- January 3 Back to School & Hot Lunch
- January 4th PTA Meeting
- January 8th Board Meeting
- January 9th 4-6 to Alberta Bair
- January 16th Hearing Screening
- January 24th Hot Lunch
- January 26th 2-3 to Alberta Bair & Chili Cook-Off (Download the Entry Form and return to Mrs. Schnitzmeier by January 23)
- REMINDER!!! As the weather turns colder, it is important that students dress accordingly! Please ensure your students come well prepared to be outdoors during recess.
Dear Panther Families,
Happy New Year! As we venture into 2018 our young Panthers will be getting right back into the swing of learning. Classrooms will begin explicitly teaching those valuable expectations and
routines and procedures will once more be lined out and practiced to proficiency.
January is the time when we see our students take giant leaps in their learning. Students who might have struggled with being “tuned into” learning are
starting to take off. Students who struggled with reading fluently are beginning to sound like pros. Students who have fought with their addition and subtraction facts will find things starting to “click”. This is a true testament to all of the work being done at school and at home since the start of the school year.
In order to keep the positive growth going, it will take a coordinated effort between home and school. Remember, you can/should read with your child each night. Students need to read with you for 1) a fluent model of what reading sounds like, 2) seeing that you value the practice needed to grow as a reader, 3) continued practice of strategies and skills learned at school, and 4) quality time for you and your child/children.
Thank you for your continued support!
—Melissa Schnitzmeier – Principal, Pioneer Elementary
Kindergarten
December was such a fast and exciting month in our kindergarten classroom. We talked a lot about giving and doing kind things for others.The class has been learning new letters and sounds as well as sight words that they have been introduced to throughout the reading series. In math the class has been working on counting and writing numbers to 40.Can you believe this year is half way over? Time is flying by! We will be celebrating our 100th day of school in January and will be planning something very special for that day.I hope that you have a relaxing and memorable holiday vacation!
—Mrs. Burns
First Grade
Another month has flown by! We have been extremely busy in the first grade learning more difficult concepts in math, such as adding doubles, doubles plus 1, and adding 3 addends. When we return from our holiday break we will be starting Topic 6 in math, which focuses on subtraction facts to 20.
We have also successfully started reading groups to help us better understand the concepts in our reading curriculum. The students seem to be loving getting to rotate through our different groups each day, and we are seeing growth in reading each and every day! We have lots of fun and exciting things to look forward to after the break is over. I hope everyone has a wonderful break and happy holidays!
Thanks,
—Mrs. Rau
Second & Third Math
2nd Grade
We have had quite some fun in December, and got a bit off track. Second graders have not quite worked their way through adding multiple digit numbers. It is still a fairly new skill, but will come right along with more practice. For now, we are practicing with place-value, and comparing numbers. Students have been able to quiz each other in comparing numbers, and have gotten pretty good at it. I am looking forward to watching their progress! Again, please practice any addition and subtraction you can at home to help keep the kiddos on point with their doubles facts.
3rd Grade
After we get all the goofy out from Christmas break, 3rd graders will be jumping on the multiplication train! They will start to learn about grouping and repeated addition, to prepare for the upcoming intro to multiplication. Flash cards will be sent home, and practice will be required. It is crucial that students master their multiplication facts, as they are another foundation for math that is to come. How exciting! Keep up the hard work 3rd grade!
—Mrs. Eissinger
Second & Third ELA/Science/Social Studies
Happy New Year 2018
We are excited to be back at school after a nice Winter Break. This month we will be ending our second trimester. The students have been doing their best to focus prior to the break and I look forward to some refocus and assessing in January!
We will be reviewing our reading running records from before the break. Also, I am adding Book Boxes to the class for each student to have their own personal library to access within the classroom. If it is possible our class will be needing some more snacks. I greatly appreciate the support I receive from each and everyone one of you!
I hope everyones New Year has started off the way they wanted it to. 🙂
—Mr. McDermott
Fourth, Fifth, & Sixth Grade
4th Grade Math
Moving right along 4th grade is learning the strategies for division. They will get to know how division is related to multiplication, and the explanations behind the processes. Shortly after they have passed division, we will begin to work with fractions and decimals. These always seem to be a bit scary for students, yet I have no doubts that 4th graders will have minimal problems.
