CHESTER COUNTY INDEPENDENT • Thursday, August 16, 2012
By Nancy Connor By Amy Wooley The boys and girls at the Creek, including our newest members of our Jacks Creek family, the kindergarteners, are settling into the procedures and rules quite nicely. The kindergarteners are meeting new friends, learning about school rules, identifying colors and color words and a whole lot more fun and exciting activities. They have learned the nursery rhyme, “Humpty Dumpty,” a song about Humpty Dumpty, and have made their very own Humpty Dumpty art project. Our first-graders are busy reviewing kindergarten skills and sight words. Ms. Michelle and Ms. Susan are very excited about what their firstgraders know and how well-behaved they are. They have all been getting to know each other with their “All About Me” booklets. Also, the first grade “All About Me” project is due back in on Aug. 13. The children love sharing their projects. The second grade students are working on their “All About Me” projects as well. Not only are they sharing information about themselves on their “All About Me” posters, but they are excited about personalizing their own posters with fabric, ribbon, buttons, glitter, sequins, and so forth. Their projects will be on display during Open House on Aug. 16. The second-graders have been working hard on becoming refreshed with the rules and procedures of school and have been discussing the importance of having good manners as well. Mrs. Amber’s thirdgraders are practicing rules and procedures of the Daily Five in reading. They have also been reading several books by Kevin Henkes, and made self-to-text connections with them. Mrs. Amber would like the parents of her third grade students to ask their child which Kevin Henkes character is their favorite, and why. They have also been working on retelling and summarizing stories and are practicing place value in math. Ms. Haley’s thirdgraders read “Boom Town” by Sonia Levitin, and discussed life long ago during the California Gold Rush. Students learned how the City of Henderson was formed as a railroad stop on the Mobile Railroad, and that it too became a boomtown. Friday’s science activity, panning for gold, demonstrated that the physical properties of a mixture are used to separate the mixture. Students saw that gold is much denser than other materials, just like the miners saw during the Gold Rush. Finally, be sure to mark your calendars for our Open House Aug. 16, and Fall pictures Aug. 23. These pictures will go on sale at our PSO meeting on Sept. 10.
The first full week of school has drawn to a close and students are already hard at work. We need all emergency forms and bus notes returned to school. Open House is Tuesday, Aug. 14. The evening will begin in the auditorium and then continue in your child’s classroom. This is the perfect time to become acquainted with you child’s teacher and ask questions. The TCAP test scores for last year are in and will be handed out during Open House. Students participated in “The NED Show” Aug. 1. NED stands for: Never give up; Encourage others; Do your best. The program encourages positive attitudes, better behavior and academic achievement in school. You can find more information at www.theNEDshow.com. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 17, is Up-NJumpin for Your School,
The PTS Support Drive. The T-shirt sale will begin Aug. 20 and go through Sept. 5. Mrs. Callis’ class is working on a book project as they read “Because of Winn Dixie.” Students will choose a project from a list, which might include drawing a map of Florida, making a vocabulary book, creating a party invitation for Opal’s party, or making a model of the grocery store where Winn Dixie was found. Projects will be due Friday Aug. 31. Fourth grade has had fun learning the steps to the scientific method. Most classes have been doing fun science experiments using these steps. Mrs. Snider’s class had fun making “jitter bugs” the first week of school. They said “Goodbye to jitter bugs, and Hello to Fourth grade.” All fourth-graders have really done a great job transitioning from elementary school to the middle school. Computer lab and library will begin next week. Internet permission forms have been sent home. Students will not be allowed to use the computers until these forms have been completed and returned.
Treasurer Lillard hosts financial literacy summit for teachers in Jackson The first 100 elementary school teachers who sign up for an Aug. 25 financial literacy summit in Jackson will each be eligible to receive a $50 gift card from Amazon and a $20 gas allowance. However, all the summit par ticipants will be getting something much more valuable: Financial literacy lessons that they can teach their students and apply to their own lives. The free summit is being sponsored by the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission, which is administered by the Tennessee Treasur y Department. The commission is emphasizing the importance of teaching students financial literacy skills at a young age so they will develop and maintain good habits later in life. The summit will also stress the importance of reaching out to students’ parents, to help them develop good financial literacy skills and recognize the importance of saving for their children’s college education. Representatives from Smart Tennessee and the Memphis branch of the Federal Reser ve Bank of St. Louis, a partner in the Tennessee Jump$tar t Coalition, will lead panels. Another session at the summit will provide teachers with infor mation on preretirement planning from staff members of the Tennessee C o n s o l i d a t e d Retirement System, which is also a division of the Tennessee Treasury Department. Treasurer David H. Lillard Jr. will speak to the summit attendees about the importance of financial literacy education.
