We are back into the swing of things after our first month of 3rd quarter! We have had some cold weather causing inside recess and some 60 degree beautiful days, it would be Missouri weather without all that change in one month. It has been a wonderful start to the 2nd half of the school year and we are looking forward to continuing to celebrate student growth and achievement! Here are some of our Maple January Highlights:

1. We held an assembly at the end of January honoring our December and January Warrior Award and Grit Award winners.

2. Students embarked on our first AMI days of the year and did a fantastic job working virtually to start the semester(thank you parents for your learn from home support).

3. Students in grades 1-6 finished their fluency testing and we saw great growth in our students as readers!

4. The middle school choir came to perform for our 6th graders during encore.

Dr. Taylor Jahn, Principal, jahnt@smithville.k12.mo.us

Mrs. Abbey Meyer, Assistant Principal, meyera@smithville.k12.mo.us

We are off to a great start in our learning in the Innovation Lab for semester 2! Here’s a few pictures of our learning in January.

Looking ahead …

Warrior Preschool/Early Childhood

We will continue looking at patterns, building patterns, and continuing the pattern.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students will continue working on digital citizenship skills, 2D and 3D shapes and technology skills this quarter.

First Grade

First grade students have started working on an engineering project where we will design and build a house for a classmate. We will also continue our digital citizenship lessons.

Second Grade

Students in second grade are finishing up practice using loops in our code. We will also begin our engineering project this quarter.

Third Grade

Third grade students have started to work on our stop motion projects.

Fourth Grade

Students have started to learn about our 3D printer and how to design for it using the CAD program Tinkercad. This is a difficult project so we are also practicing our growth mindset.

Fifth Grade

Students in Mrs. Greenfield’s class have started on our last project together which is programming. We look forward to showcasing our learning on February 19 at the Showcase!

Sixth Grade

Students in Game Lab have been researching board games and have started planning our own. Some have started building, can’t wait to see how these turn out!

You can see more by following our journey on twitter: @sara_freeman, instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mes_tech_and_innovation_lab , facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MESTechandInnovationLab

Pre K - Our Preschoolers have been doing obstacle courses as well as getting comfortable with all of our equipment!

K- Our K kiddos are going to be doing kicking activities. They will learn how to control the kicks as far as accuracy and power. We will introduce games like kickball, soccer, and learn how to kick a football

1st - Our first graders are going to be doing kicking activities as well. We will learn how to control the kicks as far as accuracy and power. Some activities will include fun soccer mini games, matball, and learning how to kick a football!

2nd - Our second graders are going to be doing kicking activities as well. We will learn how to control the kicks as far as accuracy and power. Some activities will include fun soccer mini games, matball, and learning how to kick a football!

3rd - 6th - These students have started practicing our fitness testing the last couple of weeks. We will be starting our first fitness test of the year soon. All of our students have worked super hard to gain confidence for these tests. What we will be getting numbers on: push up, sit up, sit and reach, and the pacer/mile. These numbers are not actually for a grade but more for them to be able to try their hardest each time and set goals for themselves in the future.

Warrior Preschool/Early Childhood -

We are learning songs about friendship and kindness this month to work with our PBIS goal of “Kindness”. Students will also get to try new instruments and explore details about the ocean and different sea creatures.

Kindergarten-

Kindergarten students are starting to read music with “iconic notation” and playing instruments to the amount of syllables they are reading. We are going to explore these using many different classroom instruments such as hand drums, xylophones, and maracas.

1st Grade-

First grade students will be reading So Mi and La on a 3 line staff and perform on pitched percussion instruments, like our xylophones and glockenspiels.

2nd Grade-

Second grade students are preparing for their spring music program “The Box”. They will be performing in the Maple Gymnasium on March 10th at 6 pm. Details will be shared with families very soon.

3rd Grade-

Third grade students are preparing a special event this year. We will be having a Family Folk Dance Night on March 11th at 6 pm in the Maple Gymnasium. Details will be shared with families very soon.

4th Grade-

Fourth graders are working through time periods in music history, currently focused on the Romantic period of music. We are discussing the ways that composers put emotion into the music they write, and students will have an opportunity to create their own composition as well.

