Volunteers Needed

The PTA is in need of more parent volunteers for the JES Winter Carnival on Friday, February 19.  If you are interested and willing to serve, please contact Kim Harris by Friday, January 22.  Kim can be reached at 896-9979 or (jdkimharris@charter.net).  Thank you!

Christmas Party Details

                                   Stuff Our Stockings  

Christmas 2015

Parents, 

Christmas is coming and our class is getting ready to celebrate. For our class party, we will be stuffing stockings. Here’s how we need your help:

Step 1:  Bring in a stocking

*By Dec 4

*Homemade, from the dollar store, from home 

*Please don’t send in your child’s home stocking because we wouldn’t want anything to happen to it or for them to not have it for Christmas

*Label it with your child’s name (use a sticker, write it, or pin a tag on it)

Step 2: Buy trinkets

*Please bring in 22 items

*Some ideas are: candy canes, something homemade, pencils, stickers, dollar store finds, multi-packs, etc.

*Please do not spend more than 7 dollars total for the gifts.

*You can decide to wrap the gifts if you would like (this is usually more fun for the kids on party day)

*Label gifts “From ______”

*Bring gifts in anytime before our party on December 18.

*Students will stuff stockings as they come in and we will open the stockings at our school party. 

Please let me know if you have any questions. If you are unable to provide a stocking or stuffers, I would be happy to help. 

Thank you! 

Mrs. Kramer 

Book Orders

If you would like to have books here in time for Christmas, please be sure to order by the last Friday in November.
To order online, see instructions posted on the blog under the tab 'Book Orders.'

All the Right Type Link

Here's the ATRT link for your child to practice typing at home:

http://www.atrtonline.com/login/index_usamihudso278.php

WatchD.O.G. Kickoff Event

Family Math Night

Jamestown Elementary School & Grand Valley State University present:

Family Math Fun Night 

Monday, October 26, 2015 6:00 – 7:30 PM 

Enjoy fun and exciting math games!

Spelling

FAQ

How is it determined if my child is on the weekly or challenge list?
* We take a pretest every week testing the upcoming concept (ex. short vowels). If your child scores, 80% or better, then he/she will be given the challenge words. I do not pass the pretest back because it confuses some children and parents since the words are different from the list words for the week. However, I do save these each unit to show students their growth or in case there is a question about which list your child is on.

What if my child is not doing well with the challenge list? May he or she stick with the weekly list?
*Yes, I want your child to be successful. If it is difficult for your child to learn the words each week or he/she is struggling or getting frustrated with practice, please let me know. We can stick with the weekly list.

What if my child really wants to try the challenge list and keeps pretesting in the weekly list?
*I am flexible with this too. If you want to work with your child together to learn the challenge list, then I will check their pretest scores and let you know if we can try it.

What are the New Pattern Words on the test?
*These are words that the students have not practiced. But, these words all follow the same concept as the Assigned Pattern Words for the week. I do not grade this portion of the test. It is used to see if students are able to carry over the spelling concept and apply it to new words.

How are spelling scores used in a final grade?
*Our report card grade assesses spelling within a student's writing. I use both writing samples and spelling tests to help me gather spelling scores. I look for if your child is spelling the High Frequency Words correctly and if they are transferring spelling concepts into their writing.

Does my child have the opportunity to practice spelling words during the week?
*Yes, your child has a spelling binder with a variety of choices to help him/her practice his/her words each week. Please see the back of the spelling list for ways to practice spelling words. For your child to be the most successful, it is best to practice at home as well.

V.I.P. Day!

Daily Folders

Dear Parent(s), 

We will begin using Daily Folders this week. It is expected that these folders go home every night and are returned to school everyday. Your child will be reminded to fill his/her Daily Folder at the end of the day. 

Place any lunch money, notes for the office or the teacher, etc. into this folder as I will teach your child where to put these items once in the classroom. 

This folder is also where your child will keep his/her “good fit” books from the library for at-home reading. 

*Your child’s reading log can stay in this folder or you may keep it in a safe place at home. 

*Math homework will come home in the folder on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

All mail will also be sent home in the Daily Folder. 

Daily Folders are a great way to keep us both organized and also encourage communication. It will also encourage your child to become responsible for his/her belongings. We will discuss the Daily Folder in class, but please help by reinforcing the importance of taking this folder to and from school daily. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. 

Thanks!

Mrs. Kramer

Student Information

Please take a moment to fill out this survey about your child. Thank you!

Student Information

Calling All 2nd Graders!

