Elementary News

It has been a wonderful week at school! With so many exciting things happening and the beautiful weather, our students have had plenty of chances to enjoy learning both inside and outside the classroom. As we continue focusing on teaching and learning, we encourage you to read with your child every day—maybe even take a favorite book outdoors for a change of pace!

Our staff is working hard to support every student and help them grow. At times, some students make behavior choices that affect not only their own learning but also the learning of others. We ask that you take a few moments to talk with your child about the importance of being kind and respectful to classmates and teachers, keeping hands to themselves, and staying focused on learning new things. There is still so much learning to be done, and together we can ensure school remains a safe, positive, and engaging place for all students.

Sept. 29 - 4th & 5th Grade STEM Club (Must be signed up)

Sept. 30 - 1st Grade field trip (Ft. Mac at MMS)

Oct. 7 - Wild About Reading Family Literacy Night (K-5) (4:30 - 6:00 pm @ Mac El)

Oct. 8 - 2nd-grade field trip (Potawami Zoo)

• Pipe Creek Photo retakes

Oct. 10 - Mac El Photo retakes

Oct. 13 - 2nd & 3rd Grade STEM Club (Must be signed up)

Oct. 15 - 4th grade field trip (Conner Prairie)

Oct. 17 - Parent/Teacher Conferences - (No School)

Oct. 20 - 24 - Fall Break

All K–2 students recently took the i-Ready Literacy Tasks, our Universal Reading Screener. This “reading check-up” helps us see strengths and areas where extra support may be needed. Families of students who scored “at risk” or “somewhat at risk” are offered additional testing to better understand their child’s needs. Our goal is to catch challenges early and set every student up for reading success!

If you received a letter with a signature line, please sign and return it as soon as possible so we can move forward with next steps for your child’s reading success.

This week, our 4th and 5th grade students took part in activities designed to help them recognize how their peers may be feeling by noticing behaviors, facial expressions, and body language.

The Lions Club donated a dictionary to each one of our third grade students!

Worked on learning new group roles and communication skills to create a Lego design. The STEM Teacher created a blueprint and assigned jobs: Material Manager, Clerk, Quality Engineer, and Assembler. The clerk could only speak with the material manager and engineer. The engineer could only speak with the clerk and assembly. Think of the game Telephone when you were a child. We learned how important it is to give clear directions and to ask questions when you do not understand. It was fun!

Fifth grade had a great group discussion on what it means to work in a team and what qualities do you bring during team projects. Each student picked two words from a long list we created. Then they wrote one word on two separate papers. They had a few minutes to discuss how they could build a tower together using only the papers they wrote on. Each member had to add their two papers to the tower. They did a fantastic job with communication and inclusion!

There were over 180 students who joined FCA and started their day on the Mac El playground with all the FCA volunteers. Thank you to Mr. Hatcher for organizing the club. Students in second through fifth grade may sign up. Forms are available in the office.

Please be sure to read and review the expectations with your students attending football games.

• Students are to remain in the stands or designated seating areas unless visiting concessions or restrooms.

• Running to the opposing side of the stadium or loitering behind the stands/walkways is not permitted.

• Defacing, marking, or etching into school property, including the asphalt walkway at the south end of the stadium, is strictly prohibited.

• Throwing objects of any kind, including rocks or other items, will not be tolerated.

• Students are expected to show good sportsmanship and respect toward opposing teams, fans, officials, and one another at all times.

Unfortunately, during our first two home football games, there were incidents where students were injured, items were thrown at opposing fans, and rocks were thrown.

The Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GER²I) is excited to offer our Fall Super Saturday program for students in PreK through 8th grade. Unlike our other programs, Fall Super Saturday is designed for both parents/caregivers and children, allowing students to learn alongside their family members. This program gives families a unique opportunity to explore and strengthen their students’ critical and creative thinking skills while actively engaging in rich content and hands-on activities.
Sessions will be held on two Saturdays—September 27 and October 11—from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. A variety of exciting courses will be offered on both dates!
You can learn more about our course offerings from our website:
https://education.purdue.edu/geri/youth-programs/super-saturday/

Registration is now open, so please go to https://cvent.me/vyXn1e.

We would live to welcome you to our GER2I family, if you have any questions about our program, please reach out directly to Yichen Dong at dong288@purdue.edu.

If there is a change in your child's transporation, whether they will be picked up or riding a bus, it MUST be communicated with the front office. This can be done by sending a note to school or calling the office. If you call the office, please make sure you speak with a person. There is a central list at each elementary school, which allows us to check when students are unsure and the teacher may not be available. Do not just send a message to the teacher. The office MUST be notified. Thank you!

NOTE: Transportation changes should be in to the office by 2:00 pm.

We love having you visit our schools! To ensure the safety of all our students, anyone who wishes to volunteer or have lunch with their student must first complete a volunteer background check. You can find the link under the Parent Resources tab on our website.

A friendly reminder: for the safety of our students, please remember to bring your photo ID whenever you visit the school for any reason, including student pickup, lunch, or meetings.

If your child is missing some clothing items, please have them stop by the office to look. There are a lot of items on the table already!