Ware Elementary
It's beginning to look a lot like...π
December 2022
'Tis the Season π
Kimbre Smice - Asst. Principal
Olga Delgado - Head Secretary
Norma Cornejo - Child Nutrition
Ashlee Meharg - Registrar
Jennifer Brooks - Nurse
Principal Letter π
The weather the past few weeks has reminded us that Kansas is slowly transitioning from fall to winter. The cold and windy days will become more common as we move into December. Please help guide your child to the appropriate clothing for this time of the year. If the wind chill is above 20 degrees, students will be going outside for recess. It is important that your child wears coats and hats daily as Kansas weather changes quickly.
While most people would say that this time of the year is their favorite, it is also one of the most stressful. We find this is especially true for military families who are far from home and their extended families. Coupled with these stress factors are the fact that we have families deploying and ones that are being reintegrated. It is more important than ever that parents and teachers keep routines as consistent as possible. Regular scheduled times for meals, homework, sleep and school preparation are essential for nerves and emotions to stay in check.
At school, we are seeing a few emotional indictors in our students while they are in our school setting. While the entire staff is sensitive to these issues, we must also make certain we hold true to the curriculum we are expected to deliver. With all the issues military related students have to face, it is imperative they are provided quality education. Our teachers work diligently within the classroom to provide the best education that they can provide all our students. Even with us entering the holiday month it is critical that our students are here every day. Our students will be engaged in semester assessments throughout the month of December. These results are important as they allow teachers to make decisions regarding what types of support and programs students will need for the second semester. If you plan on leaving town to visit family, please utilize the two full weeks that we have off in December and January.
Finally, we want to extend the warmest of Holiday greetings to all of our Ware Bear families. We are so thankful to be able to share in your childβs life while you are stationed at Fort Riley. We hope you are able to spend the holidays together with those you love and enjoy this time away from school with your family. School will resume on Monday, January 9, and the second semester will fly by in no time. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday season!
Kimbre Smice,
Assistant Principal
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Kindergarten News π
Dear Families,
It is hard to believe, but we are almost at the halfway point of kindergarten! Weβve had an exciting first few months of the school year and December will be no exception!
In reading we will continue learning beginning reading skills and sight words. You may notice that the words in our take-home books are getting a bit more challenging as we are adding new letters and sounds to the mix. In our new unit, Wonders of Nature, we will learn about how gardens grow and more about trees, while introducing βh,β and βe.β Be sure to encourage your childβs learning by practicing the phonics take-home books that they bring home each week in their Ware Bear folder and having conversations each night about what they are learning in school. Conversations are a great way to build vocabulary and oral language as well as to develop the home-school relationship.
This month in math, we will be learning all about flat and solid shapes! As we learn about the different kinds of shapes, we will also be building shapes and describing shapes using positional words. We will also compare shapes to find what is similar or different. Then, we will start a brand-new unit in January learning about adding and subtracting within numbers to 10.
As the holidayβs draw closer we want to stress the importance of routine. Through all the holiday fun, there are still expectations that your child will need to meet at school and classroom life will continue to focus on learning. Please encourage your child to get enough sleep each night, do their best at school, and work hard on their nightly homework calendar activities.
Thank you so much for continuing to share your child with us this year. We have enjoyed learning and growing with them and canβt wait to continue the process after the holidays. We hope you have a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season and we look forward to seeing you again after the New Year!
Kindergarten Team,
Mrs. Baltazar
Mrs. Larsen
Miss Moler
Mrs. Rankin
Ms. Rice
Mrs. Tajchman
ESS Teacher
Mrs. Felton
First Grade News π
As the holiday season is upon us, we find ourselves reflecting on the past year and on those who have helped to shape our lives in the most significant ways. We are truly thankful for the support we have from you at home.
First graders are practicing using the final e to make long vowel sounds and to make soft c and g sounds when reading and writing (a_e in bake, i_e in bike, ce in ice, ge in age). They will continue to work with inflectional endings (_ed, ing, _s) to change the verb tense. They will finish their work with narrative writing for the quarter. We can see an increase in the studentsβ reading confidence and fluency as they continue to read nightly and actively participate in reading class. Weekly reading activities can be found on the back of the communication sheet.
