New Manchester Elementary School

It is hard to believe that we are in the final days of the school year. It has been such a successful year for both students and staff! As we approach the end of another wonderful school year at NMES, I want to take a moment to reflect on our journey together and celebrate all that our students, staff, and families have accomplished. This year has been filled with learning, laughter, and growth. From our engaging classroom activities to our school events, field trips, spirt days, PTA programs, and interactive family engagement nights, our students have grown academically, socially, and emotionally throughout this school year. It has been an amazing journey. We are truly appreciative of the effort you have put forth. We firmly believe that through our collaborative efforts and following our mission statement - "It Takes a Team to Educate a Child" - our students will continue to thrive and accomplish great things.

It can sometimes be difficult to keep your child motivated and eager to learn this time of year. However, we will be continuing instruction so helping your child understand the importance of continuing to work hard throughout this last month will only increase his/her success at school and at home.

We hope that you and your child have had just as great an experience as all of us at NMES have had this year. We will miss our Fourth Grade students who are moving onto the next chapter of their lives at OGMS and wish them much success. There is no doubt that we will see wonderful accomplishments from them in their future endeavors. Remember 4th Grade: "Always a Bearcat!"

Have a wonderful, safe summer! See you in August!

Grab & Go and Lunch menus can also be found on our school website page under the tab "food service".

5/1 4th Grade STEM with WVU Extension

5/1 3rd and 4th Grades State Testing Family Engagement: Amazing Race Style 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

5/2 PTA FOAM Run

5/5 - 5/9 Staff Appreciation Week

5/5 - 5/16 State Testing with 3rd and 4th Grades

5/8 Kindergarten Field Trip

5/13 Pre-K Field Trip and Pre-K Family Engagement: Kindergarten Readiness Skills - Outdoor Style

5/22 Kindergarten Seeds and Trees Program

5/22 4th Grade Financial Literacy Graduation with HCSB

5/23 4th Grade Field Trip

5/23 3rd Grade FLAG Program with the Lions Club

5/26 No School - Memorial Day

5/27 Pre-K End of the Year Celebration 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

5/28 Pre-K's Last Day

5/28 OGHS Senior Walk

5/28 PBIS Reward

5/29 Oak Glen Graduation

5/30 School Carnival

6/2 AR Reward

6/3 4th Grade Picnic

6/4 Field Day

6/5 Last Day for Students - 2 Hour Early Dismissal (1:00 p.m.)

6/6 Last Day for Teachers and Staff

The WV General Summative Assessment for students in 3rd and 4th grades will begin in May. All 3rd and 4th grade students will be tested in Reading/Language Arts and Math. The students and teachers have been preparing, and we feel confident that our students will do well. It is important that EVERY student is in school EVERY day and arrives to school on time - once the classrooms begin testing, they cannot be interrupted. It is important that all students get plenty of rest and eat a healthy breakfast. Snacks will be provided for the students during testing compliments of the PTA. Please contact your child's teacher or the school office if you have specific questions regarding the WV General Summative Assessment.

Congratulations to the following students for being selected for May's Crew Chief of the Month!

Preschool: Dillon & Nora

Kindergarten: Rose, Emelia, & Ariel

1st Grade: Trinity, Lilah, & Kolten

2nd Grade: Charles & Westen

3rd Grade: Nora, Avalynn, & Kaylee

4th Grade: Chelsea & Lyla

One student per classroom will be chosen each month by the teacher to be recognized for our "Crew Chief". The student will have their picture posted to our front lobby bulletin board, will be recognized in our monthly newsletter, and will receive a token of appreciation for their efforts at our PTA meetings

Criteria for selecting the Crew Chiefs will include (but is not limited to) the following

• Effort
• Character through compassion, honesty, trustworthiness, optimism, and responsibility
• Behavior and self-control
• Attitude toward others/learning
• Good citizenship
• Leadership and integrity
• Demonstrates responsibility.
• Respectful to peers and teachers
• Significant progress in the classroom and/or marked improvement in grades

The character trait for May is TRUTHFUL which can be defined as being honest in what you say and do. Being truthful also includes your actions. Being TRUTHFUL requires several other character traits such as good judgment, responsibility, loyalty, and courage. Truthfulness is a fundamental value that students need in order to learn to develop into responsible and trustworthy individuals.

Some things that we can do at school and at home to teach and encourage truthfulness is:

• Explain the meaning of truthfulness/honesty
• Share our experiences with students of times we were/were not honest
• Explain the consequences of not being truthful
• Plan some hands-on activities to explore truthfulness
• Praise and rewarding children when they display the trait of truthfulness
• 
  

In June, we will be reviewing all of the character traits that we have learned all year to represent the word CONSTRUCT - BE THE BEST BEARCAT YOU CAN BE!

Parenting can be challenging and, at times, feel isolating. Parent coaching is here to provide support during those tough moments. Offered at no cost by your school district, parent coaching connects you with a coach and resources developed by therapists. Click here to sign up for ongoing support: https://cookcenter.info/coaching

There are many activities that you can do with your child outdoors with sidewalk chalk to help them with Math. Try some of these at home.

