Garden Update

We now have a lovely arbor, thanks to the hard work and craftsmanship of Mrs. Koch and her husband.

Helping Our Children Develop Executive Function

Executive function is a set of skills that help your child make plans, control behavior, and set goals. Your child’s growing brain, as Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child describes it, is like a busy airport, and executive function is its air-traffic control system. It allows a child to focus on an activity, remember details, and manage their time—all critical tasks for success in school.

The 7 essential executive function skills children need, according to researcher and author Ellen Galinsky, are:
• Focus and self-control;
• Perspective taking;
• Communicating;
• Making connections;
• Critical thinking;
• Taking on challenges; and
• Self-directed, engaged learning.

How can I tell if my child struggles with executive function? Since executive function involves a set of skills, there is no single test to identify executive function problems. Generally, a child may have executive function weakness if she or he has trouble: 
• Planning projects and staying organized;
• Telling stories verbally or in writing;
• Retaining information while using it (remembering a 
phone number while dialing, for instance);
• Estimating how much time a task will take; or
• Memorizing and retrieving information from memory.

Click on the link below to learn more.

http://www.naesp.org/sites/default/files/RtP_ExecFunction_1.pdf 

LOUD Working Conditions

Our wonderful office ladies continue working with smiles even though the noise and dust levels are very high!  Workers are taking down the glass blocks to create a pass through to increase safety for students and staff.

Perfect Attendance Celebration

We would like to congratulate the 13 students at Paine Intermediate who have had Perfect Attendance all year long.  This means they have been here all day, every day with no check in’s or check out’s.  We are so proud of these students and their great achievement!  On the last day of school, they were treated to a special doughnut breakfast and received a certificate and several award coupons for their efforts.  Great job!

From Paine Intermediate, congratulations to:

Elijah Bell – Mrs. Carden’s Class

John Birdwell – Mrs. Sulser’s Class

Lily Burford – Mrs. J Wright’s Class

Andrew Carter – Mrs. Owens’ Class

Jakoby Cheatham – Mrs. Felts’ Class

Carly Cook – Mrs. Bettis’ Class

Ryan Cook – Mrs. Bettis’ Class

Daniel Cosby – Mrs. Brandon’s Class

Carly DeSimone – Mrs. Walls’ Class

Kailtyn Hendrix – Mrs. Lydia Smith’s Class

Kate Jordan – Ms. Williamson’s Class

Kenny Nguyen – Mrs. Brandon’s Class

Samuel Washington – Mrs. Jackie Moore’s Class

14-15 Math Team Named

5th Grade
Dawson Blount
Shea Boeker
Kaylee Brooks
Lauren Coffey
Wei Wei Guo
Millie Hallmark
James Hammonds
Colby Little
David Moore
Kate Mullinax
Hannah Oliver
Reagan Owings
Ryan Pigott
Maggie Beth Plyman
Tanveer Raza
Landon Shotts
Miller Smith
Thomas Stacks
Brandon Towers

4th Grade
Zac Abney
Lily Burford
Summer Cornelius
Katherine Flannery
Parker Green
Seth Hickman
Parker Hull
Hadley Knowlton
June Mobley
Lillian O'Neal
Hunter Osborne
Raj Patel
Gavin Snyder
Kalea Townes

14-15 Science Olympiad Team Named

5th Grade:
Chase Armstrong
Mary Grace Davidson
Carly DeSimone
Luke Golden
Maddie Mann
Brianna Plant
Kacey Rollo
Judson Upchurch
Trevor Warren
Barrett Willingham
Fran Mann
Breanna Johnson
Mohamed Alzoubi
Hollis Prosser

4th Grade:
Molly Bruno
Kaylin Campbell
Rubie Simon
Maggie Jennings
Adam Norris
Luke Dimler
Hudson Bates
DJ Carter
Jack McClure
Casey Bates

Reflections on a Good Journey

It is hard to believe that the school year is almost over.  Earnest Hemingway, novelist and Nobel Prize winner, said,  “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.”
What a great journey we have had this year!  Thank you for taking that journey with us.

This year, we focused on three main goals:

1.  Students construct mathematical knowledge and grow as mathematicians/problem solvers.
We put an emphasis on more multi-step problems, estimating all problems, putting all problems in context, and varying wording and types of questions to promote critical thinking.

We implemented DreamBox for use at school and at home.  We tracked the number of Dreambox units and lessons completed and set school goals per trimester.  To encourage friendly competition among classes, we implemented the Dreambox class of the month, providing Husky Dogs and trophies.  We implemented Dreambox as homework to ensure a minimum of 90 minutes per week for all students.

2.  Students efficiently and effectively read and write.
Students were encouraged and expected to read independently.  We focused on the three key shifts for English Language Arts by building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts and by having students read, write, and speak grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational. And, students were regularly provided practice with complex text and its academic language.

Teachers developed a writing workshop, so that students wrote routinely as part of the process.
Students were expected to become independent writers of narrative texts, research reports, idea-based writing, memoir writing, opinion writing, and argumentative essays.

Students independently read and passed tests on 55,239 books this year, making an average score of 87 on their tests.  Our students achieved a total of 125,131 Accelerated Reader points this year.  This translates into 827,763,414 words read by our students!  We have approximately 300 students who read a million words or more!

