Irving Elementary
Month of November
Busy in Kindergarten
The kindergarten classes have been busy learning, exploring, and creating the whole month of November. In reading, we have been reading and learning about communities and the different types of people and places that make a community. We have been sharing and discussing places in our community so we can write an informational text about places that make our community special.
We kicked off our Project Based Learning unit earlier this month with a shape hunt. Students are busy creating rough drafts and completing peer evaluations for their projects. In December, we will hold our Shape Museum for kindergarten parents to come see all the shape exhibits. Teachers will be sharing the date and time with parents soon.
Capturing Kids' Hearts is the program we use for social emotional learning. One of the components of the program is sharing Good Things. We spend a few minutes each day letting a few students and adults share something good. In honor of Thanksgiving, we have been sharing things we are thankful for during Good Things. We have recorded some of those things on pumpkins so students can see how much we have to be grateful for.
Parental Involvement is Key to Every Child’s Success
Students are able to achieve and accomplish more when their parents or guardians are involved in their child’s education. The Public School Review listed several reasons why parent involvement is so important:
Academic achievement increases when parents are involved. The greater they are involved, the greater the impact.
Parental involvement leads to better classroom behavior.
Parental involvement can make a positive impact at any grade level Pre-K-High School.
Parents of low income children can be just as effective as parents of non disadvantaged children.
Reading together at home greatly improves reading skills.
Schools should constantly encourage parental involvement.
Parental involvement lifts teacher morale.
Parental involvement benefits children and parents.
Please contact the school if you have any questions about how you can become more involved in your child’s education. According to the National PTA, “The most accurate predictor of student achievement in school is the extent to which the family becomes involved in the child’s education at school”.
A Big Thank You!
Speech Happenings
The tradition continues for the Irving speech students. We made our annual Hands Turkey. This turkey reminds us that together we make a beautiful symbol of what we are grateful for family, friends, and the opportunity to learn at a great school.
The speech students practiced their r-vowel sounds, final k, plural s/z, initial gr, and th while learning about the wild American turkey. They learned that turkeys have special body parts: gizzard, snood, and wattle. These large birds can fly low but fast. Turkeys are brave and will defend themselves. They have 6,000 feathers on their bodies! You can tell a male turkey from a female turkey by their poop. Just ask the speech kids for more details. They are turkey experts now.
With these activities about turkeys, our speech students were engaged in the form of storytelling. This storytelling, according to ASHA (the ASHA leader vol6 No.23), is a realistic vehicle for spreading news, teaching the history of life, and learning the cultural history of others and ourselves.
Cleaning Out Gardens for the Season!
Our outdoor classroom committee met in November with Alex Gottlob and Greg Carver to discuss ideas on how to secure funds to purchase a greenhouse and what style of greenhouse would be the best for our outdoor classroom. Continued research on the best greenhouse for our outdoor classroom will continue along with grant writing to raise money for the greenhouse.
Halloween Parade Fun!
December Happenings @ Irving
Shop Time: During Art Class
Where: Art Room
Dec. 12th-PTO Meeting in Irving Library at 6:00 p.m.
Dec. 14th-Late Start Day
Dec. 15th-Irving Skate Night 4 p.m.-close
Dec. 16th-Santa visit at 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 19th-Exploration Day
Dec. 21st-Sing-a-long at 1:15 p.m.
Dec. 21st-Last day of school for students and staff
Dec. 22-Jan. 4th-Winter Break
January 3rd and 4th-Teachers Return
January 5th-Students Return
Irving Elementary
Email: jeff_everett@usd465.com
Website: https://irving.usd465.com/
Location: 311 Harter Street, Winfield, KS, USA
Phone: 620-221-5140