October 2011 Issue 1
October 2011
Issue 1
Davis School Mission
It is our goal at Davis School that all students, regardless of differences, develop and progress intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically through learning as a partnership between school, home, and community.
October 5 Lifetouch Picture Day – All Grades
October 6 ½ Staff Development Day -11:00
AM dismissal/ No Pre-K classes
October 7 No School - Native American Day
October 10 No School – Columbus Day
October 12 Mrs. Mulverhill’s Pre-K class to Bonesteels Farm
October 13 Mrs. Hanna & Mrs. R. Perry’s PreK classes to Bonesteels Farm
October 17 Mrs. Buschbascher & Mrs. Gonyea’s
classes to Bonesteels Farm.
October 21 No School - Staff Development Day
October 25 PTA Book Fair 7:00 – 8:30 am.
October 27 Open House – PreK & K 5:00 – 6:00 pm; Gr. 1 & 2 classes @ 6:30 – 7:30 pm
October 28 PTA Book Fair 7:00 – 8:30 am. (Last Day)
We’re off to a Great Start
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e have had a terrific first month here at Davis! The children have adjusted nicely to our school. We would like to thank our entire faculty, parents and students for a great start to the school year!
We need your help in keeping our dismissal time organized & safe!
v Please pull into the parking spaces in our parking lot to come into our building to pick up your children or to walk your children to class before 7:55 am.
v At the end of the day, if your child is an outside parent pick up, please pull into our loop in front of our school and we will bring your child to you.
v Try to avoid coming into the building to pick up your child. The more adults in our school at dismissal time the more congestion.
v If you must come in, please wait in the cafeteria. Please do not wait in the lobby and try to take your child from his/her classroom line as they walk to their designated waiting spot. Taking children directly from the line makes it extremely difficult for the classroom teacher to monitor who has left with whom. This is very important and is in the best interest of keeping all the children safe.
v Allow your children to ride the bus home, if they are eligible. This will help to alleviate the congestion.
The
vast majority of our students ride a bus to and from school. It is
important to remember that children should have the same drop
off point everyday. Changes in locations create confusion and increase
the chances of children being left off at incorrect locations.
Please assist us by establishing a single drop off point for
your child. Try to minimize the changes in your child’s going home
routine. A change requires a written note or fax; phone calls will not be
accepted. Changing a child’s pick up spot, bus or destination, can be
very challenging for all involved. Sticking to a routine works best
for all!
Parents are reminded that we have an afternoon Latchkey Program that runs daily from 2:15 – 6:00 here at Davis. This program may be used everyday or on an as needed basis. It provides an ideal solution to an unexpected situation where no one will be home for your child. Please contact the office for more information
Pre-K
Can you believe the first month of school has come and gone already? We have been very busy little bees. We have learned many things already in Pre-K. First, we all have a morning routine with jobs that we do every morning. Then it’s off to breakfast like a big kid! We can go to breakfast on our own now, see how fast we grow!
We have had several practice fire drills and the children have done such a wonderful job quickly getting in line and exiting the building in a quiet manner. We are so very proud of them. We have had bus drills too, and again they did a wonderful job listening to the rules on the bus.
We have been reading books and doing activities from our stories. Some of our favorite books are The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, Parts by Ted Arnold, and Knuffle Bunny by Mo Williems.
We
have a very busy month coming up as well. Mark your calendars as
Picture Day is the 5th of October. We do have a few days
off in October as well. Also, many of the Pre-K classrooms will be
taking a field trip to Bonesteels’ in the month of October. And let’s
not forget ~ HALLOWEEN. Each teacher will be sending home
additional information on all of these upcoming events.
So that you may make any necessary arrangements, please note that Pre-K students DO NOT attend school on any District ½ days. (October 6th)
A few quick reminders to our parents:
Please check the travel folders
each and every night.
As the days get cooler, we try
to go outside whenever possible so please dress your child accordingly
If your child is eating
breakfast, they should try to be here before 7:45 if possible.
If your child is an inside
parent pick-up, please wait for your child inside the cafeteria until we
deliver them to you, this way we are sure they arrived where they
needed to. (Thank you so much!)
Again, the Pre-K staff would like to thank all our great parents for such an outstanding start to our school year and we look forward to a fun-filled learning school year!
