As I mentioned in the March newsletter, it was going to be a busy month and to recap it definitely was! We did kindergarten screenings, had fun at Skate Country Night, celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at the carnival, and learned about solar energy at the Science Fun Fest. We also had a cast member from “Up With People” visit our school who was from Japan. She worked with students in Mrs. Pierson’s class making star “origami” designs. The second grade classes went on a field trip to the stamp museum. The band and orchestra students from themiddle school came over to the elementary school to play for the third and fourth grade students during their music classes. A note of “Thanks” goes out to all of the volunteers, PAC members, teachers, students and participants who helped to make these events a success.
In the classroom for this month, students are transitioning into the expectations of next year’s grade level so you may have noticed some different levels of work. The kindergarten classes have started their planting unit for science so there are many nicely potted flowers for all of us to enjoy. The fourth grade classes are gearing up for their Grand Canyon adventure at the end of the month.
We are going to take a little break from multiple school wide activities this month because we are getting ready for our AIMS/Stanford testing. It is imperative that students be in school the week of April 16th due to our testing schedule. The students need to be, as always, well rested, nourished, and hydrated especially now that the weather is getting warmer.
We are on Spring Break the first week in April and will welcome everyone back on April 9th. Have a safe and happy holiday!
Calendar
April 2nd-6th: Spring Break-No School
April 10th: Elementary School Open House for
Prospective New Families
Academy of Tucson Elementary
April 11th: Early Release Day
April 13th: Parent Advisory Meeting
April 26th-27th: 4th Grade Grand Canyon Field Trip
April 27th: Spirit Day
Parents Corner: There will be a parent advisory meeting under the ramada at on April 13. This meeting will focus on planning for next year and to review the bylaws.
Recap of Science Fun Fest: The Science Fun Fest event was wonderful and covered many exciting activities which focused on solar energy. The students learned about UV protection, solar cooking, and solar panels. The fourth grade students made rockets which were launched on the field in the afternoon for everyone to observe. It is important to note that Science Fun Fest is parent and community driven event. The core group of parents who organized this event were: Maya Hendrickson, Jaime Lines, Marilyn Montrose, Mary English, Tina Thomas, June Olsen, Beth Demarco, Maggie Jackman, Czarrina Hurn, and Berrye Mahaffey. Thanks to all of the parents who volunteered at each of the stations as well as a group of students from the Academy of Tucson High School.
Recap of Carnival: Mrs. Van Hise, Mrs. Fata, and Mrs. Brown need to be commended for all their hard work in organizing the carnival. The staff of the Academy of Tucson Elementary School along with the fourth grade students and parents also need to be acknowledged for their efforts in making this event a success. Remember that the primary goal of the carnival is to raise funds to support the fourth grade trip to the Grand Canyon.
Open House For Prospective Students: We will be having open house events for prospective students who are new to the Academy of Tucson Elementary School. This is a designated time to tour the school, get questions answered about the school, meet teachers/principal and complete registration forms. The following are the dates and times of the Open House Events for the elementary school including the dates and times of the other Academy of Tucson Schools:
Elementary School Open House Dates and Times: Tuesday-April 10th Tuesday-May 1st Please Note: If new families are unable to attend any of the open house events, call to schedule a tour of the school in order to become familiar with the Academy of Tucson. We accept registration packets year round.
Middle School Open House Dates and Times: Tuesday-April 10th Tuesday-May 8th
High School Open House Dates and Times: Tuesday-April 10th Tuesday-May 8th
Welcome back from Rodeo Break! I hope you and your family were able to spend some quality time together and get rested up to finish third quarter and to embark on fourth quarter. Can you believe that we are already half way through the year? To recap our February endeavors, most of our classes went on field trips. The field trips included: two kinder classes going to Degrazia Studio, first grade went to the Rodeo Museum, second grade went to a play called “Bodyology”, third grade went to the Gem and Mineral Show and the Wildlife Museum, fourth grade went to the TCC for the SARSEF Science Fair and we had a combined event with the fifth grade students coming over from the middle school to have lunch with the fourth grade students on our campus.
