GCIS Weekly News 11/4/2016
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!
Fundraising Announcements!
GCIS Office News
Fall Has Arrived!
- Please make sure your child is showing up dressed for the weather each day! Fall has arrived, and winter will be here before we know it! Below I have included what we would like to see students sent with prepared for the weather each school day moving forward. If you have an additional questions please don't hesitate calling the office. (515)738-5721. If students are not properly dressed they will be asked to stay inside for recess and spend time reading. Students health and well being play into our success as students! Thanks so much for your efforts!
- Temps ranging from 50 degrees and above: Short sleeves are acceptable
- Temps ranging from 45-50 degrees: Long sleeves, light jacket, hats encouraged
- Temps 45 degrees and below: Warm winter gear (hats, gloves, winter jacket, and snow pants and boots)
*If for any reason you need any of the above mentioned items, please don't hesitate to let us know how we might help. We have various resources that we can access to ensure all students have what they need for the coming winter months.
Principal Shoutout!
HERE is the link that will take you to the login page. The window to sign up for a conference is from Friday October 28th- Monday November 7th. After that time please call the office to schedule or reschedule your conference. We look forward to seeing you!
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/
Spring Lake Fall Festival Highlights!
Add it to the Calendar!
November 8th & 10th Conferences
- 4:00-7:00 pm
Women's ISU Game: Friday November 11th
December 7th GCIS Lunchroom
- 3:00-6:00 pm
Start of Winter Break: Friday December 23rd
Classes Resume: Tuesday January 2nd
ISU Basketball Game
This game is extra special because throughout the game students will be learning about how we can be an amazing school, and take a stand against bullying! Please join us by emailing your child's homeroom teacher or notifying the office (515)738-5721
Vocal Trash!
Please mark your calendars for Thursday December 8th. VOCAL TRASH will be holding a concert (Location TBA) during the afternoon for GCIS students and staff with a theme of bullying, and also hold a special evening show for Greene County families on going green and our environment. Please help us spread the news about this great event! Kids of all ages will get in FREE to the evening show, and adults will have a small fee! This group has toured all over the world! It's going to be electric!
Click HERE for more info about this group and their messages for students and the public! YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!
4th Grade Happenings!
Science - We are continuing our learning with light and how it works. Students have finished up their light phenomenon projects and their light experiments. Now it is time to dive deeper into why all of this happens. What does light do when it enters your eyes? What is the difference between reflection and refraction of light? Why is the picture upside-down when you look through a convex lense? Why does our mind play tricks on us when we see optical illusions? These are all questions our 4th grade scientists will be finding answers to in the coming weeks!
Math- Last week we introduced lines, line segments and rays. This week we are building on that knowledge by learning about the different types of angles and two- dimensional shapes. We even got to use straws and twisty ties to create angles and make different kinds of polygons.
Language Arts/S.S- This week we have continued our discussions about the election process and tied in some current event articles. We are working on taking our knowledge about the election process and applying that into our writing. We plan to introduce a way for students to make sure that they have a paragraph that starts with a main idea and includes several supporting details. We can’t wait for next week to find out who the American citizens elect for the next President of the United States!
Please don’t forget to remind your child to read for at least 20 minutes every night.
5th Grade Happenings!
Lit./SS: In reading, students have been continuing their work on comparing and contrasting two or more characters, settings, or events in a story, drawing on specific details in the text. In social studies, students polled family and friends to collect data. They created a graph to display the data they collected and wrote a paragraph to describe their findings. In writing, students are finalizing and preparing to publish their personal narrative stories.
Science: This week we studied amphibians. We’ve seen an excellent video and read two articles in the National Geographic for Kids magazine. We took a quiz over what we have learned so far in this unit. We also got a chance to start reptiles. Please sign up for conferences as soon as you can.
6th Grade Happenings!
Sixth graders did an AWESOME job raking leaves! We were impressed by their teamwork and work ethic. It was a great opportunity for students to give back to our community.
Please sign up for conferences if you have not already done so.
In science, we are starting the Energywise program that is sponsored by Black Hills Energy. We are learning about natural resources and ways to conserve them. Please complete and return the survey included in the workbook. Thanks!
In math, students are still working on multiplying and dividing fractions and mixed numbers. Keep rockin’ it, gang!
In Lit/Social Studies, we are finishing up our government unit. We have learned about the Constitution, the three branches of government, and how a bill becomes a law. We have also been working hard on our argumentative paper. We have learned how to use a t-chart to organize our papers into five paragraphs with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Be sure to ask your student to share their awesome papers this weekend! Lastly, don’t forget to keep reading 20 minutes each night.
Art News
Art students are continuing to work on their pumpkin art… 4th graders are finishing their zentangle patterned pumpkins, 5th graders are finishing their pumpkin patch drawing and are starting to watercolor it. And 6th graders are finishing their optical illusion pumpkins!
T.A.G
We had a guest speaker, Chris Deal, who came to talk to the 5th grade TAG students about architecture! He talked about how much math is involved in making blueprints and how there are more blueprints than just the outline sketches of a house. He even showed us the blueprints of the new addition to Jack Trice Stadium… and he is going to come back in December! How COOL!
