Positive Astro Press Principal, Angie Taillon October 2012
Important Dates: October
8th
Unit 1 PBS Assemblies 9:15 AM - 9:45 AM K-1st - 9:55 AM - 10:25 AM 2nd-3rd 10:35 AM - 11:05 AM 4th-5th
10th -
End of First Quarter
Chick-fil A Spirit Night 5:00 PM-8:00 PM
11th
No School
15th - Teacher Work Day 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
19th - Family Science Night Story Book Dress-up Day 9:15 AM Parade 31st - 9:45 AM Fall Ball PK-2 3:00 PM Fall Ball 3rd-5th
-
November 2nd
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
- Slim Goodbody 5th Grade No School/Teacher Work Day
6th
- Election Day
8th
- Chick-fil-A Spirit Night
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
14th - Midterms Unit II PBS Assemblies 9:15 AM - 9:45 AM K-1st 19th - 9:55 AM - 10:25 AM 2nd-3rd 10:35 AM - 11:05 AM 4th-5th
21st- No School - Thanksgiving 25th
The Child is an Ever-attentive Witness In an article about youth work in Time Magazine, it was stated that outstanding youth have often had at least one influential person who reached them both emotionally and intellectually. At Neil Armstrong Elementary, our mission is to “lead by example to develop character and competence in every student.” Simply put, we want each child to always do the right thing, even when no one is watching, and to set goals to learn academics to the best of his/her ability. Harvard Professor, Robert Coles, writes that a child is an ever-attentive witness. He says that children look for cues as to how they should behave. He says that they find them everywhere as parents and teachers go about their lives, making choices, interacting with people, and sharing values. He further states that we teach our children much more than we ever realized. Parent Educator, Jan Roberts, shares, “The manner in which a parent models attitudes towards life has the greatest impact on a child's acceptance of his/her own circumstances. Parents who provide a perfect scenario of life experiences for a child, will not give opportunity for him to learn how to handle disappointment, how to really appreciate the good when it happens and try again when it doesn't, how to develop resilience and determination and to press forward with optimism. A child will be watching how his parents handle life's ups and downs.” We all know that kids imitate those around them. That’s why it so important that all of us be positive role model for our Positive Astros. Many things that happen in school will happen to our students throughout their lives: Success, failure, winning, losing, making friends, losing friends, happiness, sadness, and much more. We must teach them how to handle these successes, failures, setbacks, and problems of everyday life. Every incident our students experience gives us an opportunity to teach them how to deal with it appropriately. The challenge for all of us adults is for us to try to be what we want our children to become. I want to thank the Neil Armstrong staff, parents, and volunteers for leading by example every day and for being a role to our Positive Astros! Sincerely,
22nd - Thanksgiving
Angie Taillon, Principal
Page 2 of 12 Mrs. Shepard’s 7 Habits Message Again this year, all Neil Armstrong Elementary students in grades PK-5 spent the first few weeks of school learning The 7 Habits and honing their leadership skills. Our Positive Astros are continually encouraged to be proactive (to take responsibility for their actions). A great way to practice being proactive is to have your child set their clothes out the night before school so you can make sure they follow the dress code. Our children also began putting together their own data notebooks which include setting goals, an important part of beginning with the end in mind. Students understand the importance of putting first things first to reach their goals. If students have conflicts, they are encouraged to work to things out to make it a win-win situation. They are also taught to seek first to understand than to be understood. It is important to listen to others when dealing with conflicts. At the beginning of the school year, classmates synergized, or worked together, to create class rules and classroom mission statements. Please checkout our website to see what great leadership our students are demonstrating daily. Many exciting and rigorous academic learning experiences are taking place across campus every day as we continue to foster academic success for our Positive Astros. As a Lighthouse School, we are off to a fabulous start to the 2012-2013 school year! Remember to take some time to sharpen the saw with your child(ren) every evening and on the weekends. Our boys and girls work very hard on both their leadership and academic skills every day. Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to the great things each of our students will accomplish this year!
BUILD. BUILD. LEARN. CREATE. HAVE FUN WITH KIDS WORKSHOPS! The Home Depot – Punta Gorda 3941 Tamiami Trail #1111 (Corner of US41 & Burnt Store Road) Punta Gorda, FL 33950 (941) 575575-9799 FREE hands-on workshops designed for children ages 5 - 12 offered the 1st Saturday of every month at all The Home Depot stores between 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills, tool safety and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment. All kids get to keep their craft and receive a FREE Kids Workshop Apron, commemorative pin and certificate of achievement! Refreshments will also be available!
