SUNNYSIDE Sunnyside Elementary
SCOOP FEBRUARY, 2016
Principal Points: Cultivating a Love of Reading As a parent I love it when I see one of my own children grab a book and go sprawl out on the couch to read. Often it’s silently, but there are times when they will call me over and say, “Dad, I’ve got to read you this part of the book.” Seeing an excitement in children when they read brings us excitement as well. As February is I Love to Read Month, I’d like to share out a few ideas to help you encourage your children to foster a love of reading. Read. Simple first step! If we're going to encourage kids to read we need to do it too. Read for pleasure, information, instructions, connecting with others, and so on. Share your reading experiences. Share what you’re reading with your children. Tell them what you've been reading, what you've gained or learned from these texts, what you recommend. As an educator, I very intentionally and regularly told my students, and my own kids, what I was reading. Invite your children to socialize around reading. Set up book clubs, reading groups, literature circles. Many students need to interact with others around the text they are reading. It greatly enhances their comprehension and makes it so much more enjoyable. Read Aloud - Children love hearing us read to them. My oldest daughter is now in middle school, and she still loves when my wife or I will take the time to read a book aloud. I will often create voices for different characters in the story as it helps them visualize and develop an image of the character in the book they may have not otherwise. There are times when my kids have watched a movie of a book we’ve read and they will tell me, “That’s not how I imagined” different characters in the book as the voices I gave them helped create different images. This leads to great conversations as well. Take a field trip. This is another way to make reading social and exciting. Visit your local library, a university library or a bookstore. It's not about checking out or buying books -- it's about being surrounded by thousands of books, touching their pages, seeing the world of possibility in print, and getting excited over what there is to know and explore.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Listen to audio books. Parents have often asked me if listening to an audiobook counts as reading. Absolutely! While children are not developing decoding or fluency skills, they are acquiring vocabulary, applying comprehension strategies, and enjoying stories or accruing information. Our family will often check-out audio book cd’s from the library and listen to them in the car when we travel. It’s amazing how well behaved kids can become in the car when they are engrossed in a story.
Artsonia
Teach reading strategies. Finally, I believe everyone should be responsible for teaching reading to children, teachers and parents alike. Kids won't enjoy reading if they can't do it -- no one loves doing something that's really hard. We must give them the skills to read at the same time that we cultivate an attitude.
Highview Musical
Read on! NATHAN FLANSBURG
Science Fair Upcoming Events Chess Club Library News Science Olympiad
SCIENCE FAIR , TUESDAY, FEB. 9TH Open House: 5:00pm-6:30pm
1.
color with your first and last
Students may bring their projects to the gym
name….attach it to board with a paper
either afterschool on Monday, Feb. 8th or
clip
before school, Tuesday, Feb. 9th. TO DO: Tables are color-coded for grades: Pink — 5th grade
Fill out a check-in paper of your grade
2.
Place project on the table of your grade
3.
Put your first and last name on the Grand Prize drawing slip and put it into the bag of your grade
Orange — 4th grade
During the Science Fair Day:
Yellow — 3rd grade
Students will explain their projects to an
Blue — 2nd grade
interviewer
Green — 1st grade
“All I have learned, I learned from books.” Abraham Lincoln
SUNNYSIDE UPCOMING EVENTS: Monday, Feb. 8th
REMEMBER!
NO SCHOOL on March 17th & 18th, as well as March 21st25th for Spring Break!!
6-6:45pm: PTA meeting Tuesday, Feb. 9th 4-8pm: 3rd gr. Communication Night 4:30-5:30pm: Sunnyside Kindergarten Round-up at Pike Lake Education Center 5-6:30pm: Science Fair Open House (SS gym) Wednesday, Feb. 10th 9-11:30am: 1st gr. field trip to Stages Theater Thursday, Feb. 11th End of Jump Rope for Heart 4-8pm: 3rd gr. Math Communication Night Monday, Feb. 15th NO SCHOOL—President’s Day Tuesday, Feb. 16th 4-6pm 5th gr. Communication Night Thursday, Feb. 18th
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11:25-1:25pm: Birthday Lunches with Principal Flansburg Monday—Friday, Feb. 29th-March 11th Star Lab in Multi-Purpose Room
CHESS CLUB Dates to remember: March 12th— Sunnyside Chess Club Annual tournament April 23rd— District Chess tournament
SUNNYSIDE ART UPDATE!
Apri28th — Last morning for chess club
Did you know that Sunnyside artists have most of their artworks photographed and published on the largest online student art gallery called Artsonia? Did you know that Artsonia will send you an email every time your child has a new artwork posted? Through Artsonia, you can order your child’s artwork on hundreds of merchandise items with an earning of 20% back as a fundraiser for the Sunnyside Art department? If you have not already registered your child with ARTSONIA, a permission slip will be coming home soon. Follow the directions to register your child online or send the permission slip signed back to school with your email neatly written and I will make sure your child is registered as soon as possible. It’s free! All you need is an email address. *if you return the slip signed with an email address, Artsonia will send you a confirmation email that you want to create an account For more information you can visit Sunnyside School on Artsonia. Thanks so much, Jodi Vanderbilt Art Specialist
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LIBRARY NEWS Sunnyside’s Spring Book Fair will be open during Communication Nights on: Thursday, March 10th and Tuesday March 15th, from 3:308pm All proceeds benefit our school library. If you are interested in volunteering to help set up or staff the book fair, please contact Jenna Pomraning at:
Jenna.pomraning@moundsviewschools.org
HIGHVIEW SPRING MUSICAL Join the Highview Middle School cast and crew as they present “The Music Man Jr. “ on Thursday and Friday, March 3rd and 4th at 7:00 PM and again on Saturday, March 5th at 2:00 PM. Adult tickets will be $6.00; tickets for children/students will be $4.00. Tickets can be purchased in the school office beginning Monday, February 22nd. Tickets will also be available at the door the day of the performance, if still available. There will be no reserved seating and seats fill fast, so please plan accordingly. 4
Minnesota Elementary Science Olympiad Saturday, April 16, 2016 , Mounds View High School
Dear Science Students and Parents, You are invited to participate:
This opportunity is open to 3rd, 4th , and 5th
Science Olympiad is an extra-curricular ac-
tivity…no registration fees from students.
up at the Science Olympiad booth Information at the Science Fair
grade students.
Interested Students and Parents look us
There are 20 events…each student will par-
Tuesday, February 9, 2016 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Sunnyside gymnasium
ticipate in 2 events.
Students need guidance and support…
Study Nights after school will be available.
There can be 20 students per team.
Parents, if you are interested in organizing and leading students in this Science Olympiad opportunity please contact me.
Registration forms and a list of Science
Olympiad events will be available.
The first twenty students to submit their
registration forms will be eligible for the first team. If we have more than 20 students and can fill another team we will take that team also. ~
For more information: www.minnesotaso.org Elementary Science Olympiad Thank You for your support of the Science program. Patricia Saxvik (pat.saxvik@moundsviewschools.org)
SUNNYSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ***************
MOUNDSVIEW PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
Please see attachments:
Sunnyside Elementary School 2070 County Rd H New Brighton, MN 55112
Office: 651.621.7600 Attendance Line: 651.621.7601 Fax Number: 651.621.7605
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* February Community meals * Home and School Connection