Dalton Elementary Newsletter

Letter from the Principal 1

Kindergarten News 2

Kindergarten (continued) 3

Fourth Grade 4,5

Fifth Grade 6

Thank you Gramma 7

News from the Art Room 8, 9,10

I Noticed You 1

From the Librarian 12,13

Report to Parents 14

March Breakfast & Lunch Menu 15,16

I hope everyone had an enjoyable break. We are now

preparing for the New York State Math tests that wi

be given to our 3

through 5

graders the week of

March 2

. The third and fifth grades will be testing

on Monday and Tuesday of that week. Fourth grade

will be testing on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

you have any questions about the tests, please cont

act

your child’s teacher.

I am very pleased to begin using the Principal’s Pr

efer-

ral part of our Peacebuilder program. This program

recognizes students in the classroom who consistent

demonstrate the principles of the Peacebuilder pro-

gram. One student will be chosen from each classro

per month. The students who receive a Preferral wi

be invited to my office for a special recognition l

unch.

This week I hosted our Kindergarten and first grade

students that were chosen. What an enjoyable lunch!

Ami Hunt

Elementary Principal

Visit our Web Site @ www.keshequa.org

Ami Hunt - Dalton Elementary Principal

PO Box 517, Nunda, NY 14517, (585) 476 –2234

ext.1133, Email: ahunt@keshequa.org

February 2009

Volume 10 Issue 6

Special po ints of inter est:

☺

I Noticed You Awards

☺

Gramma

☺

Librarian

Have you ever heard of snowwork? The students in k

inder-

garten have! For the past few weeks they have read various stories

about the weather. They have charted

weather words, painted pictures of

different types of weather, and wrote

about their favorite weather. One of the

favorite stories they read this month was

called Snowballs,

by Lois Ehlert. The illus-

trations in this book are collages of house-

hold items used to create snow friends.

These illustrations were also the basis of each chi ld’s snowwork.

Every kindergarten student took home the outline of

a snowman on

paper and had to use items around their house to cr eate their very

own snow friend. All snow friends are on display i n the kindergar-

ten hallway. Stop down and see what creative kids we have!

The students in Mrs. Forrester's and Mrs. Macomber'

s class have been very busy with

their Snow Pal Glyphs. A glyph is a picture that t ells a story. Children are encouraged to

follow a given key (legend) to create a story that is unique to the individual. When all steps

are complete children are then encouraged to write about their creation and share their

uniqueness with the class!

First we traced and cut three white circles, w e glued them together to make a Snow Pal.

Then we used the following legend to put the finishing touches on!

Head Covering

Ear Muffs

Ear Muffs – I am a girl

Hat

Hat – I am a boy

Mouth

On a cold day I‘d rather…

dots

dots – drink hot cocoa

smile

smile – eat soup

squiggly

squiggly – have something else

Mittens/Gloves

In winter, I’d rather…

Wear mittens to keep my hands warm

Wear gloves to keep my hands warm

Boots

In winter, I’d rather

Purple

Purple -

go sledding

Red

Red -

build forts

Blue

Blue -

throw snowballs

Nose

When it snows, it’s best when school…

Triangle

Triangle –

––

–

is closed

Circle

Circle – has delayed openings

Square

Square – closes early

Scarf

Winter …

Solid

Solid – my favorite season

Striped

Striped – not my favorite season

Broom/Shovel

Broom

Broom - I like snow

Shovel

Shovel – I do not like snow

www.keshequa.org

Attention all Dalton

Elementary

Students & Families!

Keep sending in your Box Tops!

We are kicking off the New Year with something new

to help collect Box Tops for Education in

our school. On the back you will find a collection

sheet that you and your child may color and

decorate together for the month of March. As you c

ollect Box Tops at home, encourage your

child to tape the box tops onto their collection sh

eet. Simply return the finished collection

sheet to Mrs. Privitera (4

grade). The money that is earned through our coll

ection of box

tops is used for student scholarships and other won

derful resources for our students!

