September 2014 Streams Elementary Bulletin Mark Your Calendars September September 1 st – NO SCHOOL LABOR DAY September 2 nd 9:30 AM STExecutive Board Meeting September 3 rd 9:30 AM PTA Council Meeting @ Central Office September 5 th – 9:30am PTA 101 September 9 th – 9:30am and 7pm PTA Meeting September 11 th – 12:45pm Early Dismissal 7pm Open House September 16 th 9:30am Room Parent Meeting Principal’s Letter Dear Streams Families, We were REVVED UP and ready to go for our opening week at Streams! Hopefully, your children came home tired, but excited for more! It is amazing how quickly they fall into the routine of school, and how important that routine seems to them (and to us)! I wanted to share with you a summary of a new piece that we have added to the schedule for students in grades 1 4. You will be hearing more about STREAMS STRIVES at Open House, but this will give you an introduction. Looking forward to seeing you at Open House on September 11th! Watch for the eAlert or check the Streams homepage for the evening's schedule. Best, Dr. Miller
Transcript
September 2014
Streams Elementary Bulletin
Mark Your Calendars
September
September 1st – NO SCHOOL -‐ LABOR DAY
September 2nd -‐ 9:30 AM ST-‐Executive Board Meeting September 3rd -‐ 9:30 AM PTA Council Meeting @ Central Office
September 5th – 9:30am PTA 101
September 9th – 9:30am and 7pm PTA Meeting
September 11th – 12:45pm Early Dismissal
7pm Open House
September 16th -‐ 9:30am Room Parent Meeting
Principal’s Letter
Dear Streams Families,
We were REVVED UP and ready to go for our opening week at Streams! Hopefully, your children came home tired, but excited for more! It is amazing how quickly they fall into the routine of school, and how important that routine seems to them (and to us)! I wanted to share with you a summary of a new piece that we have added to the schedule for students in grades 1 -‐ 4. You will be hearing more about STREAMS STRIVES at Open House, but this will give you an introduction. Looking forward to seeing you at Open House on September 11th! Watch for the eAlert or check the Streams homepage for the evening's schedule. Best, Dr. Miller
President’s Co
Principal’s Letter Cont.
Streams Strives!!!
What is Streams STRIVES? At Streams Elementary School, Streams STRIVES is a daily learning opportunity designed to provide timely support in order to help boost students’ mastery of daily lessons. The goal is to further customize each child’s learning experience, as they strive to achieve their best every day. This opportunity provides children with specific grade level support to review math concepts learned within the core math program daily and opportunities for further customized reading practice within a small group setting. Participation is based on ongoing, day-to-day teacher assessments of students’ progress toward district learning objectives, along with daily classroom performance. While well designed and effectively delivered primary instruction is our main goal, we recognize that sometimes students have immediate needs for re-teaching or have the ability to master content quickly, thereby requiring additional challenge. The goal of STRIVE time is to address these diverse learner needs in a daily, systematic way. Each grade level team, in partnership with our resource team, will collaborate in the design and delivery of daily STRIVE time instruction. If you have any specific questions about this initiative, please feel free to contact any member of the Streams Elementary School Resource Team or your child’s classroom teacher. It is our goal to provide daily support to our learners, as they always STRIVE to reach their fullest potential. Thank you for your continued support and practice with your children at home, and we look forward to working with them during the upcoming school year!
President’s Corner 3…2…1…Happy New Year! Well, Happy New School Year that is! I hope everyone is off to a wonderful start. On behalf of the Streams PTA, welcome back! In the few “speeches” I have had to give in the past 2 weeks, I have found myself saying the same thing every time. At first I felt silly for being so repetitive, but then I realized that perhaps it means it is really important! Here is the mantra that I have been repeating: Having a big, active PTA does great things for the school. It raises money that purchases technology (last year it was iPads!) and pays for field trips (Meadowcroft, Outdoor classroom, etc). It brings fun events (think Snuggle Up and Read, Special Level Nights) and great educational programs, (like Labratz and performing arts shows). There is also an intangible benefit to an active PTA. It creates a great sense of community within our school. When our children see their parents volunteering and working to make school a special place, it really becomes that special place! It is not only a community of kids and teachers but families too. I urge all of you to find at least one thing (big or small) to help build that sense of community. Here are some ways to help: *Join the PTA - By joining you are able to volunteer in your child’s classroom at the holiday parties and assist at the PTA events held throughout the school year. *Attend some PTA meetings – Our PTA 101 event is Friday, September 5 at 9:30 am. This is an introduction to all of the committees in the PTA and there will opportunity to sign up to help! Our first PTA meeting will be Tuesday, September 9 in the LGI at 9:30 am and 7:00 pm. (Following meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month at 9:30 am only.) Join us to find out what the PTA has planned for the coming year. Refreshments are always served and children are always welcome! *Chair a Committee - We have the following Chair positions open for the following committees: • Kindergarten Special Level Night • Open Mike Coordinator Please contact me if you are interested or if you need additional information for any of these positions. *Support our Fund Raisers - By saving Box Tops and Campbell Soup Labels, signing up for Apples for Students program through Giant Eagle, and purchasing Market Day products you are contributing to Streams PTA. And by all means, come to Stravaganza on Friday October 10! It is through these programs that the Streams PTA receives funds, equipment, and supplies that help to enhance our classrooms and school. *Join us for all of our special PTA events - Special Level Grade Nights, Open Mikes, Book Fair, Bingo, Snuggle Up and Read – all of these programs and many more will be held throughout the year. It is at these events that
families get to know each other and a community is strengthened. Plus, they are just plain fun! Please refer to the Streams calendar on the website for the dates of all Streams functions. I look forward to seeing many familiar faces this year and meeting the new Streams families as we build a great community for 2014-15! Ann Rhodes Streams PTA President
If you have not yet done so, please purchase or return your book. For purchases you can send in your money or just return your book , to school, with your child by September 23rd . If you have any questions, please contact Christine Vinay at [email protected].
