Sturgis Elementary

A NO T E FR O M T HE PR IN C IPA L - Ch a n t a l L i g te nb erg November 2014

MUSTANGS OF THE MONTH

Congratulations to the November Mustangs of the Month!

Kindergarten: Addison Osbourne, Lily Aga, Garret Holt, Olivia Vliem, Dion Ecoffey, Danny

Figuracion

First Grade: Alexis Cermak, Cael Glodt, Jaxon Cano, Samantha George, Quinn Bruch, Tori

Wlliams

Second Grade: Brylee Dillon, Gracie Sauer, Katie Wilkins, Max Hinek, Eva Jensen, Ty

Petrocco, Raith West

Third Grade: Abby Johnson, Aiden Lalicker, Cyrus Lyons, Adam Hyman, Dakarai Osbourne,

Zabree Bush

Fourth Grade: Ella Ward, Brody Neill, Dysen Peterson, Guillermo Mendez, Branden Albright

Fifth Grade: Savannah Jones, Ashley Bear, Makenna Rock, Sidney Peterson, Kaylee Whatley

Way to Go Mustangs!

Meade School District 46-1

Inside this issue:

Dreambox Learning 2

Cookie Dough Fundraiser 3

Kindergarten /First Grade

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Second/Third 5

Fourth/Fifth 6

Nurse News

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PTA News Counseling News

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Library News 9

Music News 10

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Nurses Office News

Thanksgiving Break

I can’t believe how quick the Thanksgiving holiday approached us! We, at Sturgis Elementary,

have so much to be grateful for! We are truly blest to have the opportunity to work with great

students and parents. Enjoy the break!

Veteran’s Day:

Thank you to everyone involved in the success of our Veteran’s Day programs. A special thank

you goes out to the following for their contributions to the day’s activities: VFW Honor Guard,

representatives from the National Guard 842nd, Ann Nonnast, Cindy Stofferahn, and Hillary Hill.

In addition, thank you to the many individuals that visited classrooms to share personal experi-

ences during their military services.

Lost and Found

Our “lost and found” is growing leaps and bounds. If your student is missing items, please

stop in and look through the items. There is plenty of warm clothing that would be better off

being worn by the students.

Inclement Weather/School Closings

On mornings when school is cancelled or a late start occurs, every attempt will be made to notify

the following radio and television stations by 6-6:30 a.m.: radio stations BHB, KOTA, KAT, FOX,

KIMM, KKMK, KKLS, KRCS, KSQY, KIQK, KTOQ, KDDX, KZZI, KDSJ, and television stations KOTA,

KEVN, KNBN, and KELO.

In addition to the announcements on select radio and television stations, parents will also be no-

tified by telephone via School Reach in the event of school closing or early dismissal. School

Reach messages will come from the district level. Please let the school office know if you have

changed phone numbers recently so we may make those updates in our system.

Special Points of Interest

11-26-28, 14 Thanksgiving

Vacation (no school)

12-4-14 1st & 2nd grade

Christmas Music Program

(Details inside)

12-22-14 - 1-2-2015

Christmas Break

1-3-2015 Return to School

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NEW ONLINE MATH PROGRAM

Dear Parent/Guardian, Sturgis Elementary has purchased DreamBox Learning's Math Program, an online, Intelligent Adaptive Learning(tm) program that helps all students achieve better, faster math proficiency. Your student can access DreamBox Learning from any computer, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using this link: https://play.dreambox.com/login/ce35/sturgise DreamBox is an online program - there's no software to download! All you need is a high-speed Internet connection and Adobe Flash. Adobe Flash is free and is included with many Internet browsers. To access DreamBox on iPad, go to http://www.dreambox.com/ipad, or search for "DreamBox Math" in the App Store. When prompted in the app, use this

Review your student's academic progress with a DreamBox Parent Account. Please follow these steps to create your free Parent Account: 1. Go to https://play.dreambox.com/login/ce35/sturgise 2. Have your student login to their profile just as they would at school.

