Inside this issue:

Counseling Corner 4

Pumpkin Fun Run 5

Health 6

SCA 7

Super Lions 8

Family Life Opt-Out 9

Menu 10

Dear Lafayette Families, As the first grading period of the school year comes to a close on Monday, November 3, 2014, please note that the following day is a teacher workday. There is no school for students on Tuesday, November 4, 2014. On November 7, report cards will come home with a report on your child’s mas-tery of math and reading on the first quarter assessments. Please take time to examine these re-ports, discuss grades with your children, and reflect on their unique strengths and weaknesses. If you have questions regarding these reports, I would encourage you to attend a parent conference to create a positive relationship with your child’s teacher(s) and discuss any concerns you may have. Parent Conferences will be held on November 18, from 5:00 to 6:30 P.M. The PTA will provide mov-ie and pizza that evening beginning at 5:30 P.M. I also look forward to our upcoming honor roll as-semblies which will be held on November 18. We are so proud and excited to share your child’s accomplishments and invite you to join us in showing that you value his/her academic success. You will find the November calendar enclosed with all of this information, and with plenty of oth-er opportunities and possibilities to get involved at LUES. I would like to thank all of the families who came out to our Watch D.O.G.S. Dads event in October and we have another great start with the many awesome volunteers! Another significant event that I would encourage you to attend is our annual Family Math and Science Night on Thursday, November 13, 2014. This event will be held at the Bragg Hill Family Life Center from 6:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. with dinner being served from 6:00 P.M. to 6:45 P.M. You can expect to get moving and learn about our high expectations in Mathe-matics and Science this year and walk away with many fun ideas and activities that you can use at home. November is the month we honor American Education Week, which began as part of an effort to raise America’s literacy rate after WWI. American Education Week now serves as a special oppor-tunity to celebrate public education and honor them in our schools who are making a difference in the lives of children. Each year, American Education Week is celebrated during the last full week before Thanksgiving, which is November 17th-21st. I encourage you to be creative and please take a moment to let your child’s teachers know they are appreciated. Lafayette’s faculty and staff members are some of the most remarkable champions of education I have ever met and I am truly appreciative for all they do for their students and each other. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, T. Matthew Terry Principal

UPCOMING EVENTS

11/3-End of Grading Pd. 11/4-No School 11/6-Fall Concert 11/7-Fall Concert 11/7-Report Cards 11/10-Classroom Spelling Bees 11/11-Turkey Trot 11/12-SCA Meeting 11/13-Bragg Hill Family Math/Science Night 11/14-PTA Sock Hop Dance 11/18-Honor Roll Assemblies 11/19-Parent Adv. Mtg.. 11/20-Parent Conferences 11/26-11/28-Thanksgiving

LAFAYETTE UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THREE LEARNING LANE

FREDERICKSBURG, VA 22401 (540) 310-0029

November 2014

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Third grade students have welcomed the fall season with lots of hard work in class. In math, students will spend the month of November learning strategies for solving multiplication and division problems. Students are responsible for learning the multiplication/division facts for the numbers 0-12. This is a great time to begin working with your child at home to help him/her master his/her multiplication facts. We will continue to review them throughout the year in our various math units. In Social Studies, the students have been learning about the civilizations of Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and An-cient Mali. Their studies of these three civilizations will be concluded with an Ancient Civilization Celebration before Thanksgiving Break. You will receive more information about this exciting event from your child’s teacher as we get closer to the end of our unit. Students will finish out the month of November by learning about Simple and Compound Machines. In Language Arts, third graders will be continuing to write true narrative stories form their own life. The students will continue to become wonderful readers by describing and comparing characters, settings, and events in fiction and poetry. We will then learn how to draw conclusions in stories that we read. Students will also become proficient with using the dictionary as a resource to help us determine word meanings. Don’t forget to have your child spend time each night reading independently!

