Trumbauersville Times
February 2020
Principal's Post - Mr. Schmucker
We are passing over the halfway mark of the 2019-2020 school year. For me a key marker of the second-half of the school year is the kindergarten students’ 100 Days of School projects. Every year, I find joy in looking over the projects and talking with the students about the creative ways in which some of our youngest learners choose to demonstrate the concept of 100.
Counting to 100 may be easy if you are a 5th grader, but it is not always the easiest thing for a student in kindergarten. And that is ok. A little academic struggle is a good thing. At all levels, a developmentally appropriate amount of struggle is a catalyst for deep learning. As we move from January to February, we are often reminded that growth (especially related to New Year’s resolutions) does not come with sustained effort.
An article I recall from ACSD entitled: The Ins and Outs of Academic Help Seeking gives some guidance in this area. One key section in the article says: “A crucial skill for students is being able to determine whether they are struggling productively or destructively. In a destructive struggle, students should ask for help. But in a productive struggle, they should try to get unstuck on their own”.
Athletes, artists, entrepreneurs and explorers can all understand the general idea that hard work and perseverance in times of productive struggle can yield positive outcomes. As parents and as educators, it is our role to support children appropriately so that they are able to learn the difference between destructive and productive struggles and that they can receive the appropriate supports when needed.
As we cross the mid-year mark, please take some time to engage in conversations with your children about their year so far; about their struggles and about their learning. From counting to 100, to sounding out reading words, to writing an autobiography – a little productive struggle goes a long way.
–Mr. Schmucker
From Page to Screen -Mrs. Smith
As winter sets in, families often look for an escape from the cold by heading to the movies. As you know, many of the movies that appear in the theater are film adaptations of popular books. From “Gone with the Wind” to “Girl on a Train” from “Harry Potter” to “Because of Winn Dixie,” adults and children alike, enjoying seeing the worlds of their imaginations come to life on the big screen.
Often times, watching the movie version of a book is a great way to celebrate your child’s reading. Making connections between movies and the books that inspire them, just might enhance your child’s reading engagement and comprehension. Consider post-movie discussions that may include some of the following questions:
Did the movie follow the story line of the book accurately or did the movie include original scenes and action?
What parts were similar or different?
Was the setting and were the characters like you imagined?
What changes to the movie would you make if you were the director?
And of course, the big one:
Which did you like better, the book or the movie?
Whether it is a family outing or an adult night out with friends or spouse, enjoy your trip to the movies (and let me know if you see any great ones based on popular books)!
Contact me: msmith@qcsd.org
Knowledge Fair Success!
Big thanks to our TPO Knowledge Fair Chair, Janel Derkosh for coordinating this event! We couldn't have done it without you.
News from the Art Room- Mrs. Jen Robison
Winter months can offer great sources of inspiration for artwork. The beautiful snow and icicles offer us ideas for our own art work and help us incorporate many types of material into our work. The link below is a great resource for fun snow activities and includes ways to create faux snow!!
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/winter_art_lesson_snow_paint.shtml
Our amazing artists came back refreshed and ready to work hard in the art room. 5th grade has been working hard to create clay Tic-Tac-Toe boards. Each student has a unique board that reflects their personality. 4th grade is finishing relief sculptures. They are stunning! Third grade is working on 3 projects simultaneously. We completed a Galaxy painting in late December and are currently working to create Triskele Paper Globes. Some students are also working through the beginning parts of clay cupcakes. Kindergarten, first, and second graders are all working through projects with pattern as their focus. Below are two examples of the outstanding 4th Grade Designs!
Contact me: jrobison@qcsd.org
Genesis H.
Andrew P.
Tyler H.
Digital Literacy - Mrs. Demchick
5 Tips to Make YouTube Safer
Set up a Family Account. By creating a shared Google account, you can see what videos are viewed and shared with friends. To do this, go to Google on your browser and sign in with a new Google email address and password. You can also use your existing Google account on the computer and browser that kids use.
Turn on Restricted Mode. This feature will help filter out the worst videos, making YouTube a little safer than normal. To activate, scroll down to the bottom of your YouTube account settings page and turn Restricted Mode ON. This has to be done on any browser that is being used and you always have to be logged in for it to work.
Subscribe to Safe Channels. The more you subscribe to favorite ‘kid-friendly’ YouTube channels, the more positive videos will come up for viewing. Kids can also click through to their favorite safe channels and watch more safe videos related to their interests.
Upload Privately. If you want to upload videos of your kids, or they want to upload videos of themselves, mark the video as Private or Unlisted. Private videos are only shared with friends your kids choose to share them with. Unlisted means that only those who are sent the specific link can view it.