Young Fives
The children in the Young Fives Class have fun while they are at home and at school.
The best part of Alexus’day is when he plays with his toys outside.
The best part of Ashley’s day is when she tells her mom what she did at school.
The best part of Christopher’s day is when he plays in the boat on the playground.
The best part of Cody’s day is when he plays in the gym.
The best part of Cole’s day is when he plays with the blocks.
The best part of Connor’s day is when he plays with the toy trucks.
The best part of Elijah’s day is when he goes to sleep and wakes up again.
The best part of Gracelyn’s day is when she plays outside in the grass.
The best part of Isaac’s day is when he runs all over the place.
The best part of Kyle’s day is when he plays with monster trucks.
The best part of Laura’s day is when she plays with the toy pizza in the kitchen area.
The best part of Logan’s day is when he plays on the computer.
The best part of Mackenzie’s day is when she reads books.
The best part of Samuel’s day is when he plays in the big house on the playground.
The best part of Savannah’s day is when she swings outside on the playground.
The best part of Shawn’s day is when he plays with the toy trucks and blocks.
The best part of Trent’s day is when he eats his snack.
Kindergarten
The Mrs. Lang’s Class has been learning about apples and the apple orchard.
Erika: Apples are sweet.
Savannah: They are healthy.
Treviyn: The orchard has a lot of trees there.
Gavin: Apples are yummy!
Elizabeth: When they grow you can have them for a snack.
Marshall: They make your teeth shiny.
Dawson: They are colorful.
Brookie: They are sour.
Brock: Apples are sticky.
Hillary: Apples are fruit. There are lots of trees at the apple orchard.
Destiny: I like green and red apples.
Gracie: Trees make apples grow.
Brendan: Apples are sweet.
Lucas: Apples grow in the orchard and they are sweet and healthy.
Mrs. Wescott’s class has been really getting to know one another. It has been fun sharing pictures and stories from home. We’ve learned a lot about all the great students in our class.
We have also been working hard to practice reading and writing. We are learning lots about how authors think and work. This will help us to be good writers ourselves and to use the clues that authors give us to read books written by others. We’ve talked lots about the parts of a book and read so many books together.
We are looking forward to our trip to Applejacks Orchard. In preparation we have learned lots about how apples and pumpkins grow, are picked, and make it to the store for us to buy. We enjoyed reading lots of good books about apples and apple harvesting. Our special favorite was a silly one called What’s So Bad About Swallowing an Apple Seed?, by Harriet Goldhor Lerner.
We’re really concentrating hard on how to correctly form letters and numbers. It’s taking lots of practice, but we’re sure to be good printers this way.
We’ve gotten off to a good start and are excited about all the things we’ll be learning this year in Kindergarten.
Grade One
The first few weeks of school have flown by! We have been making new friends as well as seeing friends from last year.
There are so many “new” things about first grade: teachers, classroom routines and rules, the Saxon Phonics program, “Writing with the 6 Traits”, and a newer edition of the Saxon Math program. We are busy!
The Box Tops for Education project /competition has started. There are three opportunities for classrooms to win ice cream sundae parties this year! YUMMY!
All first grade classes went to the Adirondack Scenic Railroad in Lake
Placid during the last week of September. We took the train ride to Saranac
Lake and ate lunch at the train station. The train ride was terrific!
The First Grade Team
Grade Two
A reminder that the Pizza Hut Book-It! Program will begin October 1. At the end of each month, just send in the Reading calendar and your child will receive a free pizza certificate from Pizza Hut. This is a great way to motivate your child to read a few minutes in the evening.
Thank you to everyone for the great job on homework. I am really impressed that the students have done such a great job returning homework almost every night. Please continue to check it over before signing or initializing it - that really is helpful.
Ask your child about what we’re doing in class and praise them for all they do. They work hard every day!
Mrs. Sanchez’ Classroom
The students in Mrs. Sanchez’ second grade classroom are beginning a fantastic school year! We are learning how to be good friends by sharing and helping others. We are also reading and writing using literature like All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan and The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown.
