Happy December,

As we end 2019, I would like to thank you for your commitment to John Dewey Elementary School. The success we have experienced since the opening of the school year owes a great deal to parents/caregivers and families like yours. I wish you a restful winter break and hope you enjoy this time with your scholar (s). For the New Year, I wish you health and happiness and hope the winter recess provides opportunities for you and your scholar (s) to do things you might not be able to accomplish when school is in session.

Parents, thank you for actively participating in your child’s education. It is important that your child sees you proactive and involved in their education. December is a short but busy month here at John Dewey. Our staff is committed to all of our scholars’ success and we appreciate your continued assistance.

I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season. School is closed beginning December 23rd. During winter break there will be opportunities to create a stronger bond with your scholar (s) and continue to support their academic growth and success. The holidays are good times for story telling around the dinner table or routines like bedtime reading that cultivate connections between home and school expectations. Young scholars do best with regular schedules, and I encourage you to prepare for their return to school on January 3rd by instilling in them an understanding about the importance of being rested and ready to learn.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year and as always thank you for supporting John Dewey.

Educationally Yours,

Mrs. Clotman

One Team, One Vision, One Goal!

Parent Communication December 2019

Mrs. Clotman, Assistant Principal

Volume 6 Issue 30

Upcoming Events: 12/9 – 12/13 Scholastic Book Fair

12/10
Sight Word Bingo Night

Winter Break Dec 23—Jan 3

Important Announcement

**Please Remember** Kindergarten and 1st Grade Scholars are picked up by their classroom teachers at 8:50am. If your child arrives after that time, they are required to walk to class by themselves. No exceptions.

Please have your child to school on time Kindergarten and 1st grade scholars are tardy at 9:05am

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Music Notes from Ms. Beyer

PreK scholars have been exploring the opposites in music loud/soft, fast/slow, high/low. They have been connecting music and literature with song stories which are story forms of some common childhood songs. A lot of our time is spent moving our bodies to music (dancing, marching, hopping, etc.)

Kindergarten is also exploring elements of music not only hearing them but demonstrating as well. Students have been showing their abilities to sing and move while learning how to sing in a group.

In 1st grade music we have tackled the tricky concept of basic rhythmic notation. Our first graders have started reading, writing and performing with quarter notes, eighth notes and quarter rests. They are now working on melody and pitch using bells and Solfege hand movements, which are a series of hand signals that represent the different pitches. We are also hoping to show off what we have been learning this year with a performance later on in the year.

Tips for Parents: Questions to Ask Your Child about Their Day

Get a sense of your child’s life at school by asking questions that elicit more than a one-word response. Try one of these conversation starters:

Tell me about the best part of your day.

What was the hardest thing you had to do today?

Did any of your classmates do anything funny? Tell me about what you read in class.

Who did you play with/hang out with today? What did you do? Do you think ________(insert subject here) is too hard?

What’s the biggest difference between this year and last year?

What rules are different at school than at home? Do you think they’re fair?

Who did you sit with at lunch?

Can you show me something you learned or did today?

Websites for Educational Games

There's no denying the appeal that online games have for kids. The following are educational gaming sites on the web.

Funbrain- Not only does this site cover a variety of subjects, it also caters to K-8th graders.
Game Classroom- Excellent, safe, teacher-approved, state-standard-aligned games for grades K-6.

Gameaquarium- Great site for games for kids K-6 in all types of subjects.

Braineos- Nice site where games are based on flash cards.

DRESSING FOR THE WEATHER

Just a reminder as colder weather begins to roll in, students will be going outside if temperatures are over 32 degrees. Dressing your child appropriately for the weather is important. For your child’s comfort please include boots, snow pants and an extra pair of dry socks when there is snow on the ground.

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