Username: first 5 letters in their last name then first three letters in first name (John Smith- smithjoh) Password: ses1

3. Click Setup Parent Access at the bottom of the page. 4. Follow instructions to create a new login and password. 5. Read Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 6. Click "Submit". Log into your home account after set up: 1. Go to http://play.dreambox.com 2. Enter your email address and password. 3. To see student progress, click the "Parent Dashboard" button. If you have any questions, please contact DreamBox Client Care by calling them at 877-451-7845 (weekdays 7am to 5pm, Pacific Time), or email support@dreambox.com. Sincerely, Sturgis Elementary

School Code: ce35/sturgise

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COOKIE DOUGH FUNDRAISER!

Mrs. Ligtenberg agreed to wear a bear costume if the SES students met the fundraising goal this year.

Top sellers (L-R) Savannah Hall, Izabel Rhodes, Bridger Nelson, Whitney Weyer, Ty Ferguson

Miss Northern Hills Organization

Service, Success, Style and Scholarships….those are the four 5’s that the Miss Northern Hills Organization emphasizes. The event is

now accepting applications seeking 2015 titleholders. The program offers opportunities for girls from all towns in the

Black Hills region ages 4 to 24, and is a qualifier for the Miss South Dakota and Miss America pageants. The

deadline to apply is December 15. The local event will be held at the Sturgis Community Center on January 3.

Visit www.missnorthernhills.org for more information or call 206-0583 or 786 -1111.

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November, a Time to Be Thankful

1st Graders

November has disappeared as quickly as a Thanksgiving dinner. First Graders are thankful for many things, especially, family, friends, and freedom. Take time each day to share a “Special Moment” with someone.

This short month has been filled with many learning opportunities. We studied about different laws, what our

leader’s jobs are, and why it is important to vote. On Nov. 4, everyone had an opportunity to vote. For Veterans’ Day we learned why we celebrate and created a Wall of Heroes. Due to the cold weather we sang our patriotic songs in the

gym. Everyone sounded amazing. First Graders showed their respect for our country and flag during the flag presen-

tation by members of the Sturgis Honor Guard! Thank you to the soldiers of the 842nd SD National Guard who also attended our ceremony. For Thanksgiving we learned about the Mayflower, Pilgrims, Squanto, the First Thanksgiving,

and turkeys. Ask us what we studied. We’d love to share our knowledge with you.

We continue to practice our reading strategies daily and are becoming very good readers. Please remember to

read nightly with your child. Math facts can be challenging, but practice is the key to success. Take every opportunity

to practice addition and subtraction through twenty, telling time to the hour and half hour, and counting money; pen-nies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and mixed combinations. Any amount of practice will help.

Your donations for the Food Pantry show the generosity and kindness of our community. Teaching the lesson

of giving to others less fortunate and not expecting anything in return is one each student will carry with them throughout their adult lives.

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving

and

May Your Blessings be Plentiful

5 ways to connect

with a

book.

1. Talk about the cover and title of the book.

2. Name the Author and illustrator and what their jobs are.

3. Look for sight words/letters.

4. Look for these punctuation marks-(? , . !).

5. Talk about the beginning, middle and end.

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2nd Grade News

It’s hard to believe that we are almost done with our 1st Trimester! We have learned so much already. In Math, we have learned how to tell time to the hour and half hour, count coins, 3D shapes, and add-ing and subtracting by using tens and ones. In Reading, we are working on reading with fluency and retelling stories. Please make sure your child reads at home nightly! When reading at home, please have your child retell what happened in the story (beginning, middle, and end). In Writing, we are working on publishing class books with personal narratives. What a talented bunch of writer’s they are!

3rd Grade News

The third grade had a fun-filled learning experience in honor of Veteran’s Day. Prior to the event

each teacher did various activities in their classroom that taught the students about Veteran’s Day.

Then we gathered in the gym and each class sang a different patriotic song they had learned in Mu-

sic. The Honor Guard demonstrated how to fold the flag and played TAPS.

They day ended with a veteran coming to our classrooms. The students were able to ask questions

about the service of the veteran. The day was filled with learning experiences that the students will

remember and benefit from in years to come.

Third grade students enjoyed a presentation by Mr. Jim Horn. They just finish a native American Unit in social

studies.

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4th Grade news letter

Happy Holidays from the 4th grade team. This year is flying by. We would like to thank all the par-

ents for helping us with our Thanksgiving pumpkin pies. They turned out fantastic and everyone had a great

time making the delicious treats.

