Shark Tales
Southbury Elementary
October 2020
Administration Letter
Happy Fall, Sharks! Now that we are a few months into Remote Learning for All, we have had a chance to see all of the fun happening in classes while there has been tons of new learning occurring! There has been a lot of fun and learning remotely during these first 2 months of school!
As we look ahead to November, and the beginning of a hybrid return to school, be sure to follow communication from Southbury, your child’s classroom teachers, the district information, and please follow Southbury on Facebook to stay up to date.
What’s Happening in the Month of November?
November 3rd - NO SCHOOL (Election Day/District Closed)
November 6th - End of 1st Trimester
November 9th - 1st Week of Hybrid Schedule
- Group A - 11/9 & 11/10 [In-Person 9:30-12:30]
- Group B - 11/12 & 11/13 [In-Person 9:30-12:30]
November 23rd - 5-hour REMOTE Student Attendance Day (PT Conferences 4-8 PM)
November 24th - NO SCHOOL (PT Conferences 8-1 PM)
November 25th-27th - NO SCHOOL
Attendance Reminder
Please remember to call in and contact the attendance line at (630) 551-9802 in the event that child(ren) will be absent!
Thank you for a wonderful start to the school year! We look forward to working together as a team to continue this success for our children remotely and in-person. Go Sharks!
Samantha Sinovich
Principal
Jack Olson
Assistant Principal
Read. Write. Think. Grow. Southbury: A Community of Learners.
Home and School Organization Happenings
Happy Fall Southbury from your HSO!!!
We have another sign up genius event starting up to celebrate and recognize how hard our staff is working. If you would like to help us “TREAT” our staff the week of November 9th, please sign up to drop off a special treat for them!
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0D4FA4AD2CABF4C70-treat
Also, our Staff favorites list has been compiled for the school year!! With the holidays approaching, you may find this to be a helpful tool!! :-) Here is the link.
We are also working hard to secure our contract for our 2020-2021 school yearbook. Please look in the coming weeks for the link to order a yearbook and a separate link for submitting pictures of your little Sharks. If you remember to get some great pictures of your dressed up kids on Halloween this year, we will be adding a page for your submissions as well!
Starting in the month of November, we are happy to bring a virtual Show Me Art lesson to you. Melissa Toon has worked to revamp our program allowing parents to teach the lessons to their children at home. Please be on the lookout for a lesson to be emailed home on November 2nd. SMA is an optional, fun way to learn about different artists while creating a project to go along with learning. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Melissa at omegatoon@gmail.com.
If you haven’t updated your information on Membership Toolkit, don’t forget to do so. Go to southburyparents.membershiptoolkit.com.
As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to us at sbhomenschool@gmail.com.
Sarah Brown and Kristy Stith
HSO Co-Presidents
Kindergarten
We have had a busy month in Kindergarten. The kiddos continue to do amazing on our Go Lives. They are becoming more independent learners and we are proud of them for that.
ELA: We finished introducing all letters and sounds. We will be moving on to blends and vowel teams. We have read both fiction and nonfiction stories about animals and their habitats. We took our first Performance Based assessment. We worked on simple sentences using the High Frequency words of “I can see,” “I like,” and “I am." We also explored Nouns and Verbs.
Math: We completed our second math unit of numbers 0-10. We learned the important vocabulary of “Greater Than” and “Less Than” and applied that to comparing numbers 0-10. We also used our math tool the numbers line to help compare these numbers.
Next Month we will be exploring key details, settings details in our next stories. We will continue with simple sentences and keep adding to our High Frequency words. In math we will continue to explore numbers 0-10 and focus on composing and decomposing numbers 0-10.
1st Grade
1st Grade continues to have a fun year! Puppy and Snail have visited our classrooms to help us learn and practice social and emotional skills during our Go Lives.
In ELA we have been retelling stories, writing an opinion and providing one reason. In math we finished up our chapter in math and have started learning about subtraction. We practice counting skills daily.
