The James Journal

Thank You for a Great Year!

 

May 28, 2009

 

Dear Parents and Students:                                  

 

          Your first week of summer has hopefully been a time of fun and relaxation; it has been a time of reflection for me. As I have cleaned my room, carefully placed you in 5^th grade classes for next year, and compiled your report card envelopes, the recent memories of our time together have brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart!

 

          You are all very special people! My first year at Garrison Mill has been full and rich because of you. I want to thank you for the way you welcomed me, supported my efforts to help you grow as learners and showed genuine generosity in your gifts of appreciation. It was an honor to work with all of you!

 

          Enjoy your much deserved summer break and please come say “hello” next year!

 

                                                                   Fondly,

                                                         

                                                                  

Mrs. Audra James

Relay for Life Luminaries

Dear Garrison Mill Families,

The Relay for Life team will be selling luminaries that will be used in the opening ceremony on Friday Night at the RFL Event at Jim Miller Park.  The luminaries are used to remember those we have lost, celebrate those that have battled and won and to give hope to those who still fight the battle with cancer.

The luminaries can be decorated by the family, they are $5.00 a piece. We will be selling them at reading night tonight, at the PTA meeting on Thursday or anytime this week in Mrs. Longyear's classroom. We will need all money and bags by 2:30 on Friday!

Thank you so much for your support!

CRCT Testing Begins This Tuesday

Dear Parent(s):

With the CRCT Testing beginning at 8:00 am every day starting this Tuesday through next Monday, I have some ideas to share with you. You all have endured these times of testing with your children for several years now. The most important thing is for your child to be on time to school. They will not be allowed to test if they are tardy which means make-ups the following week.

You know the ABCs: A- a lot of rest; B: breakfast is essential; and C: concentrate (nothing else in your life matters for the next 8 days) By the way, C was a joke! It can be all consuming, but my philosophy as a teacher and a mother is to keep it cool! Our children get their clues from us, so if we stay calm hopefully they will follow suit!

I would recommend that they bring 2-3 snacks, especially if they are not big breakfast eaters. Our lunch time will remain 10:50-11:21am. Our specials time will change to 11:30-12:00. PE will be Tu, Th, and Fri. Our recess will remain 1:25-1:45 pm.

Homework will be light or non-existent. Your child can focus on completing his research paper on the assigned American Revolutionary figure which is due on Friday the 24th. A folder was sent home with all the directions prior to Spring Break. If you need guidance, please e-mail me.

Last week, most of our instructional time was spent reviewing for the CRCT by revisiting many of the language arts, math, science, and social studies concepts we have covered this year. They are ready if they have been tuned in!

In Science, we began a new unit on Ecosystems and Animal Adaptations. This week, we will explore the subject through many labs and activities including our infamous owl pellet disection. Hopefully, this will give the students something to look forward to after mornings spent "bubbling in!"

Thank you to Pamela Wiggins for being our mystery reader last week. Thank you to Melinda Donalson for taking care of some much needed copying.

Happy Testing!!!

Mrs. James

Parent Workshop

All GM Parents are encouraged to attend a free parenting workshop this Thursday, April 16th, at 10:30 AM which will cover specific plans for parents to keep their children engaged and learning all summer. It is in the media center and it is for parents of students of all ages.

Your Teacher Appreciates You!

April 12,2009

I hope everyone has enjoyed Spring Break! 

I felt truly blessed and greatly appreciated by all of you during Teacher Appreciation Week. Thank you for all the special kindnesses! It was overwhelming to receive so much attention. The box of supplies will definitely enhance our classroom time together. Thanks to each of you for contributing something. The catered luncheon by PTA was yummy. A special thank you to Ms. Cabbill, Ms. Donalson, and Ms. Evans for covering my class and making a special book of notes from each student. It is a wonderful keepsake! Flowers filled my home with sweetness throughout the break thanks to your generousity.

I look forward to the next 6 weeks of learning that we will enjoy together! 

See you in the morning,

Mrs. James 

Boosterthon Fun Run

Dear Parents,

On behalf of everyone at Garrison Mill Elementary, I want to thank you for all your help in making this year's Boosterthon Fun Run a huge success!  Don't forget to come out tomorrow as your child runs for our school at 12:15 PM.  If we are rained out on Thursday, we will reschedule for Friday, April 3rd.

We are on track to make this a financially successful Fun Run, but WE NEED YOUR HELP over the next week in order to reach our financial goals.  The money for the Fun Run is due Tuesday, April 14th.  Please make checks payable to Garrison Mill Educational Foundation and place all money in your child's collection envelope.  Remember, all gifts are tax deductible!

Thank you again for all your support in making this year's Boosterthon Fun Run a tremendous success for our school.  Please feel free to contact me at anytime with questions regarding the Boosterthon Fun Run collection process!

Sincerely,

Patti Lavender
GMEF/4th Grade Liaison
Phone:  770-552-1162
Email:  drpattilavender@aol.com

Boosterthon Fun Run

Dear 4th Grade Parents,

The Boosterthon Fun Run is in full swing and we are excited about how well the 4th Grade students are doing!

Thank you so much for your support thus far. If you haven't had the opportunity to connect your students to potential sponsors yet, this weekend is a great time to get on board! We are offering a special "weekend challenge" prize.

As a reminder, here are some action steps you can take in order to help our school through the Boosterthon Fun Run:

1. Connect your child to multiple sponsors across the country who can pledge your student a dollar amount per lap (25-35 laps)

2. See how many states we can get for your class. The winning class will receive a party.

3. Remember to come to the Boosterthon Fun Run! Our class will be running on Thursday, April 2nd 12:30-1:15

Thank you again for all of your generous support and we hope to see you at the Fun Run next week!

