APRIL 2015

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Principal: Kim Ramsey Asst. Principal: Avery Goode

6000 Highway 55 E. Clover, SC 29710

803-631-8300

From the Desk of Mrs. Ramsey:

We will begin taking our state tests the last week of April. We will start

with our new ACT Aspire tests and then move to PASS testing as well as

an optional ACT Aspire Science test. Our district MAP testing has already

started for spring. Below you will find a schedule for our state testing.

Please remember to have your students get a good night’s rest, eat a

good breakfast, and arrive to school on time.

Tuesday, April 28

8:30 am, ACT WRITING

30 minutes

Break: 10-15 minutes

After Writing Test & Break, ACT ENGLISH

30 minutes

Wednesday, April 29

8:30 am, ACT READING

60 minutes

Thursday, April 30

8:30 am, ACT MATH

55 minutes

May 7

8:00 am, SC PASS Science (untimed)

May 8

8:00 am, SC PASS Social Studies (untimed)

May 12

8:30 am, ACT Science

55 minutes

PRE-KINDERGARTEN 2 KINDERGARTEN

Please remember to register for Kinder-

garten for the 2015-2016 school year.

Our Kindergarteners have been busy learning

about the different kinds of gardens you can

grow such as flowers or vegetables. We have

learned the importance of seeds and what

plants need to grow. In class we have read

several non-

f i c t i o n

books and

d i s c u s s e d

the differ-

ent vegeta-

bles we like

to eat and

maybe even

grow at

home. To

add some fun to the end of our garden unit,

we had some worms brought in to compare

their sizes and talk about why they help the

Earth. This week we will be learning about

the importance of Earth Day and ways to

help protect our Earth!

This past week,

Pre-K students

have been

studying and

celebrating

Earth Day.

The students

learned many

ways to help

protect our

earth. Activi-

ties included

studying about

recycling, re-

ducing, and re-

using, as well as

“fishing” trash out of a dirty lake. The students

learned many reasons why we should keep our water

clean. In another activity, we set up an experiment

to see what would happen if we decided to litter in

our lakes, rivers, and streams. The result was see-

ing the water turn dirty and brown.

We also welcomed spring by studying earth-

worms in their habitat. Worms were brought into

the classroom. Through sensory exploration, we

examined the slippery, slimy bodies up close. The

students created a worm farm by adding rocks,

soil, dried leaves and worms to a container. We

added pieces of banana for food. The children

spent the week examining the worm farm with a

magnifying glass and searched for the tunnels that

the worms had formed.

3 FIRST SECOND

ANIMALS

During the last nine weeks of school, sec-ond graders will be studying about animals as their science unit. Each student received their own caterpillar to observe. Students have been watching their caterpillar go through different changes over the past two weeks. They will get to watch it go through its life cycle and turn into a beautiful butterfly. As a class, we will go outside to the garden and set the butterflies free. It’s such an exciting experience! Also, during our animal unit, students will

be able to classify animal groups based on their

physical traits. They will also learn how animal

structures help them survive and grow in their

habitat. To end our animal unit, students will do

research on a mammal and insect of their choice

on their iPads and then present their information

to the class.

Learning with Technology

in First Grade

In math, the first graders have started a new unit

on Measurement. Our first focus has been on learn-

ing the difference between an analog and a digital

clock. The students have had fun looking around at

all the many places clocks are found. We have used

the app called Kids Clock to work on telling time on

the analog to the hour and the half-hour in the

classroom .

After spending time in the classrooms learning about

plants; their parts, their uses, habitats, and what

they need for survival, the first graders created

projects on their iPads with the help of Mrs. Roveri,

Mrs. Carter and some parent volunteers. They first

learned about how to do research and take notes.

Then they were able to utilize many of the apps

learned in iLab; Explain Everything, Pic Collage,

Morfo, and Keynote to create the projects. The stu-

dents were excited to apply their knowledge of

plants in a creative and fun way!

