Westside PTA News

We are having a Box Tops for Education Collection Contest!!!

Boxtops are a great resource for us to earn extra money for the school and for the kids. All money earned from Box Tops gets used towards educational and fun programs, supplies and rewards for our students. Last year, we earned nearly $2000 through this program!

Rules:
1. Each classroom will collect box tops from March 3-March 14, 2014.
2. Bring your box tops in a Ziploc bag to your classroom and place it in the box tops collection envelope.




PRIZES:  There will be a classroom winner from each grade. The winning classroom will receive extra recess time.

OVERALL PRIZE: The classroom who collects the most Box Tops at Westside will receive a POPCORN PARTY!

Owl Pellet Investigation

Today we dissected Owl Pellets!  So much fun! Ask your children about it tonight and check out what  we found below.

A friend, Flat Jake from Kansas was even able to be a part of our dissection!

February Student of the Month!

Congrats to Arop!! He was our classroom's February Student of the Month!

"Be a Hero" Blood Drive

The blood drive will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2014 on the bloodmobile at Westside Elementary from 2-6 pm.

Each student who recruits a blood donor the day of the drive will receive a gift, as a token of appreciation  for helping save lives. The classroom who recruits the most donors will get a pizza prize.

I sent home the flyers today. Please return them no later than Friday, March 7, 2014.

Each returned response form will earn a sticker (doesn't matter if it is a 'yes' response or a 'no' response).


The donors will be contacted to set up an appointment after we receive their paperwork.

Thanks so much for considering!


**On a side note, I was able to spend just over 20 additional days with my 50 year old mother-in-law 2 August's ago ONLY BECAUSE OF the blood that she was able to receive to keep her alive during that time.  I am so thankful and appreciative of everyone and anyone who is willing and able to donate their blood!

Westside School Dance--SOO fun!

Adrina and I had so much fun joining you all at the school dance!!

 

Feb 17-21 Top Home Reader

Congrats Asho on being our top reader again!!

274 minutes read!  Way to go!

Landforms Project

Our student teacher, Ms. Taubert was so busy for a few hours on Tuesday afternoon preparing our salt dough for this project. We chose and mapped out our land forms on Wednesday. On Tuesday, we formed the dough into the shapes of our chosen landforms. Today, we painted and labeled our landforms!


Look at how awesome they turned out! I couldn't be any happier!

School Dance is TONIGHT

!!!!Our Westside School Dance is TONIGHT!!!!
6:30-8:30 in the Gym!

Can't wait to see you there! Adrina will be with me :)

February 28 Music Performance

We are having our class music performance Feb. 28 from 10:45-11:15. We hope you can join us!

Spelling Week 22 Lists **Note the change!

**Week 22 spelling lists will run this week 2/19/14-2/21/14 through next week 2/24/14-2/28/14**

I have extended our new lists across 4 levels vs. the previous 2 that I was doing. Check with your child on Wednesday what list they are on--each student should bring their list home the first day of any new week--so be sure to check home folders. If you want to know what list your child is on before Wednesday, please send me an e-mail and I will get that information out to you.

Why have I changed to 4 lists vs. 2 lists?  The answer is easy. I used data from our winter benchmark assessments (given early January to all students across the district). I made note of where students spelling skills began breaking down and that is where each group has started!  We will still be working on studying a set of 2 morphographs each week and will be having time set aside to work on their lists briefly in class, so be sure to study them each night at home.

Remember-- www.spellingcity.com/loristeinbrink is our class website for practicing, playing games, taking practice tests, etc, so be sure to utilize that as you see fit in your home!