Media/Tech Lit
Ahoy, Bookaneers! Next week the Scholastic Pirate Book Fair will be here, November 8th through the 10th. Tuesday and Thursday it will be open from 4-7 during conferences, and Wednesday it will be open during school hours from 8 am-2 pm. Set a course for the media center and discover what treasures we have in store for you!
Shiver me timbers! This would be a great opportunity to do some early Christmas shopping, or to add to the family library. Avast! And don’t be forgetting to ask your young Bookaneer if they be entering the coloring contest (all entries due by the end of the school day, Wednesday, November 9th)...one student from each grade will win their own ‘booty’ by getting to choose a book for FREE.
Information about the fair and a link for shopping online can be found at http://www.scholastic.com/bf/greenecointermediateschool
See all you Mateys there! Arrrggghhh!Special Education News
4th graders are continuing on their paragraphs for Fall Fun. It has been a challenge for them to be able to expand their ideas and then be able to write interesting sentences without using the same word over and over again. In math, they are working on different types of angles and learning new geometry terms.
5th graders in math, are starting to figure out percentages. They are also practicing multiplying 1 digit by 3-4 digits. They really need support to learn their multiplication facts. In reading, students are getting ready to compare and contrast events. In writing, they are finishing up their personal narratives.
6th graders in math, are learning how to divide fractions. In reading, they are continuing on learning about argument. We have been reading an article that has been making them think beyond the surface and are getting to pick a side a support it with evidence.
Looking forward to seeing parents at conferences.
Band Business!
Upcoming events: -The Intermediate building will have a Veteran’s Day program on November 14th at 1:30. The band students will not be performing, but about 5 trumpets will be playing Taps at the end. -The Intermediate Winter Concert is on December 5th in the middle school gym at 7pm, with students arriving to warm up and tune at 6:30 please.
Counseling News
In life skills class we have been studying how to deal with bullying, being upstanders instead of bystanders, and this week we are focusing on conflict resolution skills. Here is a quick guide for resolving conflict in everyday situations.
What is conflict and conflict resolution?
Sometimes we all get pretty angry when things don’t go our way. We experience conflict.
We may feel that something is unfair, something has been taken or broken that we value, someone is being mean, we're not getting a fair share, etc.
So what do you do?
Well, you could throw a huge tantrum, get really upset, be mean to everybody etc.
Would any of these things solve the problem? I don't think so! Well, what could you do?
Conflict Resolution
Try to sort things out so that everyone gets a fair shake and something they want. There are four things that you need to do:
Understand the problem— Everyone involved needs to understand what the conflict (argument) is about.
Avoid making things worse—no put-downs, screaming or fighting.
Work together—Make “I statements” and don’t blame—listen to each other.
Find the solution-- Once everyone has identified the problem, they need to brainstorm some possible solutions. The solution should work as a “win-win” for everyone involved.
Remember to:
Think about the problem.
Say what you feel.
Listen to the other person.
Brainstorm solutions.
Decide what each one will do.
Stick to what you have decided.
Talk again if the solution is not working.
Nurse News!
Greene County Intermediate Challenged themselves to work on COMMUNICATION, TEAMWORK and INDIVIDUAL IMPROVEMENT with Hy-Vee KidsFit on Friday, November 4th.
Continue the conversation with them tonight. Ask them, “How many Squats can you do in 60 Seconds?” Then challenge yourself, how many Squats can YOU do in 60 seconds? Doing these challenges together creates healthy conversations at home. Make improving a fun game. Check out the Done in 60 Seconds Family Challenge here: www.hy-veekidsfit.com/blog/done-in-60-seconds/
Help them continue to stay motivated and sign up for the Hy-Vee KidsFit 5-Week Challenge! One healthy conversation or challenge per day. Track your progress and hold the whole family accountable with the 5-Week Fit Report. Bring in the 5-Week Fit Report to your Jefferson Hy-Vee for a PRIZE! We want to reward you for making healthy choices and being active. www.hy-veekidsfit.com/blog/5-week-challenge-fit-report/
How To Sign-Up:
Go to www.hy-veekidsfit.com
Click on Sign Up
Enter your birthdate or child’s birthdate.
If your child is under the age of 13, you must have a parental consent.
Fill out your information
Following COPPA regulations for children, no information can be stored or recorded by Hy-Vee.
Submit.
Wait for confirmation email to the registered account.
Sign in
Go to the CHALLENGE tab
5-Week Challenge
The website www.hy-veekidsfit.com is a made safely for kids. We cannot push any information out to you. To stay updated and hear more about what Hy-Vee KidsFit is doing, I encourage Parents and/or Kids to ‘like’ Hy-Vee KidsFit on Facebook. Instagram at @hvkidsfit. Twitter @Hy-Vee KidsFit.
Have fun learning and moving together as a family for FREE!
***Remember, each member of the family can have an account! So you can sign up other family members!***