GCIS Weekly News 12/16/2016
Weekly Celebrations, Successes, and Up Coming Events!
We're not here to be average; We're here to be AWESOME!
Awesome Students of the Week!
LIMO RIDES!!!
GCIS Office News
GCIS Indoor/Outdoor Weather Policy
-If temps are AT OR ABOVE ZERO students will go OUTSIDE for recess. We expect them to dress appropriately. That would include: Coat, hats, gloves, and snow pants & boots when necessary.
-If your student is in need of any of the above listed items, please call our office; we may be able to help. 515-738-5721.
-If a student is not dressed appropriately for outdoor weather, we will contact you about this matter and form a plan.
GCIS Holiday Break
-Thursday, December 22 - Last day of school
-Friday, December 23-January 2 - NO SCHOOL - CHRISTMAS BREAK
-Tuesday, January 3 - Classes resume
Principal Shoutout!
As we continue to work towards increasing real world learning for students, provide time for students to explore passions in our weekly schedule, build relationships with students through daily community time and clubs, and begin to establish a makerspace at our building to increase hands on learning, the look of the school day begins to look different than when you and I attended school.
The shifts listed above are ways we can shift from a very teacher centered way of learning, towards a more student centered, student driven approach to teaching and learning. Our ultimate goal is to create a school where students and staff are eager and excited to come to school each day! We must consider student voice in this process if we want to engage our students. I have included a link below that is worth your read as a parent. Many of the concepts, strategies, and look to this learning is spelled out in this article. The Article is titled: Ten Steps to Better Student Engagement If any questions emerge after reading I would love to help with any questions. If you have additional resources or articles please share! We are life long learners at Greene County Intermediate!
Mrs. Van Cleave
Email: vancleavem@greenecountycsd.net
Website: http://www.gccsd.k12.ia.us/gcis
Location: 405 12th Street South, Grand Junction, IA, United States
Phone: 515-738-5721
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Greene-County-Intermediate/
Twitter: @marandavc
Add it to the Calendar!
Start of Winter Break: Friday December 23rd
Classes Resume: Tuesday January 2nd
Winter Break
- Last Day of Classes: Thursday December 22nd
- First Day Back: Tuesday January 2nd
4th Grade Happenings!
Reading: We have been reading HATCHET for our whole class book!
We have been finding the conflicts that Brian is experiencing through trying to survive!
We are working on Lead sentences for our persuasive writing for our books we got to check out at the Public libraries that we visited.
4th graders: Keep reading 20 minutes a night at least 5 times a week to help stay on top of your reading!
Science- We are working on writing an argument that shows that plants have internal and external structures that help them survive, reproduce and grow.
Math: We are working hard on learning our multiplication facts. As we learn our facts, we find out how much easier it is to find factor pairs. Learning our facts, leads us into knowing what multiples are. Wow, so many concepts tied to knowing our multiplication facts! We have had the opportunity to play our math games to help us reinforce our facts. We’ve played Factor Captor and Factor Bingo. Two new math vocabulary words and concepts we learned were prime and composite numbers. Any chance you get, practice those facts at home.
5th Grade Happenings!
Math: We hope to conclude the division unit by next week. Boy has it been fun!!
Science: We have taken our test over Chapter 2. We had a visit from a hedgehog on Wed. courtesy of Austyn Funcke. A few weeks ago, we had a leopard gecko visit us as Hallie Monthei’s pet. These have been awesome ways to help us understand reptiles and mammals! Thanks, ladies, for sharing!! We also had a chance to see and touch many items related to animals such as feathers, animal skins, teeth, skulls, nests etc.. Our unit on adaptations will be next.
Lit/SS: In reading, we have been working on summarizing informational text. In writing, we have been writing letters to our favorite authors. In social studies, we had guest speaker Nelson Carman, along with his wife Marie, bring in his collection of indian artifacts. The students were amazed by his stories and knowledge of the Native Americans that lived here in Greene County and the surrounding areas.
6th Grade Happenings!
In science, students are working on creating models to show the changes in particle motion, temperature, and state when thermal energy is added or taken away from matter.
In math, students are having fun with our fantasy football project.
In LIt/SS, we are working on finding the central idea and supporting details of an informational text. We are also continuing to work on our slam poems. Students will be performing these next week, so your child should be bringing their poem home to practice!
Music News!
5th General Music:
Students are beginning to work with Tone Chimes this week. This unit will reinforce independent note and rhythm reading.
6th General Music:
Students are beginning to study the history of Music in the United States reading, listening and singing. We are beginning with the grassroots of Appalachian Folk Music of the 1800’s and begin progressing through the eras to present.
Media & Tech Lit
Physical Education
Special Education News
4th graders are writing their own personal story about Christmas. They are selecting their own characters, setting and problem to solve. They are excited about their writing.
In math they are working on factors.
5th graders are taking their assessment tests in math.
Counseling News
In Life Skills we are continuing discussions and working through the steps of resolving conflicts and problem-solving. Students are demonstrating their creativity by preparing presentations to share with other grade levels.
Managing Holiday Stress
The Holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and family togetherness. We imagine fun, happy times with family, a break from school and exchanging the perfect gifts.
However, it can also be a time of hustle, bustle and a never-ending whirlwind of stress for both parents and kids, especially for families who are traveling, are undergoing financial hardship or are grieving loss of a family member.
Some ways to help reduce children’s stress during the Holidays are:
· Maintain a daily routine as able to and get enough sleep.
· Eat well—a healthy diet promotes a better mood and increases energy.
· Allow some down time during the day for rest and relaxation.
· Keep up family traditions—they are important ways to connect and deepen relationships.
· Check in with kids to see how they are feeling—sudden behavior changes and physical complaints like headaches or stomachaches can signal stress.
· Laugh often—laughing with friends and family is a great way to reduce stress and lighten the mood.
To read more about managing Holiday stressors visit:
10 Tips for Helping Your Child Cope with Holiday Stress David Fassler, M.D., http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-fassler-md/children-holiday-stress_b_785513.html
9 Tips to Prevent Holiday Stress and Anxiety in Children Katherine Lee, https://www.verywell.com/holiday-stress-and-anxiety-in-children-620516
Tips for Parents on Managing Holiday Stress Mary Alvord, PhD., http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/parents-holiday.aspx
Nurse News!
Enjoy this song by the CDC on 12 ways to be healthy during this holiday.