Sincerely,

Patti Lavender
GMEF/4th Grade Liaison
Phone: 770-552-1162
Email: drpattilavender@aol.com

Boosterthon Fun Run

Dear Parents,

Hello!  My name is Patti Lavender and I am excited about the opportunity to serve as the GM Foundation liaison for 4th Grade.  It is my pleasure to introduce you all to the Boosterthon Fun Run, which kicked off today!  This will be the most fun event of our entire school year and with your help will also prove to be the most financially successful event of the year!  Please sit down with your child tonight and watch the "Gold Medal DVD" which explains the nature of this interactive program.

You are being asked to help in 3 specific ways:
1.  Connect your child to at least 10 different sponsors who can pledge them a dollar amount per lap (25-35 laps)
2.  See how many states you can get pledges from (the classroom with the most states will receive a Classroom Party!)
3.  Come to the Boosterthon Fun Run on Thursday, April 2nd from 12:30-1:15

I have met the Booster Team and their enthusiasm has already been a breath of fresh air to our teachers and students.  During their time on campus, they will be promoting FITNESS, EDUCATION, and CHARACTER to each of our children.  Be sure you ask your child about those Character traits!  If you have any questions about this program after watching the DVD and reading through your child's pledge book, please feel free to contact me at anytime.  Thank you so much for your generosity and we look forward to seeing you next week at the Fun Run!

Sincerely,

Patti Lavender
GMEF/4th Grade Liaison
Phone:  770-552-1162
Email:  drpattilavender@aol.com

Learning Continues and 3rd Nine Week Progress Reports Go Home

Dear Parent(s):                                                        February 20, 2009

This past Wednesday you received a detailed progress report of where your child stands at this point in the grading period which ends March 12th. Next Friday, Feb. 27th is the deadline for MIS, INC, and 0 to be rectified. All students conferenced individually with me over the past two days to receive assistance in improving their averages in every subject. Thank you for your support as we work together to help them be successful!

We have been learning despite my 3 1/2 days of abscence due to a case of the flu (and I actually get the flu shot every year, oh well!). Many students have been battling illness as well, and I am sure we are all looking forward to a healthier spring. Thank you to Mrs. Robertson and Mrs. Broaddus along with some capable and experienced substitutes who helped maintain continuity in instruction. Thank you also to our wonderful Valentine "Center" moms who helped make the holiday fun for everyone!

In Math, we have been tackling decimals. Students took a pre-test today in preparation for their Chapter 19 Post-Test on Monday. They have been assigned review pgs. 414-415 in the math textbook to help them study.

We are studying sentence structure and appropriate use of all parts of speech in our writing. We have been reading informational text and comparing it to how we read fictional text. The students have been using a program in the Computer Lab called Storybook Weaver to creatively write and illustrate a story about their personal journey into our solar system. We look forward to binding them upon completion and reading them to our book buddies and of course, our parents eventually.

We have been enjoying our Solar System Unit, and the students were successful on their vocabulary and order of the planets assessment today! I am looking forward to seeing their Science projects on Monday. Please make sure the project arrives on time to school with your child. We will display them in the hallway outside the classroom, and the students will be presenting them in class throughout next week. The projects will find a "happy home" in the GM Media Center, so the entire school can enjoy them after our presentations are complete.

The American Revolutionary Period will be our next focus of study in Social Studies. Students should prepare to be "taxed without representation." We will definitely have some unique learning experiences as we dive into the first war fought on American soil. The students enjoyed a presentation this past week by the Sons of the Revolution as an appropriate preview.

Our class will begin engaging in various CRCT prep activities and lessons. Please help us at home by visiting the website (information and passwords given out at conferences) to practice with your child for the upcoming test to be administered two weeks after Spring Break.

Please continue to write in the Letter Home Journal and sign your student's behavior sheet every weekend!

Email me if you need anything! News will be coming soon about accessing your student's grades on-line weekly.

Enjoy your weekend,

Mrs. James

I appr

Conferences/Early Release Week January 26-30

Dear Parent(s):

I look forward to our time to conference about your student this week. Please remember to send a note concerning any dismissal changes for your child this week. If at all possible, please do not bring your child(ren) at your conference time.

This week we have a test in Spelling on Friday as usual. The words have been copied into their agendas. 

We have a math test on Wednesday over Chapter 15: Fractions. The trick is simplifying to lowest terms. Please work with your child and bring them in for any extra help in the mornings between 7:20-7:55am.

The Social Studies test over Colonization has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 3rd. We have more to cover, and I want to have plenty of time to review. Mondays HW is Chapter 4 Review in the textbook and is due on Wed. Wednesdays HW is Chapter 5 Review in the textbook and is due on Fri. We will complete the Chapter 6 Review in class together on Friday. Your student will bring home the complete list of vocabulary for the entire unit on Tuesday. Hopefully, this will give everyone ample time to study and prepare for this "big" test.

The Heroes Essay was due today, Monday the 26th. The students will earn a writing grade for me and also be entered in the PTSA contest.

Independent Reading Projects are due this Friday the 30th. I look forward to hearing about your book while we eat some yummy dishes. We will plan on eating lunch in the classroom at 11:15pm. Parents feel free to join us!

Congratulations to the following students who participated with extraordinary talent in the auditions for the Talent Show:

Carolym Barker, Max Benjamin, Laurel Castro, Maddie Dinnan,Thomas Donalson, Maggie Garrett, Rylie Good, Lauren Henson, Evan Hill, Emma Shearer, Raghav Shyam, and Shori Sutton. I am so proud of all of you!

The Sock Hop was a blast, and it was fun seeing all of you dressed in 50's attire!

FYI: Homework this week may last more than 45 minutes due to reduced class time. Thanks for your support! 

Take care,

Mrs. James