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October Kinderbits We are off to a great start! The children are working hard to earn checks in our classroom data folders for their knowledge of the letters, sounds, sight words, and numbers. We will be studying pumpkins, community helpers, apples, spiders, bats, and participating in fall activities. Please remember that all Kindergarteners should have a change of clothes at school. PE is everyday for every child; appropriate shoes should be worn daily. Be sure to check your child’s folder and back-pack daily to be sure homework is completed and books they are bringing home are being read. Sincerely, The Kindergarten Team
First Grade Flash
We may not have a chill in the air, but fall is definitely in the air, and first graders are settling into school. Students are working on being Positive Astros and practicing the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. First graders are working hard in reading and are starting to take AR quizzes. All kinds of rewards abound for earning AR points! In math, we are busy mastering our addition and subtraction facts. You can help your child succeed by getting him/her flashcards and practicing addition and subtraction facts at home. In the spirit of the season, we will be doing some math-related pumpkin activities. Other seasonal school-wide activities are Family Science Night filled with slimy, gooey experiments and Storybook Character Dress-up Day. Keep an eye out for more information on these fun activities!
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Second Grade Scoop Happy Fall! Our Positive ASTROs are now incorporating The 7 Habits of Happy Kids. You should be hearing such words as, “be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, and think win-win.” We appreciate all of the families who continue to review and implement these important principles at home. In math, your child continues their focus on mastering their addition and subtraction facts. We thank you for your help and support in this area. In reading, we are working on finding the main idea and details in a story. Each night when you read with your child, please take the time to ask your child what the story is about and who the main characters are. In writing, our focus is to construct a well- written paragraph using one main idea and two supporting details. Our second grade science sleuths are still busy investigating weather, too. Please continue to be proactive by checking your child’s homework folder daily, as well as their backpacks. The Second Grade Team thanks all of our wonderful, supportive families!
Third Grade Tales Third grade is in full swing! We are working on introducing, developing and enriching students’ understanding of the third grade curriculum across the different subject areas. We are very grateful for all of the support you have given us this year! We are working on making growth and helping your child succeed in school. We know that at this time, you are probably concerned about your child’s abilities and progress in math. We are aware of the difficulties most students are having with the new math curriculum. We are working on remediating your child’s weaknesses, while attempting to keep working on new skills and concepts. However, we need your help! Third grade teachers need parents to reinforce the concepts/ skills presented in class. You can do this nightly when your child is completing his/her math homework assignment. Only through ongoing practice can we achieve success! Please take advantage of the instructional Internet programs that your child has access to from home. These programs are tools that can help your child’s progress, since the skills and concepts being worked on are directly linked to the third grade curriculum. Please contact your child’s teacher with any questions about these programs. Reading is also a very important and essential part of your child’s progress this year. We are a reading school that supports A.R. reading. Third grade teachers very much encourage and reward the amount of reading students complete in the classroom and at home. Please support our cause and encourage your child to read nightly. Thanks again for your continue support, by working together we can help your child develop as a learner!
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Fourth Grade Flash Some fourth grade classes have been working on The Daily 5 designed by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. This program fosters the independent reading and writing with purpose. The students are learning how to select books within their reading range as well as what they are truly interested in. Thus, they are reading with a purpose. The students are learning to build “stamina” while they read, write and work on building vocabulary and spelling words. They are “training their brains” to stay focused. They also learn how to appropriately coach their peers in all areas. These classrooms are buzzing with focused children who are anxious to write in their treasure books each day!
FIFTH GRADE BULLETIN We are off to a great start to this school year in fifth grade. Students are learning and leading by example, using the 7 habits to develop character and competence. We are preparing students for the future challenges of middle school and the real world of the 21st century. Our Positive Astros must work hard to be ready for the grade 5 FCAT in the areas of reading, math, and science. Our goal as the Neil Armstrong fifth grade team is to provide the best educational experience for our students. We want this final year of elementary school to be memorable and exciting for all of our Positive Astros! Our field trip to Busch Gardens in May will only be possible through fundraising. We are starting an online magazine fundraising campaign for our fifth grade activities and field trip. It will continue throughout the school year, and we will be sending monthly updates and reminders. Please help us to fundraise by treating yourself to your favorite magazines. Order or renew any magazine with us and 40% of each purchase goes directly to helping our students. Your contribution will make this a huge success and get us one step closer to reaching our goal! * Choose from over 1,000 magazine titles * Save up to 85% off newsstand prices * 40% of the proceeds go directly to us! Take a quick minute to browse our web page by going to http://www.supportourgroup.com/ZM4762 Click on : Tell a friend to email the link to family and friends. Contact Mr. Eyrich (941-255-7450 X204 if you have any questions. We really appreciate your help and support,
The Fifth Grade Team
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Notification The following are available upon request: Neil Armstrong’s Student Success Plan (SSP) Neil Armstrong’s Parent Involvement Action Plan School-Parent Compacts There are two Parent Information and Resource Centers (PIRC) in Florida (University of South Florida and (FND) in Clearwater). Information on these two centers can be accessed on the District County Website under Parental Involvement.
