English - River Oaks Elementary School

River Oaks Elementary Dolphin Gazette
Responsible Learners Today Becoming Successful Leaders Tomorrow
November/December, 2015
Aerica A. Willia ms, Principal
Geoffrey Deavers, Assistant Principal
703.441.0050
w w w . p w c s . e d u / r i v e r o a ks
Principal’s Message
December’s School Calendar will be sent home
next week.
Congratulations!
Please see your child’s grade level homepage
Congratulations to Lexi Boateng, in Mrs. Mangrum’s 5th Grade class for
winning the “Snapshot of School Lunch” Selfie Contest. Lexi was the
winner of a Kindle Fire HDX.
Students were asked to draw a picture or take a selfie of themselves eating
their favorite school lunch and to write two or three sentences as to why
this is their favorite lunch.
Congratulations to the following participates, who received a key chain:
Michael Awuku, Lesley Boateng, Bushra Sajid, Caleb Mintah,
Aaliyah Courney, Sydney Knight, Iyanna Garcia Ross, and Achol Weil.
Upcoming School Closings
for November
All PWCS Closed
Please
*Wednesday, November 25, Thursday,
November 26, and Friday, November
25– Thanksgiving Break
Save the Date:
*Tuesday, December 10 – Fall Picture
Make-ups.
*December 21-January 1 – Winter Break
2015-2016
River Oaks Elementary
SCA Officers
Congratulations to our newly elected
SCA Officers!
Regards,
Aerica A. Williams,
Principal
Front Row: Angelina Barrientos, Secretary,
Mathew Occansey, Mascot
Back row: Jasmine Mohaupt, President,
Lexi Boateng, Treasurer,
George Tamakloe, Vice President,
Blackboard Announcements
Picture Day
If you are NOT receiving email blasts (Blackboard
Announcements) from River Oaks, please check
your Spam and then add us to your contact
list. Send us an email and we will add your email
address to our distribution list. Over 75 percent of
our families receive information, updates and
important announcements from River Oaks. We'd
like to make it 100 percent!
Contact Carole Robinson @ robinscm@pwcs,edu.
Fall Picture Make Up/Retake Day is almost here, Thursday,
December 10th
Information Packets will be sent home with your child and a
reminder will come home with your child the night before.
Strings
Mr. Dixon
4th and 5th grade students are learning all about
reading music in Strings class! We have learned
that all notes are written on a staff, that the staff
consists of 5 lines and 4 spaces, and different notes
are placed on the different lines and spaces on the
staff to indicate different pitches. At the beginning
of each staff, there is a special symbol called a clef,
which designates which notes are assigned to each
line or space. Violins have atreble clef at the
beginning of each staff; violas have analto clef at
the beginning of each staff; and cellos and basses
have a bass clef at the beginning of each staff. If
you have a child in Strings class, ask them to show
you the staff, lines and spaces, and clef on any page
of their music book!
If you would like to have your child’s pictures retaken, you
must bring you the pictures with you on Thursday to give to
the photographer. If your child was absent on picture day,
they will be getting their picture taken on Thursday,
December 10. Order forms will be sent home to those
students who were absent on picture day. Order forms may
also be picked up in the office.
Payment for all pictures is due at the time your child is
photographed on Picture Day. New this year, is
“Lifetouch Portal”. Lifetouch will send email reminders
that picture day is coming and a link to order your
child’s picture on line. Please make sure the ROES office,
has your current email address, if you are interested in
this feature.
Mark your calendar for our upcoming 4th Grade
Strings Concert on Tuesday, December 15 at 6:30
PM.
Field Day
Field Day
World Language Elementary
Schools (WLES) with Sra. Lucas
Welcome to Spanish Class!
In Kindergarten, our students are learning simple songs
in Spanish about greetings, colors, the days of the week
and also numbers 1-10. Since the beginning of the
school year, we have read stories in both languages and
we have played games relating to the colors,
reinforcing what they learned in their classes.
