December 2009 Connector Final

         

PTA CONNector

Parents, educators, and students working together to build a stronger school community

DECEMBER 2009 Principal’s Message Dear Conn Families, We are well into the second quarter and the first semester will end before we know it. At this time in the year, it is appropriate to assess your child’s progress by reviewing the following: • Does your child arrive at school by 9:05 ready to learn? Does she have breakfast, book bag, and all other necessary materials (Tuesday Folder, signed papers, etc.)? Our instructional day starts at 9:05 and it is imperative that our students arrive on time with their materials. Students who arrive on time have an opportunity to prepare their desks and brains for the day ahead and complete the assigned morning work or catch up on an incomplete assignment from the previous day. • Have you had a face-to-face conference with your child’s teacher? If not, have you had a phone conversation or email exchange? It is important that the two most important partners in your child’s education have ongoing communication. Contact your child’s teacher by leaving a phone message in the office, sending in a written note, or contacting the teacher by email. • Is your child’s attendance regular? Wake County has specific policies about excused and unexcused absences and our Attendance Team seeks to communicate with parents when students have missed the minimum number of days. Regular attendance is vital to a student’s mastery of the content and in developing a sense of responsibility for her work as a student. • Have you reviewed your child’s first quarter report card (2nd through 5th graders only)? It was sent home in Friday Folders on November 6. If you have not seen your child’s report card, please contact the main office and we will send another copy home. The report card contains important information about your child’s performance on first quarter objectives in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. It also includes a checklist of work habits and conduct. Tardies and absences are noted at the bottom. Specialists’ grades and comments are included on a separate form. Just as students and parents reflect after the end of a quarter, our staff engages in ongoing dialogue about the performance of all of our students. Teachers maintain documentation about each student’s academic achievement including formal and informal assessment information and performance on specific objectives. Our Intervention, Title I, ESL, and Special Programs teachers collaborate with the classroom teachers to determine what strategies might

better meet the needs of students and how to best support individual students. If a student is not demonstrating the expected level of progress, these teachers outline an intervention plan to better target the objectives. Specialists, IRT, AG, Media, and Technology teachers meet with grade levels to extend student learning and the level of support provided to teachers and students. While these teachers support all learners through their work with classroom teachers, they also seek to extend the learning of students who are demonstrating mastery of grade level objectives. Our talented and experienced staff seeks to maximize the learning of all students! Diann P. Kearney Conn Elementary Principal

PTA President’s Message 2009 Holiday Shop Attention Conn Families, The annual Conn Holiday Shop is coming to our school December 7-11. This is our PTA’s annual shopping experience where students can purchase gifts for family and friends. The shop enables the children to think about giftgiving, how to shop on a budget, and then select a special gift and bring it home wrapped and keep it a surprise until that special day. Gifts will be priced at $.25 - $9.00 to enable everyone to make purchases. You may want to talk with your student about extra chores they can do to earn money for this shopping spree at school. Raking leaves, cleaning out the garage or closet, anything to help them help you – then you can help them add a learning experience and extra fun to the holiday season. The PTA also needs volunteers to assist students during shopping hours. If you are able to spend even a little time on this endeavor, please email or call me to schedule – see my email and phone on page 4. Thanks for all you do to make Conn the very best school around. Happy Holidays! Linda Davis PTA President

Academically Gifted News Kindergarten: Our Kindergarten students are currently learning about weather. They enjoy sharing interesting facts about wind, precipitation and clouds, and look forward to performing some experiments involving evaporation and condensation. 1

1st grade Jr. Explorers are writing creative stories based upon their knowledge of characterization, setting and plot. The students have been conferencing with their peers through each phase of the writing process as they add creative details to their plot sequences. 2nd grade Jr. Explorers are enjoying selections of classic children’s literature via the Jr. Great Books series. They are analyzing the motives of characters and using their questioning and inferencing skills to make predictions. 3rd grade Explorers are working on graphing and data collection. The class is currently creating a line plot to determine if a relationship exists between the length of a paper airplane and the distance it can travel. Students are making quick connections to their science modules and have determined that there are other variables that should be considered and that several tests should be conducted. 4th grade AG math and module students are working on a variety of projects in both classes. The students are currently estimating and calculating sums and differences in perimeter, line segments and rays on cardboard houses they have constructed and decorated during math. In our science/language arts module, the students are experimenting with parallel and series circuits and researching the lives and accomplishments of famous scientists. 5th grade AG math students have been converting metric and customary units of measurement. They can make reasonable estimates of measurements in both systems as well as estimate the measure of a variety of angles. They created collages showcasing their knowledge of acute, obtuse, straight and reflex angles and are currently making game-cards to review other measurement concepts. Nancy A. Hanley Academic Gifted Specialist

