ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM HAPPENINGS
Elementary students will have a fun filled Fall season with a Pumpkin patch field trip on October 18th. Students who are on level yellow or higher, are eligible to attend. Halloween is also coming up. Your child’s teacher will be in touch with you regarding the holiday festivities at school. Please remember that all costumes must be school appropriate. In the elementary wing we are also enjoying celebrating our Bulldog of the Week! As always, thank you for your support!
In STEM, Ms. Krzeski’s class is working on sound: where it comes from and how it gets to our ears. We will be working on different experiments to experience how sound travels through the air and other objects. In Ms. Stewart’s STEM class, we are learning about biomes and what makes them different from each other. We will be learning material through small booklets and virtual field trips. In Mr. Hartwig’s STEM class, we are continuing to learn about circuits. We will be using circuit components to discover how to connect series and parallel circuits.
In Elementary Art, students have been working on a variety of mixed media pieces like flowers with bugs and symmetrical insects. Ms. Stewart's class made some clay pumpkins and Ms. Krzeski’s class made clay turtles. Mr. Hartwig’s class is working on some candy eating ghosts.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WELLNESS
Mr. Achey, Physical Education Teacher
Everyday during warm-ups elementary students will continue to work on their health related components of fitness: muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory endurance. Currently, we are focused on our bike safety unit and will for another 2 weeks depending on the weather. Other than that we are working on throwing and catching, fitness, teamwork and sportsmanship. The next unit will be the parachute unit as we continue to use a variety of manipulatives for the next month.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER UPDATE
Mrs. Adams, School Social Worker
Red Ribbon Week - Oct 23-27, 2023
The purpose of Red Ribbon Week is to promote a healthy drug-free lifestyle in our community. The color Red and the Red Ribbon have been a symbol of this national campaign since it officially began in 1988. The Red Ribbon is a symbol of support for Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Enrique (KiKi) Camarena. Agent Camarena was killed in 1985 while trying to stop drug traffickers in Guadalajara, Mexico. In 1988, the U.S. Congress proclaimed the first Red Ribbon Week in support of Agent Camarena and the cause he gave his life for combating drugs.
Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their healthy drug-free pledge by participating in various school activities throughout the week. Below is a list of scheduled themes for the week:
Monday 10/23: “It’s up to me to be drug free” - Wear red to show support
Tuesday 10/24: “Saying No to drugs is no sweat” - Wear favorite sweats
Wednesday 10/25: “We are teaming up against drugs" - Wear favorite sports team attire
Thursday 10/26: “Your future is bright” - Wear neon colors
Friday 10/27: “Give drugs the slip” - Wear favorite PJs/Slippers
MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM HAPPENINGS
Math and Reading are both chugging along as expected. Students are engaged in both whole group and individual skills lessons. The students are all participating in the reading curriculum Read180 as well as individualized math skill groups..
We can’t believe the holiday season is already upon us. Throughout the next few months the students will participate in a variety of math, reading, social, and fun activities related to any of the upcoming holidays and events including Taylor Swift’s re release of 1989, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.
In Art, Ms. Davis’s group just finished a spooky mixed media bat project as well as ghosts that are eating candy. We will continue doing spooky projects for the month of October.
MIDDLE SCHOOL WELLNESS
Mr. Achey and Mr. Mickey, Physical Education Teachers
Everyday during warm-ups elementary students will continue to work on their health related components of fitness: muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory endurance. Currently, we are focused on our bike safety unit and will for another 2 weeks depending on the weather. When we are not engaged in our bike unit students are working on football every other day throughout the week. The most important content we focus on everyday is safety, respect, sportsmanship/teamwork, and fitness.
MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR UPDATE
Mrs. Sarich, School Counselor
Red Ribbon Week - Oct 23-27, 2023
The purpose of Red Ribbon Week is to promote a healthy drug-free lifestyle in our community. The color Red and the Red Ribbon have been a symbol of this national campaign since it officially began in 1988. The Red Ribbon is a symbol of support for Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Enrique (KiKi) Camarena. Agent Camarena was killed in 1985 while trying to stop drug traffickers in Guadalajara, Mexico. In 1988, the U.S. Congress proclaimed the first Red Ribbon Week in support of Agent Camarena and the cause he gave his life for combating drugs.
Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their healthy drug-free pledge by participating in various school activities throughout the week. Below is a list of scheduled themes for the week:
Monday 10/23: “It’s up to me to be drug free” - Wear red to show support
Tuesday 10/24: “Saying No to drugs is no sweat” - Wear favorite sweats
Wednesday 10/25: “We are teaming up against drugs" - Wear favorite sports team attire
Thursday 10/26: “Your future is bright” - Wear neon colors
Friday 10/27: “Give drugs the slip” - Wear favorite PJs/Slippers
HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM HAPPENINGS
Pre-Vocation:
Students have been learning what it means to be an employee, how to search and apply for a job, and tracking their career path for life after high school. Some special highlights this month include having firefighter-paramedic Jeff Wilmot come to speak about his career choice and college experience, and making blankets for Camp One Step, which supports children with cancer and their families.