In math, first graders are wrapping up unit 2 where we are focusing on using strategies to subtract within 20 while making connection between subtraction and addition. Students go beyond the Level 2 strategies of counting on and counting back as they learn Level 3 strategies informally called "make ten" or "take from ten." We will begin our unit focused on place value with ones and tens as well as money and time.
This time of the year is hectic for many so remember to check your childβs Ware Bear folders and ClassDojo for important and up-to-date information throughout the month. Stay informed on inclement weather updates too.
We wish you and your family a safe and Happy Holiday Season!
First Grade Team,
Shanda Bandi
Sarah Hernandez
Abigayle Weber
Brittany Scott
Rachel Smith
Aubrey Rumford
ESS Teacher
Freda Felton
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Second Grade News π
Ready or not, itβs December! We have a lot to do before our Winter Break.
In Math, weβll begin 3-digit numbers. We will be able to understand the place value, write 3 digit numbers, find the value of a 3 digit number, and compare 3 digit numbers. We will also continue to work on math fact fluency for addition and subtraction. Remember you can practice at home with flashcards or math games on the computer.
In reading, students will continue to become more independent readers. All students are expected to read for 20 minutes each night and complete the sentence starter in their planners each night. We will also continue to work on fluency and weekly phonics skills.
In science, we will begin to learn about pebbles, sand, and silt. Throughout the Pebbles, Sand, and Silt Module, students engage in science and engineering practices to collect and interpret data to answer science questions, develop models to communicate interactions and processes, and define problems to compare solutions. We will also be jumping into learning about liquids and solids! Students explore how wind and water change the shape of the land and compare ways to slow the process of erosion. Students learn about the important role that earth materials have as natural resources.
As the temperature continues to drop, please make sure your child is dressed appropriately. They will go outside for recess, so they need proper clothing. Also remember to have tennis shoes for gym!
Please make sure that you check your childβs Ware Bear folder each night for homework and important notes. Also, your child has a planner where they will write down their homework for each day. This is a great way to encourage communication between the parents and teacher as well.
The last day of the quarter for students will be December 21. We wish you and your family a very fun and relaxing holiday break!
Thanks in advance for your support and encouragement during this school year. Letβs continue to have a Ware Bear year!
Secon Grade Team,
Mrs. Burnham
Miss Heigert
Mrs. Moorman
Mrs. Schmidt
Mrs. Wienckoski
ESS Teacher
Mrs. Vest
Third Grade News π
Here we are in December already! Wow! We are having a great first semester and are excited to continue the year! As we come back from break, we will continue learning new and exciting things. In reading we will be learning about poetry, informational texts, and folktales. In math, we will continue to learn multiplication, division, and patterns that relate to them. In writing, we are working on informational writing and using facts to support our ideas. Your students have been doing research on an animal and planet of their choice. During social studies, your third grader will be learning American history, as well as continuing their cursive handwriting!
We are so excited to continue exploring these subjects and better usage of our devices. The students are doing great with responsibility, and we hope to continue developing that trait.
With the colder weather please remind your child to bundle up with winter coats, gloves, and hats as we will still be going outside for recess, weather permitting. Please also help your child remember to keep reading for 20 minutes each night. Reading carries over to all the other subjects during our day and the more practice they can get the more successful they will be. Please let your childβs teacher know if you have any questions or concerns! Communication between school and home is a vital part of your childβs education. Have a safe winter break and we will see you back in January!
Third Grade Team,
Katlyn Brinker
Karolena Cormier
Emily Grantham
Dominique Wiedmaier
ESS Teacher
Abby Vest
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Fourth Grade News π
The Ware Bear fourth graders are rocking their way into the holiday season with all of their hard work! In math we are continuing to learn about multi-digit multiplication, and we are diving into long division. We will really be focusing on multiplying numbers by 10, 100, and 1,000. Then we will be moving into division with remainders. Students really need to be able to reason about their answers and think critically when solving word problems. The more βhowβ and βwhyβ questions you can ask them about their math, the better they will become at reasoning and explaining. We are also still working on learning our multiplication facts. All students need to continue working on learning their multiplication facts at home. The websites: Xtramath.org and Freckle are wonderful resources for practicing facts!
