Little Warrior News
Champions of Our Future
From the Principal's Desk
Dear Warrior Families,
Welcome to Meadow View Elementary School! It is with great honor and enthusiasm that I welcome you to the 2024-2025 school year. I am very excited to partner with you to make this a fabulous new school year. Our school has been buzzing with excitement as we welcomed students back to campus in August. Our goal is for everyone to feel welcomed, connected, and a part of our MVES family. Parents play a vital role in their child’s education. You are your child’s first teacher, and you are our primary connection for building a bridge between home and school. We are always here to support you.
It is a privilege to be part of a community where parents, teachers, and students care for one another and strive to build positive relationships to support academic and social growth. I am looking forward to our collaboration in providing a safe and nurturing environment as well as a challenging and diverse curriculum.
Attendance in elementary school is critical because it lays the foundation for academic success and lifelong learning habits. Regular attendance ensures that students stay on track with lessons, build strong social and emotional skills, and develop a sense of responsibility. When students miss school frequently, they fall behind academically and may struggle to catch up, impacting their confidence and overall progress. Consistent attendance helps children form a positive attitude toward school, setting them up for success in future years.
Our school recently conducted AIMSweb Plus early reading assessments and Edmentum ExactPath math assessments for all students in grades K-3. These screeners are repeated mid-year and at the end of the school year for progress monitoring and to determine if deficiencies have been remedied. You have received your student’s report. All classroom teachers have completed data meetings with myself, our Assistant Principals, Reading Coach and Math Coach to discuss AIMSweb and ExactPath reports as well as other classroom assessments. Teachers attend Professional Development as well as participate in Professional Learning Communities to discuss strategies for helping students in math and reading.
By now, you should have been informed about the Alabama Literacy Act. The most important part of the Alabama Literacy Act is its emphasis on ensuring that all students achieve reading proficiency by the end of third grade. The act mandates early identification of reading difficulties through assessments and requires targeted intervention for struggling readers. One of its key provisions is the retention policy, which states that third-grade students who are not reading at grade level by the end of the year may be retained to ensure they receive the support necessary to improve literacy skills before advancing. This focus on early literacy is designed to address learning gaps and prepare students for future academic success. Please reach out to your student’s classroom teacher, our Reading Coach, Christie Wagner (christie.wagner@acsboe.org ), or myself if you have any questions.
Meadow View has been awarded a $10,000 grant from Blue Cross/Blue Shield to enhance the accessibility of one of our playgrounds, making it more ADA-compliant. We are deeply grateful to Alabaster City Schools for partnering with Blue Cross/Blue Shield to help fund these important upgrades. Ensuring that ALL children are included in every aspect of what we do is a top priority for us.
We are proud to be part of Alabaster City Schools. Please feel free to contact me at 205-685-4300 or at michelle.brakefield@acsboe.org. Thank you for your continued support.
Michelle Brakefield
Principal
Pre-K News
Our pre-kindergarten friends are off to a great start for the first nine weeks. We have learned all about our new school and how to be safe at school. We have talked about colors and shapes and have started looking at letters and numbers 1-20. We have talked about transportation vehicles and community helpers as well. As we move into the month of October, we are talking about farm and farm animals. Our pre-kindergarten friends will travel to trick or treat at the Alabaster City Schools central office and visit Helena Hollow at the end of October. We are loving coming to school and look forward to a great rest of the school year!
Kindergarten News
Kindergarten has had a great start to the school year! During the first nine weeks we have been learning about MVES, daily school routines, being kind and responsible, and how to be a part of the Meadow View family. Some of our units included apples and pumpkins! We had a character education visit with Mr. Larry. His character education lesson was about "responsibility" and it was filled with stories, puppets, and even a magic show!
Reading and math are in full swing! In math, we have been working on counting to 25, recognizing equal groups, and recognizing, representing, and writing numbers 0-5. We are learning how to persist when problems are tough and how to use many strategies to solve the same problem. In reading, we are learning to become readers through multi-sensory activities, such as writing in sand, using bumpy boards and gel bags! We are learning new vocabulary words through listening to great literature, and recognizing text features in the books we read. We are working hard to learn the routines of stations in both reading and math.
