Penguin Annoucement

Remember when keeper at the zoo said that there was going to be something coming out in the news about the zoo's penguins?  Well a few chicks have arrived!  Check out this video posted to Facebook by clicking HERE.  Also, click HERE to view the zoo's press release about this new addition!  I can't wait to show the first grader's this video in the morning! 

Polar Bear and Penguin Presentation Day - THANK YOU!

Everyone seemed to enjoy the Polar Bear and Penguin Presentation Day.  Thank you for taking time out of your day to see what your child has been working on.  Everyone was buzzing about their important adults being in "their" school.  :)  Here are a few pictures of yesterday's happenings.  Also in this post are links to the videos or PowerPoint presentation.  

The Arctic by Carson and Owen

March Important Dates/"I can..." Statements for this Week

March Important Dates:

2nd - PTO Meeting @ 7pm @ VHE

4th - 1:00 Dismiss - Grade Reporting

4th - Book Orders Due

*11th - REGULAR SCHOOL DAY - NO 1:00 dismiss

13th - Breakfast Buddies @ VHE - 7:30 - 8:15am

*13th - 1:00 Dismiss (Moved from 11th)

16th - Parent/Teacher Conferences - 4-8pm

17th - 1:00 Dismiss - Parent/Teacher Conferences - 3-8pm

18th - No School

19th - No School

20th - No School

* = Calendar Change

Breakfast Buddies - Students are welcome to bring a buddy to school for breakfast.  Breakfast will be provided by VHE.  Muffins, fruit, and juice will be served.  More information, including an RSVP, will be coming home with all students soon.  

Conferences - Please call the office to set up a conference time.  

Scholastic Book Order - Every order earns points towards FREE books for our classroom!  When we get points in our “bank”, students go online and pick out which books they’d like to see added to our classroom library!

Scholastic Book Clubs Ordering Information:

Order Due: March 4th

Scholastic Book Clubs

Class Activation Code: KXJMN

Here are our “I can…” statements for this week!

I can read and write words with er, ir, and ur like fern, burn, stir, and hurt.

I can summarize after reading text.  That means I can retell all of the important ideas after I read.

I can read with inflection and intonation.  I can change my pitch, volume and stress to make my reading sound like talking.  

I can use strategies I know to subtract numbers up to 20.  

I can write an informational report with a title, topic sentence, facts and pictures.  

1:00 DISMISS WEDNESDAY

Benton Community Schools will be dismissing at 1:00 today due to weather.  Please call the office with any changes to your child's schedule.  

Stay warm!

Hungry, Hungry Hippo - Gym

Mr. Embretson keeps things interesting in gym class.  He has students participate in activities that promote health and wellness.  He also integrates problem solving, team building, counting, and many other skills into the activities.  Below are a few pictures I caught of them playing a real life version of Hungry, Hungry Hippos that required a large number of those skills.  These kiddos LOVED it!  

Presentation Day Tuesday

I apologize for the absence last week.  Your children have been BUSY every moment of the day preparing their projects for their big debut!   They've prepared some pretty fantastic visuals for you to learn about both polar bears and penguins.  We are also excited to learn from the experts at the Omaha Zoo!

Presentation Day:

8:15 - 9:00 - Tours of the "Arctic Circle" and "Antarctica"  - Blubber experiment if time allows.

9:00 - 10:00 - Virtual Field Trip with the Omaha Zoo

10:00 - PE/Library for students

Feel free to come and go at any point between 8:15 and 10:00.  

No School Monday - Newspaper

One last reminder that there is no school tomorrow.  PK - 12 staff will be participating in professional development at the GWAEA in Cedar Rapids. 

Finished with Sunday's paper?  We need newspaper in 1U for some paper mache projects that we'd like to share with you next week.  I'm planning on our first layer going on on Tuesday.  We'd appreciate any extra newspapers you've got.   

FRIDAY - VDAY & DRESS UP DAY - NOON DISMISS

REMINDER:  This Friday, February 13th is our Valentine's Day party.  If your family is sending Valentine's Day cards, please send 17.  

There is a NOON dismiss on Friday.  Please make sure your child knows his or her plan for the afternoon.  Lunch will be served at school at 11:05.

Students have reached this week's BoxTop goal!  The reward for this was a dress up day.  1U voted on "Favorite Sports Team" as their dress up theme.  Feel free to have your child participate in this reward.  

Polar Bear and Penguin Presentation Invitation

We've been learning all about informational reports.  In order to give students more practice in this area of writing, reading, and presenting, we thought it would be fun to invite you into our classrooms on Tuesday, February 24th.  Please see the invitation link below for more information.  Your student is bringing home a hard copy of this paper tonight.  Please return the bottom portion at your earliest convenience.  

Let me know if you have any questions!

Penguin and Polar Bear Presentation Invitation

The first step in writing an informational report is to read nonfiction texts.  We've pulled every polar bear and penguin book from nook and crannies near and far!  

12:30 DISMISS MONDAY

ALL Benton Community Schools will be closing at 12:30 on Monday due to a power outage at Norway Elementary.  Please contact the office with any changes in transportation.

"I can..." Statements for the Week of February 3rd - EARLY DISMISS TOMORROW

Below you'll find a video with this week's "I can..." statements.  

The PTO meeting that was supposed to be last night has been rescheduled for TONIGHT at 7pm at Keystone Elementary.  

Tomorrow is a 1:00 dismiss.

Please send an empty shoe or cereal box to school with your student.  If you have an extra and could send two, that would help.

You'll receive additional reminders, but please note that next Friday is a 12:00 dismiss.

FAST Note/Boxes

FAST Note - When we return to school, (on TUESDAY now), your child will bring home a note about his or her FAST score.  Included in this note is your child's fall score, winter score, winter benchmark and end-of-year goal.  Please read the letter.  It contains information on what to do to help your child reach the end-of-year goal or what you can do to help your child if they already have.  

Boxes - We are in need of empty cereal boxes or shoe boxes.  Please send one to school with your child by February 10th.  Thanks for your help with this!