March 2014 Issue Rocking with Grit and Rigor!
Silverlake Elementary The Principal’s Pen….
Dates to Remember:
Springtime is fast approaching, which brings excitement and anticipation about the opportunities we all have to learn and grow at Silverlake. Please see the attached calendar for upcoming special events. We also encourage you to check your child’s teacher webpage for additional information. Also keep up with your child’s progress in class by checking Skyward weekly to see their successes in the classroom on weekly assignments.
Third Grade Field Trip March 3, 20143 Kindergarten Field Trip March 4, 2014 Spring Book Fair March 3-7, 2014
March 10th -14th, 2014 will be Spring Break for Pearland ISD. Take that time to enjoy your family and make some life long memories during this time off.
Kindergarten Rodeo Day March 4, 2014 PISD Spring Break
Teachers and students are continuing to work diligently to prepare for our upcoming STAAR assessments. On April 1st & 2nd , 2014 our fourth grade students will be taking the STAAR Writing tests. Please remember our campus will be closed to visitors Tuesday, April 1st –Friday, April 4, 2014 in order to provide students with the best testing environment on these days. These days will allow the opportunity for any students that need to do make-up testing. We will also be STAAR Testing the week of April 22nd –24th, 2014 with our 3rd and 4th grade students for Reading and Math . We are so proud of our students and their continuous hard work and success,
March 10-14, 2014 PTO Spirit Night –Texas Road House March 18, 2014 First Grade Field Trip March 25, 2014 Third Grade Music Program March 26 @ 9am March 27th @ 6:30pm
La’Kesha Henson-Vaughn
March Birthday Bash March 28, 2014
Dear Silverlake Parents,
Star Billboard News Principal’s Pen
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Counselors Corner
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PISD News
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Nurse’s Updates
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Library Updates
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Music
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P.E. News
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Counselor’s Corner
We are moving into March and I am eagerly waiting to continue providing Guidance lessons to your children that will focus on Diversity during the month of March. Students will be able to learn about diversity as I teach guided lessons in their classrooms. Your children will be able to learn a lesson on how we should treat others from other cultures. My lesson will focus on respect towards all cultures as we continue to demonstrate kindness on our campus. Parents please continue to encourage your students that here at Silverlake we are a “No Place for Hate” campus. Our wonderful school represents different cultures and this brings us together as a global community. Our Silverlake Goal is to continue to treat others with respect and fairness. At Silverlake we want our students to be able to value others from other cultures. During the month of March through April students will be able to create a Diversity Pennant during Art class with their awesome teacher Ms. Brewster. Each child will be able to create a personal pennant that represents their culture and they will be able to add important facts about themselves and what No Place for Hate represents to them. Students will be able to place these diversity pennants in their hallways for all to see. This project is one of our major projects for No Place for Hate; I am so excited to see their final pennants. Parents thank you again for continuing to be the support for your students and motivating them to reach their full potential. Our Silverlake Stars are aiming at reaching the stars in all their academic achievements. Thank you again parents for all your support in your students’ education Your Caring Counselor,
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STAR NEWS
Attention GT nominated 4th grade students and parents: 4th grade students who were nominated by September 27, 2013 will receive the GT Identification Committee decision letters on or before March 1, 2014. Attention GT nominated K-3rd grade students and parents: Kindergarten through 3rd grade students who were nominated by September 27, 2013 will receive the GT Identification Committee decision letters on or before the April 2014 progress report.
For more information regarding the Pearland ISD Gifted/Talented identification process, please visit the Advanced Academics webpage of the Pearland ISD website, www.pearlandisd.org, by selecting Advanced Academics under the Departments tab.
