West Elementary News

Games to build mathematical thinking at home:

Yahtzee

Tensie

War (more or less)

Dominoes

Farkle

Ken-Ken (on line kenkenpuzzle.com)

Roll a Pattern: (Upper Elementary)

A pair of dice is all you need for this pattern game. Let your child roll the dice and use the numbers to start a pattern for you to continue. If he/ she rolls 2 and 5, he/ she could say, "2, 5, 11, 23". (multiply 2 and add 1). You would say, "47,95, 191, 383." Now you roll the dice and begin a pattern for him.

Math+ Science Connection Sept. Edition (Resources for Educators)

West Parents,

As we are starting to get back to our routine, I’d like to take a step back and thank everyone for your patience over the last year and a half. In a worldwide pandemic, nobody gets off the hook but here we are; battle tested and better for it. Over the summer we reflected on some deficiencies we have as a building and are looking to correct those. The first item on the list is a positive behavior program that involves students, staff and the community. As we move forward in the year we will be offering opportunities for you to get involved so be on the lookout! Again, Thank you for your support and let's have a safe and successful year.

Motivated to read:

Reading for pleasure is one of the most important ways for your child to build the skills he needs for school success. Get him into the reading habit this year with these ideas:

Find an "in"

Choose a book you think your youngster will enjoy- say, one about a boy his age. Read the first chapter or two aloud to him, and then ask him to read the next one. Don't be surprised if he gets hooked on the story and finishes reading it on his own!

Become a team

Pick a new hobby to try with your child, and team up to learn everything you can about it. The two of you might get into stamp collecting or photography. Check the library for collectors' guides or how- to- books related to your hobby.

Use pictures

Colorful illustrations make pictures encyclopedias and coffee- table books hard to resist. Your youngster can explore kid- friendly topics like animals and sports. Leave the books around the house, perhaps on your child's nightstand or an end table. The pictures may spark his interest in reading the words.

Think outside the book

Reading doesn't always have to mean books. Is your youngster a movie buff? Let him read film reviews before you head to the theater. Does he like the board games? Steer him toward trivia games that require players to read and answer questions.

Reading Connection September Edition (Resources for Educators)

This year we are really focusing on 5 social emotional learning (SEL) competencies. Each month we will be focusing on one competency to dive deeper and develop a better understanding. During the months of August and September we have focused on self- awareness.

Why is self-awareness important: It is the ability to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts.” (CASEL)

In other words this competency is all about learning to get to know ourselves which includes things like our identity, likes and dislikes, strengths and challenges, feelings and opinions, and how our mind influences our emotions, words and behaviors.

West Elementary is a P.B.I.S (Positive Behavior Interventions & Support) school. This is a school-wide program for creating and sustaining a safe and effective school. P.B.I.S focuses on prevention of problem behavior, development of pro-social skills, and the use of data for addressing existing behavior concerns. To do this, teachers and staff teach, model, and expect students to display E-Hawk Pride.

• Respect Yourself

• Respect Others

• Respect this Place

We are excited to be recognizing students each week for standing out for using their E-Hawk Pride.

Paper chain challenge:

Challenge your youngster to engineer the longest possible paper chain using only one piece of construction paper, scissors, and tape or glue. Encourage him/ her to measure his/ her to measure the finished chain. How could she redesign it to make it longer? For example, they might change the length or width of the strips.

Math+ Science Connection Sept. Edition (Resources for Educators)

STEM Camp Schedule (For students in grades 1-4). If your child is interested or if you have questions please email Randy Olson rolson@e-hawks.org.

October 1- Kaitlin from Palo Alto County Nature Center will visit 2nd grade to teach them about habitat maps

October 6- Preschool to Nature Center, 2 hour early dismissal

October 12- Kindergarten to Fire Station and Nature Center

October 14- Kindergarten to Company Goods to make Kinder T-Shirts

October 20- 2 hour early dismissal

October 26- 1 hour early dismissal for parent teacher conferences

October 27- Fundraiser kick Off (end date of Nov. 10)

October 28- 1 hour early dismissal for parent teacher conferences

October 29- No School