Media Matters We are busy promoting reading as a part of the holiday season! PK (AKA media center placekeeper) is offering the kids an extra book over the Thanksgiving and winter breaks (shhhhhhh…the winter break special is still a secret!). Please enjoy this quiet time with your child, reading to them or modeling silent reading by reading your book while they read independently. Research proves that silent sustained reading positively influences a child’s attitude toward reading and learning AND boosts student achievement. Looking for that perfect holiday gift for teachers, grandparents, kids? Why not honor them with a Celebration Book given to the Conn Media Center? For $10 your child can choose a new book to add to our collection that will feature a name plate in the front with the celebrant’s name, date, and dedication. It’s the gift that continues to give year after year to our school community. Celebration Book forms are available in your child’s Tuesday folder, on the Media Bytes bulletin board outside the media center (one stop for media center news!), on

Conn’s website under Media Center, and at the check out desk in the media center. Watch your child’s Tuesday folder for information on our upcoming Muddy Buddy Book Club. Read books and earn tickets to Mudcats baseball games! Please encourage responsibility by helping your child have a safe place to keep library books. A happy student is one who can return their books on time and get more!!! Help Wanted! Looking for enthusiastic parents to help run check out desk, especially between 11:30-12:00 and 1:00-1:30. Shelving books is an added bonus! Salary included in the form of student smiles, thank you’s, and sometimes hugs!!! No experience necessary! No formal application! Contact Brenda Shore at 856-7644 or [email protected] Happy Holidays to your family from the Media Center Staff! Brenda Shore, Media Specialist Kathie Rozar, Media Assistant

The Music Room Greetings from the Music Room! There are many exciting things going on in the classroom this quarter. In Kindergarten students are learning about tempo (fast and slow music) and also pitch (high and low sounds). The students are enjoying moving to the music and singing in class. In First grade students are learning about melody and rhythm. We are using instruments and beginning to read and play rhythms. In Second grade students are continuing our studies of Music Around the World! We have studied traditional music from Ireland, Japan, India, Africa, and Latin America. Not only do they learn about the music, but they also discuss language, geography, culture, and other traditional art forms from each place. We learned how to fold origami from Japan, how to do the Irish Jig, and how to sing in Hindi, Gaelic, Japanese, Spanish, and Swahili. In Third grade students are learning to play the keyboard. The students are doing a fantastic job and we are looking forward to the recital on the last day of class. In Fourth grade students are learning to play the recorder. By the end of the quarter students will be able to play an entire octave on the instrument. There will be a recorder recital on Showcase Night December 17. Fifth graders are working on the musical Dig It. Dance, Drama, and Music students work together and perform in this fantastic show about history and what they can learn from it. There will be a performance at Showcase Night December 17 and a performance December 16 during the school day. Thanks for all your support! Stephanie Connor Music Teacher

December 2009 CONNector    

2

News from Yearbook Committee Be CONNplimentary The Yearbook Committee would like you to CONNtribute to this year’s yearbook by sending a CONNpliment to your Student, Teacher, Faculty member, or Classmates by purchasing space in the Yearbook. CONNpliments are 80 characters per line of text and cost $5.00 for the first line and $3.00 for each additional line. Check your Tuesday folders for a form. Deadline is December 18, 2009 so there is time to get it into the Yearbook. Also, if you have taken pictures at any of the Conn Events, Showcase, Connivale, Open House, Magnet Fair or Field Trips, please share!. The Yearbook Committee would love to see them and possibly use them in the Yearbook. You may send them to the Committee via email to [email protected] or send them on a disc or flash drive which will be returned to you (please label with your contact information). Mary Williams Chair, PTA Yearbook

Terrific Technology Check out our technology website @ www.conntechnology.wikispaces.com. This site is growing and evolving as we collaborate with classroom teachers. It’s a one stop shop for: • Grade level activities • Typing skills • Math practice • In-house instructional videos supporting and enhancing the curriculum We love our parent volunteers, especially those willing to tackle helping students with computer activities in the classroom. DO NOT BE AFRAID!! Free training is offered by our technology guru – that’s me. If interested contact Mr. Murphy @ [email protected] or 8567644. Michael Murphy Technology Facilitator

Dance Moves Things are hopping in the dance studio this month! Kindergarten and first grade are continuing their creative dance study by making their own Native American style dances using rhythm and patterns, and focus areas are in full swing for second through fifth grade. Second grade students are learning dances from around the world and will have a chance to share some of the dances they are learning towards the end of the quarter. Third grade students are learning about dance as a life-long avenue to fitness in Healthy Movers and fourth grade students are tapping up a storm. Fifth grade Musical Theatre Production

students in dance, drama, and music are working together to prepare for the upcoming performance of this year’s musical, Dig It! And the dance studio has been busy afterschool, too. A group of third graders from first quarter focus areas have been demonstrating their talents beyond Showcase Night. After an engaging performance at the Magnet Fair, these students have been working after school to choreograph and polish a dance to audition for Pieces of Gold in conjunction with Ms. Connor’s second and third grade chorus. I hope to see you soon at one of our performance events. Gerrie Bowen Dance Teacher

Meet Señorita Goldsmith My name is Sara Goldsmith and I am a student from North Carolina State. I am completing my degree in Spanish Languages and Literature with an emphasis on teaching Spanish in grades K-12. I personally advocate for the effectiveness of a long and continuous sequence of second language study. Some of the benefits are that of greater fluency, improved test scores in basic skills, and better understanding of the English language. For the final stage in obtaining my teaching license, I have been working alongside Señora Ramirez teaching Spanish since the beginning of October. My internship is now coming to a close, and I just wanted to let you know that it has been a pleasure working with your students! They have learned many exciting things about Hispanic culture, how to express themselves, and how the Hispanic world plays such an integral role in all of our lives. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with them. Thank you! Sara Goldsmith Spanish Intern

Conn Community Night Wed. Dec. 2 4 – 8 pm Join us at Chick-fil-A at North Hills for dinner and to connect with other Conn families. Conn Elementary will receive a portion of the sales generated that night.