I am so excited to meet each one of you at Open House. Our Open House is Wednesday, September 2 from 6:30-7:30. This will be a time to see our classroom, meet me, and also say hello to old and new friends. If you are unable to attend, I will send home your child's information the first day of school in a folder. Here is a suggested supply list for 2nd graders.

•  4 pack of EXPO Whiteboard Markers
• 3 Large Glue Sticks
• 1 Sturdy Two-Pocket Homework Folder
• 1 Package of Washable Markers
• 1 or more Packages of 3”x3” Sticky Notes

The following are items that we use a lot in our classroom. If you would like to donate, please bring items to Open House or anytime to school.

• Kleenex
• Lysol wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Ziploc bags (sandwich, snack, quart, and gallon)
• Peanut-free snacks 
• Post-It notes
• Cotton Balls
• Clothespins

Long-Term Substitute Introduction

I am happy to introduce my long-term substitute to you! Kristy Borgman will be my replacement from the time I deliver to the end of the school year. 

Hello Parents!

My name is Kristy Borgman and I will be your child’s teacher while Kristin is on maternity leave.  I am excited for this opportunity to learn and grow with your children. 

I graduated from Hope College with my degree in Education in 2012. A few short weeks after graduation I packed up my things to move to Virginia to work at a place called Jill’s House. Jill’s House is a respite home for children with disabilities. I absolutely loved the yearlong fellowship program at Jill’s House but I ultimately decided to move back home. I began working at Benjamin’s Hope in June of 2013 when they opened their doors to the first residents. I still work at Ben’s Hope on the weekends because of my love for the residents who live there. Last year I did a few long-term sub positions in Muskegon and West Ottawa school districts. I was hired at Park Elementary as a CI paraprofessional for the lower CI classroom. I then moved into the upper (3^rd-5^th) CI classroom teaching role while Anna Childress was on maternity leave from November until the beginning of March. I am so excited to come to Jamestown and teach your 2^nd graders. I will be shadowing Kristin a few times in the next few weeks and getting to know your children!

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me throughout these coming weeks; my email is kborgma@hpseagles.net. 

Kristy Borgman

Read Your Heart Out

Read Your Heart Out Note

All the Right Type

We have been busy learning how to be fast and accurate typers. If your child would like to practice at home, here is the link. Please remind your child to stay on 'home row' and only practice the lessons that we have done at school.

All the Right Type Link

Christmas Spirit Week

Mitten Tree

Mitten Tree Note

Blue Ribbon Flag

This morning our school braved the cold to celebrate being a Blue Ribbon School. We had a representative from each grade level help raise the flag. We also heard from a teacher about why he thinks Jamestown is a Blue Ribbon school. Then, our class returned to our classroom and each student wrote about why they think that Jamestown is a Blue Ribbon school. Why do you think Jamestown is a Blue Ribbon school?

Family Reading Night Kits

Did you know that November is National Literacy Month? Second graders celebrated on Friday by creating family reading night kits. We decorated our gift bags, made bookmarks, designed stickers to invite our families to read with us, and included some treats in our bags too. I hope you found these bags helpful as a way to set aside some time to read. As a class we also talked about different ways we can read with our family and shared our family reading posters. Each student in our class shared his/her poster and also a favorite book recommendation. Look for this list in the bag! We ended our day with snacks and reading with friends. It was a wonderful celebration!

Blue Ribbon Award

This week one of our own 2^nd grade teachers, Miss Paasman, along with Mrs. DeGroot, were invited to Washington DC to accept the National Blue Ribbon Award and Flag. Once back, Miss Paasman took the time to stop into every classroom to celebrate this amazing accomplishment. She explained what being a blue ribbon school meant to the students and how each and every student has worked hard and can be proud. Our class was very excited about this.  We decided to take a picture of the students holding the flag and the plaque. Check it out to see your child’s smiling face.

Next time you stop in at Jamestown, don’t forget to check out the flag and plaque for yourself. You all had a huge part in this accomplishment and keep up the good work!

If you haven't read the article in the press about Jamestown, here is the link. 

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/11/why_a_west_michigan_elementary.html

911 Dispatcher Visit

911 Dispatcher Visit

In social studies, we have been learning that communities are places where people live, work, and play. We have been learning about different jobs that people have within our community and how communities help keep us safe. A 911 dispatcher is a job that helps keep people in the community safe and today we were able to learn firsthand from an Ottawa County 911 dispatcher, Jennifer Rasch. She taught us about when to call 911, how to call 911, and what to do when speaking with a dispatcher. Two students were able to dial 911 and practice. She also talked about the importance of knowing your parent's first and last names, your street address, and a telephone number. There were a good amount of students that were not able to confidently give some of this information. Please ask your child what they would do if they had to call 911 and help them learn this important information.