In first grade, during the month of October, our
students have worked with both Miss Wade, a student
from the University of Mary Washington, and myself.
Our students are learning basic vocabulary in Spanish
following the SOL objectives for Spanish. We have
learned the color song, simple conversation
questions—“¿Cómo te llamas?” (What is your
name?)—and the vocabulary about the seasons, but
most specifically about Fall.
In second grade, we have reviewed the themes from
the previous year about the basic routine, days of the
week, months of the year, the numbers 1 through 31,
etc. We are also practicing the emotions in Spanish.
In third to fifth grade for the first nine weeks, we are
working on reviewing the vocabulary from the
previous year in Spanish. Right now we are focusing
on basic communication skills so that we can
communicate with our friends in Spanish. Fifth grade
specifically is learning about English and Spanish
cognates, which will benefit the students as they are
learning a new language.
DEAR Time (Drop Everything and Read)
Library News with Mrs. Vice
The library is excited to begin offering a new
library lunchtime café! The café will be open to all
students in grades 3-5 and will begin in late
November. Library Lunchtime Café will offer time
for students to explore and use library resources.
Students will be able to participate in activities such
as reading in a cozy area of the library, using
library computers, and seeing a movie short
followed by discussion time. We are excited to
offer this new opportunity for students to Eat, Read,
Create, and Explore in the library.
The Scholastic Book Fair is coming in December!
The book fair brings exciting books to our school
and is a fantastic way to celebrate reading! The
book fair will take place beginning Monday,
December 7th through Wednesday, December 16th.
We will also be open on Tuesday, December 8,
from 5:00-6:30 PM. Please make plans to visit!
More information will be sent home in December.
PTCC (Parent Teacher
Connection Committee)
Thank you to all who came out and supported our
“Spirit Night” at McDonald’s, by dining in or drive
through. We hope to have another “Spirit Night” in
November, before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Please join us for our next meeting on
November 17th, at 4:00 PM in the ROES Library.
Art News with Ms. Brosnan
We are off to a great start in the art room! We made
some wonderful fall projects. These fall creations will
be hung up throughout the school, so stay tuned for
those displays. You can also check them out online at
http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=82478
Some parents have signed their students up for the
online art gallery. If you have not, make sure you create
a parent account so you can continue to see your
student's amazing artworks! You need to have a parent
account by Nov.15th. If you have any questions please
contact me at [email protected].
Counselor’s Corner
D. Wells & L. James
November’s Character Trait is:
Respect
Treat other with respect; follow the Golden Rule
· Be tolerant of differences
·Use good manners, not bad language
· Be considerate of the feelings of others
·Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone
·Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and
disagreements.
How to Help Your Child Feel Good About
School:
1. Find reasons to praise your child every day.
Help your child focus on his/her strengths. Make
sure your child knows he or she has the ability to
succeed.
2. Have high expectations for learning and behavior
at home and at school.
Help your child take responsibility for his or her
choices.
Magical Music with Mrs. Powell
Fall is in the air with colors and fragrances that tantalize
the senses! So it is with music with the rhythms and
themes that remind us that the holidays are approaching
and family will gather together to celebrate once again.
All grade levels: Will be singing songs about the
seasons and holidays and some grade levels will prepare
for winter concerts (more info will be forthcoming).
Each grade level’s lesson plan will include examples of
music from various genres that our students wouldn’t
normally be exposed to, such as classical, acapella, Big
Band, Country, Contemporary Christian, artists from the
1940’s, 50’s, 60’s 70’s 80’s and 90’s, and many, many
others.
Fifth graders: In the next 2 weeks, you will be
receiving information about the annual PWCS
Elementary All County Chorus. Those interested in
auditioning will be given a letter to bring home which
will outline the details for auditioning, the selection
process and the event itself, which is held on Sat., Feb.
27th, at Patriot HS. Please watch for this information.