Biology:
Biology students have been studying Cell Theory and the different parts of cells. They have learned about prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, as well as the organelles that make up the cells. Students have also developed an understanding of the different types of microscopes that can be used to see cells and which professions use them for their line of work.
English:
Students continue with their novels. Tears of a Tiger is getting pretty serious after the death of the boys’ best friend. In The Testing, students just finished a quiz, based mostly on characters and knowledge of the story line. In Insurgent, Tris continues to question her belonging to Dauntless and is trying to find a way to support the loyal members. And, Simon has revealed to his family that he is gay and is looking for the acceptance he so desperately needs.
Art:
High School Art has been working on contour line drawings of bottles and jars, and then creating a zen tangle composition with those images. They also just finished up a metal foil bug project, where we also utilized contour line drawings.
Photography:
High School Photography class has been on a couple of outings to take pictures outside as well as around the square. We continue to learn about what qualities make for a good composition and interesting subject matter. We have been focusing on editing and changing our work on the computer a bit more in the last couple of weeks.
Geoscience:
This class has been working hard on differentiating between types of minerals, how they are made, and what they can be used for in day to day life. Students have also been exposed to the periodic table and learning about elements, molecules, ions, and compounds. Students have applied their learning with the National Geographic Rocks and Minerals Toolkit where they practice identifying different types of rocks and placing them in the correct classification.
High School Counselor
Mrs. Kraneman, School Counselor
Red Ribbon Week - Oct 23-27, 2023
The purpose of Red Ribbon Week is to promote a healthy drug-free lifestyle in our community. The color Red and the Red Ribbon have been a symbol of this national campaign since it officially began in 1988. The Red Ribbon is a symbol of support for Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Enrique (KiKi) Camarena. Agent Camarena was killed in 1985 while trying to stop drug traffickers in Guadalajara, Mexico. In 1988, the U.S. Congress proclaimed the first Red Ribbon Week in support of Agent Camarena and the cause he gave his life for combating drugs.
Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their healthy drug-free pledge by participating in various school activities throughout the week. Below is a list of scheduled themes for the week:
Monday 10/23: “It’s up to me to be drug free” - Wear red to show support
Tuesday 10/24: “Saying No to drugs is no sweat” - Wear favorite sweats
Wednesday 10/25: “We are teaming up against drugs" - Wear favorite sports team attire
Thursday 10/26: “Your future is bright” - Wear neon colors
Friday 10/27: “Give drugs the slip” - Wear favorite PJs/Slippers
Nurse's Notes: Health and Wellness Information
The school year is now in full swing, and I am enjoying getting to know all of the students! I want to share one of the most common reasons students come to see me: skipping breakfast. Many students present to me with a variety of symptoms including headaches, stomach aches, and feeling tired or dizzy. When I assess the student, oftentimes I discover that the student has not eaten breakfast, and their hunger is what is causing these symptoms. Eating breakfast regularly can help your child do better—and feel better—in school. Here are ideas for getting into the breakfast habit despite the morning rush.
Keep it simple: Breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated. It could be as simple as whole-grain toast topped with cheese and a sliced pear or a nutritious cereal with nonfat milk and fresh or frozen (thawed) fruit. Another easy idea: Make scrambled eggs in the microwave. Just beat one or two eggs with a splash of milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high for 1–2 minutes, pausing to stir every 30 seconds.
Freezer-friendly foods: Plenty of breakfast foods can be made ahead and frozen—and still taste delicious! Over the weekend, cook up a double batch of whole-grain pancakes or waffles, and store the extras in a freezer bag. On a busy morning, reheat a few in the toaster. Breakfast will be ready in a snap. Tip: When storing, place waxed paper between each waffle or pancake. That will make it easier to pull the frozen ones apart.
Eat at school: Some kids need extra time in the morning before they feel hungry. Eating breakfast at school will give your youngster’s stomach time to “wake up,” while freeing up a little morning time for both of you. Plus, getting breakfast in the cafeteria means a healthy meal and another chance to eat with her friends. Note: Check with the school office to see if your family qualifies for free or reduced-price meals. Our school serves breakfast from 8:15-8:30 am Monday through Friday.
(Source: “Nutrition Nuggets” from Resources for Educators)
Upcoming Important Dates
- October 21, 2023: 12:00pm dismissal; school improvement day
- November 1, 2023: School Picture Retake Day
- November 9, 2023: Elementary School End of Trimester 1
- November 10, 2023: No School; No Student Attendance; Veterans Day
- November 22-24, 2023: No School; No Student Attendance; Thanksgiving Holiday
About Clay Academy
Website: woodstockschools.org/clay
Location: 112 Grove Street, Woodstock, IL, USA
Phone: (815) 337-2529
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clayacademywoodstock