The science videos have taught us about how to be aquarium scientists and we have learned about animal plant defenses and will learn about offspring. We also continue to watch Mystery Doug videos on Wednesdays.
Handwriting videos are keeping us accountable for practicing good handwriting skills.
Thank you to all the families for all the support and helping our firsties navigate remote learning.
We look forward to a spooktacular October!
2nd Grade
Hello Everyone! The Second Grade Team can not believe that we are almost into November! We have been very proud of the second graders at how well they have adapted to remote learning and the responsibility that they take when they are turning in their assignments! Please remember to check your child’s Google Classroom classwork for any missing assignments.
In ELA we are currently working on retelling story sequences and creating our own stories as a Part 2 for “Trouble at the Sandbox.” The next text that we dive into will be “Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday.” This text focuses on understanding story structure and how by understanding it helps us comprehend the text better.
We have just finished the first two chapters in Math (YIPPEE!!). Next we are starting on place value and providing a solid foundation for place value will make adding and subtracting double and triple digit numbers easier!
We are currently finishing up our science unit, Plant and Animal Relationships. We have discussed the many ways that seeds get dispersed, how animals and plants depend on each other for survival, and what exactly a seed needs to sprout into a healthy plant.
3rd Grade
We are so very proud of our 3rd graders! They are showing up to all our go live sessions, following directions, and working hard to get all their assignments completed. In this last month, students have read both fiction and nonfiction texts, answered leveled questions, taken a few reading selection tests on MasteryConnect, and written or produced an informative/explanatory Performance Based Assessment highlighting facts they have learned about Earth.
The students have also seemed excited to start unit 2 in Math on Multiplication/Division. It’s great to see them learning their multiplication facts, and we encourage them to keep up with their own flashcards and practice at home. We can’t emphasize enough how mastering their multiplication/division facts will benefit our students as we challenge them with harder problems.
Becoming student engineers in Science and understanding and explaining balancing forces and how the floating train worked to the citizens of Faraday was a great way to start the year. As we head into our next Science adventure on Inheritance & Traits, we will learn how and why the wolf packs of the fictional Graystone National Park are of different sizes and colors.
As you can see, we are as busy as ever with all that we’re learning each and every week!
4th Grade
Happy fall to all of our fourth-grade families! It’s been amazing to see how well all of your children have continued to adapt to remote learning over the past month. They have all shown persistence, resilience, and positivity. We are confident that no matter whether they attend school in person or remotely, they will continue to show this amazing behavior.
Over the past month, we have been introducing the students to quite a few new concepts. In ELA, we finished working on our informational writing piece, which was an infographic about an animal that the students researched. To prepare for this piece of writing, students read informational texts about animal and human skeletons, including one about a lost king whose bones were unearthed beneath a parking lot of all places! We are now shifting our focus to fictional text for the next few weeks. We are currently immersed in a study of American tall tales, such as “Pecos Bill” and “John Henry.” Soon, our students will craft a tall tale of their own using figurative language techniques such as hyperbole, similes, and metaphors.
In Math, we completed our unit on place value and transitioned to our study on multiplication. While we are continuing to practice our basic facts to achieve automaticity, we will soon be learning how to multiply multi-digit numbers. Please continue to encourage your children to complete at least one session of Xtra Math each day at home. We have found that it helps keep basic multiplication and division facts fresh in the minds of our young mathematicians!
Finally, in Science, we will soon complete our study of waves and energy and will move on to learning all about vision and light. The students will develop an understanding of the way the eye works and how it transmits images to our brains-- something they always find fascinating!
As always, we thank you for your continuous support at home. If you ever have any questions, please reach out to us!
5th Grade
Stars
Hello STARS Families,
What an exciting month! Many of us will finally be returning to in person learning on October 22nd. We are looking forward to seeing everyone soon. The first three weeks back, in person will be on Thursdays and Fridays from 9:00-11:30. Once general education classes return the week of November 9th, STARS classes will be held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00-12:30.