—Mrs. Eissinger
Reading & English Language Art
I hope that everyones holiday season was restful! I missed my Panthers and I look forward to getting back into our routine. As we march into the new year we will continue to master our reading skills throughout literature and informational text. Our book clubs will continue and we are looking forward to digging into our next novel! In ELA, we’ll be wrapping up our Language Boot Camp. It will be exciting to see what the students have taken away from this unit. In writing, we’ll begin focusing on expository and informational units which will require the students to begin formally researching topics of their choice. I encourage parents to check their student’s SeeSaw account regularly to get an in-depth look at what we’ve been up to!
—Mrs. Schnitzmeier
4th, 5th, & 6th Grade Math/Science/Social Studies
I hope the holiday season was a time filled with family, food, and fun. I can look back on a good year and look ahead to 2018 with anticipation. I look forward to many more days filled with learning, laughter, and discovery as I journey through the year ahead with each of your children.
In Math 5th grade has finished learning about decimals. They can now add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals. They will now be learning about numerical expressions and patterns before taking the plunge in to learning about fractions. 6th grade has been doing well learning about fractions. They can now convert between fractions and decimals, add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators, and convert between proper and improper fractions. In January they will be learning how to multiply and divide fractions and mixed numbers.
In science we have been learning about astronomy. We learned about the history of astronomy and the major discoveries from the first astronomers to current day events. The students enjoyed learning about the early astronomers and the invention of the telescope. We will continue to learn about astronomy through January. We will explore the stars
and universe, then learn all about our solar system, before focusing on the three most important planets to us the sun, moon, and earth.
In social studies we have learned the basics of our government. The students have learned about the founding of our government, the basics of the constitution, and the three branches of government. In January the class will learn about how laws are made and the different levels of government including the local and state government. We will also be learning about world geography and cultures. In art we learned about making collages and started to learn about oil pastels in December. In January we will continue to explore the different techniques of drawing with oil pastels. We have also learned about some of the famous artists of the past and their more famous works. We will continue to learn about the famous artists of the past and present.
—Miss Schatz
Library
A brand new year is like a brand new journal with clean crisp pages waiting for your story to be written. What will you experience, live, enjoy, think, do and write about in your year 2018? Now is the time to improve, make changes, set new goals, or vow to maintain the course on your road to success, happiness, and a great 2018! We have so many fun events coming down the road in this brand new year. Our first Accelerated Reader Store of the year is going to be the end of December so keep reading and banking your points! I see an awesome shopping experience in your near future! The Chili Cook-Off is alive and well AND it is headed our way in January! Let’s dig out those great family recipes for the BEST chili and bring it to our cook-off! It will be such delectably delicious fun for everyone! I hope everyone has plans for a fantastic new year! It is going to be a superb adventure here at Pioneer School!\
—Mrs. Russell
Physical Education & Health
Students are finally done with their body diagrams! Boy, was that a process for 2-6! All students have been assessed and doing great in participation in PE. We found a school favorite in line tag and soccer. When it starts getting colder, students will be asked to participate in in-door activities like yoga, freeze dance, stations, bowling, and balloon keep away. Not all cold days will be spent inside, so make sure your student has appropriate gear for the weather! As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns!
—Mrs. Eissinger
Pioneer PTA
Let’s do a Recap of the year so far! PTA kicked off the school year with our first fundraiser, the Blue Coupon Books. These were a HUGE success! In September, our Panther PTA supplied the refreshments for the annual Panther Open House. We were excited to see all of the new faces and catch up with our veteran Panthers. We were excited to send the Kindergarten through third grade to the Pumpkin Patch in October! In addition, we have been able to purchase gift cards for the school’s Pioneer PAWS program and send each class to the Alberta Bair for a wonderful production! For our second fundraiser we ventured into new territory with RADA Cutlery. After bringing that to a close, we opened up shop for our young Panthers with the annual Santa’s Secret Shop. It was wonderful to see all of the excitement on the students faces as they Christmas shopped for their loved ones.
