CitizenshipThis past month our students have been participating in a number of citizenship activities to learn more about the freedoms of our country and the sacrifices of our veterans.  Two weeks ago, we saluted over 40 veterans who served our country in the armed forces. This past Monday LTC. Don Koonce spoke to the students about his love for our country and how it started with a great education.  Mr. Koonce also brought a WWII veteran to meet the students and staff.  We live in an awesome country.

PTO – Cookie Dough Pick-upLast week, PTO organized the most efficient “Cookie Dough” pick-up in the history of cookie dough.  Families walked into the Intermediate gym, were greeted with thanks, checked-in where runners picked up their “goods” and took it to their cars.  Congratulations to the PTO for another successful sale and pick-up.

Parent Advisory – Summary This past week I met with a few of our parents to dialogue about the achievements of our building and to answer any questions that they had.  Overall, they were excited about the direction of our school and the achievement of our students, but questions focused on class size and future boundary lines.  It was a positive exchange with our parent community and if you have any questions about building level achievement or any other issues, please feel free to call or stop by the office.

Common AssessmentsThis week and during the first week of December our students will be engaged in a grade level common assessment.  This is a common test administered to all students to measure how much students have mastered during the first semester of the year.  We use this data for trends and adjust lessons prior to the MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) exam in April.  If you have a question on how your student is performing, please feel free to contact your classroom teacher.

4^th Grade Privilege TimeSchool Mission:  We are a learning community that inspires greatness for all.  This week we are starting fourth grade privilege time for students who displayed greatness thus far in the year.  Students who have achieved a 95.1% attendance rate for the 1^st quarter, have C’s or better on their report card and have no discipline referrals will be given special privilege time.  Privilege will allow students to bypass the gym in the morning and choose a special zone:  computer lab, library or the 600 hallway to hang with their friends under teacher supervision.  Students can lose this privilege if they fall behind in their classroom work, start to miss school or are disrespectful.  The privilege list will evaluated each four weeks during mid-quarter and end of quarter reporting.  We think that this will be special for our students who are showing great character at school.

Mid-Quarter Mid-quarter grades will be due on Nov. 21^st and we’ll plan to send them home on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break.

MAP Action Plan – Week 1 (Dec. 1^st)Over the years we have developed a twelve week MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) review to help prepare our students for the types of process questions measured on the MAP test which we administer each April as part of No Child Left Behind. This also will expose parents to the rigor of the exam.  Starting Dec. 1^st, teachers (3^rd / 4^th) will be sending this review home with students to start the process of getting everyone ready for this important exam.  Most teachers assign this as homework and collect a grade to ensure accountability.  However, the best part of this intentional assignment is the review / model / dialogue that takes place between students, parents and teachers. 

 Parent PortalThe parent portal is open and ready for parents to view their child’s lunch account, classroom grades and attendance records.  Over the next couple of days, the office will be activating each account which in turn will send out an email with a password explaining how to access this information.  This is a new service for our families and we hope that it helps close the information gap between school and the classroom. Mrs. Sheets will be hosting a parent portal workshop on December 1^st at 5:30 p.m. in West cafeteria to help parents navigate this new program. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the school for more information. 

Astronaut to answer students’ questions from space   Last week, NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus, a graduate of Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, MO launched into orbit aboard Space Shuttle Endeavor for a four-month stay aboard the International Space Station. During her stay, she will be contributing to a Missouri S&T blog called spacebook (http://spacebook.mst.edu) aimed at getting more kids interested in science.   I would encourage you and your family to use the spacebook blog as a learning tool.

 Bus/Pick Up PassesJust a reminder to write your child’s teacher a note or call the office in regard to any transportation changes. Write the child’s first and last name, teacher’s name, and give specific instructions where they need to go after school.  Student safety is our highest priority and communicating proper instruction ensures their safety.  Thank you.

Thanksgiving Break Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break with your families.  School will be closed Wednesday, November 26 and resume learning on Monday, December 1^st. We’re thankful for the opportunity to serve your students with the best possible education.