Volume 14, Issue 6

February 1, 2012

West Elementary students and staff have had a busy start to the new semester. In addition to daily lessons and learning, we have been preparing for the spring assessment season. As mentioned in the January West Words, springtime is filled with several critical assessments to measure student and school performance. Accountability for student achievement is an important and necessary component to public education, and we take this responsibility quite seriously at West Elementary. Thank you for encouraging your children to do their best on all assessments, as well as in their daily work. Please note the following Kansas Assessment schedule (we ask that you avoid scheduling appointments on days when your child will be taking one of the assessments):
Third Grade KRAMonday, March 5; Wednesday, March 7; Thursday, March 8 Fourth Grade KRATuesday, February 28; Thursday, March 1; Friday, March 2 Fifth Grade KRAFriday, February 24; Monday, February 27; Wednesday, February 29 Third Grade KMAWednesday, March 28; Thursday, March 29, Friday, March 30 Fourth Grade KMAMonday, April 2; Tuesday, April 3; Thursday, April 5 Fifth Grade KMAWednesday, April 4; Friday, April 6; Monday, April 9 Fourth Grade KSCATuesday, April 10; Thursday, April 12

Principals Points. . .

2012 Books For Kids! Collection Starts February 1!

Central and West Elementary Schools and Wamego Public Library Children's Program announce the 2012 kick-off of Books for Kids! This is our new literacy program for USD 320 community children ages 0-12. Books For Kids! will begin with a drive to collect gently used or new children's books that will run from February 1 until February 29, 2012. These may include board books, picture books, chapter books and other books for those 0-12 years old. Last year we collected over 4,000 books that were distributed in the schools and community! We also received a generous donation of $1,000 from Best Buy, which will help us purchase two iPad2 tablets for use in our Title I and Special Education Classrooms. This program will help to increase reading skills such as word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This will be done by putting extra books and more opportunities to read in the hands of our local children and students. Drop-off sites for the book collection are Central Elementary, West Elementary, and Wamego Public Library. So go through your books and find some for our kidseveryone needs some good books to read! We will be collecting until February 29 (which is the Leap Year day) so we can help our kids "Leap Into Being Great Readers!" This Books for Kids! USD320 Literacy Project is sponsored by Central and West Elementary Site Councils.

All Kansas Assessments will be given online. Students have been practicing by taking online formative assessments in the computer lab and on our mobile lab. The beauty of online assessments is the immediate feedback we will receive on student performance. We are confident that each student will do his/her best! Please make sure your child is on time to school each day of the assessments and that he/she has had a good nights rest and a healthy breakfast. You may send a healthy snack with your child to eat at breaks during the assessments.

West News You Should Know. . .

Pertussis Alert Riley County has reported three probable cases of Pertussis (whooping cough) in Manhattan. Notice has been sent out to all parents through email (hard copies to families without email) about this illness. Please be sure to read the Pertussis Notice and Fact Sheet for important information to keep your child healthy and safe! Birthday Dinner Birthday dinner for February is Wednesday, February 15. Please call the school office by 8:30am the day of Birthday Dinner if you want to make reservations. Adult lunch is $3.25. Please bring exact amount. Junior Raiders Days for February Junior Raiders Days for February are scheduled for Friday, February 10 and Friday, February 24. Students and staff are encouraged to wear their Junior Raider gear on these days! WHS FCCLA Students to Present Fourth grade students will hear a presentation from WHS students Jenna McCown and Cody Filbert on the topic of recycling on February 3. Jenna will be taking this presentation to competition later in the year and recycling is a component of the fourth grade science curriculum. Pottawatomie County Farm Bureau Safety Poster Contest The Pottawatomie County Farm Bureau is once again sponsoring their Safety Poster Contest. Entries are due to the office no later than Thursday, February 16 by 8:30am. Contest information has been provided to all interested students and can be found on your childs teachers blog. Hoop it Up for Hope WMS is hosting a faculty basketball game on Friday, February 24 at 6:30pm to raise money for Childrens Mercy Cancer Center. Admission is $2. Chili dogs, nachos, and a raffle for special prize drawings will

The next West PTO meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 2 at 6:00pm. All parents are invited and encouraged to attend. See page 3 of the Wamego West Words for more PTO information. The next West Site Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 2 at 7:00pm. We will hear a presentation on the Multi-Tier System of Supports Reading Interventions in place at West. National School Counseling Week and Paraeducator Appreciation Week will be celebrated February 6 10. Thank you to Mrs. Butler and to all of our wonderful paras for working at West Elementary! The work they do with our students is invaluable! If any emergency contact information has changed for your child, please be sure to alert the office. Furthermore, if your child is absent from school, please be sure to contact the office no later than 8:30am. No parent contact will result in an unexcused absence for your child. Memory Mates Pictures will be taken on Thursday, February 23. Order packets will be sent home soon.

