Gashland News
December 2019
HAPPY HOLIDAYS GASHLAND FAMILIES
“Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la,”
or so the song goes. This is the time of year our hearts are full, and everyone tries extra hard to be a little more giving, a little more patient, a little more understanding of others. We truly have much to be thankful for and helping our children experience the “joy of giving” helps them develop the capacity to fully understand “gratitude in receiving” as well. Because we care so much for our children, it is easy to overlook the importance of balancing giving ‘tokens of our love’ with what children really need and that is simply ‘our love.’ Remember, it doesn’t take money to have fun. Children enjoy playing a game together, baking cookies, or just reading together. Help your child experience the “joy of giving” by boxing up baked goodies and sharing them with neighbors or residents of a nearby nursing home. Creating holiday memories with your children will pay off in bigger dividends later by helping your child develop into a whole, caring adult that has the capacity to experience joy. Remember that in the long run, it’s the gift of time and attention we give our children that will be far more memorable than the things we could ever give them.
A fond memory my adult children remember doing when they were young was our tradition of watching the Muppets Christmas Carol during the holiday season. As you may recall from this old story, Ebenezer Scrooge falls asleep and is visited by three ghosts that help him see how his life needs to change. When Mr. Scrooge ‘wakes up’ he has a new attitude of giving and sharing with others. His final song is one of the Lakin Family’s favorites – “Thankful Heart.” If you haven’t seen it lately, enjoy the link below.
Wishing you peace and joy as you celebrate the holiday season with your precious little ones.
Happy holidays! Mrs. Lakin
“Thankful Heart” from Muppets Christmas Carol –
*Birthday Treat Reminder*
Party treats and birthday treats are restricted to commercially prepackaged items and must have label with ingredients listed. This is required for the safety of our students. The nurse must check all treats before students can enjoy them. If possible, please provide all the same flavor of cupcakes or cookies to make them easier to pass out to the class. Thanks for your cooperation and understanding.
PBIS Winter Winners
As you are well aware, our school teaches and reinforces appropriate school behavior with our students. This is done through the Positive Behavior Intervention Support system (PBIS). Our ‘reinforcements’ include high-fives, smiles, thumbs up, and encouraging words as well as Starbucks for Friday shopping and Classroom Super Stars for the class to enjoy special activities as they are earned.
December can be an incredibly difficult month for our young learners to manage overwhelming feelings. To help keep them focused on school and showing what it looks like to be a respectful, responsible and safe Gashland Star student, we are putting an additional incentive in place – just for December. Each day your child is at school and he/she demonstrates appropriate Gashland Star behavior, he/she will receive a ‘star’ on his/her circle hanging on the classroom tree. If your child receives the grade-level designated number of stars by our last full day of school before winter break, he/she will be invited to the Winter Winners Celebration (Thursday, December 20). So please encourage your child to keep working hard at school every day in December so he/she can participate as a ‘winner’ in our Winter Winners Celebration.
Gashland/Clardy Booster Club has a new Facebook Group!
Creating a group instead of just a page allows the booster club to share forms and files easily which improves transparency and makes it easier to find the information you are looking for.
Please click on the link below to join:
Buzz Thanksgiving readers
2 Hour Delay Start Option for Potential Inclement Weather
NKC Schools has a safe option for inclement weather days that could reduce the need for makeup days. Essentially, the school day will be two hours shorter. On a two-hour delayed start day, all buses will pick up students two hours later than the regular pickup times, but the drop-off times will NOT change. All schools will end their day at the regular end time including, Thursdays. If the District activates the two-hour delayed start, the early release would be canceled.
Alternate stops for buses (aka Snow Routes) will be in effect on two-hour delayed start days. Transportation Services communicates directly with all families affected by alternate stops. NKC Schools will use a full complement of communication channels to announce two-hour delayed start days just as they do for school closings. Those include: School Messenger phone, email and text alerts; www.nkcschools.org website; Twitter; local radio and TV.
See the district website for additional information about inclement weather plans:
Kindergarten News
Our Gashland kindergartners are continuing to grow and learn amazingly quickly. They are progressing in their pre-reading/reading skills, as well as in applying what they know about letters and sounds in their writing. We continue to add more high-frequency words (sight words) to our growing list. Thanks for reading with them at home and giving them that one-on-one support. We've also been doing a lot of counting, writing numbers, measuring, decomposing, ten frame work and so much more in math. Most kindergartners have learned the Pledge of Allegiance and the Gashland pledge by heart, and have had the opportunity to be the pledge helpers in the morning. Students also continue to learn about the different characteristics of each season and how the changing seasons affect living things.
In November, kindergartners collected Muffin Mixes for the Northland Christmas Store for needy families. Classrooms counted the boxes brought in each day and made a graph to show the results. Thanks again for allowing your child to be a part of helping others.
We had an amazing turnout for our “All Are Welcome Night” where families had the opportunity to share their culture with our Gashland community. Classrooms also learned about a country and had fun decorating their classroom door.
Children and teachers enjoyed a Thanksgiving break recently. We were thankful for some time with families, some relaxation and, for some, getting started on holiday shopping. Children seemed ready to be back to work following their break.
