Dear Upper Elementary Parents,

On Tuesday, October 7 the Pinewoods Board of Directors will be meeting at 7 p.m. to discuss important school issues and events. Our very own Lauren Walker is this year’s president. Why not come and enjoy an evening with the school’s leadership committee and offer your own ideas and wish list for our school? I hope to see you there.

We will be taking school pictures October 8, the next day. Fourth grade only happens once, make it a great memory.

Small Hands Catalog orders are due on October 20. Small Hands offers Montessori inspired books, toys, and activity kits for toddlers through middle school.  Your orders earn Pinewoods free classroom materials.  Take a moment to check out the catalogue when making your holiday gift list.

Dear Parents,

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. If you would like to support and help raise money for those children in need of pediatric cancer services, ASICS, a high-end sports apparel company is hosting a fund raiser.  During the month of September, ASICS is donating $10 for every pair of specially designed shoes sold, $2 for every apparel item and $1 for every accessory purchase. Please check out their website. You can purchase something special for the runner in your life while supporting a great cause.

http://www.asicsamerica.com/Shop/Footwear/Running/Mens/GEL-Noosa-Tri-9-GR/p/0010227921.4994

http://www.asicsamerica.com/Shop/Footwear/Running/Womens/GEL-Noosa-Tri-9-GR/p/0010227924.3594

http://www.asicsamerica.com/Shop/Footwear/Running/Kids/GEL-Noosa-Tri-9-GS-GR/p/0010227922.3594

http://www.asicsamerica.com/Shop/Footwear/Running/Kids/GEL-Noosa-Tri-9-PS-GR/p/0010227923.5994

Upcoming Events include:

October 2 is our first PTO meeting of the 2014-2015 school year.  There is no better way to know what is going on at school than joining the PTO.  Membership supports a strong partnership between parents and teachers, allows you to share ideas, and put your hobbies and skills to good use. The PTO works to support needed programs that enhance studentlearning. Please plan on joining us as we make decisions to support the school.

October 8 is picture day. Picture Day is a great, inexpensive way to get professional quality pictures of your child and create memories.

October 17 Upper elementary field trip exploring colonial living at the Alamance Battlefield.

October 19 is the Handmade Parade in downtown Hillsborough. Once again, the elementary classrooms will be parading through the streets along with dozens of other school groups, and other local organizations. The Handmade Parade is a walking celebration of theatrical performance with giant puppets invading the streets of Hillsborough.  The parade begins at 2:30 on October 19.  

We will need to get together for a planning session this week to discuss our participation in the parade and evaluate the condition of our giant green fish. Please email me if you plan on participating in the parade and which night/time would work best for our initial meeting.

OCIM Year Long Service Project

The upper elementary class is collecting canned goods in September. We will be bringing our donation to OCIM this week. Please consider helping local families by picking up some extra food this weekend when you are doing your weekly shopping for your own family.

Warm Regards,

Jo Ann

Dear Upper Elementary Parents,

I hope that we received good reviews from your daughters on the Don Lee trip. I would like to thank Chris Berge, Tony Walker, and Cory Foy for chaperoning, driving, and participating in the program.

Mark your calendars: 

September 25: Pinewoods Potluck Dinner and Discussion 6-8 p.m. 

Bring a dish and join us for dinner and discussion.  Childcare will be provided for the discussion portion of the evening. Topic: Montessori and Behavioral Development

October 2: PTO meeting @ 7 p.m.

Research suggests that one of the best indicators of a child's success in school is strong parental involvement. Please consider joining and participating in our school PTO as we work together to  build a strong community. We will be planning community events, school fund raisers, and building a strong school community.

Students will soon begin art lessons with Stacey Adams. Ms. Adams has requested the following materials:

1 general interest magazines

2. newspapers, booklets, or anything printed in black and white

3. broken-down moving boxes

4. small and medium jars with lids and labels removed

5. tops to milk jugs and bottled drinks

Each student should bring in a long sleeved shirt to wear for messy projects

Classroom News

As we continue to settle into our routine, I will be introducing new assignments. This week students will begin their study of current events. Each week I will be copying newspaper articles and including them into our weekly work plan. Students will choose an article, write a summary of the article and present the information to their classmates on Friday. This work is intended to help students identify the main idea of an article, teach the skill of paraphrasing, and help students with presentation skills

If you come across any articles or news items that you find interesting, please send them into class so that we can include them in our weekly studies.

At the end of the month, students will be bringing home the contents of their binders. Binders are used to record morning work, a quick math and daily language review of skills.  Composition notebooks are being used for daily lessons. 

We will be working on the outdoor learning environment on Friday mornings. Please have your daughters dress for outside time.

Enjoy the beautiful weather,

J

Dear Parents,

The following is a letter from the Pinewoods Board of Directors and Staff:

Pinewoods is excited to have expanded our program offerings this year. We hope that many of you have had the opportunity to see the upper elementary classroom and the other upstairs rooms: the new computer lab, science lab, and music room.

This programming did come with an additional cost of $15,000. which is not covered by Pinewood's main source of revenue: tuition. We sincerely hope that each family will value the additional programming offered and consider making a donation.

Respectfully,

The Pinewoods Board of Directors and Staff

Last week in class the UE students began to practice their presentation of the Big Bang Lesson. We will be presenting this lesson to the LE class and hopefully will have the chance to video their presentation. 

We are working on our study of the three regions of NC: the coastal plains, the mountain region, and the Piedmont. 

Field trip to the Don Lee Center

The elementary classrooms will be leaving campus on Thursday, September 18 at approximately 9 a.m. for a field trip to the Don Lee Center in Arapahoe, NC. This will be an overnight trip. We expect to be back on campus on Friday, September 19 between 5:30-6:30 p.m. I will text Lauren updates on our progress back to school. Please check text messages so that you will know what time to meet us on Friday at school. 

On Thursday we will be stopping for lunch prior to our arrival at the Don Lee Center. Please pack a brown bagged lunch, drinks and a snack for Thursday.

Once we arrive at our destination, we will be spending most of the time outdoors, rain or shine. Please make sure that your child is packed for the weather conditions. It sounds like temperatures may be in the 70s so an extra layer may be required.

I have attached a copy of our trip schedule. We will be participating in an  arts and crafts program. Your child must bring a plain white t-shirt for this program.  

The Don Lee Center does have a camp store. It sounds like they sell snacks, drinks, and t-shirts. I do not plan on going to the store as a scheduled event, but I am mentioning it in case you want your daughter to be able to purchase a snack. Students will be responsible for handling any money they bring on the trip.

Questions? Thank you to Tony Walker and Chris Berge who have bravely volunteered to join us on the trip. ( It is possible that Lauren and Patty volunteered them!) Thank you to Cory Foy who will be providing our musical entertainment on Thursday evening.


Warm Regards,

Jo Ann

Dear Parents,

Last week we settled into our temporary classroom and worked on establishing a classroom schedule . We  are looking forward to getting into our classroom upstairs on Thursday, September 4.

Please mark your calendars:

September 1: Labor Day (no school)

September 2: Board Meeting at 7 p.m. All families are invited.

September 5: Signed Parent Handbook forms are due

September 12: T-shirt orders due

If you have not yet returned the following forms, please send them in as soon as possible:  administering medication form, photo release, parent volunteer form, health forms, and field trip permission slips.

As a reminder, elementary student drop off times are 8:10-8:30. I will be working in the garden from 7:45-8:10 if your child would like some outside time before going into the classroom. Dismissal times are 2:45-3:00. 

Jo Ann