The Principal's Corner by Ms. Mahoney
It really feels like Spring may be here (fingers crossed!)
I wanted to send out a few reminders to our caregivers and families:
1. When you come to SJES, PLEASE bring your ID with you. Even if we know you, we are going to ask to see your ID. Please do not take it personally when we ask and know that it comes from a safety perspective.
2. Thank you to the car rider group for making the necessary changes to keep our rider dismissal process smooth and safe. If you are picking up your child during rider dismissal, please remember to come after 3:30 p.m. We are tracking how the dismissal is going and we are able to dismiss the majority of our 80 daily car riders by 3:45 p.m. each day. If you wait to arrive around 3:45 p.m., you will be most likely able to drive straight into the parent loop and quickly pick up your child(ren).
3. Our school has had numerous illnesses (strep, flu, etc.) and we are doing the best to maintain the health and safety of our students and staff within the building. We are encouraging frequent hand-washing, cleaning desks and lunch tickets and keeping a close eye on our students. If your child is dismissed from school by Nurse Heidi because of a fever, your child needs to be fever-free for 24 hours, WITHOUT fever-reducing medication. Believe me, we WANT them to be at school, but we need to be mindful of the health of ALL during this flu and strep season. Please remember to send all attendance notes to sje_attendance@groups.k12.wv.us. You are able to upload doctors' notes to this site, as well.
I appreciate everyone supporting our school, our staff and our students.
Ms. Mahoney
Thank you to Miss West Virginia, Karrington Childress, and Miss West Virginia's Teen, Allison Dodson, for visiting and reading to all grade levels during Read Across America Week. We are super proud of both of these amazing young women for representing our state, our County and South Jefferson Elementary (both are former Roadrunners!) 👑
Kindergarten is hoping the warm weather will be here soon! Please still send a jacket/heavy coat for your child to wear!
The students really enjoyed exchanging Valentine cards with their friends. We are very proud of the caring and the kindness that the children show towards one another!
We will be completing some skills checkups with your child over the next few weeks to gather data for their term 3 report cards that will be coming home on March 15th! We are really impressed with the academic growth that our Kindergarteners are exhibiting.
Spring break is coming soon! (March 29- April 5) Please continue to read CVC words with your child and practice tricky words over the break! Please use the TAKE HOME activities that are sent home in their folders from our CKLA series. We also ask that you encourage your child to start writing in a journal at home! They love being authors and illustrators!
Please review and practice skills at home that your child is learning in his/her classroom. Some skills that we will be covering throughout March are: measurement, writing and recognizing numbers 11-20, counting to 100, counting on from any given number, joining/adding numbers and continuing to recognize color words, number words and tricky words. The children will be adding to their tricky word list and will continue to read their picture reader in class! They enjoyed reading their decodable reader “Kit” and now we are moving on to a new decodable reader “Seth.” We will also be focusing on rhyming and word families using our short vowel sounds and practicing consonant clusters. Students will also be learning about digraphs (ch, sh, th, ng) in words. Digraphs are a combination of two letters representing one sound. Please practice words like cash, fish, with, chip, chin, thin, shop, them, thump, bath, sing, thing, song, hung, bring, long. We will also be focusing on the letter Qq and the sound it makes /kw/. We will teach the students that when spelling a word with “q” it will always have a “u” following it. (ex. quit, quiz) Some caution “tricky” words that we will be working on in March are: are, little, down, out, of.
Thank you for playing an active part in your child’s education!
Kindergarten registration is April 24th! Please spread the word!
“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.” -Dr. Seuss
:D The Kindergarten Team
In like a lion and out like a lamb. Happy MARCH!
With that being said, please make sure your child layers well during this ever changing season. First graders are more available to learn if they can get their wiggles out and socialize with their classmates.
We are finishing with CKLA Language Arts Skills unit 3 and beginning unit 4. Unit 4 focus is on:
Reading and spelling patterns “er,” “ar,” and “or”
Identifying contractions and using them correctly
Identifying nouns, adjectives, and verbs (past, present, and future tense)
Reading, writing, and spelling 2 syllable words
Reviewing diagraphs, both vowel and consonant
Weekly spelling tests
Adding a few new tricky words
Our next CKLA Knowledge unit is all about the history of the Earth.. The students will learn about what the Earth is made of, dinosaurs, minerals, rocks, and fossils.
In math, we will focus on missing numbers in subtraction equations, two digit place value to 99, comparing 2 digit numbers, and adding and subtracting tens from 2 digit numbers up to 99.
If you are able, we are in need of Kleenex for the classroom. (store brands are fine)
As always, thank you for your continued support,
The FIRST GRADE TEAM
Hello from Second Grade!
Happy March! We have been learning about the War of 1812 for our Knowledge Unit and look forward to starting our Cycles in Nature Unit. In math, we have been practicing identifying and counting coins. Please practice counting coins at home and in real life situations. Reading with your child daily is a great way to increase his or her fluency. As we get closer to the end of the year, a second grader’s oral reading fluency should be close to 80 to 90 words a minute. We have been enjoying our STEAM lessons from the WV Extension Program. We had so much fun designing robots and controlling them with the Spheros. Please remember to check for homework and other important papers in the purple communication folders. Thank you for all that you do and have a wonderful Spring Break!