Stay involved at school . . . Sign-up to volunteer! Transportation Changes Please try to keep your child’s way of going home consistent from day to day. While we realize that emergencies sometimes arise, we have found it to be very confusing for young children when a parent continuously changes the way they go home each day. Teachers are required to send students home their normal way each day unless a written, signed note from the parent or guardian is sent in requesting a change in dismissal for a designated time period. Please remind your child to give any notes from you to his/her teacher, or make sure that you place it in his/her daily folder. We cannot accept verbal messages from children that they have a change in their way home. Phone calls also will not be accepted for transportation changes because we simply cannot tell who is requesting the change over the phone. Therefore, you must come to the office in person or send in a signed note.
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Neil Armstrong Elementary Family Science Night Join us for an Exciting Evening of Science Fun for Parents and Students! Friday, October 19th, 2012 5:30 – 7:00 pm
What is Family Science Night? ⇒ Family Science night is an opportunity to explore ideas and conduct simple
investigations with your child. ⇒ Hands-on activities will provide fun experiences for the whole family that build problem-solving skills, curiosity, and excitement about science. ⇒ Stations will be set up for families to work together to question, communicate and pursue scientific discoveries. ⇒ Ideas for future science fair projects will be shared. Hot dogs, chips and water will be served to families. Mark your calendar now for Neil Armstrong’s Family Science Night on Friday, October 19th!
Special Announcement from Neil Armstrong Elementary School Our goal is for students to learn and achieve. We invite you to give your input on our instructional program. If you have suggestions that will help our faculty improve instruction or services, please feel free to complete an Input Form which is available in our school's main office.
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The Family Reading Experience Title I Family Book Check-out Room 125H
Open Tuesdays and Thursdays 7:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.
What is the Family Reading Experience? The Family Reading Experience, also referred to as Family Book Check-out, is a fun opportunity for families to get involved in their child’s reading development. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Neil Armstrong students and their families are invited to select as many as three books to borrow and, on one of those days, one book to keep as a gift to help build their home libraries. Younger brothers and sisters are also invited to borrow books and then select a “keeper” book to help them get started on the path to good reading. Books in the NAES Family Center are sorted by AR level, DRA reading level, series titles, and book club genres. This makes finding the perfect book for your child as easy as possible. Attending the Family Reading Experience at the NAES Family Center on a Tuesday or Thursday is a great way to build family connections while improving reading skills. It only takes about 15 minutes to take advantage of this valuable FREE service. Just remember that children must be accompanied by a parent or other adult family member in order to participate. How does the Family Reading Experience (Family Book Check-out) work? 1. Students come with a parent or other adult family member to the NAES Family Center in room 125H on Tuesday and/or Thursday. Adults are asked to please sign the attendance sheet. 2. Together, students and their families select up to three books to borrow (per child). These books must be signed out. 3. Students then select a “keeper” book from the keeper book table. Miss. Shakeshaft writes the students’ names in their keeper books. The keeper books are the students’ gifts to keep! 4. Enjoy the books all week long! 5. Bring the borrowed books back the following week, and repeat! Students who regularly attend Family Book Check-out are on their way to becoming better readers and are building fabulous home libraries at the same time!
Our special guests in October: October 7th Rodger Dodger with Author Jan Britland October 18th Peace River Wildlife
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Are you or your family facing housing problems and living in any of the following situations?
In a shelter, motel, vehicle or campground? ⇒ Doubled up with friends or relatives because you cannot find or afford housing? ⇒ In an abandoned building, trailer, or other inadequate accommodations? ⇒ On the street? ⇒
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be entitled to services under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act. For more information, please call: Homeless Education Liaison, Sheila Lacrete at (941) 255-7480.