GRADE

GRADE

It is hard to believe that we have already reached the month of November. It seems like just yesterday that we were gathering your children in the gymnasium for the first day of school! Math—We will begin the month of November continuing on our exploration of fractions by comparing and ordering them. Upon completion of this unit, we will practice addition and subtraction of whole numbers. Science– We will revisit the month of November with a unit focusing on animals. The students will really enjoy this unit and the project that will accompany it. Social Studies—We are extremely excited about our Virginia Grows and Expands Unit. The students will learn all about an important cash crop that helped Virginia thrive during colonial times. Students will also learn what life was like for colonial Virginians. Reading and Language Arts—In Language Arts, we will enhance our creativity with a persuasive writing piece, incorpo-rating technology as we type our piece on the tablets. We will also work on several grammar skills, including posses-sives, commas, and homophones. In Reading, we will enhance our knowledge of affixes to assist us in understanding text. We will then move on to author’s purpose to enhance our comprehension. Please encourage your children to work hard, as we are filling their minds to capacity with concepts and materials that we will revisit later on in the school year.

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GRADE

It is hard to believe that it is already November and we are already through the first quarter of this school year. The year is certainly off to a quick start! Here are a few items that the students will be working on as we go into the month of November. In Writing, students will be practicing grammatical skills by focusing on writing good sentences and cor-rectly using adverbs, adjectives, and apostrophes to show possession and contractions. In Science, the students have been studying sound and light. They will continue by going on to explore matter and living organisms. Specific focus will be given to the elaboration of the five living kingdoms. In Social Studies, the students have learned quite a bit. They are now able to identify various water and land forms as well as describe the eight regions of North America. In the next unit, the students will begin learning about the European explorers of America and the colonial period. In November, the students will begin reading a variety of fictional texts. We will focus on plot develop-ment and characterization. Specific attention will also be paid to the skills of making inferences and drawing conclusions. Be sure to continue to encourage your child to read each evening and to complete their read-ing log. Please be sure to sign your child’s reading log at the end of the week. In Math, the students have been exceptionally busy. They have already covered decimal and fractions. This month the students will be using order of operations to solve problems. Please continue to practice multiplication facts with your child at home. Thank you for your support as we go through the school year. Please continue to encourage your child at home to do his/her best at school. By working together we can make this a successful year for each child.

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PARENTS ARE REMIND-

ED THAT STUDENTS

NEED HEADPHONES

AT SCHOOL.

COUNSELING CORNER

Character Education Word of the Month: HONEST

LUES GUIDANCE COUNSELING OFFICE Ms. Nelson: Counselor for grade 4 and the following grade 3 homerooms: Addair, Roberson, Corley, Fletcher, Gallen-tine, and Semper Mrs. Richards: Counselor for grade 5 and the following grade 3 homerooms: A. Flanagan, Balwanz, Collins, Herbert, Killion, and Tims Mrs. Jones: Guidance Secretary HOLIDAY GIVING: If your church group, service group, or family is interested in helping one of our LUES families with holiday gifts or food, please contact your school counselors. Special thanks to Fairview Baptist Church for providing over thirty of our students with weekend snack/food bags for three weekends in October. Your generous donations were appreciated. The BIGS after school program has begun with over twenty students matched with a Big Brother or Sister. Thank you to the Rappahannock Big Brother/Big Sister Program for bringing this special opportunity to LUES. The Student Organization for Developing Attitudes (SODA) is a group of students from James Monroe High School. They will be mentors for all fourth grade classes. They will visit our fourth grade classrooms on a monthly basis for one class period to facilitate activities that give students skills for cooperation, good decision-making, responsibility and friendship. Intellectual Gifted and Talented Referrals: Parents and teachers may refer students for the intellectual gifted equa-tion program. Referral forms are available in the guidance office. Referrals are due for the next round of eligibilities on December 1, 2014. Important Dates: November 3—End of Grading Period November 7—Report Cards Go Home November 18-Honor Roll Assemblies November 20-Parent/Teacher Conferences (call Mrs. Jones in the Guidance Office to make an ap- oint-ment with your child’s teacher.

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COMMONWEALTH PARENTING

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Commonwealth Parenting has served the Richmond area for more than thirty years as a leading resource for parenting information. Commonwealth Parenting is an affiliate of the Children’s Museum of Richmond. The Fredericksburg area is pleased to welcome a satellite office of the Children’s Museum of Richmond (CMoR) located at 1275 Jefferson Davis High-way, in the Eagle Village Shopping Center. The Fredericksburg’s CMoR site also has a Com-monwealth Parenting operation. Commonwealth Parenting was voted 2011 “Best Local Parenting Resource” by Richmond Magazine. The agency has supported more than 40,000 families in total or approximately 3,200 families annually. The staff members at Commonwealth Parenting are accredited ex-perts and are able to provide educational workshops and private consultations on parenting children from birth through adolescence. For more information, please call (540) 656-2233.