Our schedule has changed since the beginning of the year. This year, for the first time, we have alternating art/music specials every six day cycle. For example:
A Music
B PE
C Art
D Library/PE
E Music
F PE
The next six day cycle:
A Art
B PE
C Music
D Library/PE
E Art
F PE
Every Monday we are checking out our baggy books and every Friday we are returning them. These are books that fit us perfectly and are fun to read with a friend or family member!
Travel Folders are making the trip from home to school each night. We have been earning a lot of stickers for completing our homework and morning work as well. Book orders are also going home, so please look for them in your travel folders!
Please don’t forget to send a healthy snack in to school for your child to enjoy. It is a long time between the time school starts and lunch time!
I’m very proud of all of my students. I feel very fortunate to be working with your children this year.
Mrs. Pope’s class
In honor of Constitution Day, September 17th, we have been discussing the reasons behind why the Constitution and Bill of Rights were written. The students asked whether these Rights were for kids. After answering that yes they were for everyone, they thought that they didn't really fit kids. So, they made up their own Rights. These are hanging on the wall outside of our room. Also, outside of the room, is a large poster where other people can write either what they think about Freedom or a Right that they think should be added.
Physical Education News
The Kindergarten, 1st grade & 2nd grade classes have been working on spatial awareness skills and loco motor skills. They are learning to move around the gym safely and stopping on command (whistle or freeze). Students are working on galloping, skipping, jumping, hopping and shuffling. Upcoming events are relays, throwing, catching and social skills.
We will be going outside often and children will be encouraged to wear jackets, hats, gloves and proper footwear, (i.e. sneakers or boots). Our goals as physical educators are to provide children with the skills and attitudes they need to enjoy healthy and active lifestyles. Davis School physical education program is a non-competitive program with the emphasis on effort and cooperation. We try to incorporate an interdisciplinary approach as often as we are able. We incorporate numbers, colors, shapes, and integrate children’s literature when appropriate.
Physical Education classes will be doing an outdoor
(hiking
)
unit with the children in October. We will be talking to students
about hiking safety, fitness, tree identification and birds migrating.
We encourage all students to spend as much time as possible outside while at
home. Fresh air is the best way to stay healthy. Family hikes,
bike rides and walks are a great way to get fresh air and stay healthy.
Welcome back to school! We are off to a great start in the art room!
· The Young 5 Students have reviewed their letters with a project based on the story, Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom! They each made their own letter wheel. We had fun reading the story together. The next project we did was a special surprise gift for the parents. The students will give these to you on Open House night in Mrs. Conaway’s classroom.
· This week, we are working on a color review lesson. We read Brown, Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? We then made our own brown bears, and used the colors to decorate the animals as seen in the story.
· The Kindergarten students have made art portfolios and are now working on an Outer Space project. The kids are having a wonderful time using oil pastels, metallic crayons and glitter to make an outer space scene. I was very impressed with how much they already knew about the planets!
· The first graders also made their portfolios. They are currently making their own scratch boards. This is a magical project for children! We are using scratch are to create Greek Vases. We watched a slide show about Greek Pottery and then made the shapes of the cases out of paper. The students then colored the vase shape with bright colors. Then they had a great time painting over the top of the colors with black paint. After that, they used a stylus to scraper to fill the vase with ancient Greek patterns.
· The second graders have completed their portfolios as well. We are now working on a beautiful fall project. With this project, the students are drawing four Maple leaves of varying sizes. Then they are outlining the leaves using crayon. We are then painting inside of the leaves and watching how the paint colors blend together. Lastly, we will paint the background with a dark color to create contrast with the fall colored leaves. I can’t wait to put their work on display!
Great job Davis boys and girls! I am very proud of all your hard work!
There are many myths and “old wives’ tales” regarding children and winter weather. These myths include, “becoming chilled causes colds”, “if you have a cold, you shouldn’t go outside”, and “children shouldn’t be outside when the temperature is below 32 degrees”. Unfortunately, these myths tend to keep children from being allowed to play outdoors in the winter.
Indoor air becomes dry, stale, germ infested, and full of air pollutants, causing increased respiratory ailments. The outdoor environment provides fresh, clean and humidified air. An outdoor activity also allows children to exercise their large muscles which increase their circulation and adds color to their cheeks. The exercise increases their appetite, decreases stress and aggressiveness, and allows them to sleep better at naptime and bedtime. Direct sunshine on the skin produces Vitamin D necessary for bone growth. Other benefits of winter outdoor play are that children learn from exploring their environment and teach them how to get dressed by themselves with winter clothing.
