The Patriot Post 2010 Issue 4
Englewood Elementary School
December 2010
New students + New teachers + New technology = New POSSIBILITES By Harley Helton, Garrett McMillian, Burton Drawhorn, Chris Thomas, Elle Allen, Caitlyn Morrison, and Evan Donahue We are loving the “new” at Englewood this year! Each new year brings new students from Taylorville to Englewood. We interviewed our new friends to get their thoughts on their new school. We asked them what was the scariest thing about coming to Englewood as well as what they liked most. We have those results for you in this article. This year has also brought with it new teachers and staff members. We interviewed two of these, so we could learn more about them. With the new AR program and many classrooms now getting SMART Boards, Englewood students and teachers are loving the new technology! We are excited about this school year because new change brings new POSSIBILITIES. See articles on favorite things about Englewood, new teachers, and new technology on pages 2 and 3.
Meeting classmates, making friends among scary things at Englewood
New students’ third grade survey results:
The results of our third grade survey were quite interesting. Out of 181 total surveys, 65 students said that they were most scared about meeting their classmates and being able to make friends. Almost just as many third graders were scared to meet their teacher; however, most reassured us that they love their teachers now after meeting and getting to know them. We had twenty-four brave third graders who said they were scared of NOTHING. Twenty-three students thought that Englewood’s test and math work would be a lot harder than at Taylorville. Many of those students were worried that they would have bundles of homework. Twenty-two students were scared that they would be picked on, especially by the fifth graders; therefore, fifth graders need to show our new third graders that they have nothing to worry about. We want all of our new students to feel welcome. Twenty-one of the survey answers went into our “other” category. These are the “other” things or people students were scared of: riding the bus, coming to such a BIG school, Mrs. Bassett, trading classes, and getting in trouble. Bathrooms actually picked up two votes as being the scariest thing at Englewood. Our favorite quote was, “The scariest thing about coming to Englewood was I heard there was a ghost.”
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What is your favorite thing about Englewood?
We asked third graders what their favorite thing about Englewood is. Out of 219 third graders that answered this question, 52 said that their favorite part of the day was P.E. Most enjoyed going outside for free play. Forty students said that their favorite thing about Englewood was their teacher. Computer Lab followed closely behind with 35 votes. Thirty-one students love math and science. Many of these students like switching classes for math. Twenty-three students said that their friends at Englewood were the best part about school. Lunch received 11 votes. Twenty-seven of the 219 survey answers went into our “other” category. Some of the “other” things that students love about Englewood are: counseling lessons, getting to see an older sibling at school, more challenging work, having no homework on Wednesday nights, and WEE-TV.
Page 2
December 2010
New teachers
school, and she has always loved to read! In each edition of the Patriot To end our interview, Miss Post, we will spotlight a new Bordlee said, “I feel lucky to be teacher or staff member. For our at such a great school.” AND… first edition, we are spotlighting we feel lucky to have her! two. We interviewed Miss Miss Jameson joined our Bordlee and Miss Jameson to Englewood family this year learn more about them. We actually found that they had a lot as a fifth grade teacher. She was born in Tennessee, and in common! also ended up at the University Many of you may have seen of Alabama. Just like Miss Miss Bordlee last year, and Bordlee, she also loves her some of you may have even Crimson Tide! She is also a had her for a teacher. She isn’t Braves fan. exactly new to Englewood this year, but we are so excited about She enjoys reading; this being her first full year as a her favorite fourth grade teacher here! Miss children’s Bordlee was born in Louisiana, but decided to come to Alabama book is “If You Give to go to college. a Mouse If you know Miss Bordlee, it probably didn’t take you long a Cookie” to figure out that she is a HUGE by Laura Miss Jameson Numeroff. Alabama fan. Some of her other favorites are She has gone Beauty and the Beast, curly to almost fries, and bottled Cokes. When every game she was younger, she either this year! wanted to be a fashion designer When we or a teacher. We decided that asked her what she just combined the two to she enjoys become a stylish teacher! teaching most, So as you pass these teachers she said, Miss Bordlee in the hallway, simply wave at “Math and them letting them know that we reading.” Her favorite subject are so glad to have them at our was math when she was in school!
December riddles (answers on page 3)
By Crystal Bolden, Lacey Martin, and Loren Dooley 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
What do elves learn in school? What do snowmen eat for breakfast? What kind of bird can write? What do you get when you cross a snowman with a shark? Why wasn’t the turkey hungry at Christmas time?
