GCIS Weekly News 10/7/2016
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
It's been another great week at GCIS! What AWESOME students and staff we have!
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
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!
This field trip will be unique by integrating in-game lessons over anti-bullying and character traits in schools. There will be examples provided throughout the game to show students how to make your school a better and happier place to learn!
We are looking for parents to join us for this amazing event! We are also looking into an opportunity to have students do a campus tour in the morning and then attend the game! More details about times and additional things we are planning as we know them! Look for more info in next weeks newsletter!
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/
Add it to the Calendar!
GCIS Fundraiser Kick Off: October 18th
No School: October 19th, 20th, 21st
- Staff Professional Development Conference in DSM
Fall Fest 10/28
- RAINDATE: 10/31
November 8th & 10th Conferences
- 4:00-7:00 pm
Fall Fest at Spring Lake
All parents are welcome to join us for that day. Please contact the office or your homeroom teacher if you plan on attending. We are hoping to have 2-3 parents from each grade level join us!
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.
Fire Fighters will be sharing fire safety information with students, students will have a chance to hold the hose, and also ride on the truck! Please take time this week to check your fire alarms within your household and switch out batteries. Also have conversations as families about a fire safety plan for your home.
Healthiest State Walk
4th Grade Happenings!
5th Grade Happenings!
In Reading we are finishing up with our figurative language skills. We will be giving the post test for this on Friday. The students are working hard with writing a personal narrative piece. Ask your child what they have chosen for their topic to write their narrative about! Continue to fill out the home reading trackers each night after the 20 minutes of independent reading:)
Science: We took our first test on plants this week. I have kept all the kids’ papers to share with you at conferences so no paperwork will be coming home about this unit. We have started our next unit on vertebrates.
I am doing the book orders for the entire 5th grade. I have been having GREAT difficulty doing any on-line orders, so that ability has been discontinued. If your child would like to order from the Scholastic Book Club, please send a check made to Scholastic or cash and I will send it in. I can also order books as gifts for your child, just write a note on the envelope so I know not to hand it to them. I can either wrap it in bags and send home with the child, or I can contact you to come and get them if you’d like. Thank you!!!
6th Grade Happenings!
In literature/social studies we are starting our government unit. We have been talking about why we developed the constitution and what the process was. I encourage you to talk with your kids about this!
In science, we are still talking about how tectonic plates have changed the Earth. Students have been examining how plate movements cause other changes such as earthquakes and tsunamis.
In math, students are working on adding and subtracting fractions. Students are using least common multiples to find a common denominator.
Band
5th grade - Is up to 5 notes now, and beginning to play actual songs in preparation for the winter concert. I’d also like to welcome our new tuba player Gavin Baugh
6th grade - Is going very strong in preparation for our IBA audition. We have started five out of our seven planned songs, and are doing well on a Christmas song that isn’t for the audition.
Art News
T.A.G
5th grade TAG is learning about being an architect. They are challenged complete a performance task using Project Based Learning (PBL) by making their own blueprint of their future dream house. This includes exact measurements and furniture details. I would like to bring in an actual architect to speak to the students on how to create and read real blueprints. IF ANYONE knows an architect in the Greene County area that might be willing to do this, PLEASE let me know! Call GCIS and leave me a note so I can talk with them! Thanks!
6th Grade art is busy planning their imaginary vacations. We may need to take some passport pictures and research how a passport is created. There is a lot that goes into planning a trip with a budget!
Media Tech Lit
This week the students learned about the importance of becoming a fast and accurate touch-typist. Touch-typing means that they can type quickly using all of their fingers, and not looking at the keyboard. It is important that the students become adept at typing in this way for the following reasons:
Keyboarding is an expected tool for communication throughout one's life.
It is considered as important a skill as being able to print and write well.
Younger and younger children are becoming fluent computer users and it is important for them to learn proper keyboarding techniques early
Touch typing allows you to key much faster and you don't tire as quickly.
This year each grade level has a typing goal that they will work on achieving in Tech. Literacy. These goals will hopefully be met by each student by the end of the school year. As with anything the students do, practice makes perfect!
4th Grade: Accuracy: 90-100% 20 Words Per Min
5th Grade: Accuracy: 90-100% 25 Words Per Min
6th Grade: Accuracy: 90-100% 30 Words Per Min
Special Education News
It is hard to believe that we are halfway through the first grading period. 4th graders have been composing their own sentences on the chromebook. 5th graders have finished the first round of classroom tests. 6th graders are learning about their government and learning to work with fractions.
Counseling News
In Life Skills we have paired up with Art to create our Character Counts posters. We are focusing on preventing bullying for Bullying Prevention Month, and students are learning how to be upstanders (standing up for doing the right things) and help others.
For more information on what you can do to prevent and deal with bullying, check out http://stompoutbullying.org/.
Here you will find resources to help both children and adults gain information and strategies to “Stomp out Bullying!”
Nurse News!
October is National Protect Your Hearing Month. Too much noise can harm your child’s hearing. Your child is exposed to loud noises daily from the hallways at school, from the earbuds they put in their ears, from the farm equipment, as well as many other ways. The extent of noise-related damage to your hearing depends on three factors: decibel level, distance, and time. Learn how loud noises can put children’s hearing at risk over time on the website www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov.