Huy Elementary/A. G. Bell School

1. Eagle Eagle The The Gazette Gazette Huy Elementary/A. G. Bell School 1545 Huy Road Columbus, Ohio 43224 Mission:Each student is highly educated, prepared for leadership and service, and empowered for success as a citizen in a global community. Bird’s Eye View Special Events for the Month of April 1 - PTA Meeting 6:00 p.m. 2 – Awards Assemblies Kindergarten – 1:30 1st and 2nd – 2:00 3rd thru 5t – 2:40 8 – Kindergarten students go to the zoo. 11 - Parent Breakfast for Preschool Students 14-21 – Spring Break 22 – Return to School from Spring Break 23 – Ident-A-Kid 30 – Interim Reports Sent home News from the Principal’s Perch Dear Parents, Students and staff members are so pleased to see the arrival of spring and warmer temperatures. April is a busy month as many important events will occur. Please review the list of special events in this newsletter for additional details. Spring break will occur from April 14—April 21. All students and staff will return to school on Tuesday, April 22, 2014. Our preschool students will participate in the annual Parent Breakfast on Friday, April 11, 2014. The theme for the preschool breakfast this year is Nursery Rhymes. This activity will culminate our celebration of reading with a school-wide book fair during the week of April 7th. Many thanks to the preschool teachers for their willingness to work cooperatively on this event! Our school rules are important and we review them together each day. Several parents have expressed concerns about bullying at school. One of the best ways to prevent bullying is to talk about bullying behaviors with your child. Bullying is what happens when someone repeatedly hurts or threatens another person on purpose. Bullying has serious consequences and is not acceptable. Teach your child non-violent ways to deal with bullies, like walking away or talking it out. You may wish to role-play bullying scenarios with your child. Help your child to act with self-confidence. Practice walking upright, looking others in the eye and speaking clearly. Do not encourage your child to fight. He or she could get hurt, get into more trouble, or create more serious problems. Classroom teachers and our school counselor take reports of bullying behavior seriously. Please contact the school counselor if you need additional information. The Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA) will be given to all third, fourth and fifth grade students beginning May 7,8, and 9 2014. Successful test-takers are confident, prepared, relaxed and well-rested. You may help at home by reassuring your child, ensuring a good nights rest before the test, and providing a healthy breakfast. Encourage your child to overcome test anxiety by practicing positive thinking! The Ohio Achievement Assessment measures how your child is doing compared with other students, schools and districts in Ohio. The test also shows areas that may need additional work. The test results are expected to arrive in June, 2014. This is the first year that third grade students who do not pass the reading section of the OAA face retention in the third grade. Please practice reading together everyday……at all grade levels! Marcia Orvets, Principal http://www.columbus.k12.oh.us/applications/schoolwebsites/SchoolProfile.nsf/(WebHome2)/Huy_Elementary_and_A.G._Bell_Program Volume 3 Issue 7 April 2014 Columbus City Schools does not discriminate because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex or handicap.

2. Nest Notes News from the Classroom Nest Notes News from the Classroom News From Preschool I Greetings from Preschool I! During the month of March we wrapped up our units on winter and shapes. We are ready for warmer weather and our unit on Spring during the month of April. We will read stories and participate in many fun activities about bugs, animals and plants. On April 11th we hope all parents will be able to attend our annual Parent Breakfast. The children are preparing a special program that will be followed by breakfast. News From Kindergarten Can you believe how fast this year is flying by! The kindergarten class has come so far this year! Thanks for all the hard work you do with them at home! We celebrated Dr. Suess’s birthday in March by reading many of his stories and working on rhyming words! Rhyming is so much fun! We have focused our attention on decoding (reading) CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. The students are segmenting and blending sounds to read words! Comprehension is an important component of reading and language development. We are constantly asking the students “who?”, “what?”, “when?”, “where?”, and “why”. In writing, we learned about writing our opinions. We also learned about nouns and verbs. In math, we have been learning our 2D and 3D shapes. We explored them, sorted, counted, and discussed them. Ask your child to find a square, triangle, circle, rectangle, cone, sphere, cube, and cylinder in the world around them. In science, we learned about what we see in the sky during the day and at night. We have two exciting trips coming up- Columbus Zoo and Slate Run Historical Farm! We can’t wait to learn about animals and history! Thanks again for all you do! Mrs. Pyle, Mrs. Mickley, Miss Kathy, Mrs. Lewis, Ms. Lustic, Mrs. Peebles, and Mrs. Whitson News From Preschool II It is hard to believe that the third nine weeks has ended, but we are entering the home stretch with excitement. We recently studied transportation; we discussed everything from cars to dump trucks. We did an experiment to see what vehicles would roll down a ramp easily; we discovered that some needed a steeper ramp. We have studied oceans by very closely observing shells, sand dollars, etc. We also had an opportunity to try out some snorkeling gear. We looked pretty funny, but a good time was had by all… We are very excited to welcome spring. We will be observing our environment for signs of spring – should be great fun! We are very fortunate in that OSU Poultry Science will again be bringing an incubator so that we can watch chicks hatch – a sure sign of spring. We are continuing to learn the sounds that are represented by the letters of the alphabet and blending and segmenting some words. We’ve had a great year and expect the final quarter to be great as well. Thanks for all you do to support your child’s learning! 2

