time! Thanks for your cooperation in this matter!
REMINDERS:
• Please pay your school fees if you have not already done so. Fees for kindergarten are $15. Fees for
grades 1st and 2nd are $45 and 3rd thru 5th are $30. Checks should be made out to Mound
Elementary and sent to the office.
• Don’t forget to clip your Box Tops 4 Education along with Labels for Education. We collect both all year
• Don’t forget to clip your Box Tops 4 Education along with Labels for Education. We collect both all year
long.
• We’re still collecting pop can tabs to be given to Ronald McDonald House Charities. Last year Ronald
• We’re still collecting pop can tabs to be given to Ronald McDonald House Charities. Last year Ronald
McDonald House Charities received $14,000 from recycled pop tabs!
• Please continue to send in your empty inkjet cartridges for recycling throughout the school year.
• The weather is finally starting to change. Please make sure students are dressed appropriately with
• Please continue to send in your empty inkjet cartridges for recycling throughout the school year.
• The weather is finally starting to change. Please make sure students are dressed appropriately with
coats, gloves, hats and boots when necessary. We only stay inside if the wind chill is below 20
degrees.
Construction Update
The construction is now complete! If you haven’t stopped by to check out the new front doors, please do so. The entrance door to the outside will be open during school hours. The second door into the main hallway is locked during school hours. You must come into the office in order to enter into the main part of the building. If Mrs. Andrix is not at her desk, please hit the intercom button and someone will let you into the office.
News from the School Nurse - Kelly Waugh
WHEN IS YOUR CHILD TOO SICK TO GO TO SCHOOL?
Attending school on a regular basis is important for each child’s academic and social development. Parents often have trouble deciding whether their child is too ill to go to school. Your child is too sick to go to school and should remain home if any of these symptoms are present:
• Has temperature of 100 degrees or above. When your child has been fever free for 24 hours, is
Construction Update
The construction is now complete! If you haven’t stopped by to check out the new front doors, please do so. The entrance door to the outside will be open during school hours. The second door into the main hallway is locked during school hours. You must come into the office in order to enter into the main part of the building. If Mrs. Andrix is not at her desk, please hit the intercom button and someone will let you into the office.
News from the School Nurse - Kelly Waugh
WHEN IS YOUR CHILD TOO SICK TO GO TO SCHOOL?
Attending school on a regular basis is important for each child’s academic and social development. Parents often have trouble deciding whether their child is too ill to go to school. Your child is too sick to go to school and should remain home if any of these symptoms are present:
• Has temperature of 100 degrees or above. When your child has been fever free for 24 hours, is
feeling better and has no other symptoms, he/she may return to school.
• Has pain from earache, headache, sore throat or a recent injury.
• Has a cough that interferes with the child’s daily routine.
• Has vomiting or diarrhea.
• Has green or yellow drainage from the eyes.
• Has broken out in a rash.
• Has a contagious disease such as chickenpox, strep throat or pinkeye.
Student Council News
Student Council is heading up a Holiday Food Drive this season. The food drive will last from Monday, December 1st, until Friday, December 12th. The classroom with the most items brought will earn a pizza party!
Also, Student Council is collecting Campbell's soup labels. They can be brought to school and the office will be sure they get to us.
Students Attend Youth Conference
By Mrs. Mitchell
School Counselor
On October 21st, a team of eight students from Mound attended the Youth Conference at the Holiday Inn in Miamisburg. There were students from every building in Miamisburg as well as schools in West Carrollton, Oakwood, and Dayton. At the conference the students learned about the 40 Developmental Assets and how to help promote these assets in their own school. The following student leaders from Mound attended the conference:
Jacob Brown
Daniel Gustafson
Shelby Summers
Emily Goralski
Ben Sorg
Jacob Stapleton
Katelynn Ooten
Erin Frye
Mrs. Mitchell will continue to meet with this team of students to continue the effort of promoting the 40 Developmental Assets at Mound School. Our goal is to build these assets in all students, which will make them more successful in school and in life.
News from Mrs. Robinson!!!
In Room 10 we are busy working on research! In health we researched weather safety and created pamphlets on how to stay safe during severe weather conditions. In language arts, each student is researching another country. They are looking up facts in books, the encyclopedia, and the Internet. Students will be sharing their information in an oral presentation and a written report during the month of December.
Congratulations to our November Students of the Month, Isaiah and Kelsie!
5th Grade Update
The 5th grade Capital Rap performance was a big success! The students loved seeing the 5th graders perform and the show for the parents drew a big crowd as well. So don't be shy...go ahead and ask your 5th grader to name a state capital for you, they are well prepared to give you the answer! Now the 5th grade Social Studies students are going to move on to a study of the different regions of the United States as well as a study of Immigration.