PUMPKIN FUN RUN

Congratulations to the following students who won the Pumpkin Fun Run that was held on Tuesday, October 21. Grade 3—Boys: 1st Place—Blake Morin, 2nd Place—Nathan Scharf Grade 3—Girls—1st Place—Cecilia Lucas, 2nd Place—Carley Coghill Grade 4 Boys—1st Place—Jack Bowles, 2nd Place—Zachary Horn Grade 4 Girls—1st Place—Sarah Rigual, 2nd Place—Jillian Battista Grade 5 Boys—1st Place—Jayden Williams, 2nd Place—Joe Hardy Grade 5 Girls—1st Place—Brianna Denson, 2nd Place—Grace Maynard

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Every student will have a health class during their seventh day special rotation. Students are asked to have a folder for health to keep their work neatly arranged. Fifth Graders have been discussing having healthy relationships and goal setting. These goals will include short ones, like doing my homework tonight, to a longer one, such as I plan to attend college after I graduate from high school. Their next unit will be on consumer health. Students are asked to bring in ads from the newspapers or flyers that come in the mail. Fourth Graders are finishing up their unit on safety. We have discussed fire safety and all students drew a fire escape plan. They were also asked to check to see if their residence has working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. We have covered bicycle and water safety. They have been learning their addresses and an emergency phone number for their parents/guardian. Poisons are another subject that has been addressed. Students have received a magnet with the Poison Control number to put on their refrigerator or another prominent location. They will be studying nutrition during the second nine weeks. They are asked to bring in a clean food label. This label should have the name of the food and the nutritional information, such as calories, fats and sugars. We will learn why we need to eat a bal-anced meal and the effects of foods on our growth, development, and ability to learn. It is hard to learn if you are and your stom-ach is growling all morning because you have gone without breakfast. Students may be asked to keep a food log. Please help your child make good food decisions. Once again, we will have the “Too Good for Drugs” Program taught by Ellen Jones. This program is funded by the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation. It is designed to teach our students to make good choices and not use tobacco products or illegal drugs. The classes will probably be second semester and more information will be coming home. Third Graders have started their Character Education Program. They will be learning about having positive interactions with their family and peers (meeting new friends at Lafayette). They will learn that being a friend is the way to have friends. We will discuss emotions and using good decisions making-making skills to resolve conflicts peacefully. Their next unit will be on medicines and drugs. Family Life Education—All students will receive family life classes during the month of January. Included in this newsletter is an opt-out letter if you DO NOT want your child to participate. Mrs. Hawkins is available to discuss any concerns you may have. A parent night will be held on Monday, December 8th from 4:00 P.M.. to 6:00 P.M. in the school library. Parents will have a chance to review materials that will be used in class such as videos and talk to the health and physical education teachers. Should you have any questions or concerns about what is being taught in health, please feel free to talk to Mrs. Cathy Hawkins at (540) 310-0029, extension 2418.

HEALTH AT LUES

Fredericksburg Special Education Advisory Committee will meet on November 12 at 6:30 P.M. at the Original Walker-Grant School. The presentation will be on sensory pro-cessing disorders and holiday gifts for special needs students. Anyone with an interest in special education is welcome. If you need accommodations, please contact Donna Watts at (540) 372-1127, extension 2559 by November 3, 2014.

SCA INSTALLATION CEREMONY—Congratulations to the newly elected SCA Officers for the 2014-2015 school year: President - Joe Hardy Member-At-Large - Katie Fidler Vice-President - - Grace Maynard Member-At-Large - Nicheals Johnson Secretary - Lola Martinelli-Guzman Member-at-Large - Christian Womack Treasurer - Jeremy Rodgers Member-At-Large - Jania Eura Historian - Kamrie Nance Member-At-Large - Celissa Samora-Nixon Newly elected SCA officers, members-at-large and homeroom representatives were installed on Friday, Octo-ber 24th. Parents and friends were invited to attend this ceremony. Everyone involved spent time practicing in order to make the ceremony flow smoothly. This year, the SCA council will meet during the school day from 2:15 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. once a month on the follow-ing dates: November 12, December 10, January 14, February 11`, March 11, April 15, and May 13.

