Glenwood Elementary School enews: October 13, 2016

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1 Glenwood Elementary School enews: October 13, 2016 FROM THE PRINCIPAL: Exciting News Glenwood Families! Our students have been working hard on our Glenwood goals of being Ready, Respectful, and Responsible! We held a Pride Assembly on Friday, October 7 th, and I was amazed by all of the school spirit and accomplishments. We had Glenwood trivia and honored our students for achieving 100 PAWS and 200 PAWS. For earning our goal of 100 PAWS the students participated in a School Wide Extra Recess! The student ambassadors will decide on our school wide reward for earning 200 PAWS. Way to go Glenwood! Parent-Teacher Conferences Remember that parents will be signing up for Parent-Teacher Conferences on-line in mid October. Stay tuned for more information! Feel free to contact me at or ebucci@rtmsd.org if you have questions or concerns with which I may be able to assist. Eric F. Bucci KINDERGARTEN Kindergarteners are realizing that they ARE readers during Reading Workshop. They read their way around the school and the classroom last week. Our mantra has become We ARE Readers! FIRST GRADE The first graders are learning that writers use events from their lives to write Small Moment stories. The students are learning to plan, sketch and stretch out words to write about their small moments. Small Moment stories focus on little topics inside one big topic. The first graders are learning that a watermelon represents a BIG topic, and all the seeds within the watermelon are small moment topics to write about. The first graders will be editing their favorite Small Moment story for the world to read! First graders are also learning all about pumpkins. They will learn about the life cycle of pumpkins. They will predict whether pumpkins will float or sink and will complete an experiment to find out. Each first grader will also decorate their own pumpkins that have been generously donated by the Wolf Family. SECOND GRADE Second graders are beginning Topic 3 in math class. This topic is full of strategies to add numbers within 100. We'll learn about open number lines, 100s charts, break apart, and compensation. Not

2 every strategy will be their favorite...and not every strategy will fit perfectly with the way their brain works, but *trying* each strategy is important. If a strategy causes extra frustration, try coaching them through one or two examples before allowing them to use a more comfortable strategy. There is always an example problem on the homework to show how the strategy works. THIRD GRADE Third grade authors are very busy in writing, perfecting their personal narratives. They are learning how to tell their personal, small moment, using details and a story teller s voice. In Reader s Workshop, we are starting Unit 2 which looks closely at characters in a series. In addition, in Social Studies, the students are learning about ordinal and cardinal directions, longitude and latitude, and different types of communities. The students are becoming expert map readers! FOURTH GRADE Our fourth grade readers have learned how to read intensely to grow ideas. We read the book as if we are in the book, figure out the confusing parts, find the flow of the book and make movies in our mind. We use these and other strategies as we read books aloud in class and read on-level books independently. We can feel our mind growing with new ideas! FIFTH GRADE As we move quickly through the month of October, 5th grade students continue to impress with being ready, respectful and responsible. In Reader s Workshop, the 5th grade has launched their Interpretation Book Club unit. In these first few days of the unit, students are reflecting on what it takes to be a good reader and also writing thoughtfully about their own reading. Further, 5th grade students continue to use the six signposts that good readers use to deepen their understanding of text. In Writer s Workshop, the 5th grade has jumped into the writing of personal narratives. Importantly, students are writing from inside the story and not just summarizing an event in their lives. In math, Ms. Pinsley s and Mr. Dieter s classes are taking a look at Topic 3 in the new Pearson program, which looks at how to multiple, estimate and round using whole numbers. In social studies, Mr. Dieter s class is looking at the first European explorers to come to the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries. PTG Keep up to date with Glenwood Events & Happenings. For more information, visit and follow SaveAround Coupon Book is due, books are $25. PLEASE SEND IN YOUR PAYMENT OR RETURN THE COUPON BOOK to your teacher. PTG Dues of $15 per family: Please use the pink Make It Easy form if you would like to write one check for multiple items, like the $25 Coupon Book and/or to make a tax deductible donation to the PTG. The Glenwood PTG is a non-profit organization. KINDERGARTEN Get-Together will be held at Penncrest on Friday October 21 st from 6:45-8PM. Kindergarten students will meet new friends and parents connect too! There will be games, face painting, and snacks for the children. Our school mascot, Woody will be making a special appearance! This is not a drop off event, parents are responsible for your children while at Penncrest. To RSVP please visit: TRUNK OR TREAT will be held at Glenwood this year Saturday October 29 th. Set up begins at 4PM in the front parking log, the event will be from 5PM 6PM. Children will travel from trunk to trunk gathering candy and snacks. Please look for more information on how to register or make candy donations. Prize will be given for Best Trunk! The PTG thanks you for your supportwww.rtmsd.org/glenwoodptg.