“I encourage elementary school teachers, particularly those living in West Tennessee, to attend this ver y wor thwhile and helpful event,” Treasurer Lillard said. “No child’s education is complete without a good understanding of financial literacy skills. This summit will provide teachers with tips about how to integrate the teaching of those skills into their lesson plans.” The summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Aug. 25 in the Wilder Student Union Building on the L ambuth Campus of the University of Memphis, 705 L ambuth Blvd. in Jackson. Free parking and lunch are provided for attendees. Teachers who attend the summit may be eligible for professional education credits, if per mitted by their school districts. To register online, teachers can visit www.TNFLC.org. For questions, they may contact James Ar mistead at (615) 532-5892 or by e-mail a t James.Ar mistead@tn. gov. The Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission is a nonprofit organization created by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2010. Treasurer Lillard chairs the commission’s board, which includes the commissioners of the state’s departments of financial institutions and education and six other Tennesseans from across the state. This is the second in a series of financial literacy summits that will be held across the state. The first was held in Nashville in June.
Page 5-B
FHU in top four of conservative universities
Photo by James A. Webb, Independent
Freed-Hardeman University is among the nation’s most conservative universities, according to a recent national survey. Newsweek magazine recently released its list of the top universities in several categories. FreedHardeman University of Henderson is listed as the No. 4 most conservative university in the nation. FHU is a Church of Christ affiliated university, as are three of the top 11. The magazine also gives FHU a score “5” in a 10-point scale in terms of political diversity.
Top Conservative Universities (As compiled by Newsweek Magazine) (Political diversity, 1-10 scale, in parenthesis) 1. Ave Marie, Florida (2.4) 2. Grove City College, Pennsylvania (2) 3. Fransiscan of Steubenville, Ohio (2.7) 4. Freed-Hardeman, Tennessee (5)
5. Dordt, Iowa (3.6) 6. Brigham Young, Utah (3.2) 7. Oklahoma Christian, Oklahoma (5.7) 8. Covenant, Tennessee (2.3) 9. Northwestern, Minnesota (3.2) 10. Washington and Lee, Virginia (2.7) Other schools of interest: 17. Lee, Tennessee (5.9) 21. Liberty, Virginia (5.2)
Coordinated school health hosts seminar to help parents help their children Attention parents, join the Chester County School System for an educational seminar entitled “A Parents’ Guide to Helping Your Child Survive in a Fast-Moving Society” on Saturday, Aug. 25, at Chester County Middle School. Times for the seminar will be from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.
At 9 a.m., Laura Melaro, APN, with Melaro Behavioral Consultants will present “Stress and Teens.” At 10 a.m., Justin Denbow, SRO for Chester County Sheriff’s Department/Chester County Schools will present “Cyberbullying: Internet Security and Responsibility for
Chester County Head Start Center, East Chester Elementary, Jacks Creek Elementary, and West Chester Elementary Schools and Chester County Middle School
Broccoli/cheese Baked sweet potato fries Salad Watermelon
*Milk choice offered daily Monday, August 20 Popcorn chicken/roll Corndog Mashed potatoes Salad Peaches or apple wedges Tuesday, August 21 Lasagna/cheesy garlic stick Ham sandwich Green beans Carrot sticks/ranch Salad, orange slices Wednesday, August 22 Cheeseburger or Turkey/cheese wrap Baked beans, corn Salad Applesauce or cantaloupe Thursday, August 23 Dixie scroodle fish sticks Or crispito White beans Macaroni/cheese Salad Mixed fruit or banana Friday, August 24 Pizza or Tuna salad plate
Chester County Junior High School *Cereal, fruit, milk choice offered daily Monday, August 20 Popcorn chicken/roll Corndog Mashed potatoes Salad Peaches or apple wedges Tuesday, August 21 Lasagna/cheesy garlic stick Ham sandwich Green beans Carrot sticks/ranch Salad, orange slices Wednesday, August 22 Cheeseburger or Turkey/cheese wrap Baked beans, corn Salad Applesauce or cantaloupe Thursday, August 23 Dixie scroodle fish sticks Or crispito White beans Macaroni/cheese Salad Mixed fruit or banana Friday, August 24 Pizza or Tuna salad plate Broccoli/cheese Baked sweet potato fries Salad Watermelon
Chester County High School
Children.” Both sessions will offer information and insight as well as tips and advice for dealing with these issues. The Coordinated School Health Program hopes that all parents will attend this free event. If you have questions concerning this seminar, contact Heather Griffin at 989-5148.
*Cereal, fruit choice, fruit juice, and milk choice offered daily Also, Stuffed crust pizza served as pizza choice each day Monday, August 20 Ravioli casserole/roll Pizza/salad Salad box (ham) Green beans Glazed carrots Baked apples Tuesday, August 21 Chicken nuggets/roll Pizza/salad Salad box (tuna) Mashed potatoes Broccoli/cheese Carrots/celery/broccoli ranch dip Salad Wednesday, August 22 Philly steak/cheese/hoagie Pizza/salad Salad box (turkey/cheese wrap) Baked sweet potato fries Baked beans Salad Thursday, August 23 Teriyaki chicken/egg rolls Pizza/salad Salad box (crispy chicken) Stir-fry vegetables Rice, corn, salad Friday, August 24 Meatloaf/cornbread Pizza/salad Salad box (ham and turkey) Pinto beans Mustard greens Sweet potatoes Salad