Bear Essentials
Dyer ES Newsletter
September 14, 2018
Thank You!
Thank you to everyone for your support of our Read-A-Thon program! We are thrilled to announce that the students read for a total of 412,500 minutes! That is INCREDIBLE! We are proud of all of the students' hard work, and would like to congratulate each of them for their accomplishmentsl. We would also like to congratulate our classroom and individual readers. We know they will have a blast at their parties!
While the reading portion of our Read-A-Thon has ended, we still have until Monday, 9/17 to continue getting sponsors. So far we have raised $15, 684.80! Your support has been AWESOME! We are still working to reach our goal of $20,000 raised by next Monday. We will announce the winners for most money raised in each grade level and individuals after that date, so stay tuned!
Don't forget, your readers get to spend 15% of their sponsorship money in the online prize store. Your child has until Monday, 9/17 to complete their shopping. After that time, they will close out orders and ship them to the school for distribution.
Our Snow Cone and Pizza parties will be held on Friday, 9/28!
IOWA Assessments Grades 2 & 5
Dear Parents/Guardians,
From September 24 – October 2, 2018 your student will take the Iowa Assessments™. The purpose of this letter is to inform you about the tests so that—with your support and encouragement—your student will do his or her best on the tests.
About the Iowa Assessments
The Iowa Assessments help determine how students are performing on nationwide standards. These assessments measure achievement in several important content areas including Reading, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science (grade 5 only), and Social Studies (grade 5 only).
The Iowa Assessments help teachers identify a student’s strengths and areas that may need additional emphasis. The Iowa Assessments also measure student growth and progress in the content areas assessed from year to year and may provide information about college readiness for older students. The assessments produce information that enables sound decision making and provides a focus for teachers to evaluate instruction.
Each test includes sample questions to help students become familiar with the content and format of the tests. Samples help students understand what to do—how to mark answers and move from question to question.
For most tests, students read the questions and mark their answers by filling in a circle for each question. All test questions are multiple choice, and the tests last an average of 10 to 35 minutes.
How your student can prepare for test taking—and what you can do to help:
A student who is well rested, well fed and has a positive attitude about testing is best prepared for testing. You can help your student do his or her best by considering these tips:
· Make sure that your student is in school and on time on test days.
· Make sure your student gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast before each day of testing.
· Remind your student that these tests are only one measure of what he or she has learned. Emphasize that you have confidence in his or her ability to do the best job possible.
· Remind your student to listen to the directions and read each question carefully during testing. Encourage your student to ask the teacher for help if he or she does not understand the directions.
Thank you very much for encouraging and supporting your student during testing. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sally Simmons at 770-963-6214 at Dyer Elementary.
Sincerely,
Sally Simmons
Counselor Corner
Hello! My name is Dawn Garner, and I am the School Counselor at Dyer Elementary School. My goal is to provide services and support that will allow each child to achieve success. A more detailed description of the Dyer Elementary School Counseling Program is available on my e-class page which all students will be able to access. The counseling program consists of three major components:
Classroom Lessons: Whole class lessons with the Counselor are held once every 6 weeks during Media special. Fourth and Fifth grade will have a few extra lessons later in the year in order to be sure all requirements are met. Topics for these lessons are based on the Gwinnett County Public Schools Counseling Standards and Competencies and include topics such as study skills, conflict resolution, impulse control, safety, empathy and test-taking skills.
Small Group Counseling: Groups meet weekly to solve or cope with concerns that may affect school performance. Group participation is voluntary, and parents will be notified.
Individual Counseling: Individual students meet briefly with the Counselor if needed to discuss coping with concerns that affect their daily life. Teachers, administrators or parents may make referrals. Students may also refer themselves. If needed, the Counselor can provide parents with a list of resources for counseling outside of the school.
I strive to work closely with parents and staff on any issues affecting students. One such issue is attendance. Please remember to send a note when your children are absent that explains the reason for the absence. Please attempt to get your children to school on time so they can have a great start to their day. It is best to avoid early check-outs when possible and provide a doctor’s note after appointments. If you have any questions about absences and tardies, feel free to contact me.
I am very excited that this year I will have a counseling intern, Ashley Bill, from Walden University shadowing me beginning in late November. She will take on more and more responsibilities as the year progresses, including the above-mentioned tasks. I also have high school Peer Leaders and fifth grade Peer Helpers who assist in classrooms and work with students in various ways.
Please email me if you have any questions or concerns at dawn_garner@gwinnett.k12.ga.us or 770-338-4782. Have a great school year!
PAWS Party Friday 9/21 - Help Wanted!
Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, come PARTY with our bears!!!
When: Friday, 9/21 during your student's specials time!
The "cost" for students to attend is 15 PAWS tickets, and they must be turned in by next Friday, 9/14!
We are so excited about our first PAWS Party of the school year! This party is sponsored by our 5th grade team, and they have planned a super fun carnival for all of the students! They will definitely need your help to pull it off. If you can volunteer, please sign up via one of the SignUpGenius links below! We look forward to partying with you!
Link to First Grade PAWS Party Sign Up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A44A8AA23A0F58-september1
Link to Second Grade PAWS Party Sign Up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A44A8AA23A0F58-september2
Link to 3rd Grade PAWS Party Sign Up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A44A8AA23A0F58-september3
Link to 4th Grade PAWS Party Sign Up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A44A8AA23A0F58-september4
Link to 5th Grade PAWS Party Sign Up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A44A8AA23A0F58-september5
Attendance Matters!
According to the Georgia DOE “Data indicates that missing more than five days of school each year, regardless of the cause, begins to impact student academic performance and starts shaping attitudes about school.” Good daily school attendance aligns with our vision, mission and goals for our students therefor please let us work as a team to encourage the best daily attendance possible. Let us know if your child is struggling with health, social or emotional issues impacting their attendance and academics. According to www.attendanceworks.org “Chronic absenteeism in kindergarten, and even preK, can predict lower test scores, poor attendance and retention in later grades, especially if the problem persists for more than a year.” Student who come to school consistently report feeling more connected to their peers and community, develop social skills and friendships, and are more likely to graduate.
Birthday Wishes in Big Lights!
We will continue our PAWS program school-wide. The goal of this program is to not only notice positive behavior, but also to reward that behavior. You can help support the funding of this program, and wish your child a happy birthday on our school marquee at the same time. It's a win-win! For a $5 contribution, a Happy Birthday message along with your child's first name and last initial will be displayed on our marquee for three days during the week of your child's birthday. Summer birthday? Not a problem, We will display summer birthday messages during the last week of school and during their birthday week. NOTE: Your child's name will be displayed on their birth date as well as the day immediately before and after. Orders can be placed via Mypaymentsplus.com under the School Events tab. Please note, requests will be processed the next business day.
Looking to September
9/17 Cogat testing make up
9/20 Sonic Spirit Night
9/21 - PAWS Party
9/24-9/28 Iowa testing grades 2,5
9/26 School pictures make up day
Dyer Elementary School
Website: http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/DyerES/home.html
Location: 1707 Hurricane Shoals Road, Dacula, GA, USA
Phone: 770-963-6214
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DyerES/