Divide County Elementary

Thank you to all of our veterans who have served our great nation. Please join us at Divide County Elementary in showing appreciation to our friends or family members who are veterans. Stop by the school and add your loved one's name to our Remembrance Flag!

This year, our students in Grades 4-12 all attended the Veterans Day Program on November 7 at Divide County High School. It made quite an impression on our students to see their local veterans in uniform and shake their hand!

Thank you to everyone who has completed the DCE Parent Survey! Your feedback provides valuable information as we continue to work to improve educational opportunities for our students. Surveys were sent home with report cards at both DCE and DCHS and also emailed to parent emails that we have on file. If your information has been misplaced, please call the school office to have the information emailed to you. The deadline for the surveys has been extended to November 25.

DCHS FBLA began their Annual Race for the March of Dimes fundraiser on November 16. They presented to elementary classes throughout the week to help students become aware of this worthy cause. The FBLA will be selling "Purple Feet" for $1 a foot from November 16-20. The class that raises the most money will be rewarded with a pizza party!

Every month at DCE, we celebrate our Students of the Month! Students are nominated by their teachers in three grade level categories: K-2, 3-4, and 5-6. In order to be nominated, students must meet high standards in each of our school rules: Be SAFE, Be RESPONSIBLE, Be RESPECTFUL. Students who are chosen as Students of the Month are recognized in front of their peers at the DCE Monthly Student Assembly. These individuals are truly role models for all students!

DCE Parent Teacher Conferences were well-attended! We appreciate all parents/guardians stopping in to visit with your student's classroom teacher. Please feel welcome to call or email your student's teacher anytime with questions or concerns. Open lines of communication are imperative for student success!

The importance of reading can't be stressed enough. Reading is the foundation to all learning and at DCE we are constantly working to increase students' decoding and comprehension skills. Parents often ask what they can do at home. The best way to get better at reading is by more reading! Reading to our children, exposing them to books and concepts of print, asking questions about what was read or their opinions about what happened in a story can spark an enjoyment and purpose for reading. When students start reading on their own, allow them to read at a level that they can feel successful and independent - success builds on success!

Beginning in 1st Grade at DCE, we use the Accelerated Reader program to match students with their appropriate reading range in which they can be both successful and challenged. This level is based upon their STAR Reading test scores. Students work closely with their teacher to discuss personalized goals. After students read a book, they are encouraged to take a computerized AR test. The tests range from 5, 10, 15, or 20 questions depending on the level of the book and students are awarded points based on the number of correct answers and book level. Accelerated Reader also allows teachers to access reports based on the AR Tests to determine if a student is comprehending what is being read, if the goals are appropriate, and if interventions are needed to support specific reading skills.

Many students naturally develop of a love of reading on their own or from positive experiences with books early on. They have the intrinsic motivation to read simply for the joy and satisfaction it brings them. Along with working to develop the intrinsic motivation to read, we also use extrinsic motivation to encourage those who are not as likely to pick up a book to read for fun. It is our purpose to encourage every student to read, to learn to love reading, and become lifelong learners. We also want to teach children to work towards a goal and to know that persistence and dedication pay off. Each quarter, students who meet their individualized goal get to take part in a school-wide celebration. Keep in mind, this is not a contest or a one size fits all accomplishment. The goals are personal, level appropriate, and attainable. The purpose is to create as many readers as we can by getting them to read and be excited about it. The prize in the end is a celebration of determination and meeting a goal along with increased confidence in their ability to read.

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• November 20 - No KIDSS
• November 21- 25 - No School - Happy Thanksgiving!
• November 24 - Light Up Night Caroling
• December 6 - Christmas Program - Grades K-3, 7 p.m.
• December 13 - Christmas Program - Grades 4-6, 7 p.m.
• December 20 - Early Dismissal/Teacher Inservice 1:30 p.m.
• December 21 - January 2 - No School - Christmas Break
• January 3 - Classes Resume

Light Up Night Caroling!!! DCE students in Grades 3-6 are invited to come sing downtown on Light Up Night in front of the Court House at 6:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 24. Come spread holiday cheer to our community!