In Social Studies, we are working on learning about the states of the Southeastern and Midwestern parts of the United States. The students are having a lot of fun. In Science, we are starting our Soils, Rocks, and Landforms unit! We are exploring weathering and erosion, and how that effects the Earth. We will be looking to the land around us for examples. If you can facilitate conversations when you are out and about that would help their thinking. We will be doing many hands-on lessons with the students to really get their minds thinking about science in a new way!
Please continue to have your student read for 20 minutes every night and write a 2-3 sentence response about what they read. This will really help to improve their vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. If you are working with your child when they are reading, asking them those βwho, what, when, where, why, and howβ questions will benefit them greatly.
Be on the lookout for information regarding classroom holiday celebrations! We hope all families have a safe and happy holiday season! Our good wishes go out to those families who have a loved one deployed.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Fourth Grade Team,
Stephanie Hilton
Darissa Maley
Emily Moorman-Meador
Christine Turnbow
ESS Teacher
Rebecca William
Fifth Grade News π
In Math, fifth graders continue learning and applying the rules for different fraction and decimal operations. Encourage your student to improve their math skills by working through problems together at home! A great way to help students apply their fraction work is to get them involved in measuring in the kitchen through cooking.
In reading classes, students continue to work on skills that improve their comprehension and fluency. Students will be applying new and learned skills to Expository text and Argumentative text. We will also continue to use context clues to determine the meaning of various forms of figurative language. Students should be reading a variety of materials over the Winter break to keep their skills fresh! We encourage students to improve their fluency by practicing their reading daily. A strategy to help with fluency is to have your student read out loud to a family member, pet, or stuffed animal at least once a week.
In Science, students will shift their focus from Earth systems to a unit on mixtures and solutions. Students will identify observable properties of matter and investigate the interactions of different materials. The study of world exploration continues in Social Studies as students learn about early settlements, the difference between the colonies, and explore the impact of supply and demand on the goods and services offered in the colonies.
We look forward to some special events before the end of the December. Fifth graders have been working hard to prepare for the Nutcracker, which will be performed on Thursday, December 15. We look forward to seeing you there!
Homeroom classes will host their Winter celebration parties on Wednesday, December 21. Winter Break for students will be December 22 through January 8. Students will return to school on Monday, January 9th, 2023. Please look for additional information about these activities and schedules to be sent home with your fifth grader at a later date.
Fifth grade wishes you a safe and Happy Holiday!
Fifth Grade Team,
Jamie Deville
Sina Kinsley
Kylie Huneycutt
ESS Teacher
Rebecca William
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Library News π
This month in the library, students will explore one of Mrs. Kaus's favorite authors, Jan Brett! A few of the books we will focus on are the Three Snow Bears, The Wild Christmas Reindeer and The Mitten. We have over thirty books by Jan Brett in our library!
Students in grades 2-5 will have another Digital Citizenship lesson this month too! These lessons are from: www.commonsense.org
Β· 2nd Gradeβs Essential Question:
o What kinds of information should I keep to myself when I use the internet?
Β· 3rd Gradeβs Essential Question:
o How does what I post affect my online identity?
Β· 4th Gradeβs Essential Question:
o How does our online activity affect the digital footprints of ourselves and others?
Β· 5th Gradeβs Essential Question:
o What is clickbait, and how can you avoid it?
Our Ware Bears continue to impress with their self-motivation to read and take reading counts tests. Just this quarter, which began October 17, the Ware Bears have passed over 450 Reading Counts tests! This is so exciting! This school year they have taken over 1,000 tests! You can help by encouraging your student(s) in grades 1-5 to read a βdot bookβ and 2-5 to take the Reading Counts test after finishing. A βdot bookβ has a colored dot on the top of the spine which illustrates the Lexile Level of the book and indicates that there is a RC test available take on their device at school.
