Washington Word
October Newsletter
by Carol Feuerbacher
October 10, 2007
News from the Principal's Office
Some of you may have noticed that there are some changes at Washington this year that don’t have anything to do with construction. We are very pleased to introduce some new teachers to you. Mrs. Andrea Matteo, a graduate of Wayne State College, is teaching kindergarten in room 103. Mrs. Erin King, another graduate of Wayne State, is teaching 3rd grade in room 108. Additionally, we are excited to have two student-teachers at Washington right now. Ms. Tiffany Frerichs is currently teaching 1st grade with Ms. Rookaird and will be teaching 5th grade with Mrs. Boyle & Mrs. McCallum later in the semester. Mrs. Xochtil Naranjo is student-teaching with Mrs. Oswald in 2nd grade. We welcome these new staff members to the Washington Family!
During the month of October, we will be holding our fall parent-teacher conferences. During these meetings, teachers will have an opportunity to share how your child is progressing so far this year. Please think through what questions you might have prior to your child’s conference so that their teacher will have the opportunity to address any concerns you might be having.
Also, with the change in the weather that fall brings, we ask that you talk with your child about appropriate clothing to wear during the fall. We strongly suggest that all students bring a coat/jacket, hat, and gloves to school each day. Though they may not always need them, they store easily in their backpacks. Weather can change quickly in Norfolk so having appropriate clothing available is a great idea.
News from the Challenge Room
Hello! My name is Nancy Boche and I am the Challenge facilitator for Washington school. If you can’t figure out how to pronounce my last name, you aren’t alone! The easiest way to remember is that the “c” is silent. So, you would pronounce it “Bo-He.”
I am at Washington School on Wednesdays. The following is the schedule for Wednesdays:
Second grade: 9:30 a.m. to 10:05 a.m.
Third grade: 1:15 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Fourth grade: 2:20 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Fifth grade: 12:20 p.m. to 1:20 p.m.
The units of study currently involve everything from animal habitats to Multiple Intelligences. The students in all grades are very eager to meet each week and begin their work!
If you have any questions or concerns, you may e-mail me at nboche@npsne.org or contact me at 644-2557 (school) or 371-0284 (home). It is truly a pleasure to work with your student!
Nancy Boche
News from the Guidance Office
Greetings!
School is definitely in full swing and we hope your students are enjoying their new year.
Thought I would share what your school counselor is addressing with the students. In education, we often hear from our business leaders that students are not prepared for the world of work. Granted, in elementary buildings, our focus (as it should be) is on mastering the good ol’ 3 R’s, but there is also an element of learning that cannot be overlooked. That element is basic skills that can help not only a learner, but a worker, no matter what age.
Those skills include the following: (ask your student how they learned these)
- Be on time
- Be kind
- Be fair and honest
- Take good care of things
- Allow the teacher (boss) to teach
- Complete your work and let others complete their work
- Keep yourself neat and clean
I’m sure you’ll agree that these “rules” make sense whether you’re 10 years old or 30. We talk with the students that these rules last a lifetime and they make a difference in the workplace.
Again, I want to remind you that if there are any questions, please feel free to call your school and the secretary will either forward your call or give me your message.
Anita Theophilus, School Counselor
News from Mrs. Friedrich's Classroom
The Life of a Fourth Grader
When I asked my students to describe their life as a fourth grader, they responded in many different ways: good, exciting, interesting, lots of work, harder than third, and fun. It has been interesting because the fourth graders are moving from room to room to learn Reading, Writing, Grammar, Spelling, Math, Science, and Social Studies. If you ask them who their teacher is you will hear: Ms. Friedrich, Mrs. Baack, or Mrs. Ahlman. However, I have been very proud of the way they are handling this experience.
This year your child will be taking Reading, Writing, and Math tests that will be reported to the state department. They may feel a little pressure but we try our best to prepare them for success. Some concepts that are being developed at this time are: math facts, place value, ordering numbers, telling time, map skills, Nebraska facts, soybean information, writing a 5 paragraph essay, kinds of sentences, nouns, pronouns, and mastering cursive handwriting. Study habits are extremely important. Your child will be doing homework such as reading their chapter book nightly, writing in their chapter journal, studying spelling words, and definitely practicing their math facts. Would you be able to help with that?
We are looking forward to many exciting days in fourth grade. Some of the highlights will be going to the Elkhorn Valley Museum, Art Center, and of course Lincoln, Nebraska to view the State Capitol and the legislature.
We will see you at Parent Teacher Conferences.
Thank you,
Kathy Friedrich
News from Mrs. Baack
It has been a busy start of the school year in Mrs. Baack’s class! We are all working on those important daily tasks, like filling out the assignment books and handing work in on time. Students who have late work are kept in at recess to complete it, and will stay for study hall if it remains unfinished. If a student is able to make it through the entire month with no late work and meets his/her AR goal, he/she will be able to eat lunch at McDonald’s on the last day of the month. The students are always excited about that!
In Reading, the fifth graders are enjoying reading one of two different novels: Number the Stars or Bud, Not Buddy. Fourth graders work with either Mrs. Friedrich or Mrs. Ahlmann. Each student has taken the STAR Reading test, which gives an estimate of each student’s reading level. We use that result to set monthly AR goals for the students. Since they only get 20 minutes of reading time at school, reading each night at home is important. Please encourage your child to bring his/her book home each night.
In Science, we just finished studying bones and muscles and are now starting a chapter on the nervous system. The students are enjoying talking about how the brain works and drew life-size pictures of how neurons travel to and from the brain. I always give the students a study guide a day or two before a science test, which contains important material that will be on the test.
Fourth graders will be learning about Nebraska in Social Studies this year with Mrs. Friedrich. We had a speaker come talk to the class about soybeans, which was a very interesting presentation. Fifth grade Social Studies has been focused on using maps, longitude/latitude, and the continents.
Math facts continue to be an important part of our weekly math work. All students have been taking 3-4 timed fact tests each week, which will be sent home on Fridays beginning September 15. Students are supposed to be able to finish 80 problems in 3 minutes. The unfinished problems will be completed over the weekend and returned on Monday. Each week, one grade will be entered into the students’ Math grades, which can begin to have a large impact if all of the grades are low. Please encourage your child to practice each night (they each have made their own flashcards at school.) Both grades have finished place value and 4th graders will be moving on to clocks/time as 5th grade will move on to adding/subtracting decimals.
I am looking forward to a great school year with your child and invite you to call or stop in any time you have questions.
Thank you,
Mrs. Baack