4 THIRD

Third grade math students have started a unit on fractions. They will represent fractions in fraction bars and number lines. They will also compare fractions and find equivalent fractions. We have also been preparing for the ACT test by taking practice tests. It has been a busy month. Students also had a chance to spend a day at Camp Cherokee in King’s Mountain State Park. Students spent the day studying water habitats and soil. Their fa-vorite activities were searching through the pond mud for tiny creatures and sifting the soil to separate it into layers. A great time was had by all.

5 FOURTH

In preparation for the ACT Aspire test on April 30, the 4th grade math students have been doing a lot of test prac-tice. We have covered fractions, decimals, percentages, and geometry. These kids are ready!!! After the test we are go-ing to go back and take our unit test on fractions. Then we will continue on to Unit 7. The kids are working very hard and I am so proud of them!

6 FIFTH

April is Math Awareness Month! At Bethel, fifth grade math students have been learning about unique mathematical problems by participating in Math Imagineering Day. Ask your child about hexaflexagons and measuring plants with an angle-a-tron! In class, we are plot-ting points on a coordinate grid, we are off measuring in the metric system, and we have made our own X Marks the Spot battleship game. In science we are continuing our study of estuaries and marshes. We will be exploring the picture book, The Web at Dragonfly Pond. We will also be taking care of anoles and creat-ing an ecosystem for them. In social studies, we are currently studying the modern history of the US. We will learn about events that happened from the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1992-Present Day. Some of the top-ics we will be learning about will include the Persian Gulf War, the Iraq War, the terrorist at-tack on September 11, America’s dependence on imported oil, and the globalization of our economy and culture. April is also Poetry Month so in language arts we read and analyzed poems (including the famous Casey at Bat). We looked at rhyme scheme, alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, metaphor, simile, assonance, and much more! In writing we have been focusing on gram-mar review. These last few weeks of school are going to be busy ones! Here are a few dates you may

want to add to your calendar. ACT testing begins on April 28th and ends April 30th. PASS

testing is May 7th and May 8th. MAP testing will also take place during the month of May.

Fifth graders will tour Oakridge Middle on May 14th, Field Day is May 15th , the 4th/5th

grade Dance is May 21st, Fifth Grade Fun Day is June 1st , and the fifth grade Moving On

Ceremony will take place on June 4th, the last day of school!

7 CASKEY · EVANS · PEREZ

Our classes participated in the Spring Spe-

cial Olympics on April 10th at Cherry Park in

Rock Hill. Prior to leaving for the games, the

school provided a special “Cheering On

Ceremony” for the students. They made

banners with each student’s name and

waved them as we loaded the bus. It was a

wonderful surprise and meant a lot to all of

the students and teachers.

Students from all over York County participated in the

games. Volunteers from CHS helped as buddies and cheered on

the athletes throughout the day. The younger students attended

clinics where they played games. The older students participated

in the 50 meter dash, 100 meter dash, softball throw and stand-

ing long jump. Ribbons and medals were presented at the com-

pletion of each event. It was an exciting and fun-filled day for

everyone!

8 ARTFULLY YOURS · MR. CHRISTMUS

Our Banners are back at Bethel and will be on dis-play in the cafeteria soon! They were displayed in the old part of Clover near the new Family Dollar for about a month. The theme is “Civil Rights” this year.

We started the “Fifth Grade Throwers” program a couple of weeks ago. These are afterschool potter’s

wheel sessions. A little over ten students have already had a chance to participate in the program. This is only a fraction of our fifth graders! The next available dates will be April 23rd (four spaces left), April 29th

(four spaces left) and April 30th (four spaces left). Finally there are four spaces to be filled for May 6th and four spaces for May 7th. We throw from 2:35pm -3:30pm on each of these dates. After these dates pass the wheel will be closed until next school year. “Nothing ventured, Nothing gained!”

