WLC News 01.27.12

Primary
We finished up our unit on winter talking about migration. We sorted animals that hibernate and ones that migrate. We began a new unit of study that focuses on safety and health: “A Healthy Me, A Balanced Me.” Nurse Rate led a lesson on hand washing. She read the book Felicity Floo Visits the Zoo, then we did a glo-germ activity to see if hand sanitizer, water alone, or water with soap and warm water got hands the cleanest. We read a book about healthy behaviors and students wrote things they know about being healthy and things they want to know about health. Younger math students started a new unit last week on Measuring and Counting. The first couple weeks focus on measurement.

Intermediate
Students have turned in the questions that will guide their research on independent projects and should now be doing their research.Since early December, we have used a website called IXL. This is a comprehensive math practice site with math questions in hundreds of skills — all of which are aligned to Wyoming’s state standards in math. Your child can access IXL from home, giving you a chance to see your child’s progress.

In Mr. Foy’s math group students constructed 1,000 charts from groups of 100 to be able to locate specific numbers within these charts. They were also introduced to Collection Cards as a story context for solving addition and sub-traction problems. Mr. Sallade’s math group be-gan a new unit called, Stickers, String and Story Problems, where we will focus on counting and quantity, composition of numbers and the opera-tions of addition and subtraction.

Middle School 6th
We concluded our statistics unit with a test last week and began our second fractions unit, Bits and Pieces II. This unit focuses on estimation, application, and computation of fractions at the next level of complexity.

Developments are coming fast and furious in our class novel Tuck Everlasting. Also last week, Mr. Rickabaugh used the Read Naturally benchmark assessment to have each student read three different passages to him individually. This allows us to determine a fluency rate and start students off in the program at the correct level. We feel good about this individualized computer-based reading program, because we think we can use it as a valuable supplement to what we’re already doing, but still allow students personal reading choices, whole group novels, and smaller novel groups.

Students turned in project final papers last week and presentation proposals were due this week. We went over the requirements for that assign-ment and discussed a whole range of possible approaches to presentations. WLC students are encouraged to make every project better than the last one, so they can realize and appreciate personal growth. Please encourage and support them through this process. The opportunities ex-tended to our students through these projects are invaluable in terms of life skills. With Ameri-can education’s—and our own district’s—current narrow focus on data and testing, this type of experience is becoming rare in schools; speaking and presentations skills are not on the tests. But time and again our former students and parents return to tell us how valuable these experiences were.

Middle School 7th/8th
Independent Project papers and plans were due last week. Students should now be working on putting their presentation together. Project presentations will begin in February, and project presentation night is Tuesday, Feb. 28.

The end of the current reporting term is Feb. 3. Students should be sure to have all work com-pleted by that time. Conferences begin Tuesday, Feb. 7, and student reflections and teacher reports will be given at that time.

Many students, especially those in 7th grade, are still struggling with meeting work deadlines. We are working on this, but your support at home is helpful. Our students have a lot of independence in their work, and we need to trust that they are doing what they need to do. If not, we would have to change to a more micro-managed model.

District Parent Group
The district’s parent group, “Connections: Connecting students, families and community,” (formerly PCAC) is inviting parents/guardians from all schools to become members. It is free to join. The group meets once a month at the dis-trict’s Central Services Facility, 970 N. Glenn Rd. The meetings are held during the lunch hour and lunch is provided. Parents/guardians are invited to ask questions and voice concerns. Attendees hear updates from district leadership so they may go back to their school and pass on accur-ate information, direct “from the horse’s mouth.”

Find information on Facebook or on the district’s website http://www.natronaschools.org/view_department.php?id=122&name=Connections For more information, call Michelle Wallace-Frank at 253-5222.

Game Club
Game Club meets from 3:15 – 4:15 on Monday and Wednesday afternoons in the Intermediate classroom. A variety of board, math and card games are available. Those who attend may bring games from home to play. Meeting dates are Jan. 30, and Feb. 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 22, 27 and 29. All are welcome.

Orientation
WLC has received approval from the District to require parents/guardians of prospective students to attend an orientation prior to enrollment in our program. Attending an orientation will help parents have the information necessary to make the best decisions for their children.

