Reptile Review
December 2021
Principal Update
Dear Reptile Families,
It is hard to believe that we are almost half way through the school year! This year at NRES has been a great one, with lots of accomplishments and successes to celebrate!
In November, we had a busy month with our Chuck E Cheese Family Night; Musical performed by our Chorus, Orff, and Ukulele; and our first Family Literacy Night/Day. We also had a successful Scholastic Book Fair thanks to our volunteers, again! We hope that you all have started reading our school wide book Wishtree, provided to us by One Book, One School.
On December 17th, we will be having our mid-year Reading Counts Celebration. This celebration recognizes the students who followed through with their reading goals through their independent reading. This year we will be having our annual Snow Globe Shoppe. Due to limited supplies, all students will have a one time shopping experience. Please see below for the schedule.
We appreciate you all! During Winter Break please take time to enjoy your family, remember to read, and we will see you ready to learn in 2022! Just a reminder that our school start and end time will change when we return in January. Please see below for our new times.
Thank you,
Colleen Wilkinson
Principal
School Time Update
This has caused our school start and end time moving back 30 minutes.
9:55-10:10 Arrival
10:10 Tardy Bell
4:20 Dismissal
Counselor's Corner
Hi Everyone! As the school counselor I do classroom lessons with every classroom at New River. The Safer, Smarter Kids curriculum is done in all schools in Pasco to promote healthy boundaries. In December we will discuss:
Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
- How to use our business voice to stay "Stop" in unsafe situations
- Our Body Boundaries are our own personal rules about our own bodies
- What to do when our Body Boundaries are broken into
- What a safe and unsafe secret is
3rd Grade - 5th Grade
- Our Body Boundaries are our own personal rules about our own bodies
- Respecting other people's boundaries and what qualifies as a Body Boundary
- When and where we need privacy
Happy Holidays,
~ Miss. Clerkin, NRES School Counselor
PE News
Our Reptiles have been running hard during Reptile Run. They are working toward goals to earn toe tokens and a t-shirt by May. Students are running during PE class one week each month. After the first three miles, a chain and toe token are given. Toe tokens are earned every three miles, but each student only gets one chain and adds toe tokens to it as they are earned. By May, t-shirts are given to students who run at least twenty-five miles (K/1) or 30 miles (2-5), a large toe token is given to the boy and girl leaders in each class and trophies are given to the boy and girl leaders in each grade level. Last year we had over 250 students earn t-shirts!
Just as a reminder, Special Area teachers use a communication form for classroom teachers and parents called a “Time Out Ticket”. If students are not meeting our school-wide expectations of being safe, responsible, and respectful, they may bring home a time out ticket explaining the reason for the time out. Time out Tickets are given only after expectations have been restated and students have been redirected and/or given a time to think about better choices. Tickets should come back signed so that we know you are helping reinforce school wide expectations at home.
Music News
Congratulations to our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders who participated in the Fall Concert! We had so much fun sharing music with our community. Thank you to all the parents, teachers, family, and friends who came to support our students. If you missed it, click here to view the recording on YouTube. Ensembles will not meet for the rest of the year, more information will be available in January. Enjoy your holidays!
Art News
Primary students have been working on learning about the elements of art such as lines, shapes, and textures. During the line unit, primary students created pictures that had different lines. While learning about shapes, students made animals, castles, and pumpkins. For the unit about texture, students created implied textures while using texture plates. Students have also been working on collage and creating various paper crafts.
Intermediate students have been learning about lines, organic and geometric shapes, textures, still life, symmetrical balance, and values. Students also created paper crafts such as snakes, pumpkins, and turkeys. During the shape unit, students used organic, modified and geometric shapes to create a picture. Students also created a symmetrical project while using scissors and crayons, and textures to make a collage. While learning about value, students created a still life and used oil pastels to shade in their picture.
One Book, One School
Our school is participating in “One Book, One School”, which is a program designed to create a reading community within the school, and allow teachers, parents, and students to have conversations about what they are reading. The goal is for students to come to find literature as captivating as movies (https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/one-school-one-book-a-love-of-reading/)!
The more people involved the better! Everyone family should have received a copy of the Wishtree, by Katherine Applegate. Please take some time as a family to enjoy this book.😊 Below are some links with activities, vocabulary, and much more.
We will hold a culminating “Family Night” to wrap up the Wishtree the last Friday in April (Only because May 1st falls on a Saturday). Once you read the book, this will make more sense!
- Wishtree Book Trailer (Click here)
Health Screening
On Friday, January 14, 2022, we will be conducting health screenings at New River Elementary School. The following screenings are required by Florida Department of Health statutes based on the specific grade levels, whether the student is in regular education or an ESE class:
KG – Vision & Hearing
1st – Vision, Hearing, Height & Weight, BMI
2nd – Vision & Hearing
3rd – Vision, Height & Weight, BMI
Students in a Florida school for the first time: Vision & Hearing
These screenings do not replace your child’s need for regular health care and check-ups.