The first SCA project will be the Can Food Drive which will run from Monday, November 17 through Fri-day, November 21. All items collected will be donated to a local community organization that will help the

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504 ACCOMODATIONS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

If your child has any type of learning or physical problem, he/she may qualify for accommodations under 504 or special education services. Please call the Counseling Office if you have any questions or would like to refer your child for screening and possible assessment. No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall, solely by reason of his/her handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: The Rights of Individuals with Handicaps Under Federal Law.

IN THE MATTER OF NON-RESIDENT STUDENT ENROLLMENT

The Fredericksburg City Public School Division does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, gender, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, or disability in admission of treatment of employment in its programs or activities. Any questions should be referred to Pam Steinkoenig, 200 Gunnery Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 or by calling (540) 372-1127.

SEX OFFENDER STATEMENT

The Fredericksburg City Public School Division recognizes the danger sex offenders pose to student safety. Therefore, to protect students while they travel to and from school, attend school or at school-related activities, the Fredericksburg City School Division shall request automatic electronic notification of regis-tered sex offenders in the same or contiguous zip codes as any school within the division. Such request and notification shall be made according to the proce-

Congratulations to the following students for being chosen as Super Lions of the Month for December. Teachers on each grade level nominate one boy and one girl from each POD. Students are chosen on the following criteria:

Leadership Traits (leadership of self and others)

Citizenship (shows respect to self and others; assistance to others)

Academic Performance (consistently putting forth best effort)

Behavior (demonstration of positive behavior)

Super Lion must follow Olweus and R.O.A.R. guidelines Those students selected for the month of September are: Gr. 3 - Bianca Hernandez - Addair Jackson Clarke from Addair Nooria Durrani— A. Flanagan Darrin Sever— A. Flanagan Gr. 4 - Sophia Shewfelt— Swider Liam Pillsbury— S. Flanagan Daniya Johnson— Brady Zach Horn— Brady Grade 5 - Emma Pineda— Janda Isaiah Dominguez— Janda Nataly Reyes—Keels

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SUPER LIONS

FCPS is hosting a drive to create awareness of homeless families living in

the City of Fredericksburg and to help stock our closet that specifically

helps homeless families in need. Those that are able to help are asked to

donate on the Week of November 10th-14th. Please bring/send in hygiene

items (i.e., bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, face wash,

Q-tips, etc.) to the school to benefit our homeless children. A bin will be

located in the main office to collect these items. Thank you in advance.

For questions, please contact Emily Piercy, School Social Worker at (540)

372-1127.

NOVEMBER LION CALENDAR

Monday, November 3 - End of Grading Period - School Board Meeting—7:30—City Council Chambers Tuesday, November 4 - Inservice/Workday—No School for Students Thursday, November 6 - Grade 5 Fall Concert—7:00-8:00 P.M. Friday, November 7 - Report Cards Go Home - Grade 5 Fall Concert—9:00 A.M. Monday, November 10 - Classroom Spelling Bees Tuesday, November 11 - Turkey Trot—3:30 P.M. Wednesday, November 12 - Rain Date for Turkey Trot—3:30 P.M. - Super Lions Luncheon—11:00—Stage - SCA Meeting—2:10-3:10 P.M. Thursday, November 13 - Bragg Hill Family Math/Science Night—6:00-7:30 P.M. Friday, November 14 - PTA Sock Hop Dance Party—3:45-5:00 P.M.—Cafetorium Monday, November 17- Friday, November 28 - PTA Toys For Tots Program/Angel Tree Tuesday, November 18 - Honor Roll Assemblies Grade 3—8:45 A.M. Grade 4—9:45 A.M. Grade 5—1:45 P.M. Wednesday, November 19 - School Picture Make-Up Day - Parent Advisory Committee Meeting—6:00—7:00 P.M. - PTA Meeting—6:30-7:30 P.M. Thursday, November 20 - Lion Fun Day-Fredericksburg Field House—1/2 Gr. 3 and all of Grade 5 - Parent Conferences—5:00—6:30 P.M. Friday, November 21 - Wacky Hair Day - Lion Fun Day—1/2 of Grade 3 and All of Grade 4 Wednesday, November 26- Friday, November 28 - Thanksgiving Break