Mike Davis Elementary Newsletter
December 2021
A Letter From the Principal
I hope you all have been enjoying this amazing weather outside with your families. We only have a few short weeks before we have Winter Break, and we are working hard at school to make each day count. As we approach the break, you might consider thinking about how to keep your children reading while there is no school. For grades 2-5, the SSYRA and SSYRA Junior books are always a great option. There are 15 books, and students really get excited about reading all of them before the end of the school year. Winter break this year will begin on December 20th, and students will return on January 4th. There is lots of time to snuggle up with a good book!
As always, I am truly honored to work with your children here at Mike Davis Elementary. Please reach out if there is anything that I can do to support you. I hope you have a fantastic holiday break!
Warmest Regards,
Melissa Stamper
Principal
Quarter 1 Benchmark Celebrations!
School Nurse
5th Grade Math
A Letter from the Assistant Principal
Dear MDE Families,
Are you planning a family trip for the holidays? As you think about your arrangements, we want to stress the importance of sending your child to school every day possible. Every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after the winter holiday as families squeeze in a few more vacation days. It’s time to break that cycle. We know that just a few missed days here and there, even if they’re excused absences, can add up to too much lost learning time and put your child behind in school. This is as true in kindergarten as it is in high school. Put simply, too many absences at any age can affect a student’s chances for academic success and eventually for graduation.
We recognize that holidays are an important time for reconnecting with families, but keep in mind the costs to your children’s education if they miss too much school— and the message you will be sending about the importance of attendance. Even if you’ve got a homework packet from the teacher, it doesn’t make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learning, right up until vacation starts and the first day back. You can help us convey that message. This winter break give your children the gift of an education and the habit of attendance.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Lauriault
Assistant Principal
School Picture Days
Individual Fall Re-Take Picture Day Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Individual Spring Picture Day February 28, 2021
District Testing Dates Reminder
District Quarter Benchmarks for Grade 3-5: January 10-13, 2022
We will be having our English Language Arts, Math, and Science District Assessments in January. Please keep in mind these dates when scheduling any appointments during the benchmark window so that students are presenting during testing.
Winter break is for Family Math Game Night!
Are you looking for something fun to do with your students over break? We will be sending home some materials before break to help you and your family enjoy a math game night. All games will be played with a deck of cards. There are different games for each grade level from addition games to multiplication games and even games to practice fractions. Getting your student engaged and excited in math games is a fun way to encourage students to practice mathematical concepts. Playing games also encourages strategic mathematical thinking as student find different strategies for solving problems and deepening their understanding of concepts they already learned in school. Make sure to check your student’s backpack the at the start of break for the materials. Families of students who post a picture of them playing a math game to twitter and tag @MDE_Stars or @MDEMathinAction will earn student dress down pass.
MDE Counselor's Corner
Happy December Stars! I hope you all had a safe and relaxing Fall break and enjoyed time off with family and friends. December is a short month here at MDE, we only have 3 school weeks during this month and then we head off to Winter break! Can you believe it?! Our character trait for the month of December is Perseverance. We will be focusing on setting goals and trying our best even in the face of obstacles and setbacks. How can you model perseverance at home?
- Teach kids the power of YET! Replace “I can’t do_____” , with “I can’t do ____YET! “
- Practice having a growth mindset; for example, if math isn’t your students’ favorite subject. It would be easy to think “This math homework is going to take forever!” Instead try reframing your thought to “This homework looks challenging, it might take some time to complete. BUT I CAN DO IT!”
- Have your child set a goal for December! Make sure their goal is specific and then talk to your student about any obstacles they might encounter to reach this goal. Help them strategize what they will do if they come across an obstacle or set back. Will they ask for help from someone? Who? Will they make a schedule to stick to? Will they cut back on something to make more time to reach their goal?
A great book you can read about perseverance and having a growth mindset is “Bubble Gum Brain” By: Julia Cook ( 2nd- 5th grade) or Disney’s Winne the Pooh: Try, Try Again By: Nancy Parent.
I cannot wait to see what goals all our Stars will accomplish through perseverance!
As always please reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Mrs. Rachael Lefever
Mike Davis School Counselor
MDE Holiday Shop!
This year we will have a holiday shop where your child(ren) are able to purchase gifts for their family members. It will be during the week of December 6th. The items in the shop will range in price from 50 cents to $12.00. Please send money in with your student during this week if you would like them to be able to participate in purchasing gifts for their family!
News from the Media Center:
Our 5th Grade Super Stars visit the Media Center from 7:30-8:00 and find a great book to read before the school day begins. Research tells us that one way to encourage a love of reading is to have opportunities for readers to share what they have read. Ask your child to share with you what he or she is reading and ask them to tell you about the book! It’s a wonderful way to encourage them to read!
Media Center Superstars!
These MDE Stars from Ms. Girshovich’s Class wrote and shared a book review on the Morning News Show about a great book encouraging others to read it! What a wonderful way to learn about the fabulous books we have available for our students to read!
Welcome to MDE!
Email: stampeme@collierschools.com
Website: www.collierschools.com/mde
Location: 3215 Magnolia Pond Drive, Naples, FL, USA
Phone: (239)377-9000
Facebook: facebook.com/ccpsmde/
Twitter: @MDE_Stars