James Gettys Newsletter
November 2026
November reminds us of how thankful we are for our wonderful school community.
Our teachers continue to inspire and support students everyday, our students bring curiosity to every lesson, and our families provide the encouragement and partnership that make our school so special.
This season brings colder mornings! Please make sure your child is wearing warmer clothes. It may even be necessary for coats and gloves. With this in mind, we kindly ask that you talk to your child about any missing belongings and remind them to look through the lost and found frequently.
October Library News
During the month of October we talk about Digital Citizenship and safety. Please check out the following about talking to your child about being safe online. For more tips, see DHS.gov and Common Sense Media.
It’s never too early to start talking to kids and teens about the risks they face online and continue talking about them at every age. Like teaching a child how to safely cross the street, continuous discussions and reminders are key to safe online habits.
For younger kids:
Teach them not to click on pop-ups.
Explain that they should never share passwords, addresses or personal information with people they don’t know online.
Create a series of steps they should follow if they see inappropriate content, such as looking away and telling a parent or trusted adult.
Warn them not to trust people they meet online, and tell them they should tell a trusted adult if someone makes them feel nervous, scared or uncomfortable.
Teach online etiquette and how to be respectful of others, and let them know they should tell someone if they feel disrespected.
Help them identify a trusted adult or guardian they can go to for help.
Happy November!
As the leaves begin to change colors, our music classrooms have been settling into a wonderful rhythm!
2nd Grade Music Class Spotlight:
2nd Grade has been embracing the
October spookiness with their piece of the
month “In the Hall of the Mountain King”.
Students started the unit by reading about
the story of Peer Gynt and the Mountain King. Students then applied musical rhythms they learned at the beginning of the year into their own virtual adventure, helping Peer to escape the Mountain King’s Castle! Both classes are wrapping up their Mountain King Adventure with performances of the song using scarves and boomwhackers.
Orchestra Spotlight:
4th Grade Orchestra students have successfully learned their first notes. This month we will kick off "Bow-vember" with lessons that focus on the bow! 5th Grade Orchestra students are currently learning new skills from our lesson book and are preparing three new concert songs.
Band Spotlight:
4th Grade Band students are so excited to have learned their first 5 notes and are starting to learn the basics of reading music notation. 5th Grade Band students are continuing to review and build upon their skills from last year. We will be starting to work on concert songs in November and we are already looking forward to our performance in January!