Email Mr. Christmus to schedule your fifth grader…. matthew.christmus@clover.k12.sc.us

Our art exhibit at Bethel for the Fourth and Fifth Grad-ers on April 16th was a blast!! Many parents came out to watch their children perform in the musical “Welcome to Harmony School”. Afterwards most stayed to view the art work.

9 MUSIC · MRS. FARIS

On April 16th, fourth and fifth graders delighted the audience of parents and friends with a mu-

sical entitled, “Harmony School”. They got into the groove of the music by singing and danc-

ing to “Gotta Get to Class”, “Gym Class”, “Lab Rat Rock”, “Learn It With a Song” and the “In-

School Detention Blues”. An encore performance will be held during a school assembly on

May 20th. All fourth and fifth graders are encouraged to dress the part which makes it all the

more fun! Costume suggestions are listed below. Plan to wear your “Harmony School” cos-

tume/outfit to school on May 20th.

Costume Suggestions for Girls (think 1950s and early 1960s)

Cheerleading outfit

Athletic uniform

Skirt/Sweater or Blouse/Bobby Socks (like in the movie, “Grease”)

Capri Pants with shirt, short scarf tied around neck

Blue jeans and tee-shirt

Possible hairstyle - ponytail

Costume Suggestions for Boys (think 1950s and early

1960s – Elvis Presley days)

Athletic uniform

Jeans and tee-shirt

Slicked back hair

Black vest over white shirt

Regular athletic or other comfortable shoes are fine.

They need to stay on the feet well and not slip off while

moving.

10 PHYSICAL EDUCATION · MS. WESSINGER

Students enjoyed getting ready for Field Day during the month of April. We re-

viewed and practiced over an under relays, egg and spoon relays, bucketball, fast

ball, critter tag, and captain dodgeball. Teamwork, sprinting, and personal space

awareness were also reviewed and practiced as students enjoyed preparing for this

fun-filled event!

Fifth graders continued learning about fitness concepts and have started Fitnessgram

testing. Students are encouraged to keep studying their fitness concepts guide that

was given out in class. The Physical Education Fitness Concepts Study Guide is also

on my staff page.

Continue having FUN on a daily basis as you play using sports skills and fitness ac-

tivities. This will help tremendously in keeping your heart, mind, and body healthy

and strong!

Ms. Wessinger

11 SOARING EAGLES · MS. WESSINGER

SOARING ON THE WINGS OF BETHEL Hello Everyone! Congratulations to all PE “Star” students for the month of April! As you know,

one student from every PE class is recognized as a Star student each week at the end of PE class.

A Star student tries his/her hardest. A Star student also demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship

and good character.

Each month, one “Soaring Eagle” is recognized from each grade level (PK-5). A “Soaring Ea-

gle” always tries his/her hardest and demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship and good character.

In addition to possessing great character traits, Soaring Eagles demonstrate proficiency or near

proficiency in most or all skills taught in Physical Education during the month. CONGRATULA-

TIONS to all PE Soaring Eagles for the month of April 2015.

The Soaring Eagles for this month are:

PK Chase Kelley (Summers)

K Latham Burton (Thomas)

1st Jenna Peterman (Clinton)

2nd Dane Craig (Glenn)

3rd Avery Grant (Barrett)

4th Dylan McTaggart (Levesque)

5th Sammy Al-Dandan (Smith)

Way to go!! Keep it up!

12 BLC/ILAB · MRS. ROVERI & MRS. CARTER

Media Mania…BLC & iLab United Awesome April with Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Roveri! April has been awesomely busy in the BLC and iLab! Pre-K and Kindergarten students went on

an Earth Day nature walk and used a digital checklist on their iPads to recognize the beautiful

things in nature they saw. They are learning to use the Notability app to prepare for next year.

They were able to practice using the writing tools within the app and saving their work.