To get ready for our transition back to school, please start practicing wearing masks with your kids now. It would be a great idea to bring masks to your go live sessions, and try wearing them and working at the same time. Please reach out to your classroom teachers for ideas on how to introduce mask use.
To reduce the spread of germs, we will not be having snacks during our in person learning. Make sure your child has a big breakfast before leaving for school. If your child requires food for reinforcement, please talk to your child’s teach to come up with an individualized plan.
We are here to support you and your child through these changes. Please reach out if you need anything.
ESL
Important Reminders:
- ESL GoLive! Sessions take place twice a week.
- Students need to complete ALL assignments within their ESL Google Classroom.
- Before turning in your assignment, make sure you complete your work or attach a photo of your completed work.
- Videos and Slideshows are posted in the ESL Google Classroom to support student learning.
We are excited to be working virtually with our students during Remote Learning!
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s ESL teacher.
Kristen Serio
Alyssa Ahlstrom
Gifted Education
GE Math ~ Let’s Play Horseshoes!
No, not the original Game of Horseshoes, a mathematical game of Horseshoes! Just like in the original game of throwing horseshoes, this new version is a fun family game of “How close can you get?” This game even inspired a professional music group to write a song about the game!
This Horseshoes is a math game that encourages complex thinking while allowing players to challenge themselves at the appropriate learning level. And all you need are dice or playing cards! This game is perfect for any time of the year, but especially now as 4th and 5th graders need to be flexible and fluent with their computation while learning order of operations (4th) and delving into rate conversions and percentages (5th).
Click here for Horseshoe Game Directions
Click here for Song and Game Example
I am sure your mathematician will be throwing a “ringer” in math after playing this version of Horseshoes! Be sure to get your game on before going up against your young, but worthy, opponent. ;-)
Backstory for October: Fourth Grade GE Math students finished multi-digit multiplication, long division, and multi-step problem solving in October. Fifth Grade GE Math students finished division with fractions, ratios, and rates, including unit cost.
Speech and Language
The month of October has been a busy one for our Speech- Language Team. Southbury’s Speech and Language Therapists would like to say, “Thank you for all the work you have helped us do with your students. Keep up the great work!”
Throughout this month we have continued to see students, either in person or through virtual classrooms to target individual goals. However, as we enter into November, we anticipate many therapy schedules to change based on when students will be in the building and their availability. If you have questions about your student’s therapy schedule, please reach out to your therapist Deb Convey, Kelly Okel, or Lauren Paver. We look forward to continually making gains towards the speech and language goals addressed in each and every IEP.
Mrs. Debbie Convey
630-551-9851
Mrs. Kelly Okel
630-551-9891
Ms. Lauren Paver
630-551-9872
LRC
Check it Out!
Over the past month we have been working hard to make sure that every student has access to online books from the Oswego Public Library. A survey was sent home by Mrs. Sinovich and your classroom teacher so that we may help you get an Oswego Public Library barcode for your child. If you still have not filled out this survey to get a library barcode, please do so immediately. Once you receive a barcode, your child will have access to amazing online resources of ebooks, audiobooks and other fun activities. We feel it is important that our students have access to great books during remote learning. We hope you do too!
You may have noticed some of the Friday lessons have been about digital citizenship. The curriculum we use is from Common Sense Media. It is our goal to teach social media safety, awareness and ways to build positive relationships both online and in person. Common Sense Media is a great resource for parents as well. It offers movie suggestions and numerous tips on how to help your kids stay motivated while learning online, how to guide kids through election season, and many more parenting topics.