The parent organization hosted a “Cowboy Luncheon” the Wednesday before break and students dined on hot dogs, beans, and chips. Each of the teachers had rodeo and western themed activities going on in their classrooms and we were also fortunate to have an assembly that focused on square dancing. The Academy of Tucson student square dancing group participated in the event as well as the Saguaro Swingers Square Dancing Club. Thanks to Paul and Nancy Turner (grandparents of Chloe and Emily Davidson) for “rounding up their partners” to make this event a success.Fun was had by all!
March is going to be a very busy month! So please stay updated on future events through my newsletter, classroom newsletters, teachers and the website. The carnival is coming, Science Fun Fest, Skate Country night and multiple other events.
Calendar
March 2nd:Skate Country Night
March 6th: Elementary School Open House for
Prospective New Families
Academy of Tucson Elementary
March 7th: Early Release Day
March 9th: Parent Advisory Meeting
March 10th: New Kinder Screenings
March 17th: School Carnival
March 21-22nd: Parent Teacher Conferences/
Early Release
March 23rd: Science Fun Fest
March 30th: Spirit Day
Physical Education Update:
A note from Mrs. Mitchell:This month in P.E. we will be working on volleyball and baseball skills as well as playing one of the student’s favorite games, Coneball Medic.
Parents Corner: There will be a parent advisory meeting under the ramada at on March 9th. This meeting will focus on upcoming events. The yard sale that was planned for March has been postponed until next year due to some scheduling conflicts.
Music Update:
A note from Mrs. Cmiel:
KINDERGARTEN/1ST GRADE:
We just learned a new concept - the rest. Our "notes" on the rhythm charts are getting a little mixed up now so students are required to pay closer attention to the music! They are doing a great job!
SECOND GRADE:
We are still working on the notes C,D and E on the xylophones, but the notes are not staying in pattern formation. By the end of March, we will learn the note F.
THIRD GRADE/FOURTH GRADE:
We will be sticking with B and A on the recorder for another 2 weeks. However, the notes are starting to move a little quicker and the rests are disappearing in the music. Our next note will be G. The Third and Fourth graders have a music assignment every Wednesday that is based on what we did in class for the last few weeks. Homework is due on Thursday.
Art and Library Update:
A note from Mrs.Teitelbaum
ART:
Kindergarten through 4th grade will begin developing their artwork for the yearbook art contest. The students will be asked to draw a picture of their teacher. Once that is complete, kindergarten through 3rd grade will work on diffusion and then cubism. 4th grade will begin working on 'Perspective: The Renaissance to Richard Estes'.
LIBRARY:
Thanks to all who purchased books during the book fair. We were able to bring in 200+ additional books into our library inventory which now gives us almost 9200 books in our library.
A special thank you to all our book fair volunteers. They all worked hard to allow us to be successful in this years events. Our wonderful volunteers are: Lori Zaugra, Trish Anthis, Tina Thomas, Mary English, Nichole Foutz, Jan Gardlund, Jennifer Borquez, Lisa Childs, Brianna Curran, Shana Blair, Tracy Shupe & Tracy's mother. Again, a HUGE THANK YOU for all your help in making our book fair a success.
Kindergarten - Each week a kindergarten student selects a book to be read the following week. On the day that their selection is read, the student gets to tell the class which page is the 'title page', properly shelf the book and ensure it is in the right location. 1st Grade will be reading books from our readers cart.
2nd Grade will continue working on the Mystery story: 'Cam Jansen and the Barking Treasure Mystery' 3rd Grade will continue working on the Fiction story: 'Mr. Popper's Penguins' 4th Grade will continue working on the Historical Fiction story: 'Number the Stars'
The Science Fun Fest will be on March 23rd from until with a rocket launch in the afternoon.
If you would like to volunteer, please stop by the office and fill out a form or contact Maya Hendrickson at 490-0251, majalore@aol.com
We will be meeting on Monday, March 5th between and under the Ramada to prepare supplies. Feel free to stop by and join us.