3 GUIDANCE The month of October we celebrate Digital Citizenship as well as recognize Anti-Bullying Month. Grades 2-5 will be having their first lesson of the year this month and it will be on Cyberbullying. Please review the attached Family Tip Sheet on keeping your children safe while online taken from Commonsense.org. Grades K and 1 will visit the topic of bullying and being safe in class lessons and during the 1st grade safety curriculum. I would strongly encourage all parents to be aware of their children s online behavior, accounts that they use (including gaming), passwords, phone texting and images shared. Please remember that keeping an inventory and keen eye on their devices is not an invasion of their privacy, it is a matter of a safety. FAMILY TIP SHEET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Common Sense on Cyberbullying What s the Issue? Spreading rumors and bullying is nothing new. Kids have always found ways to be cruel to one another, but computers, cell phones, and digital technologies make bullying easier and more common. Kids now use their cell phones and computers to hurt, humiliate, and harass each other. Cyberbullying is defined as repeatedly sending or posting harmful or mean messages, images, or videos about someone else using the Internet, cell phones, or other digital technologies. Kids may call each other names, say nasty things about one another, threaten each other, or make others feel uncomfortable or scared. Although cyberbullying is typically associated with tweens and teens, more cases are now being reported with younger children. Younger kids may bully to get attention, because they think it will make them popular, or because they want to look tough and make others afraid of them. Because it happens online, it can easily go undetected by parents and teachers. Cyberbullying can be constant, inescapable, and very public. It can happen anytime at school or at home and can involve large groups of kids. Being anonymous and the desire to be seen as cool can cause a kid who normally wouldn t say anything mean face to face to show off to other kids by cyberbullying someone. Why Does It Matter? Younger kids are starting to use online communication and at the same time they are exploring ways to test other people s reactions. Kids who send a mean message might not fully understand how another person might react to that message. What s more, hurtful information posted on the internet is extremely difficult to prevent or remove, and anyone can see it. Imagine being publicly humiliated in front of everyone you know. This behavior usually happens when adults aren t around, so parents and teachers often see only the anxiety or depression that results from their kids being hurt or bullied. Parents can help by becoming aware of the issue, learning to identify the warning signs of bullying, and helping kids to understand how to be respectful to others online. What Families Can Do Make a list together of how talking online is different than talking face to face. Get kids to think about how it might be easier to say things online you wouldn t say in person, and how this may be good sometimes and bad at other times. Practice writing a text or message to a friend. Model for your child how to compliment people and how to avoid mean words or behaviors. Point out that it s important to stick up for others. Discuss ways they can support friends who are bullied and report bad behavior they see online or offline. Limit online socializing. Because there is more risk for bullying on sites where kids can openly communicate, avoid open and free chat sites. Look for sites that offer prescripted or prescreened chat options, like Webkinz or Club Penguin.

4 Explain the basics of good behavior online. Remind your kids that being mean, lying, or telling secrets hurts both online and offline. And remember to praise your child when you see good behavior. Remind your kids not to share passwords with their friends. A common form of cyberbullying is when kids share passwords, log on to another child s account, and pretend to be that person. Kids can protect themselves by learning that passwords are strictly private, and they should be shared only with their parents. Make sure they are also logged out of any shared devices. Make sure they talk to someone (even if it s not you). A child should tell a parent, teacher, or trusted adult if he or she is being bullied online. Tell your child that this isn t tattling, it s standing up for him- or herself. Advise them on how to handle cyberbullying. Even though they might be tempted to, your child should never retaliate against a cyberbully. They can stop the cycle by not responding to the bully. Also remind them to save the evidence rather than delete it. Establish consequences for bullying behavior. If your child is mean to or humiliates another child, consider taking phone and computer privileges away and discuss what it means to be respectful to others. Better yet, ask them to write an apology letter. CYBERBULLYING / TIP SHEET / DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP / REV DATE CREATIVE COMMONS: ATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL-SHAREALIKE MESSAGE FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE Reminder for parents/guardians of third grade students: Students are required to submit a dental form completed within one calendar year from the start of third grade for their health records. Forms are available on Mrs. Lenton s web page or can be sent home per request. Dentist s private forms are acceptable, please ensure they state the date of visit and have a provider signature. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Lenton or at alenton@rtmsd.org.

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