Outdoor play in winter weather is good for children. I would promote winter outdoor play on a daily basis as long as conditions aren’t extreme and children are dressed appropriately.
Mrs. West’s Music Class
This year has certainly gotten off to an exciting start in Mrs. West’s Music classes. We have been spending lots of time getting to know one another by singing name songs and playing games. Now that we are all a bit more familiar, we are beginning to get down to some serious music making.
We have been having lots of fun exploring our voices. We’ve gotten a chance to work on soft and loud, high and low, slow and fast and especially making sure we know the difference between our talking and singing voices.
Dancing and moving are also a big part of music, so we’ve been working on that too. We’ve spent a lot of time finding appropriate ways of moving to all different kinds of music. We’ve used ribbons, streamers and scarves to add color and grace to our movements. Some of us have used words to describe our movements, while others have just let the dancing speak for itself.
As we head into October, we will be learning a great deal about keeping a steady beat. We’ll be practicing many different ways to keep a beat to music using both our bodies and instruments.
Our annual concerts will be held in February and March this year. Our concerts last year were a great success and we’ll be working our hardest to be even better this year. Our 1st grade concert will be on February 15th starting at 6:30. The 2nd grade concert will be held on the following evening February 16th also with a start time of 6:30. The kindergarten concert will be held on March 29th starting at 6:00 pm. All Davis concerts will be held in the Malone Middle School Auditorium. This helps to provide seating for all that come to support our students. If you have any questions on these performances please feel free to get in contact with me. Mark these dates on your calendars and keep your eyes on the Caper Paper for more detailed information as the concerts get closer.
Tools for Schools
“You can help your school get new computers, sports equipment and more by using your AdvantEdge Card when you shop at Price Chopper! Enrollment for the 2011-12 school year is open, so sign up with your card today to participate in the program in the coming school year. The points you accrue on your receipt will be combined with the points from other shoppers supporting your school. This total helps Price Chopper determine how much of the $500,000 in free equipment your school will be allotted, and whether your school has earned a bonus prize of a camcorder. Those figures will be published in our online report card on or around January 1, 2012.
Check out for more information or visit your local store to register. Thank you for your support.
COUNSELOR’S CORNER
By Andrée Tower
Top Ten List of things you may not know about School Counseling at Davis Elementary School!
10. School counselors visit each and every classroom at Davis Elementary throughout the school year to meet children and consult with teachers.
If you have any questions or concerns about the school counseling program at Davis Elementary, please feel free to call Andree Tower @ 483-7802. I would be happy to speak with you over the phone or make an appointment to meet with you!
Important Announcement
On October 18 (rain date October 19th) at 9 am, all Malone Central School District students will form a human chain along Main Street to show support against bullying. We would like parents/guardians to join our worthy cause to bring attention to bullying and help eradicate it in our schools and community. Please come and join our chain!
Occupational Therapy News
Written By: Liane Eggleston, COTA
“Backpack Awareness”
Now that we have been in school, for almost a month, we often see students carrying bags and backpacks that are often not suited for their size. Injuries and pain caused by heavy school backpacks can be minimized if students and caregivers follow a few simple steps. Occupational therapists suggest adult family members use similar strategies when carrying briefcases, purses and suitcases.
With a decade of experience educating the nation about backpack safety, the American Occupational Therapy Association offers the following advice for National Backpack Awareness Day.
· Choose a backpack with heavily padded straps that also features shoulder and chest straps
· Pack the heaviest items in the back of the backpack and place lighter items towards the front
· Wear both shoulder straps unless the backpack is designed for use on one shoulder
· A child’s backpack should weigh no more than about 10% of his or her body weight
Tips for adults include:
· Select purses with built-in compartments. This helps distribute the weight more evenly.
· Select a briefcase made of light materials such as microfiber and nylon.
· Opt for carrying two light suitcases, one in each hand, rather than one heavy suitcase in one hand or on your shoulder.
