September Newsletter

Dear Parents,
This is our September Newsletter. The first thing I wanted to share with you are some of the exciting things we will be covering this month:

Math: Number System- Base Ten- adding, subtracting, place value, multiplication, division. I cover grades 3-5 but I will be forming small groups to assist students will specific skills within those grades. Instruction will be whole group and at times supported in small groups. They need to be doing addition, subtraction and multiplication 0-12 each week for Math Fact Practice.

Reading: Reading short stories at a 4th and 5th grade reading levels from Junior Great Books. We will be focusing on pulling information from the text in order to make inferences and support answers. Students should also be reading independent books that both interest them and challenge them to increase their vocabulary.

Science: Waves- light and sound waves




We will be celebrating the July and August Birthdays this Friday, September 12th from 2:00-3:00
We will celebrate the September birthdays on Friday, September 26th from 2:00-3:00. Mrs. Alano and I will  be in contact with those families to coordinate treats. If you would like to come in during this celebration you are more than welcome!

Picture Day is THIS Wednesday September 10th.

 

 

 

Lastly, I wanted to share with you that this time of year is a typical time for SWAS students to be dealing with transitioning into the SWAS classroom. Often times, they mask feelings while at school and then go home and tell their parents that they are unhappy, have no friends, and want to return to their old school. Sometimes this is true while other times it is the fact that they are being challenged and the work is hard for them for the first time in their lives. They are going to start being subjected to content that will challenge them and situations in class where they have to work with others in a group setting. All of these things may push your child's comfort zone back a bit.

When your child expresses feelings abnormal for them here are some tips. First, question the reason. Does it seem like a rational fear and is the situation one that is safe but just new. If it is something you feel is reasonable for them to deal with and you feel they need to persevere through it, remind them to take it slow, remember to breath, and think through the process and how they can resolve the issue. If the situation seems like it is irrational- something is way too hard for them, a situation with students at school that does not seem "right", then please let me know and help your child to come talk to me. Tell them things like, "When you have time at school you need to go up to Mrs. Hoffman and tell her that you are feeling ____, because ____." Having them review the solution several times out loud will also help them relax and feel more comfortable. Sometimes our students need to be taught the words and ways to resolve issues.

On the right hand side of the blog are links to parent resources. The Sylvia Rymm articles are WONDERFUL for parents of Gifted children! I know you will really connect with her ideas and find the content helpful. Joining the Washoe County Gifted and Talented Parent group is another way to connect with families who have children like yours. I hope you'll use and enjoy these resources.

Fianlly, if you save BoxTops you can send them in. Put them in bags with 50 in a bag- labled 50. If you don't have bags of 50 you can send in whatever you do have. But please make sure they are cut nice and neat- not torn. They will not except them if they are not organized in groups of 50 or "messy".  Thanks so much!

Birthday Celebration

At the end of each month we will have a short celebration for the students who had a birthday that month. Our classroom Party Planner is Collet Alano. When it is the month of your child's birthday I will email you as well as Ms. Alano. She will help us to be mindful of allergies as well as not have duplicate treats. Please know you are never obligated to bring or send anything in.

If you'd like to email Ms. Collet Alano her email address is: colletk@aol.com

The food allergies you need to be aware of are :peanuts and sesame seeds.

GT Parent Connection

Calling all GT Parents …. It’s time to get involved!

Welcome to the GATE Program!  For those of you returning, welcome to a new year.  And for those of you, who are new to the program, welcome to the wonderful world of GT.  It can be exciting, confusing, inspiring, intimidating,enlightening, mind‐blowing and scary.  The good news is that we have a strong GT parent community for emotional support, program information, evaluation and input. We have also a Boosters group working to financially support our programs. GT Parent Connection (GTPC)
GT Parent Connection is an all‐volunteer non‐profit 501(c)(3) organization providing information, support, and educational opportunities for families and educators of gifted and talented children at all schools in Washoe County.  GT Parent Connection holds educational meetings and events.  The group sends out an e‐newsletter to the 1000+ members containing news, resources, and book recommendations.  There is no membership fee, but donations are appreciated to help cover operating and program costs.  Please fill out our membership form.  

BOARD MEETINGS
Aug 22, 2014 10:00‐11:30am @ Raley’s (N. Hills Blvd)
Oct 17, 2014 10:00‐11:30am @ Raley’s (N. Hills Blvd)
Feb 20, 2015 10:00‐11:30am @ Raley’s (N. Hills Blvd)
May 3, 2015 4pm (Family BBQ)

EVENTS  
Sep 15,2014 6:00pm: Navigating the District @ Hug Theater
Nov 17, 2014 6:30pm: Psychologist Panel @ Hug Theater
Mar 9, 2015 6:30pm: Annual Resource Fair @ Hug Gym
all events will be held at Hug HS (2880 Sutro St, Reno)
Gifted and Talented Advisory Council (GTAC) GATE Boosters
The Gifted and Talented Advisory Council serves as an
advisory body to the Washoe County School District. GTAC
includes parents, teachers, administrators, and community
representatives organized to represent the interests of
gifted and talented students in WCSD and to make
recommendations regarding District services and
programming for GATE students.  The meetings are open
to the public and are held at the WCSD Admin Bldg, 425 E.
9th Street, Reno, 7pm‐8pm.