***If you do not want your child to participate in screening, please send in a written request for exclusion to the front office before the screening date***
If there are any questions, you can contact the school nurse:
Tallory Broderick, RN
Pasco County School District Nurse
(813) 444-3856 Google Voice
New River Elementary School
4710 River Glen Blvd, Wesley Chapel, FL 33545
(813) 346-0500 Main
(813) 346-0591 Fax
Snow Globe Shoppe
The Snow Globe Gift Shoppe is coming to New River Elementary from December 7-10, 2021.
The gift shop is a place where your child can shop for gifts to give during the holiday season. Items range in price from $2.00 - $15.00. Please write your child’s name and teacher on the envelope. If you have specific people you want them to buy for, include that information on the envelope as well, then insert the amount of money for them to spend (sales tax is included in the price of the item). Cash or checks (made out to NRES PTA) are accepted. Envelopes will be sent home on December 1st and must be returned on your child's class shopping day. Below is the days that each grade level will be shopping. Your child will have one time to shop on the day provided below. Only students with money, will be sent to the shoppes.Tuesday, December 7- Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Wednesday, December 8- Students in Mrs. Moline, Ms. Warren, Ms. Vaca, and Mrs. Romano
Thursday, December 9- 2nd and 3rd Grade
Friday, December 10- 4th and 5th Grade
Mid-Year Reading Celebration
Reading Celebration Events:
Level 1 - Galaxy Gallup
Level 2 - Space Jam
Level 3 - Black Hole Bingo
Level 4 - Milky Way, Minute to Win It
Level 5 - Pluto Play
Level 6 - Planet Party
Reading Counts
We are excited to announce that Reading Counts is back! Our students are excited, too!
Reading Counts is an online program where children can take quizzes on books they have read in school and at home.
Through Reading Counts, we will be able to see what your child is reading independently. Your child will be encouraged and celebrated for reading more and achieving more!
Participating in Reading Counts includes:
• Taking quizzes on the computer to check comprehension.
• Receiving instant feedback, including rewarded points and congratulation screens for passing quizzes successfully.
Supporting reading at home will help your child become a lifelong reader. Here are some useful tips:
• If your child has an interest in a specific sport, hobby, or topic, encourage him/her to read about it.
• Talk about what your child is reading. Ask questions about the plot or about fun facts if it's nonfiction.
• Find a variety of reading materials for your child to experience, such as fiction, nonfiction, humorous books, mysteries, fantasy, fairy tales, poetry, historical fiction, biographies, etc.
Reading Counts will be available for your child to take quizzes between the hours of 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM seven days a week through the app on myPascoConnect. (Directions to login to Reading Counts are on the back.)
Thank you, Veteran's!
Food and Nutrition Update
Free Lunch and Breakfast:
All students (regardless of their eligibility status) will be eligible for free breakfast and lunch for the reminder of the 2021-2022 school year.
- Even though meals are currently free, we strongly encourage you to complete a new meal application if your household circumstances have recently changed and you feel you may qualify for free or reduced lunch benefits. Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals can receive free or discounted testing fees, camp registrations, high-speed internet, and other benefits. Schools also receive a portion of their funding based off the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals based off their household meal application, regardless of whether that student is attending mySchoolOnline or in person. To review the eligibility guidelines and complete an application, please visit www.pascoschoolmeals.com.
Media Information- Spin the Wheel details
Spin the Wheel
There are three ways for students to be able to Spin the Wheel. Students must fill out a form that lists the books that they have read and passed the quizzes.
- Read 5 books and the pass the Reading Count quizzes.
- Read 4 books in a series and pass the Reading Count quizzes.
- For K-1, read 3 books and pass the Reading Count quizzes.
When a student spins the wheel, they get to pick from the even or odd selection, depending on the number that they land on.
Important Dates
December 7th- Snow Globe Shoppe- Kindergarten and First Grade
December 8th- SAC Meeting
December 8th- Early Release Day- dismissal at 1:50pm
December 8th- Snow Globe Shoppe- Students in Mrs. Moline, Ms. Warren, Ms. Vaca, and Mrs. Romano
December 8th- Aussie Grill Family Night
December 9th- Snow Globe Shoppe- 2nd and 3rd Grade
December 10th- Snow Globe Shoppe- 4th and 5th Grade
December 17th- Reading Counts Celebration
December 17th- End of Quarter 2
December 18th-January 3rd- Winter Break
January 4th- Welcome back, Students!! New start time and end times- 9:55am-4:20pm