Here are some easy steps to participate...

When you are finished with a box tops item, just cut

off the box

top label! Look for the symbol below if you are not

sure.

TAPE each box top to the collection sheet and retu

rn it to Mrs.

Privitera (room 1260) in the 4

grade.

Healthy Livingston HIP HOP

Facts & Tips

FUN FOOD FACT:

Did you know that there are over 500 different pasta shapes? Now that’s variety! Speaking of variety, try to eat a variety of different

foods every day. When you eat a variety of foods, you have a better chance of meeting your nutritional needs. Plus, it’s more fun than

having the same thing at every meal.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY:

When you’re at a family get together, get up and move around and take the other kids with you. You’ll entertain yourself, your brothers,

sisters and cousins and you will all stay active at the same time. Plan ahead and bring a football, Frisbee or hackysac with you to any get-

together. Teach a new game or skill and you will be the life of the party!

www.keshequa.org

Page 4

www.keshequa.org

Page 5

Students in Mrs. Brickwood’s 5

grade class pose with

Mrs. Lori Gray, our Junior

Achievement business volunteer.

Students spent five 45-minute

sessions with Mrs. Gray, learning

about a variety of topics including

entrepreneurship, free enterprise,

the importance of technology in

our world, and job skills. We so

appreciate the time that Mrs.

Gray volunteered in our

classroom!

Rock

in’ It in the Science

Lab

Some of Mrs. Brickwood’s

students have fun showing

off their goggles that were

used while investigating the

effects of acid on rocks and

minerals.

Who says Science can’t be

fashionable?

www.keshequa.org

’II

February News from the Art Room…

Well, it’s hard to believe that February is over an

d spring is just around the corner. Students conti

nue to work

hard on their art projects to prepare for the Dalto

n Elementary Fine Arts Festival on this May 19

. There’s

much to be done before then! A display form is pri

nted in this newsletter for those of you wishing to

display

your artwork along that of our students. Please pu

t your work on display to act as a creative and pos

itive role

model for our students. You can also find this dis

play form on our website and at the web link below.

Likewise, I want to let everyone know that I have j

ust created an Elementary Art Web Page. If you go

to the

district web page and click on

Dalton Web Pages

, scroll down to my name and click on

Art

, and you can explore

the pages and links. You can also type in the link

if needed:

http://teacherweb.com/NY/KeshequaCentralSchool/Lind

aStrathearn/index.html

Like most teacher web pages, it is a work in progre

ss and will continually evolve. Soon I will be upl

oading photos

of students involved in creativity, as well as stud

ent work, and more art links.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN PROMOTING ARTS EDUCATION

From

www.pta.org

Why is arts education so important? Arts education

not only cultivates imagination, self-expression,

and crea-

tivity, but also plays a vital role in the developm

ent of critical thinking and problem-solving skills

. It promotes

visual literacy, which enables students to analyze

and interpret the meaning of complex visual imagery

that per-

meates the media and popular culture.

Additionally, the arts provide a point of departure

for learning in other disciplines, including socia

l studies, his-

tory, literature, science, and math. Research has

shown that "arts education increases interest in ac

ademic

learning, cognitive and basic skills development, a

nd the development of academic achievement skills"

(R.R. Kon-

rad,

Empathy, Arts, and Social Studies

, 2000). Arts education presents a window through

which students are

exposed to a diverse and dynamic world of perspecti

ves and cultures. And, among these many other bene

fits,

arts education equips students with skills essentia

l to success in the current economic environment.

Schools

that provide little or no arts education are denyin

g students the opportunity to hone those skills tha

t will best

prepare them for the highly competitive labor marke

t of the 21st century. Arts education is a basic co

re sub-

ject in the curriculum and is a fundamental compone

nt of comprehensive learning for grades K-12.

How can parents make a difference?

