R.F. Pettigrew Panther Tracks

o Be Positive

o Be Accountable

o Be Wise

o Be Safe

Mr. Kevin Dick

We hope this message finds you well and that your children are settling into another calendar year. As we navigate the academic journey together, one crucial aspect that significantly contributes to your child's success is your active involvement in their education. Parent-Teacher Conferences are an invaluable opportunity for us to join forces and work towards a common goal – your child's growth and development.

Why Attend Parent-Teacher Conferences?

1. Insight into Academic Progress: These conferences provide a personalized overview of your child's academic performance. Understanding their strengths and areas that need improvement allows us to tailor our approach to meet their unique needs.

2. Building a Strong Partnership: Collaboration between parents and teachers creates a supportive network for your child. By attending conferences, you become an integral part of their educational journey, reinforcing the importance of teamwork in achieving success.

3. Addressing Concerns Early: Parent-Teacher Conferences offer a proactive platform to discuss any concerns or challenges your child may be facing. Early identification of issues allows for timely intervention, ensuring that obstacles are overcome swiftly.

4. Setting Academic and Behavioral Goals: Together, we can establish realistic goals for your child's academic and behavioral development. Parent-Teacher Conferences are an ideal forum to discuss these goals, ensuring that both home and school are aligned in supporting your child's growth.

What Can You Address in Parent-Teacher Conferences?

1. Academic Progress and Challenges: Discuss your child's performance in different subjects, understanding where they excel and where they may need extra support.

2. Social and Emotional Well-being: Explore how your child is adapting to the social aspects of school life. Discuss any concerns or changes in behavior that may impact their emotional well-being.

3. Study Habits and Time Management: Collaborate with teachers to develop effective study habits and time management skills for your child.

4. Extracurricular Activities and Special Interests: Share information about your child's extracurricular interests, hobbies, and talents. This can help teachers tailor their approach to make learning more engaging and relevant.

5. Support at Home: Discuss ways in which you can support your child's learning at home. Establish open lines of communication for ongoing collaboration.

Remember, your involvement makes a significant difference in your child's education. We look forward to meeting with each of you during the upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences. Together, we can unlock the full potential of your child and make this school year a resounding success.

We hope to see you on the afternoon or evening of February 5 or the evening of February 8. By now, you should be scheduled for your individual 20-minute time slot with your classroom teacher. If you still need to get scheduled or need to amend your plan, please communicate directly with your classroom teacher, as they are the ones that manage their individual classroom schedule.

Valentine’s Day Activities – February 14, 2024 –This will look very similar to the arrangements we had for other class parties this year. Parent Volunteers will be admitted to help during the party, but only those who have communicated and are scheduled with their classroom teacher. Students can bring Valentines to share with the students in their homeroom class, including any small treats that are possibly attached, if the treats are purchased and sealed. We will not open the cards or the possible treats in class, but send them home. Families can decide what their child will do with the cards and treats.

Here's looking for a spring warm up, soon, and to get rid of some of this snow!!! Have a great February!

Music

Happy Valentine’s Month! A LOVE of music is in the air here at Pettigrew! Check out the highlights from our January music lessons:

Kindergarten – Singing and moving to nursery rhymes. Students learned that nursery rhymes have rhyming words and a steady beat.

Instrument focus – boomwhackers with “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” triangles, woodblocks and hand drums on “My Thumbs Are Starting to Wiggle”

Movement – “Penguin Polka”

First Grade – Continued study of non-pitched instruments (woods, metals, shakers/scrapers, and drums)

Movement – “Rig-a-Jig-Jig”

Quarter rest – Clapping and creating rhythms using quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests

Second Grade – Movement activities – “Cut the Cake” and “Icka Backa”

Began rehearsing for our second grade program, Welcome to the Jungle. This show will be performed on Thursday, April 11. We will have a matinee performance for students and staff ONLY, due to lack of space in our gym at school and a 7:00 pm show for family members and friends.

Third Grade – Composer study: Franz Joseph Haydn. Moved to “Surprise Symphony” and “Andante.”

Folk Dances: “Les Saluts” French-Canadian folk dance and “La Raspa” Mexican folk dance

“Tideo” alley dance

Fourth Grade – Finished up our recorder unit. Began ukulele unit (C & F chords)

Sang and added movement to “Old Joe Clark”

Fifth Grade – Finished study of George Frederick Handel

Introduced and sang two-part music in preparation for middle school chorus

Began ukulele unit (C & F chords)

Best wishes,

Mrs. Wahl & Mrs. Monlux

Art

There will be a lot of exploration going on in the art rooms this month!

Kindergarteners will use textures to explore the printmaking process and learn about children’s book illustrators.

1st Graders will use actual textures in their artwork and experiment with simple printmaking techniques.