Thank you for supporting the Streams PTA!!
Don't forget to join the Streams PTA!! Please return your membership form and money in an envelope with "PTA Membership" on the front to the Streams office. If you need another form, you can get one on the Streams PTA website at http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us/Page/5361
If you have any questions, please contact the Streams Membership Chair:
Want to become a part of one of the mission, and have fun too? The Starvaganza
committee needs you!
Over 200 Volunteers make this event a
continual success, year after year!
Come, and join the fun! !
"The world would be a better place if...." "All children deserve opportunities to explore and be involved in the arts." This is a fantastic program that is open to all students of any ability! Students use their artistic expression through the arts: visual, musical, written and dance, to interpret the theme for the year. For more information, go to Stream's Website, click on PTA, click on "Reflections", there are links to entry forms and all of the information needed to participate. Please contact Kathy Ginsburg with any questions: [email protected] or 412-‐651-‐2990
Save the Date
Friday
October 10th
5-‐9pm
Streams
“Out of This World”
Stravaganza
Market Day
Save money, buy grocery food items and help our school raise money with Market Day! Each month we provide you the opportunity to this via online or on our order form. There are always wonderful promotions, monthly specials and clearance items. September's promotion is a 3 pc. melamine mixing bowl set - free with $50 purchase. The best thing is Streams Elementary receives 10% of the total sales each month. Last year, we raised over $2300 - we have raised $46,479.58 to date. Ordering Market Day is simple. Place your order online at www.marketday.com or use the Market Day link on the PTA page of the Streams website. Register your e-mail address to receive reminders to order and special offers for online customers. Our Market Day account # is 7836. You can pay for your order online or pay by cash or check when you pick up your order. Please give it a try. Our first sale pick-up is September 23, 2014 from 2:30 – 3:15p.m. Orders may be placed or changed until midnight September 17th. We have volunteer openings. This is once a month time commitment from 1:00 -3:00 p.m., and we have lots of fun. If you would like to join us, please contact: Lisa Blass at [email protected]
The Streams Staff Appreciation Committee would like to welcome everyone back to school!
Teacher Appreciation month is in May. Throughout the year the committee will send out e-‐blasts and, reminders requesting support in the form of donations and, your time to help show our teachers how much we appreciate them.
Also, be on the lookout for news about Bus Driver Appreciation Day as well!
If you have any questions please contact Michelle Mandler:
The Stravaganza committee is looking for items to be contributed for the Children's and Adult Raffles. Donate an item from your family or gather friends to donate a theme basket. This is where our Streams’ parents strap in and launch this mission into Orbit! Every year the generous donations from our families make this event a success.
The raffles are truly the heart of Stravaganza!! All donated items and/or baskets can be sent into the Streams office beginning on Mon., Sept. 22nd . Please identify as "adult" or "children's". Don't forget to include the names of donors or group. We ask that all donations are dropped off by Fri., Oct. 3rd . Contact chairs with questions: Children's Raffle,
Giant Eagle Apple for Students The Streams Elementary Giant Eagle "Apples for Students" Program is underway. This program provides the opportunity for schools to earn FREE computer and educational materials. Last year classrooms ordered a multitude of supplies to include calculators, cameras, books, modeling clay, pencil sharpeners, puzzles, lego sets and more. Thank you to over 400 families that registered at Streams!
The program officially starts in October. Your family may register now.
If you have already registered for Streams in the past, there is no need to
re-register - unless you have not been using your advantage for 18 months, then please re-register.
It is important to note that this program in no way affects your
fuelperks rewards! Two easy steps to register: 1. Visit http://www.gianteagle.com/schools/apples-for-students or call 1 - 800 - 474 - 4777. 2. Enter the Streams Elementary School ID # 1200 plus the 12 - digit code
printed on the back of your Giant Eagle Advantage Card located underneath the barcode. It only takes a moment to register and the rewards are huge. Help multiply our efforts by asking friends, relatives and neighbors to register also. Thank you for your continued support!!! Please feel free to contact Jill Spencer at [email protected] or 412.480.1884