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New technology
Students are now getting used to the new AR program and most of us are loving it! Our favorite part about the new AR program is that we are able to take tests on many more books. If there has ever been an AR test made for a book, our school now has it with this new AR program called Renaissance Place. In our interview with Mrs. Thompson about the program, she said, “I like the new AR program and hope that everyone else does also.” The new AR program hasn’t been the only new technology at Englewood. At the beginning of the year, all classrooms got a laptop computer. With these, teachers can show PowerPoints and educational videos. We can also play review games. Then, to help us do even more with these laptops, the school got wireless Internet. And…that’s not all! Now, many classrooms will be getting SMART Boards. A SMART Board is like a really BIG touch screen computer that students can operate at the white board. We are so excited about all of the new, fun, and exciting technology that helps us learn even more!
Answers to the riddles 1. The elf-abet 2. Frosted flakes 3. Pen-guin 4. Frost bite 5. He was stuffed
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December 2010
Vocabulary C.A.M.P.S By Chris Thomas, Garrett McMillian, and Burton Drawhorn
Our word of the month is exhilarating! Find out more about this word below, and try to use it in a sentence when talking to someone! Impress them with this BIG word!
C- Context (Sentence): The rollercoaster ride was exhilarating! A- Antonym (Opposite): boring M- Meaning: causing to feel cheerful, lively, and excited P- Picture: See picture below S- Synonym (Same): thrilling
Be a friend: Fill a bucket
By Evan Donahue and Garrett McMillian
Has Mrs. Gibson come to talk to your class about filling buckets? Imagine that everyone has a bucket on their head. Would you rather empty their bucket or fill it up by saying or doing something nice? We like for our bucket to be full, so we should help fill the buckets of others. Below
Artwork by Garrett McMillian
are a few examples of how to help fill someone’s bucket: Say, “I like your new haircut” if you see a classmate has gotten a haircut. If a student drops their binder or books, stop and help pick them up. Take up for a classmate if they are being made fun of at lunch or P.E. by saying, “Hey, that’s not very nice. He/she is my friend, and I don’t like you saying mean things about them.” See if you can de-
cide what happens to the buckets in these scenarios: If Sara and Jane are pointing, whispering, and laughing at Emma, is Emma’s bucket being filled or emptied? Charles is telling Joe that he is dumb because he didn’t make an “A” on his spelling test. Eric is listening and says “Joe, I didn’t do as well on that spelling test either; those words were hard!” Who is helping to fill Joe’s bucket?
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Page 4
December 2010
Helping our school and others
The Patriot Run (helping our school): By Loren Dooley
To help raise money for our school and classrooms, PTO put together the Patriot Run. On September 24, 2010, our school had a kickoff assembly to let students know how we could help make the Patriot Run a success. We learned that we needed to get pledges from family members and friends. They could pledge to give a dollar amount per lap we ran or they could just give a donation. We were encouraged to get at least five pledges. The Hillcrest High School football coach, Coach Winegarden, came to talk to us about the importance of being a Patriot every day. Over the next week, we turned in our pledges and received Patriot prizes! Our classes were all competing against each other to be the class with the most pledges and receive an ice cream sundae party.
The United States Scholastic Book Club Classroom Care Program (helping other schools):
On October 6, 2010, we had the Patriot Run. Everyone received a Patriot Run t-shirt. We ran laps, and our teachers and parents tallied the number of laps we ran on the back of our shirts. Everyone had a great time and worked hard to run a lot of laps. After running hard, we all enjoyed yogurt from TCBY to cool down. All in all, it was a very exciting day and we raised a lot of money for Englewood!
Students work hard to help their school and have a blast at the Patriot Run!
pating in the program. Not only We have really enjoyed doing does it help other people, it also this program and hope that even helps us with our reading. “It more classrooms will participate gives students a great reason to next year. read! Reading more only helps us read better!” Ms. By Lacey Martin and Crystal Spurlin said. Ms. Spurlin Bolden also says that it is easy for students to do because we This year, a few classrooms can read the same books for decided to participate in the this as we read to make our United States Scholastic Book AR goal. Club Classroom Care Program. To participate in the proThis program allows students at gram, students have to sign Englewood to read books to help on a poster to pledge to read other students in our state. 10 or more books. If you “Our kids pledge to read Ms. Spurlin’s class enjoyed reading books pledge, you will get a book- to help other students in our state get new a certain amount of books to mark where you will keep up books for their classroom! Carter Smith and help another school in our state with the books that you read. Mercedes Rhodes from Ms. Spulin’s class receive one million books,” said It is for a GREAT cause stand in front of their classroom goal to read, Ms. Spurlin, one teacher particibecause it helps other kids. read, read!