We will continue to serve two hot lunches a month thru out the year with the help of our volunteers! All of this would not be possible without your gracious help and support! Thank you all! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We hope to see you all at our January PTA Meeting on the 4th @ 6pm. New members always welcome!!
Pioneer PTA Vice President,
—Paula Tokarski
Nurse Notes
10 HEALTHY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR KIDS
The following tips are from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
1. I will clean up my toys, and keep my room in good order.
2. I will brush my teeth twice a day, and wash my hands before eating and after the bathroom.
3. I won’t tease dogs, even friendly ones – and keep my hands and face away from their mouths.
4. I will drink more milk and water, and limit soda and fruity drinks.
5. I will apply sunscreen before going outdoors.
6. I will find a sport or activity that I like, and do it at least three times a week.
7. I will always wear a helmet when bicycling or boarding.
8. I will wear my seat belt every time I get in the car.
9. I’ll be nice to others, and friendly to kids who need friends – like someone shy or new to school.
10. I’ll never give out personal information or pictures of myself to strangers or over the internet.
Make Your Health Resolution!
Healthy You: Make healthy food choices, be active, make an appointment for a check – up, vaccination, or screening. Know your numbers – weight, blood pressure, cholesterol. Wash your hands often. Be smoke free. Get enough sleep. Learn and practice a new health tip each week. Make a new friend.
Healthy Family: Plan to eat more meals together as a family. Encourage and support physical activity. Put together a family health history. Know where to go for health care in town if you do not have insurance. Keep pets vaccinated and healthy. Add a health related web site to your favorites list, and check weekly updates. Spend more time together. Be courteous and practice good manners.
Healthy Home: Go green. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Install smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide alarms on every level. Keep cleaning products and medications away from children. Have a winter weather emergency plan, and stock your home and car with necessary supplies. Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning and hypothermia. Never use generators, grills, camp stoves, or similar devices indoors.
Healthy Community: Volunteer at your church, school, or one of the many community center s needing help or an extra hand. If you have received help from others, try to repeat the gesture. Extend a common courtesy wherever you are – they are always appreciated and hopefully duplicated. Healthy School or Workplace: Stay home if you are sick. Wash your hands often, Participate in healthy workplace programs, Take steps to prevent job stress. Reduce work injuries and practice good body mechanics.
Announcements and Upcoming Events
Pioneer School Board Trustee Opening
There will be 2 seats open on the Pioneer School Board. You may pick up a nomination petition in the school office. In order to be eligible, the candidate must reside and be a registered voter in the Pioneer Elementary School District. Nomination Petitions must be turned in by March 29, 2018. The election will be held in May. School Board meetings are held the 2nd Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. We encourage our Panther Community’s presence!
Chili Cook-Off!
Don’t miss the HOTTEST event of the year! The Panther teachers have taken over the Chili Cook-Off and challenge you…yes, YOU to bring forth your best chili recipe! Friday, January 26th at 6:00 p.m. Entry forms available in the school office.
Value of the Month: All About Cooperation
Parents,
Hello! Here at school, we have been very busy learning about cooperation – what it means, and why it’s important and how we can learn to work together! Learning happens best when it is done both at school and at home. Below are many ways that you can help your child continue to learn about the theme of cooperation through reading about it, talking about it, and practicing it! We have really enjoyed exploring this topic at school, and we hope your family will enjoy it just as much!
Read About It!
Here are some books to help you learn more about generosity.
*My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
* Swimmy by Leo Lion
*Duck In The Truck by Jez Alborough
*Duck And Goose by Tad Hills
Practice It!
Set up an obstacle course in your home or yard. Take turns having one person blindfolded and the other leading the blindfolded person through the course. A fun way to practice teamwork and share success!
Talk About It!
Here are some discussion points to help you talk about cooperation with your child:
* What do you think teamwork means and why is it important?
* Tell me about a time you accomplished something with someone else’s help. Would you have been successful alone?
* What is a way that you can work together with students in your class? People at home? On your sports team?
* What are 3 things that you think make it hard to work as a team and 3 things that make it easier?