Week 22 List A
1. hay
2. tray
3. stray
4. they
5. obey
6. hey
7. weigh
8. vein
9. veil
10. freight
11. sleigh
12. neigh
13. eight
14. break
15. great
16. steak
17. play
18. sway
19. crayon
20. prey

Week 22 List B
1.toy
2. boy
3. joy
4. coin
5. foil
6. boil
7. spoil
8. noise
9. point
10. town
11. clown
12. brown
13. crown
14. frown
15. howl
16. sound
17. mouth
18. scout
19. round
20. couch

Week 22 List C
1. button
2. sunny
3. yellow
4. happy
5. happen
6. sitting
7. fellow
8. matter
9. market
10. garden
11. signal
12. member
13. basket
14. center
15. plastic
16. tablet
17. napkin
18. dampen
19. winter
20. foggy

Week 22 List D
1. affect
2. affection
3. distinct
4. distinction
5. select
6. selection
7. extinct
8. extinction
9. predict
10. prediction
11. subtract
12. subtraction
13. contract
14. contraction
15. express
16. expression
17. impress
18. impression
19. process
20. procession

 

Feb 17/18 NO SCHOOL DAYS

REMINDER!!!!

We do not have school February 17th and 18th, 2014!

Feb 3-7 Home Reading Winner

Congrats to OLIVIA who read for 310 minutes at home the week of February 3-7, 2014!

Way to go Olivia-you rock!

South America by: Joslyn, Mitchell, Asho & Eastin

SOUTH AMERICA

By: Joslyn, Mitchell, Asho & Eastin

          There is a narrow connection to North America. South America is surrounded by oceans. To the east of South America is the Atlantic Ocean.

          South America has many traditions. The first people to live in South America were Native Americans. In South America, most people speak Spanish or Portuguese. South America has many new and old traditions.

          South America has the most water around it. South America has many large lakes. The second largest river in the world is the Amazon. Most of South America is on the bottom side of the equator. The equator crosses South America at its widest part.

          There are a lot different weathers going on. The rainforest has water all year. Temperatures can reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Weather tells you if it is sunny or rainy or anything like that.

          Locations are important. Quito is by one side of a volcano. To the west is the Pacific Ocean. Locations tell you where places are.

          Here are some fun facts about South America. South America was the first to make chocolate. South America makes steel, chemicals and televisions. The Andes Mountains are in South America. The Amazon is the second largest lake. South America had dinosaurs for 245 million years. Fun facts are fun things.

          There are a bunch of animals and plants in South America. South America has many alpacas and giant frogs. Trees are very important in South America. Finally, they have anacondas which are big snakes. Would you like to meet these animals and plants?

Glossary

Capital: city where government workers work

Dung: large droppings

Equator: an imaginary line that goes around the center of the earth

Fort: a town or city with a harbor where ships come and go

Symbols: something that signifies something

Timber: wood cut to make things

Europe by: Max, Macey & Matthew

Europe

By: Max, Macey & Matthew

          There are many different islands in Europe. You can visit many different islands. There are oceans and islands around Europe. Europe is near the Atlantic Ocean.

          Animals are treated nicely in Europe. There are herds of animals. People in Europe have herds of deer. People on dairy farms make milk from cows.

          There are many different temperatures in Europe. Europe can be cold and misty. Weather ranges from very hot to very cold. The temperatures are very similar to the United States. It gets misty on the mountaintops.

          The Eiffel Tower is located in Paris, France and was built in 1889. Aphrodite is the goddess of love. The largest Catholic Church in Europe is a temple.

          Europe is the second smallest continent but has the second largest population. Europe has art, architecture and music. One May Day, dancers perform circle dances around a tall pole. The temple reminds people of when the Romans built it. Farmers plant Olive trees one after another. Europe has many different cultures.

          London is one of the largest cities in Europe and is also the capital city. Oslo is the capital of Norway. Norway is above the United Kingdom. Europe is way above Africa. It is on the left part of Asia.

Glossary:

Canal: a waterway for boats

Fresh water: clean water that you can drink

Australia by: Mara, Alexis, Oliva, Jayda

AUSTRALIA

       By: Mara, Alexis, Olivia, Jayda

          In Australia, there is a desert called the Great Sandy Desert. There are many snow-covered peaks. There are many rainforests in Australia. Rainforests are found in the northeast. In salt water, fish and sea plants help to build a reef. Underwater there are many reefs.

