Little Eagles School Newspaper

A Message from Kristin Musselman, Principal

The beginning of the school year has been a busy and exciting time at Tyrone Area Elementary School! Our students have recently completed their beginning-of-year assessments and are fully engaged in learning new reading, writing, and math skills. In October, our teachers met to review student assessment data and discussed instructional strategies to best meet the diverse needs of all learners. To provide targeted support, our reading specialists and classroom teachers are using small group instruction to help each child grow in their academic journey.

We have officially concluded the first marking period, and we are proud to share that our data shows students are continuing to make strong progress academically, socially, and emotionally. Our teachers were eager to celebrate these successes with families during recent parent-teacher conferences, highlighting each child’s unique accomplishments and goals. We are fortunate to have such dedicated educators and staff who challenge and support our students in every part of their day.

In addition to academic growth, our students have been shining as positive role models through our SOAR program—demonstrating Safety, Ownership, Achievement, and Respect. In September, students enjoyed a surprise “pop-up” SOAR event where they could purchase a popsicle with their earned SOAR tickets. Looking ahead, students are excited to continue earning SOAR tickets to shop at our SOAR Store and participate in upcoming monthly celebrations.

As we move forward into the next part of the school year, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all who make Tyrone Area Elementary School such a special place—our teachers, paraprofessionals, custodians, cafeteria team, secretaries, families, and community members. Your partnership and support help create an environment where every student can thrive. It truly takes a village, and we are so fortunate to have such a strong and caring one here in Tyrone!

We’d like to kindly remind our families that the Tyrone Elementary School playground is closed to the public Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to ensure the safety and security of our students during the school day.

At dismissal time, we ask that parents and guardians please exit the playground area after picking up their child(ren), as play on the equipment is not permitted at that time.

Thank you for helping us keep our school grounds safe and secure for all students!

Our Pre-K students have been busy both in the classroom and at home, working on special family projects that highlight our school motto: "Every Eagle, Every Day." These creative projects, completed with help from family members, are proudly being displayed in the hallway for all to see!

These at-home activities aren’t just fun, they’re full of learning, too. As students cut, color, glue, and build, they are practicing important fine motor skills. Talking through their ideas with family members strengthens communication skills, and following instructions helps them learn how to listen carefully and complete tasks step-by-step.

The benefits go far beyond the classroom because these projects offer a wonderful way for families to stay involved in their child’s learning. They help children connect what they’re doing at school to their lives at home, which deepens understanding and makes learning more meaningful.

Even more importantly, working together on these projects promotes positive family interactions. When families and children work side by side, they build stronger bonds, and that emotional support leads to better attendance, stronger social skills, and even improved test scores. Engaging families early on will hopefully encourage them to continue to be a part of their child’s education and learning into the future.

As we wrap up our Welcome to School month, Pre-K is looking forward to learning about Space and taking a trip to the planetarium next month. Keep an eye out for new family project displays throughout the year.

We’re so proud of our youngest Eagles and their families. These hallway displays are a beautiful reminder that every child—and every family—plays a vital role in our school community. Truly, it’s “Every Eagle, Every Day!”

Mark your calendars! On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM, the fourth grade students of Tyrone Elementary School will take the stage for a special performance titled “Our Musical World.”

This exciting musical event is free of charge, open to the public, and will be held in the Tyrone Area High School auditorium. The program will take audiences on a journey around the globe through music, highlighting songs and traditions from a variety of countries and cultures.

“Our Musical World” is a unique opportunity for our fourth grade students—it will be their first performance of its kind, and we are thrilled to showcase their hard work and talent in such a meaningful way. Students will prepare for the concert during their music special throughout this school year.

In addition to the public performance, students will also present the show at a school-wide assembly on Monday, April 13. Please note that the April 13 assembly is not open to the public and is only for students and staff.

We hope you’ll join us on April 14 as we celebrate diversity, creativity, and the joy of music with our incredible fourth graders!

Welcome back to school! It has been a busy start to the school year! Our days have been full of laughter and learning. In kindergarten, we started off the year with learning about our SOAR expectations, getting to know each other through games, playing, crafts and morning meetings. I think we all agree that morning meetings are one of our favorite parts of the day because it is a time we all get to sit down to talk and share things together as a class. We also have started diving into our reading and math curriculums where students are deepening their knowledge of the alphabet and numbers. Phonics is another important component of our day. Students love to participate in Heggarty and try to be the Heggarty hero of the day! This means they were participating so well that it caught the teachers attention!

