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WASHINGTON SCHOOL GAZETTE

WASHINGTON SCHOOL

SCHOOL NEWS

DECEMBER 2013

“EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN”

From the Principal’s desk

Inside this issue:

Special points of interest:

12-2 /19 Star Testing K-8

12-4 Picture Retakes Elementary

12-12 Science Fair Washington gym

12– 17& 18 Winter Concert

12-19 School Board Meeting

12-20 End o second Quarter

12-20 Dismissal at Noon

12-23 Start of Winter Break

Principal’s Message 1

Assistant Principal 2

Students of the Month 3-4

Nurse 5

SFA/Reading 6

Classroom Happening 6-10

From the Social Work-

ers

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Safety Facilitators 11-12

Calendar 14

Greetings:

As we move into the month of December, we also move closer to the end

of the 2nd quarter which is December 20, 2013. It is very important for

students to make every effort to be in attendance at school every day and to

make sure they are taking care of themselves as the cold and flu season ap-

proaches.

Furthermore, it is vital for all students to keep up with the materials being

covered in all classes and not to get behind before the end of the 1st semes-

ter. If there are questions concerning grades or progress as it pertains to

your son or daughter please call the school to set up an appointment with

any of the teachers or simply e-mail them directly.

As always, thank you for your continued support of the school and if you

have a concern of any nature please call, e-mail or simply stop by the

school anytime. Washington’s phone number is 708-201-2078, or you may

email me at jeterd@district148.net. If I am unavailable at the time you call

or stop by I will reply to your concern or question as soon as possible.

Remember to listen to your child read everyday for a minimum of 20 min-

utes

Have a great Thanksgiving break and enjoy your time with family and

friends.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Dot Jeter

Principal

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Dear Parents and Guardians:

As Assistant Principal of Washington School, I look forward to coming to work

each day. The staff, students, parents and community strive to make this school a

positive and safe learning environment. I encourage parents and guardians to get

to know their child’s teachers, and to become involved in the school.

As the days become shorter and darkness arrives earlier, I am asking all parents

and guardians to please set expectations for your child(ren) in terms of coming straight home from

school. When children are not expected to come straight home from school, they often find themselves

becoming involved in inappropriate behaviors, i.e. following a rumored fight. When children engage in

this type of behavior, they not only put themselves in dangerous situations, but often the small siblings

that they have been charged with walking home also. Your help and cooperation in this area would be

greatly appreciated.

This is an exceptionally exciting year for eighth grade students as this is their final year of the Elemen-

tary/Jr. High experience. Students will be taking the Explore Test in preparation for high school. This

is a very important test and your assistance in expressing its importance to your child would be greatly

appreciated. The eighth graders also have the 8th grade trip to Springfield, graduation activity, luncheon

and graduation to look forward to. It is therefore extremely important for them to stay focused and on

task.

During this season of thanksgiving and sharing, I would like to thank you for all of your support. I wish

you a wonderful winter break and a time full of relaxation and opportunities to enjoy your family and

friends. If you should have any questions or concerns regarding our school or your child’s school ex-

perience, please contact me. I can be reached at 708-201-2078 or by email at marksc@district148.net. I

look forward to meeting those of you that I have not had the opportunity to meet and work with

throughout the School year.

With a smile,

Mrs. Cynthia Marks

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SCHOOL DISTRICT 148 MISSION:

THE MISSION OF THE DISTRICT IS TO CHALLENGE AND SUPPORT ALL STUDENTS

TO REACH THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE.

SCHOOL DISTRICT 148

Washington School

13900 School St.

Riverdale, Il. 60827

Phone: (708) 201-2078

We are on the web! Go to: www.

Kindergarten

MS. ROSZKOWSKI Kyla Goodrum MRS. BOOKER Adam White

1st Grade

MS. DAVIS Jadele Smith MS. NICKS Samaya Newton

MS. JOHNSON LeJerian Scott

2nd Grade

MS. SCOTT Nephitetti Longs MRS. HOPKINS Nazharie Norfleet-Fletcher

3rd Grade

MS. WILSON Benjamin Wells MS. BRUSH Rachel Steward

4th Grade

MRS. WIATROWSKI Jeaniyah Rowan MRS. TURNER-VASSER Johann Gist

5th Grade

MRS. LESTER Jailyn Passmore MS. REED Chante Daniels

MRS. GARRETT Kamyiah Evans

ART P.E.