3. Encourage active learning.
This involves asking and answering questions,
problem-solving and exploring interests. Listen to
your child’s ideas and respond to them.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not
hesitate to contact one of us.
Mrs. Deborah Wells
[email protected]
(Monday- Friday)
Mrs. Lisa James
[email protected]
(Monday, Tuesday,
& Thursday)
Nurse’s Notes
Kathy Cobb, RN
Flu season is just around the corner! Now is the time to
get a flu shot to protect yourself and all of your family.
Symptoms of influenza include fever which can last
three or four days, headaches, nasal congestion,
sneezing, and sore throat. It looks like a severe cold
with a fever. Talk to your doctor about the flu shot and
practice good hand washing to help prevent the spread
of influenza. Never give a child with flu symptoms,
aspirin or products with aspirin in them. Tylenol or
Ibuprofen is a safer choice for fever, aches and pains.
Please contact your doctor if your child has the flu.
Children with flu-like symptoms should stay home
from school until they are completely recovered.
Parent as Educational Partners
Program
The Parents as Educational Partners Program (PEP) at
River Oaks will be offered in the Spring of 2016. This
program is free of any cost and part of the No Child
Left Behind Law of 2001- designed to provide parents,
who speak other language than English at home with
opportunities to become familiar with the regulations
and procedures in the Public Schools in Prince William
County while encouraging them to become involved in
their children’s education, which has been proven to
increase the students’ academic performance. More
information about the program will be sent home soon.
School Meals- Convenient and
Affordable
Did you know your school cafeteria conveniently offers
breakfast and lunch at an affordable price every school
day? A breakfast consisting of cereal, milk, Nutri-Grain
bar, a piece of fresh fruit and juice would cost you
approximately $2.50 at home. Students can get all of that
at school for just $1.45. That’s a savings of $1.05 a day,
or over $20 a month! If your student bought school
breakfast every day, you could save approximately $200
each school year, per student.
Your student is not a fan of cereal? Hot breakfast entrées,
such as Chicken Sliders, French Toast Sticks, and Ham
and Cheese Croissants, are offered each day.
Our healthy school breakfasts are definitely a bargain,
and so are school lunches!
On the low end, parents can expect to spend around $2.88
per packed lunch for a turkey and cheese sandwich, a
serving of fruit, a serving of veggies and a small juice
box. When purchasing a school lunch, elementary
students may select an entrée, two vegetables, one fruit
and a milk for only $2.45. That’s a savings of $0.43 per
day, or $8.60 per month.
What if your student is packing a leftover piece of pizza,
banana, chips and bottled water? Even if your delivery
pizza was purchased using a discount, the lunch total
would still cost approximately $2.95. In this case, school
lunches give you more food for your money and a total
savings of over $90 per school year. What if your student
brings half a leftover Chipotle burrito bowl, a bottled
juice drink and an apple? By purchasing school lunch
instead, you could be saving over $475.00 per school
year!
Besides the financial benefits of buying school meals,
parents can feel good knowing their students are fueling
up for the school day with plenty of fruits and vegetables,
and whole grain, low fat, low sodium choices. Entrée
salads and various vegetarian choices are also offered for
lunch every day. Plus, our dinner rolls, garlic bread,
cinnamon bread and fiesta cornbread are homemade right
in your school’s kitchen! Sound tasty? See below for
meal pricing, and visit MySchoolBucks.com to add
money to your student’s cafeteria account using a
credit card.
Breakfast:
$ .30 Student Reduced Price
$1.45 Student Full Price
$2.00 Adult Price
DEW Time (Drop Everything and Write)
Lunch:
$ .40 Student Reduced Price
$2.45 Elementary Student Full Price
$3.40 Adult Price
SCA “Spirit Week”
Photos by Jasmine Mohaupt and Christian Esquilin
Kindergarten News
In Kindergarten we are working on our letters and letter
sounds. Practice for this is part of your student’s nightly
homework. We have started working on our sight words.