Disable Comments. When uploading videos, you can keep bad comments from showing up on your video. In the video upload screen (or the video editing screen after uploading is complete) you can disable comments altogether or keep them unpublished until you are able to review them. Here are some tips to make watching YouTube safer for your children. This is an excerpt from an article that can be found at https://www.safesearchkids.com/online-safety-tips-for-parents-and-kids/#.Xh4Y1MhKg2w
Keep the conversation going about internet safety at home…
Mrs. Demchick
Contact me: rdemchick@qcsd.org
Spanish- Mrs. Greene
¡Hola Trumbauersville!
Feliz febrero. Happy February.
¿Qué pasa en la clase de Español? What’s up in Spanish class??
During the past few cycles, students have been practicing our songs and routines. Each student should be able to answer the questions, “¿Como te llamas?” (what is your name? ) and “¿Cómo estás?” (How are you?)
In the primary classes, we are learning more pictures and have started using various verbs to describe what people do. Some examples are “comer” (eat) “beber” (drink), “mirar” (look at) and “jugar” (play). Some class favorites are the animals and colors!
The older students have been working on vocabulary to go with the new verbs. The students have been talking about food and drinks and how to say who eats and drinks something. The 5th grade interactive notebooks look great.
Numbers are ALWAYS great to practice in every level and I encourage students to continue to practice at home! One way to do this is with the free app Duolingo. Try it out!
Keep up the good work.Thanks for your support!
-Sra. Greene (aka Sra. Verde)
Contact me: kgreene@qcsd.org
From Vocal Music- Mrs. Weinlein
February Vocal Music Newsletter
Third graders have started playing the recorder in music classes. Some helpful hints
to help your third grader find success: 1) blow gently and very softly, 2) start each note
with tonguing (this is like sounding the letter “t” at the start of the sound), 3) if the sound
isn’t quite right, check the fingers – are they covering the correct holes? Are they
covering the entire hole? Hang in there families….it won’t be long before they are
playing recognizable tunes!
Second graders will continue to work on our music for the second grade concert in
March. Mark your calendars….March 10th !
CHORUS:
Calling all 4th and 5th grade students who love to sing! Our chorus rehearses each Day 6
at 11:50 in the music room. See Mrs. Weinlein to sign up!
Save the Dates:
March 10, 2020: 2nd Grade Concert at 6:30pm
May 28, 2020: Spring Music Concert (chorus, band, strings)
Contact me: eweinlein@qcsd.org
In the Library- Mr. Nagle
In the Library… The library learning target Use Resources Correctly to Access Information helps students to utilize both print and non print materials as a source of information. Whether one uses a book or a website located via search engine, understanding keywords is essential to accessing information effectively. Proper keyword selection begins with analyzing the research question at hand, extracting the important words; the who, what, where, and when within the question, typically the nouns. These keywords provide students with the focus words to locate within a table of contents, index, or for use within a search engine search term box. Did you know it’s just as important to consider synonyms for the extracted keywords? That’s right, the words you use when developing a question may not be the same words the author uses when sharing his or her thoughts, ideas, or facts. Now go find that information correctly!
QCSD Library Department
Visit-The-LibraryContact me : jnagle@qcsd.org
Spirit Day!!
Caught on camara!
PE News and Info- Mr. Filoon
Have a discussion with your child about Health-Related Fitness Components.
~ AKA: Pieces of your "HEALTH PUZZLE" ~
What activities can students & adults do to improve each piece?
5 Pieces to the Puzzle
- Muscle Endurance (continuous activity stressing the muscles)
- Muscle Strength (Challenging the muscle, go beyond what you can do)
- Cardio Respiratory Endurance (moving or being active for long periods of time)
- Flexibility (activities that push your muscles and joints to their limits)
- Body Composition, We will be discussing this piece February through May (the balance of the first 4 Pieces will result in a Healthy Body Composition.
*Watch your MOUTH...Language Matters***
~ use Healthy & Unhealthy instead of Fat & Not Fat***
*Be careful what you say...students are listening***
~ "Eat Healthier" NOT "Go on a Diet"...that means you are going OFF a diet.
*Diet is what you eat, healthy or not healthy***
*Don't punish yourself for the Holidays!
~ You Celebrated! You enjoyed!
~ NOW Return to Balance in your Diet & your Choices
Contact me: kfiloon@qcsd.org
Trumbauersville TPO News
Thank you so all the students that participated at the Knowledge Fair. It was amazing seeing all the different projects.
We can’t wait for everyone to come out to Bingo in March 6th
Also please join us for our next TPO meeting on March 17th
Thank you
TPO
TPO Family Bingo Night
Friday, Mar 6, 2020, 07:00 PM
TRUM Cafe
RSVPs are enabled for this event.