For more tips and information about backpack and bag safety for all ages, visit the Backpack Day Web site at www.aota.org/backpack. You can also contact one of the Malone Central School District’s Occupational Therapist with any questions. The following therapists are available at any time. Liane Eggleston, COTA (Davis Elementary), Beth Randall, OTR/L (Holy Family), Ashley Dustin, OTA (Flanders and Malone Middle School) and Margo Vivlamore, COTA (St. Joes)
Have a wonderful school year!!
The Physical Therapy Department Says…
By: Michelle Pearsall & Wendy Norman
Live Smart: Get up and get moving…Accept the PT Department challenge!!!!
As you conduct your busy days you are greeted by the unhealthy temptations that surround us all. Please know you can win the ongoing fight of temptations with good, sound nutrition, diet, and exercise. We are all in this together fighting against the same battle of temptations. Our reasons may be different but we are still in the same battle with the same over all goals of healthier life and increased quality of life.
My name is Michelle Pearsall and my partner’s name is Wendy Norman and we are the Physical Therapy Department Team. We are the gross motor movers...No, no, not…”Eww I just saw a slime bug gross,” but gross motor as in upper body and lower body muscle groups that allow you to move in all directions. I personally live to be in some type of motor movement pattern. By this I mean that I most prefer to do anything that will require my body to be moving as opposed to “nothing,” which would equate to…sitting?
I feel my best when my heart (i.e., cardiovascular conditioning) is strong, as this allows me to walk, run, in-line skate, mountain bike, or teach aerobics without feeling fatigued. I like having my muscles strong so I can perform all activities with speed and agility. Sitting lends hand to poor posture, poor circulation, inactivity, and decline in mood. So, here it goes, my partner and I are going to extend a challenge out to you. Yes, YOU!!!! You are reading this after all aren’t you? So I am talking directly to YOU!! We challenge you to LIVE SMART! Now, I already know you are smart or else you would have already put this article down. So, well done my friend, well done!! If you accept our challenge I will accept the responsibility of guiding you through this challenge for the next 8 months. You will be able to find my partner and me here in the Caper Paper each and every month. Each month we will provide you with a few simple challenges to implement into your daily lives.
Let’s see….thinking, thinking…Oh, I’ve got it! We need a sign so when you pass us in the hallways we know you are choosing to live smart and that you are accepting our challenge. Our sign is going to be: Arms down by your sides followed by sweeping them up to the sky while you take a deep breath of air in and completed by crossing your arms at the wrists. We will greet you with a sign in return.
FIRST CHALLENGE:
“Get out of bed!” What I mean of course is that after you get out of bed and only after you use the rest room, you are going to “DROP TO THE FLOOR” or ease yourself to the floor where you will begin doing either modified push-ups (knees in contact with the floor) or full push-ups.
Beginners: 10 repetitions, 2 sets
Advanced: 20 repetitions, 2 sets
OVERVIEW
A push-up is a classic muscle-building move that tones the arms, chest, front of the shoulders, and the triceps. Whether performed on the toes or as a modified push-up on the knees, practicing proper form is vital to protecting your back and neck from strain. Once you know the proper form, you can perform this weight-bearing exercise almost anywhere.
Step 1
Get into a kneeling position and then bend forward, placing your hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep the fingers loosely (not locked) together and point them straight forward. Your arms should be straight, but not locked at the elbows.
Step 2
Step your legs back one at a time (for a full push-up). Your feet should be closer than shoulder-width apart, but not locked together at the ankles while your body makes a straight line. Look at yourself in a mirror to ensure that your bottom is not in the air, your back is not curved, and your shoulders are not sloping in.
OR
Step 2 (Modified Push-Up)
Perform a modified push-up by keeping your knees in contact with the floor while crossing your feet at the ankles and keeping your body in a straight line. Remember to keep your head as part of this straight line and not let it dip below your shoulders.
Step 3
Inhale while you lower yourself to the floor. Your goal should be to almost, but not quite, touch your chest and not your head to the ground. As a general rule, stop the motion when your elbows reach a 90-degree angle.
Step 4
Exhale as you push back upward. Maintain the same straight-line form and don't lock your elbows as you reach the top of your push-up.
Step 5
Before repeating, check your form to make sure you haven't shifted after the effort of the first push-up.
