Author: nickeld

Weekly schedule—October 25-30, 2009
Bus duty: Mrs. abrahams

Volume 13, issue 8

October 23, 2009

COMING:
MONDAY, OCTOBER 26 12:30 p.m. Dismiss for Parent/Teacher Conferences
BOOK FAIR OPEN, 8 a.m.—8 p.m.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 8:00 a.m. Lifetouch Retakes
BOOK FAIR OPEN, 3-4 P.M.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28 Last day of Scholastic Book Fair, OPEN 8 –4.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29 10:00 a.m. KD Halloween Party
1:30 p.m. Costume Parade at Bethesda Home
2:00 p.m. Halloween Party
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30 NO SCHOOL—Teacher Comp Day

UPCOMING EVENTS:
▪Nov. 13, -14- HS Musical, Brigadoon. Tickets available by calling 367-2242, beginning Mon.
SCHOOL NEWS:
▪The H1N1 vaccine will be available to students and staff FREE on October 28. Pick up forms from the school office.
▪Parents on Line is up and running. If your e-mail was new to the school this year, you should have received an e-mail this week with instructions of how to implement it. If you have questions, contact the school.
▪Check our voice mail to keep up to date with GES news and changes caused by weather, 367-2818. Website: USD411.org.
COMMUNITY NEWS:
▪October 29, 3:30-4:30—Halloween Carnival at Bethesda Home.
▪Volleyball sessions for both boys and girls in grades 2-6 will be at the grade school on Saturday mornings, Oct. 24 and 31. Grades 2-3 play from 8:30-9:30 and grades 4-6 play from 9:30-10:30. Contact Brian Burkholder to with questions at 367-8172.
▪If you need child care on Oct. 26, after 12:30 or on October 30, let Joyful Noise CCC know by signing up with ASP or contact Hannah at 785-766-4346 or JNCCC, 367-4620.
▪There are Joyful Noise Day Care openings. If interested, call Kelli Willis at 367-4620.
PTO NEWS:
▪Continue to collect
Boxtops.
Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.

Parent/Teacher Conferences
There is a schedule posted by each classroom door. Please wait for your turn outside the classroom door. If more than 15 min. is needed for your conference, please schedule an additional time with the teacher.
There will be a schedule posted by the office when support teachers are available.
Free school supplies available on a table near the office.
Lifetouch Ids will be handed out by your student’s teacher.
National Child Id information will also be available near the office.
Refreshments available near the cafeteria.

Students enjoy skits provided by staff, PTO and other students, to help “kick off”
collecting boxtops for a boxtop field trip.

Page #

Weekly schedule—October 25-30, 2009
Bus duty: Mrs. abrahams

Reading Is Yummy!
Earn Sweet Rewards with A.R.
This morning Susan Nafziger and Rachael Burkholder went around to the 1st through 5th grade classes to introduce the new theme for Accelerated Reader this year. As you see above, our new theme is, “Reading is Yummy!”. We shared about some fun “yellow dot” books found in our library that highlighted this theme. We also handed out homemade cookies along with their recipe for the kids to read and enjoy.
The A.R. store is a highlight, held twice a year, for many students. The store consists of a mini shopping mall for kids, sponsored by PTO. There are many different items available for purchase. Items range from toy cars to books, from sweet treats to cameras. Children can go “shopping” with their earned points.
Here is how the “shopping dollars” for the AR store can be earned.
*Students check out and read an AR book from the school library (AR books are also available at the Goessel Public Library). These books are identified by the yellow dot on the spine of the books.
*The student then goes to the school library and takes a computerized test that tests their understanding of the book.
*The tests are scored and points are earned based on the level of reading and the amount of correct answers that were achieved. These scores become point values which are then redeemed for shopping at the AR store.
We also have a Parent-Home Connection available. You can go to the school website and check to see your child’s AR progress or allow them to take an AR test at home.
Here’s how:
*Log onto the USD 411 website (usd411.org) and click on the elementary page.
*On the right hand side of the screen click on “Web AR Reader”.
*Click on the “Student”. Students will know how to log on. Student user ID’s are the child’s first initial and the first 4 letters of their last names. Some students also have numbers after this due to duplicate letters. The student password is the first letter of their first and last name. Just make sure your student’s name is in the top right hand corner of the screen.
*To take a quiz, click on “Take a Quiz” and then “Reading Practice Quiz”
*After that, type in the name of the book, click on the correct book and you should be able to take the quiz.
*If you get a message that you are not allowed to retake a quiz, then that student has already completed the quiz at an earlier time.
* If you click on “View Quizzes Taken”, you will be able to see every quiz that your child has completed during the school year or over his/her career at GES.
*If you look at the student points, the totals may not be accurate as the student program does not include points that carry over from year to year.
Our next AR store will be November 19. We would like to encourage you at home to take an active interest in your child’s reading. Support them, motivate them, and help them to Remember that “Reading is Yummy”, and it can bring oh so sweet rewards!
Happy Reading!
Susan Nafziger & Rachael Burkholder
PTO Accerlerated Reader Reps