We are still collecting Capri Sun boxes, the collection box is at the corner of the office building.
We need to borrow some 6-foot tables, please contact Maya Hendrickson.
Timeliness To School: We are still monitoring the number of tardies that students are accruing on a daily basis but we appreciate those families who consistently get their children to school on time and for those families who have made a conscious effort to adjust their schedules so that their child/children are no longer late to school. GREAT JOB!
Open House For Prospective Students/Kindergarten Screenings: We will be having open house events for prospective students who are new to the Academy of Tucson Elementary School. This is a designated time to tour the school, get questions answered about the school, meet teachers/principal and complete registration forms. The following are the dates and times of the Open House Events for the elementary school including the dates and times of the other Academy of Tucson Schools: Elementary School Open House Dates and Times: Tuesday-March 6th Tuesday-April 10th Tuesday-May 1st Kindergarten Screenings will be held on March 10th and then on an as needed basis after March. Note: The screenings are not used for admittance purposes. Please Note: If new families are unable to attend any of the open house events, call to schedule a tour of the school in order to become familiar with the Academy of Tucson. We accept registration packets year round. Middle School Open House Dates and Times: Tuesday-March 6th Tuesday-April 10th Tuesday-May 8th High School Open House Dates and Times: Tuesday-March 6th Tuesday-April 10th Tuesday-May 8th
Student Council Updates: The “Pennies for Patients” drive benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was a SUCCESS! Because of all your generous donations our school raised $907.00. Between this community outreach project and the $150.00 raised for the “Toys for Tots” holiday drive the Student Council at the Academy of Tucson Elementary School has raised over $1000.00 this year to support two worthwhile organizations.
Student Spotlight: The fourth graders participated in the Science Fair and the following students were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in the development of their projects: 1st Place: Laytin Wilson, 2nd Place: Brice Olson, 3rd Place: Troy Willis, 4th Place: Mary Bell, 5th Place: Joey McLaughlin. SUPER JOB!
Safe Routes to School Grant: Have you seen some new traffic signage when picking up and dropping off your child to/from school? Well, thanks to the funding provided by our “Safe Routes to School Grant” we were able to purchase additional signage to help direct traffic safely through our campus. There are some new cones, stop/go signs, and further surprises are to come.
February is in full swing with a number of activities that we have completed and there is more fun to come. We had a fantastic time at the Luau and Book Fair because of all the efforts of Mrs. Fata, Mrs. Van Hise, and Mrs. Teitelbaum. Sutter’s Catering served the meal and we had activities for the students along with Hawaiian dancers to top the evening. Then on Feb. 1st many families attended the “Lunch with a Loved One” event. It was great to see everyone while and the weather was terrific.
I’m getting this newsletter out to you a little later than expected, as a result of that, we are embarking on another open house for new families which is on Feb. 7 from . The week of February 20th students will be allowed to wear western clothes to school. We will also have our student rodeo luncheon on Feb. 22; more information is to come.
To update you on a couple of past events and fundraisers; we were not awarded the grant for our sunshade although we had strong participation in our voting efforts. A special “Thanks” goes out to Shanna Blair for all her work in submitting our grant application. The other thing I would like to update you on is that our school collected 958lbs. of food for the Community Food Bank. It’s amazing to me what our school community can accomplish when we all pull together. Great Job!
Calendar
February 7th: Elementary School Open House for
Prospective New Families
Academy of Tucson Elementary
February 10th: Parent Advisory Meeting
February 22nd: Student Rodeo Luncheon
February 23-24th: Rodeo Break-No School
Physical Education Update:
A note from Mrs. Mitchell:
In P.E this month, 3rd and 4th grade will be doing, "Personal Best Day", as they do the first week of every month. We will also be continuing some basic track & field skills and starting basic tumbling and balancing skills.
