Mr. Ward’s Message:
As the beginning of the school year continues to move forward we are continuing to develop and foster our relationships with students. As part of the relationship building process we are ALL working together to ensure we are exhibiting respectful, responsible, and safe behaviors. To help with that process students are participating in weekly Social/Emotional Lessons from the Positive Actions Program. The philosophy of Positive Actions is outlined below…
Positive Action is based on the intuitive philosophy that we feel good about ourselves when we do positive actions.
The Thoughts-Actions-Feelings Circle (TAF) illustrates how this works in life: our thoughts lead to actions and those actions lead to feelings about ourselves which in turn lead to more thoughts. When this cycle is negative, students do not want to learn. When this cycle is positive, students want to learn.
The essence of the program is to emphasize those actions that promote a healthy and positive cycle. The Positive Action program works through these concepts in a systematic way.
Teachers each week will be implementing lessons to discuss various topics outlined in each unit.
Unit 1: Self-Concept
Unit 2: Positive Actions for your body and mind
Unit 3: Managing yourself responsibly
Unit 4: Treating others the way you like to be treated
Unit 5: Telling yourself the truth
Unit 6: Improving yourself continually
Attendance Matters Weekly Update:
The goal that has been established... 94% of the FES student population will attend school daily.
It is required for students to attend school regularly. Please make every attempt to send your child/ren to school. We will begin tracking our school-wide attendance data next week.
September 12-16: 95%...Met Goal!
Upcoming events:
September 20: Preschool Open House from 6:00 - 7:00 PM
September 30: Fall Individual Picture Day - Lifetouch is the provider
October 7: Early Release Day - Students will be dismissed at 12:15 PM. No lunch service.
October 10: No School due to Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples Day
FES News and Happenings:
Next Tuesday, September 20th will bring our Preschool Open House Night. The Preschool Open House will take place from 6:00 - 7:00 PM. Families may gain access to the Preschool Open House using the main entrance on Bullock Road. This Open House is open to preschool families and look forward to seeing our preschool friends next Tuesday!
Please continue to be patient with buses arriving home from school. At FES we are aware buses are leaving the school late. Please know we are ensuring the safety of our students by being overly cautious as to which bus we place students. In due time, our bus departure time will be smooth and efficient. If the bus departure times are running late (over 15 minutes) families will receive an “all call email” from the school notifying of the late departure.
FES School Council Meeting: On Wednesday, September 28th at 8:15 AM there will be an FES School Council Meeting. All members of our school community are invited to attend. The purpose of the school council is to assist the principal and school council team members in adopting educational goals for the school, identifying the educational needs of students, reviewing the annual school budget, and formulating a school improvement plan.
News and Happenings around the classrooms:
Preschool: This week in preschool we practiced classroom routines and learned our rules. We began learning about each other’s likes and dislikes. As part of our “All about Me” unit of study, we measured our height, feet, and weight.
Kindergarten: In kindergarten this week we continued to learn routines and expectations. We shared various “All About Me” projects and made connections with shared interests and likes. We’re spending time finding out what makes us more alike than different, thus building our classroom families. We also continue to explore classroom materials.
Grade 1: This week in first grade we started letter formations in Fundations. We also have been sharing out our All About Me bags and getting to know each other. In math we began learning about math talk and the steps to solving problems. In writing the students are learning the routines and expectations.
Grade 2: This week in second grade we continued getting to know our classmates and practiced routines and meeting classroom/school expectations. In reading we read stories and learned about literary elements such as character and setting and what makes a story fiction vs. nonfiction. In math we began to learn about place value. We worked on developing ideas for writing and learned about map skills.
Grade 3: This week in third grade we began reading Judy Moody Was in a Mood. We have been using this chapter book to model answering comprehension type questions in complete sentences. In writing we got creative by writing bio poems and sharing them with classmates. In math, we reviewed basic multi-digit addition and subtraction problems and started solving the word problem of the day! In social studies we explored maps and had some fun creating our own map of a Royal Palace using a compass rose.
Music: This week, students K-3 have started the second week of their unit on being expressive in music. We will learn new songs, games, and movements to be performed with appropriate musicality. In addition, Grades 2 and 3 have begun basic note reading activities. 3rd Grade chorus sign up forms are going home with students. If you would like your child to participate please sign and return them.
Art: All grades are in our LINE unit. Click Here to help your child learn more about Line as an element of art! Kindergartners listened to the story “I'm not just a scribble.” We practiced good seat posture and pencil grip, and drew adorable scribble monsters. Grade 1 reviewed and practiced good posture to improve the quality of their lines. They drew adorable crazy line self portraits. Grade 2 has a special theme throughout the year, art from around the world. We are working on our first project, a world painting and collage. Grade 3 also is practicing good seat posture to improve the quality of their lines. They learned how to use a ruler to draw straight vertical lines and are creating intricate mini line designs.
Physical Education: This week, grades 1-3 started the kicking unit by playing Fruit Loop Tag. They also worked on their CardioRespiratory endurance, by warming up with pacers. Kindergarten classes played Crazy Train and also warmed up with pacers called “The Chicken Run”.
Library: In the library this week we checked out books for the first time this year! In kindergarten we read “The Library Book” by Tom Chapin and Michael Mark. In first grade we read “King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Library Book.” In second and third grade we read the book “L is for Library”. In kindergarten and first grade students learned how to use shelf markers to find a book. Second and third grade students learned or reviewed how to check out books on their own. We will start book checkout next week.