October 2014 Dogwood Elementary
Transcript of October 2014 Dogwood Elementary
Dear Dogwood Families,
It was a pleasure seeing so many families at our “Back to School Night” on September 9th. The col-
laboration between home and school contributes significantly to the success of our Dogwood students. A
special thank you to all the parents who supported our Claire’s fundraiser On behalf of the entire staff,
sincerest thanks for your continued support and cooperation in making education a priority.
The weather is getting colder, days are getting shorter, and the flu season is upon us. The flu
mist will be offered for free at school on October 21. Your students will receive the permission slips to-
morrow. Please remember to return them to Mrs. Edwards no later than Wednesday, October 15th.
The end of the first marking period is Thursday, October 31, 2013. Schools will be closing 3
hours early. Grade 1 parents will schedule conferences with parents to discuss child’s progress, instead of
receiving a report card. Kindergarten students will receive their progress reports November 14th, at con-
ference day. Distribution of report cards will be November 13.
We will have our annual Harvest Festival Parade on Friday, October 30th instead of October 31st
due to early dismissal on that day. Students will bring their costumes to school and parade around the
school at 2:00 p.m. We encourage parents to attend, and don’t forget to bring your cameras. We look
forward to seeing you.
Also on Thursday, October 30st, the PTA will be hosting an evening Harvest Festival. That evening,
students will come dressed in costume and enjoy going door to door to classrooms to “Trick or Treat.”
This will take place in 3 rotations. Students will receive a color coded ticket that will admit them to the
gym for Harvest activities, refreshments, and the Haunted House. Additional details from PTA to follow!
Parents we need your help with early dismissals. Teachers have so much instruction to complete
during each lesson. When students are pulled from the class prior to the end of the school day, they do
not have adequate time to complete their final assessment. Without the teacher being able to observe
students’ understanding at the end of the lesson, the teacher is not able to adequately assess their total
comprehension of the skill, and provide a grade that reflects their understanding. Please help us to con-
tinue to help your children, and try to make doctors’ appointments before or after school.
Reminders…. If you would like to have a conference with your child’s teacher; please send a note
with your child to schedule a date and time. Picture Day with Lifetouch Portraits is scheduled for
Wednesday, October 15th . Look for a packet with information coming home the week of October 6th.
As always we encourage you to join our PTA; the cost is only $10.00, and these funds support par-
ents, students and school-wide activities. Volunteers are needed to assist students in the classroom, of-
fice and in the cafeteria. If you are available to volunteer for an hour or two, please stop by the office
and fill out an application. Thank you in advance for your support!
Mrs. Pettiford
A Note from the Principal
Dogwood Elementary
October 2014
Reading: We are continuing to read different stories from Wonders which focus on the idea of achieving our goals. Students are encouraged to read at least 15 minutes every night at home!
Math: The students will be finishing up with the Place Value unit and be beginning Unit 2, Multipli-cation. In preparation for this unit, please practice basic multiplication facts with your child. In this unit, they will be expected to multiply two and three digit numbers.
Science: In the next week, the students will begin their first science unit, Eco-Trekkers. As part of the unit, our fifth graders will be attending a field trip on October 13th to the Chesapeake Bay. If you have not, please send in the signed permission slip. The 5th grade teachers will send home notices about what students are expected to bring for the field
trip at a later date.
Class Dojo: The 5th grade team thanks those parents who have been accessing the class dojo accounts. Again, this is not only used for behavior but also pro-vides the teachers a way to communicate with par-ents and students. If you are having problems, please let your child’s homeroom teacher know.
Magnet School: Applications went out the beginning of the school year and are due by the end of Novem-ber. Please take some time and read it over with your child. It is a great opportunity.
Thanks for your continued support! 5th grade team
Ms. Sutton [email protected]
Ms. Crump [email protected]
Ms. Williams [email protected]
Ms. Caldwell [email protected]
What’s New in 3rd Grade!
This month in math we will be working on place value. But let’s not forget
those multiplication math facts. Please continue to practice those 0, 1, 2, 5,
and 10 multiplication facts. In reading, we are connecting with nature. We
will be writing research papers explaining one endangered animal.
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Inside the 4th Grade
Dogwood Elementary
5th Grade Highlights...
Math
We will continue working to deepen
our understanding of place value
concepts and how they apply to
the read world, with a special focus
on understanding money and a
brand new concept—decimals!
Science
As we finish our first Health unit, we
will soon dive into our first science
unit, Taking a Closer Look at Space!
Important Dates
School Closed: October 17th
Half Day: October 31st
Be on the lookout for information
about our annual Harvest Festival!
Contact the Fourth Grade Team
Miss Liston: [email protected]
Ms. Putnam: [email protected]
Miss Talerico: [email protected]
Mrs. Monroe-Rice:
Reading/Language Arts
Fourth grade is continuing with our
first reading unit, We Are the Sto-
ries We Tell. We have been read-
ing the novel Wonder, which cen-
ters on the memorable character,
Auggie. We will continue discov-
ering memorable people and
characters while reading autobi-
ographies, biographies, and a
variety of literary texts!