A great big “thank you!” to everyone who has already turned in their library books from the spring! Many of the students still have outstanding books which are now overdue. We are asking that you please return any books that your child still has checked out. If you are unsure if your child has an outstanding book, please email Mrs Dietz (hdietz@sd308.org). Books can be returned to the vestibule just inside Door 1 in the blue bin labeled LRC Books. Fines will be issued for any outstanding books. When we do resume book checkout, students with outstanding books will be unable to check out until their fine is paid. Thank you for your cooperation!
Happy Reading!
Mrs. Witcpalek and Mrs. Dietz
From the Reading Department
Picture This! Using Mental Imagery While Reading
By: Reading Rockets
One way to help a child comprehend what he is reading is to encourage him to visualize parts of the story in his mind. These "mind movies" help clarify information, increase understanding, and can include any of the five senses. Try these practices below when reading with your child.
One way to help a child comprehend what he is reading is to encourage him to visualize parts of the story in his mind. These "mind movies" help clarify information and increase understanding, and can be done with fiction or nonfiction text. The images can include any of the five senses.
Many of the books you read with your child may already contain beautiful illustrations, so try this visualization practice with the longer books you use as your read aloud. Or, sit facing your child and read a few pages without having your child look at the pictures. Then follow these few simple steps to provide your child with practice developing their mental images:
- Begin reading. Pause after a few sentences or paragraphs that contain good descriptive information.
- Share the image you've created in your mind, and talk about which words from the book helped you "draw" your picture. Your picture can relate to the setting, the characters, or the actions. By doing this, you are modeling the kind of picture making you want your child to do.
- Talk about how these pictures help you understand what's happening in the story.
- Continue reading. Pause again and share the new image you created. Then ask your child to share what he sees, hears, tastes, smells and feels. Ask what words helped him create the mental image and emotions. By doing this, you are providing your child with practice with this new skill.
- Are your images identical? Probably not! This is a great time to talk about why your images might be different. Perhaps your child went on a school field trip or had a school assembly that changed the way they created the picture in their mind. Perhaps experiences you've had as an adult influenced what you "drew." These differences are important to understand and respect.
- Read a longer portion of text and continue the sharing process.
- Once this is a familiar skill, encourage your child to use mental imagery when she is reading by herself. You can feel confident that these mental pictures will help your child understand the story in an important way.
Art
If your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade child has not yet completed their Flipgrid video assessment, please make sure it is done ASAP; due date: October 30th. A link to this “Share your Art” Flipgrid assignment can be found under the Art Google classroom Classwork tab.
If you would like to arrange a video conference with Mrs. Chee, please send me an email to arrange a meet time. rayoungchee@sd308.org
Thank you to everyone turning in your beautiful art! Please enjoy some of our fabulous student artwork!
Music
In October we learned and reviewed music terms such as “tempo” and “dynamics." These are important concepts in music, as they allow us to reflect on music we listen to and help us create our own music! At the end of October we started our Trimester 1 Assessment and I am checking in with students to make sure that they are all completed and turned in.
In November, we are going to begin prepping for Trimester 2. This trimester focuses on “rhythm." We are learning how to count rhythms, write rhythms, and create our own rhythm patterns! These are the building blocks to composing music and I am excited to continue to work with my wonderful Southbury students!
If you ever have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me at mmcwethy@sd308.org.
Physical Education
We are excited to see what the month of November brings!!
News from Nurse Sara
Hello Shark families! Here are some quick notes to share with you.
2020-2021 Health Requirements
The following link will guide you through what, if any, paperwork the health office will be needing this year: Chart of Requirements for 2020-2021
In short, all kindergarten students will need to have a current physical with proof of immunizations, a dental examination and a vision exam. The deadline for this was Thursday, October 15, 2020. Please keep in mind that students cannot return to school without having these documents on file in the health office.
If your child is new to our school and from out of state, I will also need to have up to date records (physical, proof of immunizations, dental, and vision examination). The deadline for this is 30 days from when your child was enrolled.