5th Grade-

5th Graders are wrapping up their trimester in music with a music genre research project and a song parody project. These are two of the projects that will be featured for the upcoming 5th grade showcase night on February 19th at 6:00 pm.

6th Grade -

Our sixth grade students are taking a journey in learning an instrument of their choice this quarter. We have students performing on ukulele, piano, toots and doods (these are similar to flutes and clarinets).

Warrior Preschool/Early Childhood- Warrior preschool & Early childhood will be continuing our Polar Animals unit. We will be learning songs and dances that go along with our theme. We will also start some fun Valentine activities.

Kindergarten Kindergarten students will be listening to books from the author Peter Brown and doing other fun activities involving the Wild Robot.

First Grade First graders will be listening to picture books from the author Peter Brown and doing fun activities involving the Wild Robot. We will also read a story that the author wrote when he was 6 years old, and discuss what he used in his creative writing.

Second Grade Students will be learning about the author Peter Brown and his popular picture books. Students will be voting on their favorite picture book from the author.

Third Grade Third grade students will learn about the animals in the book The Wild robot while discovering how the author gave them their names. Students will then research an animal of their choice from the book.

Fourth grade Students will gain background knowledge about the author Peter Brown while doing fun STEM challenges that go along with the book, The Wild Robot.

Fifth grade Students will gain background knowledge about the author Peter Brown while doing fun STEM challenges that go along with the book, The Wild Robot.

6th grade - In Books vs. Movies we finished our first book, Tiger Rising and just watched the movie to compare. Students voted on Coraline to read next.

This quartermost classes are finishing up their unit on Observation, and we will begin our unit on Express. I love following up Observation with Express because students can be so hard on themselves when I ask them to draw from Observation, so it feels very free to express themselves any way they’d like in their art.

Kindergarten and First Grade Students will think about the way colors, music, and feelings can all be connected within their drawings. They can show emotions with different colors, and line movements can reflect the types of music and sounds they hear.

Second and Third Grade Students will begin art with similar materials and create until everyone has different outcomes. Third Grade Students will also take their Selfies and create unique artworks showing their Self Expression.

Fourth Grade Students have completed their Pop Can drawings, and we will use our creativity to turn those drawings into colorful Prints.

Fifth Grade students are sadly about to finish their trimester. They will have a 5th Grade Showcase on February 19th from 6:00-7:00. They set up their own artwork display.

Sixth Grade Students are on a great start to their 2D art this quarter. I’m seeing great clay projects, pencil drawings, and paintings. I have offered a Tiny Art Challenge. Those students who choose this challenge will set up their own Tiny Art Display wherever they choose in the Maple Building. I’m looking forward to seeing how they take on the challenge.

The Smithvilles One Book, One District program featuring Peter Brown's heartwarming story, The Wild Robot! This exciting initiative aims to bring our entire elementary schools in the Smithville School district together through a shared reading experience throughout the months of February and March.

All staff, students, and families are invited to read the same book together! Each family in Eagle Heights, Horizon, and Maple will be provided with a copy of "The Wild Robot" and a reading schedule and be encouraged to read the book together. Access read-along videos below by some of our Smithville School District staff members for those nights when your family might want to just sit back and listen. You can access all the information you need right here!

1. If your student(s) is going to have a change in dismissal, please let the office know prior to 3:00 on the day. This helps to ensure that we can properly notify the teacher so that the students get to the proper dismissal location.

2. If you have a student who is going to be absent for the day, please let the office know prior to 9:00. If there is a prolonged period of absence that is planned (vacation) you can notify the office about the entire length of the absence with one communication.