Notes from the Nurse March is Nutrition Month. Research has proven that lifestyles and environmental factors increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Simple changes in our food choices can help protect us from these diseases. We should decrease our fat intake by limiting rich desserts, high fat spreads and snack foods. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat meats and dairy products should be increased. Together, we can improve the health of our children by becoming powerful partners in promoting healthy eating. It is important to remember that a balanced diet helps to keep a child in better health. A good breakfast is a must. A child who doesn’t eat breakfast often develops a headache or stomachache by mid morning. A hungry child does not function well in the classroom. Nurse Crosby
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STAR NEWS
Solomon’s Music Hall March brings “MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS” month around the good ol’ USA. Many schools celebrate the love of teaching music to elementary students by participating in fun activities during this month. Silverlake will be celebrating DISNEY songs, movies and characters with our 3rd grade program. These stars will wow us with their strong voices and excellent efforts to pull off some demanding music. Come enjoy the memories of classic Disney Americana Wed. Mar. 26th at 9 a.m. or Thurs. March 27th at 7 after the PTO meeting. We hope the entire month is
Loewen’s Library Updates
Book Fair: Please plan to attend our book fair. We will be celebrating opening night with a birthday party for Dr. Seuss on Friday, February 28. The book fair will be open from 4 – 6 pm that day. Sales will continue the week of March 3 – 7. This is a great opportunity to support our library and get books in the hands of our students. Funds raised through the book fair are used to purchase new materials for the library and to support other reading programs. Bluebonnet Program: The winner of the 2013-14 Texas Bluebonnet Award was announced on Wednesday, February 19. 181,734 students voted state-wide, and the winner was 10 Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break If You Want To Survive the School Bus, with 15.62% of the vote. Wonder was second with 11.92% of the vote and in third place was Giants Beware! with 10.65%. The deadline for reading the 15 or 17 books that are required for attendance at the Bluebonnet Picnic in May is May 1. Keep up the good work! AR Program Update:
We have now reached the 75% mark towards our goal of 18,000 AR points this year. It looks like we will have no trouble meeting our goal and earning our Pajama Day at the end of May. There is a display in the library window which is being updated weekly so that students can see the progress we are making towards our goal. It is wonderful to see how many students and parents are coming to Extended Library on Tuesdays. Remember, you can check your student’s AR progress through the HomeConnect link under the AR tab at the library web page.
Reading Rocks!!
MARC H 2014 ISSUE
STAR NEWS
P.E. News Congratulations to the four students who participated in the Elks Lodge Hoop Shoot Contest that took place on Saturday, February1st at the Epiphany Lutheran gym in Pearland! Jaden Taylor placed 2nd Abigail Klinkerman placed 4th Ella Chen Placed 2nd and Nathan McCormick placed 1st in the Competition! Nathan continued on to the district level and placed 1st at the district level! Nathan has now qualified for the State competition that will be in Dallas and we will post the results in the next newsletter. All four students made Silverlake so proud!
Our 3rd and 4th graders did a great job on their Fitnessgram test! All students completed the 5 categories in the fitness test and did well! Kinder, 1st, 2nd graders practiced the test and will be ready to go when it is their time! We can’t believe how fast this school year is going by. It is already time to start thinking about field day! This month we will begin the process of ordering field day t-shirts. Each grade level will have their own color shirt on this special day. When we look out onto the field we will see a rainbow of exciting colors! This year’s field day will be on May 24th. The cost of the t-shirts will be $8.00. It is not mandatory for you to purchase a shirt, however we have found that almost all students do order one. You are also helping to support the PE program by purchasing one! Please feel free to purchase more shirts for your family if you wish. If you want a t-shirt but are unable to purchase one, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher. Be on the lookout for the order form- it will be in your child’s Tuesday folder after Spring Break! More info on field day coming soon!
This month we will also begin our track and field unit. 2nd 3rd &4th grades will be testing in our track and field events to see who will qualify to go to the district track meet on May 1st (make up for bad weather will be May 8th ). These will include running events, long jump and softball throw. Our kinder and 1st graders will also be practicing in these activities and get experience in these track and field events.
Reminder 1: We would like to remind parents and students how important it is to wear the appropriate shoes to PE. Please remind your children what day they have PE and make sure they are wearing athletic shoes. Sandals, boots, crocs, dress shoes and slip-ons are not appropriate for physical education activities… Especially since we will be on the track for the next month! Reminder 2: Students that need to sit out of PE for more than 2 consecutive PE days require a doctor’s note. If the doctor’s note does not have a return date and is open ended, you must get a release note from your doctor for your child to return to PE. This is a district policy. Coach Parker Mrs. Bitner