3.  Students assume leadership roles in our school, our community, and their homes.
Students were expected to assume leadership roles in class, clubs, community activities, and in the home.
Opportunities to lead were created in the classroom, WPIN, Safety Patrol, Clubs, etc.  Student of the Month and Leader of the Month ceremonies acknowledged and celebrated student leaders.
Leadership was highlighted through displays throughout the building.  Teachers read The Leader in Me and implemented strategies from the book.  The counselors used The 7 Habits as the foundation of their guidance/character education program.  Student leaders lead monthly assemblies and parent meetings that highlighted student leaders.  American history, government, and democracy were taught to all students in grades 3-5.  Students said the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag and sang patriotic songs daily.

This summer we encourage students to continue the reading they have done throughout the school year.  Summer reading lists will be sent home with report cards.  Students are expected to read one of these books this summer, in addition to others of their choice.  Students who don't read over the summer return to school at a disadvantage.  It is a challenge to get back in the academic habit when students don't read or do any math for several weeks.

Please take advantage of DreamBox this summer.  Students who complete 25 or more lessons this summer will be rewarded by the math coach in August.  The lessons do not have to be unique lessons; students may repeat lessons, gaining valuable practice and exemplar status.

Thank you for your support of our students, staff, and programs this year.  We hope you have a safe, fun, restful summer!  We look forward to beginning a new journey in August.

Beth Bruno, Principal

Caring for the New Garden

Planting Potatoes

Watering Fruit Trees

Deciding What to Plant

Fertilizing the Soil

Watering Blueberry Bushes

Garden Update

Making Substantial Progress!  Sprinkler system installed, pavers laid, blueberry bushes planted, raised beds installed.  Waiting on fountain and grass.

Kona Ice a Big Hit

May 20 5th Grade Assembly

Accelerated Reader Millionaires

Accelerated Reader Multi-millionaires

Highest Growth on Global Scholar

MAGPI Helpers

Safety Patrol for 3rd Trimester

Perfect Attendance for 3rd Trimester

Perfect Attendance for Year

May 20 Third Grade Assembly

Accelerated Reader Millionaires

Third Grade Multi-millionaires

DreamBox Award

Global Scholar Math Award

Perfect Attendance for the 3rd Trimester

Perfect Attendance for the Year

May 20 Fourth Grade Assembly

Perfect Attendance

Highest Growth on Global Scholar Math

DreamBox 

Accelerated Reader Multi-millionaires! 

(Students who have read over 2,000,000 words!)

Accelerated Reader Millionaires

(Students who have read at least 1,000,000 words)

DreamBox Information

Dear Third & Fourth Grade Parents,

We have had such an amazing year!  We want to ask you to encourage your child to continue to work on DreamBox this summer.  Your child's current DreamBox account will remain active through July.  By working on DreamBox this summer, your child will be better prepared for math in the fall.  

All students who complete 25 lessons in DreamBox over the summer will be invited to a special celebration the first week of school.  The lessons can be, but do not have to be, new (unique) lessons; some students may want to practice a lesson they have already completed to retain concepts and skills.

Thank you again for encouraging your child to work on DreamBox this summer.

Kona Ice on Wednesday

The Kona Ice truck will be here on Wednesday.  All students should bring $3 if they would like to purchase a Kona Ice drink.  Our students exceeded our goal of attaining 4000 AR points during the month of May.  As a matter of fact, our students achieved 13,155 points in May!  They tripled their goal!  Wow!  As of today, the total number of points for our school for the year is 124, 671!  We are so proud of our great readers.  

Thank You!

We are so thankful for the many expressions of appreciation shown to our staff during Teacher Appreciation Week.  Our PTO provided beautiful gifts, as well as a delicious breakfast on Monday and a lovely luncheon on Thursday.  Parents brought lunch for teachers on Wednesday, and showered the staff with gifts and yummy treats all week. We are thankful to work in a community where teachers are so appreciated.  

Medications at School

Parents, if your child has medication in the school clinic, please make plans to pick it up by Friday.  Nurse Mize will dispose of all medications left at school after Friday.

Week of May 19

Date	Event
Mon, May 19 A Day	Early Dismissal at 2:00
Tues, May 20 B Day	Awards Assemblies Third Grade – 8:30-9:30 Fifth Grade -  10:30-11:30 Fourth Grade – 1:00-2:00 Award Certificates Handed Out in Classrooms
Wed, May 21 C Day	HTMS Band to Perform 8:45 – Fourth Grade/Blue Hall 9:45 – Third Grade/Yellow Hall Kona Ice Truck Visits PI
Thurs, May 22 D Day
Fri, May 23	Last Day of School Report Cards Sent Home
Sat, May 24
Sun, May 25

Extravaganza Thank You

Many thanks to the staff members. PTO, parents, law enforcement, and other volunteers who helped to make our annual Fifth Grade Extravaganza a grand success.  We are especially thankful to Faith Community Fellowship for hosting the event.  We appreciate Lauri Bennett for coordinating the huge project.  Officer Chuck Bradford coordinated security, helping to create a safe environment for everyone.

Too Much TV?

The average person will watch nine years of TV. Nine. Years.

And it starts early. The average American youth spends roughly 900 hours in school each year — and about 1,200 hours a year watching TV. (To do the math: 1,200 hours is 150 school days.)

Not cringing yet? In one study, kids ages 4 to 6 were asked whether they'd like to spend time with their dad or watch TV — 54 percent of them picked pixels over pops.

Click on the link and take a minute to read Jessica Kelmon's timely article about television and our children.   http://www.greatschools.org/technology/7950-effects-of-tv-in-children-bedroom.gs?cpn=20140518weekly