Principal Letter - First Quarter

October 17, 2014 

Prairie Branch Families,

It is hard to believe that we have completed our first quarter of the 2014-2015 school year!  We are off to a wonderful start and the high caliber of teaching and learning here at Prairie Branch continues to be very impressive! 

As we move into 2^nd quarter, I want to make you aware of a few happenings here at Prairie Branch.

All Pro Dad is a program that is being led by Jarrod Steffens, GVHS Assistant Principal and PB parent.  We have had two meetings and many dads have shown interest.  This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with your kids at school through topics such as teamwork, acceptance, communication, etc. Meetings are the first Wednesday of each month from 7:45-8:30AM and breakfast is provided. 

First Baptist Church of Blue Springs will begin a second campus here at PB, called the Valley Campus.  If you happen to drive by the school on a Sunday morning around 10:00AM and notice a full parking lot, this is what is happening here!  Anyone is welcome to attend their services.  We are excited about this connection as FBC Blue Springs is partnering with Prairie Branch in a new district program called Bright Futures.  This program is an extension of services here at school; a partnership that inspires educational achievement and develops community success. We are looking forward to working with FBC Blue Springs to meet the needs of our students and to give them the brightest future possible!

Lastly, Parent/Teacher Conferences are next week!  Prairie Branch teachers are ready to share student progress, concerns, and successes, as well as strategies to help build the partnership between school and home.  This is such an important tool for both parents and teachers.  Teachers plan to meet with every student’s parent/guardian.  

Thank you so much for a wonderful start to the 2014-2015 school year!  We look forward to continuing in growth and partnership with you to ensure student success. 

Sincerely,

Heather Gross, Principal

Prairie Branch Elementary

Grain Valley R-5 School District

 

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon – Be Proactive: Make Good Choices Week

Monday, Oct. 20^th “Follow Your Dreams- Don’t Do Drugs?” Day - Wear pajamas to show your pledge to make good choices so you can follow your dreams.  This day will emphasize the choices you make now and how it affects your future!

 

Tuesday,  Oct. 21^st   “Use your HEAD- Stay Drug Free” Day - Wear hats, wigs, or crazy hair to symbolize our “thinking” to make safe and healthy choices for drug-free living!  We will emphasize the importance of “using our HEADS” and recognizing thinking comes before good choices. 

 

Wednesday, Oct. 22^nd  “Exercise your Brain” Day – ”Workout” your brain making good choices while wearing your sweat pants, sweatshirts and your tennis shoes.  Let’s show our commitment to a drug free life!

Maternity Leave

Mrs. Ratcliff has officially taken over the duties in the classroom as our family of five grew once more with the birth of Adam Edward Twiehaus yesterday morning. He is absolutely perfect! 

The class is in wonderful hands with Mrs. Ratcliff and I will be in close contact with her over the next 6 weeks. I will return to the classroom on Monday, December 1st.

Thank you again for all of your support and I will talk to you all very soon! 

Take care,

Mrs. Twiehaus

Class Surprise!

In September, our class won the Papa John's pizza party and this afternoon I will surprise the kids! It will be a fun way to end our week and celebrate their hard work during first quarter. I made this video to share with them as well. I am excited to see their progress as the year continues. 

Thank you again for all of your support!

Classroom Update

Good morning,

I apologize for not making an update over the course of the also couple of weeks. I was successfully able to meet with all parents! I really appreciate your time and commitment for these meetings. I truly believe your child's education is a dual partnership between home and school and parent communication is vital. Thank you for giving me more insight with your child so I can better meet their needs this year.

Here are the skills we are currently working on in class.

Reader's Workshop 

This week we have been focusing on finding the theme in a narrative text. This can be a difficult skill and is one we will work on all year long. Conversations about the books your child is reading at home can help facilitate the development of this skill. Next week, we will begin focusing on the story elements of narrative text.

Writer's Workshop  

We have published writers in room 114! The kids have all completed final copies of their realistic fiction pieces. We made copies to post in the hallway after they shared with their classmates, but the copies were also sent home. Please be sure to ask your child to share their writing with you! I am so proud of what the accomplished.

We are in the works of developing an understanding of the next genre we will be working on. Students will be writing personal persuasive essays. We will work hard on developing the format of a five paragraph essay and using strong evidence to support our thoughts and opinions. They have already brainstormed some excellent ideas!

Math 

In math, we have started our multiplication study for the year. As we visit other skills and refine skills learned in third grade, our strong focus this year will be multiplication. Please help support your child at home by encouraging them to focus on multiplication facts at home. We will start timed tests after returning from winter break in January. Extra focus at home will be very beneficial for the students with their accuracy and fluency.

Science 

We have tested over the scientific method and goals will be coming home with the students on Monday. We will continue to work on the scientific method all year through scientific investigations. It is important to have a common vocabulary we can refer to through conversations.

Social Studies

We will begin a new social studies unit next week in preparation for our upcoming field trip to Jefferson City. Students will review the three branches of government, their roles as citizens, as well as features of our state capital.

McTeacher Night

Please make plans to attend our McTeacher Night this coming Tuesday night, October 7th between 4-8 pm at the Grain Valley McDonald's. There are several teachers willing to get a pie in their face if they receive the most tips. It is always an enjoyable night and I hope to see you there!