Lions' Ledger
November 2019
Monthly Update from Mrs. Wheeler
It is hard to believe we have completed one fourth of the school year! Our students are learning so many new things that each day is an exciting new day. Take a peak below to find pictures that show our students and staff in action!
For our students to continue to be successful, encourage them to read twenty minutes each evening. Let them select what to read and where to read it! There is a great deal of research to support how reading impacts their overall success during the instructional years.
Cold and Flu season is here, please read the message below from the nurse.
Math & Reading Night
IB Update
Third Grade: Third graders are beginning their unit on How the World Works by looking at the central idea, “Humans use materials to improve efficiency.” Within this unit, they will covering their science SOLs on Simple Machines, Energy, Force, Motion, and Energy, and Soil. Over the next 6 weeks, they will be exploring concepts such as advantages and disadvantages (of different simple machine, of renewable and non-renewable resources), conservation (of soil, of energy), and actions have consequences (with our natural resources). During this unit, students will take a trip to Alum Springs park. They are going to observe problems there first-hand to tie into their learning about soil and erosion.
Fourth Grade: In fourth grade, students are starting their unit on How We Organize Ourselves. They are using the Social Studies SOLS pertaining to the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the 20th and 21st Century to investigate the central idea, “ Learning about perspectives in history helps us understand the connection between the past and the present.” Within this unit, they will be exploring the following lines of inquiry: People’s impact on society, the need for systems in a community, and how geography and history influence our identity.
Fifth Grade: This month, students are beginning the work on The Exhibition. Every student in the IB Primary Years program participates in the Exhibition as a celebration of what they have learned in the PYP. This year we are having our first Exhibition, which will take place on March 25th. For the Exhibition, the students will be participating in a collaborative research project, where they will choose an issue that is important to them, research it, and determine a way to take action. At the Exhibition, the students will present they information they learned about their topics, and share their ideas for action. The work for the Exhibition will take place entirely at school. In November, students will be deciding on their research topics and forming groups based on their areas of interest. More information on the Exhibition will be coming home throughout the year in Wednesday folders
Message from the School Nurse
COLD/FLU SEASON IS HERE…..
Making healthy choices at school and at home can help prevent the spread colds/flu to others. Here are some good health choices to follow as the winter cold/flu season approaches:
- Get the Flu vaccination. This is recommended for all children aged 6 months and older. A flu shot in your arm may hurt for a few hours or so—but it’s better than fever, chills, cough and body aches for a week or more!
- Keep children home if they have fevers. If they have been sick, a mild cough and/or sniffles may persist for several days. Students may return to school when they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of a fever reducing medication and generally feeling back to their usual self.
- Update the school if your phone number changes. If your child gets sick at school, we need to be able to reach you. Please keep us informed of any changes in your contact information.
Take the following precautions everyday and teach your children to do the same:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue away after use and wash your hands. If a tissue is not available, cover your mouth and nose with your sleeve, not your hand.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way!
Counseling Corner
School Counselors are licensed professionals trained in human development; career information and development; tests and measurements and social cultural issues. The school counselors at LUES provide programs that include preventative services; individual and small group counseling; classroom guidance lessons; informative and referral services.
Ms. Janet Nelson-Counselor for all 5th grade homerooms and the following 4th grade homerooms- Swider, Scovell, Scruggs, Bolling, Murray and Okert
Mrs. Annette Richards – Counselor for all of 3rd grade and the following 4th grade homerooms-Brady, Hoosier, Graebner, Cosner, Herrera and Stadler
IMPORTANT DATES
Interims go home - November 13
Quarter 2 General Intellectual Gifted Referrals due – November 1
Gifted Referrals for Visual and Performing Arts due – January 30
Lion Fun Days
Fredericksburg Field House November 20, 21 and December 4 Watch for permission slips to come home soon.
Learning about Mindfulness
It has been so much fun to share some basic lessons about mindfulness with the third and fourth grade classes. The students have been very receptive and open to the experience. Mrs. Richards
IB Spotlight
In Mrs. Lewis' class, students read articles about Global Warming with the specific purpose of having them consider ways they could take action.
Students chose an article they were interested in, and were given a framework for organizing information about it, as seen in the photo above. Then they were asked to think about what action they could take the solve the problem. This activity not only covered several literacy SOLs, but gave students a greater purpose for their learning. The results are below.
Grade 3 Update
Grade 5 Update
Fifth grade teachers are continuing to build relationships with our fifth grade scholars into the second quarter through our IB Units. In Math, our scholars have been reviewing rounding decimals, comparing and ordering fractions and decimals, and completing decimal operations. Next, they will be able to solve fraction operations and measure perimeter, area, and volume.
Our IB Theme is “How the World Works,” and our Central Idea is “Earth's cycles and life's systems affect and connect with one another”. We are completing our IB Summative Assessments regarding oceans and ecosystems. Next, we will be focusing on sound and light.
In Reading and Language Arts, scholars are learning to love to read and to write. We will be using American Reading Company again this year to ensure this happens. The scholars will be reading both fiction and non-fiction books, working on accountable talk, and writing for a variety of purposes. Please make sure your scholar is reading at home on a daily basis. Scholars will be keeping track of their minutes read on a reading log. Please sign the log each night.
Your calls and e-mails are welcomed. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. We thank and appreciate each one of our parents and guardians for supporting us. We are off to a great start!
Snowball Fight with Mrs. Wheeler to win a free book!
Barnes & Noble Book Fair Fun
Fall Festival Parade
Upcoming Events
November 5 - NO SCHOOL/Teacher Work Day
November 7 - Grade 3 Field Trip (Orange and Yellow Pod)
November 8 - Grade 4 Field Trip (Swider, Scovell, Stadler)
November 12 - Grade 4 Field Trip (Scruggs, Bolling, Herrera)
November 12 - Fall Individual Picture Retakes
November 13 - Interims Go Home/Early Dismissal at 12:45 PM
November 13 - Joint HMES/LUES Parent Advisory Meeting at HMES from 5:30-6:30 PM
November 13 - Joint HMES/LUES PTA at HMES from 6:30-7:30 PM
November 14 - Grade 4 Field Trip (Okert, Murray, Hoosier)
November 15 - Grade 4 Field Trip (Graebner, Cosner, Brady)
November 20 - Lion Fun Day (part of grade 3 and grade 5)
November 20 - Turkey Trot Fun Run at 3:30 PM
November 21 - Lion Fun Day (part of grade 3 and grade 5)
November 21 - Turkey Trot Rain Date
November 27-29 - Thanksgiving Break