Wamego Science Fair March 9 -10

The Wamego Science Fair will be held March 9 10 this year at the Wamego Middle School. All students are encouraged to participate. Fourth grade students are required to complete a science project as part of the fourth grade science curriculum. Entry in the Science Fair is optional, but strongly recommended for these students. West Elementary will pay for the entry fee of all West students! More information is available on the district website at www.usd320.com. Click on Wamego Middle School, Athletics and Activities, and then on Science Fair under Academic Activities. You will find important information on dates, forms, rules and regulations of the Fair, and more! Science Fair boards are available for purchase at Hobby Lobby and entry forms are due at WMS by Friday, February 10. We hope you will encourage your child to participate in the Wamego Science Fair!

also be available. Several West Elementary Dan staff will be competing in the game! This should be an evening of fun and entertainment for all!

Spring Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences March 13, 14, 15 Conference notices will be sent to parents through email very soon! Those without email will receive written notice. Be sure to schedule a conference time with your childs teacher!

West Elementary PTO News General PTO Information. . .

The next West PTO meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 2 at 6:00pm. We hope to see many parents there! The ultimate purpose of the West PTO is to

Spelling Bee Champion Named

The West Elementary Spelling Bee was held on January 20 in the West Gym. Mrs. Flinn pronounced the words and acted as a judge with Mrs. Doperalski, Mrs. Flanary, Mrs. Pettay, and Mrs. Scherer. The following students represented their class in our School Spelling Bee: Maddy Anderson, Gracie Blackford, Kenzie Cooper, Brandon Book, Harlie Oviatt, Jacob Ficke, Molly Hantzis, Blake Coleman, Alexis Winter, Tegan Cain, Sarah Hantzis, Emma Stegman, Hunter Fitzgerald, Morgen Williams, Ellie Hildreth, Kaine Farr, Maci Beachler, Katie Anderson, Codey Diehl, Kendra Hamman, Carley Frisbie, Colton Gardner, Will Watson, Kaylee Woody, Evan Kolterman, Amanda Luthi, Logan Ebert, Nickolas Watson, Erik Lewis, and Sydney Hefty. Alternates from each class were: Jacob White, Madisyn Heiman, Ryan Erickson, Layton Bettencourt, Aubry Johnson, Ethan Lincoln, Calvin Baker, Bradley Sackrider, Tyrah Smith, Jack Watson, Emerson Porter, Leone Nelson, Matthew Solomon, Brianna Thomas, Shambrea Steele, and Eli Wolfe. Fifth grader, Erik Lewis, was declared the School Champion. Fifth grader, Colton Gardner, was the Runner-up. Erik represented West Elementary at the County Bee in St. Marys on Saturday, January 28. Congratulations to Erik and Colton and to all the participants for a job well done.

promote the welfare of ALL children and to keep home and school connected. The PTO consists of

parents and teachers working together for the common goal of making our school a better place for our children. If you have any questions about PTO or would like to volunteer for any committee, please contact one of the following officers:

PresidentAmy Schwein-456-8014 Vice-PresidentAngie Matthews-456-7527 SecretaryAmy Donahue-456-8985 TreasurerJill Hupe-456-7113

PTO meetings for the remainder of the school year are as follows:

March 16pm April 56pm May 36pm

Room Parents should be in contact with their childs teacher to arrange Classroom Valentines Day Parties scheduled for Tuesday, February 14 at 2:30pm. We encourage parents to bring healthy treats and ask that no additional treats be served (only those that signed up to bring treats should do so). A message from our Label Saving Committee: Dont forget to send your labels to school! A complete listing of acceptable labels can be found on the USD 320 website and on the West PTO blog at http://wamegowestpto.blogspot.com. A reminder that we are collecting Frito Lay bags (any size) and foil drink pouches also.

Have You Accessed Power School?

USD 320 has enabled a new feature for PowerSchool called parent single sign-on. PowerSchool has developed a process to allow you to view information about multiple students using a single username and password that you create. In order to use this feature, you must first create an account. Here is a link to an informative YouTube video explaining the new feature and how to set up your new account. PowerSchool - Parent Access Setup To create an account: 1. Navigate to the PowerSchool Parent Portal by selecting the "PowerSchool" button on the USD 320 Schools Website. 2. Toward the bottom of the page, select the button

3. 4.