MRS. BELL-

JACKSON

Jasmine Harris

David Beasley

MS. EAKER K- Alijah Lewis

1st- Gabrielle Miller

2nd- Jordan Stokes

3rd- David Beasley

4th- Jayra Griffin

5th- Amaurii Fallen

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6th grade

MR. WRIGHT Jayla Collier MR. PIVORIUNAS Cydni Washington-Bolden

MS. TONEY Precious Jones MS. MOORE Aaliyah Evans

7th Grade

MS. JARMON Omatola Dawadu MS. LOVEJOY Brittney Nicholson

MR. SOUTH Maurice McElroy MR. MARKWARD Marquise Davis

8th Grade

MR. KIFFMEYER Marshaun McCree MR. ELIAS LaShawn Travis

MS. GREEN Tyreanna Denton

MS. GRAHAM Mariah Whitaker-Beck

6th Grade

Cyd’ni Bolden

7th Grade

Zaccaia Anderson 8th Grade

Derrick Walker

MR. LEVICKE & MS. BLACKFUL P.E.

Mr. McCarthy

Computers

Jabori Littleton Mr. Walsh

Reading

Asia Casey

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The turkeys aren't the only ones who should fear for their health on Thanksgiving. The

holiday, known for gluttony and family drama, can land unsuspecting celebrators in the

ER if they're not careful.

Here, at the risk of bringing up some unpleasant issues on a holiday, is some practical

advice on how to stay safe.

Food Poisoning

Whether the stuffing goes inside the bird or in a casserole dish, it's surprisingly easy to

make your Thanksgiving guests ill.

Some turkeys have harmful bacteria, like salmonella or campylobacter, that can both cause severe diarrhea

for days. Sometimes, it can even be tinged with blood.

"Patients say it's like having shredded glass pass through your lower G.I. tract," said Dr. Corey Slovis,

chairman of emergency medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Not all turkeys have the bacteria, but it's impossible to tell which aren't safe. Cooking turkeys thoroughly

will ensure that guests aren't trapped in the bathroom for Black Friday, and it's important to keep counter-

tops clean, too. Cooks and guests can get bacteria from the turkey on their hands, and then ingest it while

eating other foods.

As far as the Great Stuffing Debate is concerned, if your family cook decides to put it in the bird, he or she

should be extra careful. If the turkey has any bacteria, it can multiply in the moist environment of the stuff-

ing.

"One of the biggest holiday hazards is people cooking and stuffing birds," Slovis said. "People don't appre-

ciate that stuffing is an amazing culture medium until it is fully heated."

The Centers for Disease Control has a guide for thawing, preparing and cooking turkeys at the right tem-

perature.

Side dishes are also a hazard because it's impossible to tell whether a dish has gone bad from sitting at room

temperature for too long, Slovis said. Dishes with mayonnaise are especially likely to go bad and make

people sick.

Car Accidents

Thanksgiving was the deadliest holiday to be on the road in 2010, according to the latest data from the Na-

tional Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That day, there were 431 fatal car accidents, compared with

259 on Christmas the same year. And this year, 39.1 million Americans are expected to drive at least 50

miles to their holiday destinations, according to AAA auto club.

"Whenever you increase the number of people traveling, and the number of cars, your likelihood and

chance of having an accident are going to increase, just by statistics," said Dr. Rahul Sharma, who heads

NYU Langone Medical Center's emergency department, and has worked his share of holidays in the ER.

Other Accidents

The Vanderbilt ER in Nashville will be fully staffed this Thanksgiving as the staff gets ready for cooking

accidents and family fights, resulting in cuts and bruises, Slovis said. The day will get busier as it gets later.

He said people often don't see their doctors on the days leading up to the holidays because they think they

can deal with their minor symptoms. But often, they have to go to the hospital on Thanksgiving because

they waited and their symptoms got out of hand.

And in Tennessee, a new Thanksgiving tradition has landed people in Vanderbilt's ER: deep-fried turkeys.

"It's so much harder to burn yourself if the turkey is going in the oven than if the turkey is going into hot,

boiling oil," he said. "If not done carefully, it can cause a fire. The oil is extremely hot and splashes onto

feet and hands."

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving

Nurse Pam

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ACCELERATED READER

We had a delicious pizza lunch for the 33 students who earned their Accelerated Reader

goal last quarter. The following students are the highest point earners for the year!!!

JOSEPH HENRY 114 POINTS

RAVEN MITCHELL 105 POINTS

OMOTOLA DAWODU 91 POINTS

FIONA ANDERSON 77 POINTS

AALIYAH EVANS 58 POINTS

FRANCIS WALKER 52 POINTS

All books are due December 20. It is also the last day of the quarter so it is the final day

to earn points.

Ms. Harrington

Encourage a wide variety of reading activities.

Make reading an integral part of your children's lives. Have them read menus, roadside signs, game

directions, weather reports, movie time listings, and other practical everyday information. Also, make

sure they always have something to read in their spare time when they could be waiting for appoint-

ments or riding in a car.

From The SFA Team

Hello, Kindergarten Families. We would like to thank so many of our families

that attended Parent/Teacher Conferences. It was a great success! We are mov-

ing along at a quick pace this time of year with Winter Break almost upon us.

