The Beeline

Garden City Elementary School

October 2008

Be Involved In Your Child’s Education

 

WOW!  Attendance at Literacy Night was GREAT!  We are thrilled that so many parents are realizing their importance in their children’s education.  We encourage our parents to be actively involved in their children’s school.  Research supports that students have greater school success when their parents are involved.  Your children need and want your involvement and support.  WE DO TOO!  Please put the 2008-09 Family Involvement Activities dates on your calendar and plan to attend.

• October 14 - Math Night
• November 18 - Grade 3 Program
• December 9 - Kindergarten Program
• January 13 - FCAT Night
• February 10 - Science Night
• March 10 - Grade 1 Program
• April 14 - Grades 4 & 5 Program
• April 23 - Science Fair
• May 12 - Grade 2 Program

 

Al1 activities/programs begin at 6:30 p.m.

Ask your child about Sappy Session and why it’s “okay to be different!”

District Accreditation

During the 2007-2008 school year, Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) began seeking District accreditation by conducting a standards assessment review.  Prior to this, individual schools were reviewed each year for accreditation eligibility.  A Quality Assurance Review Team (QART) will visit Duval County this month to evaluate and confirm our school district’s work.  Garden City is not one of the schools selected to be visited by the review team.  Our principal, however, will participate in an interview along with other principals.

 

District accreditation will corroborate our district’s efforts to provide quality education for all of our students and recognized our accomplishments.  DCPS is the very best!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OCTOBER CALENDAR CHANGE -

Students WILL attend school on October 20.  They will not have school on October 24 - Teacher Planning Day.

 

Kindergarten students have a fieldtrip to the fire station and the Lem Turner Road McDonalds on October 29 & 30 2008.  Chaperones must have a Volunteer card.

 First grade teachers will study life cycles in science this month.

 Ms. Alexander’s second grade students are working on money, word problems and adding two digit numbers in mathematics.  They are studying the properties of matter in science and realism, fantasy, predicting and inferring during readers workshop.

 Ms. Buggs’ second grade students will begin a genre study on poetry in readers workshop.  They will learn about graphs and geometric shapes in mathematics.  As the class prepared to decorate their class door for the Reading Kickoff, they “accidentally” did an author study of their favorite author Angela Johnson.  After listening to read-alouds, the students worked in pairs and groups to illustrate scenes from the books and wrote retellings of the stories read.

 Ms. Cook’s second grade students will do a short study of poetry in reading this month.  They will continue their study of “coins, coupons and combinations” in math investigations focusing now on solving word problems.  In science they will explore the properties and states of matter.  They are learning about the different systems that keep our wonderful body working in health.

 Ms. Poore’s second grade students will do a short study of poetry in reading this month.

 Ms. Small’s second grade students are working on understanding poetry and compare and contrast in reading. They will continue to work on story problems in math.

 Ms. Solomon’s second grade students will continue to work on story problems in math.  They are studying compare and contrast in readers workshop.

 Ms. Carley’s and Ms. Gordon’s third grade students will continue to work on multiplication and begin working on division this month.  They will learn the characteristics of vertebrate and invertebrate animals in science.

 Ms. Sheffield’s third grade students are working on cause and effect, drawing conclusions and sequence in reading.  They will begin to study animals in science.

Ms. Herbert’s and Ms. Lillard’s fourth grade students are showing “great growth in writing!”  They are continuing their study of narrative writing.  They will begin a new social studies unit this month.  They are happy that their students have finally grasped long division.  Ms. Herbert and Ms. Lillard love their class.  They invite parents to stop by for a visit!

 Ms. Joseph’s fourth grade students didn’t know that Florida was such an interesting place!  They are learning a lot about our state in social studies.

 Ms. Naccarato’s fourth grade students will be working on travel journal to go along with Reading Theme 1 - Journeys.

 Ms. Peterson’s fourth grade students will study the geography of Florida in social studies.  They will focus on multiplication and division by hundreds in mathematics.

 Mr. Betts’ and Ms. Young’s fifth grade students are working on using literacy centers during readers workshop.  They are learning about energy in science and will begin a unit on fractions, decimals and percents in mathematics.

 Ms. Bliss’ and Ms. Williams’ fifth grade students are learning about number sense in math.  They are discussing matter in science and are looking forward to fun projects.

Ms. Britt’s fifth grade students will focus on text organization and fact and opinion in reading.  They will continue narrative writing in writers workshop.