          A day of celebration in Australia is a tradition. The British explorer Captain Cook came to Australia for the first time. Aboriginal people are the people who first lived in Australia. In Australia there were people called Aboriginal people. Australia has many traditions.

          The Australian outback stretches for thousands of miles. The outback is far away from the capital city in Australia. Canberra is the capital city of Australia. Lake Eyry is the largest lake in Australia. There are many deserts in Australia.

          Australia is the smallest continent. There are 8 sheep per people in Australia.

          In Australia, the summers are hot and wet and over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a short rainy season. Winter goes from June to September. Australia has many different temperatures. There are many plants and animals in Australia. Emus, platypuses and kangaroos live in Australia. Gum trees and wild flowers both live in the rainforest. All animals have unique ways. Australia has a lot of animals.

Glossary

Equator: an imaginary line that stretches around the globe

Mining: work, progress or business of taking minerals from the Earth

Yachting: a sailing boat.

Asia by: Tristan, Benito & Adam

ASIA

By: Tristan, Benito & Adam

          The Pacific Ocean is on the east side of Asia. Asia has six deserts. Mount Everest is in Nepal. The Great Wall of China is in China. Asia is connected to Europe. The Gobby Desert is in China.

          Asia has a cool rainforest. Asia is the biggest continent. China is part of the far east of Asia.

          They speak Arabic in Asia. There are Asian people in Asia-Chinese, Japanese.

          Asia has many climates. In Asia, the land is frozen all year.

          Dinosaurs used to live in Asia. Mount Everest is in Asia. The Taj Mahal is also in Asia. The Great Wall of China is in China. Asia is the biggest continent on Earth. China is part of the far east.

          The orangutan lives in China. The Panda Bear also lives in China. Bamboo is planted in Asia. Rice is made from the water.

Antarctica by: Zaylea, Gavin & Tyler

ANTARCTICA

By: Zaylea, Gavin & Tyler

          Antarctica has many landforms. Icebergs are made of snow and rainfall. In Antarctica there are currents in the water. Antarctica is one of the coldest continents in the world.

          Robert Scott was the first person to have ponies pull his sled in 1912. The first person to reach the South Pole is Roald Amundsen in 1911. There is a lot of fun stuff in Antarctica.

          In Antarctica it is so cold and the ice doesn’t melt. In Antarctica there are a lot of glaciers. The snow and ice mix to make glaciers that are shaped like a dome.

          Antarctica is the coldest continent. Antarctica is below the equator. Antarctica is an island. There are a lot of islands in Antarctica. The South Pole is one of the islands. Almost all of Antarctica is in the Antarctic Circle.

          In Antarctica there are a lot of experiments on the ice. There are a lot of research stations in Antarctica. Earnest Shackleto got out of his ship before it sank. Antarctica would be hard to live in.

          The Emperor Penguin lives in Antarctica. Penguins huddle up to stay warm. The elephant seal lives by the Arctic Ocean. A tussock and a licher are both plants that are found in Northern Antarctica.

         

Glossary

Massif: mountainous area with a lot of peaks

Mining: digging up things from under the Earth’s surface

Africa by: Jetta, Rylie, Aidan & Arop

Africa

By: Jetta, Rylie, Aidan & Arop

        Africa has many lakes and rain forests. Africa has at least 15 rainforests. Many people like to go on safaris in the jungles. There are many lakes in parts of Africa. Africa has many lakes. It is dry and rainy in Africa.

        There are 800 different languages spoken in Africa. Many people in Africa speak Arabic. Some men hunt for food. They sing and dance in Africa.

        Africa is in the north and south hemispheres. Africa has Kruger National Park and is by the Atlantic Ocean. To the west of Africa is the Atlantic Ocean. There are many islands in Africa.

        Africa is the second largest continent. Africa has a beautiful safari. Africa has the world’s biggest river.