December is here and our school days this month will go by quickly. We have lots of things to finish up and assess, before Christmas break. Please review behavior expectations with your child, as this can be an exciting time of year which can lead to difficulties with focusing and following directions at school. Try to have your child continue to follow his/her normal routine as much as possible and to get plenty of sleep. Providing calm activities, including nightly reading, will help your child do his/her best at school this month.
We will look forward to seeing many of you at our winter parties later this month! We hope you will enjoy some great family time with your child(ren) this month. Children enjoy helping with holiday baking, shopping, wrapping, etc. and there's always plenty of learning involved. Have fun together!
-Mrs. Agbaji, Mrs. Bryant, Mrs. Kingery, Mrs. Lansangan and Mrs. Settles
First Grade News
The month of December is upon us already! We are so thankful for all the effort you’re putting in at home to help your child grow as a reader. We are excited to begin assessing throughout the month of December to determine mid-year reading levels!
Readers Workshop- This month during Readers Workshop we will be busy learning how to ask meaningful questions when reading both fiction and non-fiction texts. Students are using these questions to identify key details, characters, point of view and even more elements of their books.
Writers Workshop- Students will be continuing our unit on “Personal Narratives” up until winter break. Students have been working hard to write stories across the pages by including transition words and they’ve practiced elaborating in their stories by using sensory details. Students will continue practicing in these areas through December. They’ll also be practicing illustration techniques to show emotion, movement, and setting.
Phonics - Be on the lookout for your child’s Dictation Sentences. This is an excellent place for the children to practice the basic writing rules of capitalizing only the first word of the sentence and any proper names, leaving spaces between words, legible handwriting, and an ending punctuation mark that matches the sentence.
Math - Our students will work more in depth with word problems and continue to practice with addition/subtraction facts, including doubles facts and addition with 3 addends. First graders are also continuing their work using a number grid to determine 10 more and 10 less.
Finally, students will practice measuring, then ordering, 3 objects by length.
As always the First Grade Team would like to thank our parent group for all of the help given at home. Every book you read, every conversation you have helps one of "our" children do just a little more!
-Mrs. Kimball, Mrs. Minter, Mrs. Robke, Ms. Roddy & Ms. Vaughn
Pre-K News
We have continued learning and growing in preschool! We finished up our Fall, Trees, and Leaves Unit of Study and are just beginning our Winter Unit of Study.
November brought a lot of fun with tasting apple cider and apple juice when we learned about apples, making butter after reading The Little Red Hen, and brainstorming ways we can help others to kick off our new unit of study.
We have practiced using 10 frames to explore numbers and are working hard at identifying and counting numbers 0-10. In small groups, we are focusing on building our names and identifying the letters in our names.
I am proud of all the skills the preschoolers are developing that will help them be successful next year in kindergarten! We read Turkey Trouble to practice retelling a story in order as a fun activity before Thanksgiving break, and we are looking forward to some December fun!
-Mrs. Tapp & Mrs. Hensley
Nurse's News
Tis the Season…The Holiday Season gives us many opportunities to spend special time with our family and friends. Just remember don’t give the gift of a cold or the flu. Be a Grinch with your germs. Keep them to yourself. And avoid them like the Who’s in Whoville. This time of year increases the chance of passing colds and viruses. Washing our hands is the most effective way of preventing the spread of colds and flu viruses. Wash your hands frequently and encourage your children to wash their hands. Use a tissue or the inside of your elbow to cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing. Try to get plenty of sleep and exercise to help your body fight off any germs. Enjoy your holidays, free of colds and the flu!!!
Nurse Theresa
Thanks,
Theresa Keaveney, RN
Muffin Mix Drive Collection
Counselor's Corner
December’s topic for counseling lessons in K/1st classrooms is personal & social skills.
As we celebrate various holidays, self-care remains important, especially for parents of young children!
Some friendly reminders of ways to care for yourself & cope with stress:
*Exercise
*Listen to uplifting/positive music & messages.
*Read humorous material & skip the negative vibes on social media.
*Stick to a family-friendly schedule, as much as possible.
*Eat healthy foods & stay hydrated.
*Take a break with a bath, a good book, or meditation.
*Set healthy boundaries & say ‘no’ when necessary.
*Reach out to friends, family, or health professionals for support.
Soon we will be resending an email/opportunity to sign-up for 2nd semester Starbucks Store volunteering. We appreciate your time and work in helping our students shop on Fridays! In addition to providing positive support to students, adults at GAES provide positive support to one another, as well. Our staff is very good at remaining solution-focused and positive in our approach to the challenges that sometimes surround us in education. A positive attitude and focus on solutions helps us avoid complaining and feeling ‘stuck.’ We know the answers lie within us—we have a wide array of ‘experts’ in our very own halls at Gashland, and we can resolve many issues, with time, patience, and heartfelt collaboration. Thank you for your continued positive support from home!
Nancy Muller-School Counselor
T/W/Fri-Gashland Elementary
816.321.5782
Library
Dear Gashland Families,
During the last few months we have been reading a lot of wonderful fiction storybooks in both kindergarten and first grade. In both grades we have been focusing on identifying story elements such as characters, setting, problem and solution, and key events.