WLC will hold an orientation Thursday, Feb. 9 at 8:30 a.m. for parents interested in learning more about the program. If you know anyone who may be interested in enrolling their children at WLC, please let them know about this orientation. They may contact Pam Hopkins at 253-3900 for additional information.

Thank You
Thank you to the Sharpe family for the donation of books to the library/Recycle Your Read.

Recycle Your Read—Donations Needed
Do you have books your child has read and lov-ed that now are collecting dust? Recycle them by donating them to the WLC library for the 3rd annual Recycle Your Read that will be held near Earth Day 2012. Please send your donations of gently used children’s books, appropriate for K – 8th grade students, to the WLC library. Students will be invited to select books from those donated.

Woods Learning Center Mission
Our mission is to guide children to become inquisitive, responsive, and creative citizens of our community and world by establishing a foundation for lifelong learning in an environ-ment of democratic participation.

Volunteer Opportunities
In an effort to provide parents opportunities to fulfill their parent volunteer hours and become involved in the school and community service projects organized by WLC, the newsletter pub-lishes opportunities for them to volunteer their time. Opportunities both inside and outside school will enable inclusion of parents with a variety of schedules.

• Lunchroom/Playground Volunteers Parents are invited to eat lunch with their children and accompany them to the playground for recess.
• Crossing Guards Volunteers are needed to serve as crossing guards after school from 3:15 – 3:35. Contact Pam Hopkins.

Pack Ink Cartridges for Recycling WLC re-cycles ink cartridges for cash. Pack and prepare boxes for mailing. This needs to be taken care of every month or two. Contact Mary O’Connor.

Coming Events

• Second Trimester Parent/Student/Teacher Con-ferences Tuesday, Feb. 7 from 4 – 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9 4 – 7 p.m. and Friday, Feb. 10 1 – 4 p.m. Watch for additional information.
• Orientation Thursday, Feb. 9 at 8:30 a.m. The orien-tation is for parent/guardians interested in learning more about the program. If you know of anyone who may be interested in enrolling their children at WLC, please let them know about this orientation. Contact Pam Hopkins at 253-3900 for additional information.
• District Scheduled Professional Development Days Feb. 16 & 17. School will not be in session.
• Presidents’ Day Monday, Feb. 20. School will not be in session.
• Teton Science School 6th Grade Trip Tuesday, Feb. 21 – Friday, Feb. 24.
• Middle School Project Presentation Night Tues-day, Feb. 28.

Homework Club Before- and after-school for stu-dents in grades 4–8. Morning sessions—Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 – 8 a.m. Afternoon ses-sions—Monday through Thursday from 3:15 – 3:45 p.m. Snacks are provided.

Snack Cart Fundraiser Students in the UI pod will sell snacks after school to raise money for the class trip to Washington D.C. and NYC in May. Snacks will be sold from 3:15 – 3:30 p.m. at the south end of the building Monday – Thursday afternoon. Snacks sell for $1 or less.

Box Tops for Education WLC is collecting Box Tops for Education labels that are redeemable for cash. Labels are on selected General Mills products. Please save these labels and send them in to the WLC office.

Cash For Trash Fundraiser WLC collects empty laser and inkjet printer cartridges from students, par-ents, or businesses and trades them for cash. If you have cartridges from your home, place of employ-ment, or another source, please send them in to the WLC office.

Aluminum Cans Recycling WLC collects aluminum cans as a fundraiser. If you would like to donate your cans to the school, please bag them and deposit them next to the receptacle north of the building in the parking lot. Students will place the cans in the receptacle.

Safeway/Albertsons Gift Cards Safeway and Albertsons gift cards are available at the WLC office in a variety of denominations. They can be used like cash to make purchases at Safeway and Albertson stores. This program is a fundraiser for the Woods PTC. Please contact Mary O’Connor for more information.

Information Please
Look for the Woods Learning Center News weekly in your child’s Friday folder. If you have information to include, please leave it in Judy Neal’s box in the staff mailroom by 3:15 Thursdays, email her at judy_neal@natronaschools.org, or call her at 253-3900.