3. Nest Notes News from the Classroom Nest Notes News from the Classroom News From First Grade Reading: Our comprehension focus is working on retelling stories and summarizing (beginning, middle, end), describing the setting, and characters. We encourage you to have your child read each night and have them retell the story to you. Students should read 20 minutes each night to build fluency, comprehension, and confidence! Mathematics: We are continuing to work with numbers and operations and will Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem. Students will also use charts, tables, and diagrams to solve problems. Social Studies: Students will learn about production/consumption, places and regions, goods/services, and taking care of the earth. Science: Students will learn basic needs of living things and how living things survive only in environments that meet their needs. *As the weather is changing, please be sure that your child is dressed appropriately for weather. Most days we have outdoor recess* *Please continue to monitor homework assignments for completion and comprehension* *Classroom supplies are running low. Please consider replenishing your student’s supplies* News From Second Grade Second graders have been hard at work improving our reading fluency and comprehension skills. We will be studying cause and effect relationships along with problem/solution. As your child reads each evening ask them… What happened to . . . What caused ___ to happen? (cause/effect). These comprehension questions will help to check that your child is understanding what they are reading. Please continue to sign daily communication logs. Your support is greatly appreciated! In Math, the second graders are learning all about money. Students will learn the value of coins and dollars. We will solve word problems with dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies and learn how and when to use $ and ₵ signs. You can practice at home with your child by letting them add up spare change or giving them an amount and asking them to find the coins that equal that amount. You could also challenge them to find multiple ways to get the same amount. Having your child skip count by 5’s and 10’s is a wonderful way to help them mentally add coins. The students will be busy learning about Life Science this month in Science! They will learn and understand that Living things that once lived on Earth no longer exist and that their basic needs were no longer met. Students will observe and ask questions about the natural environment through fun experiments! All second graders will be studying history, government, and economics over the next nine weeks. Please talk with them about community workers, transportation, shopping for goods, earning money, community services, and community leaders. Second graders from Mrs. Cerino’s and Mrs. Hancock’s classes had a presentation by guest, Dr. Alan Chute. This presentation was applicable to both Social Studies and Science. Dr. Chute shared photos of animals in the wild from South Africa from his photo safari there. The students were also able to talk (Skype) with his daughter who is living and teaching in South Africa (8,000 miles away)! They not only saw photos of animals in the wild but also how people live, work, and go to school there. The students were able to ask questions about weather, animals, school and how people use their environment to make homes and earn a living. News From Third Grade The 3rd graders are busy learning math and reading strategies for the OAA in May. Please continue to read with your child every night to help them with fluency and comprehension. We are still working with measurement in math. Students are expected to understand concepts of area and how to relate area to multiplication and to addition. It is very important that all students memorize the multiplication facts. We will also be solving problems involving measurement and estimation of time, liquid volumes, and masses of objects. In reading, it is essential that your child read aloud to you every night because fluent readers have a greater chance at reading and understanding the questions and writing correct answers on the reading OAA. Thank you for your cooperation. The testing days are May 8th for the Reading OAA and May 8th for the Math OAA. Please be sure that your child gets plenty of rest and a good breakfast on those days. If your child does not pass the reading OAA in May he/she will be retained. Mrs. Dreyer and Mrs. Murdick 3