We went on our first field trip to Penton Farms’ pumpkin patch, and we had so much fun! We got to learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin, farm life, and we saw lots of farm animals! We will be finishing up our Weather AMSTI unit soon. We will begin our Objects in Motion AMSTI unit later in the second nine weeks. We will also discuss Thanksgiving, Native Americans & Pilgrims, and the Holiday Season. We look forward to growing together during the second nine weeks!
1st Grade News
The first nine weeks of school have been very busy in first grade. We spent the first few days of school learning about routines and school behaviors.
In reading, we have been diving into our reading program, Open Court. We have practiced letter sounds, letter formation, and recognizing sounds in words. We have read pieces about going back to school and being friends with one another. Through those pieces we have practiced comprehension skills like retelling stories, identifying cause and effect, and making inferences.
In math, we have been busy learning about word problems and solving addition equations using different strategies.
In writing, we have been working on identifying purposes for writing and writing pieces about our own lives. We have worked on writing autobiographies and personal narratives.
In science, we have been learning about Sound. Light, and Sky through AMSTI. In social studies, we have been learning about how to show friendship and be good members of our classroom communities. First grade has had a wonderful first nine weeks, and we cannot wait to see what the rest of the year has in store!
2nd Grade News
Our students are using multi-sensory strategies to learn syllable types and patterns. Our students are becoming well equipped with new word solving strategies! We have been learning about main idea, inference, cause and effect, and compare and contrast.
In writing, we have been working on stating our opinion using a topic sentence. We are learning to add extra details and important evidence into our writing to support our opinions.
Science has been exciting as we explore the states of matter. We have learned all about solids, liquids, and gases. For social studies, we have kicked off Liberty Legacy and are busy learning all about American history!
In math, we are using the Envisions math program. We have been working hard on our fact fluency to 10 and odd/even numbers. We are learning how to use multiple strategies to solve two-digit addition equations. Students are learning how to explain their thinking through positive and meaningful discourse.
3rd Grade News
This year, our third graders have jumped into learning multiplication! They’ve been practicing skip-counting songs and mastering multiplication strategies, properties, and facts. Ask your child what the answer to a multiplication problem is—it's called the product! They’re also beginning to connect multiplication to division through missing factors and fact families.
Please remember to check the weekly Home Connections Newsletter that goes home with your child. It includes important information about the story we’re reading, along with questions to help strengthen your child’s comprehension. You’ll also find their spelling and vocabulary words for the week.
Additionally, your child can access Math Fact Lab and Lexia at home, as well as our Reading Anthology through McGraw Hill (available via Clever).
Reading Coach's News
The My Child Can! Booklets, developed by the Alabama State Department of Education, is a guide to help Alabama families understand the critical reading knowledge expected to be mastered at the end of each grade level by all Alabama students. We know the family is the child’s first teacher in life and understand the learning needs of the child. Families are essential in setting high expectations for learning and encouraging their children’s academic achievement, growth, and success! Your active participation and partnership with your child’s teacher and school, along with reading support at home, is critical to his/her success in meeting the assessment standards established in Alabama.
Please use the My Child Can! Booklets at home to help your child continue the joy of learning at home. You can scan the QR code to access them here!
Math Coach's News
In order to build a strong mathematical foundation for our children, we must begin by supporting students' math understanding. This goes beyond simply memorizing steps and facts. We must be sure we are supporting our children in helping to make sense of math. Here are some ways to support your child with math at home:
Talk about math in a positive way. A positive attitude about math is infectious.
Encourage your child to experiment with different strategies in mathematics. There is often more than one way to solve a math problem.
Encourage your child to talk about and show a math problem in a way that makes sense (i.e., draw a picture or use materials like pennies).
When your child is solving math problems, ask questions such as: Why did you...? What can you do next? Do you see any patterns? Does the answer make sense? How do you know? This helps to encourage thinking about mathematics.