** Communication can come via email or phone call. Please email both Heather Waters at watersh@smithville.k12.mo.us and Alison Camacho at camachoa@smithville.k12.mo.us with your changes in attendance or dismissal. You can also call the Maple front office at 816-532-0589.**

Principal: Dr. Taylor Jahn

Assistant Principal: Mrs. Abbey Meyer

Administrative Assistants: Mrs. Alison Camacho and Mrs. Heather Waters

Nurse/Health Room: Mrs. Annie Frazier

Counselor, Room 122: Mrs. Christina Hough

Part Time Counselor: Ms. Emily Johnson

Behavior Interventionist, Room 119: Mrs. Ashli Ellis

EC, Room 101: Mrs. Genna Cornelisse

Warrior Preschool, Room 106: Mrs. Heidi Uptegrove

Warrior Preschool, Room 102: Mrs. Jeanie Martin

Kindergarten, Room 113: Ms. Syndey Goss

Kindergarten, Room 115: Mrs. Sarah Claytor

Kindergarten, Room 114: Ms. Sarah Madden

1st Grade, Room 139: Mrs. Rhonda Henshaw

1st Grade, Room 141: Mr. Aaron Bowlin

1st Grade, Room 140: Ms. Makenzie Kelly

2nd Grade, Room 136: Mrs. Autumn Marriott

2nd Grade, Room 138: Ms. Jenna Spence

3rd Grade, Room 135: Mrs. Emily Callahan

3rd Grade, Room 134: Mrs: Amber Medley

3rd Grade, Room 133: Mrs. Abrielle Bartley

4th Grade, Room 129: Mrs. Cortney Saxton

4th Grade, Room 131: Mrs. Jennifer Stone

5th Grade ELA, Room 147: Mrs. Loren Ray

5th Grade Science and Social Studies, Room 149: Mrs. Hannah Hensley

5th Grade Math, Room 151: Mrs. Sheri Greenfield

6th Grade ELA, Room 146: Ms. Taylor Broleman

6th Grade Science and Social Studies, Room 148: Mrs. Amy Elliott

6th Grade Math, Room 150: Ms. Amanda Bradberry

Art, Room 125: Mrs. Jenny Haddock

Music, Room 117: Mrs. Reba McNair

PE, Gym: Mr. Zack Anderson

Library: Mrs. Brea Sissom

SLP, Room 105: Mrs. Heather Peterson

SPED, Room 126: Mr. Greg Chastain, Ms. Jina Arellano

Essential Skills, Room 130-Jessi Smith & Marci Riley

Process Coordinator: Mrs. Amanda McClusky and Mrs. Kristen Gromacki

OT/PT, Room 104: Mrs. Susan Holden & Mrs. Natalie Lloyd

Quest, Room 103: Mrs. Paige Scheibe (Grades 5-6)

Quest, Room 128: Mrs. Kassie Reade (Grades 1-4)

Technology and Innovation, Room 116: Mrs. Sara Freeman

Title I Reading, Room 120 & 124: Mrs. Lesa Quinn & Kim Roske

Custodians: Sarah Parks, Willie Kerley, Samantha North

Instructional Assistants-Essential Skills Classrooms: Mrs. Courtney Matthews, Mrs. Randa Blakeslee, Mrs. McKenzie Simmons, Mr. Lance Helton, Mrs. Carmen Williams, Ms. Elizabeth Edwards

Instructional Assistants-Resource Classrooms: Mrs. Kim Miller

Instructional Assistants Early Childhood/PreK: Corrie Cox, Dannel Blackwell, Sara Woolery

Instructional Assistant-Reading, Room 124: Mrs. Josie Benedict

Recess/Cafeteria Aides: Ms. Carolyn Steenrod, Mrs. Jessica Chetto, Mrs. Jessica Thomason, Mrs. Ashleigh Dunlap

Kitchen Staff: Ms. Anna Curtis (manager), Ms.Jennifer Russell, Ms. Kat Neal, Ms. Holly Peterson

The Smithville School District follows the SmartSnacks guidelines for student treats and events. Any snacks provided for birthday treats and classroom events need to follow under these guidelines. The district has information regarding these guidelines as well as an approved snack list available on our website.

February 14th-Staff Professional Development Day-No School

February 17th-Presidents Day-No School

February 18th-Class Picture Day

February 19th-5th Grade Trimester 2 showcase

February 19th-Board Meeting-7:00 at Central Office

February 28th-Spring Parties

March 3rd-7th-Read Across America Week