Who is special? It would be you--third grade students and parents!
A friendly reminder that our recess is scheduled at 11:20. The temperature does not always reach the high for the day by that time. Please make sure your child comes to school wearing appropriate clothing for the season.
We are working on building stamina for reading and writing. Please make sure your child is completing the reading/writing homework assignments from their teacher. Students should be reading/writing at least 20 minutes a night. Students need to be practicing math facts (addition, subtraction, and multiplication).
As always, we appreciate your support in making this year a successful one for your child. Please remember the PTO is always looking for volunteers.
Third Grade Teachers
The fourth grade is leaping into March by working to continue our progress with writing. During the beginning of the year, we focused on writing a well-developed paragraph with a topic sentence, supporting details, text evidence, and a spectacular conclusion. We also worked hard in February on how to write a great narrative piece of writing. We will be building on from this by expanding our work to three- five paragraph essays and ways to incorporate “our voice” and knowledge into our writing effectively. Some ideas for incorporating writing at home include:
· Having your child write instructions for taking care of the family pet(s). These will be useful as you plan spring and summer trips!
· Having your student write a letter or thank you note to a relative. Talk through what your child wants to say before writing begins.
· Getting them to help by writing out a shopping list before going to the grocery store.
· Having them write an online review of a book, an item you recently purchased, or a recipe you tried from online.
· Finding a picture in the newspaper and having them write an article to accompany it.
· Watching a movie together and then seeing if together you could brainstorm (or write) an alternate ending.
· Work together to make personalized gift cards for friends and family.
Opportunities for writing are all around us! Have fun!
In March, be on the lookout for fieldtrip permission slips. We are so excited for a fun filled Spring.
The first week of March will find our 5th graders at STARBASE in Martinsburg, fully immersed in S.T.E.M. activities.
Math in March starts with understanding powers of 10. We will learn the basic meaning of exponents and how they apply to powers of 10. Then we will multiply and divide using powers of 10. After that, we will begin working on adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. These concepts have Math with Mr. Collins videos on Canvas if students want to use them for extra support at home. Please continue to review daily cool-downs and the daily lessons in preparation for the assessments for each concept.
Social Studies in March will have the students continuing their study of the Civil War, focusing on important battles, key individuals from all sides of the conflict, and the student’s involvement with their simulation activities.
In Science, we will continue our studies of Earth’s Interactive Systems focusing on the hydrosphere and the Geosphere.
In ELA, we are wrapping up our unit on "The Adventures of Don Quixote", finishing a 4-paragraph persuasive essay, and designing a personal "Coat of Arms". Next, we will move into the study of Native Americans after the completion of STARBASE Academy.
Kindergarten is continuing their work with steady beat, moving to show the music and play instruments to help tell the musical story.
First grade is continuing their work with recognizing and notating quarter note and beamed eight notes and creating their own rhythmic patterns. We are labeling high and low sounds as SO and Me and adding them to their musical vocabulary. We will also be adding instruments to our lessons.
Second grade and Third grade are working hard in music class preparing their classwork for their SJES Arts Night in March— SAVE THE DATE: March 21st –5:30 to 7:30. Second and Third grade will each have their own performance time and each class will be featured in one of the activities. Flyers will be coming home soon with more information about performance times.
Fourth Grade has begun their belt testing for recorders. They have learned B, A, and G. We will be working on all of their music reading skills.
Fifth grade is currently using all their music skills to work on musical arrangements with different combinations on instruments. This challenges them to think, read and be musically independent performers.
Chorus: We have begun rehearsing for our spring concert. I will let you know the date as soon as it is scheduled. Students who are interested in trying out for the solo numbers can find their music on Canvas.
March is Youth Arts Month! We will be having discussions about the importance of art in our lives. Here at South Jefferson we have future artists, graphic designers, architects, jewelry designers, video game designers and the list goes on…. Art helps grow our creative thinking, our problem-solving skills, fine motor skills, learn about history and culture, and personal expression.
SAVE THE DATE for South Jefferson’s Fine Arts Night and Book Fair, Thursday, March 21st from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm in honor of Youth Arts Month. You will have an opportunity to check out the book fair, listen to our Second and Third graders perform, and walk the school to see some fabulous artworks. All Second and Third grade students will be represented in the art show. More info to come.
Our art fundraiser pamphlet should be coming home within the next week. This year we are using a company I have worked with in the past, "Original Works." Students will have the same opportunities as last year to order their artwork on items such as bags, notebooks, mugs, and much more. The company will deliver our items to the school to be distributed to avoid you paying shipping fees. The students have made some amazing works of art and they make great gifts for spring holidays like Easter and Mother's day.
As always, thanks for your support!
