COMANCHE COMMUNICATOR
Comanche Elementary
“Where Children Come First”
www.aps.edu/aps/comanche/index./html
October 30, 2009
Dear Comanche Community,
I continue to be one proud principal as I observe your children working in their classrooms on increasing their reading skills. Last week your students enjoyed listening to Joe Hayes, a professional storyteller, in our school Library. We all give kudos to Mrs. McDonald for inviting Joe Hayes to present to our Comanche cubs. If your children haven’t already told you about Joe Hayes, I invite you to ask them about a story he shared. By providing the opportunity for our cubs to listen to a storyteller, it reinforces our belief that children need to be read to everyday. As you know, Comanche staff and parents continue to support our school goal of home to school- school to home support. Together we can make a difference in strengthening our children’s reading skills. Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher as to ways you may help strengthen reading skills at home. Also, you may contact your child’s teacher or me if you are interested in reading to children once a week at Comanche.
I continue to appreciate your support!
Sincerely,
Rena Highland
Vision Statement:: An Open Door, An Open Mind, An Open Heart
Comanche will be an exciting, team oriented (staff, students, parents) organization where diversity is encouraged and effectiveness is valued. All staff members will be involved in decision making and collaborating to best meet children’s needs in the areas of academics, problem solving, social skills, cooperative learning and creativity. We at Comanche are dedicated to providing all children with successful school experiences as a prerequisite for a lifetime of learning.
Highland’s Homework
Reading is Fundamental
Reading Aloud
Research and practice show that one simple activity — reading aloud — is the best way to prepare children for learning to read and to keep them reading as they learn and grow. Reading aloud helps your children develop the language skills that they will use in school and throughout their lives.
Reading aloud also creates a special time for you to bond with your children. Cuddle together as you share adventures. Laugh at silly characters, root for heroes, and wag your fingers at villains. And do it together. At the same time, you'll be helping your children develop a lifelong appreciation for reading.
Why read aloud? Because reading aloud:
Please Note:
Comanche will be having a storyteller in the Library on Nov.19th from 6:30 -7:30pm.
Short messages from Mr. Bevan.
For the first trimester in Wellness we have been covering a wide variety of activities from Soccer to Basketball. We will be doing stations through out the year. Stations target gross motor skills in a smaller group setting. By having students in a smaller group setting it allows more one-on-one interaction between teacher and student. Also included in the trimester will be rules for the playground, as well as my own rules and expectations. The other part of Wellness is Health. This trimester students will be learning about their bones, ranging from their lower bones to their upper bones. To close the trimester we will have an introduction to the food pyramid and heart rates.
In Wellness this year your children will be graded on the Standard Based Report Card. Wellness will use the same number system as Comanche’s classroom teachers; 1, 2, 3 and 4. There is a Wellness Rubric posted in the gym and the office has a copy, if you need one. If you have any questions, please call or stop by.
Here is a friendly reminder: Please take your children out for at least 30 min. every day during the week to get some sort of exercise. It will keep them in shape and help them stay on target when they are doing academics.
Swimming starts in the month of April. We will need parent volunteers that have had an APS background check. Parents that have a background check can walk students from school to the pool. These parents can help keep this amazing unit going, so our teachers don’t have to give up their prep time. If you have any questions, please call me at 884-5275.
Congratulations to:
10/02/2009
Dayavi S.
Binh W.
Sylvia E.
Sarah Y.
Santiago G.
Carly S.
10/08/2009
Richard W.
Autumn P.
Gabriel M.
Elijah P.
Netayna T.
Brandon Lucero
10/16/2009
Anthony F.
Jairo V.
Xavier H.
Kevin D.
Jared S.
Miranda L.
10/23/2009
Shayla T.
Tyler S.
Elijah H.
Hayley Z.
Riley R.
Victoria J.
10/30/2009
Emma T.
Emma B.
Savannah U.
Justin T.
Steven V.
Karla C.
