The Rams Report
The Pulse of Yorkville Elementary
A Message From The Prinicpal
We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break and were able to enjoy precious time with family and friends! We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who attended parent/teacher conferences. We truly appreciate your commitment to your child's education and thank you for recognizing the importance of the connection between home and school.
As we welcome December, it is with sincere appreciation that we acknowledge the dedication of the students, families and staff of Yorkville Elementary School. Together we will continue to focus on student progress and growth. Our classrooms are filled with curious children, engaged volunteers and motivated staff members working to optimize student learning.
Wishing you a very happy December and a joyful holiday season!
Mrs. Amy Foszpanczyk
The Reading Corner
Reading is one of the most important components in learning a language and in education. Most children gain the fundamental skills of reading by second grade. However, some children need to work on further developing reading fluency. A child needs to learn to read quickly, accurately, and with expression. Any child that struggles in the area of fluency can improve with practice, attention and consistent feedback from an experienced reader. Strategies that can be utilized at home include:
- Model fluent reading – One of the best ways to teach your child to read fluently is through modeling. Read to your child so they hear what a fluent reader sounds like. Make sure you read with plenty of expression and emotion and use proper pacing. When finished, have your child read the same passage that was modeled.
- Choral read aloud sessions - When using a book at your child’s independent reading level, you and your child can read aloud simultaneously. This is another way your child can hear what fluent reading should sound like.
- Re-read a child’s favorite book - The more accustomed your child becomes with reading a book, the more confident, accurate and quick the reading is. As a result, this improves comprehension and enables your child to practice expression.
- Speed reading – Have your child read a passage in a set time frame. Set a timer for one minute, and have your child read as fast as they can with as few errors as possible. Take note when your child stops or breaks his/her fluency and then work on improving those areas. If there is a word that he/she struggles with, practice sounding out the word and have your child say it repeatedly. When this is completed, have your child reread the passage again for one minute.
November Highlights
All Yorkville students had an opportunity to cast their vote and participate in a mock election.
Students, staff, families and community members gathered to celebrate Veteran's Day and honor loved ones who have served our country. Eighth grade students had the opportunity to visit with and interview veterans. In addition, some of the veterans visited our classrooms and shared their stories with the students.
Sixth grade students are expanding their math skills. The students created ratios using a bag of M&Ms!
The second grade students had the opportunity to visit the Golden Rondelle and celebrate science!
The girls' basketball team had a very successful month. The girls have made it to the conference playoffs. The first playoff game will be held at Yorkville on December 1st. Congratulations! Go Rams!
This year the Yorkville staff is taking part in monthly wellness challenges. Staff members had the opportunity to take part in a Zumba class and were joined by a few members of the basketball team.
Upcoming Events
- Girls' Basketball Conference Playoff Game - December 1st at 4:00 (@ Yorkville)
- 2nd Grade Field Trip to All Saints Medical - December 5th
- 8th Grade STEM Day - December 8th from 9:00 - 12:00 (@ UGHS)
- School Board Meeting - December 14th at 5:00 (Room 112)
- 6th -8th Grade Band & Choir Concert - December 15th at 9:45 and 7:00 (Large Gym)
- PTO Family Fun Night - December 16 from 6:00 - 9:00
- K - 3 Christmas Program & Grandparents' Day - December 20 at 9:45 (Large Gym)
- K - 3 Christmas Program - December 20 at 7:00
- Winter Break - December 23 through January 2
The School Board Bulletin
Thank you to all who have attended one or both of the listening sessions related to the current revenue issues. We greatly appreciated the questions and feedback received. If you have not been able to attend, there will be more listening sessions held (notifications will be sent). The school board is also very willing to provide additional information or answer questions upon request.
December looks to be very eventful with the Girls Basketball tournament, the Jr. High Christmas concert as well as the K-3 Christmas program. We look forward to seeing a large attendance there in support of the students.
The next school board meeting will be held on December 14th at 5 p.m. Please note that the time may be adjusted. If it does change, it will be posted as part of the regular school board meeting notice at the school.
We hope everyone has a safe and happy Holiday Season,
Don Buchanan
District Clerk
PTO Update
- We are excited to announce that the Yorkville Elementary PTO will be hosting a 2 on 2 basketball tournament for girls and boys in 4th through 8th grade. The tournament will be held at Yorkville on Saturday, December 10th. Pre-registration is required and is due by December 7th. Please click here for more information.
- Do you shop on Amazon? Did you know that the Yorkville PTO can benefit when you do? Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. Follow the link to get started: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/27-4613546
- The next PTO meeting will be held on January 19th at 6:30 in the library. All are welcome!
A Letter from the PTO
Greetings Yorkville Families,
It has been a great first trimester at Yorkville School. The PTO has been very busy since the start of the school year.We kicked off the year with our Ram Family Fun Fest that raised $6,368! Thanks to everyone who helped make this year's fundraiser such a success. We have already added two more pieces of equipment to the playground and are now focusing our efforts elsewhere.
We had a great Halloween Family Fun night. We had over 80 kids in costumes, playing games and making crafts. It was a lot of fun.
The PTO will be holding a 2-on-2 Basketball Tournament December 10th. Please spread the word, the tournament is open for 4th-8th graders. Pre-registration is required, please contact Matt Peterson for more details.(matthew.b.peterson@snapon.com)
On December 16 we will be hosting a drop off event for school aged children from 6-9pm. We will have activities and games for the children, while the parents have a much needed "date night" Look for a registration form to come home soon.
Please continue collecting Box Tops! Last year Box Tops earned $2000 for Yorkville School! Also, we have an Amazon Smile account, when purchasing items add YORKVILLE PTO to the donation list and a donation from Amazon will go straight to the school!
Lastly, we are looking ahead to the fun events coming this next year. We will be participating in a fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings in Racine during the month of March and holding a Color Run on Friday, May 12th at Yorkville School! Mark your calendars. Both will be a blast!
Thank you for your continued support,
Yorkville PTO