Welcome toCentral Elementary

SchoolGo Eagles!!!2013-2014

Notes From Mrs. MizellDear Parents,

On behalf of the teachers and staff of the Central Elementary School (CES), I would like to welcome you back to school. I anticipate that the 2013-14 academic year will prove to be an exciting and productive year. To those who are new to Central, we hope that you will quickly feel at home and become involved in the activities of our school through the PTA and your child’s classroom. As I continue as principal at Central Elementary, I will work diligently with parents and faculty to foster an atmosphere that promotes a learning community that is child centered. Working as a team we will move forward in our mission to create a warm, caring, disciplined, and challenging environment in which all students can learn and reach their highest potential becoming responsible members of society. Although we strongly believe in academic excellence, we also feel that learning must be fun and rewarding for each child. By working together, students, parents/guardians, and staff can make Central Elementary School an exciting and enjoyable place to learn. I am blessed to work with the Central staff, families, and community.

Reaching New Heights-Soaring to Excellence

   Sincerely, Cindy Mizell

Central Elementary 2013-2014 GoalsArkansas Comprehensive School Improvement

PlanPriority 1: Literacy

Goal: All students will improve their performance in writing abilities in the area of content and style and in answering open-response questions in

literary and content reading passages.Priority 2: Mathematics

Goal: all students will improve their mathematics performance in answering multiple choice question and open response questions in numbers and

operations and measurement. Priority 3: Wellness

Goal: Students participating in the BMI screening show a need to improve their physical activity and nutrition in order to develop lifelong health habits

and to live a healthy lifestyle. Priority 4: English Language Learners

Goal: By developing high-quality language instruction programs the school  will enable English Language Learner students to speak, read, write, and

comprehend in the English language, develop high levels of academic attainment in English, meet the same challenging AR State academic content and student academic achievement standards as all students are expected to

meet, and to enter all-English instruction settings. Within the Priorities we add Parental Involvement

Announcements• October 25th – No school

• November 25th thru November 29th – Thanksgiving Break• December 23rd thru January 5th –

Christmas Break

Non-Nutritional Days

• September 27th • October 31st • November 22nd • December 20th • January 29th • February 13th • March 21st • April 17th • May 23rd

PTA DatesOctober

• 3rd – PTA Guys Game Night• 10th – Skate Night

November• 5th—PTA Santa Pictures @ 8:00am• 7th—PTA Duck Dynasty Night

• 14th—Skate Night• 25th-29th: Thanksgiving Break

From the Counselor……October is

National Bullying Prevention Month and Red Ribbon Week

Students will spend the first half of the month learning about bullying, how to report a bully, and how to stand up against bullying. It is important for everyone involved to know bullying is one sided and intentional.

Red Ribbon Week October 28th-November 1st

During this time, students take a stand against drugs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------Monday – From head to Toe We Say No – wear crazy socks and a hatTuesday – Drugs are Ridiculous – students dress crazy or ridiculous (mismatched, backwards, etc.)Wednesday – Be a Smarty, Don’t Do Drugs – dress like a nerdThursday – Black Out Drugs – wear blackFriday – Be a Sport and Don’t Do Drugs – wear a sports shirt or uniform

Amanda Ming - Counselor

October Kindergarten News

• Reading- This month we are reading story books and students are re-telling and discussing characters in the story.

• Writing- This month we are writing like scientists. We have been observing our surroundings in nature.

• Math- This month we are working on counting numbers and comparing sets of numbers. We will also work on measurement.

• Science/Social Studies- This month we will be talking about Pumpkins, Columbus Day, and physical environment.

Dates to remember: October 3: PTA Guys Game Night

October 10: Skate NightOctober 23: Report Cards

October 23: Field Trip to Pumpkin Patch @ Alma Middle SchoolOctober 24: Parent Teacher Conferences (See you there!)

October 25: Professional Development- No school October 31: Non-Nutritional Day/Fall Party (No costumes please)

First Grade NewsWhat are we studying??Reading:. Being a Word Detective….figuring out hard words.Math: : Making Shapes and Designing…..geometry.Writing: NonFiction Writing….all about and how to books.

What’s Happening in 2nd Grade???

ReadingFor September and October we are working on reading information books, reading the world.

WritingThis month we are studying Information Books: Using writing

to teach others All about Our Favorite Topics

MathOur focus in math this month is Shapes, Blocks,

And Symmetry.

Science/Social StudiesWe will be learning about Soil as well as

Changes Throughout History.

Dates to Remember:October 25th – No School

Thinkings of a Third GraderReading:

We have started a new unit for reading…we are “Spying” on our favorite characters to get to know them better and to deepen our thinking. We will be learning about how the

characters move the story along.

Writing:We have celebrated our 1st piece of published

writing!! Woohooo!!! We are starting Informational Writing where we will become experts on an animal, a person, or a topic.

Math:PLACE VALUE is our focus in our second unit!! We will also be learning different strategies to help us add and subtract! In this unit, we are

focusing on numbers all the way to 1,000!

Science:What’s that sound?! We are ringing in the new school year by studying the different types of

sound and sound waves.

Students who won Reading Awards from

our 1st Reading Celebration

4th Grade HappeningsReading- We are now working on reading nonfiction. Students will be reading all kinds of nonfiction, paying attention to the structure of each particular text and the way the text is written.

Writing- We are doing a unit on writing personal and persuasive essays. Students will be creating and developing mini-stories.

Social Studies - We are starting off studying Social Studies with Freedom Week. Students will also be learning map and globe skills.

Math- Students are still studying their multiplication. They are working on multiple towers and division stories.

4th Grade says… “GO HOGS!”

5th GradeMath – “Prisms & Pyramids”

In this unit we will be learning how to find the volume of boxes using cubic units.

Science- We are studying light and color and learning how we see light (color). We will also be studying force and motion this month, concentrating on simple machines.

Reader’s Workshop – “Learning Through Reading”

We will be using all we know about nonfiction reading and research to learn about the American Revolution.

Writer’s Workshop – “Bringing History to Life”

We will be learning the foundations of research report writing. Students will learn to use research skills to deepen their knowledge of the American Revolution.

Social Studies – American Revolution

Reading is important because…

Strong reading and writing skills are essential for success in school and later life. Although most children learn to read in their classroom programs, a few children have great difficulty learning to read and write. Reading Recovery can help!

Scientific evidence reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse confirms that

 Reading Recovery is effective.

Reading Recovery Teacher

Bonnie Duff

Central Elementary

Van Buren, AR 72921

479-474-7059

bonnie.duff@vbsd.us

University Training Center

University of Arkansas

Little Rock, AR

Center For Literacy

Contact your local Reading Recovery

professional

Reading Recovery at Central Elementary, Van Buren School District

25 Years of Excellence in North America

•Nearly 2 million American first graders have had Reading Recovery      lessons.•75% reached grade-level standard at the end of their lessons.•All children make progress, but a few do not reach grade-level standard.• Information from Reading Recovery lessons helps schools and parents plan future evaluation and services.

Reading Recovery works because… Families can help by…•highly trained teachers work intensively, with individual children each school day.•lessons are planned to build on the knowledge and strengths of each child.

•being sure your child's school attendance is as regular as possible.•listening to your child read books sent home by the Reading Recovery teacher.•returning the books each day so the teacher can send home new books.•making reading time positive, short, and enjoyable.

To find out more about Reading Recovery visit our website at www.readingrecovery.org

Drop off and Pick up

• Bus drop off and pick up will be located behind the building on North 22nd Street.

• Car drop off and pick up will now be located in the front of Central Elementary School on North 24th Street.