Walls's Monkey Memo
November 04, 2013
Weekly Happenings
Greetings Students and Families,
Happy November. The weather is definitely getting colder. Please be sure to check the outside temperature and take a peek out the window every morning, then check that your child is dressed appropriately.
Math focus: Understand Multiplication & Division - Review multiplication and division relationships, relating division with subtraction, problem solving using comparisons, multiplication properties and division rules.
Literacy focus: Main Idea & Details - Expository novel study - Mummies and Pyramids
Spelling focus: Homophones 3 - Please use words in a sentence when helping your child study their list. Practice, practice, practice!
*Remember to check your child's planner every night! This nightly routine helps form good habits and fosters responsibility.
** This is the last week of the READ-A-THON! Please read as much as you can and get as many pledges as you can!
Artist in the Schools
West Homer Elementary is pleased to welcome our Artist-in-Residence in Dance/Creative Movement, Alison Marshall. Alison comes to us from Paradise Valley, AZ, but she travels nationally and internationally with her work. She is a teaching and performing artist, choreographer, university professor, and arts consultant who designs and presents dance and theatre based learning programs for schools, organizations and communities.
Alison places a particular emphasis on connecting core academic standards and curriculum with her movement-based instruction, so lessons have been ranging from geographic landforms to ancient Egypt, to the moons of Mars and to characterization in literature. Alison’s two week residency at WHE (Oct. 28-Nov. 8) will end in a culminating school-wide assembly taking place on Friday, November 8 from 1:15-2:00 in the WHE gymnasium. Parents, family members and friends are invited to attend.
Alison’s residency was generously funded by the fundraising efforts of our own West Homer Elementary PTO, as well as funding through the Bunnell Street Arts Center. The Bunnell Street Arts Center sponsors Artist in the Schools with support from the Alaska State Council on the Arts, Rasmuson Foundation Conoco Philips, Alaska USA Federal Credit Union and Jazzline.
Judy Gonsalves, our school’s SLP and coordinator of Alison’s residency, would like to express her appreciation to all WHE staff for their flexibility in adjusting their schedules, assisting with technical needs, providing lunches, and supporting the integration of arts in instruction. Ms. Marshall’s words after her first day of four intense movement sessions included, “There’s a good energy in this building!”
W.H.E. Read-a-Thon
This is the last week of our first annual Read-a-Thon at West Homer Elementary. This is a fundraiser where Egyptian queens and pharaohs will collect pledges based on how much they read. The money will go towards the cost of new SMART technology equipment and for books for Activity Night.
One of our teachers might even have to eat a bug! YUCK!
Important Dates:
Starts - October 17th
Ends - November 10th
Pledges Due - November 18th
Please take some time to watch the video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqtImjS6h7A&feature=youtube_gdata and read through the rules and guidelines with your child.
Get as many pledges as you can and read like an Egyptian!!
2013-2014 Battle of the Books
http://www.akla.org/akasl/bb/bbhome.html
Students in grades 3 and 4 are invited to join the Battle of the Books meeting at lunchtime in the ART room every Wednesday.
Please encourage your reader to come and check it out. Battlers will read 15 books from now until January and challenge other teams using their knowledge of the books to earn points.
Lyn Maslow- head coach
Shellie Worsfold- assistant coach
Hope to see you then
Dates to Remember
Nov. 07 - Positive Behavior Reward - Pajama Day!
Nov. 08 - School Colors (WHE shirt) Day
Nov. 08 - Artist in Schools Assembly 1:15 pm
Nov. 08 - HEA Assembly 2:15 pm
Nov. 10 - Read-a-Thon Ends - Start collecting pledge money
Nov. 15 - Read-a-Thon Assembly - Unveiling of the "Mystery Mummy"
Nov. 18 - Read-a-Thon Paperwork and pledge money due
Nov. 20 - Early Release Day 1:45 pm
Nov. 22 - Read-a-Thon Activity Night 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Nov. 28-29 - Thanksgiving Holiday Break *No School
Dec. 10 - W.H.E. Christmas Concert at HHS 6:30 pm
West Homer Elementary PTO
· Next Meeting – Nov. 14 at 6:30PM