2nd Graders will create art using different paper manipulation techniques and create art inspired by Asian art.

3rd Graders will explore paper manipulation techniques and create art using fiber art techniques.

4th Graders will create art using tactile textures/fiber arts and create art inspired by African art and artifacts.

5th Graders will finish their fiber arts project and create art inspired by Pop Art artists.

We’re looking forward to watching our artists try new things and make fun artworks this month!

-Mrs. Meyer and Ms. Selberg

K01 Aryana Tieszen

K02 Violet Fulker

K03 Loften Gray

K04 Safe Vela

K05 Rena Sandbulte

101 Miles Starovoytov

102 Jordyn Van Emmerik

103 Juniper Schultz

104 Krystal Montejano Cerda

106 Briar Aerts

201 Riley Mittleider

202 Conner Knudsen

203 Serafina Johnson

204 Olivia Herbst

205 Griffen Petersen

206 Emma Kasdorf

302 Treyton Sundvold

303 Gavin Simonsen

304 Finlee DeGroot

305 Katelyn Van Oort

306 Allie Pehl

401 Bode Larson

402 Sophie Leigh

403 Brynn Dreke

404 Bria Gould

405 Kiera Winkler

406 Blake Felix

501 Madilynn Meinke

502 Maja Lunic

503 Ethan Stensland

504 Claire Van Emmerik

505 Luke Robertson

WITH A NEW CALENDAR YEAR, IT IS TIME TO REVIEW OUR SCHOOL PROCEDURES.

Morning Drop Off Procedures: Please see our video about our current procedures at this link:

Some highlights are:

● Parents may drop off their children by driving through the drop off loop between the school’s main entrance and the parking lot. Please do not park in the loop! It is only for dropping off and picking up students in the RIGHT LANE (never use the left lane for students to exit or enter a vehicle).

● Parking is only allowed in the parking lot. If you are using the parking lot, please park in a stall and accompany your child to the school or playground.

● Drivers should remember that state law requires all cars to stop for any pedestrian in a crosswalk.

● Only buses or day care vans are allowed in the bus drop off area on the west side of the school.

After School Pick Up Procedures:

● Parents/Guardians who wish to pick up their child after school may stop in the right lane of the loop for picking up their child following dismissal but must remain in their vehicle.

● All students who walk home or meet a ride will need to exit their designated playground door.

● Those who ride a bus or a day care van will exit through the playground doors and then proceed to the west end of the school to meet the bus or day care van. If your child rides a bus but has a change in after school plans on any day, PLEASE call the school office no later than 2:00 PM of that day. If your child rides a day care van, inform the day care of any changes in your plans. Also, notify your classroom teacher of any after school changes from the normal routine.

● Only buses or day care vans are allowed in the bus drop off area on the west side of the school. The northbound curb area of Klein Street is also designated by the city as bus and day care waiting area, please respect these expectations.

● If you choose to meet your child after school as they exit the building, you are expected to park in the lot or street and meet on the playground. The left lane of the drive-through loop always needs to be kept open. It is NOT for waiting in your car for students NOR for parking and going on the playground or in the building.

● For security reasons, if you wish to speak with a teacher, or plan to pick up your child at the classroom door, you will need to come through the office and sign-in and out.

● CLC After School Information: If students forget something and a parent is interested in retrieving it AND it is before 4:00, CLC will send the family to the office, and office staff will call the room. If a teacher is in the room, answers, and approves the family returning back to the room, the parent and the child will return to the classroom, pick up the item, and be released to the front doors or the recess doors. If teachers are not available or they do not approve of the return or if it is after 4:00, the student and family will have to wait until tomorrow to retrieve the item. This is for our school safety and security of our students and all our possessions found in the classroom.

Pettigrew Beverage Procedures

• In the classroom, the only liquid allowed in student water bottles is water. This is for the safety of our students and the care of our facilities at school.

• At lunch, soda is not allowed to be consumed in the MPR (lunchroom), per federal and district guidelines. Lunches brought from home should not include these items.

Thanks for your cooperation in following these procedures.

The Siouxland Libraries 2024 Winter Reading Program for all ages kicks off on December 4, 2023, and will run through February 9, 2024. They are bringing back the popular BINGO card format again this year!

More information, as well as prize photos and reading lists, can also be found on the library’s WRP web page:

https://www.siouxlandlib.org/winter-reading-program

We are looking forward to another fun season of cozy reading and earning prizes.

Thank you and happy winter reading!

Contact us with any questions or to learn about volunteer opportunities!

Email: rfp.president@yahoo.com
Website: rfpettigrew.org/pto
Location: 7900 West 53rd Street, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone: 6053623564
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RFPettigrewPTO/?ref=share