April Newsletter
April 2024
Happy April!
With all the breaks March had, April sure got here quickly! April is an exciting month starting with our Spring Book Fair, Spring Carnival, and of course our AASA testing. Thank you to all the families and volunteers for helping all of these events happen! We have the most amazing community. Our Character Strong Trait of the Month is Creativity.
Important Items
- Tax Credit Donations – If you have not filed your taxes yet, please remember to make a tax credit donation to Fruchthendler. These donations are crucial for funding staff and supplies for our fine arts, band and orchestra, OMA, dance, technology, and PE. This was the last year we receive federal ESSER funds that helped fund resources for learning loss during the pandemic ends. Tax credit donations fund these resources as well as classes that enrich our students and provide opportunities for our teachers to meet in their professional learning teams to analyze data to help guide their instruction. You can donate online on our website. Ask your friends and neighbors to donate as well!
- Dining For Dollars – Our Dining for Dollars (D4D) this month are April 9th at Chipotle from 4-8pm (25% donated back to us) and April 23rd at Bahama Bucks from 3-9pm (15% donated back to us).
- Volunteers – Volunteer Appreciation Day is this month. We want to thank all of our wonderful volunteers who help make this community so amazing. Be looking for information in the 2nd week after our first week events are completed.
What's Going On In...
Counseling with Ms. Lana:
This month in counseling, kindergarten and first grade students will work on identifying emotions and creative problem solving. Second and third grade students will learn and practice emotional regulation strategies and coping skills. Fourth grade students will focus on positive self-talk strategies, and fifth grade students will be focusing on friendship skills and organization. All grades will begin career exploration at the end of the month.
OMA with Mrs. Gale:
This month in OMA, kinder will be learning patriotic songs and songs about taking care of our Earth. First grade will be interacting with an opera about Hansel and Gretel. Second grade will be practicing their Bumblebee song and Breaking Free song. Third grade will be learning two new songs on their recorders, Chicken Wing and Gummy Bear. Fourth grade will be creating their own illustrations to match a song about pirates. Fifth grade will be learning about programmatic music and how art and music can overlap. And band will be preparing for their concert at the end of the month
Discovery Lab with Dr. B:
Kindergarten continues their exploration of wood as a material for building things, looking into building rafts using wood as floats and investigating manufactured wood by making our own particleboard. First grade is learning all about rolling using wheel and axle systems as well as marbles in tubes. Second grade, will continue to develop coding skills working our way through the first several lessons of the Code.org "Express Course" and then we will move on to investigations learning about Solids and Liquids that build upon their work in the regular classroom. Third grade continues to think about sound, and how changing the way things vibrate can alter pitch and volume. Fourth grade will wrap up investigations in electrical circuit design and then begin thinking about how magnetic energy works. In Fifth grade, Mrs. Tinsley's class will be developing an understanding of the difference between mixtures and solutions by making and separating different types of mixtures. Mr. Dye's class will be investigating the use of paper chromatography to separate dyes in ink and then move into our final project which is an engineering challenge, an Egg Drop.
PE with Coach T and Coach B:
For April in P.E. students will be focusing on various "stress-reducing" physical exercise activities and games. Kindergarteners participating in several games which involve running, skipping, jumping and light yoga exercises to teach breathing and calming strategies.
First and second graders will participate in games involving running, listening, teamwork and some yoga poses that require focusing.
Third graders will work on completing an obstacle course, calming exercises learning how to focus.
4th and 5th grade PE: while the basketball season may be over for the Wildcats, fourth and fifth grade will be continuing their skill development work and building towards playing team games.
April Dates:
APRIL (Creativity)
4/1 – 4/5 – Spring Book Fair
4/1 – 4/19 DIBELS EOY Testing Window
4/1 – 4/26 AASA TEST Window (4/1-4/12 Writing Window)
4/1 - Kindness Crew
4/2 - 4th and 5th Grade AASA Writing
4/2 – FCC
4/3 - 3rd Grade AASA Writing
4/5 - Parents and Pastries - 8:15 - 9:00 am in cafeteria
4/5 - SPIRIT DAY - Festivus Day - dress in your favorite holiday outfit
4/5 – Spring Carnival
4/6 – City Track Meet
4/8 - 4th and 5th Grade AASA Reading Part 1
4/8 - Solar Eclipse
4/9 - D4D Chipotle, 4-8 pm, 25% back to school
4/9 - Talent Show Auditions after school
4/9 - 4th and 5th Grade AASA Reading Part 2
4/10 - 3rd Grade AASA Reading Part 1
4/11 - 3rd Grade AASA Reading Part 2
4/11 - 4th and 5th Grade AASA Math Part 1
4/11 - Talent Show Auditions after school
4/12 - 3rd Grade - DIBELS ORF
4/12 - 4th and 5th Grade AASA Math Part 2
4/15 - 3rd Grade - DIBELS ORF
4/15 - Kindness Crew
4/ 16 – FCC
4/17 - 3rd Grade AASA Math Part 1
4/18 - 3rd Grade AASA Math Part 2
4/18 - PTA Meeting @2:45
4/18-4/19 – 5th Grade Camp Cooper
4/22 – PTA Executive Board Meeting @ 2:45pm
4/23 – D4D @Bahama Bucks, 3-9 pm, 15% back
4/29 - Site Council Meeting @2:45 in the library
4/29 – OMA Concerts 3rd Grade -5:00-5:30 pm, 4th Grade – 5:45-6:45 pm, 5th Grade – 7:00-8:00 pm
4/30 – FCC (Last meeting end of year celebration)
If you ever have a question or concern, please do not hesitate to contact me at (520) 731-4400.
GO FIREBIRDS!!!!
Sincerely,
Mr. E