December 2009 CONNector    

3

2009-2010 Conn Elementary PTA PTA CONTACTS

NAME

HOME PHONE

CELL PHONE

EMAIL

President

Linda Davis

821.7602

210.4420

[email protected]

President-Elect VP Fundraising VP Membership

Dakeisa Parker Julie Thomas Melissa Madrid

803.2035

264.7744 434.9690 255.5219

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Secretary

Dionne Lester

792.2442

Treasurer Asst. Treasurer Butterfly Garden

Toddi Steelman Joe Sinsheimer Christine Murphy

513.0408 821.9487 832.3298

Communications

Reid Serozi

807.1878

CONNector Cultural Arts

Fall Carnival – CONNivale

Julie Snee Peggy Hayes Soo Keith Lisa Ferrando (Staff Liaison) Lisa & Rob Vanderberry

Family Spirit Night

Jared Ollison

Green Team

Jeff Cherry

878.6177

915.1012

[email protected]

David Thome

834.2735 834.6488 833.1732 834.6488

215-0420 368.3856

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

428.0992

Holiday Shop Hospitality Legislative Literacy Night & Campaign Media Center Room Parent Coordinator Parent Classroom Liaison, K-2 Parent Classroom Liaison, 3-5 Positive Behavior Support

Chrissy Pressley Capricia Conyers Matthew Brown

Reflections

870.0599

[email protected] 271.2844 345.1807

[email protected] 210.5586 522.7995 834.1811

828.3534 872.0741

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

271.4350 247.4478

Pam Hartley

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

[email protected] [email protected]

Kelly Turner

846.9317

[email protected] [email protected]

Carol Lawson

761.1013

[email protected]

Carmon Pullen

376.0844

291.8803

[email protected]

Jaime Baker

231.9878

931.1478

[email protected]

Mary Williams

846.5019

[email protected]

Kelly LeVoyer

833.2297

[email protected]

Betsy Alexieff

524.8936

[email protected]

Room Parent Coord.

Carol Lawson

761.1013

[email protected]

School Store

Daphne Shuler

School Spirit Merch. Student Directory Teacher Apprec. Yard Sale

Mary Williams Adrienne Berney Susan Robson Gabriella Corter

846.5019 828.5599 212.8733 833.2078

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Yearbook

Mary Williams

846-5019

827.3681

[email protected]

December 2009 CONNector    

4

December 2009 Sunday

Monday

Bell Schedule: M,T,Th,F – 9:05-3:45 W – 9:05 – 2:45 Early Release Day 12/2 9:05-1:15

6

7 -PTA Board Meeting 6:15 pm

Conn Holiday Shop 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 13

14

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

1

2 - Early Release 1:15 - Conn Community Night – Chick-Fil-A at North Hills 4-8 p.m.

3 - School Picture MakeUps

4

5

8 -Interims Issued

9

10

11

12

Conn Holiday Shop 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Conn Holiday Shop 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Conn Holiday Shop 9 am to 3 pm AND 4:30 – 6:00 pm

Conn Holiday Shop 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

15

16

17

18

19 -Green Team Grounds Work Day 10 – Noon

26

-PTA General Meeting – 6:00 pm -Conn Showcase 6:30 pm 20

27

21

22

23

24

25

TEACHER WORKDAY

SCHOOL HOLIDAY

SCHOOL HOLIDAY

SCHOOL HOLIDAY

SCHOOL HOLIDAY

28

29

30

31

SCHOOL HOLIDAY

SCHOOL HOLIDAY

SCHOOL HOLIDAY

SCHOOL HOLIDAY

Saturday

5

January 2010 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Bell Schedule: M,T,Th,F – 9:05-3:45 W – 9:05 – 2:45

Friday

Saturday 2

1

SCHOOL HOLIDAY

3

4 2 – 5 Specials Begin

5

6

7

8

9

10

11 -PTA Board Meeting 6:15 pm -Jan.11-15 – 3rd Grade CogAt Testing

12

13

14

15 K – 1 Storytelling Performance 1:00

16 -Green Team Grounds Work Day 10 – Noon

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

SCHOOL HOLIDAY

24

25

TEACHER WORKDAY

ND

END OF 2 QUARTER

26 -Tuesday folders will come home Friday, 1/29 with report cards

27

28 - Conn Achievers: K&1 9:30 2&3 10:15 4&5 11:00

30

29

K – 5 Report Cards Issued

31

6