Friday, April 4, 2014

Classroom News

Happy Friday!

Here's some news you can use!

MAP Tip of the Week: Get a full 8-9 hours of sleep each night & eat a nutritious breakfast every morning!

AR Celebration - The last day for students to meet their AR goal for the Silver Dollar City field trip is May 9th! Students only get to attend the field trip if they meet their overall 400% goal, even if they signed up on our Google form. Please encourage your child to read at home so they can achieve this and participate in the field trip! More information about the field trip will be coming out shortly!

Family Fun Day - Don't forget our Family Fun Day is April 13th from 12:30-4:30pm at Summers on the River. We hope you can make it!

Science Night - Thank you to everyone who participated in our science night last night. Our class had a pretty high representation and I could not be more proud! Thank you for being intentional about being involved in your child's education!

That's all I have for now. Short & sweet! Have a great weekend!

Mr. B


Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Spring Break Wrap Up

Good afternoon!

What about this weather?! March has definitely come in like a lion, and we can only hope the lion will settle down into "lamb mode" soon! There are plenty of announcements to share as we venture into Spring Break:

From Our Spectacular PTA:
Our major spring fundraiser is the online auction.  There are many, many great items included in the auction this year:  A weekend stay at the Doubletree by Hilton in Springfield, Dixie Stampede tickets, St Louis Cardinal and KC Royals tickets........This is just a sample.  


Thank you to all the business and individuals who have donated items so far.  If you or your business would like to make a donation, it's not too late.  Just contact us here at ptaatthomas@gmail.com to discuss your donation.

Kickball  -  Team Parent Players - Visit the following link to sign up for the kickball tournament.  


Vendor Booths - JTSD PTA Business Members/Members can rent a booth at the Family Fun Day for a discounted rate of $10.  Non-member rental rate is $25.  Visit the following link to sign up.

Please send any questions to ptaatthomas@gmail.com.

Look for additional sign ups to become available once the kid games are finalized.  We will need volunteers to help with concessions and kid's games (including kickball for the kids).

SDC Field Trip - If your child is "on track" for accomplishing his/her AR goal and earning the SDC Field Trip, please sign up as soon as possible. You may use this form to sign up: AR Reward Trip Sign Up.

Grade Level Baskets: Our grade level basket will be gift card-themed this year. If you are able & willing to donate a gift card, please send them to school with your child. I will make sure they get to the PTA. Thanks!

No School: School is NOT in session this upcoming Friday, March 7th. It's a teacher work & professional development day.

Please let me know if you have any comments or concerns. Thanks and have a wonderful break!!

Mr. B

Friday, February 7, 2014

Friday Update

Good morning!

I'm sure all these snow days have been wreaking havoc on your schedules with all the event cancelations and events getting rescheduled. It's easy to get out of the loop or misunderstand what's happening across the district. Be sure to check the district page and our JTSD websites for the latest and greatest in school news.

In other news...

  • Watershed Festival - The 5th grade classes will be at the Nixa Center on Monday for the annual Watershed Festival.
     
  • Valentine's Day Party - Our amazing PTA will be hosting a Valentine's Day bash for our students, but they need your help! If you are willing & able to contribute a couple bucks to help purchase snacks and other party items, it would be greatly appreciated!!
  • Valentine's Day Boxes - The kids have voted to do a Valentine's Day card exchange after our Valentine's Day parties. A list of student names will be sent home today and students can begin creating a Valentine's box at home. This is not required; however, keep in mind boxes must be easily transported to and from school. Bigger is not always better. ;)
  • Silver Dollar City Trip - Students are working diligently to achieve their AR goals for this event! If you have not filled out the SDC form, please do so at your earliest convenience. We will communicate more information about the trip at a later date.
  • Parent/Teacher Conferences - Please sign up for a parent/teacher conference as soon as possible. These are student-led conferences, so students will need to attend this meeting with you. They will share their celebrations, their goals, and how they will achieve their goals for the second half of the school year.
As always, my door is open to you if you have questions or concerns. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail or call during my plan time. Have a wonderful weekend & stay warm!! :)

Mr. B

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Class News You Can Use

Good morning!!

It's been awhile since our last blog update so here's the latest and greatest from Mr. B's 5th grade class:

  • Put a Lid On It! - Mrs. Lanutti is collecting round lids of all different sizes for an idea she has in mind for her art students. Send your round lids to school with your kiddos, and they'll make sure they get to Mrs. Lanutti.
  • AR Silver Dollar City Incentive - Students who earn 400% (100% each quarter) of their AR goal will be invited to a trip to Silver Dollar City on May 14th. I am linking a form to this post that will allow you to get some general information for the trip and will allow you to sign up. There is still time to earn this trip. We are just collecting general information. More specific information about the trip will be sent out at a later time.  
  • What's Cookin' on 1/20 - School will be in session on January 20th. Here's the updated lunch menu.