Thank you for continuing to encourage your student(s) to READ, READ, READ!!
Haley Kaus
Library Media Specialist
Paige Callaway & Brandy Davis
Library Clerks
Music News π
Sugar plum fairies, Russian bakers, Chinese teacup dancers and more have invaded the music rooms at Ware as the students are learning about the Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky. This holiday classic comes to life in a variety of book versions as well as video versions for all of our Ware Bears. The fifth graders will present the 14th annual Ware Elementary Nutcracker on Thursday, December 15 at 6:00 p.m. in Gym 2.
Both music teachers have recently returned from a national music conference and are excited to share inventive and invigorating music lessons and activities with all grade levels. In addition, classes continue to work on body percussion, drumming and boomwhacker play-alongs. These activities give students at all age levels the chance to begin learning how to read rhythms and melodic lines at an appropriate level of difficulty. Students also have the chance to improvise and compose their own rhythmic and body percussion compositions.
December 19th brings the return of Ware Caroling Day. Weather permitting, grades 1-5 will carol in the neighborhood during their music and PE time. Kindergarten students will carol in the building. More information will be coming so please watch Classdojo and the Ware Facebook page.
Have a safe and happy holiday season and as always, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Susan Gillespie
Julian Leibach
PE News π
Our students have been hard at work in Physical Education class, learning a variety of skills to help them increase their competence, confidence, and self-motivation for physical movement. We refer to this as physical literacy. At the elementary level we believe that when a child becomes more confident in their movement skills and knowledge they will then become more motivated to be physically active and open themselves up to a host of physical and mental health benefits. This month our students will be learning skills and concepts that involve striking an object up in the air with an open hand (volleying) and foot skills (soccer).
As the days grow shorter and colder and it becomes more difficult for our families to be active outdoors, here are a few ways for us to stay active indoors:
- Family Fitness Challenges during commercials. Who can do the most of an exercise or balance the longest in various ways? There is no greater influence on a childβs acquisition of healthy habits than their parents, and no one they would rather exercise with either!
- βUnpluggedβ games such as leg wrestling, hide and seek, and even cards and board games can be greatly beneficial in refining fine motor skills and important social skills such as winning and losing with poise and humility.
- GoNoodle is the teacherβs choice for movement during the school day. It provides video-based dances, songs, and energizing or calming activity with something for everyone. Dozens of channels within the program offer thousands of hours of entertainment and variety. There is a free parent/family account option which can be streamed on a computer or mobile device as well as through most TV streaming devices (Apple TV, Roku, etc.). GoNoodle is the best!
- The YouTube channel βGlenn Higgins Fitnessβ offers a variety of superhero-themed tabata-style workouts which are approximately 3-5 minutes in length. Students are very engaged by the production quality of these videos.
- Yet another great source from YouTube is the Cosmic Kids Yoga video series. These videos combine the physical activity benefits of yoga through interactive storytelling, with stories based on Harry Potter, Star Wars, Minecraft, Sonic the hedgehog, and many other popular themes that kids love!
As always, please help your child remember to bring sneakers (or shoes that cover toes) to class. We always want our students to be safe while participating in class. Have kids set their tennis shoes next to their bag each night before bed if they are wearing boots, sandals, or shoes with a high heel to school. For our younger grade levels, please keep practicing tying shoes at home. Knot-tying also helps a wide variety of other fine motor skills such as holding a pencil and cutting with scissors.
Mrs. Tara Gruver Mrs. Kelli Thissen
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Nurse Notes π
Happy Holidays! I love this time of year and know your children are eagerly anticipating all the secret joys it will bring!
We have been very busy this first few months of school completing vision screenings. If you received a notice requesting further vision evaluation by an eye doctor, please have this done as soon as possible. Good eyesight is essential for learning.
I have also sent notices to those of you who have students missing physicals and/or immunizations. If you received one of these notices, please make it a priority to get these done and turned into the Ware Health Office.
When Should Students Stay Home From School!
