Herman E. Dummer Newsletter
October 2023
A note from our principal, Mrs. Ford
Our everyday lives mimic the many different faces that we see carved on pumpkins this time of year. At any moment we can see happy, sad, frightened, scary, tired, excited, cute, exquisiteness, and so on, on the faces of our students every single day. Just like the pumpkins, each child is unique and loved regardless of what their face may show because each and every one of them is a masterpiece with a story to share. We are here to help guide and nourish their learning and growth, holding them to high expectations with their future success in mind. It’s not always an easy task and there are many messy parts just as when carving pumpkins, but the outcome is something to be proud of. As we work hand in hand together, we are doing the carving so our students can shine and lead our future generations and grow into something they too can be proud of!
October is Growth Mindset Month
Growth Mindset is one of our district's core values. This month, our district will be focusing on this particular core value.
Incentive Day Success
Our first incentive day was a success! We have 5 more to go. Good choices reap good rewards. :)
A Note from the Nurse
All medication, including cough drops and over-the-counter products, require a Medication Authorization Form to be completed and signed by a student’s healthcare provider and their parent/guardian.
Flu season is around the corner! Protect yourself and your family this season with an annual flu vaccine for everyone who is 6 months and older. Seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and last as late as May. Visit www.flu.gov or talk to your healthcare provider for more information.
Fantastic Fourth Grade
We are halfway through the first trimester already! The fourth graders are well into their daily routines and feeling comfortable navigating their Chromebooks and Google Classroom. Most of our assignments are posted on their teacher’s Google Classroom, so make sure you’re checking in with your student each day to see what they are working on and that they are getting their work turned in on time!
In Reading, we are on to the second half of the first unit, which focuses on skeletons! A few of the things the students have learned so far are the difference between an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton, and the different types of joints we have. They are researching an animal to write about, and then they will create an infographic of their animal.
In Math, we are continuing to work on multiplication and will be moving on to bigger multiplication problems before division. Doing Reflex every day is very important! When they know their multiplication facts, division is a lot easier!
In Social Studies, we are learning about the Constitution and the branches of government. In science, we just wrapped up our unit on the human body!
Fabulous Fifth Grade
Fifth graders and staff are starting to “fall” into a routine. We are continually working on understanding the rules and expectations of fifth grade. Some of the key values that Herman E. Dummer School is focused on for the year, including: having a growth mindset, being responsible, showing respect to all peers and staff, collaborating with others, showing empathy, having integrity in all situations, and finally, showing good citizenship. Please remind your student about the importance of being prepared for class with charged chromebooks and having the necessary materials and equipment here at school.
Following the beginning of the year Fastbridge testing, teachers worked with students to review their results from the spring of 4th grade, fall of 5th grade, and what goals they have for the next test in January, 2024. These results will be coming home soon and students are asked to review the results with their parent(s) or guardian. The child and a parent/guardian should sign the goal sheet and return it.
Fifth graders have been busy learning about adding and subtracting whole numbers and decimals, and are now working on multiplication of whole numbers and, soon, decimals. In reading, our first unit is “Depending on Each Other” and students will continue to work on the skills of comparing and contrasting characters, settings, events, and stories, understanding characterization (how does a character respond to challenges), determining a theme, quoting accurately from a text, and focusing on how specific details help to understand the story. Our young writers just finished their first narrative writing piece and classroom presentations. Students have been practicing writing R.A.C.E. responses. The R.A.C.E. response format helps students to expand/elaborate on their writing. The R.A.C.E. rubric involves Restating the question, Answering the question, Citing evidence from the text, and Explaining how their evidence supports their answer. In grammar/language arts we will be working on roots and affixes, verbs, and the conventions of writing–capitalization, punctuation, spelling and grammar. The current science unit is the Web of Life. In this unit, students explore how organisms depend on one another and form an interconnected ecosystem. They will explore food chains, food webs, and the important part that producers, consumers, and decomposers play in ecosystems.
Enjoy this beautiful, colorful and transitional time of year. Just like the autumn leaves, our students are learning to fly, rather than fall, as they wander through this journey of learning. Happy fall, everyone!
Monthly Music Notes
Students have been participating in world drumming lessons from the west coast of Africa. Also, we have taken a trip around the world learning about instruments using Google Earth. These instruments are classified by how they produce sound. Additionally, they have learned about the gankogui and shekere; two African percussion instruments. They have done an impeccable job of learning why teamwork is so important not only in real life, but also in music. Both grades have been introduced to an online program called Soundation. This allows students to create their own song files by mixing loops of different instruments and genres. It works similar to Google Classroom in which I can make assignments for students so they can create songs to share with the class. We will be using this periodically throughout the year to help support new concepts. Additionally, students have been using midi keyboards which can be played using their chromebooks. This will provide students another way to make music and create melodies of their own. Lastly, 5th grade band has begun with instruments being distributed. At our first lesson we practiced setup, maintenance, sound production, and how to hold the instrument. By the end of October students will be able to play three note songs together.
Dot Painting in the Learning Center
Kids are enjoying making pictures with the Dot paints!
Parent Group is Hosting Fear Factor
Halloween Grams
Send a special treat to that special someone with a little message! The information sheet will be sent home with your student on October 13th. They are due back to school on October 20th and will be distributed on October 27th.
October Breakfast Menu
October Lunch Menu
Important Dates:
October 6th - No School Institute Day
October 9th - No School Columbus Day
October 10th - Art Club
October 12th - Art Club
October 12th - Homework Club
October 13th - End of 1st Quarter (MS/HS)
October 16th-20th - Saebrs/mySaebrs (FastBridge SEL)
October 17th - School Board Meeting - 7:00 p.m. SMS
October 19th - Homework Club
October 21 - Cornerstone Church Free Clothing Pantry Give-Away
October 26th - HED Picture Retakes
October 26th - Homework Club
October 27th - Fear Factor 6:30-8:00
October 31st - Halloween