Anderson Angle
12/1/2023 Volume X Issue 2
A Note From Mr. Hewitt
Hello, Anderson Families,
I hope all of you were able to spend time with your family over the Thanksgiving break or have some downtime to relax and recharge. While we have been thankful for the unseasonable weather, we also know what's right around the corner! The holidays can become stressful and overwhelming, so take care of yourself and try not to sweat the small stuff!
It's hard to believe the semester is almost over. The year has gone so quickly. Students and staff continue to make me proud for all the hard work accomplished daily. I witness Bondurant's BEST in the hallways every day.
The new year will bring continued professional development days, a third-grade February concert, March conferences, and ISASP testing in the spring. Rest assured, our commitment to fostering a positive and secure learning environment for every child remains unwavering.
As we approach the holiday season, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a joyous and peaceful holiday season. May the coming year bring prosperity and fulfillment to each of you.
As always, please know that the staff and I are available to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about your child's education. We value your partnership in education and appreciate all you do to support our school.
Respectfully,
Mel Hewitt, Principal
Anderson Elementary on Social Media
Twitter: @AndersonBFCSD, #AndersonJays
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andersonbfcsd
A Look Ahead
25-29 - Winter Break
January
1 - Winter Break
2 - Teachers Return to School
3 - Students Return to School
15 - No School - Professional Development Day
Anderson Yearbooks - Presale Going On Now
Attendance
Friendly reminder: If your child misses school due to a medical appointment, please supply the office with a note so as to medically excuse the absence. Auto-generated attendance notes will be sent out for students who have five or more absences without being medically excused. Thanks for getting those notes!
2nd Grade/PLTW
In the PLTW (Project Lead The Way) science curriculum's "Changing Earth" unit, students engaged in a scientific investigation focused on preventing erosion. Through hands-on activities and experiments, students explored the factors contributing to erosion and sought effective prevention strategies. They observed the impact of natural forces like wind and water on soil and landforms and examined the consequences of erosion, such as loss of fertile soil and environmental damage.
During this investigation, students conducted experiments to test various erosion prevention methods, including techniques like planting cover crops, building terraces, or installing erosion-control structures. They collected data, analyzed results, and drew conclusions about the most efficient and environmentally friendly methods for preventing erosion in different scenarios. This inquiry-based approach allowed students to understand better the Earth's changing landscape and the importance of responsible land management practices.
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
3rd Grade Celebrates Veterans
In November, students at Anderson Elementary honored and learned about Veterans Day! In 3rd grade, students learned about the history of Veterans Day and the five branches of the military. Students connected to veterans they know and with the veterans we read about. Students are knowledgeable about our veterans and how our freedom comes from their heroic acts past, present, and future! Thank you to all our veterans from our students at Anderson Elementary!
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
4th Grade Writers
The fourth-grade students will write nonfiction reports in writing class in the next few weeks. To start this unit, the students recently learned about the magic of optical illusions. They could watch some videos, follow a directed drawing to create their optical illusion, make a craft, and take some “virtual field trips.” The virtual field trips included digitally exploring museums of optical illusions. Students could learn about where those museums are in the United States and how optical illusions work. To help them understand optic science, they did a hands-on craft where they constructed a paper fish and a paper bowl and stapled them to a straw. When they moved the straw back and forth, it had the illusion that the fish were “in the bowl.” With the guidance of Ms. Rockefeller, students also participated in a STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Math) activity that had students do some computer coding with Spheros. Finally, they learned about stop motion animation and how it is a filmmaking technique where objects are manually manipulated move by move to create motion. The students independently created their stop motion project in Google Slides on their Chromebooks. Fourth grade is eager to begin writing nonfiction essays using their new knowledge! It is safe to say that these fun activities and projects have piqued students’ curiosity, and they are hooked on learning!
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
BEST Students of the Week
From the Art Room
Greetings from the Anderson Elementary art room! I am Mrs. Reyerson, your child’s art teacher, and I have been very busy getting to know your student and having LOTS of fun! Here are a few highlights of the first quarter -
Third graders started the year with an OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD project we liked to call “Texture Name Aliens: Using Symmetry & Asymmetry,” they turned out phenomenal. This project helped me learn names, and getting to know my new students is always a BIG priority. The Name Aliens challenged students to use their creative imaginations, transforming their written name into a symmetrical, textured alien body that inhabits otherworldly planets!