- If your child has a constant, heavy cough or if nasal drainage is thick and colorful. You should speak to a doctor before sending him/her to school.
- If your child has a fever of 100 degrees or greater, please keep them home until they are fever free for 24hrs. They will need plenty of rest, plenty of water, and possible medical evaluation.
- If your child is vomiting or has uncontrolled diarrhea keep him/her out of school. They may return to school when they have NOT vomited/or had diarrhea for 24hrs.
- If your child has a fever with a rash, speak to your doctor before allowing your child to come to school.
- If your child has strep throat, pink eye, or a bacterial infection KEEP them out of school for 24hrs after he/she started taking medication.
- Suspected Communicable diseases like Chicken pox.
- If you suspect your child has ring worm please treat and cover affected area.
Jennifer Brooks,
Nurse
Early Childhood π
It is hard to believe that December is already here! We will be starting a new unit, Unit 4 Food and will complete it by the time we leave for Winter break. Our focus question topics will be about where food comes from, healthy food choices, how we grow food, food related jobs, where and how we buy food and what happens to food when we cook it. We will learn the letters O, F, H, and D and read a variety of books pertaining to food. Our math lessons will work on counting to 9 and 10 and counting objects demonstrating one to one correspondence. Second Step lessons, our social emotional learning, will focus on Emotional Management.
December is a busy time of year with finishing up the second quarter and getting excited about the holidays. We will be having classroom celebrations with more information coming soon! Also, we would like to remind you that it is the time of year when the weather is getting colder, and we go outside if it is above 22 degrees (wind chill or real temperature). Please be sure to send your child to school with a heavy coat, hat and gloves in order to stay warm while playing. Finally, this is also a time of year where families travel for the holidays, so please let the office know of any absences that might occur.
Early Childhood Team,
Sahra Bennett
Mary Cook
Heidi Ring
Speech News π
December already?! This fall season has blown by and we are well into the holiday season β lending itself to even more opportunities for seasonal and themed vocabulary building during our speech and language sessions. Since students will be spending some time out of school this month, I thought I would take the time to share some tips and ideas for targeting your studentβs speech and language skills while at home. More information on these strategies can be found on the American Speech-Language and Hearing Associationβs website: www.asha.org.
In Early Grades Kβ2
- Talk with your child frequently throughout the day.
- Read different types of books. Read every day, and talk with your child about the story.
- Help your child learn sound patterns of words. You can play rhyming games and point out letters as you read.
- Have your child retell stories and talk about his day.
- Talk with your child about what you do during the day. Give her directions to follow.
- Talk about how things are the same and different.
- Give your child chances to write.
In Later Grades 3-5
- Keep your child reading. Find books and magazines that interest your child.
- Ask your child what he thinks about what he hears or reads. Connect what he reads to events in his life.
- Help your child connect what she reads and hears at school, home, and other events.
- Talk out loud as you help your child read about and solve problems.
- Help your child recognize spelling patterns. For example, point out the beginnings and endings of words, like "pre-" or "βed."
- Get your child to write letters, keep a diary, and write stories.
Enjoy this season and time spent with family and friends! As always, please contact me with any questions regarding your studentβs speech and language development!
Laura Thompson, Speech-Language Pathologist
STUCO πNews
Thank you for all the donations during the Food Drive. STUCO collected 3,372 items to donate! That broke our record from last year! We are positive we helped many people and brought smiles to their faces! To make it even better, WARE WON THE COMPETITION! Our principals got to pie their principal friends in the face, and it was AWESOME!
Grade winners were:
EC β Mrs. Cookβs class
K β Ms. Riceβs class
1st β Mrs. Scottβs class
2nd β Mrs. Moormanβs class
3rd β Mrs. Cormierβs class
4th β Ms. Maleyβs class
5th β Ms. Huneycuttβs class
Be on the lookout for information about Candy Cane Grams this month! We want to spread some holiday cheer before winter break!
Rememberβ¦Coins for Caring ends December 14th so get those coins in to help your grade level win!
Please direct any questions to one of the STUCO sponsors!