We will be learning a new one each week. In Math, we are
counting sets of objects, finding that number, and writing
that number.
Third Grade
For the month of November, 3rd Grade students will
be learning about;
Simple Machines (Science)
Holiday/Economics (Social Studies)
Data Analysis & Probability (Math)
Identifying Main Idea and Inference in Non-Fiction
Text (Reading)
First Grade
Our First graders have been on two exciting field
trips!! We have walked up to our local fire station, bank,
grocery/market, and we were given an ice cream cone treat
by Burger King!! We are learning about
community helpers, consumers and producers, goods and
services, saving and spending, and needs and wants.
We also went to the National Zoo. We got to see the
pandas and lots of other animals! We are learning
about different kinds of animal groupings, their body
coverings, and how they move.
During November, we will be studying how people lived
in the past and compare it to how we live, work,
and go to school today. We are very excited to keep
learning new things!!
Second Grade
We are keeping busy and working hard in 2nd grade. In
language arts we have started our unit on sequencing. We
are looking at both fiction and non-fiction and talking
about the best way to sequence a story, and using
sequencing words to retell a story. In math we have
started our second unit on number sense. We have spent
a lot of time talking about greater than, less than and equal
to as we have been comparing numbers. We will also be
discussing place value and fact families before taking our
unit test. In science we have just finished up our unit on
adaptations and have started the next unit on
ecosystems. After we finish our units in science, we will
begin our next unit in social studies, which will be
economics. Our grade level newsletter will contain
important vocabulary for each unit we are currently
studying.
We really enjoyed our field trip to the zoo last month, and
are super excited about our next field trip to the
planetarium at Hylton High School coming up in
November. As a reminder, the reading calendar and
reading log need to be filled out nightly and should be
returned at the end of the month.
Fourth Grade
In fourth grade, we are studying Plants. In class the
students will be having hands on experiences dissecting
real flowers. They will get an opportunity to see the
reproductive and non-reproductive parts of a flower. The
students will draw and describe the function of each part.
In addition, the students will be creating a Parts of a
Flower/Plant project that will be due on November 18.
They can create a poster or a 3-D project showing all of
the reproductive and non-reproductive parts of a flower.
We are very excited to see all of the creative ways that
the students will express themselves.
5th Grade
We are off to a great start in 5th grade thus far! All
students took pre assessments in reading, math, and
science in September. Teachers have been working hard
to meet the needs of all students where they are and help
them progress through remediation and enrichment. 5th
graders have numerous support systems at their disposal:
colored flash cards for each subject to review each night,
XtraMath fact fluency logins, Benchmark Universe
logins, and Sum Dog logins for math practice. We
encourage students to utilize all resources nightly for athome practice. Students who qualify for the Morning
SOL Tech Club also have access to RAZ- Kids/Kids A-Z
and iXL for reading and math practice. Science
Investigators' Club and Science SOL Review Sessions
are also underway afterschool. Please contact your child's
teacher for more information and/or visit our 5th grade
web page at riveroakses.schools.pwcs.edu!
Current units of study:




Reading- Main idea and supporting details
Math- Data analysis and statistics (mean,
median, mode, and range)
Science- Solar System and Characteristics of
Earth, Moon, and Sun (Grade 4 Science Review)
Geography- Characteristics of the South East
region
.
River Oaks Upcoming Events in November
Please use the information below to schedule important events for you and your children.
