Edgewood's Tiger Talk
March 15, 2018
Author Visit
Jenga!
Music
Notes from the Principal
Creativity and imagination come out of boredom. I think about my own childhood. I came up with elaborate dream house designs when I was in the back of the car on long road trips. The neighborhood kids and I invented all sorts of games with elaborate rules when we played outside, free of parent direction. This wouldn't have happened if I'd been watching a movie or playing on my soccer team.
We need blank minds and space to come up with new ideas; new ideas don't come when we're following the plot of a show or movie or listening to the directions of a coach. While there's lots of value in sports and activities and books, there's also value in free time. Creativity is one of the G21 (Greenfield 21st Century Learning Skills) because it is something that will help students to be successful in life. Creativity helps people find new solutions to problems, who can dream up new things to improve our lives.
So what are some things we are doing at school to encourage creativity?
- Assign open-ended projects, like 2nd grades creation of "weather tools". There wasn't a "right" answer.
- In K4 and K5, encourage dramatic play with blocks, housekeeping, etc.
- Service Learning Projects, like 5th Grade's Involvement with South Sudan encourage kids to think about what they can do to solve/address a problem. They aren't given a map of exactly what to do and when to do it.
What are some of the things we can do as parents to develop creativity?
- Toys like doll-houses and figurines (animals, super heroes, etc.) encourage kids to act things out. This takes imagination, which is a foundation of creativity.
- Set aside some non-TV, non-activity time during the week.
- Make "car time" a tech-free time (except, maybe, for long road trips). This might also help us with texting and driving =).
- When your child says, "I'm bored", don't think of it as your job to occupy them. You might say something like, "Well, you have your art supplies, or you could play outside." I sometimes find it helpful to say, "You can watch a show after dinner, but now you need to find something else to do."
Poetry
K5 Math
Music
School Safety Notes
Safe and Secure Entrances: Entrance to the building is tightly controlled. You need a fob at every entrance, and we monitor the front door closely. One cannot get into the building without going through two locked doors. Last summer's renovation updated and upgraded all of this.
Building Relationships with Students: We value relationships, and get to know our students and families. Law Enforcement has shared that this is one of the most proactive things we can do for preventing school violence.
Training and Drills: Each year, the staff participates in Round Table trainings in which we discuss how we would respond to different scenarios. In addition, we do weather and safety-related drills for a variety of circumstances (lockdowns, evacuations) throughout the school year.
Close Relationships with the Police and Fire Department: Not only are we across the street from the police and fire department, we also have a close working relationship. The police are responsive to any requests we make, the make an effort to build relationships and connections with staff, and we go through round-table training together at the district level.
Art Update from Mrs. Nolan
Art To Remember Fundraiser Expect to see a personalized order form coming home very soon! There are many perfect gift ideas that are unique! Your child's art is printed onto the item making a special gift of a keepsake. Online ordering is super convenient and recommended. However, if you choose to send in the order form to school, please send it in by MARCH 22nd for us to process and send back to the company. If you miss that deadline, you have extra time to place an online order.
EHSA Update
Thank you to those that attended and contributed to our March EHSA Meeting. 1st grade teachers and students visited our meeting and gave us an inside look at the Learning celebration that took place during the school assembly. Some new parents and volunteers joined us in our meeting as well. Thank you for coming! We appreciate your input and ideas in planning the events in the upcoming months.
Friday, March 16th is our St. Patrick’s Day Dance. Volunteers are still needed! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d44adaf2ba1f49-stpatricks
The Book Fair will be open for shopping through Tuesday, March 20th. It will also be open during the St. Patrick’s Day Dance. Our online fair is also open for shopping: http://onlinebookfairs.scholastic.com/entrance.aspx?FID=3800943&direct=Y
Your support through these fundraisers make it possible to provide funds for classroom field trips and supplies, as well as give back to the community. This spring we were able to donate to the Greenfield High School Post Prom event, as well as the Greenfield Education Foundation. This Foundation provides teachers with grant money and scholarships to high school students.
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, April 10th
6:30 PM in the Learning Commons.
Special People's Day (Formerly Known as Grandparent's Day)
Thursday, March 29th is Special People's Day. On Special People’s Day, each child gets to invite in one special person (like a grandparent, aunt, uncle, close family friend, mom, or dad), to come to Edgewood and visit their classroom. Each classroom, during their window, will do some sort of fun activity together. *Please note that younger siblings cannot attend due to space constraints, and the focus is on the school-age child.*
Schedule
K4 AM: 9:30-10:30
Grades K5, 1st, and 5th
12:30-12:40--Principal’s Welcome in the Gym
12:45-1:30--1st grade, 5th grade, K5
Grades K4 PM, 2, 3 and 4
1:45-1:55--Principal’s Welcome in the Gym
2:00-2:45--2nd grade, 3rd, 4th, K4 PM
Please look for a flyer coming home for RSVP next Thursday.
Know any kids who will be in K4 next year? Or have new kids in the neighborhood?
Do you have a child who will be in K4 in the fall? Do you know anyone who will? Or see new kids in the neighborhood? Please encourage them to enroll early. This helps us to have the right staffing to meet student needs. You can enroll by:
1) Visiting the District Office located at: 4850 S. 60th St., Greenfield, WI 53220
2) Visiting the District Website: http://greenfield1.schooldesk.net/Parents/Enrollment-Information
Car Pick Up Reminder
Thank you for waiting for the buses to come in before pulling into the lot!
Please leave space at the corner for the city bus to stop. Gayle, our new 2nd shift custodian, will wave you in when it's time.
Upcoming Dates
3/15-3/20: Bookfair is open during lunch, and at the school dance
3/16: EHSA St. Patty's Day Dance, 6-8pm
3/18: Spirit Wear Sale Closes. Order here: https://edgewood318.itemorder.com/sale
3/22: Report Cards come home in Thursday Folders
3/23: Spirit Day--Wear Edgewood Gear!
3/28: K4, K5 Open House @ the Greenfield Community Center, 4:30-6:30 pm. Encourage the parents of youngsters in your neighborhood to come to learn more about what K4 and K5 look like in Greenfield.
3/29: Special People's Day (formerly known as Grandparent's Day)
3/30-4/6: Spring Break
4/9-4/11:5th Grade Forward (State) Testing*
4/17-4/24: 4th Grade Forward Testing*
4/25-4/27: 3rd Grade Forward Testing*
*If you're scheduling appointments these days, it'd be helpful to schedule them later in the afternoon so that students have time to complete the exams.