The Pine Bough
Pine River Elementary School Newsletter, June 2019
June Calendar
Thank you to Shannon Karas from Karas and Co. for sponsoring our June calendar for each of our families! Also, thank you to Mrs. Andrea Ursitti for adding all of the dates and cute clip art. Each family received a copy of the calendar to reference throughout the month.
Summer Message
Dear Pine River Families,
This exciting year has passed by quickly! It was amazing to watch our students grow from a group of curious and magical children to the confident and challenge-seeking learners that they are now. Each child has matured, refined skills, and developed new ideas and insights. Our Pioneers are intelligent, enthusiastic, caring, creative, hard-working, and full of spirit. I am so proud of all of them!
As we reflect back on the 2018-2019 school year, please join myself and the Pine River staff in acknowledging and celebrating the rich learning opportunities that our students have experienced. Together, we have planned and facilitated lessons and activities founded in best practices, creativity, and innovation. In addition to supporting students toward meeting high academic expectations, we developed each student’s character and social skills. Pine River is truly committed and dedicated to maintaining a learning environment that supports thinking, understanding, and confidence in our students.
All of our students have made outstanding progress this year! As we break for the summer, please continue to help keep your child’s skills sharp by encouraging and supporting daily reading and math practice. Many teachers have sent, or will be sending home, materials for summer practice, and the local library offers a treasure trove of resources to support summer reading and learning.
Summer is also a special time for making memories with your child. Take time to talk, listen, wonder, appreciate, and get to know her/him more. This is a wonderful time to revel in simple, quiet moments when your child's world is less scheduled. You will notice how much s/he has matured. My hope is that you also take advantage of opportunities at home and away to have fun as a family during the weeks ahead. Those experiences help develop your child’s healthy development, which prepares her/him for success when we return in September.
Thank you for your support during this past school year. Many of you have helped with special activities, and all of you have made sure that school is a priority at home.
Have a safe, relaxing, and fun summer!
Sincerely,
Rachel A. Card
Principal
Medication Pick-Up
Report Cards
Lunch Account Balances
Egg-citing Times in Second Grade at Pine River!
Pine River Second Graders spent 21 days turning chicken eggs and monitoring incubators. Then, 29 chicks hatched and grew in the care of the students. Thank you to Mrs. Terri Williams and Mrs. Melissa Kenyon for providing this experience for the students and teaching them about life cycles. We would also like to give a shout out to the East China Technology Department for setting up the “Crittercam” and allowing students and families to view the eggs hatching and chickens at home during this egg-citing time.
Everything is Just Ducky in Mrs. VanderMeulen’s Classroom!
Pine River Elementary Spring Concert
Fourth Grade Wax Museum at Pine River
Pine River Family Science Nights
Two Family Science Nights were held at Pine River in May. At the K-2 Science Night, students made big and little bubbles, round and square bubbles, and shiny and smoky bubbles. Through their bubble experimentation, they explored science concepts that included elasticity, surface tension, chemistry, light, and even geometry. The 3-5 Family Science Night was all about chemical reactions. Students mixed substances that resulted in the formation of bubbles, vapor, and even ice cream. Thank you to Mrs. Liane Allen of the MSU Cooperative Extension and to the teacher volunteers, Mrs. Terri Williams, Mrs. Julie Beach, Mrs. Kris Jensen, Mrs. Tonya Huston, Mrs. Petra Koprivica, and Mrs. Kathy Vandermeulen, for leading the students in the fun!
A Skype Discussion with Retired Astronaut Chris Hadfield
Walk for Summer Reading Grant
Jenny McElwain of the Blue Water Area YMCA presented Pine River with a check for $700 that was awarded through the Walk for Summer Reading grant. The money will be used to buy books and bookstore gift cards for students participating in our Walking Club, which is being run by Mrs. Kari Mills. Pine River students are having fun earning feet for their necklaces, gaining points for books, and improving their physical fitness!
Bowling Buddies!
Pine River Students Love the Pine River Nature Center!
Brush, Brush, Win!
For the month of April, third graders were challenged by Dr. Brieden to brush their teeth at least twice a day and record their brushing habits on a calendar. All of the calendars were due back at the end of the first week in May, and students who returned their calendars were put into a drawing. Dr. Brieden provided three prizes for the drawings. These students were the winners:
1st place Josie Poppe – Sonicare toothbrush
2nd place Emma Roberts – Webkinz
3rd place Bailey Cole – backpack with sweatshirt
Congratulations to all of our winners and to all of the students who worked hard to improve their tooth-brushing habits!