Mrs. Elson's language arts group is going to begin reading an all time favorite book, Crash. We will complete a character study with this book and have many chances to talk about what it takes to be a good friend and do the right thing even though the right thing might not always be the popular thing!
In language arts, Mrs. Gormley's class is reading Tale of Despereaux. It is a magical book and we are enjoying it! We are also working on predictions and verbs. We are enjoying doing Readers' Theater as well!! We are also writing pen pal letters with Mrs. Inloes' class at Bauer Elementary School. We love getting to know other 5th graders in the district!!
In language arts, Mrs. Goralski’s class has finished up reading our touchstone, The Sign of the Beaver. They created a quilt with scenes from each chapter, as well as gave each chapter a catch title. Students have been working on many different types of writing. Ask your student about their Oreo writing. Students are also reading a fiction book for their December book talks. These are due on December 12, 2008.
In language arts, Mrs. Aunspaw and Mrs. Toadvine’s class, students finished up our first touchstone novel, The Sign of the Beaver. Students took the test and are working on a Tic-Tac-Toe board regarding the book. In Writing, students are working hard on writing descriptively - they are working on rewriting A Few of My Favorite Things by Julie Andrews.
In science, the fifth graders are learning about the many different ecosystems in the world. It's amazing how climate changes the types of animals and plants found in the ecosystems! We're also discovering how humans are impacting all of these different environments and what we can do to change that!
On the side, some of us have been working on science fair projects for the Mound Science Fair on December 2. It's an exciting event that allows us to show how much we know about science!! We hope to see you there!
For fifth grade math, students are learning all about fractions. They will soon be able to add and subtract fractions that have different denominators, they will be able to multiply fractions, and even estimate fractional parts. Comparing fractions and finding equivalent fractions are other exciting topics students will be studying in math. Tentatively there will be a post-test on Monday, November 24, 2008.
The fifth grade team wishes you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving.
PTO NEWS!!!
PTO would like to thank all who participated in the fall fundraiser. All of your hard work helped to raise a little over $5,000.00! Thank you so much for your support. For those who still need to pick up candle orders, please stop by the school office and Mrs. Andrix will give you your order. GLASS candles cannot be sent home on the bus with students. The respective parent or guardian MUST pick up their orders. Kindly do so as soon as possible as there isn't a lot of room for storage of these orders. Thank you for your help Mrs. Andrix!
Breakfast with Santa will be held on Saturday, December 6th from 9-11a.m. Children 2 & under are free, adults are $3.00 and Children 3 and older are $2.00. Please turn your money and forms in as soon as possible so that we may purchase food and plan accordingly.
The next PTO meeting will be held on December 16th at 7:00p.m. in the school library, everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. Unfortunately, due to extremely low parent involvement at this time, we are considering discontinuing the following activities/programs during this and/or the next school year: skating party, Market Day, Gopher Store, Donuts with Dad/Muffins with Mom, Box Tops for Education and Breakfast with Santa. We certainly understand and appreciate how busy everyone's lives are, just as we ask for your understanding of how incredibly difficult it is for the same handful of people to ensure these activities/programs continue. If you would like to make a difference at your child's school, come and support PTO and get involved with the activities we’re offering.
Market Day pick up is Monday, December 1st at 6:45 in the gym.
The Board members for the 2008/2009 school year are:
Dawn Whitacre, President/VP
Shelly Clark, Treasurer
Jennifer Smith, Secretary
Please feel free to contact us with any questions, concerns or comments.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
Mound PTO
• Has pain from earache, headache, sore throat or a recent injury.
• Has a cough that interferes with the child’s daily routine.
• Has vomiting or diarrhea.
• Has green or yellow drainage from the eyes.
• Has broken out in a rash.
• Has a contagious disease such as chickenpox, strep throat or pinkeye.
Student Council News
Student Council is heading up a Holiday Food Drive this season. The food drive will last from Monday, December 1st, until Friday, December 12th. The classroom with the most items brought will earn a pizza party!
Also, Student Council is collecting Campbell's soup labels. They can be brought to school and the office will be sure they get to us.
Students Attend Youth Conference
By Mrs. Mitchell
School Counselor
On October 21st, a team of eight students from Mound attended the Youth Conference at the Holiday Inn in Miamisburg. There were students from every building in Miamisburg as well as schools in West Carrollton, Oakwood, and Dayton. At the conference the students learned about the 40 Developmental Assets and how to help promote these assets in their own school. The following student leaders from Mound attended the conference:
Jacob Brown
Daniel Gustafson
Shelby Summers
Emily Goralski
Ben Sorg
Jacob Stapleton
Katelynn Ooten
Erin Frye
Mrs. Mitchell will continue to meet with this team of students to continue the effort of promoting the 40 Developmental Assets at Mound School. Our goal is to build these assets in all students, which will make them more successful in school and in life.