We have been working hard continuing to learn our numbers and letter J.

Please continue to read with your child for at least 20 minutes every night and

reviewing sight words daily.

~Ms. Booker and Ms. Roszkowski

The First Grade has continued to learn and grown as we develop phenomenal early

learning skills. Reading is critical so we hope you are supporting your child to read on

a daily basis. We have been learning about Living and Non-Living Things which will

lead us into further exploration of animals. We have progressed beyond simple addi-

tion with the Number Bonds and starting to do number stories and subtraction.

As we approach the Winter Holiday season, please be careful.

Sincerely,

Ann Davis, Gloria Johnson, Damori Nicks

The First Grade Teachers

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Newsletter – December 2013

The 3rd graders have been working hard to learn their multiplication facts. It

is our wish that before we break for the winter holiday (Dec. 20th) all of our

third grade students know their multiplication facts (0-12) to memory. Please

work with your child to help them reach this goal. Quizzing them at random

times such as in the car, while shopping, while having dinner, etc. is a great

way to keep them sharp and on their game!

Also in December, students will be completing an expository writing prompt.

Expository writing is a form of writing that describes the procedure or steps for completing a task.

You can help your child prepare for this by having them list or tell you the steps to simple everyday

activities. Some suggestions include: How to make a sandwich or simple recipe; Describe their morn-

ing routine; Describe the rules to their favorite game; Telling directions to a family member’s house,

etc.

Lastly please remember that your child should be reading 20 minutes every night! Please help and

encourage your child to read every night to develop a LIFETIME LOVE FOR READING!!! J

The 3rd grade team is also asking all students to come prepared to school with the following school

supplies everyday:

· PLENTY of #2 pencils with erasers

With cold and flu season approaching, we are also asking that parents please send in some of the fol-

lowing items to keep the classroom germ-free:

· Hand Sanitizer

· Box of Kleenex tissue

Ms. Wilson & Ms. Brush

Ms. Hall & Ms. Davis (classroom aides)

Thank you for being our field trip chaperones to Garfield Park Conser-

vatory-families of Mekiel Russell, Clark Valentine, Taijon Wright,

Brielle Eppes, Jeremiah Lawler, and Rodney Flowers! Last month our

1st quarter Star Assessment scores were slightly improved for reading

and writing but we have more work to do. Keep supporting your child by

making sure they get a good night’s rest, have good meals, and take

some time to talk about the world around them.

We will continue working on improving our skills in reading and

writing. We will continue learning our math facts through 15. Please stop by and visit “Our

Neighborhood Quilt” in the 2nd grade hallway.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ms. Scott and Ms. Hopkins

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5th Grade News

Math- We are finishing learning how to coordinate planes and will be starting our unit

on fractions

Language Arts- We are learning how to use and identify conjunctions, interjections

and prepositions.

Social Studies-We are exploring the world of the early Native American culture

Science- We are continuing our exploration of the ecosystem.

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Thank you so much for all you do!!!!

Mrs. Lester Mrs. Garrett Ms. Reed

We are very excited because we are learning new strategies

and skills everyday. Make sure to ask your child what they are learning. Please

check homework folders which are sent home daily. Throughout the winter break,

all of the students should continue to read and practice their math facts.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Mrs. Vasser and Mrs. Wiatrowski

Our 6th graders will continue building their skills in Algebra. This will include sim-

plifying algebraic expressions, expanding and factoring algebraic expressions, and

evaluating real-world problems using algebra.

Mr. Wright

6th grade Social Studies class we will be discussing Chinese Inventions and then India. In India we are

going to explore the Geography, culture, religion, and history of this great land.

Mr. Pivoriunas

During December things will be heating up in 6th grade science as we looks at the core of the Earth, Vol-

cano's, Earth quakes and plate tectonics. Please remember that every Tuesday students are given a science

progress report. Please monitor grades with your child to insure their success.

Ms. Moore

Language Arts- We will be focusing on characterization. In class we will define a bully, a victim , and a

bystander and the character traits that will help the students identify these types of people in a book we

will be reading. For the 2nd Quarter will be reading a book called Bystander by James Preller. This book

explore events of bullying and how bullying can be prevented if a bystander would take a stand against a

bully. We will also be collaborating with the media teacher, Mr. Mc Carthy to create a brochure as a re-

source for victims being bullied. A letter of the requirements and rubric will be sent home soon. Short

videos will be played in class from www.stopbullying .gov and other anti-bully websites. Here at Wash-

ington we take bullying very seriously. We want this school to be a safe and positive environment for our

students.

Ms. Toney

Elementary Physical Education will be completing their basketball/ball skills unit in

December. K-2 students will be learning games such as Steal the bacon and Johnny

Come Across.

Ms. Eaker

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The 8th graders have received their permission slip to Springfield. The first pay-

ment is due by December 3rd along with the permission slips that need to be

turned in. If you have any questions feel free to call Mr. Elias at the school and

he will return your call.