Kindergarten looks forward to beginning learning about all things fall in our next unit. We have started exploring our farming unit and will begin to start our apple unit where we get to taste test different apples and make apple sauce.

It has been a wonderful start to the school year!

What a great start to the school year! First graders learned all about various American symbols in our first social studies unit called, America the Beautiful. Students learned about being a good citizen, the Constitution, the Pledge of Allegiance, our American flag, the Statue of Liberty, the bald eagle, the Liberty bell, and the White House. Some classes learned about the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and Mount Rushmore as well. Check out some specific activities first grade took part in below.

When learning about the American flag students were taught the history of our country’s flag, what the colors represent, and completed a stem activity by creating a replica of the flag using construction paper. It was also brought to the students attention that there are etiquette rules for our flag as well! Ask them about them!

While learning about the Statue of Liberty, students were surprised to learn that she was originally copper brown but has turned green over time. In some classes, students conducted an experiment using salt, vinegar, and pennies and watched the pennies change a slight green color during the day. This green color is called patina!

Students were amazed to learn about the bald eagle. The first grade classes were able to watch two wild bald eagles through a web camera living in their large aerie in Florida. The eagles were busy gathering sticks and preparing their nest. You too can check out this site! Watch the bald eagles live in their habitat here https://nefleaglecam.org/.

Some classes also used Art Hub For Kids to practice drawing some of the American symbols, like the American flag, the Liberty Bell, and the Statue of Liberty. Art Hub is a great website to check out step by step drawings!

First grade will be doing TWO Art to Remember fundraisers this year to help pay for future activities and field trips! Be on the lookout for information on this to come home in your child’s folder. There will be instructions on how you can purchase a great gift for someone special that your child creates at school, as well as, raise extra money for first grade! These items ordered WILL be delivered in time for Christmas! The other Art to Remember will come home in the spring.

In honor of Constitution Day—and with July 4, 2026 marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—our second graders have been busy learning what it means to be part of a community built on respect, kindness, and responsibility.

Just as the Founding Fathers gathered to write the Constitution, our young learners came together to brainstorm the most important values for a successful classroom. They discussed what helps everyone feel safe, included, and ready to learn.

After agreeing on a set of shared values, each student decorated a puzzle piece in patriotic red, white, and blue. When assembled, the pieces formed a giant Class Constitution Puzzle—a colorful reminder that every child is an essential part of our school family. Like a real puzzle, every piece matters!

We are so proud of the thoughtful discussions and creativity our second graders showed. Stop by the second-grade hallway to see their Class Constitution Puzzle proudly on display!

Things are full speed ahead in third grade as we have been diving into our first science unit! Our students have started the year learning about life cycles. Throughout the unit, students will be learning about living and nonliving things, germination, plant needs through growing seeds, insect life cycles, and at the end a fun hands-on project!

One experiment currently being worked on, allows students to discover and explore plant needs. Students are investigating whether one need (sun, air, soil, or water) is really necessary for a plant to survive. Could the plant still grow even if all needs aren’t met? Through this investigation, students will compare and contrast the needs of a plant to the needs of a human. We’re really rooting for successful growth!

At the start of a new school year, 4th grade students jumped into an exciting challenge. This activity is designed to build teamwork, communication, and community, all while trying to save a gummy worm named Fred!

In the fun and engaging "Saving Fred" STEM activity, students were tasked with rescuing Fred, a stranded gummy worm, whose boat (a plastic cup) had capsized. With only paper clips as tools (and no hands allowed), the students worked in small teams to place Fred safely inside his life preserver (a gummy Life Saver) without letting him fall into the “water” (the desk surface).

While students enjoyed the fun of saving a gummy worm, they took part in thoughtful planning, problem-solving, and experienced lots of trial and error. Each group quickly discovered that success required more than just clever hands. It took clear communication, patience, and creative thinking.

The 4th grade team loves to kick off science class for the year with this activity, as it gives students a look into what the rest of the year might bring. This beginning-of-year activity was more than just a science challenge; it was a way to build classroom community and foster teamwork right from the start. By working toward a common goal, students began to form connections, support each other, and practice the skills that will help them thrive all year long.