News from Mrs. Robinson!!!
In Room 10 we are busy working on research! In health we researched weather safety and created pamphlets on how to stay safe during severe weather conditions. In language arts, each student is researching another country. They are looking up facts in books, the encyclopedia, and the Internet. Students will be sharing their information in an oral presentation and a written report during the month of December.
Congratulations to our November Students of the Month, Isaiah and Kelsie!
5th Grade Update
The 5th grade Capital Rap performance was a big success! The students loved seeing the 5th graders perform and the show for the parents drew a big crowd as well. So don't be shy...go ahead and ask your 5th grader to name a state capital for you, they are well prepared to give you the answer! Now the 5th grade Social Studies students are going to move on to a study of the different regions of the United States as well as a study of Immigration.
Mrs. Elson's language arts group is going to begin reading an all time favorite book, Crash. We will complete a character study with this book and have many chances to talk about what it takes to be a good friend and do the right thing even though the right thing might not always be the popular thing!
In language arts, Mrs. Gormley's class is reading Tale of Despereaux. It is a magical book and we are enjoying it! We are also working on predictions and verbs. We are enjoying doing Readers' Theater as well!! We are also writing pen pal letters with Mrs. Inloes' class at Bauer Elementary School. We love getting to know other 5th graders in the district!!
In language arts, Mrs. Goralski’s class has finished up reading our touchstone, The Sign of the Beaver. They created a quilt with scenes from each chapter, as well as gave each chapter a catch title. Students have been working on many different types of writing. Ask your student about their Oreo writing. Students are also reading a fiction book for their December book talks. These are due on December 12, 2008.
In language arts, Mrs. Aunspaw and Mrs. Toadvine’s class, students finished up our first touchstone novel, The Sign of the Beaver. Students took the test and are working on a Tic-Tac-Toe board regarding the book. In Writing, students are working hard on writing descriptively - they are working on rewriting A Few of My Favorite Things by Julie Andrews.
In science, the fifth graders are learning about the many different ecosystems in the world. It's amazing how climate changes the types of animals and plants found in the ecosystems! We're also discovering how humans are impacting all of these different environments and what we can do to change that!
On the side, some of us have been working on science fair projects for the Mound Science Fair on December 2. It's an exciting event that allows us to show how much we know about science!! We hope to see you there!
For fifth grade math, students are learning all about fractions. They will soon be able to add and subtract fractions that have different denominators, they will be able to multiply fractions, and even estimate fractional parts. Comparing fractions and finding equivalent fractions are other exciting topics students will be studying in math. Tentatively there will be a post-test on Monday, November 24, 2008.
The fifth grade team wishes you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving.
PTO NEWS!!!
PTO would like to thank all who participated in the fall fundraiser. All of your hard work helped to raise a little over $5,000.00! Thank you so much for your support. For those who still need to pick up candle orders, please stop by the school office and Mrs. Andrix will give you your order. GLASS candles cannot be sent home on the bus with students. The respective parent or guardian MUST pick up their orders. Kindly do so as soon as possible as there isn't a lot of room for storage of these orders. Thank you for your help Mrs. Andrix!
Breakfast with Santa will be held on Saturday, December 6th from 9-11a.m. Children 2 & under are free, adults are $3.00 and Children 3 and older are $2.00. Please turn your money and forms in as soon as possible so that we may purchase food and plan accordingly.
The next PTO meeting will be held on December 16th at 7:00p.m. in the school library, everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. Unfortunately, due to extremely low parent involvement at this time, we are considering discontinuing the following activities/programs during this and/or the next school year: skating party, Market Day, Gopher Store, Donuts with Dad/Muffins with Mom, Box Tops for Education and Breakfast with Santa. We certainly understand and appreciate how busy everyone's lives are, just as we ask for your understanding of how incredibly difficult it is for the same handful of people to ensure these activities/programs continue. If you would like to make a difference at your child's school, come and support PTO and get involved with the activities we’re offering.
Market Day pick up is Monday, December 1st at 6:45 in the gym.
The Board members for the 2008/2009 school year are:
Dawn Whitacre, President/VP
Shelly Clark, Treasurer
Jennifer Smith, Secretary
Please feel free to contact us with any questions, concerns or comments.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
Mound PTO