Mrs. Fiolek
Fifth Grade will be working on Lacrosse. They will be using the sticks to cradle, throw and catch a lacrosse ball. We will work on using traditional skills and build on knowledge as we develop our learning of this Native American sport. Fourth and Third grade will begin units on soccer. The Fourth graders will be working on soccer skills including dribbling, shooting and learning about positions and game play. Third grade will be learning about soccer as well but will focus on ball skills and shooting.
Second grade through Kindergarten is beginning a tossing and catching unit. We will be using various types of equipment like different types of balls, beach balls, and scarves to practice our skills. The skills focus will help develop hand-eye coordination, cross lateral development (crossing the mid-plane of the body), focus, concentration and much more. Friday’s are always devoted to fitness.
First grade is continuing the tossing and catching unit and will spend some more time working on this skill. We will be using light objects that we can toss and catch from various positions.
This month we will be talking about our visiting author, Brian Yanish, and the BOOK FAIR!
Brian will be here on Wednesday, March 13. Order forms were sent home for book purchases to be signed on the day of the visit. If you missed this and would like to order one, you can find his books on Amazon for a fast turnaround time.
Our Book Fair will be Thursday, March 14 through Friday, March 22. We will be hosting a Family Night as part of the Family Arts Night, on Thursday, March 21 from 4:00-7:30 pm. Be on the lookout for their Wish Lists, Thursday 3/14 through Monday 3/18! Students will be shopping during their Library class time Tuesday 3/19 through Friday 3/22.
Due to Scholastic changing their policy and having schools charge tax for the students’ purchases, and in an effort to make sure that ALL of our students go home with a book, we will be rounding all purchases up to the nearest dollar to then use that money to purchase books. For example, if the book is $5.99, with $0.36 tax, that would make the total cost of the book $6.35. We would collect $7.00 for that book and the $0.65 difference would get put into the ‘Books For All’ account. This would enable all of our students who are financially unable to purchase a book to be able to take a book home with them this year!
A volunteer signup sheet and a link for the EWallet's will be sent out in Canvas.
I appreciate your support and hope to have another successful Book Fair to benefit our library as this is our top way to earn funds for new books! Reach out to me at alison.p.moody@k12.wv.us with any questions or concerns. Thanks so much!
💜 Mrs. Moody
PTO (Parent Teacher Organization)
We invite you to attend our public meetings on the second Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting is on March 12 at 7 pm, in the SJES cafeteria. We will be focusing on our biggest fundraiser, the quarter auction!
Little Caesars Fundraiser
February 5-March 6
Our Little Caesars fundraiser ends on March 6. Simply order online and the items will shipped directly to you!
https://fundraising.littlecaesars.com/products?support=711071e3-62b0-4616-9c64-f292484a7fd9
Used Book Sale
March 22
Grab a new book just in time to read on spring break! All students are invited to join us on March 22 for the used book sale, during school hours. All books will cost $.25. Congratulations to the classrooms who had the best participation in our January initiative-they will get first pick!
School Store
March 12-14
Most items cost between $0.25 to $5.00; children are responsible for their own money, and we’ll have adult volunteers to assist with money counting.
Tuesday 3/12 - Grades 4 & 5
Wednesday 3/13 - Pre-K, K, & 1
Thursday 3/14 - Grades 2 & 3
Quarter Auction
April 19
Save the date for this exciting event! The Quarter Auction is a public event open to all adults (note, children may not attend or participate). Tickets will go on sale soon! If interested in volunteering, please contact us. We do need adult volunteers to help; this is one of our biggest school fundraisers for the year.
Apparel
SJES apparel/spirit wear can be personalized and purchased at www.Zeroinsports.com/sjes.
Contacts:
President: Karisma Neely; Vice President: April Davis; Secretary: Jessica McIntosh; Treasurer: Amber Fuller
Contact us at SJESPTO@gmail.com or on Facebook at South Jefferson Elementary PTO
Congratulations to the following classes for the highest attendance in February 2024:
Kindergarten: Ms. Horne's Class 92.5%
First Grade: Ms. Abernethy's Class: 90.6%
Second Grade: Mrs. Fincham's Class: 93.6%
Third Grade: Miss Potts' Class: 95.2% (6 months in a row!)
Fourth Grade: Ms. Slagle's Class: 95%
Fifth Grade: TIE between Mrs. Blank and Mr. Collins' Class: 93.7%
Top Class: Miss Potts' 3rd Grade Class
Top Grade: Fourth Grade
School Attendance for February: 92.3% (Our monthly goal is 95%)
Purchase your 2023 – 2024 South Jefferson Elementary School yearbook NOW!
Online site open – ybpay.lifetouch.com
Yearbook ID Code - 11890124
Online price $20.00
In school purchase - flyers will be coming home soon
Cash or checks made out to South Jefferson Elementary School
We will only be doing a pre-sale this year.
No extra yearbooks will be purchased, so order yours before the deadline of May 3, 2024! Thank you!
Email: kmahoney@k12.wv.us
Website: https://sjes.jcswv.org/o/sjes