Connect math to everyday life and help your child understand how math influences them (i.e. shapes of traffic signs, walking distance to school, telling time).
Play family math games together that add excitement such as checkers, junior monopoly, math bingo and uno.
Computers + math = fun! MathFactLab is a great resource for supporting conceptual understanding to build fact fluency. Students have access to MathFactLab through their Clever sign on account.
PE Notes
Physical education is off to an AMAZING start!! We have been learning about getting in groups, team building, different types of movements, and second and third grades have begun football skills. Everyone is learning a lot and having fun at the same time!
The Kids Marathon will return in 2025. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama has graciously decided to sponsor a stand-alone event that will take place on February 22, 2025 at Spain Park High School. This is an incremental running program that helps our students set goals and achieve them in a fun way! The only two things parents have to do are register and bring the child to the final event on Saturday, February 22, 2025. The last day to register for the Kids Marathon is February 1, 2025. The children will have fun, build endurance and develop self-esteem while learning the importance of being healthy and fit, setting long-term goals, and helping others. Forms will be sent home soon! If you have any questions, call the school at 205-685-4334 and leave a message for Coach Spain.
Fall Healthy Family Tips
1. Take time for family meals- Healthy meals are always worth the effort—but having them with family by your side is doubly beneficial, since it can promote confidence, concentration and much more.
2. Enjoy healthy snacks- No matter your child’s age, picks like apples, trail mixes with nuts and fruits, or tasty granola bars are options filled with both taste and nutrition.
3. Savor plenty of sleep- Encourage kids to power down close to bed and get plenty of sleep on a regular basis. It can make their morning (and the rest of the day!) a lot easier, and they’re likely to see better performance at school as a result.
4. Get active- Encourage kids to pursue sports and activities at school, or do them together by playing in the park, taking hikes, or taking fun fitness classes together.
5. Don’t forget to take breaks- School can be stressful—so don’t let your child forget the power of a good break. Small “time-outs” can help your child regain focus and boost their creativity.
6. Keep your immune system running smoothly-The back-to-school season is infamous for back-to-school bugs and colds. Show your child the importance of thorough hand washing and basic hygiene—but also help them to incorporate immune-boosting, vitamin C-packed foods like oranges, grapefruit, and leafy greens in any meal.
7. Try new things- One of the healthiest habits you can promote this fall is the habit of trying new things! Your child can often benefit when they try new, healthy meals or pursue new hobbies at school that foster increased activity.
Owl Rice Cake Snack
1 rice cake plain
2 tablespoons peanut butter
Banana
¼ cup blueberries
½ apple sliced
¼ cup Cheerios
1 Small piece of fruit for “beak” (cantaloupe, strawberry...)
Spread peanut butter on each rice cake. Top rice cake with 2 banana slices for eyes, and top each banana slice with 1 blueberry. Next add a small piece of cantaloupe cut into the
shape of a triangle for the beak. Then, two apple slices for the wings. Finally add cheerios for the body.
Music Notes
We’re off to a great start in music! Take a look at what we’ve been up to!
Kindergarten: We’ve been going to the farm during music class! Lots of singing, steady beat, movement activities, fingerplays, and farm animal stories! We are having a great time learning how to correctly play unpitched percussion instruments!
First Grade: pitch exploration, steady beat, movement activities, rhymes, singing alone and with others, and lots of stories! We are having so much fun playing instruments! This year we are adding xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels!
Second Grade: pitch exploration, singing, steady beat, rhythmic reading, playing pitched and unpitched percussion instruments, and circle games! To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we performed the Mexican Folk Dance Los Machetes!
Third grade: pitch exploration, singing, melodic reading, rhythmic reading, playing pitched and unpitched instruments! To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we performed the Mexican Folk Dance La Raspa!
Meadow View Singers: I am so excited to work with this group of singers! Our Veterans program is
November 7, at 9:00 a.m. in the cafeteria. We are looking forward to having family and special guests attend our first performance! If you have a friend or a family member who is a veteran, please invite them to attend!