Students will need to stay focused in the month of December because ISAT/

Common Core is right around the corner. The winter break sometimes gets the students excited, but

we need them to take care of business in the classroom. Remember students should be reading about

20 minutes a night for their Accelerated Reading and for their Read, Reflect and Respond for SFA.

Ms. Green, Ms. Graham, Mr. Elias, and Mr. Kiffmeyer

7th graders have been working hard this quarter! In addition to working on Science

projects, they have been preparing for the Federal Constitution test. Science projects

are due December 2nd. Students are required to turn in a paper and a 3-sided project

board. They will also have to give an oral presentation of their project. On December

16th, all 7th grade students will be taking the Federal Constitution test. In Language

Arts, students are reading the play, A Christmas Carol. In all classes, students have

begun preparations for ISAT testing.

Ms. Jarmon, Ms. Lovejoy, Mr. Markward and Mr.

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Washington’s Annual Holiday Food Drive

Starting Dec. 2, Washington will be having its Annual Holiday Food Drive. It will include a

school-wide competition where the classroom that raises the most cans in the school, will receive a

wings party! Each week, the school social workers will tally up cans of food and post a running

total in the breezeway for all Washington students to see. This food drive will be directly benefit-

ting families at Washington. Last year, we raised over 2,500 canned goods which amounted to

providing about 40 holiday baskets for Washington families. So, if you or someone you know

needs extra help around the holiday, please email the junior high social worker at klump-

ners@district148.net.

Washington Junior High P.E.

Dear Parents/Guardians;

We will be finishing up our basketball unit before break. We will be starting volleyball after

break. Volleyball skills and drills will be on serving, hitting, and setting the ball. We will also be

playing volleyball games, learning the rules and always encouraging good sportsmanship.

All 7th -8th grades are required to have a school gym uniform and dress for class. If you have any

question call Mr. Levicke or Mrs. Blackful at (708)201- 2078.

Have a Wonderful Break!!!!!

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The holiday season is a joyful time of year, but it's also a time of year when you need to be extra-

cautious when out and about with your child. Between frenzied trips to the mall for holiday shopping,

crowded airports, and holiday parties, it can be hard to keep track of your child in the crowds. These

holiday tips will help parents ensure that their children stay protected and have a healthy holiday sea-

son:

1. Talk to your child/children before a family outing. Make a rule that you must always be able to see

them and they must always be able to see you.. It may sound simple, but keep reminding them periodi-

cally, especially if you think they're getting restless.

2. Use the "two giant steps" rule -- your kids can never be more than two giant steps away from you.

It's a fun and easy way for young children to remember not to wander away.

3. Teach your child/children that if they ever become separated from you, they should look for a "safe

stranger" for help. Some examples include a mom with children or a cash register person. With older

children, agree on a "meeting place" ahead of time, in case you become separated.

4. Tell you child never to leave the mall or store to go looking for you, no matter what anyone tells

them. Remind your child that you would never leave until you are reunited.

5. Dress your child in brightly colored clothes to make him easy to spot. Be sure to remember what

they are wearing.

6. Don't treat public facilities as a "convenient babysitter." Do not leave your children alone at video

arcades, movie theaters, play areas, or other public places. Predators are known to look for unsuper-

vised kids.

7. Always bring young children into the restroom with you. Look for well-lit restrooms in high traffic

areas, whenever possible.

8. Make sure that your child knows your cell phone number.

Ms. McMillian

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Keep Your Kids Reading Over the Holidays

As the holiday season moves into full swing and kids are home from school, it's easy to get lost

in the preparation and forget to keep children on a regular reading schedule. Unfortunately, in

many states, assessment tests are right around the corner.

One of the things kids look forward to in December is the academic downtime, but there's no

reason why they can't keep their minds sharp during the holidays. And, believe it or not, they

can have fun while doing it. Reading doesn't have to mean sitting at a table with a boring school

book for a set amount of time each day, You can easily 'sneak' reading into daily activities.”

Here are her tips for sneaking learning into holidays at home:

Have your children read holiday cards when they are received in the mail, and let them write a

message in outgoing cards.

Let children read ingredients from holiday recipes while you bake together. It's a great way for

them to learn measurements and temperatures.

Set aside time for kids to "show off" their new reading skills to visiting relatives. Children love

being the focus of attention, and grandparents are usually more than willing to see their pro-

gress.

Make special holiday readings a tradition. Find a special book for Hanukkah or Christmas, and

have each member of the family read from it at the same time each year.

Find books that focus on an interest your child has. For example if they ask for a bike, find a

book on their favorite character , athlete or a children's book that includes an adventure. There

are books out there to suit every interest under the sun – it just takes a little browsing.

Enjoy your holiday!!!!!

Mr. Knight

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