Hearing and Vision
Any completed hearing or vision referrals from last school year can be faxed to (630) 551-9897 or scanned to me @ skarantonis@sd308.org
Medications at School
If you will be bringing medications for your child to have in the health office, I will need a School Administration Form. If your child has food allergies, seizure disorders, or asthma I will also need an Emergency Action Plan on file as well. See the links below for those that may pertain to your child. These can be submitted electronically, faxed, or dropped off.
Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan
Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan
Any documents you’d like to submit can be forwarded to me via email at skarantonis@sd308.org or faxed to (630) 551-9897. If you are in the area and want to drop off in person, there is a blue drop box at the main entrance vestibule as well. If you have any questions, please contact me at (630) 551-9802.
Social Work
What’s Most Important Upon a Return to School? Social and Emotional Learning
By Adam Parker, School Psychologist (Adapted)
In the middle of March, 2020 schools across the world closed their doors to stop the spread of Covid-19. What came next was the balancing act of parents having children at home, remote learning, and trying to manage our fears and emotions. It’s important to understand who can help, how to help, and what can be done at both school and home. Let’s look ahead to the first two weeks of school and beyond.
Who Can Help at School? As Mr. Rogers said, “Look for the helpers.” In school, psychologists, social workers, and counselors are wonderful resources. Mental health professionals in each building will be available to check in with students. They will be using a combination of social-emotional lessons, games, and activities to make sure students are doing well and are able to transition back to the building.
What Can It Look Like? There will be some big skills to focus on including resilience, perseverance, expressing feelings, and being positive. As teachers are leading their daily classroom meetings, conversations about each of these topics will be helpful.
Expressing Your Feelings There have been some difficult experiences and setbacks over the last few months. Perhaps a parent lost a job, a loved one got sick, birthday parties, graduations, and big life events were missed, and visiting our friends hasn’t been an option for months. We have every right to feel sad, mad, scared, or frustrated. Being able to express that appropriately will be valuable moving forward. Teaching students to use I-messages like “I have been feeling frustrated that I can’t practice soccer with my friends” can lead to a conversation about how to solve that problem.
Asking for Help Teaching students to ask for help will be another valuable skill as we return to school. Not being in the school building for such a long time will leave many with gaps in their learning and routines, and being able to ask for help is how we can all get back in our groove.
Optimism Kahlil Gibran once said, “No matter how long the storm lasts the sun always shines behind the clouds.” The only way we can get through the past is to look forward and that is exactly the message that should be ringing through classrooms. Thinking about positives that came out of this time off, like practicing a new skill, more time with family, and realizing we don’t need to constantly be GO GO GOING are all important lessons.
Resiliency Resiliency is defined as our ability to bounce back from a difficult life event. How we bounce back from Covid-19 will set the foundation for how we move forward. Having conversations with your children around ways you’ve shown resiliency will help model what being resilient can look like. Open the discussion around how we show resiliency in our daily lives, why it’s important, and how your child will be resilient moving forward.
Doing Kind Things for Others Compassion and empathy will be helpful tools in making school feel safe again. As a school community, we need to show caring and kindness for others. We have all been through a traumatic event and showing that we are there for each other on the other side will truly build our strength. It can be as simple as remembering to say good morning to a friend, setting a time for a zoom call with someone you don’t often talk to, or providing an ear to listen when someone is upset.
The First 10 Days Getting back to school will be filled with many emotions, some of which we won’t be able to control like happiness, fear, anxiety, and excitement. What we can control is the supports we have in place for students and children. We can have powerful and meaningful conversations around feelings, friendships, and the future.
School Social Workers at Southbury Elementary School
Kristin Epstein, LCSW (STARS-Kurth, Winters, Jungels & 3rd, 4th, 5th)
Tanya Gryniak, MSW (STARS-Balcerak, Bolton, Wilson & K, 1st, 2nd)
Southbury Elementary School
Website: https://www.sd308.org/southbury
Location: 820 Preston Lane, Oswego, IL, USA
Phone: (630) 551-9800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southbury308