GCIS Weekly News 9/30/2016
Weekly Celebrations, Successes, and Up Coming Events!
We're not here to be average; We're here to be AWESOME!
GCIS AWESOME STUDENTS OF THE WEEK!
GCIS Office News
School has been off to a great start!! We have so many AWESOME students and staff!
Here are just a few reminders from the GCIS Office:
- Please call our office by 8:30 am if you know that your child will be out for the day and no later than 2:30 pm if you would like for us to deliver a note to your child. On Wednesday, please be sure to have your calls in by 12:30 pm. 515-738-5721.
School Picture day (for all buildings) will be October 4th! Stay tuned for more info!
Did you know?
Infinite Campus is a great tool for parents to use! It allows you to check your student’s attendance, grades, assignments, lunch balance and more! To sign up give us a call! 515-738-5721!
Principal Shoutout!
We will be having the Healthiest State Walk this week at the GJ track! Please come and join us! There will be music and we are hoping for nice fall weather! The action will begin at 12:30 pm and will wrap up at 1:10 pm in order to get back to the school and load buses. Schools all across the state will be participating and taking a stand for fitness! PLEASE JOIN US! If you have twitter you can follow along using the hashtag: #StepItUpIowa #WhyIWalk Our school has been selected for the chance at winning $1000.00
Email: vancleavem@greenecountycsd.net
Website: www.edline.net/pages/GCIS
Location: 405 12th Street South, Grand Junction, IA, United States
Phone: 515-738-5721
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Greene-County-Intermediate/
SCHOOL PHOTOS TUESDAY! BRING YOUR BEST SMILE!
Add it to the Calendar!
Heathliest State Walk: October 5th
- Join us at the GJ Track (weather permitting) from 12:30-1:10pm
GCIS Fundraiser Kick Off: October 18th
No School: October 19th, 20th, 21st
- Staff Professional Development Conference in DSM
November 8th & 10th
- 4:00-7:00 pm
Pictures Tuesday!
Come with Your Best Smile! Pictures will start in the morning and will be wrapped up by mid morning.
Fire Drill & National Fire Safety Week
Fire fighters will be coming to the building practicing their response times and also practicing a building check.
During this drill we will actually go to our evacuation locations and safety zones.
If you have any additional questions about this great learning and collaboration with our fire fighters, please contact the office.
Homecoming Recap!
4th Grade Happenings!
Math: We are still working on estimating as this is a very important life skill. If you want to help your child with their estimation skills here are a few ideas:
As you walk around together you can see how good they are at estimating answers before they come up:
At the supermarket try to have your child add up everything by themselves, and then compare it to the final bill
Estimate how long it will take you to get home
When shopping, see which is the better bargain by estimating the price per quantity
and so on!
Reading: Through our read alouds or independent reading we are starting to identify the different elements of mysteries. For example, the characters include detectives, suspects and victims. We are busy identifying the difference between these kinds of characters. We have also been noticing that the plot of a lot of our mysteries are similar- something was kidnapped or stolen, trying to figure out a problem or puzzle, or there was an unexplained event. Lastly, we talked about how detectives use clues to solve mysteries and we have been trying to recognize the clues that the authors may leave in their stories to help the reader solve the mystery too!
Earlier this week your child’s FAST scores were sent home, please let your classroom teacher know if you have any questions or concerns about this reading assessment. Don’t forget to encourage your child to read every night! Thank you for your support.
5th Grade Happenings!
Math: Continuing to work on area and volume. Will test Tues of next week. Wish us luck.
Science: We took a quiz over plants this week and have been reviewing and getting ready for our first test. It will be Tuesday, Oct. 4th. Please be studying your notes over the weekend for a few minutes.
Picture day is NEXT Tuesday!!!! SMILE
ELA/S.S.: In reading we are working on figurative language with similes and metaphors. The kids are doing a great job with this. We are brainstorming possible personal narrative topics, so that we can begin our narrative writings soon. Please continue to encourage your child to read 20 minutes an evening with their choice of an independent reading book.
6th Grade Happenings!
In science, students are still learning about plate tectonics. They have gathered evidence that the continents used to be together. Now, they are working on an explanation for what causes the continents to move.
In math, students are continuing to work on Greatest Common Factor and Least Common Multiple. Students have been shown multiple ways to find both of these.
In reading we are finishing up inferencing. We are going to start our government unit and persuasive writing next week!
Band
5th grade: Books and accessories are in, but I need the money for those items before I can release them. Students should be practicing their first 5 notes, Hot Cross Buns, and Merrily We Roll Along.
6th grade: Over half of our convention audition songs have been handed out, plus one Christmas song, so there is plenty to be practicing.