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Blast Off to Reading Title 1
Often times we choose our reading material through the suggestions of others. This month, Mr. Eyrich’s fifth grade students have made some book suggestions that perhaps other intermediate students might enjoy reading. Take a look at the list and take it to your library. You might surprise yourself and enjoy a different genre! Escaping the Giant Wave- Peg Khehart The Son of Neptune- Rick Riordan How to ride a Dragon’s Storm- Cressida Cowell Harry Potter series- J.K. Rawlings Frindle-Andrew Clements Mockingjay- Suzanne Collins Percy Jackson series-Rick Riodan Seekers- Erin Hunter Dork Diaries- Rachel Renee Russel The Doll in the Garden- Mary Downing Hahn Catnapped- A.M. Knott Nerds series- Michael Buckley Warriors series- Erin Hunter Goddess Girls- Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams Pokeman series-Makota Mizebachi Out of My Mind- Sharon M. Draper Thank you students for sharing your favorite titles!
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Congratulations, Top Ten A.R. Readers! (as of 9/28/2012)
Kindergarten 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 9.
Aubrey Blunt Josue Moran Landon Lefresne Brayden Leahy Tyler DeAndrade Mariah Epting Sophia Mora Olivia Bek Matthew Schuler Amayaliss Veras
First Grade 1. Emma Pelletier 2. Kongpop Helstrom 3. Blake Danforth 4. Jacob Denton 5. Travis Immich 6. Hunter Sifrit 7. Evan Slagter 8. Kristopher Littrell 9. Sophie Hansen 10.Ava Rodriguez
Second Grade 1.Ambrynn Julius 2. Gracyn Mandel 3. Ryan Flowers 4. Nicole Marshall 5. Justin Forte 6. Isabella Doria 7. Jaiden Rheinschmidt 8. Zavina Gordon 9. Anthony Mojica 10.Autumn Strange
.
Third Grade 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Tori Immich Jorge Reyes Eleanor Munn Michael Bouhebent Pemika Helstrom Marissa Schuler Emma Coalwell Jaxon AlmanzarCarrion 9. Aiden Gray 10.Alyssa Gilliard
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
1. Elizabeth Termilus 1. Mackenzie Flowers 2. Stacey Grant 2. Alexandria Pagan3. Erica Moran Santiago 4. Janise Salmon 3. Tammy Flores 5. Xony Almanzar4. Ryan Thiemt Carrion 5. Rachel Kipfinger 6. Jordan Bush 6. Sean Garrigus 7. Jacob Immich 7. Gabriela Garcia 8. Brooklyn William8. Kylee Estrada son 9. Daniel Harnden 9. Reyna Plasencia 10.Eunice Noel 10. Arianna PerezBarrera Want to know if the book you’re reading is an A.R. book? Check online at the following web address: www.arbookfind.com
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Community/Business Partner Recognition
Neil Armstrong Elementary
NAES would like to sincerely thank the following business and community partners for their recent contributions to students’ success at our school. Their generous support is greatly appreciated: ~Chick-fil-A for their kind support through Spirit Nights~ ~Winn-Dixie for all their contributions~ ~Splendid Photography for their contributions~ ~Our hard-working PTO members and other parent volunteers who donate countless hours to help make our school a fun place where kids learn and achieve every day~
22100 Breezeswept Ave Port Charlotte, FL 33952
Phone: (941) 255-7450 Fax: (941) 255-7456
School Hours 8:10 – 8:40 Breakfast
Attendance Reminders It is essential that all students come to school each and every day on time to benefit fully from our academic programs. We are proud that our students are learning “bell to bell”, which, simply put, means that academics begin at 8:55 a.m. and continue until 2:55 p.m. When students are tardy to their classrooms, their arrival disrupts the entire class, and the teacher must stop what he/she is doing to catch them up. We now have Morning Academy arrival from 7:00 a.m. to 7:25a.m. We also ask that you schedule any appointments for your child before or after the school day ends to ensure there are no classroom disruptions. In addition, frequent absences make it very difficult for any child to keep up with his/her studies. If your child must be absent, please call our school at 255-7450 to report the reason your child is absent so our office can properly record his/ her absence.
8:50 – Beat the Bell by being in Class 8:55 – Late Bell 2:55 – Dismissal: buses, parent pick-up and walkers
Early Dismissal Please keep in mind that there is no early dismissal after 2:20 p.m.
Two great ways to keep up with schools events and information online: Visit NAES on the Web! http://nae.ccps.k12.fl.us
Follow NAES on Facebook!
The School Board complies with all federal laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination and with all requirements and regulations of the U.S. Department of Education. It is the policy of the Board that no person in this District shall, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, marital status, disability, or legallyprotected characteristic, be discriminated against, excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to, discrimination in any program or activity for which the Board is responsible or for which it receives financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education. ~ Policy 1122