Field Day Fun
70th Annual Kindergarten Fire Truck Ride
East China School District Youth Theater Program
RESA Summer Camps
Summer Reading Challenge
READ 1000 MINUTES THIS SUMMER, 2019
KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS READ 700 MINUTES
Be a Champion Reader!
Earn an invitation to the Breakfast of Readers in September!
Read your favorite books, magazines, mysteries, joke books, and newspapers!
Mrs. Card is challenging Pine River Pioneers to read 1000 minutes (700 for Kindergarten students) or more this summer. Each time you read, log your minutes on the calendars provided during the last week of school. Log a total of 1000 minutes or more by the time school starts on September 3rd, and you will be invited to a special Breakfast of Readers in September. You can count the time someone reads aloud to you, too.
Happy Reading!
May Pioneers of the Month
All of our students strive to be motivated learners, as well as model citizens. Each month we will honor students from each class who exemplify the following qualities:
Academic
- Student prepares for classroom activities.
- Student approaches learning with enthusiasm.
- Student has made steady progress in the classroom.
- Student has been working to his/her potential.
- Student completes all assignments and homework.
- Student has a good work ethic and is diligent.
Leadership/ Citizenship/ Character
- Student demonstrates respect of self and others.
- Student assists others in need.
- Student shows acts of kindness.
- Student demonstrates a positive attitude.
- Student displays good conduct.
- Student is a positive role model by example.
- Student participates and puts forth full effort in all areas.
- Student follows school rules.
Kindergarten
Ms. Duda's Class: Parker Freeland and Finley O'Connor
Mrs. Schneider's Class: Myles LeBeau and Aurora Dionne
First Grade
Mrs. Jensen's Class: Violet Stein and Aiden DeRue
Mrs. Wise's Class: Calais Brown and Sophiia Oliver
Second Grade
Mrs. Kenyon's Class: Meadow Karas and Jude Salisbury
Mrs. Williams' Class: Harper Thoel and Jimmie Macri
Third Grade
Mrs. Koprivica's Class: Olivia Schweiger and Ben Koehn
Ms. Peterson's Class: Kaitlyn Herms and Emmy Korber
Fourth Grade
Mrs. Huston's Class: Cambelle Garth and Taylor Prize
Mrs. Ursitti's Class: Ava Schroeder and Jace Kimmen
Fifth Grade
Mrs. Beach's Class: Noah Bean and Cecelia Zimmer
Mr. Griffin's Class: Kylie Cunningham and Sarah Martin
Mrs. LaParl's Class: Faith Dakroub
Mrs. VanderMeulen's Class: Aidan Dornoff
Pioneer Code of Conduct
Kind,
Courteous,
Respectful,
Responsible,
and always Safe!
Summer Reflections
Here are some questions to guide a reflective conversation with your student:
- What is something you did well this year? What are you most proud of yourself for?
- What brought you joy?
- What was your biggest struggle?
- Do you think there are things you could do next year to make next better?
- What have you learned about yourself this school year?
- If your classmates were honest, would they describe you as a person who is nice to everyone?
- What is your best quality as a friend?
- How could you improve the way you interact with others?
- Do you think you were respectful to your teachers?
- Do you think your teachers thought you were respectful?
- How can you improve the way you interact with your teachers?
- When you think about the things you want to do and become, did your choices this year help you get closer to those goals?
- What could you do next year to make more progress toward these goals?
- How would you describe your attitude this year?
Now, it is time for you to reflect as a parent.
- What did I do for my child this year that s/he could do for herself/himself?
- Are there ways I can help my child learn to solve her/his own problems? Was there a time I intervened when I could have coached instead?
- Were there times I didn’t intervene but should have?
- Severals years from now, my child will be leaving home. Am I using these years to help build resilience, confidence, and autonomy? What can I do to make this more a part of my parenting?
- Did I encourage my child to enjoy an activity without putting the emphasis on winning, getting a leading role, or earning a trophy?
- Did I try to make my child's teacher an ally?
- Did I find ways to praise my child’s efforts in something, or did I focus mostly on results?
- Have I helped my child set limits on technology, gaming, etc.? Have I done this for the summer?
- Have I given my child some reading goals this summer?
- What are five things I did well this year? Times I tried, even if it didn’t work out quite the way I envisioned. Give yourself credit for that!
Extra Credit: Have your child write a note to her/his teacher, and send an email or note yourself. Teachers teach because they want to make a difference, and realizing that they are positively impacting lives is the best year-end gift they could receive!
Save the Date!
Mission: The mission of the Pine River school community is to work collaboratively, providing an enriched curriculum that allows for intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and creative growth in a positive and safe environment, empowering all children to become productive lifelong learners.
Pine River Elementary is dedicated to the belief that all students can learn and achieve through the combined efforts of the staff, parents, students, and community.