    K-8 Breakfast: 

    *French Toast:  Banana
    *Beacon Street Breakfast slider:  Banana
    *Cereal:  Yogurt and Banana
    *Oatmeal: Yogurt and Banana

    Lunch: 

    *Cheeseburger
    *Italian Grilled Chicken Sandwich
     Sweet Potato Fries
     Spinach Salad
     Orange Smiles
     Chilled Fruit
    *Turkey Chef Salad:  Baked Potato soup, fresh orange smile, chilled fruit, corn muffin
  • Nixa's Early Childhood Program - Are you interested in your child attending Nixa's Early Childhood Program next year? The interest form is now open under "Early Childhood Program Info" at www.nixaearlychildhood.net

    Also, did you know that services provided within the Early Learning Center include Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE). Parent referrals can be accepted for children beginning at age 3 if you suspect you child may have a developmental delay in the following areas: cognitive (general intelligence), communication (speech or language), motor, or social/emotional. 

    Our ECSE program provides FREE services for those children that qualify. If you have concerns about your child's development and would like more information regarding a screening, please contact the Early Learning Center at 724-4050.
    This e-mail has been sent to you by NIXA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform NIXA PUBLIC SCHOOLS either IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at 417-875-5400.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Merry Christmas from the Beach Brains!


Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from the Beach Brains to you! I wanted to express my gratitude and appreciation to you all. Thank you for being involved in your child's education and thank you for making my first year at JTSD a great one! I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for us.

Here are just a few reminders as we venture into our Christmas break:

  • MyON Contest - MyON is hosting a Celebrate! Reading in the New Year contest and JTSD has chosen to participate. The basic premise is that the school that spends the most time reading on MyON over the holiday break will win a school-wide party hosted by MyON. This is an excellent way to encourage continued reading outside of school and keep your child's brain engaged & learning! The contest started 12/16 and ends on 1/10.
  • PTA Reminders - Here are some dates that our awesome PTA wants us to remember.
    • 1/6 - School back in session.
    • 1/10 - Dinner & Movie @ JTSD. Despicable Me 2 with breakfast for dinner!!
    • 1/16 - PTA General Meeting @ 6pm
  • Hall of Heroes - Mr. Wilson has 5 openings for the Hall of Heroes comic book club for the spring semester. If your child is interested in joining this club, please contact Mr. Wilson as soon as possible.
  • No School - Remember there is no school on 12/20 as it is a teacher work day.

I think that's it! Have a wonderfully relaxing Christmas break!! :)

Mr. Bennett

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Thursday Updates!

Good afternoon! Here are some updates to throw out there for the week:

StuCo Events & Dates

  • Friday (TOMORROW): Hat Day for 50 cents. Proceeds will be donated to a charity of StuCo's choice. Hat Days will always be the 3rd Friday of every month.
  • Tuesday: Camo Day & Turkey Gobbling Contest. Get on YouTube to see how the pro's gobble and come ready to get your gobblin' on! 
School News
  • No School - November 27-29. Enjoy your Thanksgiving break!!
  • All Pro Dad's Breakfast - December 13th. More information will be sent home tomorrow.
It's short & sweet today! :) Please feel free to e-mail me with your questions or comments! Have a great night!!

Mr. Bennett

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Halloween Update!

Happy Halloween, everyone!! 

The kids are very excited to dress up and go trick-or-treating, and I bet you are looking forward to the inevitable sugar high! ;)

Here are some announcements for your reading pleasure: 

Fundraiser Pickup (from JTSD PTA)
We have received confirmation from Great American that our delivery will arrive on Thursday, November 14th.

Items must be picked up in the gym between 4:00pm-7:00pm on November 14th.  

If your student qualified for the movie, limo lunch, or "human sundae" we will be sending home a notice next week with the date for the event.  We will also send home a Permission Slip for the Limo Lunch.  Students who qualified for that prize cannot go unless the signed permission slip is returned.  If your student earned the "toilet", we will distribute those at school after the 14th.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this fundraiser a success.  We raised enough funds to purchase the stage curtain for the gym.  We look forward to showing it off once it is installed.

2nd Quarter Learning Goals
MathOur overall focus will be in Number and Operations.  Topics we will focus on are division of whole numbers, data, probability, and graphing.  We will include problem solving through application of these skills in word problems and real-life situations.  Students will focus on explaining their thinking and understanding problem solving through these standards.

ELA: In Writing, students will review and apply the writing process to compose well-developed text.  Students will continue to work on proper conventions within their writing.

In Reading, students will focus on developing and applying skills and strategies to comprehend analyze and evaluate various fiction and nonfiction texts. 

Science: Students will learn properties and principles of Matter and Energy.  Students will focus on changes in properties and states of matter.  The students will also learn about processes and interactions of the Earth’s Systems.  Students will focus on interactions of weather, water, and environments.  Our third Science Unit will be the composition and structure of the universe and the motion of objects within it.  Our focus will be the motion of objects within the universe. 

Social Studies: Students will focus on geographical and physical features of the United States.

No School
Just a quick reminder that school is not in session on Tuesday, November 5th.

Thanks and have a wonderful day!!

Mr. B