Parents play a vital role in the survival of suffic

ient arts education in

schools. Collaboration among parents, teachers, an

d arts leaders can create a powerful constituency a

dvocating

for arts programs in schools. Parent involvement i

s an integral part of guaranteeing the best possibl

e arts edu-

cation for all students.

Advance notice from the Elementary Art Room

Hooray! It’s almost that time of year again

…

ATTENTION MEMBERS OF THE KESHEQUA COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY ARTISTS AND CRAFTERS ARE WANTED FOR THE UPCOMING

KESHEQUA ELEMENTARY FINE ARTS FESTIVAL—DALTON BUILDING

MONDAY, MAY 18

, 2009 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

If you enjoy creating some form of artwork, whether

it be

painting, drawing, printmaking, graphic design, pho tography,

fiber or textile design, quilting, needlework, stai

ned glass,

tole or china painting, sculpture, ceramics, woodwo

rking, fine

craftwork, flower arrangements, etc., etc., we invi

te you to

bring your work to our Elementary building to showc

ase your

artwork along with our student artwork at our Eleme

ntary

Fine Arts Festival on Monday, May 18

. As an adult artist in

our community, your participation serves as a posit

ive role

model for our children’s education in the visual ar

ts.

*Please note that your work need not be new work,

and it does not have to be mounted or framed. We e

ncourage you to show previously

shown work just as museums and art galleries do! P lease tell your neighbors, family, and friends to d isplay their work and see the show.

Please fill out the form below, and return to the D

alton Elementary School Art Room by May 15

th,

or as soon as possible.

If you would like further information, please conta

ct Mrs. Strathearn at

476-2234, ext. 1140, or email

lstrathearn@keshequa.org

Our students and our schools thank you for your par

ticipation in our Fine Arts Festival!

Reservations for table space will be available on a

first come, first serve basis, however every attem

pt will be made to include all who want to particip

ate!

Thank you for showing your artwork with our student

Please check all that apply:

Yes, I would like to reserve a table at the Dalton

building Elementary Fine Arts Festival on Monday, M

ay 18

Size of Table required:

Full Table (10’ x 29 1/2”)

Half Table (5’ x 29 1/2”)

(Display tables may be set up anytime after 2:40 PM

on Monday, May 18

. Due, to lack of permanent display space, artwork

should be re-

moved later in that same evening after the festival

ends since the cafetorium will be used during the

next school day for students. However, if

this is difficult for you, please let Mrs. Strathea

rn know as we may be able to temporarily store your

artwork until you are able to pick it up.)

Name:

Address:

Phone:

Email:

Type of Artwork:

Please return form to: Keshequa Elementary School A

rt Room, or by postal mail to: Keshequa Elementary

School

Art Room P.O. Box 517, Nunda, NY 14517. You may al

so email this information to

lstrathearn@keshequa.org

www.keshequa.org

Page 10

WOULD YOU LIKE EMAIL NOTIFICATION

If so,

just go to the Current Events link on our website

and sign up today.

www.keshequa.org

I NOTICED YOU BUILD PEACE AWARDS!!

Johnny Bailey

Macy Boss

Paige Burley

Hailey Moriarty

Mariah Bishop

Jessica Giambra

Christina Gaddy

Jocelyn Parthemer

Adrianna Wilkins

Branden Bennett

Hayden Strobel

Olivia Howell

Kole Andress

Makayla Ribble

Alicia Parthemer

Craig Doty-Mann

Zachary Prial

Jacob Mitchell

Ryan Thayer

Mikayla Abbey

Katelyn Shearing

“

RAFE MARTIN’S STORIES

BIRDWING

–Prince Ardwin is a boy with a wing. Is it a gift o

r a curse? In this mythic and heroic novel, he disco

vers his

place in the world. Grade 4 and up

THE WORLD BEFORE THIS ONE

—In this magical novel, drawing on thousands of years

of Seneca Indian legend, the

Storytelling Stone tells Crow the great stories of t

he Seneca—tales of the Long Ago Time, and Crow come

s to realize

his own power to change his people and his own dest

iny. Grade 3 and up

THE SHARK GOD

—A thrilling suspense story, a powerful morality tale

and a gorgeous glimpse of a beautiful land where

a shark can be kinder than a king. Grade 2 and up

THE ROUGH FACE GIRL

—An inspiring, award-winning re-creation of a Nativ

e American (Algonquin) Cinderella story.