Art Notes
We've been busy getting back into the habit of creating with our hands. Kindergarten students have practiced using tools carefully to cut and glue shapes and combine them in many ways. They also explored color mixing with play dough and learned that the three primary colors mix to make new colors! First grade reviewed primary colors and learned about the art of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. They also reviewed how to draw many kinds of lines and are incorporating these into a work of art. Second and third graders worked on creating Pop Art in the style of Jasper Johns by using the letters of their names.
We are off to a great start and will be busy making beautiful artwork all year long.
Guidance Notes
Your School Counselors are online!
Follow us on Facebook - @mvescounseling
Join our Google Classroom - xqma6lw
https://classroom.google.com (click the plus sign to join class, type in the code xqma6lw)
FYI from the Counseling Office
Alabaster City Schools is partnering with ThriveWay this year. The ThriveWay organization is helping us implement an evidence based, peer-to-peer prevention and support program at Meadow View. The program has two main components, including the Peer Helpers (AKA the Kindness Crew) and the PATH curriculum.
The Peer Helpers (AKA the Kindness Crew) will be helping the counselors teach important lessons on the news this year on a variety of topics. The goal of the Peer Helpers (AKA the Kindness Crew) is to help foster a happy and safe school climate in which all students thrive and feel welcome. They will also be heading up a few exciting campaigns to bring about awareness, such as: Kindness Week (anti-bullying), Red Ribbon Week (healthy choices), and other various campaigns. The students on the Kindness Crew were asked to be a part of the team because their teachers have seen them being kind to others, they've shown an active interest in helping others, and they have the ability to listen and respond appropriately to others - all signs of a real helper! You can see photos and videos of the Kindness Crew in action on our Facebook page and in our Google Classroom (see information above).
The PATH (Prevention and Awareness for Total Health) curriculum will be taught by the school counselors. The curriculum encompasses a lot of very useful information for our students to help keep them safe and healthy. Each lesson will include a parent letter (in English and Spanish) and a video lesson. You can find the parent letters, plus additional information on the lessons, in our Google Classroom (see information above).
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to us if we can help you in any way!
Lucy Chapman - 685-4331, lucy.chapman@acsboe.org
Karen Snyder - 685-4330, karen.snyder@acsboe.org
Library Notes
Dear Parents,
The library is thrilled to be a hub of excitement and discovery for all our students! Our goal is to nurture a love for reading and help every child develop the skills they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom. Here are a few updates and tips to support your child's reading journey:
**New Books and Resources**
We’ve recently added a variety of new books to our library collection, ranging from engaging picture books for our younger readers to chapter books and nonfiction titles for older students. Be sure to ask your child about the books they’re excited about and encourage them to explore new genres and topics!
**Library Visits**
Each class visits the library weekly, where students have the opportunity to check out books, participate in read-alouds, and practice research skills. We encourage students to explore their interests through books and develop a habit of regular reading.
**Supporting Reading at Home**
Parents play a vital role in fostering a love for reading. Here are some tips to keep your child motivated:
- Set aside a dedicated reading time at home, whether it’s before bed or after school.
- Let your child choose books that interest them, even if it’s something a little different from what they usually read.
- Visit your local library as a family. Exploring together can inspire a love of reading for everyone!
**Digital Resources**
In addition to our physical collection, we offer a variety of digital tools for students to access from home. From eBooks to interactive learning platforms, these resources are great for supplementing their learning. For more information on how to access these tools, please visit CLEVER on your child's chromebook.
**Thank You for Supporting Our Book Fair!**
A BIG thank you to all the families who supported our recent book fair! Thanks to your generosity, we were able to raise $6,000 to support our students' literacy initiatives. This will make a significant difference in enriching our library! We partnered with the Thompson High School Education Academy and they were able to help our young readers shop during the book fair. We appreciate all the help in making this event successful!
Thank you for your continued support in encouraging your child’s reading habits and love for learning. If you have any questions or need book recommendations, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our school library.
