Tigerville Times

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we wrap up 2024, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you for your continued support and dedication to our school community. It has been an amazing year so far, and I am excited to see what the future holds for our students in 2025.

I encourage everyone to take some time over the holiday break to relax, enjoy family time, and perhaps share a good book together. Our students have worked hard this semester, and they deserve this time to recharge for the new year!

On behalf of the entire school staff, I wish you all a joyful and peaceful holiday season.

Partners in Education,

Amy Kern, Principal

I am so happy to see our season of thankfulness turn into a season of joy as we move into the month of December. I will be working with your students on art work that represent the season of winter this month and they will be featured on our art hall way banners soon and into the new year. I will also be sending home the special ornaments the students made on the final day prior to the holiday break so that they can be used as artful celebrations at your family homes. Thank you so much for supporting our Original Works art program again this year. I am expecting delivery of those products this first week of December and will send them home with students as early as possible. I am excited for you to share many of these items as gifts for your families. It makes my heart smile to know how important your student’s artwork is to you to not only enjoy in your own homes but to share with those you love. They are truly little treasures to cherish for a lifetime. I would also like to extend my own warm wishes for a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to each student and member of our own Tigerville Family.

Our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive was a success! Thank you to everyone that contributed. Several local families had a festive Thanksgiving Dinner due to your generosity!

This month in Guidance, we are learning invaluable coping skills to navigate big feelings. Understanding and addressing anxiety in students is essential for their emotional well-being.

Recognizing Anxiety - watch for signs such as restlessness, frequent stomachaches or headaches, avoidance behaviors, or changes in sleep patterns. Identifying these cues early allows us to intervene before it begins to impact other areas of life. Below is a list of coping skills that you can try at home, some of which we will be practicing in class.

• Deep Breathing Exercises: teach children to take slow, deep breaths to calm their minds and bodies (in through the nose, out through the mouth).
• Mindful Coloring or Drawing: encourage creative expression as a tool for processing emotions.
• Positive Affirmations: help kids develop a positive inner dialogue to counteract negative thoughts.
• Guided Imagery: use storytelling to guide children through calming, imaginative scenarios.
• Journaling: provide a safe space for children to express their feelings through words or drawings.
• Movement Breaks: incorporate short physical activities to release built-up tension and stress.
• Mindfulness Activities: introduce simple mindfulness exercises to promote present-moment awareness.

These coping skills not only help manage anxiety but also contribute to the development of emotional intelligence and resilience. By instilling these tools in our young learners, we empower them to face life’s challenges with confidence. This a great opportunity to have a conversation with your child about how you recognize your own anxiety and what strategies work for you. Who knows… they may be able to teach you a new one!

Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season filled with books, laughter, and relaxation. We hope you find time to read with your children and explore new stories together! First, I want to thank everyone for their support in the Read-A-Thon. We raised over $500 for the library to purchase new books for our students to check out. Second, as the cold weather sets in, it's the perfect time to cozy up with a good book! Consider setting up a family reading hour where everyone reads their own book, and afterward, you can discuss your favorites. Thank you for supporting our library, and we look forward to seeing all the reading that will happen in the new year!

Welcome to December!

First, let me remind all CHORUS students and parents that we have rehearsal on Tuesday, December 3rd, 10th, and 17th. It is very important that all Chorus members attend rehearsals each Tuesday. We will be recording on December 10th and will need all members here. We will also start the audition process for parts in our Spring Musical, Go West! I know several students have already told me how excited they are to audition for certain parts.

3rd-5th Grade will start the Recorder Unit as soon as we get back in January so it is important they have a Recorder and prepared to start. The cost is $5.00 for a Recorder so you can start sending the cash or check in for that nowI should have 8 different colors for students to pick from but if they want a certain color they may want to get it soon. Make check payable to TES (Tigerville Elementary School) and send to Ms. Biondo with their name and color they would like. Blue, Red, Pink, Purple, Yellow, Brown, Black, or Green.

This month in Music all classes will focus on singing, dancing, and learning the history about many of our Traditional and Folk holiday songs. We will also have a collection of new, more modern, songs like Cray, Cray Christmas and Boogie Woogie Reindeer. 2nd-5th will also finish our Ukulele unit.

Have an amazing Christmas and as always, if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to call or email.

This month, we will be linking our Science and STEM standards by performing STEM challenges that align to our grade level Science standards. In second grade, students will design and build landscapes with playdough and show how they could change with erosion or natural disasters. Third graders will use evidence to explain how variations in traits among individuals of the same species may provide advantages by designing and building model spider webs to show how different designs help the spider survive and produce offspring. 4th graders will be learning about natural disaster detection devises and how they can be used to minimize or eliminate the effects of a natural hazard by trying to save a fictional town by installing these devices in the most opportune locations. In 5th grade, students will understand a connection between the weight of an object and the weight of it's pieces by building Lego buildings and comparing the weight to that of the individual pieces.

Students in K5 and 1st grade will learn about the engineering design process this month when they design and create their own ornaments using any material provided. I can't wait to see what they create!