School Newsletter

As we approach the holiday season and send good tidings to others; let’s take time to remember those who have faced many challenges this past year or are not able to be with their loved ones. Let’s give those in need the support to help them through the holidays.

During the holiday season I would like to send my warmest regards and best wishes for the happiest of holidays. May peace, love and laughter fill your holiday season!

Helping your child learn how to manage his/her time is one of the best ways to help him/her do better in school.
Here are some tips on helping your child make time for learning:
FOLLOW ROUTINES- Routines make life easier for parents. Kids who know that homework time is before TV may grumble but they will follow the rules. Creating regular times for homework, reading, watching TV and bedtime will make life easier for the entire family.

Charlestown Elementary Vision/Mission Statement
To provide a learning environment that fosters mutual respect among all members of the school community, emphasizes high expectations for
student achievement, promotes positive perceptions and attitudes about learning, respects the individual needs of all learners, and promotes a
shared responsibility for the education of all students.

2     Marking Period Begins
6 & 9      Parent Conference & Report Cards Issued (closed for students)
12     PTA Meeting
17    Award Assembly
19     Toddler Time, 10:00 AM
25-27      School is closed

December

3     Interim Period Ends
8     Kindergarten, Dutch Apple Theater
10    Dress Rehearsal &Concert
    PTA
10-18 Book Fair/Buy one, get one free
11    Dinner with Dad
17    Toddler Time, 10:00 AM
18    Nutcracker,
Kindergarten-grade 2
23 Movie
Dec. 23-Jan. 1 - School is Closed

    During the coming months, we will be studying units on Colors, Families and Friends, and life long ago including the Pilgrims, Native Americans, and the First Thanksgiving. In December, we will learn about celebrations around the world such as Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah. In Language Arts, we will continue to practice letters and sounds as well as blending letter sounds to decode new words. We will also practice reading and comprehension strategies as we read stories together and read in our guided reading groups.
     In Math, we will use perception skills as we recognize various attributes in objects and shapes. We will continue to practice counting, writing, and making sets for the numbers from 1 to 20. We will begin a unit on measurement where we will measure time, capacity, length, etc.
    We will be going to the Dutch Apple Theater in Lancaster, Pa. on December 8th. More information about the trip will be sent closer to that date. Thank you families for your support with homework and with the letter/word and study books.

First Grade
Our students have been working hard, gaining confidence, and adapting to the routines responsibilities of first grade. They have already come so far!
Thank you for your support with completing homework, signing the homework book, communicating with us, and informing the school in writing if a transportation change is necessary! J
Here are some of the topics we are currently working on:
Reading/Spelling: using fiction and non-fiction reading selections to make predictions/inferences, monitor/clarify, question, evaluate, and summarize, reading, using details and sentence structure to build comprehension; using graphic organizers to respond to text, making words with short vowel sounds; and learning sight words; self-correcting; retaining learned spelling patterns to use in daily work
Writing/Handwriting: using writing frames and sentence starters; writing to inform and writing for personal expression; using correct grammar, capitalization, and punctuation; using verbs; and uppercase and lowercase letter formation; and proofreading
Math: addition and subtraction facts to 18 and the strategies used to find answers; adding pennies and nickels; counting on, graphing, telling time
Social Studies: learning our addresses, phone numbers and important cell phone numbers; knowing who to call in an emergency; and learning about cultures, traditions, and holidays throughout the world
Science: solids and liquids

Self-awareness: using good character traits; deciding whether something is a big or small problem, how it will affect him/her, and whether or not it needs to be discussed with an adult, ignored, or settled on his/her own- TYING SHOES!

Second Grade has been very busy over the past few months.
Here are some of the topics we are currently working on:
Reading/Spelling: The children are finishing up Theme 2 on Nature Walk. They have been working on the 2 sounds of g and c. The children have been working on going back into the text to support their answers. They will be beginning Theme 3 Around Town: Neighborhood and Community in reading. They are decoding consonant digraphs and vowel pairs. They are identifying base words and endings. The children are working on the following comprehension skills: making judgments, summarizing, determining main idea and details, problem solving and making inferences. They are using their personal word dictionaries to assist in spelling on all written work. Please stress the importance of spelling words correctly on all assignments. The children are maintaining reading logs and/or calendars at home this month which requires them to be reading 15 minutes each night in addition to their homework
Writing/Handwriting: The children are working on writing good beginnings and good endings in their writing. They have also been working on adding interest to their writing through the use of strong verbs and details using the Marcia Freeman Writing Program. They are completing their stories and getting ready to write descriptive paragraphs.
Math: The children are mastering their addition and subtraction facts to 18. Please practice facts daily with your child. They are also adding 2 digit numbers as they continue to work on word problems. They will be revisiting 2D shapes in geometry.
Social Studies: The children are beginning to work on maps and landforms.
Science: They are wrapping up their insect unit. We are working on some mini units about science and getting ready for weather unit. We want to thank all the families for all of your hard work on the insect home projects. The projects are presently on display in the media showcase.
Health: We are continuing to discuss nutrition and staying healthy.
Thank you for your continued support in signing their homework book each night. Also, thank you for your prompt response to forms sent home.
Ms. Kuenzle and Mrs. Schiesser