OH MY! Right now, we are in the middle of our drawing unit with an emphasis on hatching as a drawing technique. Your student is currently creating a fall owl using four hatching techniques, so catch these on display in the hallways of Anderson😉
Students in 4th grade began the year with my FAVORITE ALL-TIME project called Monochromatic Jellyfish! These jellyfish swim in a monochromatic underwater background of the student’s choice. They mixed a tint and a shade and painted that as an ombre sea backdrop. A jellyfish in the opposite color scheme was drawn over the top using oil pastels. Students learned how to create value and texture on the jellyfish to make it appear 3D. Finally, bubbles were added to enhance and give these sea creations an even more dazzling effect! Currently, students have started our Weaving unit. They have created looms out of cardboard. We first wove our warp strands (vertical strands) and now are weaving the weft (over and under strands in a weaving). Students will decide whether they would like to make a functional piece of art (ex, coaster, bookmark, hot pad) or a decorative wall hanging. These will be finishing up this month, so stay tuned!
The Anderson 2nd graders have completed their first unit inspired by the book “A Beautiful Oops” written by Barney Saltzberg. The book inspired students to use those “oops” moments as an opportunity to make something beautiful! We did several activities encouraging this creativity, including a torn drawing, folded animals, and bubble creation drawings. It has been so much fun getting to know these 2nd graders, and I think I’ve been learning as much as they have! We just finished up our Pablo Picasso unit and created Picasso Inspired Self-Portraits. They are on display at school and make our Anderson hallways SO colorful! Please stop by to see all of our AMAZING work!
Don’t forget to follow our Anderson artists on X @andartteach
Winter Is Coming! ❄️
Even though cooler weather is upon us, our students still go outside for recess. We encourage you to send your child to school with appropriate weather attire so they can enjoy the fresh air at recess. Students need the following clothing items for the following temperatures. Temperature is determined by the lowest “real feel” temp from the National Weather Service and AccuWeather.
o 41-60 Degrees: Long pants, long sleeves, jacket/sweatshirt
o 40 Degrees & Below: Long pants, winter coat, hat & gloves
o Snow: Winter coat, snow pants, boots, hat & gloves
If the “real feel” temperature is 11 degrees and above, we will go outside.
If the “real feel” temperature is 10 degrees and below, we will be inside.
Please let us know if you need winter items for your child.
Counselors' Corner
Quarter 1 Reports - Check out what the School Counselors have been up to for the first quarter of the year! We have been working hard to connect with parents and teachers, running lessons in large and small groups, and seeing individuals for short-term counseling needs. We also participated in attending AND teaching some professional development workshops!
Tips and Tricks to Help Manage Your Child's Emotions - Please feel free to check out this presentation we gave at Parent University in October! There are some great videos, ideas, and insights into what we teach here at school for you to use at home!
Giving Season - As the giving season is upon us, you might be interested in talking with your children about what that looks like in your family and community. Here are some amazing books to help guide that conversation! Here at Anderson, we are always looking to boost our generosity towards others, and this is the perfect time of year to talk about that!
Calming Strategies - Here are some additional resources for some calming strategies that we encourage students to use when they are having a strong feeling. These are some strategies you can also practice at home!
2nd & 4th Grade Spring CogAT Screening
Bondurant-Farrar Community School District screens all 2nd, 4th, and 8th grade students for possible identification for the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program.
Identification Screening Process:
Our district uses the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), aReading/aMath, and ISASP to identify students for TAG.
Every 2nd & 4th grader will take the CogAT screener in the spring (February/March 2024). Students who score at or above the 89th percentile on the screener will be given the complete CogAT.
All scores are reviewed by the K-12 TAG department to determine eligibility for the program. Parents/Guardians will be notified in late spring of identification decisions. TAG services begin the next school year.
TAG Program Identification:
For identification at the 3rd-12th grade level, students must:
score at or above 96th percentile on at least two areas of the CogAT (Verbal/ Quantitative/Nonverbal/ Composite)
have qualifying aReading/aMath/ISASP scores
Identified students receive services in Reading and/or Math.
Note: Currently identified TAG students must requalify using this process to continue receiving TAG services.
Note: When schedules do not allow for separate Reading & Math pull-out sessions, all identified students will meet as one TAG learning cohort.
Please contact us if you have questions.
Thank you,
Sarah Teeselink
Anderson Elementary
Bondurant-Farrar Intermediate School
Grades 3-6 TAG Teacher
Makenzie Brinning
Morris Elementary
Grades K-2 TAG Teacher
BLUEJAY BLANKETS
UPDATE!! Less than 40 left!
Get your Bluejays blankets asap!!!
They’re HUGE (queen size) & super comfy. Claim yours before they’re gone! https://sites.google.com/spectatorb.../bondurant-farrar/home
Julie Hall, Secretary
Anderson Elementary
515-967-7494