Happy Reading!
STEAM Lab Notes
We are only nine weeks into school and we have already been having a blast! All grades have been working on activities that begin with each letter of STEAM. We worked with robots to start off the year which the kids were all so excited about!
Kindergarten started off the year with the bee-bots and learning how to properly use them. We have also done magic paper towel art, measured with snap cubes, and built a beanstalk for jack to climb up!
First grade was able to play with the Dash robots and drive them around. They also built the three little pigs house with marshmallows and toothpicks, became shape super sleuths while making shape pizzas, and learned about chromatography with coffee filters.
Second Grade also played with the Dash robots and learned to start coding with them. They also built a slide for Rapunzel to get out of her tower, played addition connect four, and worked on an art piece for the hallway outside of the STEAM lab.
Third grade played with the Indie Cars and zoomed everywhere! They also built catapults to get Marshall Mellow home, saved their city from the super bad superhero, and created baking soda paint.
It has already been an amazing year and we can't wait for the next nine weeks!
Computer Lab Notes
Kindergarten: We are learning how to sign into the computer lab using their Google accounts. Students are practicing using the mouse. We are having fun using the headphones and a keyboard for the first time.
First Grade: Our first graders have spent the first few weeks learning how to log into the computer lab. We are now reviewing the parts of a desktop computer. We have been learning about online safety, privacy and security using lessons in Learning.com. We have explored the First grade computer lab site.
Second Grade: Second grade students have connected with the Second grade Computer lab site We have been reviewing the parts of a desktop computer. The students have been learning about responsible use of technology as well as online safety and security using lessons from Learning.com.
Third Grade: We have been learning how to apply strategies to be safe online and contacting a trusted adult when we encounter unsafe content. We are reviewing the parts of a desktop computer. We are exploring the Third grade Computer lab site
.
Upcoming Events
October 25 Book Character Parade – Second Grade 8:45 AM, First Grade 9:15 AM
October 29 First Day for Warrior Reading
October 30 Student Flu Clinic
November 7 Meadow View Singers Veterans Day Program, 9:00 AM
November 11 Veterans Day – NO SCHOOL
November 14 Class Pictures and Individual Absentee Pictures
November 15 Kona Ice
November 19 Thanksgiving Lunch – First & Third Grade; ½ Second Grade to The American Village
November 20 ½ Second Grade to The American Village
November 21 Thanksgiving Lunch – PreK, Kindergarten, & Second Grade
November 22 Balloons Over Broadway Parade – Third Grade 9:00 AM
November 25-29 Thanksgiving Break – NO SCHOOL
December 9-13 Santa Shop
December 12 Meadow View Singers Christmas Concert, 9:00 AM
December 17 Vision Screening (Kindergarten & Second Grade)
December 18 Vision Screening (Kindergarten & Second Grade)
December 19 2 Hour Early Dismissal, First Semester Ends
December 20-January 6 Christmas Break
January 7 First Day Back for Students, Second Semester Starts
Title 1 Information
MVES is a School-Wide Title I School. The Parenting Room is open from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Alabaster City Schools students will no longer receive breakfast and lunch at no charge. All eligible families need to fill out the free and reduced online application for federal funding for our schools and to ensure their eligibility for programs like P-EBT.
Click HERE to apply.
Statement of Nondiscrimination
The Alabaster City Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age in any of its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated groups. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies.
Dr. Dorann Tanner; Chief Student Services Officer (Title VI) (Title IX - student concerns) dorann.tanner@acsboe.org
Dr. Latanza M. Harrison; Chief Human Resources Officer (Title IX) latanza.harrison@acsboe.org
Ms. Lisa Radcliff; Exceptional Education & Federal Programs (Section 504) lisa.radcliff@acsboe.org
Meadow View Elementary School - Alabaster City Schools
Our Motto
"Champions of Our Future"
Our Mission
Preparing Students for their Future
Our Vision
To partner with families and the community to inspire and prepare graduates to be responsible and productive champions of their future.