GRE Family Gazette
November 5, 2018
Dear GRE Families,
I hope you are enjoying the bright sunshine after a week full of rainy days! This week students have been busy working hard. This newsletter has a few important updates, so be sure to read it carefully.
Our schools are extremely fortunate to have the support of our parent and community volunteers. While we are continually grateful for this support, we are also aware of the potential concerns that can arise when volunteers are working directly with students. One of the recent priorities established by our District Safety Committee, which is comprised of law enforcement personnel, first responders, parents, and staff, is that volunteers should have background checks completed to promote safety within our schools. Each staff member and coach in the district is required to provide initial and ongoing background checks to insure that they are deemed safe for working with our students, so it makes sense to consider a similar requirement for volunteers working with students or who are helping in the building during the school day. Click here to read more about our volunteer policy that will go into effect on March 1, 2019.
On Friday, we will have our Veteran's Day Assembly from 2:30-3:15. More specific information has been sent home through backpacks. We look forward to celebrating and remembering all Veteran's this week. All Veteran's are also invited to attend a breakfast in their honor on November 16th at 9:00am at BWMS. Click here to sign up!
Here's to a great week full of fun, friends and learning!
Kate Thoma
Principal, General Rosecrans Elementary
A Few Important Reminders:
1. Yearbook Cover Contest forms are due this Friday, November 9 to the box outside the art room! Don’t forget to use lots of color, include the year and design with our circus theme in mind, “The GREeatest School!”
2. Each building will be collecting unwanted Halloween candy this year to send/give to troops. Send any unwanted candy to school the week of November 5th-9th and we will send it to our troops.
3. Our school is in need of gently used clothes, especially in sizes 6-8. Now that the weather is getting cooler we need to reach out again to help fill this need. Leggings and sweatpants are particularly helpful!
4. This week begins our annual Food Drive. The drive will run from Monday, November 5th through Thursday, November 15th. A flier came home with your child on Friday. The class with the most collected items will win a PIZZA PARTY! Some ideas for collection items include: Cereal(box), Baby Food(jars), Peanut Butter, Jelly(grape), Syrup, Flour Tortillas, Pudding Cups,Spaghetti Sauce, Spaghetti, Spaghetti Shells,Tuna Fish, Mac & Cheese(box), Ravioli, Soups, Cake Mixes, Muffin Mixes, Hamburger Helper, Potatoes(can or box), Boxed or Bagged Meals(pasta, rice etc., Non-Food Items Toothpaste, toothbrushes, Shampoo, Dish Soap, Deodorant, Diapers, New Socks, New Underwear, and Laundry Soap.
5. Grandparent BINGO will be rescheduled for this Spring for a Grandparent event. This decision was made in order to make sure we are prepared to have enough space and activity for the anticipated large turn out. This will be discussed further at this week's PTO meeting. Any questions or concerns can be emailed to katethoma@bwls.net.
6. The book fair is coming! Be sure to plan to support the GRE book fair November 14th-19th.
It will be located in the café and cash, checks (made out to GRE PTO) & credit cards will be accepted.
11/14 Preview day and we will be open from 2-4pm for shopping
11/15 Open from 8-10am for students to make purchases
11/16 Open time TBD
11/19 Open for Parent Teacher Conferences and holiday gift shopping from 4:30-7:30pm
Every purchase made helps GRE get new books in the hands of our students and teachers!
7. State of the Schools is this Thursday! Tune in to see GRE live!
Specials Spotlight: Music with Mrs. Wood
Fall is a great time of year in music! Students get to explore their voices with spooky
sounds and animate stories with movement and instruments. Here are a couple of
highlights from each grade level.
Kindergarten:
Students used non-pitched percussion instruments such as the drums, maracas,
ratchet, egg shakers, tambourines, and tone blocks to accompany the story “The Little
Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything”. Each object in the story was represented by
an instrument. Students are also exploring their voices through a variety of songs and
chants.
Music Playlist:
Ask your child to sing: Pumpkin You Must Wonder or Little Ghosty
1st Grade:
Students just finished reading the story “Shake Dem’ Halloween Bones”, where they
used non-pitched percussion instruments to accompany the jazzy song in the story.
Students are also beginning to chant and create patterns in triple meter where the
rhythm is organized into groups of three microbeats.
Music Playlist:
Ask your student to sing or chant: Pass the Pumpkin or Stirring Our Brew
2nd Grade:
Students have been working on songs for our Veteran’s Day assembly, which is Friday,
November 9th from 2:30-3:15 p.m. in the cafeteria. We encourage students to wear red,
white, and blue on this special day to honor our veterans. We hope to see you there!
Around Halloween, students learned how to create their own tonal patterns to the song,
“Skin and Bones”. They’ve also listened and identified musical characteristics in the
song “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg. Ask your student how the
music changed from the beginning to the end of the song.
Music Playlist:
Download the song: “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Edvard Grieg
3rd Grade:
Students just began their recorder unit. They learned how to play three new notes
(BAG) and their finger positions. They are learning how to play with proper technique
and use a gentle sound. Ask your student about our recorder ABC’s and see if they can
tell you what each letter means.
Music Playlist:
Ask your student to sing: Ghost of John or Hot Cross Buns
4th Grade:
Students are currently preparing for their upcoming performance on December 8th,
2018. Our theme this year is based on the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.
This performance will provide our students the opportunity to showcase their musical
skills through singing, playing instruments, and movement. We will be sending home
more information about this performance soon!
Music Playlist:
Ask your student to sing: In the Bleak Midwinter or Rise Up Oh Moon
Items needed:
A child sized Santa suit and a medium sized artificial Christmas tree. Please contact me
at deannewood@bwls.net if you’d be willing to let us borrow these items for our
performance. Thank you!
Open Music:
3rd graders just finished their “Just Dance” unit and have been helping to create some
of the decorations for Veterans Day.
Important Dates
Nov 8: State of the School Facebook Live; PTO Meeting 6:30pm
Nov 9: Veteran’s Day Program 2:30-3:15
Nov 5-15: Food Drive
Nov 14-20: Book Fair
Nov. 16: Grandparent BINGO-cancelled; we will hold a Grandparent event this Spring
Nov. 19: Parent Teacher Conferences
Nov. 21-26: No School
Golden Spatula Award Winners
K- Miss Rader
1- Mrs. LaSota
2- Ms. Skaziak
3- Mrs. Kurena
Who will win the "Golden Spatula" this week?
Kate Thoma
Email: katethoma@bwls.net
Website: www.bwls.net
Location: 301 South Miller Drive, Sunbury, OH, USA
Phone: 740-965-8900
Facebook: facebook.com/GREeagles
Twitter: @GREeagles