 Ms. Dawson’s fifth grade students will focus on fractions, decimals and percents in mathematics.

 Ms. Blessing’s third, fourth and fifth grade music students will begin playing the recorder this month.  Please remind your child to bring his/her recorder on music day.

 

• Volunteers are needed to assist in classrooms and/or the cafeteria during breakfast and lunch.  Contact Ms. Tarkington if you can help - 924-3130.  Volunteers must have a volunteer card
• Volunteers are needed to assist with the PTA Carnival – October 23, 2008.  Call Ms. Jordan or your child’s teacher at 924-3130.
• Chaperones are needed for the grade 4 fieldtrip to MOSH on October 2, 2008.  Volunteers must have a volunteer card.

• Ms. Alexander would appreciate donations of Fun Friday snacks.
• Ms. Poore would appreciate donations of Fun Friday snacks.
• Ms. Small would appreciate donations of tissue.
• Ms. Solomon would appreciate donations of nutritional snacks.
• Ms. Herbert and Ms. Lillard would appreciate donations of pocket dictionaries.
• Ms. Naccaratto would appreciate donations of empty cereal boxes.
• Mr. Betts and Ms. Young would appreciate donations of tissue, copy paper and items for the carnival.
• Ms. Bliss and Ms. Williams would appreciate donations of copy paper.
• Ms. Britt would appreciate donations of copy paper
• Ms. Gibson would appreciate donations of styrofoam egg cartons, styrofoam meat trays, and butter tubs and lids.
• ALL classes would appreciate receiving items for the carnival.

 

!

 

Wachovia Bank (Ms. Terry)

United Way of Northeast Florida

Ms. Quarles

Ms. June Fedder

Ms. Kishia Allen

Mr. Robin Roberts

Ms. Benita Williams

Ms. Tinsley

Ms. Shontel Grays

Mr. Harris

Mr. Daniels

Ms. Annie Griffin

Parents who donated Fun Friday treat, daily snacks and wish list items

Parents who have chaperoned fieldtrips

Clip & Save your Box Tops!

 

Did you know that each Box Top you clip is worth 10¢ to our school? Yes, that’s right! So please start clipping & send them in.

 

Where do you find Box Tops? On many products you may use now, such as: Kleenex brand tissues, Cottonelle toilet paper, Scott paper towels, Ziploc brand bags, General Mills Cereal, Juicy Juice, Old El Paso products, Hamburger Helper, Huggies brand wipes & diapers, & Fruit Roll Ups to name a few. A complete listing can be found at www.boxtops4education.com.  Box Tops can be turned into our school at any time.

 

October

Book of the Month

Brothers of the KNIGHT

By

Debbie Allen

 

The Twelve Dancing Princesses have nothin' on the 12 sons of Reverend Knight, a Harlem preacher.  Narrating the tale in a chatty if somewhat rambling voice, the family dog, Happy, explains that this man "raised his sons with a firm, loving hand... but a lot was goin' on that couldn't be explained."  Actress, choreographer and producer Allen gives a familiar tale a hip spin as the brothers dance each night from one roof to the next to reach the Big Band Ballroom. There they swing till dawn, returning home with shoes "worn to threads, messed up, torn up, stinky, dirty, tacky, jacked up."  Sunday, a sharp, attractive housekeeper with magical powers, discovers the siblings' secret, but she keeps mum, waiting instead until the kids themselves are ready to 'fess up to their dad.  They don't and she quits, but all ends happily.  

 

You may check out the book of the month from our Media Center.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 The carnival is coming!

The carnival is coming!

 

When:  October 23, 2008

             5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Where:  GC Playground

Why:  Family Fun

Please plan to attend!

    SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING

There are many ways you can support your child’s learning and school.  Here are a few suggestions:

§         Spend a few minutes every evening looking over graded work, handouts, agendas, daily calendars, forms and other items your child brings home from school.   Return information to the teacher as requested.

§         Make sure teachers know you appreciate their efforts.

§         Contact your child’s teacher immediately if you see a problem.  Working together will help your child succeed.

§         Attend conferences, parent meetings, and school events regularly.                    

 

   

                                                     Picture This

 

Good readers form mental pictures as they read.  To improve your child’s comprehension, read a book without letting him or her see it.  Ask him or her to guess what the pictures look like.  Examples:  How are the characters dressed?  Is the setting bright or gloomy?

   

Practice memorizing grade level math facts EVERYDAY!