It is hard to believe the first marking period is almost over. The third grade class has been split into two classes for reading and math instruction. All students are still having Science and Social Studies together. Please remember to sign homework logs every day and look at the required assignments. Thank your for your support.
Reading-We have started our second theme called “Celebrating Traditions.” The stories are realistic fiction and students find learning about the different cultures enjoyable. We are using all reading strategies in our whole and guided reading groups. The students should be reading as much as possible at home each night. The county grading policy is rigorous and it is important that students complete all assignments on time and to the best of their ability. Our goal is to have all readers become proficient. The reading theme tests are still worth three summative grades each marking period.
Math-Our next unit is Addition and Subtraction Word Problems. Please encourage completing as much of the homework as possible each day. We check the next day in class to make sure students get a chance to clear up any questions. Students should be practicing flashcards (+, -, x) as part of their regular homework routine. Multiplication mastery of facts is the requirement this year. Addition and subtraction facts were a mastery requirement in first and second grades. Students should already be proficient with these.
Writing-Third graders write for a variety of purposes in all subjects. They are learning new strategies to help them become proficient writers. We are going to start working on a “How To...” writing assignment. Most writing assignments in the language arts area are kept at school in a notebook.
Spelling- Students are doing pretty well with our assessment program. By this point students should be working toward a score of eight correctly spelled words on weekly tests. The required score for the second marking is to spell eight out of sixteen words correctly. Remember to study those words that were missed on the pretest and on the weekly tests. Encourage students to complete the homework assignments each day as well.
Science and Social Studies-In Science are just about finished working with the sound kit. We are still studying Cecil County in Social Studies.

Mrs. Rogers and Ms. Mango

Please review the student handbook. On page 11 it clearly states that all Trading Cards and Electronic Games are prohibited items. Students that bring in items listed as prohibited items are taking a chance that they will be confiscated. Please explain this to your child and make sure they understand they are taking a chance of losing important items if they bring them to school.

Thank you.

READING : Our second theme is American Stories. We will be reading Tomas and the Library Lady, Tanya’s Reunion, Boss of the Plains and A Very Important Day. At the end of the theme we will study plays.

WRITING: We are finishing our unit of writing a personal narrative and will begin a unit about writing a description.

MATH: Please continue to practice and review multiplication and division facts.

SPELLING: Please continue to study words from the packet of all spelling words that was sent home earlier. The spelling test on Friday will be based on the packet and words will be selected at random. Students need to be familiar with all words in the packet since the weekly test will be words selected at random. The words for homework practice are words used with the weekly reading story and focus on a specific skill or pattern. The words from the weekly story are to be used for completing the tic-tac-toe activities Monday to Wednesday. Thursday night should be a study night to prepare for the test on Friday.

SCIENCE: We are finishing our unit of study about Magnets and Electricity. We will be creating a telegraph and learning more about circuits.

SOCIAL STUDIES: We are studying the regions of the United States. We are currently studying the Midwest and learning about the geography and climate.

Please sign the yellow spiral Homework Agendas that were sent home earlier in the year. Your child is responsible for copying the daily homework from the board and showing you the spiral every night. Your signature indicates that you have seen the daily homework.

Congratulations to the following students whose landscapes were selected for the 2009 Eastern Shore Land Conservancy Art Contest:

2nd Grade
River Andrichyn
Grace Hope Stevens
Haley May
Gavin Watts
Emma Ritter

3rd Grade
Abby Hechmer
Marina Jones
Olivia Boas
Nathan Wooddell
Makenzie Barnett

4th Grade
Leslie Patterson
Cameron Garcia
Chasidy Greene
Jade Handy
Madison Willis

5th Grade
Ryleigh Johnson
Jakob Hild
Isabel Edstrom
Sarah Chandler
Alex Scott

Fifth grade students have been researching a topic of natural disaster. Students are using the research cycle to explore one topic. They will then use their research information to “jigsaw” and share their expertise with classmates.

Fourth grade students are researching disasters…many of these are manmade disasters, but students are also researching the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Students will create a powerpoint to demonstrate their learning.

Third grade students are beginning their research cycle for “Off to Adventure.” Students are researching one of four topics; a journey to a strange land, a journey back to the time of the dinosaurs, a journey back in time to the time of castles, A trip to another planet. Students will use the research cycle to research their topic and then create a brochure for their adventure topic which will demonstrate their new knowledge of the topic.