        There are many different climates in Africa. It is hot in Africa. There are rainforests in the rainy parts of Africa. It is hot and dry in most of Africa. It can also be cold in Africa.

        There are 1000 different plants in Africa. There are many palm trees in Africa. There are many different animals in Africa, such as elephants, lions, gorillas, rhinoceroses, and giraffes. There are many different animals running around.

Glossary

Capital: the city or town where government workers work

Climate: the temperature patterns of a specific place

Season: the stages of weather/climate that an area experiences

Feb 10-14 Spelling Words-List A&B

Our spelling words this week follow two different morphograph patterns
-ed is a suffix that we add to the end of a word to show "in the past."
ex- is a prefix that means "out or away."

If your child was on list A this past week, they are on list A again. If they were on List B, they are on list B. :)

List A
1. jumped
2. cracked
3. helped
4. colored
5. camped
6. waited
7. reached
8. expand
9. export
10. exclude
11. except
12. expand
13. exhale
14. light
15. thought
16. earth
17. under
18. story
19. saw
20. while


List B
1. exceed
2. exclusive
3. exhale
4. explosion
5. exclude
6. expand
7. except
8. cracked
9. reached
10. waited
11. delivered
12. wondered
13. dreamed
14. cheered
15. questions
16. complete
17. problem
18. pattern
19. upon
20. friends

February PTA Meeting

I appreciate each and every one of you who are members of our Westside PTA. If you haven't joined, please consider attending their February meeting and becoming a member of this great association that we have at our school.
Our PTA leads our book fairs, coupon book fundraiser and have also recently agreed to take on a larger role in our SCHOOL CARNIVAL (more details to come) this May!

Our February PTA meeting ins Monday, February 10 @ 6:30 pm in the Westside School Library!

Hope to see you there!

Kindness Week February 10-14, 2014

Kindness Week

February 10^th-14^th

Monday February 10^th “Kindness Week Kick-off”

                    Wear your favorite sports clothing

Tuesday February 11^th “Sweet Dreams of Kindness”

Wear your PJ’s

Wednesday February 12^th “Go Crazy for Kindness”

Dress in silly, crazy, mismatch clothes

Thursday February 13^th “Get Fancy for Kindness”

Suit up or dress up in your finest!

Friday February 14^th “We Love Being Kind”

Wear red, white, and pink

 

35th Anniversary Jump Rope for Heart

Dear Parents/Guardians:
Your student is bringing home information for the 2014 Jump Rope for Heart campaign. We again have the opportunity to participate in this meaningful fund raising activity as a service to your community!

Check out your child's home folder tonight for all of the different levels of earning!  Great prizes for your participation! Let me know if you have any questions!

February 5-100th Day of School

February 5th will be our 100th day of school!  I can't believe that it has gone by so quickly!  Our class is looking forward to doing all things 100 on Wednesday!

January BOOK IT HOME READING WINNERS!

Congrats to the following students who have joined OLIVIA, ZAYLEA, MITCHELL and ASHO as our top home readers for the month of January--earning them a FREE PIZZA from Pizza Hut!

Eastin
Joslyn
Jetta
Gavin
Jayda
Macey

Way to go! Who will join them in February?

Jan 27 Home Reading Winner-ZAYLEA

Congrats to Zaylea who was our Jan 27-31 TOP home reading minute winner! 360 MINUTES! Way to go!

January Book It FREE PIZZA earners

I haven't even tallied the last week of January for home reading minutes yet as I will collect them Monday and we already have 4 students who have met our January reading goal of 400 minutes read at home!
Way to go!

Olivia
Mitchell
Zaylea
Asho

You guys rock!

January Student of the Month-RYLIE

 

Congrats to RYLIE--our JANUARY Student of the Month!

February 3-National Counselor Appreciation Day

We love our school counselor-Mrs. Albrecht!
How can we honor her on Monday, National Counselor Appreciation Day?

If you have any ideas please e-mail them to me, or have time over the weekend to put together a thank you card for her, please do so!


She does so much for all of the students at our school!