The Stoffle Gazette
May 12, 2017
News from this week
Dear Parents,
It's been a busy week trying to squeeze in all of our last grades and tests before the end of the year. I know the kids are tired of it and they can feel summer in the air. They are getting excited, but please remind them that we still have 1 1/2 weeks of school left. They need to be mindful of their behavior and being respectful to me, other teachers, and all of the students in our class. We still have learning to do.
One of the things we will be doing is dissecting owl pellets. If you have not already done so, please send in a shoe box or aluminum tray if you have one. We work on these for more than 1 day and need a way to store them.
If your child is receiving an award at Award's Day, there is a letter in your child's Friday Folder. Awards given out include All As for the Year, All As and Bs for the Year, and Extra Effort for the Year.
Our class party will be this Thursday, May 18th. It will follow the 4th grade Field Day which is 10:20-12:00. The party will be from 12:15-1:45 and we will have pizza and ice cream sundaes. Our room mom, Alison Makely, sent an email requesting toppings for the sundaes. Please make sure to respond to her to let her know what you can bring in.
As I already mentioned, Field Day is also this Thursday from 10:20-12:00. Make sure your child wears sneakers, shorts, and comfortable clothes and he/she brings a water bottle. This is a lot of fun for the students and I'm looking forward to a great time!
The kids are really enjoying our Summer Countdown Here is what we have coming up in the next week:
Week of May 15-19
O – Oreo Day
P – Popcorn Day
Q/R – Read around the room
P – Class Party & Pizza Day
S – Sock Day
Week of May 22-24
T – Technology Day
W – Wash the Room Day
X-Z – Xtra fun movie day
We have lots things going on in the last few weeks. Please be sure to check the Important Dates section on a regular basis.
Have a great weekend!
Sabine Stoffle
Other Important Information
We are excited to announce that for the 2017-2018 school year we will have the WATCH D.O.G.S. program here at Gwin Oaks Elementary School.
WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) is an innovative father involvement, educational initiative of the National Center For Fathering. There are two primary goals of the WATCH D.O.G.S. program.
1) To provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important.
2) To provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security and reduce bullying.
WATCH D.O.G.S. began in 1998 in a single school in Springdale, Arkansas and has since grown into a national recognized program that has brought hundreds of thousands of fathers and father figures into the school classrooms and hallways across the country, creating millions of hours of “in school” volunteer time and having a tremendously positive impact on the educational process. Today there are more than 5,707 registered WATCH D.O.G.S. schools in 47 states plus DC. Currently, there are WATCH D.O.G.S. programs in China, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Italy, and Germany.
Who Are WatchDOGS?
WatchDOGS are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer for at least one day each year at an official WATCH D.O.G.S. school. During the day, WatchDOGS may read and work on flash cards with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, watch the school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow and any other assigned activities where they actively engage with not only their own students, but other students as well. Many school principals have reported that the mere presence of a WatchDOG dramatically reduces reports of bullying. On the day of their participation, WatchDOGS are given a brief review of their involvement and they wear an official WATCH D.O.G.S. t-shirt with a disposable ‘Dog Tag’ identifying them as WATCHDOGS.
Daniel Fraga. will be heading up the male role model volunteer program at Gwin Oaks Elementary. Please contact him at:
watchdogdanielfraga@gmail.com
Coming up next week
Reading: We will work on creating a book trailer for our book club book.
Writing: We will put together our writing from the year and look at different types of poems.
Grammar: We will review Grammar skills from the year.
Math: We will preview 5th grade material, including decimals and the order of operations.
Science: We will research and dissect owl pellets.
Social Studies: We will preview some Civil War material.
Spelling Words and Root of the Week
A complete list of roots that students are expected to know for the year can be found on my e-class page. We are currently in Unit 5. These roots are tested on a regular basis. Once the root is introduced it can, and will, appear from time to time on weekly daily grades.
Spelling Words of the Week:
Every week students will receive a list of sight words for review. Once these words have been introduced, students are responsible for spelling them correctly in their writing.
No more spelling for the year
Important Dates
5/18 Field Day (10:00-12:00)
5/18 Class Party (12:30-1:30)
5/19 Summer Reading Program (sign up)
5/23 4th Grade Awards Ceremony (12:00)
5/24 Perfect Attendance Celebration
Last Day of School!
Reminders
* Please study Math Multiplication facts every night
* Students have HW every night (Mon-Thurs.).* Reading logs are due every Monday.
* Ice cream is sold on Fridays for $1.00
Birthdays
May
Elizabeth 23
June
Kennedy 13
July
NIa 1
Aaqib 26
Ariana 29
Gabriel 29
News from the Media Center
Reading is My Super Power
This year’s school wide reading program is Reading is My Super Power. The program started on Friday, August 19th. Students will answer super hero related trivia questions in the Media Center each week to hone their research skills. At home each child is expected to read for at least 20 minutes each night and return their reading logs each Friday or Monday (depending on your child’s teacher’s schedule).
Students who turn in their reading logs every week will attend a reading celebration at the end of the school year. In order for a log to be counted for the week it needs to be submitted on time.
To assist with the reading logs please do the following:
1. PLEASE make sure your child’s FIRST and most importantly LAST name are on the log. We have to enter data for almost 1000 students. If even 10% don’t have their full name this omission adds an extra hour to our data entry.
2. PLEASE turn logs in when they are due. Your teacher will tell you the due date.
3. PLEASE add your child’s reading time in MINUTES. To understand why this is important read request #1.
You may also submit your child’s reading log electronically through the Gwin Oaks website. Fill in information with your child’s information (including your child’s teachers and grade from the drop down menu) and click submit. Email your child’s teacher to let him/her know log was submitted electronically to the Media Center. If you have any questions please email Mrs. Amolo at sharon_amolo@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
The Library Now Has E-books!
Access them from your smartphone, tablet, Kindle, Nook, Mac and Windows computer! There are also several audiobooks available. Download the Brytewave app on your device and see the directions below.
Accessing eBooks From a Device
Step #1: Search for the Follett Brytewave K-12 App in your store
Step #2: Open up the app and enter your State, School name and then login using your
student number and password.***Make sure you select the “Stay logged in” option.
Accessing eBooks From a Computer
From a computer- Login to your eClass page and click on “Media Catalog” (see picture below). Then, you can login to our catalog using your username and password. To search for an ebook type the title or type ebook to see a list of all available ebooks.