• Have your child create a large number line (large enough for them to be able to jump from number to number). Allow your child to act out addition and subtraction problems on the number line.
• Create a giant hundreds board. Have your child count by ones, twos, fives, and tens. Have your child work out multiplication and division problems.
• Allow your child to create a maze for them to work their way through with cars or objects, or even with themselves.
• Do a color scavenger hunt in the outdoors. Give your child the challenge to find as many things that they can that match the colors of your chalk pieces. Color a square with each piece of chalk and have your child place the things that they find on each of the correct squares.
• Draw a giant clock face on the cement with numbers but no hands. The children are the hands. Call out a time and have them lie on the clock face to show the time that was called out.
• Explore lines and angles by coloring squares and adding different angled lines within the squares.
• Have some hopscotch fun in the traditional way. Put a spin on it by having the child work out math equations that match the number they hopped on.

• May is the third and last month of the season of Spring
• The Indianapolis 500 car race is held each year during May
• May is named after the Greek goddess Maia, who is associated with spring and growth
• The Kentucky Derby, the world's most famous horse race, is held in May
• The last week of May is Library and Information Week
• May was once considered a bad luck month to get married. There is a poem that says "Marry in May and you'll rue the day."
• May is the seasonal equivalent to November in the Southern Hemisphere
• No US president has ever died in the month of May, making it unique compared to other months
• Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on the 5th of May, commemorating the Mexican army's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla

Building a strong relationship between parents and their children is essential for the child's academic success and overall development. This can be viewed as a partnership that fosters a supportive environment where children can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. Here are several effective ways parents can build these relationships:

1. Open Communication

Open communication is the foundation of any strong relationship. Parents can make a safe space for their children to express their thoughts and feelings. Regularly asking about their day, their friends, and their school activities helps children feel valued and understood. Parents can also share their own experiences, fostering a two-way dialogue. Keeping up with school postings through Class Dojo can also provide conversation topics.

2. Participate in School Activities

Involvement in school activities can strengthen the parent-child bond. Parents are encouraged to join the PTA and attend school events. These activities allow parents to engage with their children in a shared environment, showing support and interest in their educational journey.

3. Establish Routines

Creating and maintaining daily routines can enhance the relationship between parents and children. Routines provide structure and security, helping children feel more confident. Parents can involve their children in setting up daily schedules for homework, chores, and family time, encouraging responsibility and teamwork.

4. Encourage Learning Together

Parents can foster a love for learning by engaging in educational activities with their children. Reading together, exploring nature, or visiting museums can be fun and enriching experiences. This shared learning not only enhances academic skills but also creates lasting memories and strengthens emotional connections.

Summer is quickly approaching! My hope is that all students have a safe, healthy, and fun time away from school. Warmer weather means more time in the sun. It is especially important to protect your child’s skin. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children wear sunscreen with at least 15 to 50 SPF. Remember to reapply sunscreen every two hours or after swimming, sweating, toweling off, and consider wearing sun protective clothing as an added barrier. Harmful ultraviolet rays are at their strongest from between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hydration is key, and the best source is water! Try to avoid soda, energy drinks, and fruit juices because they can worsen dehydration. Be aware of hot cars! There is no safe temperature, situation, or length of time for a child to be left alone in a car!

Children should always wear a properly fitted helmet when riding on anything. The following are signs to be aware of if your child has a head injury that would warrant medical attention: constant headache that gets worse, slurred speech or confusion, dizziness that does not go away or happens repeatedly, extreme irritability or other abnormal behavior, vomiting, stumbling or difficulty walking, oozing blood or watery fluid from the nose or ears, difficulty waking up or excessive sleepiness, unequal size of the pupils (the dark center part of the eyes), double vision or blurry vision, unusual paleness that lasts for more than an hour, seizures, difficulty recognizing familiar people, and weakness of arms or legs.

Practice water safety! Never leave your child around water without supervision. Children who cannot swim should always have a properly fitted life jacket on as well. Ward off bugs by using insect repellent and avoiding stagnant water. Check for ticks. Take breaks from the heat! Children need time to relax, cool off and hydrate before returning to play. Be safe this summer and enjoy!

Although summer is a time to relax, regroup, and enjoy the outdoors, don't forget to spend some time reviewing skills with your child. Here are some practical tips you can easily put into any summer schedule:

• Continue reading this summer. Plan a weekly visit to the library. Complete the AR Summer Reading Challenge.
• Practice math skills during the summer. That will prevent a "backslide" in skills.
• If your child is participating in summer sports, be sure he or she takes frequent breaks to avoid getting overwhelmed.
• Make sure your child stays well hydrated when playing outside in the heat.
• Don't forget the sunscreen!

"It Takes a Team to Educate a Child"

Email: cyeater@k12.wv.us
Website: https://newmanchester.hancock.k12.wv.us/
Location: 128 Frankfort Road, New Cumberland, WV, USA
Phone: 304-564-3242
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Elementary-School/New-Manchester-Elementary-School