First Graders completed their plant projects after two weeks of research in the regular class-

rooms and media center. They created in-depth and informative videos and slideshows using

various apps. Each group was responsible for presenting information about what plants need,

the parts of a plant, and products made from plants. They also wrote “The Important Thing

About Plants” poetry and recorded in GarageBand. Check out our poems at http://

padlet.com/tammi_carter1/1stplant.

Bethel Second Graders focused April on poetry as well. They

created a grade level onomatopoeia iBook by app smashing

Photo Grid and Book Creator. They were able to save images

that portrayed their assigned onomatopoeia “sound word” and

created a collage using the word and images. Then, they cre-

ated their very own page in the iBook and recorded their

sound. The iBook turned out great and the kids are excited to

view and recite it all together!

Third Graders have begun biographical scrapbooks using the

apps PhotoGrid and Book Creator. They have chosen and are

researching a famous American about which to write a biogra-

phy. These biographies will be done in scrapbook format. Students are learning to decipher

between necessary and unneeded information. The scrapbook format will keep them focused

on presenting the important information.

Fourth Graders were busy this month studying digital read-alouds and figuring out the techni-

calities of one. They determined what apps were best to create one and the step-by-step

process in doing so. They are currently working on their own digital read-alouds using next

year’s Children’s Book Award Winners.

Fifth Graders are researching a famous Civil Rights Activist and creating a Facebook-profile-

formatted biography using the app Pages. They are learning to summarize life events and de-

termine what’s important and what is not. Students are doing a great job and can’t wait to

share them!

Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Roveri are so excited about the learning going on at Bethel. Students are

allowing technology to get out of the way as they prepare for next year. They are becoming

fluent with their devices, and this allows them to focus more on the content instead of the apps!

13 GUIDANCE · MRS. DITTL

Congratulations to our Students of the Month for April! This month, we focused on citizenship.

Desiree Forbes Ajay Vang Evan Hunt Destiny Forbes Payton Grace Peake Kendall Troublefield Jake Barret Colton Hendrickson Enrique Rodriguez Peyton Ferrell James Gilkeson Gracen Lane Porter Quinn Natalie Yusenko Minnae Brown Gracie Bailey Brayden Hearsey Lauren Mroz Marissa Cowley Siena Gould Rayven Gallagher Landon Benoy

Lauren North Jake Solomon Ginger Pitts Jacob Sabella Shane Glover Kensley Troublefield Emily Wodecki Ethan Iles Lily Phan Olivia Linscott Chanelle Davis Andrew Long Trip Scoggins Kylie Lingenfelter Libby Claire McGarity Gabriel Renzema Zyon Barrett Shanova Evans Cody Baker Olivia Benfield Dawson Parton

CIT

IZENSHIP

Transportation: Please remember to send a written note when changing the way your child is going home. We

no longer accept phone calls to change a student’s transportation. We prefer you do not send

email. If our email is down at times we may not receive them. If there is an emergency, please

contact the office at 803-631-8300.

Please remember to check the Parent/Student Handbook for other reminders regarding bring-

ing in outside food for lunch, arrival and dismissal times, and more.

Attendance: All students will receive an attendance letter when they have reached 3, 5, 7, and 10 ab-

sences. Please remember to send in a note for all absences. Three (3) consecutive unlawful or

unexcused absences or five (5) unlawful or unexcused absences are considered truancy and

will be marked as truant. Out of town trips are not excused, but it is best to send in a note

when you do take a trip. Tardies are very important also. Students should be in class before

the bell rings at 7:35am. Please leave home in time to get your child to school prior to

7:35am.

Letters are sent home when your child

reaches five (5) or more tardies. Also,

Please note that children must be in

school until 11:00am to be counted for

the entire day. We do not dismiss stu-

dents after 2:00pm. Thank you.

We are asking that everyone

please remember that Bethel is

a smoke free campus and there

should be no smoking on school

grounds. Thank you!

14 OFFICE REMINDERS