3rd Grade News...
It’s hard to believe that it is already Fall! We have been working hard and learning all of
our new routines. We recently began switching classes for Phonics. Just a reminder that
phonics and reading homework will be given out each Monday, and is to be returned each
Friday. Math homework will be given on a daily basis depending on your child’s homeroom
teacher. Please make sure you have sent the white emergency contact form (signed) back
to school. This is vital in case of a school emergency. Also, be sure to be on the lookout
for a notice for our first field trip to the zoo!
Important Dates to Remember:
Friday, October 17th- Professional Development Day- Schools Closed for all Students
Friday, October 31st- Marking Period Ends and Schools will Close 3 Hours Early for Ele-
mentary and Middle School Students.
Phonics
In phonics, first grade will be work-
ing on short vowel sounds and blends.
We will be reading, writing and blend-
ing words with different sounds
every day. You will see spelling words
come home that match the sound we
are working on for the week. Please
practice these words and complete
the nightly homework to ensure they
are successful at home and school.
Math
First Grade will be working on addi-
tion and subtraction and shapes in
October. We will be solving addi-
tion and subtraction story prob-
lems as well as learning shapes like
rhombus, hexagon, trapezoid, tri-
angles, and squares. Students will
be doing math workshops that re-
late to these skills in school. Please
continue to complete student’s
math homework every night as it
reflects what was taught in school
that day.
Reading
First grade will be focusing on main
idea, finding key details and story
mapping in October. We will also be
reading fiction and non-fiction
text. Please read with your child
every night to ensure success at
home and in school. Asking ques-
tions about what they are reading
at home is an important part of
being able to see if they under-
stand what they are reading. Thank
you for all you do to support your
child’s reading.
October 2014
1st Grade Corner
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2nd Grade News
What’s Happening in Kindergarten?
Cut off day for Free & Reduced lunch is October 13th 2014. Please be sure you
have completed an application for your child lunch account.
For Free and Reduced price Meals- apply online at
https://mealapps.bcps.org/lfserver/eform or receive a application from the
main office.
CAFETERIA NOTICE
clues, etc. Please work on
these skills with your child at
home as you read with them.
During math we are working
on our number sense and one
to one correspondence.
Helpful Reminders:
-Please bring in a snack
EVERY DAY
-Check DAILY for important
papers in your child’s commu-
nication folder
-Please make sure your
child has an extra set of
clothes at the school
Important Dates:
Monday 13th – Field Trip to
Clark’s Elioak Farm
Friday 31st-schools close 3
hours early
This month our Kindergar-
ten students will continue
learning how to write, iden-
tify, and sound out letters
of the alphabet. We will
also be reading stories re-
lated to our fall season, ani-
mals, friendship, and con-
tinuing the basic skills for
reading such as reading left
to right, point to each word
as you read, use picture
“Bears on Parade” A display of Dogwood Art Students work can be seen at Security Mall.
Music Library/
Technology
For the month of October Dogwood is very lucky to
get The Heart Adventure Course which is on loan
from Baltimore County Public Schools. Students will
travel throughout the
gym learning the path-
way that blood flows
throughout the heart.
Please stop by and ob-
serve your child in this
wonderful experience!
As always please encourage your child to wear
tennis shoes to school, especially on their physical
education day. Thank you for your continued support!
Special Area News
What can we all do to prevent illnesses?
Washing hands with soap and water is the single
most effective way to prevent someone from becom-
ing sick. Students with signs of contagious illnesses
( fever, rash, vomiting and/or diarrhea) should be
kept home and a health care provider should be noti-
fied,. If the student develops this type of illness in
school, they will be sent home. At school we are
modeling cough/ sneeze into your sleeve to prevent
the spread of germs.
The date of the Flu mist—October 21st and to look
for the information with the consent form next
week . In light of all the news attention regarding
different viruses and the start of cold and flu sea-
son, the home –school connection’s goal is to keep
our Dogwood community healthy and safe. Please
consider the flu mist for your students unless they
have asthma or an egg allergy( your health care pro-
vider will give your child the flu shot) and be sure to
keep your children up-to-date on their immuniza-
tions.
Mark your
Calendar!
Counselors Corner
October Events
October 7 ————— PTA Meeting
6:00 pm
October 16 ——— Think Pink Day
(Wear pink to support Breast
Cancer Awareness Month)
October 17——————No School
System-wide Professional Development day
October 30——— Harvest Parade
2:00 pm
PTA Harvest Festival
Time TBD
October 31—— End of Marking PD
3 Hr early dismissal
Students dismissed at 12:10pm
Nurse News...
The character trait of the month is:
RESPONSIBILITY
Responsibility means being prepared and
making good choices. Students can show responsi-
bility by following class rules, being on time for
school, coming to school prepared, doing their
homework, and being dependable.
Parents: Talk with your children about responsibili-
ties they have around your house!
*5th Grade Parents-
Remember to attend all magnet school open houses
in order to gather all necessary information!
Dogwood’s Magnet Night – October 2nd at 6:00pm