The River's Edge
River Bend Elementary School Newsletter-May 2017
From the Principal...
Dear RBES Families,
Spring is here! That can only mean we are entering the count down for the remainder of the school year. Students and teachers have worked hard this year and much has been accomplished.
The month of May brings testing for all grade levels as students in PreK-5 will complete the PALS reading assessment, and students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will take the Virginia Standards of Learning Tests. During this time frame, it is very important students arrive to school on time and are present the entire day. Please try to avoid visiting your child or eating lunch at school during this time, as state requirements are all conversations need to be monitored during testing. Remind your child to stay focused on school this last month of school. We are confident our students will do exceptionally well on all tests!
We want to thank the PTA officers, all the volunteers, and teachers and staff who helped make our annual Cardinal Carnival a success! It is such a fun school and community event, and the smiles on everyone’s faces was a sign that everyone had a good time. Thank you to everyone for supporting our school and our students!
Please be sure to take a look at our RBES Google calendar as we do have many fun events scheduled for the end of the year :) https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?height=600&wkst=1&bgcolor=%23FFFFFF&src=rockingham.k12.va.us_ga7vbqqfitha0m742tpko2o6ks@group.calendar.google.com
REMINDER: In order to adjust student days for the 2016-17 school year from 181 to 180, Rockingham County Public Schools will shorten the 2016-17 school year calendar, contingent upon no further inclement weather days needed this spring. Should there be no further inclement weather days, the last day of school for students will be Wednesday, June 7, 2017 (instead of Thursday, June 8).
We look forward to a great end to the 2016-2017 school year!
Sharon Martz
RBES Teacher of the Year 2016
Each year, the Rockingham Educational Foundation, Inc. sponsors a 'Teacher of the Year' program. We are proud to announce Ms. Gerri Ziegler, 1st Grade teacher, was chosen by her colleagues as the River Bend Teacher of the Year for 2016! We are proud to have her represent our school at the county level.
SOL Tests for Grades 3-5
Students and teachers have worked hard this year and are well prepared for SOL Testing! Please help your child prepare for these tests by making sure they are getting a good night’s sleep during this period of time. Please have them eat a good breakfast - either at home or at school. It is very important that children attend school on these days and not be tardy. Students arriving after 8:45 may not be allowed in testing sessions and will need to take the test on a different day. Teachers and the office have sent home letters to make parents aware of testing days. If you have questions about the SOL tests, please contact your child’s teacher or Ms. Martz. We also want you to simply challenge them to take their time on each test, do their best and have a positive attitude. That’s all we can ask. The teachers and students here have been working so hard teaching and learning and preparing for the tests. I am very proud of them. At this point, the best thing we can do together is help them develop an “I can” attitude, and give them lots of rest, food, and support.
RBES Annual Cardinal Carnival!
Read and Win Tickets to the Rockingham County Fair!
United Way Donates Books to PreK
Week of the Young Child (WOYC) is an annual national celebration of the importance of programs for young children. To celebrate this week, each PreK student received a copy of "Never Too Little to Love," by Jeanne Willis. These books are being donated by the United Way to our children/families and our classrooms! Mr. Powell and Ms. Martz read the book to each PreK class!
Super Seniors Visit Kindergarten Students!
News from the School Counselor
We look forward to summer as a time of fun and relaxation, but as parents we still may need to establish some structure for the long summer days. Here is a suggestion for establishing a daily routine and balancing screen time with other activities. Talk to your children, and let them know that each day before they turn on the screen (TV, computer, phone, IPad, or tablet,) they need to:
Make their bed
Have breakfast
Get dressed
Brush their teeth, wash their face, and brush their hair
Read for 20 minutes
Write for 20 minutes (some kind of math might be a good option as well)
Clean up 1 room in the house
Play outside for 60 minutes (children should get 60 minutes of physical activity each day)
Make or build something creative (coloring, legos, craft, clay, etc.)