"Create Account". Enter your name, email address, and create a unique username and password. This will be your username and password from now on. On the bottom of the page, enter each student's "access id" and "access password".

The access ID and access Password are the Parent Web ID and Parent Password that have been used in the past. This information can be obtained from your childs school if necessary. Please contact the school office with any questions.

Third Graders Strengthen Math Skills by Developing Conceptual Understanding

In math, third graders are developing spatial visualization and understanding of geometric concepts by mapping and using coordinates. Students will be involved in several different hands-on activities that will involve the mapping process. In one lesson, they will have to locate different objects in the classroom. They will also have to use a scale for an imaginary desk, as well as build a tiny TIMS (Teaching Integrated Math and Science) town using coordinates and mapping.

Fourth Graders Skype with Congo Missionary

Fourth grade students recently enjoyed a Skype visit with Jacob Kleins Aunt Marta Klein who is currently in the Congo in Africa. Marta is a missionary in the Congo working to help improved medical services offered there. The Congo is an area in Africa near the equator that has a dry season and wet season. Temperatures can be very hot there and it also has a high humidity. The area where Marta resides has 75% unpaved roads, mud huts, and no running water. Water must be collected from a well outside of the home. Marta lives in a village of about 4,000 and the main occupation is farming. Kasaba and corn are the main crops. Chicken and fish are eaten, but meat is very expensive. In the Congo, there are about 400 different languages. Each area of the country speaks different languages. The different languages make it difficult for Marta to communicate with others, but she does know several of their languages. The adult life expectancy is 35-45 years of age. Malaria is a big concern for those without vaccinations. Marta works to provide vaccines and mosquito netting to help prevent malaria. They see about 80 patients a month. Children enjoy playing with round moving objects. The boys like to play soccer. Girls play in the dirt and like to make toys out of things they find. People in the Congo also enjoy dancing and singing in the choir during church. About 10,000 to 12,000 children go to school. Nine thousand are boys and 3,000 are girls. The Congo was involved in a Civil War from 1997-2003 and some fighting still continues. The fourth graders really enjoyed learning more about this part of our world and using technology to communicate with Marta. Thank you to Marta for taking time to share her experiences with our students!

Third Graders Study Holiday Customs

Gung Hay Fat Choy was exclaimed by third grade students as they celebrated Chinese New Year on January 24. Students traveled to various classrooms and learned about the Chinese New Year celebration and the Chinese calendar. They created dragon puppets, lanterns, and red envelopes. Chinese New Year is one of the holiday traditions that students study in the third grade social studies curriculum. Other holiday traditions are also included in this study of different cultures from around the world.

If you would like to check the status of your childs lunch account, or add money online to your childs account, go to www.EZSchoolPay.com. You will need your childs ID, which can be obtained by calling the school office. The West Words is published monthly on the USD 320 website (www.usd320.com). Please check the website for important information regarding our district and West Elementary School! 4

Literacy Corner for Parents

Reading Tips for Parents Lead to Children Who Are Readers
Children will enjoy reading if parents lead by example. Reading aloud daily is one way to do this. As your child becomes a more fluent reader, he/she will in turn enjoy reading stories to you. At times, TV, hobbies, and games may create distractions, and your child may want to forego reading. Be creative and come up with ways to get him/her back on track. Consider these reading tips for parents: Buy bright-colored highlighters for your child to

Fourth Grade Measures through the States Fourth grade students will begin a measurement activity for during our math intervention/enrichment block. The activity is called, Measuring through the States. Each student will receive a passport to travel to every fourth grade classroom to learn a measurement skill. Ms. Rice will be representing Alaska with the Snowball Fight. Students will estimate length by throwing snowballs (actually cotton balls), and estimating the length they will travel. Then students will actually measure the length using the appropriate tool such as a ruler or meter stick. Mrs. Beasons activity will be called the Rice Cooker, which represents New Mexico. They will estimate the volume needed to fill a crock-pot with rice and then actually measure the volume in cups. Mrs. Woodyard will represent Florida with her Fruit Market activity. Students will estimate the weight of different pieces of fruit and the find the weight in ounces. The activity in Mrs. Vargass room will represent California and is called Grab the Gold. Students will select a handful of items and estimate the weight, then use the balance scale to measure the weight in grams. The activity called Wash Day will take place in Mrs. Cowans room and will represent the state of Michigan. Students will estimate the volume that different size sponges will hold and then measure the volume in milliliters and liters. These differentiated activities will help students improve their application of measurement skills in a concrete manner by using real objects. Thank you to the fourth grade team for providing this learning experience for our students. Science Fair Projects in Fourth Grade The annual science fair is quickly approaching! The fourth grade will get a head start on their projects by reviewing the steps of the scientific process. Students have already been introduced to the scientific process, so this will be a review. Parents have received a letter highlighting the steps their child will need to cover to have a complete project by March. Each step will be modeled in class and students will have a week to complete each step at home. All students will be required to complete a project and are encouraged to enter the fair. However, participation in the fair is optional. The rules and regulations for the science fair can be found on the USD 320 website for those interested in entering. If you choose to do an experiment that involves human subjects, be sure to get signatures of those involved in 5 the experiment.

