Weber Elementary School Newsletter
March 2018
Weber Elementary School Contact
Principal Corner
Dear Weber Families,
Spring is near and we can soon look forward to gorgeous weather! Each month reminds me of how quickly time flies. As we embark upon the third trimester, it is good to see the growth that our students have made from the first of the year to now. Weber Elementary School Improvement Team in collaboration with teachers have set goals for each grade level. Reviewing our school data, reflecting and considering next step action plans are at the forefront of what we do. At the end of the third trimester, our goal is to ensure that students are proficient in the standards set and determine the growth made. Families can support our school improvement goals by ensuring that students are completing homework, reading nightly (library books or Myon Reader) and utilizing new math online tool (Dreambox) to strengthen math skills.
We thank our Weber Families for attending our Parent Teacher Conferences this month. It is such a great opportunity to talk face to face and discuss each student’s progress. We hope that you feel informed in regards to grade level expectations and how your child is doing with meeting the standards. If you missed your child’s conference, please email classroom teachers to get that scheduled soon. Our partnership is critical in meeting the needs of all students and we thank you for all of your support.
Upcoming Events:
Myon March Reading Madness Contest
During the month of March we will have our Myon March Reading Madness Challenge! Here’s how it works…
week one: Even numbered grade levels and odd numbered grade levels will battle it out within their brackets for a top two spot in week 2 .
week two: the top two grades from both the odd and even grades will battle it out for a spot in the week 3 championship Myon Read Off. The winner will be announced at the beginning of week 4.
2nd Trimester Dolphin Pride Assembly
This assembly celebrates our students efforts to demonstrate positive behaviors at Weber.
Students are recognized for going above and beyond to demonstrate respectful, responsible and safe behaviors. Parents of students receiving a recognition will be invited to the assembly.
Our assembly will be held on March 9th from 1:30pm-2:30pm.
Enjoy the month of March!
Mrs. Appiah-McNulty
Clara Visser One Book Two Book Winner!
Enjoying Lunch With Friends!
Dolphin Club Tutoring With Mr. Patrick!
Home and School Connections
A Message from Ms. Krystal Jossell, SFA
Weber Student and Family Advocate (SFA)
319-688-1173
Spring Carnival
Our Spring Carnival is coming up in April. If you and your child would like to attend but have a financial hardship that would prevent you from attending, please contact Ms. Jossell.
Community Events & Resources
FREE TAX HELP-The University of Iowa Tippie College of Business Volunteer Income Tax Assistance(VITA) Program provides free tax preparation services to people who earned less than $55,000 in 2017 (no appointment necessary).
Locations, dates and times may vary
Interpretation assistance available
If you have any questions please let me know. Flyers are available in the Weber office.
Summership-Summership scholarships are available for a summer camp or activity for any student (K-12) in Johnson or Washington County that is eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch. The scholarships are up to $250 and there are 84 slots available. Summerships provide access to summer-time, high quality camps and activities for children who otherwise might not have the opportunity.
Please direct questions to United Way of Johnson & Washington Counties, info@unitedwayjwc.org or 319-338-7823.
2018 Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead Spring Break Camps (K-6)-The Iowa City Parks & Rec Department will offer this camp over spring break, March 12-16 at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center from 9 am to 4 pm. Supervised open play is available both before and after camp at no additional cost.
Register in person at the Robert A Lee Recreation Center or online at https://www.icgov.org/city-government/departments-and-divisions/parks-and-recreation/camps
Music News- Mrs. Alison Greiner
The beautiful weather out reminds me that it's getting close to concert time! (As well as spring break! HA!)
Just wanted to make sure you were all reminded of our concert times for this spring. My plan is that all concerts will start at 2:00 so that afterwards parents can take their child home with them, if they choose.
5th and 6th is April 11
3rd and 4th is April 18
1st and 2nd is April 25
K is May 2
Another exciting event that we will be hosting this year is Opera Iowa! They will be coming here the morning of March 20th. They will do workshops for our 6th graders in their classrooms at 8:30-9:00. Then, they will do a performance for 1st-6th grade at 9:45-10:35 in the big gym.
Please let me know if you have any further questions I can answer. Thank you for your support. The students learn so many skills by having the opportunity to perform and see performances. These skills go beyond the music room and into other areas of their learning, as well.
IDS Coach Jenn Shaffer -Best Educational Apps for Students
Best Educational Apps for Students
From Scolastic Parents, here are 10 of the best educational apps for elementary students:
Todo Math
King of Math Junior
Quick Math
Sushi Monster (Math)
Endless Reader
Grammaropolis
Happy Frog Reading Comprehension apps
Monkey Word School Adventure
Montessori Crosswords
Spelling City
Also, be sure to check with your child’s teacher if you need any reminders about how to access MyOn Reader, DreamBox, or enVision online support!
School Counselor Corner
Dear Families,
In the next few weeks (beginning after Spring Break) I will be teaching lessons from the Talking About Touching curriculum. This curriculum is a personal safety curriculum, and includes lessons about touching safety. The children will learn safety rules. The Talking About Touching curriculum teaches children that there are three kinds of touches:
· Safe Touches: These are touches that keep you safe and are good for your body. They make you feel cared for, loved and important. Safe touches include hugging, holding hands, pats on the back, an arm around the shoulder, and a shot from the doctor.
· Unsafe Touches: These are touches that are not good for your body and hurt your body or your feelings (for example, hitting, pushing, pinching, kicking, and touching private parts of the body).
· Unwanted Touches: These may be safe touches, yet the child doesn’t want to be touched that way, by that person, or at that moment in time. It is okay for a child to say “No” to unwanted touches. Children can say “No” to any unwanted touch, even if the person touching them is someone they know. Help your child practice saying “No” in a strong yet polite (assertive) voice. This will help children learn to set personal boundaries for keeping themselves safe, and teach them that they are in charge of their own bodies.
In these lessons, the children will learn the Touching Rule: No one should touch your private body parts, except to keep you clean and healthy (such as a doctor for medical reasons-with parent consent, or a trusted grown up giving a young child a bath, or changing a baby’s diaper). They will learn that private body parts are “those parts covered by a swimsuit.” It is recommended that you teach your child at home the correct anatomical names for private body parts so that, if necessary, he or she is able to communicate accurately about any touching questions or problems they may have (this is not included in our lessons here).There are videos to reinforce these personal safety lessons for grades 1-6.
Thank you for being a partner in teaching safety to your child. I recognize that touching safety is a sensitive topic, so please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Samantha Dean
Weber School Counselor
dean.samantha@iowacityschools.org
(319) 688-1170 ext. 6943