Book Fair
Dates & Time that it is open:
11/16 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
11/17 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
11/18 8:30 am - 1:30 pm
11/19 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Story Teller
11/20 8:30 am – 12:00
It’s a simply safe way for kids to learn and talk about books. http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/index.asp
Fingerprinting protocol has changed. If you were fingerprinted AFTER the date of October 1, 2009, there will be an ID card issued that states your clearance as well as the date of expiration. This card will be available for you to pick up in the office during regular hours. We will not be sending any clearance cards home with students. Please keep this card with you to present as the need arises. All volunteers that were cleared prior to October 1, 2009 are recorded in the office. We have your clearance on file. You will not receive a card.
APS has decided this will be a better way to track volunteers. Thank you for your support through these changes, our volunteer help is always needed and appreciated!
Dates To Remember:
Nov. 4th Crazy Hair Day
Nov. 7th Harvest Festival
11:00-2:00pmNov. 11th Veterans Day
No SchoolNov. 16th- Book Fair
Nov. 20th in the GymNov. 18th First Grade Parent
LuncheonNov. 25th – 27th Thanksgiving Break
No SchoolDec. 1st Family Science Night
6:00 – 7:00pmDec. 3rd- 4th Parent Conferences
No SchoolDec. 21st- Winter Break
Jan. 3rd No School
PTA CORNER:
Entertainment Books: The order forms are due! You need to get them in as soon as possible. Books are at the school and ready to be delivered. Within this week they will be sent back, so this is your last chance to buy one!
Box Tops: There are a lot of box tops that expire in December so check your cupboards and pantries and take them off now and turn them in! The next pick up will be a little early due to Thanksgiving; it will be November 18th. The “Batty for Box Tops” was a huge success. A total of 151 collection sheets were turned in. The winners of a pumpkin were:
Abrianna T., Kindergarten
Kendall E., 1st grade
Stefan L., 2nd grade
Joe B., 3rd grade
Miranda L., 4th grade
Emily A., 5th grade
Jack S. received a pumpkin for turning in 25 collection sheets. WOW!
Campbell’s Soup Labels: We are going to start doing this program again and will be able to use the rewards to attain new items for Wellness. Help us and Mr. Bevan by turning them in!! There are more items than you think that count towards this program. Here are a few and we will send home a complete list at a later date. Campbell’s soups, Spaghetti O’s, V-8 soups, Campbell’s bean products, tomato juices, gravies, and chili. Prego Italian sauces, Franco-American gravies, Pepperidge Farm breads, croutons, rolls, and stuffing, Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers and grahams, Swanson Broth and canned chicken as well as cooking stock. We can also collect the caps off all V-8 Splash juice drinks, Splash smoothies, 100% Vegetable juice, and V-Fusion 100% juice.
Harvest Festival: It’s coming and is only a week away!! Come out and enjoy the activities and food on November 7th from 11:00am-2:00pm. If you still want to sponsor a booth or volunteer to help please contact Jeni Jones WE STILL REALLY NEED $50 BOOTH DONATIONS!
Book Fair: The Scholastic Book Fair is November 16th – 20th in the Comanche Gym. It is not during Parent Teacher Conferences this year due to the new scheduling. The Book Fair will be open on M,T,TH from 8:30-4:30 and on Wednesday from 8:30-1:30 and Friday will be from 8:30-12:00. New this year we will be having a nighttime storyteller event from 6:30-7:30 in the library on Thursday, 11/19. There will be goodies and giveaways so be sure to mark your calendar and join us that night for some fun!
ANSC: Win a 22” flat screen TV! Anyone who volunteers for 5 hours or donates $15 will be entered in a drawing for the TV. The drawing will be held over winter break and the winner will be contacted. If you wish to donate or volunteer, please contact Sally Nicholson.
Family Restaurant Night Out: Join us at Village Inn on Tuesday, November 10th from 4:00pm-8:00pm for a night out and to make some money for Comanche. A flyer will come home right before with all of the details. If you don’t want to go eat dinner, go pick up a pie and part of those proceeds also benefit Comanche. Hope to see you there.
Set your clocks back 1 hour this weekend!
We do not serve a Thanksgiving lunch. Comanche has lunches for every grade level per month.
Next Communicator issue
Nov. 20, 2009