Parents Corner There will be a parent advisory meeting under the ramada at on Feb. 10. This meeting will focus on upcoming events and other fundraising possibilities. PAC will be having their 2nd annual yard sale in March. So, as you are doing your spring cleaning, consider donating your unwanted items to the school for our garage sale. We will have specific dates and times for dropping off your treasures and will let you know in a future newsletter and/or e-mail when those dates and times will be.
Music Update:
A note from Mrs. Cmiel:
Kindergarten and 1st Grade:
Students are working on rhythm bands and reading music from rhythm charts. The musical instruments that they are playing are: cymbals, drum sticks, triangles and tambourines. The song of the month is “Baby Baluga.”
2nd Grade:
Students will be playing C, D, and E notes on the xylophone.
3rd and 4th Grade:
Students are learning how to play whole, half and quarter notes on their recorders. They will also be learning a new note “A.” It is important to be aware of that homework given on Wednesday is due back on Thursday.
Art and Library Update:
A note from Mrs.Teitelbaum
Art: Kindergarten through 4th grade has just wrapped up the lesson on Georgia O'Keeffe. We now have many beautiful flowers in her style. I would like to thank the family of Troy Willis as they loaned me a beautiful picture book of flowers that Georgia O'Keeffe had painted. The children enjoyed seeing the pictures.
4th Grade will begin studying Elizabeth Catlett and working with form. They will be using clay for their upcoming project.
Kindergarten through 3rd grade will begin learning about Andy Warhol and Pop Art. We will be creating artwork done in his style.
Library: Kindergarten - Each week a kindergarten student selects a book to be read the following week. On the day that their selection is read, the student gets to tell the class which page is the 'title page', properly shelf the book and ensure it is in the right location. 1st Grade will be hearing about the new books that we have earned from our book fair. We will review how to properly shelve a book and return it to the right location. 2nd Grade will continue working on the Mystery story: 'Cam Jansen and the Barking Treasure Mystery' 3rd Grade will continue working on the Fiction story: 'Mr. Popper's Penguins' 4th Grade will continue working on the Historical Fiction story: 'Number the Stars'
Parents: I would greatly appreciate your help in reminding the children that the books they check out from our Library are due the following week. Here are the days that the students have Library:
Monday - Grades 2, 3 & 4
Wednesday - Mrs. Siath and Ms. Bryant
Thursday - Ms. Purdy, Mrs. Pierson & Kindergarten
Special Note: Thanks to all who participated in the Book Fair and Lunch with a Loved One. The Book Fair sales were $4568.27. Seth Thomas was the winner of the shell game and Mrs. Teitelbaum would like to send out a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all those who volunteered to make this event a SUCCESS!
Science Fun Fest:
This year’s Fun Day of SCIENCE will be on
March 23, 2012 and will focus on solar energy.
The Science Fun Fest is still in need of the following items:
1. Empty Capri-Sun/Kool-aid cardboard boxes
2. Empty Oatmeal round 42 oz. containers
* There will be a Rubbermaid container in front of the administration building for you to drop off your containers.
You can contact Maya Hendrickson at 520-490-0251 with any questions.
The Science Fun Fest team thanks everyone for their donations.
Tardiness: Timely arrival to school and class is essential for student learning.Since tardy students interfere with the learning of those who come on time, late arrivals are considered discipline violations. The first bell rings at . This is the signal for students to line up with their classes.The second bell rings at . All students arriving after the second bell must be signed in by an adult.
Open House For Prospective Students/Kindergarten Screenings: We will be having open house events for prospective students who are new to the Academy of Tucson Elementary School. This is a designated time to tour the school, get questions answered about the school, meet teachers/principal and complete registration forms. The following are the dates and times of the Open House Events for the elementary school including the dates and times of the other Academy of Tucson Schools:
Elementary School Open House Dates and Times: Tuesday-January 10th Tuesday-February 7th Tuesday-March 6th 4:00-5:30pm Tuesday-April 10th Tuesday-May 1st Kindergarten Screenings will be held on March 10th and then on an as needed basis after March. PARENTS WILL BE MAILED A LETTER DESIGNATING THEIR CHILD’S SCREENING TIME. Note: The screenings are not used for admittance purposes. Please Note: If new families are unable to attend any of the open house events, call to schedule a tour of the school in order to become familiar with the Academy of Tucson. We accept registration packets year round.