Field Day
Monday
1
No School for Students
PWCS
Teacher Professional
Development Day
9
National Young Readers Week
16
2nd Grade Field Trip to the
Planetarium
23
30
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
2
No School for Students
Elementary School Parent
Conferences
3
7:30-8:20-3rd Grade
Morning Club
7:45-8:15 AM – 5th Grade
Morning SOL
3:35-4:45 PM -3rd Grade
Afterschool Club
4
7:30-8:20-3rd Grade Morning
Club,
4th Grade Key Club
10
.Fall Pictures
7:30-8:20-3rd Grade Morning
Club
4th Grade Key Club
7:45-8:15 AM – 5th Grade
Morning SOL Club
Grade 3 CogAt
3:35-4:45 PM -3rd Grade
Afterschool Club
11
Veteran’s Day –All PWC
Schools Closed
12
Fire Drill
7:30-8:20-3rd Grade Morning
Club,
4th Grade Key Club
7:45-8:15 AM – 5th Grade
Morning SOL Club
Grade 3 CogAt
3:35-4:45 PM -3rd Grade
Afterschool Club
13
5th Grade Field Tri[ to
the Planetarium
DEAR Time! Drop
Everything and Read9:00-9:30 AM
3rd Grade Naglieri
Testing
17
7:30-8:20-3rd Grade Morning
Club
4th Grade Key Club
7:45-8:15 AM – 5th Grade
Morning SOL Club
Grade 3 CogAt Practice
3:35-4:45 PM -3rd Grade
Afterschool Club
18
7:30-8:20-3rd Grade
Morning Club
7:45-8:15 AM – 5th Grade
Morning SOL
Grade 3 CogAt Practice
3:35-4:45 PM -3rd Grade
Afterschool Club
19
7:30-8:20-3rd Grade Morning
Club
4th Grade Key Club
7:45-8:15 AM – 5th Grade
Morning SOL Club
Grade 3 CogAt Practice
3:35-4:45 PM -3rd Grade
Afterschool Club
3rd Grade Reading
Benchmark on IA
20
DEW Time! Drop
Everything and Write 9:00-9:30 AM
24
Fire Drill
7:30-8:20-3rd Grade Morning
Club
4th Grade Key Club
7:45-8:15 AM – 5th Grade
Morning SOL Club
3:35-4:45 PM -3rd Grade
Afterschool Club
25
Thanksgiving Break
26
Thanksgiving Break
27
Thanksgiving Break
5
DEAR Time! Drop
Everything and Read9:00-9:30 AM
7:45-8:15 AM – 5th Grade
Morning SOL Tech Club
3:35-4:45 PM -3rd Grade
Afterschool Club
5th Grade 1st Quarter
Reading Benchmark
Principals Honor Roll
Congratulations to the following students who made
Principal’s Honor Roll the
1st Grading Period.
Third Grade:
Ms. Carroll: Xavion Greene
Ms. Troupe-Williams: Deborah Jimenez-Bobea, Christopher Meich-Sams
Ms. Clark: Abigail Chuga-Camuendo, Aaliyah Courtney, Janfranco Espinoza, Kelvin Suadwa,
Timothy Ferguson, Yoseph Hailu, Susana Pacas
Ms. C. McIntyre: Lilian Berhane, Olivea Puller, Joseph Rodas
Mrs. Nabywaniec: Makaila Baker-Gray, Haley Nform. Antonio Benevides-Aragon,
Kristian Caldwell, Dorian Marshall, Stephanie Minero
Fourth Grade
Ms. Rogers: Camila Sousa-Castro
Mrs. Carter: Megan Boateng, Sara Cabezudo, Aya Demnati, Kavineeta Harris, Hao Bill Le,
Brooklyn Nuin, Cindy Perez, Sharharyar Saeed, Zoe Strachan, George Tamakloe,
Estrella Vaca-Pereira, Dalise Deville
Mrs. Chandel: Khristine Gomez, Stephany Monroy, Yaw Mensah, Achol Weil
Mrs. Chatman: Lindsay Boateng, Brianna DeVere, Mercedes Gomez, Nicolle Ramos Pereira
Ms. Hay: Sakina Ali, Christopher Beaumont, Anthony Manavian, Jada Jeter, Eric Kusi,
Vanessa Thomas
Fifth Grade
Ms. Francis: Jade Sharma, Keani Williams
Ms. Andresen: Katie Arias, Amani Littlejohn
Mrs. Mangrum: Lexi Boateng, Kyle Luong
Honor Roll
Congratulations to the following students who made
A/B Honor Roll the1st Grading Period.