Music Mania
Parent(s),
The 5th and 6th Grade General Music classes are presently working on a unit about rhythm. They have a project to create a 1-2 minute performance in the style of STOMP. They are to use everyday household items from home that you don’t mind them using to assist in this project. I have some things supplied i.e. empty water bottles, old unused keys, tin cans, buckets. The kids have great imagination, but I want them to check to make sure it is ok with parents before they bring things to school. (No knives (they saw professionals work this into a routine on one of the STOMP videos. They know it’s dangerous. Your child may enjoy sharing this youtube video with you. :) ), No traditional instruments, No rain ;) )
I would like to videotape these routines and share some at the concert in December. If you DO NOT want your child videotaped, please send the lower portion of the letter back to school with your child. I want to make sure your wishes are honored. These videos will NOT be shared on the internet!
The year is off to a great start! It’s wonderful to work with such enthusiastic students!
T.A.G
6th Grade TAG students built a levitating pencil using magnetic fields! How cool is that? Now we are starting on a large project through a program called Envision, in which they will be choosing a place that they want to visit someday and they have to plan the trip completely. They need to figure out travel costs, meals, how they are going to get there, who is going, how long, overnight costs, etc. all on an imaginary budget of $3,000.
5th grade TAG is creating a lava lamp and learning about how some materials do not mix and why. They are also starting on their battle of the Books lists, so they need to start reading!!
4th grade TAG is working on omnifix cubes and discovering spatial relations and how to communicate their perspective. Sounds complicated, but it is really fun because they get to play with blocks!
Media Tech Lit
Special Education News
In 4th grade reading students are learning how to use Read Write Google to assist with reading grade level text. In math students are learning how to estimate.
In 5th grade math students are being supported as they learn about volume. In reading students are practicing using context clues.
Counseling News
Make it BLUE this Monday, October 3, for
National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.
Let’s all wear blue on BLUE SHIRT DAY to raise awareness about preventing bullying and harassment. Let’s stomp out bullying!
Visit http://www.stompoutbullying.org/index.php/campaigns/blue-shirt-day-world-day-bullying-prevention/ for more information on how we ALL can stop bullying.
In Life Skills and Art classes this week we are working on compassion, caring and doing a project in which students are creating their own personal Character Counts posters to help spread the message to be caring, respectful, responsible, trustworthy, fair and good citizens!
Nurse News!
Head lice? The words can make you start itching. The Iowa Department of Public Health sent out the following information regarding “super lice”.
What are SUPER LICE?
Super lice have been in the news a lot lately, prompting questions and concern. Here is some basic information about head lice that can be shared with concerned patients and parents:
Super lice are head lice that have become resistant to some lice treatment products.
Super lice look and act the same as ‘regular’ head lice (they are not bigger or faster).
Resistance to head lice treatments has been reported for decades and the recent studies show the trend is continuing.
Head lice (including ‘Super Lice’) do NOT hop or fly; they crawl, just like ‘regular’ head lice.
Most spread is by head-to-head contact, and much less commonly, through contact with clothing (like scarves and hats) or other personal items (like brushes or towels).
Head lice (including ‘Super Lice’) live less than two days if they fall off a person and nits (eggs) will die if they are not kept at the same temperatures as that found close to the scalp. If an infestations occurs, the following is recommended:
Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that an infested person wore or used during the two days before treatment using the hot water (130°F) laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for two weeks.
Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay. Spending a lot of time and money on housecleaning activities is not necessary.
Do not use fumigant sprays or fogs; they are not necessary to control head lice and can be toxic if inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
Resistance is not the only cause of treatment failures; others include:
Applying the treatment to hair that has been washed with conditioning shampoo or rinsed with hair conditioner. Conditioners can act as a barrier that keeps the head lice medicine from adhering to the hair shafts; this can reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.
Not carefully following the instructions for the treatment that is used. Some examples of this include not applying a second treatment if instructed to do so, or re-treating too soon after the first treatment, before all the nits are hatched and the newly hatched head lice can be killed. Another reason is re-treating too late after new eggs have already been deposited.
Re-infestation. The person was treated successfully and the lice were eliminated, but the person becomes infested again by lice spread from another infested person. Sometimes reshampooing the hair too soon (less than 2 days) after correctly applying and removing permethin can reduce or eliminate any residual (continued) killing effect on the lice.
Lice are extremely common, especially among pre-school children attending child care, elementary school children, and the household members of these infested children.
An estimated 6 million to 12 million infestations occur each year in the United States among children 3 to 11 years of age.
Personal hygiene or cleanliness in the home or school has nothing to do with getting head lice. Head lice present a nuisance, but do not spread disease