We are looking forward to our annual holiday market day on Friday, December 12th. This market

day allows students to purchase gifts for their family and friends with the mustang money they have earned

through the year. We are currently asking for wrapping paper donations and parent volunteers to assist us

with this event. Please contact your student’s teacher if you are interested or have any questions.

As winter approaches and temps begin to drop please remember to send your students with the ap-

propriate winter clothing. Have a wonderful month!

The 4TH grade team

Congratulations to Sturgis Elementary Spelling Bee Finalists!!!

Brody Neill, Madeleine Lowe, Anthony Hatch, Evan Johnson, Analuisa Larson, Gabbie Irwin, and Waylon Jones have qualified for the SES Spelling Bee which will be held on Wednesday, December 10th at 9:20 am in the school cafeteria. All 4th and 5th grade students and teachers will attend, and parents of these top seven will also be invited. From these top seven qualifiers, three will move onto the Regional Bee in Rapid City on January 24th. Way to go students!!!

5th Grade November Newsletter

We started the month working on projects honoring our veterans. We read and analyzed the famous poem “In Flanders Fields” by Colonel John McCrae during WWI. …

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

We are working the Common Core Standard 5.NF – Number and Operations – Fractions in math. It is a compli-cated and detailed standard. It covers equivalent fractions, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, and solving real world problems. Please look at the work that comes home with your 5th grader. Ask them questions,.

Happy Thanksgiving! ~Fifth Grade Team

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‘Tis the season for dry,

chapped skin and lips!

We are sharing a lot of

lotion and chapstick these

days with the kid-o’s.

Please send items like

small bottles of lotion and

chapstick in their back-

packs so they can apply as

needed.

We are in need of gently

used or new winer hats,

gloves, snow pants and

snow boots. Sizes range

from Small to Large. If

you can help us out, we

Mono (aka-Infectious Mononucleosis) is called the kissing dis-

ease. This virus is transmitted through saliva, so kissing is a

potential way to get it from an infected person but you can

also be exposed through a cough or sneeze, or by sharing a

glass or food utensils with someone who has mono. It is not

as contagious as some infections, such as the common cold.

Most cases of Mono with all of the signs and symptoms are in

adolescent or young adults. Young children usually have few

symptoms, and the infection often goes unrecognized.

If you have the virus, it is important to be careful of certain

complications such as an enlarged spleen. Rest and plenty of

fluids are key to recovery

Signs and symptoms of Mono may include:

*Fatigue *General feeling of unwellness *Fever *Sore throat,

perhaps a strep throat that doesn’t get better with antibiotic

use *Swollen lymph nodes in your neck and arempits *Swollen

tonsils *Headache *skin rash *Soft, swollen spleen

If you have any questions about Mono or think you may have

the virus, contact your medical provider.

Stay well,

Your School Nurses

NURSE’S NEWS

- Sturgis common Cents manager, Hannah Goodwin-Jensen, manager, right, presents $500 to Sturgis Ele-

mentary School Principal Chantal Ligtenberg which will be used for technology purchases.

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STURGIS ELEMENTARY PTA NEWS

UPCOMING MEETING SCHEDULE

February 11th—3:30 p.m.

April 9th—3:30 p.m.

May 14th—3:30 p.m.

All meetings are held in the SES library

Remember, kids are welcome at our meetings, so please join us!!

Follow us on FACEBOOK!

____________________________________

THANK YOU

Many, many thanks to the great support shown at the Pizza Ranch Fundraiser!! So

many parents, students and staff joined in the evening’s fun and it was a great

success!!

Our next scheduled general meeting is February 11, 2015 at 3:30 p.m. in the SES

library—please join us, kids welcome!

November Counseling News

Counselors ~ Kristi Ortiz and Kellie Thomas

The KC Club (kindness and compassion club) started out this year working very hard at

promoting kind acts throughout the school. The students decorated a float and were participants in the

homecoming parade and tossed out candy to young children. The students also promoted a coin chal-

lenge to raise funds to help childhood cancer research. They raised approximately $1707.00. We also

visited Aspen Grove and made cute fall decorations with the residents. The residents were so happy to

have the kids make decorations with them. It was a fun day! Compassion is the character trait for De-

cember so the KC Club members have been working hard at a new kind and compassionate surprise for

students and staff at SES sometime in December. Be watching and prepare to pass kindness along.