We are accepting applications for new members. Please email WCSDGTAC@gmail.com for more information.

2014‐2015 MEETINGS

September 8, October 13, November 3, December 1,

February 2, March 2, April 13, May 4, June 1

The GATE Boosters is a fundraising group for the GATE Program. We communicate mostly via email. Please email GATEBoosters@gmail.com with ideas or to get involved. Please also watch for event flyers coming home with your child. For more information on GATE Boosters events, visit www.gtparentconnection.org/gate_fundraising.html.

Welcome Class of 2014-2015!!!

Welcome to Whitehead SWAS 3/4!!!

                First of all I hope that you are having a fun summer.  I am having a great summer hanging out with my husband and two kids, JR-6 and Emily- 4. We are going on trips, swimming, and playing a lot… and sleeping in too J

                I am so excited about this school year! I am already planning many fun lessons and activities and can’t wait to get started. If you are excited about getting started one thing you can do is get logged into Edmodo. Edmodo is an educational networking site, just for education purposes and only for our class. We will use Edmodo often and I’ll even post a fun summer activity for those of you who are interested.  I will make a separate post on how to get set up on Edmodo.

               

 On the top right hand side of the Blog here you will see the Supply List 14-15. You can click this and print the supply list. 

Some important dates for you to remember are:

Thursday,  August 7^th: Back to School BBQ 5:00-7:00pm

Monday, August 11^th: First Day of School  *You will come into the school at 8:55am everyday *

               

This is going to be a great school year! It’s okay and totally normal for you to be nervous and excited.  We will have about 26 students in our class (keeping our fingers crossed the number stays low). Of that 25, 20 are new to SWAS and about 18 of the 25 are new to Whitehead. You are going to make many new friends, get to learn new cool information and have a lot of fun!

                Enjoy the rest of your summer. Go run around, make great memories with your family and sleep in! School will be here before we know it. I look forward to seeing you all soon!!!

               

Sincerely,

                Mrs. Carrie Hoffman

                choffman@washoeschools.net

Thank you class of 2014!

Dear Class of 2014 Students and Parents,

Thank you so much for an amazing year. I can't believe it went by so fast. It seems like just yesterday they were putting together models of hydroelectric kits and getting snowed in preventing us from our first field trip. This was a VERY special year for me. I wasn't sure if making the decision to go back into the classroom was going to be the right move for me. And I can honestly say it was the best decision I've made professionally and personally. I am SO happy to be teaching again! Working with kids and parents all day is really my passion. I feel so blessed to have had you be a part of my life. As many of you know my son, JR, was at Whitehead in Kindergarten this year and so many of you were a big part of his life this year as well. And as parents you know when someone is important in the eyes of your child, they become extra special to you too. Next year JR will be attending our zoned school to allow him to make neighborhood friends, but I know he will miss seeing all of you...so thank you for being a part of his life as well!

Thank you also for being so patient as I relearned all the little in's and out's of working in a classroom daily again. I look back and think about all the things I'm going to change for the future to make it smoother for students and kids. For my 24 fourth graders and your families....I will miss you! Please come by often to say hello. And for my 5 returning third graders... yay! I can't wait to get started. I just took a class today and have a whole bucket full of fun ideas for next year.

I hope you all have a fun and memorable summer. I will post messages on Edmodo a few times this summer about activities you and your son or daughter are welcome to come to...movies, park, etc. Please know, I can't be chaperoning them but you're welcome to hang out or have you child go with another family.

Thank again everyone! I will always remember this special class!!!

With Lots of Love,
Carrie Hoffman

Picnic at PahRah

Thank you everyone for making the Picnic at PahRah a wonderful and memorable day!

CRT Testing Week

CRT (Criterion Referenced Test) May 5th-8th

Monday & Tuesday Reading Test

Wednesday & Thursday Math Test

Below are some tips to help you assist your child to have a positive testing week: 

1. Reassure your child that he or she does not have to answer all the questions correctly to pass. It is not expected that students answer every question correctly. 


2. Tell your child to attempt to answer all of the questions and not to leave any blanks. There is no penalty for guessing, and students can get partial credit on the open-ended items.


3. Remind your child that the test is important.


4. Explain to your child the importance of using time wisely. If your child gets stuck on a question, encourage him or her to make the best guess or place a mark in the test booklet by that item and go back to it after finishing that section of the test.


5. Ensure that your child gets a decent night's sleep and a good breakfast before taking the test.


6. Make the morning of the test a pleasant one. Do not add to your child's stress.


7. Get your child to school on time the day of the test.


8. Remind your child to listen carefully to the instructions from the teacher and to read the directions and each question carefully.


9. Encourage your child to stay focused on the test, even if other students finish early.


10. Remind your child that it is okay to mark in the test booklet as a help in taking the test --i.e., underlining key words, etc. --but to mark all answers on the answer sheet.