use to mark important information in textbooks. (If he/she cannot write in the textbook, have him/her use Post-its to make notes.) Read and discuss assigned material with your child. Talk about reading often. At the dinner table, have family members and guests discuss their favorite books and authors. Use your child's interests as a hook. For instance, if he/she plays soccer, get him/her books on famous soccer players. Celebrate reading with family events. Take your child to meet an author at a bookstore book signing or read a book together before you see the filmed version. Look for books on CD or tape and play them while you have an after-school snack. Take your child to the library, newsstand, and bookstore to browse. Buy books and magazines as often as possible. Show your children the importance of reading by letting him/her see you read - books, newspapers, instructions on packages, recipes, magazines, etc.

Using reading tips for parents can establish a stronger bond in the family as you share a common zest for reading. Reading tips for parents also include looking for good resources for reading and learning about approaches to teaching reading. You may have heard the term balanced literacy. This practice combines a teacher's instruction (e.g. guided reading, shared reading, reading aloud) with independent student activities like self-selected reading. At home, follow the balanced literacy model by reading with your child and scheduling time for him/her to read independently. You can gather useful reading tips for parents by talking with teachers, other parents, and librarians. In addition, educational websites offer reading tips for parents. Check out the National Education Association or get a copy of the U.S. Department of Education's Reading Tips for Parents, available in PDF format.

Fifth Grade Students Study Fractions, Decimals, and Percents Fifth grade students are spending their math time learning fraction and decimal concepts. Students extended their knowledge of fraction concepts to include models for finding common denominators. Using these models, they developed procedures for comparing, adding, and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. Students learned that the same quantity can often be expressed as a fraction, decimal, and percent. Students used fraction models to investigate those numbers that are easily represented by decimals. Using models, students developed procedures for comparing, adding, subtracting, and multiplying decimals through the hundredths place. Our conceptual approach to mathematics allows students to build a deeper understanding of mathematical content. Out of the Crayon Box by Mrs. Havice I am very pleased to announce the addition of Emily Vaughn to the elementary art department from January 4, 2012 thru March 2, 2012. Miss Vaughn is completing the elementary portion of her student teaching with me and will be working with students at both Central and West Elementary. Throughout the course of her time at Central and West Elementary, she will be assisting me with projects that I have for the students to complete and I will be assisting her with projects that she plans for the children to complete based upon Kansas Art Standards as well as USD 320s Elementary Art Curriculum. Dont forget to make sure that you are checking out the elementary art blog by going to http://wamegok5art.wordpress.com/. You will find information complete with digital photos of what we are doing in our art classroom. If you have not checked out our blog before now, dont fear that you have missed out; we have information posted since the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year. Feel free to subscribe in order to receive a notifications of blog updates!

Take Precaution to Prevent Flu

Its influenza season! Influenza, more commonly known as the flu, is caused by a virus. Influenza occurs between October and May with the peak season being December to early March. Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, chills, headache, and muscle aches. Influenza is spread by germs in the air, or by touching something an infected person has handled. Influenza has a short incubation period. Symptoms usually appear within one to four days after exposure. Treatment is symptomatic. Drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Advil) may help with fever and body aches. Do NOT give Aspirin to anyone suspected of having a viral illness. Prevention is the best course of action. Make time for yourself and good health habits during this busy time of year. Eat nutritious meals and snacks, get plenty of sleep, and exercise regularly. The best thing you can do for yourself is to practice good hand washing. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

Becoming a Love and Logic Parent Would you like to have more fun parenting? Would you like to feel relaxed at the end of the day? Would you like to feel more confident as a parent? Join us for a practical and entertaining six-week Becoming a Love and Logic Parent course. The classes began January 30, 2012 and will meet Mondays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at West Elementary School. FREE CHILDCARE WILL BE PROVIDED. The course fee is $10.00, which covers the cost of your parent handbook. You may still register, even if you missed the first night! If you have any questions or would like to register, please call 456-7271 or email butlerr@usd320.com. You may also register by going to Mrs. Butlers blog at: http://wamegok5guidance.wordpress.com and clicking on the Love and Logic page, then the registration link.