Now, during library lesson, we will be turning our focus to non-fiction materials. We will learn the purpose of reading non-fiction books, how to use text features, and how to organize the information that we have learned from these books. These are beginning research skills!
This month we are hosting local author, Kathy J. Perry in our library during the school day.
She will read aloud from one of her books and do a presentation on writing Powerful Sentences with our students. We can’t wait! To learn more about our visiting author – check out her webpage at https://kathyjperry.com/
Contact Information:
Gashland Library Circulation Desk – 321-5106
Or call Mrs. Bradfield directly at 321-4212
Happy Reading!
Mrs. Bradfield, School Librarian
Encore
Art
Kindergartners started the month of November making owls by folding and pinching clay and adding texture with a variety of tools. We will finally be adding a special painting technique to these and they should be coming home soon. Our first snowfall of the season had us drawing and painting snowmen and polar bears. We will be finishing these by adding a patterned scarf to both works of art.
First graders have been learning how to blend oil pastels with layering techniques, how to weave paper and how to tie knots. Using the elements of drawing, the dot, line, curve and angle, we have been learning to draw a variety of animals. Life in great in the art room at Gashland!
-Nichole Peacher
PE:
Hello all,
Both Kindergarten and 1st grade are finishing up our Manipulative Skills unit! We have been focusing on underhand throwing! Students are learning the steps to underhand throwing a ball using the rhyme “Tick, tock, step and rock!” This is an awesome way for students to remember the steps and they have been doing such an awesome job! At the end of our manipulatives unit we will be practicing the steps to properly kick a soccer ball at a target.
In Health we are finishing up talking about nutrition! Students learned what MyPlate is and all five food groups. We also learned what foods are healthy and unhealthy choices. Next, we will talk about why exercising and being active is so important!
Any questions feel free to email me! justice.lozano@nkcschools.org
Follow on twitter for PE/Health updates @CoachLozanoNKC
-Coach Lozano
Music
Hello from the Music Room!
Kindergarten: Gashland Stars have been performing music from around the world! Ask you student if they remember these songs and instruments:
Africa – Funwa Alafia
Asia – Dragon Dance and Cymbals and Simi Yadeh (Give Me Your Hand)
Australia – Kookaburra bird and Guiro
Europe – Big Clocks
South America – Mama Paquita and Maracas
First Grade: Remember that our music concert is coming up on December 11 at 7:00 PM at Oak Park High School! We will be singing songs that accompany the book All Are Welcome. Please have your student arrive between 6:45 and 6:50 PM. We are encouraging our singers to wear black and white clothing or their nicest outfit. Dress shoes are encouraged.
-Christy Lovenduski
Literacy Launch
Are you ready for some reading fun over winter break? Play this Winter Break Reading Bingo to make reading a little more exciting during this upcoming holiday season!!! Bring it back to your teacher in January with a “BINGO” and receive a free Pajama Day Coupon!
CHALLENGE: Try to get a “BLACKOUT BINGO” to receive an extra special prize!
Gashland/Clardy Family Culture Project for December/January
The Gashland/Clardy Family Culture Project for December and January is a cookbook! Soon your child will bring home a note explaining the project. If you want a sneak peak, click the link below.
World Culture Corner
World Culture Corner
This year we will feature a different country each month, highlighting home countries of some of our Gashland families. If you would like to share information about your family’s home country, please email Elizabeth Thompson--- elizabeth.thompson@nkcschools.org
Let’s get to know each other better!
Vietnam
Location: Southeast Asia
Size: 127,881 square miles (65th largest country by area) (Slightly larger than New Mexico)
Climate: Varies from north to south
· heavy summer rainfall throughout country
· mostly tropical climate in the south
· four seasons in the north, but winter temperatures do not generally drop below freezing
Language: Vietnamese is the official language. Each word has six tones to indicate meaning. English is required as a foreign language in many schools.
Population: 97,040,334 (15th largest country by population)
Currency: Dong
Fun Facts:
· Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique art form, with puppeteers standing waist-deep in water, and puppets lit by floating lanterns.
· ‘Nguyen’ is the last name shared by more than 30 million Vietnamese people, making it one of the most popular last names in Vietnam.
· Vietnamese schools are generally in session from Monday through Saturday each week.
Vietnam (2019). CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest. Retrieved from http://online.culturegrams.com.mcpl.idm.oclc.org/world/world_country.php?cid=173&cn=Vietnam
Next month’s country: Puerto Rico
About Us
Fax: 816-321-5101
Attendance: 816-321-5102
Nurse: 816-321-5103
Cafe: 816-321-5104
Email: cindy.lakin@nkcschools.org
Website: www.nkcschools.org/gaes
Location: 500 Northeast 83rd Street, Kansas City, MO, 64118
Phone: 816-321-5100
Twitter: @gashlandstars
Gashland Clardy Booster Club
Email: gashlandclardybooster@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GashlandClardyBooster/
Twitter: @GaClBooster