4. Nest Notes News from the Classroom Nest Notes News from the Classroom News From Fourth Grade Parents, please be sure your child is in school on time each day. Students are missing a lot of instruction by coming in late. Also, please do not pick up your child early unless he or she has a doctor or dentist appointment or a true emergency. Every minute counts! Please make sure that your child is getting enough sleep each night so he or she is alert and prepared to learn. In Reading we are learning about main idea, supporting details, and figurative language. We are continuing to do practice tests to prepare the students for the OAA in Reading. Please be sure your child is reading for at least 20 minutes daily to build fluency, accuracy and comprehension. For our writing portfolio this quarter, the students will write an informational /explanatory piece. In Math students are mastering concepts about angles and learning to draw the different types such as acute, obtuse, straight, reflex and right angles with protractors. They will learn to label and name angles and will learn about interior and exterior angle measures. We are also doing practice tests and homework to prepare for the Math OAA. For Science the beginning of the 4th quarter will cover landforms, weathering and erosion. In Social Studies we are studying transportation and resources in Ohio, production and consumption and geography skills, and government rules and laws. Our Health curriculum is on consumer and community health and environmental health. Topics include recycling, water safety and injury prevention. Reminder: The 4th grade “All That Jazz” field trip has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 10. The permission slips that you have already signed and submitted will be used. The new dates for the OAA for 4th graders are Wednesday, May 7 for Reading and Thursday, May 8 for Math. Please do not schedule any doctor or dentist appointments or any other events on these days. Thank you. News From Fifth Grade Spring is here!!!! Please remind your children that we are at school to learn. Although we want your children to build friendships and be able to appropriately socialize we need to focus on learning. Our friends from the Columbus Zoo have been back each month. The end of the year family zoo trip is coming up in May. It is always a lot of fun. There is free food, gifts, wrist bands to ride all day, educational programs, and free transportation. Be on the look out for flyers coming home about this experience. In Math, we have been working on volume and measurement. We will be starting a new unit on geometry soon. We are revisiting fractions and other concepts we worked on earlier in the year. Please remind your child that they can always get on their first in math and reflex math at home Be looking for practice Math and Reading OAA packets coming home. These are a good way to get ready for the test. Reviewing the vocabulary, looking at the way the questions are printed on the page and being aware of what is expected is a great way to prepare. Testing dates have been changed to after spring break. The new dates are May 7th, 8th, and 9th. Please make sure your child attends school everyday, gets plenty of rest, eats breakfast and arrives on time. Studies show that children do better on tests when they are well rested and eat a good, healthy breakfast. Our field trip to the Art Museum was amazing! We had high expectations for our students’ behavior and they made us very proud. The docents complimented them on their behavior and their impressive questions and answers about the art work. We are focusing on Reading and Writing across every subject area. It is important for your child to read every day! We encourage you to read with your child. 4

5. Nest Notes News from the Classroom News From Math Understanding Math Concepts Mathematical Practice #8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning Younger students can see number patterns. Older students notice when calculations are repeated. • MATH ACTIVITIES • Play the Top It Game to build mental math skills • Materials: A deck of cards (remove Jacks, Queens, Kings) • Card Values: Each card, 1 – 10, is worth that number of points • How to Play: • Pass an equal number of cards to each player. • At the same time, all players turn over two cards and add the numbers shown. Each player announces their sum for the other players to check. The player with the largest sum “tops it”; he/she gathers all cards to put on the bottom of his/her deck. • Play continues until one person runs out of cards. The player with the most cards wins. • Variations: • Subtraction: Players subtract their numbers. Player with the greatest difference “tops it”. • Multiplication: Players multiply their numbers. Player with the greatest product “tops it”. 5

6. Nest Notes News from the Classroom Nest Notes News from the Classroom News From Reading Due to the number of calamity days this year the Spring OAA has been move to May 7-9. Third-fifth grades will take the reading test on May 7. This later date gives teachers more time to prepare your children for the test. For third graders this will determine if they pass on to fourth grade. If you don’t know your child’s current status please confer with their teacher. Please make sure your child is reading at least 20 minutes every night. If you need suggestions on ways to help your child be successful on the test, please contact their teacher or Mrs. Manley. • Counselor’s Corner • Family meetings provide an excellent forum to use a problem- solving process. • Guidelines for these meetings can include: • Hold meetings at a regular scheduled time each week. • Agree on the rules for the meeting. Rules may include taking turns talking, listening when others are speaking and permitting parents to veto problem-solving items. • Don’t problem-solve an item unless it’s negotiable. • Pick solutions by consensus. • Stop the meeting or take a break if one person becomes angry or upset. 6

7. H u y / A . G . B e l l N e w s • Good Citizen Award • Good Citizen Award • We are respectful • We are safe • We are here • We are responsible • Other characteristics of our Good Citizens are: • demonstrating positive character traits • being a good friend in class or around the school • being helpful to classmates, the teacher and others • Our Good Citizens will receive the following rewards: • Photo taken and posted in the main hallway • Special lunch provided by the school and shared with other Good Citizens at the table of honor • Name listed in the monthly newsletter • All Good Citizens will be acknowledged at lunch time... their name will be announced and a special button will be awarded • Good Citizens will be recognized at the quarterly awards assembly. • Here are our Good Citizens for the month of March: Awards for good citizenship continued during the month of March. Each class will have one GoodCitizen per month. TeacherStudent Adkins Dreyer Darius Baker Gasser James Tucker Gill Grice Conner Parker Hancock Jacob Kreider Iverson Anna Bartley Jemison Kylie Harris Johnson Kaelynn Anderson Lewis Siham Matan Lustic Lily Ansel Mickley Alex Olea Montgomery Tavonte Johnson TeacherStudent Murdick Lovando Kenney Peebles Daniel Connell Pyle Natalie Hogan Royse Mustafa Abderkarim Sargent Jeadne Bost Scott Anika Cartharn Shough Christian Devore Cerino Timmy Williams Smith Ellis Davidson Wetmore Raquell Stokes Whitson Zach Frank Wilcox Rubi Cruz 7