Okay, so the above is your first challenge. We challenge you to perform the suggested amount (based on your fitness level) of push-ups every day this month. No excuses! Just get up each day and take 10 minutes for you! We promise you will feel better throughout your day as a direct result of doing something. If you accepted the challenge and are performing your push-ups don’t forget to shoot us the “Live Smart Symbol” in the hall way so we can shoot one back to let you know how very proud of you we are.
Good Luck my friends! We look forward to reaching out to you next month.
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Accept The PT Challenge!
PTA News
Welcome to a new year, we hope everyone enjoyed their summer! For those of you that are new to the building this year the PTA offers many events throughout the year for all the children in the building. The events are free of charge, but we often offer food and drinks that we sometimes charge for. The flyers that come home for each event will give specific details to each event.
The PTA is made up of all volunteers so we are always looking for help with each event. A lot goes into each event from setup to tear down. If you can help out with any event for even just an hour it helps keep things running smoothly and takes the pressure off the few volunteers that we have. If you can help with an event you can email us at davispta@ymail.com<mailto:davispta@ymail.com> or call Nicole at 353-2384.
OPEN HOUSE - October 27th: During open house we will be selling pizza and having a bake sale in the cafeteria. The book fair will also be open in the Gym. We hope you can come out and enjoy the evening with your child. A flyer will be going home in your child’s book bag with more details.
BOOK FAIR: We will be holding the book fair in the morning on Oct. 25th and Oct. 28th from 7 am - 8:30 am and the night of Open House. If you wish to send in money in the morning with your child we ask that you send it in and envelope marked for the book fair. This helps eliminate the confusion of whether the money is for the book fair or for something else.
We look forward to seeing you at our events! If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us anytime by email at davispta@ymail.com <mailto:davispta@ymail.com> or call Nicole at 353-2384.
September
Rylee Andrews
David Boileau
Matthew Bombard
Victoria Brand
Johanne Brockway
Alexandra Burke
Honor Connolly
Taylor Covey
Elijah Cox
Joseph Degon
Ryan Delgado
Taylor Douglas
Evan Dumas
Adrianna Earle
Dustin Fenner
Layla Gervais
Jace Hammond
William Ives
Alysa Jarvis
Kyle Jock
Emma LaBelle
Jeremy Lamitie, Jr.
Quin Lane
James Legault
Paige Legault
Ashley Lonczak
Ethan Luckette
Ava Marshall
Madison Marshall
Jeziah McClain
Landyon Metzler
Anna Monette
Ethan Monette
Nadine Montevago
Morghan Mulverhill
Kaitlynn O’Connor
Bryce Palmer
Austin Patterson
Jakob Payne
Emily Pickering
Myaa Ramirez
Chloe Recore
Hayley Robinson
Jacob Rogers
Amy Sample
Lily Saumier
Makenna Savage
Natalie Southworth
Natalie Suzanne
Brody Tavernia
Nicholas Thompson
Timithy Warner
Brooke White
Alex Willett, Jr.
Howard Winters
Katrina Winters
Riley Winters
October
Dominick Andre
Madison Beach
Ava Bruso
Meah Buntz
Ethan King
Shyreesha Cayea
Natalie Conto
Blake Cook
Rory Cox
Emma Cromp
Marshall Cyrus
Jahna-Rae Debyah
Jacob Degon
Erica Delarm
Abigail Denny
Treviyn Deuyour
Xander Diorio
Xavier Diorio
Samuel Eells
Timberly Garland
Hailee Garrand
Tiana Gonzales
Skylar Gravell
MaKenzie Henderson
Tanner Hyde
Blake Jock
Lucas Jock
Joseph Karleskent
Ethan King
Savannah King
Alexander LaClair
Alexis LaClair
Maddix Lane
Leanna Lewis
Keegan McArdle
Lucas Mitchell
Thomas Nesbitt
Kylie Pecore
Isabel Recore
Grace Robinson
Shawn Schaeffer, Jr.
Brianna Smith
Landon Smythe
Ayden Soper
Brock Spaulding
Riley Spinner
Alyx St. Hilaire
Vail St. Hilaire
Kaleb Stillman
Ethan Tuper-Gervais