Second grade students are finishing a research unit on insects, and beginning a unit on award-winning literature. We will identify Caldecott award winners, and identify other awards that are given to books.

First grade students are finishing the detective work of locating main ideas with supporting details in fictional and non-fictional resources. In November we will be investigating various genres that we have in our media center. We will begin our study of media literacy. What are your family’s preferred television shows? Do they inform, persuade, or entertain? What is the intended target audience?

Kindergarten students are concluding an author study of Eric Carle. In November, we will also be exploring media literacy. We will identify that all media messages are constructed to inform, entertain and persuade. As you view programs together, ask your child the purpose of the show/commercial you are viewing.

In pre-k we will be exploring books about autumn and winter. Please continue to use the envelopes for book return. These have proven very valuable in minimizing overdue materials. Thanks for all your help.

Thanks for all your help in reminding your child to put his/her library book in their bookbag the night before media classes. This is beneficial for the children to participate fully in the media selection process.
Challenge News

The next Gifted and Talented Parent Advisory Council (GTPAC) will meet Tuesday, November 3, 2009, at Elkton BLVD 6:30--8:00. Meetings are a great way to meet with other parents of children in the challenge program from around the county. There is a link to the challenge page from the www.CCPS.org website.
Additionally the GTPAC has also created a wikispace for interested parents.

Together we can make a difference.
Continuing some worthwhile programs:
The Cash for Trash program in partnership with Terracycle Inc (http://www.terracycle.net/).
This program involves our Green Team collecting and turning into the school certain nonrecyclable items from their home or school lunches. These items are then shipped to Terracycle to be turned or “Upcycled” into useful products that are sold worldwide.
Here is a list of items that would normally be trashed and take up space in our landfill; Any brand juice pouches like Capri Sun, Kool Aid etc…, Any size empty Frito Lay product bags like Doritos, Popcorn etc…, and any size Nabisco brand Cookie wrapper. All of these companies and more are sponsors for this very cool program that helps to teach our children the value of taking care of the environment, and not to mention earn money for our school as well.
That brings us to our next program, My Coke Rewards for Schools, Now, by drinking the products that you and your families enjoy every day, you can donate points to provide our school with the resources we need. Any My Coke Rewards® points, earned through codes found on participating brand packages can be donated to our school.
My Coke Rewards points can be found on a wide variety of beverages that can fit your family’s individual tastes and needs. Here is a list of participating product: Coca-Cola® Classic, Diet Coke® ,Coca-Cola Zero™, Sprite, Dasani®, POWERade®, Minute Maid®, Lemonade, Minute Maid® Orange Juice, VAULT™, Pibb Extra®, Fanta®, Fresca®, Barq’s. You can go to www.mycokerewards.com/schools to register and start donating to our school today, or bring your points in, their will be a collection bin setup in the lobby. We have set a moderate goal of 5000 points before the end of the school year and we are almost there with a little over 3000 points so far. Don’t forget to also keep collecting those box tops and Campbell’s soup labels these are also very good programs for helping your child’s school.
Charlestown Elementary is in the beginning process of becoming a Maryland State recognized Green School, via the Maryland Green School Awards Program, sponsored by the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE), has recognized Maryland public and private schools pre K-12 that:

• Use their school site and curricular instruction to prepare students to understand and act on current and future environmental challenges facing all Marylanders.
• Model environmental best management practices (BMPs) in building and landscape design, operation and maintenance.
• Build and maintain partnerships with the local community to enhance environmental learning and to design and implement projects and programs that result in a healthier environment.
Our first project which is Meadow Restoration, is under way with the planting and seeding of Maryland (native) trees, wildflowers and grasses in the field above the parking lot, it will take time to establish, but will be beautiful and beneficial, as it helps with erosion control and a natural habitat for the local wildlife.
The Charlestown Dragon Green Team will take part in many future worthwhile environmental projects, while having fun and learning how best to become better stewards of the environment.
One final note, this year Thanks to Recycle America, we can recycle more than ever. Starting July 1, 2009 students and staff can recycle just about everything except styrofoam and food. Charlestown was able to recycle approximately 2 ¼ Tons of paper and plastics last school year and we hope to have an even higher recycling weight count by the end of this year.
Samuel F Gonce
Michell Belote
Russ Lawson

Recycling is everyone’s responsibility.

Welcome back to another great year! I want to take a moment to remind you of my role at Charlestown Elementary School.
The school counselor…

I am very excited to work with your children in classroom guidance, small group meetings, and individual sessions. I am available daily from 8:15-3:45. Please call me if you have any concerns.

I am also conducting orientation sessions for those interested in volunteering in our school. The orientation will be held on September 18th at 9:30 and October 1st at 9:30. You do not need to attend both meetings. Please find the attached volunteer form and complete it. If you would like to volunteer but cannot attend either orientation session, please contact me so that we can set up another time. Thank you for your time and cooperation.