All ages

THE STORYTELLING PRINCESS

—In this original, wild and wacky comedy of lost and

found identities, destinies un-

folding, and compelling storytelling, no one really k

nows the ending of the tale! All ages

WILL’S MAMMOTH

– Almost wordless picture book about a boy’s adventure

s with his dream come true and the power

of the imagination. All ages

FOOLISH RABBIT’S BIG MISTAKE –

Rafe’s retelling of a well known

tale from India that illustrates how jumping to

conclusions can lead to trouble.

All ages

BRAVE LITTLE PARROT

– Is the determination and courage of one small bird

enough to save the forest from a raging

fire? All ages

THE BOY WHO LOVED MAMMOTHS

– A story based on the picture book Will’s Mammoth

, about a boy who believes

that mammoths exist and sets out to find one. Grade

3 and up

THE HUNGRY TIGRESS

– A collection of 40, ancient and contemporary, Budd

hist myths, tales and legends,

with commentaries on their meaning. Grade 4 and up

A STORYTELLER’S STORY

—A picture filled biography by noted photographer, Jil

l Krementz. All ages.

AUDIO

RAFE MARTIN TELLS HIS CHILDREN’S STORIES

– storytelling of Boy Who Lived

With the Seals,

Boy Who Loved Mammoths,

Foolish Rabbit’s Big Mistake,

Rough Face Girl.

The four stories on

this CD became Rafe’s first award-winning children’s books. Here they are the way Rafe tells them live. All ages

www.keshequa.org

Page 12

BOOK ORDER FORM

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Rafe Martin will be appearing in our school soon! He

will be sharing his stories and talking about being

an author

with our children on May 5, 2009

Rafe Martin’s books and audiotapes are available fo

r purchase so that your child/ren can take home a memo

of his visit to be shared at home, over and over. P

lease complete the form below and return it with pa

yment to your

child’s teacher prior to

April 9, 2009

Rafe will personally inscribe each book to your child

or to whoever you might

like to give one of his books as a gift.

STUDENT”S NAME_________________________ TEACHER_

__________________________

INSCRIPTION (if different from student’s name)_____

____________________________________

BOOKS

TOTAL

_______ Birdwing

hardcover

$16.95 _______________

_______ Birdwing

paperback

$6.99

_______________

_______The World Before This One

paperback

$5.99 _______________

_______The Shark God

paperback

$5.99 _______________

_______Will’s Mammoth

hardcover

$17.99 _______________

_______The Rough Face Girl

hardcover

$16.99 _______________

_______The Rough Face Girl

paperback

$6.99 _______________

_______The Brave Little Parrot

hardcover

$16.99 _______________

_______Foolish Rabbit’s Big Mistake

hardcover

$17.99 _______________

_______The Storytelling Princess

hardcover

$15.99 _______________

_______The Storytelling Princess

paperback

$6.99 _______________

_______A Storyteller’s Story

hardcover

$14.95 _______________

_______The Boy Who Loved Mammoths

paperback

$9.95 _______________

_______The Hungry Tigress

paperback

$16.95 _______________

TAPES

_______Rafe Martin Tells His Children’s Stories

$9.95 ________________

GRAND TOTAL

________________

Please make checks payable to Rafe Martin. Thank you.

We are all looking

forward with excitement to Rafe’s visit!

www.keshequa.org

Page 13