Middle School Open House Dates and Times: Tuesday-January 24th (for 4th graders going into 5th grade) Tuesday-February 7th Tuesday-March 6th Tuesday-April 10th Tuesday-May 8th
High School Open House Dates and Times: Tuesday-January 10th Tuesday-February 7th Tuesday-March 6th Tuesday-April 10th Tuesday-May 8th
Student Council Updates: The “Pennies for Patients” drive benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is continuing until Feb. 17th. Please contact your child’s teacher if you would be willing to help count and roll the change before it is deposited. Thanks to all of the parents who have already agreed to help out in this endeavor.
Student Spotlight: The Academy of Tucson Elementary School held their annual spelling bee and the following students need to be acknowledged for their accomplishments in placing at the event: 1st Place-Alexis Hsu, 2nd Place-Tyler Cook, 3rd Place-Hyrum Lines. Hyrum also placed 3rd in the district spelling bee. Super Job!
Cubby Our Mascot Has Arrived: Have you noticed that on the last two Spirit Days we have had a new addition to campus? Yes, Cubby our mascot has arrived. Cubby has enjoyed visiting with all the children and families but asks that people do not pull on his/her tail. Thanks and have a bear cub day!
Happy 2012! We have had a great start to the New Year and hope you have as well.As I have walked through the classrooms, the teachers continue to develop lessons that are thought provoking and actively engaging to students. Once again, we have many activities that students will be participating in this month. Please keep updated on these events by reviewing the various modes of communication that we have established for families. (Newsletters, Website, Blogs, Marquee, Bear Cub E-Mails, and PASS) The Academy of Tucson schools are in the beginning phases of establishing their school communities for the 2012-2013. We have asked families to please return their Declaration Forms to us by January 20, 2012 to let us know if their child will be returning to one of the Academy schools for next year. We have also scheduled open houses throughout the remainder of the school year for prospective families. Please spread the word if you know of anyone who is looking to make a change in their child’s academic environment. I have included the dates of the open houses for all of the Academy schools in this newsletter.
In closing, I would like to thank all of the dedicated families of our school that have chosen to participate in making the Academy of Tucson Elementary School a wonderful learning environment for students. I would also like to send my appreciation to those families and friends who chose to include the Academy of Tucson Elementary School in their giving of tax credit donations. Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Sutter of Sutter’s Catering Service for donating their time, food and efforts at the Academy of Tucson alumni event that was held on December 18th at the middle school.
Calendar
January 10th: Elementary School Open House for
Prospective New Families
Academy of Tucson Elementary
January 11th:Early Release Day
January 13th: Parent Advisory Meeting
January 16th: No School-Martin Luther King
Jan.26th-Feb.3rd: Book Fair
January 24th: Middle School Open House for 4th
Graders-4:30- (Location:
Middle School)
January 26th: 4th Grade Field Trip-Old Tucson
January 27th: Luau Dinner/Book Fair/Spirit Day
February 1st:Lunch with a Loved One
Physical Education Update:
A note from Mrs. Mitchell:
This month in P.E., we will be focusing on Jump Rope for Heart. We will be learning all about the heart; how it works and how to take care of it. We will also be learning new jump roping skills.
Music Update:
A note from Mrs. Cmiel:
The 3rd and 4th grade students are starting to learn about how to read music and how to play the recorder. The younger grades are learning about rhythms and are having fun participating in interactive songs. Just a quick reminder to 3rd and 4th grade parents: Please make sure that your child has a recorder by Jan. 11th. If there are any concerns please contact Mrs. Cmiel at 886-6076 or 749-1413.
Art and Library Update:
A note from Mrs.Teitelbaum
Art: We will be displaying art at the Kirk Bear Canyon Library from 12/18/11 through 1/28/12
The students will be learning about Georgia O'Keeffe and doing various art activities associated with her style.