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Library News

If you would like to see the information that is available at the South Dakota State Library for the Prairie Bud/

Pasque reading list please use the links below. All of the books are in our school library and several are in the public

library. I have started talking about the books to the students. Those who wish to read at least 5 books so that they

can vote for the best book will be able to start reading now. There are 16 books on each list. The annual South Da-

kota Children's Book Awards nominations provide a list of books that is fitting for both instructional and recreational

reading. Connections can be made between the Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy across all con-

tent areas as well as reading for enjoyment.

This list is designed for children in grades K-2.

http://library.sd.gov/LIB/CYS/prairieawards/201415/bud/index.aspx

This list is designed for children in grades 3-5.

http://library.sd.gov/LIB/CYS/prairieawards/201415/pasque/index.aspx

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by

the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the

most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Use this link to see the list. http://www.ala.org/

alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberymedal

The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most

distinguished informational book published in the United States in English during the preceding year. The award is

named in honor of Robert F. Sibert, the long-time President of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. of Jacksonville,

Illinois. ALSC administers the award. Use this link to see the list.

http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/sibertmedal

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is

awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Associa-

tion, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Use this link to see the list. http://

www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal

We use these lists (and others) in the school library first of all because the children enjoy reading from lists but also

because it follows these standards closely and also touches on other school library standards.

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Music News

Christmas Program News (1st and 2nd graders)

1st and 2nd Graders Christmas Program, "A Bugz Christmas" will be presented on Thursday, December 4th at the

Sturgis Community Center Theater. The performances are divided up into 3 groups of classes. Group A (Treloar,

J. Schieffer, Schnell, Langenfeld) will perform their program at 5:30 PM - Students arrive at 5:00 PM

to get into costumes. Group B (Covel, Inhofer, Witcraft, Domogalski) will perform their program at

6:30 PM - students arrive at 6:00 PM to get into costumes. Group C (Erfman, Kistler, Anderson, Keffe-

ler) will perform their program at 7:30 PM - students arrive at 7:00 PM to get into costumes.

Each group also performs a dress rehearsal during the day, open to the public. These are the times of the dress

rehearsals: Group A at 9:30 AM; Group B at 1:45 PM; Group C at 11:00 AM. This is a great opportunity for parents

to take photos up close or video. It is also a chance for anyone to attend who can't attend during the night per-

formance.

I am looking for parent volunteers of 1st/2nd graders to help transport set pieces and costumes to the community

center on Wednesday, December 3rd at 2:00 PM.

Hillary Hill

Elementary Music K-4

Sturgis Elementary needs your help to meet our fundraising goals :Amazon Smile

When you shop on Amazon, please join Amazon Smile which donates a portion of your purchase to the charity of your choice. It is

free to use Amazon Smile. Just log into Amazon Smile, select Sturgis Elementary PTA as your charity, then do your shopping. Once

you have paid for your purchase you will see a box on the right of your screen that says you have supported SES-PTA with this pur-

chase. That is all you need to do, and Amazon Prime members can participate also.

Box Tops for Education

Collect Box Tops for Education labels from packaged foods, home and office supplies. Look for the Box Top label clip it and send it to

school. The school receives $0.10 per label.

Campbell’s Labels for Education

Collect Campbell’s Labels for Education from soups, goldfish crackers, cereals, etc. Look for the Label for Education and bar code, clip

it and send it to school. The school trades these in for educational supplies, and P.E. equipment.

Grocery Mart Receipts

Please send your Grocery Mart Receipts to school with your student. The school can trade these for educational supplies.

Labels for Learning

Send your Labels for Learning from Our Family products (Lynn’s DakotaMart) barcodes to school. The school receives $0.05 per bar-

code submitted.

Tyson Project A+

Help us collect Project A+ labels from packages of Tyson frozen foods. Look for the Project A+ label clip it and send it to school. The

school receives $0.24 per label.

Find Sturgis Elementary PTA on Facebook to get more information on these programs and other exciting activities happening at

Sturgis Elementary.

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CHARACTER

SPEAKS

NOVEMBER

“ CITIZENSHIP”

“...WE ALL HAVE AN OBLIGATION AS CITIZENS OF THEIS EARTH TO LEAVE THE WORLD A

HEALTHIER, CLEANER AND BETTER PLACE FOR OUR CHILDREN AND FURTURE GENERA-

TIONS.”

Bythe Danner

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