December Events
12/3 PTO meeting @ 6:30 p.m.
12/5 Winter Concert @ 7 p.m.
12/9 Sleigh ride @ 10:30 a.m.
12/12 District band concert @ 7 p.m.
12/21 Winter Party
12/24 to 01/01 December Recess
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Physical Education Students
Learn and Play Basketball
Students in 5th grade are working on their basketball skills! After students learn to pass the ball, they are instructed to move to an open space. Students are preparing for game play by thinking about why that movement into open space will help their team in a game. We are also practicing shooting, dribbling, foul shoots, and defense!
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First Graders Learn About
Ancient Civilizations
First graders in Mrs. Canestaro’s class have been learning about Ancient Civilizations in Listening and Learning. They got the opportunity to build “tablets” out of dough and carve out their names in cuneiform just like the people used to do in Mesopotamia. Students also created and decorated fancy neckwear that was like what pharaohs used to wear in Ancient Egypt.
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Fifth Grade Students Use Chromebooks
The fifth grade students in Mrs. Manning and Ms. Vandebogart's class have been using their new chromebooks during their ELA Unit on the book,
Esperanza Rising
by Pam Munoz. The students have had their chromebooks for just about a month, and are seamlessly moving between Google Docs and Google Classroom.
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Sixth Graders Host Ancient Greece Fair
Sixth grade students at Parker Elementary have been studying Ancient Greece as they read the book, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. As an engaging and collaborative end of unit project, sixth grade students in Mr. Wallis class held a Greek Fair in November. Groups of students have been collaborating using the Google to research an area of interest related to Ancient Greece. The task was for the students to create a booth that teaches the younger students about their topic.The students used a collaboration rubric and a collaboration contract to ensure they worked purposefully together. Each group was responsible for an informative essay, a poster, and a creative element to engage the second grade students that attended the fair.
The second grade students also just finished learning about Ancient Greece so it was a natural fit for them to attend the fair. After the fair, the sixth grade students will complete self and peer reflections about their collaborative experience.
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Helpful Tips to Improve Attendance
- Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
- Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
- Don’t let your child stay home unless he or she is truly sick. Keep in mind complains of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign on anxiety and not a reason to stay home.
- If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make her feel comfortable and excited about learning.
- Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
- Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.
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News From the Nurse
If your child complains of or shows the following symptoms at home, please follow these guidelines:
- RED EYES: Any child with an itchy eye that is red, puffy and draining colored fluid will be sent home and asked to see their healthcare provider.
- RASH: Any child with an unexplained rash or eye inflammation should be kept at home until the condition is diagnosed by a physician.
- FEVER: If a fever is present during an illness, a child should be kept at home until the temperature is normal for at least 24 hours, and until all symptoms are gone. Children with temperatures of 100.5 or higher will be sent home. Children with temperatures below 100.5 will be assessed and may be sent home depending on their complaints.
- COLD: A child with acute early symptoms of a cold should stay home to prevent serious developments and to protect classmates from exposure to infection. If this practice is followed, fewer absences due to respiratory illness will occur. Some symptoms are a runny nose, persistent cough, swollen glands, sore throat and headache.
- STOMACH PROBLEMS: An upset stomach, diarrhea and stomach pains are also reasons your child should stay home.
- HEADACHES: Many times headaches are from not eating or drinking properly. Please encourage your child to eat breakfast either at home or make arrangements for your child to eat breakfast at school. Free breakfast at school is available to all students.
- VOMITING: Any child that has an episode of vomiting will be sent home from school. Please do not send your child to school if they have vomited in the last 24 hours.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO CALL THE SCHOOL NURSE AT 607-758-4164 IF YOUR CHILD WILL BE ABSENT, and send in a signed, written excuse.
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Mrs. Snyder's Math Minute
When was the last time you’ve really thought about place value? It is explored early in the fall in the intermediate grades, adding complexity to its study each year. These fifth grade math WIN students are shown modeling the number 6,401 many different ways using their place value disks. One student models 5 thousands chips, 14 hundreds chips and a unit chip. Another models 6 thousands chips, 40 tens chips and a unit chip. Yet, another models 6 thousands chips, 3 hundreds chips, 90 tens chips and 11 ones chips. Requiring that math learners think flexibly is one way to help them acquire number sense. Plus, it’s so much fun!
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Bus Safety Tips
School bus transportation plays a critical role in the education of our nation’s students. More than 25 million children ride the yellow bus every school day. Here are some tips from the
National Association for Pupil Transportation
to keep our children safe at the bus stop as well as on the bus.
Getting Ready for School
- Have your children put everything they carry in a backpack or school bag so that they won’t drop things along the way.
- Encourage them to wear bright, contrasting colors so they will be more easily seen by drivers.
- Make sure children leave home on time so they can arrive at the bus stop before it is due, ideally at least five minutes early. Running after or in front of a bus is dangerous. Read more...
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Oops... Accidents Happen
If your child has a bathroom accident, spills a drink or food, or gets muddy/wet at recess – they will have to provide their own change of clothes from their backpack, cubby, or locker.
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Our public library has many
offerings!
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Stay Tuned for Our Newsletter Next Month! #WeAreCortland
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