South Fayette Elementary School Building Report November 2012

South Fayette Elementary School
Building Report
November 2012
On Monday, November 5 our generous students and
staff donated 648 pounds of their unwanted „trick or
treat‟ candy to support Operation Gratitude; an
organization that sends care packages to our troops
stationed in harm‟s way.
Once again, the South
Fayette community rose above and beyond, putting
smiles on the faces of service men and women all over
the world. Thank you to all who participated in this heartfelt cause.
This month Jeff Smith, “The Geode Guy,” visited the third grade classrooms.
The third
graders learned important facts related to rocks and minerals. Jeff presented the students
with an excellent introduction to the science unit.
He discussed the differences between
sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. He also showed a video describing the process of
mining for geodes and geologic rock formations that can occur in certain volcanic rocks. At the
conclusion of the presentation, the students were able to watch Jeff break open their very own
geodes. Each student was able to purchase their own geode as a keepsake. This was a fun and
exciting way to jump-start our exploration of rocks and minerals in the third grade. Submitted
by Third Grade Teacher, Mrs. Brosk
The year is flying by, and we have been busy in kindergarten.
We began to write in our
journals and blend sounds to make words. We also started word building and reading sentences!
The children were so excited to receive their very first report card. We had a wonderful time
at the trolley museum and we even got to pick a pumpkin. At parent teacher conferences, the
teachers showed the parents how to word build. Submitted by Kindergarten Teacher, Mrs.
Brentin
November is an exciting month as first graders learn about Election Day, Veterans‟ Day, and
Thanksgiving. Students will be Thanksgiving experts as they learn what life was like for the
Pilgrims on board the Mayflower and at Plymouth Plantation. Students will put themselves in the
place of the Pilgrims as they decide what they would take on the voyage to the New World.
First graders will also enjoy the annual Short Vowel Breakfast where each part of the meal
represents one of the short vowels. We have focused on four of the “Thirty Tips of Dignity and
Respect” so far this year. Students have taken part in lessons designed to promote dignity and
respect in the classroom and school. The lessons include: Break the Ice (getting to know one
another), Join the Team (teamwork), Communicate Respectfully, and Be Open. Submitted by
First Grade Teacher, Mrs. Sisk-Frey
Our focus this fall in physical education class continues to be on improving overall health and
physical fitness, and also utilizing throwing stations and other concepts. Students have been
developing muscular strength, agility, and cardiovascular endurance while rotating through the
circuit training centers. Using new resistance bands in class has helped our students tone their
triceps, biceps, back, and shoulders.
During
class, students then rotate to push-ups, sit-ups,
and
planks
strength.
to
develop
their
core
muscle
An agility ladder and jumping rope
helped with increased lateral movement, and
finally the students had the opportunity to scale
the rock wall to develop upper body strength.
The students also concentrated on throwing
stations aimed at developing proper form with an
emphasis on stepping with the correct foot,
keeping elbows up, eyes on the target, hip rotation, and a follow through. Along with throwing
overhand for accuracy, students also practiced the overhand lob throw and underhand throw.
Students did an excellent job trying to master their throwing skills at each station. As the unit
progressed, the students began to understand the importance
of a proper follow through when throwing.
This is
especially true with the overhand lob and underhand
throw in which the trajectory of the ball is much
higher because it travels “over the rainbow” to reach
the intended target.
Once the students had the
opportunity to practice throwing, they began to
participate in various high energy games that elevate
the heart rate and reinforce throwing skills. One of
their favorites, “pin tipper,” is an action packed game
that requires quick, accurate throws as teams attempt
to knock down their opponents‟ bowling pins while
protecting their own. Students are never standing still
while playing cone ball, a fast paced high energy game that
teaches accuracy, dodging, agility and teamwork.
During cone ball, students use offensive and
defensive game strategies while they attempt to throw a ball past their opponents‟ goalie,
knocking over a wiffle ball that is placed on top of a cone. Through these activities, students
have impressed us with great enthusiasm, strength, and determination during physical education
class this fall. Submitted by Physical Education Teacher, Mr. Chappel
My name is Emily Bigley and I am one of the new faces
on the first grade team this year. I am a proud
graduate of Bethany College, where I earned my
Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. I began
working on my masters degree this past spring at
Waynesburg University. I worked as an everyday
building substitute teacher here at South Fayette
Elementary last school year. I am so excited and
honored to be a part of the South Fayette team! My
hobbies include reading, running, and spending time
with my mother. I am looking forward to a wonderful
year with my first graders!
On October 6 many South
Fayette
families
enjoyed
cutting
corn
stalks
at
Providence Farms, compliments
of owners Bill and Sue Sray.
Mrs. Gray is pictured with
Tyler Cooney, 6th grade, Shea
Cooney, 1st grade, and Brenden
Cooney, 4th grade.
Thank you to everyone that contributed to the success of the
pumpkin contest. Here are a few of the amazing statistics:
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A special „thank you‟ to
the SFEPTA for providing
the funds for the 10
5 grade levels of generous students enjoyed the fun
plump pumpkins
48 classrooms of caring students participated in the contest
One very generous PTA that provided the funds for the pumpkins
7 days of the contest
Over 1,200 guesses were made by students and staff
9 plump pumpkins, 1 medium sized hand painted pumpkin, and two handcrafted, quilted
table runners went home with winners
Number of families helped = Priceless
The winners of the pumpkins are:
1. Ben Pirain (Detar)
2. Jessica Anderson (Schooley)
3. Tyler Dremsek (Rossi)
4. Reese Schooley (Gagliardino)
5. Delaney Duchess(Main)
6. Jackson Lotinski (Nickolas)
7. Marissa Malosh (Bergman)
8. Raven Mozick (English)
9. Samantha Weir (Leroux)
10. Connor Delaney (Fornella)
Thank you to Mrs. Willy for painting the “Ernie” pumpkin. Mrs. SiskFrey was the closest to guessing the cumulative weight of all 10
pumpkins and won a handmade, quilted table runner made by Mrs. Kuntz.
