The Blue Creek Gazette
December 2017
From the Desk of Mr. Joines
Hello Blue Creek Families and welcome to our new monthly family newsletter, The Blue Creek Gazette! First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone in the community for their warm welcome this year. Blue Creek is an amazing school with a great staff and fantastic kids. I feel extremely honored and privileged to be leading such a phenomenal school!
We have had a great first half of the school year. Students have been engaged in meaningful learning experiences in all classrooms. Our implementation of The Leader in Me is helping students take responsibility for their learning and their behaviors. The Leader in Me is blending in nicely with our PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Support) initiatives. The entire staff is focused on student achievement and are dedicated to ensuring that students show a year's worth of growth for a year's worth of learning.
Everyone is excited about the second half of the year and look forward to our continued work with you, your child/ren and family. And, as always, I am here to support you and your child/ren in their academic and behavior goals. Please let me know if I can ever be of assistance.
It is my wish that you and your family have a wonderful Holiday Season filled with love, laughter and togetherness.
Sincerely,
Tim Joines
Principal
Blue Creek Elementary School
Perfect Attendance Grade Level Awards - November 2017
The following classrooms had the highest percentage of students present at school during the month of November 2017. Way to go!
Kindergarten: Mrs. Powers' Class
First Grade: Mrs. Cremer's
Second Grade: Mrs. Wright's
Third Grade: Mrs. Hart's Class
Fourth Grade: Tie! Mrs. McLeod and Mrs. Hunt
Fifth Grade: Mrs. Geddes
School Keeps You Safe, Educates You, And Prepares You For Your Future. Don’t Miss Out!
The Leader in Me Students of the Month
Kindergarten:
Ma"Kya Wurdinger, Amelia Camacho, Mischa McGee, Bianca Cuellar Parra, Kira Mitchell, Gabe Pelsang, Gavin Hoffman, Keely Askins, Sophia Benezette, Aaron Damian
First Grade:
Emily Mason, Julius Smith, Jr., Taylon Garren, Yanely Perez, Chloe Pierre, Yanina Escorcia, Destini Nealy, Frany Portillo-Hernandez, Dominik Torres, Giuliana Munoz
Second Grade:
Chloe Hoffman, Evan Hawes, Jayda Navarrete, Landon Fraley, Trinity Cole, Demari Troy, Taylor Tomlin, Jack Cowgill
Third Grade:
Angel Cuellar-Parra, Melany Palomo-Romero, Aya Guy, Jowell Nieves, Latrice Weatherspoon, Chris Brandt, Claire Bland, Haylie Anderson
Fourth Grade:
Serenity Cardenas, Auctavine Horstmann, Andrea Parra, Michael Green, Haven Crandall, Timothy Blake
Fifth Grade:
Zoie Moore, Emmanuel Lovett, Asher Allen, Arica Barr, Amaya Miller, Caleb Stricklin
PBIS
Our December PBIS celebration will be held Tuesday, December 19th at 1:00 pm. Kindergarten thru 2nd grade will be watching Rudolf and grades 3-5 will be dancing in the cafeteria. Please continue to encourage your child to follow our 4 school rules: Be Safe, Be a Team Player, Be Accountable, Be Respectful. Thank you for all that you do!
The Leader In Me
Supporting The Leader in Me Initiative We are often asked how parents can support their school’s leadership initiative. Each time we are asked we give the same answer “Use the 7 Habits language at home.”
As the school year continues to unfold, the children are learning the language and meaning of the 7 Habits. By hearing the same language at home and at school, you send the children a strong message of what you believe is important and that we are all on the same team—the team that wants to help succeed. When parents and schools support one another, the sky is the limit!
Below is a summary of each of the habits:
Habit 1: Be Proactive (You’re in Charge)
Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind (Have a Plan)
Habit 3: Put First Things First (Work First, Then Play)
Habit 4: Think Win-Win (Everyone Can Win)
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood ( Listen Before You Talk)
Habit 6: Synergize (Together Is Better)
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw (Balance Feels Best)
Holiday Fun Week Dress Up Days
Students and staff are invited to dress up the last five days of school before we break for Christmas. The theme for each day is as follows:
Thursday, December 14
– Red and Green Day - Wear Christmas Red and/or Green
Friday, December 15
– Hat, Tie and Socks Day - Dig out those Holiday hats, ties and socks!
Monday, December 18
– Ugly Sweater or Holiday Fair - Wear an ugly sweater or your favorite holiday shirt
Tuesday, December 19
– Pajama Day - Wear your best Holiday Pajamas
Wednesday, December 20
– Holiday Character Day - Dress up as an elf, reindeer, etc.
December 21 - January 2: No School - Christmas Break
January 15: No School - Martin Luther King Holiday
January 19: End of 2nd Nine Weeks Grading Period
January 22-23: No School - Teacher Workdays
3 Reasons to Read With Your Elementary Schooler Every Night
Here are three reasons to read with your elementary schooler every night:
1. Time together.
The number one reason for reading each night is quality time together. Period. Life gets nuts when kids go to elementary school. Between homework, lessons, classes, and meetings, it's a crazy time. But carving out that small amount of time—even if it's 10-15 minutes, which is just enough time to read one chapter of a book—is totally worth scheduling into your day. I'm betting payoffs for this small, scheduled “date” with your child will be big in the long-term.
2. Listening to fluent reading.
If you choose to do the reading, which I strongly suggest you do, then this time together allows your child to listen to what fluent reading should sound like. You don't need to go crazy with voices and sounds—just read naturally and normally. The more your younger readers hear what fluent reading should sound like, the better! It reminds them how their reading should sound.
3. Talking about texts.
It doesn't need to be an in-depth discussion about characters, plotline, or style, but you may be surprised at how your conversations evolve after you read together for some time. You can begin by just “thinking aloud”—every few pages, share your thoughts about the text out loud, kind of like a built-in commentary. Your child will hear how you think about and process text as you read, and soon it will become habitual for him or her to do the same. Over time, incorporate questions or thought-provoking statements and involve your child.
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