All the News Thats Fit to Eat. Brought to You by USD 320 Food Service

Kansas School Lunch Week was celebrated this year by taking a trip to Lunchville with Dr. Seuss. We highlighted several books: Green Eggs & Ham, Oh, The Places Youll Go, WaCkY WeDnEsDaY, and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. The students were also encouraged to try new foods. Well be having a few more WaCkY WeDnEsDaYs this month, as we mix up some menus and we will be introducing a brand new entre, the Mexican Pocket, on Thursday January 23. 10 Ways to Help Kids Eat More Fruits & Veggies 1. Keep a bowl of fresh fruits on the counter. Refrigerate cut up fruits and vegetables in small bags for easy snacks on the run. 2. Serve fruits and vegetables at every meal. Add grated or cut vegetables into entrees, side dishes and soups. Top off cereal with fruits or add frozen fruits to smoothies. 3. Set a good example. Snack on fruit and order low-sodium, low-fat salads, soups, or vegetable sides when at restaurants. 4. Pack the refrigerator, freezer and cupboard with pre-cut, frozen and canned vegetables so that it is easier for you to prepare meals and snacks that include vegetables. 5. Challenge family members to reach their daily fruits and vegetables goal. Reward the winner with a prize of his or her choice. 6. Ask that fruits and vegetables be offered at school functions. 7. Let children choose which fruits and vegetables to serve and how to incorporate them into their favorite meals. 8. Make fruits and vegetables fun. Try dressing up sandwiches with faces and smiles made from fruits and vegetables. 9. Keep trying! For some foods, it may take multiple times before a child acquires a taste for it. 10. Encourage friends and relatives to offer vegetables and fruits to your children.

Calendar of Events
Feb. 2 Feb. 3 PTO at 6pm Site Council at 7pm Healthy Smiles at West WHS FCCLA Recycling Presentation to Fourth Grade at 8:55am Third Grade Literature Group at 11:35am KMEA Elementary Honor Choir at Junction City Middle School; Concert at 12pm Para-educator Appreciation Week through Feb. 10 Love and Logic Parenting Class at West6:307:30pm Bullying Prevention Team Meeting Fifth Grade Robotics Club3:25pm School Resource Officer Presents to Fourth Grade on Bullying and Violence Prevention12:55pm N.A.C.7:45am Senior Interview Day at WHS Science Fair Entries due to WMS! West Junior Raiders Day Fourth Grade Literature Group12:05pm Bigs in Schools Love and Logic Parenting Class at West6:307:30pm BOE Meeting at 7:pm Valentines Day Classroom Parties at 2:30pm Fifth Grade Robotics Club3:25pm Birthday Dinner Pottawatomie County Farm Bureau Safety Poster Entries due! Fifth Grade Literature Group11am Feb. 20 No School PreK-12; Teacher Professional Development Day Love and Logic Parenting Class at West6:307:30pm Feb. 21 Fifth Grade Robotics Club3:25pm Fifth Grade Winter Band Concert7pm Feb. 22 Kansas Teachers of the Year Team Visits USD 320 and West Elementary School with Region 2 KTOY, Sherry Helus Feb. 23 Memory Mates Picture Day Feb. 24 West Junior Raiders Day Fifth Grade Kansas Reading Assessment Hoop it Up for Hope at WMS6:30pm Feb. 25 WBA Tournament Bowl for Kids Sake for Big Brothers Big Sisters Feb. 26 WBA Tournament Bowl for Kids Sake for Big Brothers Big Sisters Feb. 27 Fifth Grade Kansas Reading Assessment Love and Logic Parenting Class at West6:307:30pm Feb. 28 Fourth Grade Kansas Reading Assessment Fifth Grade Robotics Club3:25pm Fifth Grade Robotics Club Share Fair4:00pm Feb. 29 Fifth Grade Kansas Reading Assessment Mar. 1 Fourth Grade Kansas Reading Assessment PTO at 6pm Site Council at 7pm Mar. 2 West Junior Raiders Day Fourth Grade Kansas Reading Assessment

Feb. 4 Feb. 6 Feb. 7 Feb. 8 Feb. 9 Feb. 10 Feb. 13

Feb. 14 Feb. 15 Feb. 16 Feb. 17