Mrs. Lapinski won the table runner for helping with the contest in the
mornings. Thank you to all who helped in making our contest a HUGE
SUCCESS. We can always count on you to work together to make South
Fayette a better place.
As a culminating activity to a unit pertaining to
electrical circuits, our fantastic fourth grade
students had the opportunity to use their newly
gained knowledge to construct and wire a model
of a house. Classes were divided into groups, and
each group was responsible for bringing in
supplies, designing, decorating, and wiring one or
two rooms in the house. Each room contained one or more working lights that could be
controlled by switches that the students also created. Our little electricians truly did an
excellent job working together to design and complete this task. They were extremely proud of
their accomplishments, and the houses looked fabulous! If you ever need help with electrical
circuits, just ask a fourth grader! They are now expert troubleshooters! Between completing
this project and earning awesome grades in all subject areas throughout the first nine-week
period, South Fayette fourth graders really SHINED bright this month!!! Submitted by Fourth
Grade Teacher, Mrs. Nickolas
The SFEPTA wants to send out a great big „thank you‟ to the following
students in Mrs. Rossi's 4th grade class: Gavin Watkins, Krit Verma,
Tyler Evans, and Adam Helbling. These four outgoing and 'bright'
students, along with Mrs. Rossi, attended our October PTA meeting
and demonstrated to the attendees some of the things they have
been learning about in science these past few weeks, including the
differences between, and the importance of conductors and
insulators, series and parallel circuits, and their own classroom created flashlights. They are
'currently' working on building their own dollhouse-scale home out of small scraps of wallpaper,
cardboard boxes and carpet remnants. By the end of the project the goal is to have the whole
home wired for electricity. Way to go, kids! Submitted by SFEPTA Vice President, Leigh Anne
Lasker
Several
fourth
grade
students
had
the
honor
of
representing South Fayette Elementary School at the
Allegheny County History Bowl Competition on Thursday,
November 1, 2012.
The competition was held at the
Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center.
Fourth grade representatives included: Michael Brown,
Kyle Lynch, Alex Gates, Ben Wakim, Jake Dunay, Luke
Warchol, Adam Whiteside, and Noah Scheel.
At the
History Center, teams of students were given a schedule
and assignments of four different activity centers
throughout the History Center to complete for the
competition. Points were awarded for each of the events. Awards were presented for the top
three team scores. Our fourth grade team did not place among the top three, but our students
had a rewarding educational experience. One of our fifth grade teams won first place! The
different activity centers were: Pittsburgh History Inventory, Sports A-Z, Object Match, and
Photo Scavenger Hunt. Mrs. Kuntz accompanied the students to the competition. The History
Center is housed in the renovated Chautauqua Lake Ice Company warehouse built in 1998. The
160,000 square foot building and the fascinating exhibits were a spectacular site for the
competition. Submitted by Third and Fourth Grade Enrichment Teacher, Mrs. Kuntz
As the second nine weeks begins, the second grade
students are diving into their school work.
Several
students are memorizing their math facts along with
using Smartboard games and tools to become familiar
with a variety of math strategies taught with the
Envisions math curriculum.
Others are turning their
classrooms into science labs and experimenting with
solids, liquids, and gasses. Ask them how to trap a gas in
a bag or make a volcano erupt, and our future scientists
will be sure to show you how! Hopefully you will welcome,
or at least be prepared for the curiosity of the young
scientists to carry over to your kitchens at home! While
the district celebrated a “Pink Out” day for cancer
awareness, some second graders put their “Helpful Hands” above the rest. These students
painted their hands pink and stamped their seal of support for positivity, optimism, strength,
perseverance, courage, and dedication to all families affected by cancer.
Today these
handprints are tiny and hopeful; tomorrow they could play an enormous role in finding a cure for
cancer. Way to go kiddos! Submitted by Second Grade Teacher, Ms. Fauth
On November 6, elementary school students participated in a mock election set up via
Smartboard technology in the cafeteria.
Students were able to choose their candidate by
choosing either A or B, and using the remote control to „click‟ their choice.
breakdown of results:
Grade
Romney
Obama
AM K
53
66
PM K
69
35
First Grade
141
98
Second Grade
111
90
Third Grade
140
105
Fourth Grade
121
104
Extra Students
8
3
Total Votes
643
501
Here is the
On October 25 South Fayette Elementary
staff and students joined the rest of the
district in wearing pink for „Pink Out Day.‟
Looking down the hallways, one could see a
sea of pink to honor breast cancer research
and breast cancer survivors. Many wore our
„Score for the Cure‟ t-shirts in support of
the Dr. Mary Ravita scholarship fund. Many
students were decked out in pink from head
to toe, including bows, socks, shoes, ribbons,
and jewelry.
Mrs. Nickolas and her fourth grade
class are decked out in pink gear as they
show their support on Pink Out Day
Halloween Parties
Wednesday, October 31 found our students
participating in an array of activities during their
annual Halloween Party celebrations.
and teachers alike dressed
up
in
Students
creative
costumes, participated in games, and made crafts
while enjoying their treats.
We would like to
extend a thank you to the PTA and all of the
homeroom representatives for making these
parties a great success!