Help someone in the family (ask if there is a job you can do if you can’t think of something you can do)
I hope everyone has had a great year and has a wonderful summer!
Kim Muraskin
School Counselor
Fine Arts
Are you looking forward to spring beauty like we are? To get into gear for the change in season, we have started a collection of gorgeous spring art projects. Categories that make us think of spring – rainbows, flowers, insects and birds, and just colorful! What do you think of when you think spring? What a great time to go outside, observe the world around you and get creative. Springtime, with its extra light and ever-changing landscapes, is an extra-special time for art.
Indoors or out, encourage your kids to grab a pencil and a piece of paper, an easel, paints, or even a hunk of clay, like we will in the art classroom, and express themselves through art.
Here is a clay recipe that really works well for projects.
You need:
• 2 cups plain flour (all purpose)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• Up to 1.5 cups boiling water (adding in increments until it feels just right)
• food coloring (optional)
few drops glycerine (optional- adds more shine!)
Method:
• Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil in a large mixing bowl
Add food coloring TO the boiling water then into the dry ingredients
• Stir continuously until it becomes a sticky, combined dough
• Add the glycerine
• Allow it to cool down then take it out of the bowl and knead it vigorously for a couple of minutes until all of the stickiness has gone. * This is the most important part of the process, so keep at it until it’s the perfect consistency!
• (If it remains a little sticky then add a touch more flour until just right)
Enjoy and celebrate the beauty of Spring!
Lynn Allen, Fine Arts Education
Teacher Appreciation Week May 1-5
During the week of May 4, we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week! Many fun surprises were given this week to show our teachers how much we appreciate all they do for our students. What is the best way you can thank your classroom teacher for all his/her hard work this year? A simple note of appreciation for a job well done is always welcomed!
National School Nurse's Day May 10, 2017!
Those of us who have worked in Rockingham County Schools for a few years recall when we did not have a school nurse! How did we survive? We are very lucky to have Tammy Wood as our school nurse. On May 10, we will celebrate National School Nurse's Day! If you are by the school, be sure to say a kind word of appreciation to Mrs. Wood for what she does at our school! Thank you, Ms. Wood!
School Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week May 8-12, 2017
A huge thank you to our School Nutrition Employees! Each day they provide students with healthy food choices. School nutrition employees must follow numerous federal, state, and local regulations to ensure healthy meals are available to our students. If you are joining us for lunch or are in the building, be sure to stop by the cafeteria and thank our staff!
Kindergarten Registration is Happening Now!
Kindergarten registration started in March, but you can come in anytime to register your child for kindergarten. If you have a child who will be going to kindergarten next year-the 2017-2018 school year- please come by River Bend any day Monday-Friday to complete the registration process. A copy of the following will be needed to register your child:
- child’s birth certificate
- TWO proofs of residency (something with your name and address )
- immunization record
- physical
- court papers regarding custody (if applicable)
Note: Physicals are required before a child can start school, so get ahead of the game and make your appointment today! A copy of the physical is also needed before start of school.
Student Placement for 2017-2018
How does our school determine which class your child will be placed in for next year? The teachers at the current grade level of your child work together with the principal to place all students into a specified number of groups (three groups for each grade level). We work very hard to create groups which are academically balanced. We also take into consideration students who may need to be specifically placed. This process takes a great deal of time and thought! If you have specific concerns pertaining to your child’s placement for next year, I would encourage you to put your concerns in writing to me prior to the end of this school year. Parental input will be considered, but please remember, placements are made based on the best interests of the students. As has been the policy, please do not request a specific teacher for your child.
Thank you,
Ms. Martz
It is the policy of the Rockingham County School Board to comply with all applicable state and federal laws regarding non-discrimination in employment and educational programs and services. It is an equal opportunity employer and educational agency.
The Rockingham County School Board will not discriminate in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment or in educational programs and services on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender, marital or economic status, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status and prohibits retaliation against anyone who files a complaint of discrimination, participates in such a proceeding, or otherwise opposes discrimination.