Library:
Kindergarten - Continue student selections and proper shelving of student books
Grade 1-Viewing picture books and writing the sentences to go with the pictures.
Grades 2- Working on a mystery
Grade 3 - Continue reading Mr. Popper's Penguins
Grade 4 - Continue reading Number the Stars
Parents Corner There will be a parent advisory meeting under the ramada at on Jan. 10. This meeting will focus on upcoming events and other fundraising possibilities. PAC will be having their 2nd annual yard sale in March. So, as you are doing your spring cleaning, consider donating your unwanted items to the school for our garage sale. We will have specific dates and times for dropping off your treasures and will let you know in a future newsletter and/or e-mail when those dates and times will be.
Science Fun Fest:
This year’s Fun Day of SCIENCE will be on
March 23, 2012 and will focus on solar energy.
The Science Fun Fest is still in need of the following items:
1. Empty Capri-Sun/Kool-aid cardboard boxes
2. Empty Oatmeal round 42 oz. containers
* There will be a Rubbermaid container in front of the administration building for you to drop off your containers.
You can contact Maya Hendrickson at 520-490-0251 with any questions.
The Science Fun Fest team thanks everyone for their donations.
Book Fair/Luau/Lunch with a Loved One Please plan on coming to the book fair which starts on Jan. 26th and goes until Feb. 3. Included during that time is a Luau sponsored by 4th grade where there will be pre-orders sent out and that event will be on Friday, Jan. 27th starting at 5:30. Then on Wed. Feb. 1st from you are invited to come to “Lunch with a Loved One.” Be on the look out for pre-order forms. There will be an all you can eat pizza luncheon for $5.00 a person. The Luau is to support the 4th grade trip to the Grand Canyon and the “Lunch with a Loved One” will help to support the needs of the library. Mrs. Teitelbaum is in need of some additional help at the book fair. Please contact Mrs. Anthis if you are able to volunteer. She can be reached at trishanthis@hotmail.com
Tardiness Timely arrival to school and class is essential for student learning.Since tardy students interfere with the learning of those who come on time, late arrivals are considered discipline violations. The first bell rings at . This is the signal for students to line up with their classes.The second bell rings at . All students arriving after the second bell must be signed in by an adult.
Open House For Prospective Students/Kindergarten Screenings: We will be having open house events for prospective students who are new to the Academy of Tucson Elementary School. This is a designated time to tour the school, get questions answered about the school, meet teachers/principal and complete registration forms. The following are the dates and times of the Open House Events for the elementary school including the dates and times of the other Academy of Tucson Schools: Elementary School Open House Dates and Times: Tuesday-January 10th Tuesday-February 7th Tuesday-March 6th 4:00-5:30pm Tuesday-April 10th Tuesday-May 1st Kindergarten Screenings will be held on March 10th and then on an as needed basis after March. PARENTS WILL BE MAILED A LETTER DESIGNATING THEIR CHILD’S SCREENING TIME. Note: The screenings are not used for admittance purposes. Please Note: If new families are unable to attend any of the open house events, call to schedule a tour of the school in order to become familiar with the Academy of Tucson. We accept registration packets year round.
Middle School Open House Dates and Times: Tuesday-January 24th (for 4th graders going into 5th grade) Tuesday-February 7th Tuesday-March 6th Tuesday-April 10th Tuesday-May 8th
High School Open House Dates and Times: Tuesday-January 10th Tuesday-February 7th Tuesday-March 6th Tuesday-April 10th Tuesday-May 8th
Student Council Updates: The Academy of Tucson Student Council raised $150.00 for the “Toys for Tots” program selling candy grams before we went on our holiday break. The next project they will be working on is the “Pennies for Patients” drive benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Start saving your loose change and more information will be coming in your child’s weekly correspondence folder. Please contact your child’s teacher if you would be willing to help count and roll the change before it is deposited. This event will start on Jan. 30th and will continue until Feb. 17th.