Third Grade:
Ms. Carroll: Lesley Boateng, Nora Lafferty, Louis Marin, Leslye Pacheco Medina,
Ariel Quaynor-Apaw, Mashal Salahuddin
Ms. Troupe-Williams: Andrew Heinl, Adrianna Dixon
Ms. Clark: Stephanie Akowua, Ibtihaal Javeid, Noah Justiniano, Tera LaTour, Ezekiel Melvin
Ms. C. McIntyre: Mohammad Choudhry, Karla Gomez, Jose Moreira, Sendy Niako,
Keenan Noble, Jamal Peterson, Jimmy Ubeda
Mrs. Nabywaniec: Charles Berryman, Shanya Gardner, Patrik Holt, Sarah Poku,
James Popoolahigh
Ms. McKnight: Rayyan Abasi, Ania Berryman, Jack Brown, Alan Hernandez,
Barima Yaw Mensu Bonsu, Jose Rodriguez, Aleysa Sweeney
Fourth Grade
Ms. Rogers: Ja’Ky Bellinger, Ameena Deen, Dayton Hartwig, Jaidyn King, Kayla’Kelis McGill,
Branden Melvin, Dagem Nuradis, Lynell Parent, Jordan Simmons, Chamya White,
Cazlyn Zarsah
Mrs. Carter: Ivan Bonilla Ventura, Syleste Cole, Jailan Fletcher, Henry Hammond,
Anthony Jandres, Jewel Keels, Ronald Hage, Carmen Jones, Ivan Spigelmyer
Mrs. Chandel: Michael Awuku, Iyanna Garcia-Ross, Torriq Hedgebeth, Caleb Mintah,
Kasey Rivera, Bushra Sajid, Hilda Sanchez, Sa’Jon Swanson, Fabio Urrego, Chelsey Wireko
Mrs. Chatman: Samuel Barnie, Josiah Cornejo, Andy Flores, Hieu Nguyen, Ben Le,
Owen Luna, Christian Manetta, Raquel Salvador, Xachary Wiedner
Ms. Hay: Edmund Barimah-Sappong, Angelina Barrientos, Laverne Dennis,
Mariana Iverson, Sara Jerry, Ti”asia Lewek, Aniyah Pikalek, Onam Ramiez, Simon Teferi,
Rahsaan Shafeek-Francis
Honor Roll
Congratulations to the following students who made
A/B Honor Roll the 1st Grading Period
Fifth Grade
Ms. Francis: Ryan Adutwum, Paige Bell, Christian Felder, Bnyam Gebrekidan, Cierra Rosario,
Hasnain Younas, Jaedon Johnson, Kira LaTour, Marcus Lewek
Ms. Andresen: Elijah DeVore, Amari March, Christian Todd, Miah Justiniano, Micah Stewart
Ms. Jones: Josua Arce, Gabriela Asuako, Ashley Boateng, Charlene Chavez, Shakib Shahriar,
Cindy Villatoro, Fahrear Iftahin, Melanie Jefferson Stubblefield, Sydney Knight,
Victoria Mantari, Daniels Shannon, Tiffany Zambrano-Tejeda
Ms. Piazza: Marco Arana Escobar, Kwaku Bamfo-Debrah, Alex Berhane, Richard Copeland,
Gabriel Esquilin, Yonathan Hailu, Shania Harris, Amira Ibrahim, Abdualai Kargbo,
Naaki Marquaye, Ahnyana Mills, Jasmine Mohaupt, Khalil Parent, Tae’Yanni Sales
Mrs. Mangrum: Charlotte Awuku, Muhammed Malik, Abenaa Opoku, Brandon Holland,
Kyle Diaz, Ashley Hernandez-Guerra, Joshua Tamakloe, Kenedi Popoolahigh