Ashburton Elementary School 6314 Lone Oak Drive, Bethesda, MD 20817 * 301-571-6959 PRINCIPAL’S NEWS October 1, 2014 Dear Parents/Guardians, We are off to a great start to the school year! Ashburton’s enrollment continues to increase across all grade levels and our first grade enrollment was large enough to warrant a seventh teacher during the beginning of September. We welcome Ms. Taylor Garber to our first grade team and Mrs. Robyn Goldman as our new Reading Initiative teacher. We’ve also needed to re-do our bus routes several times with almost 600 students riding the bus now. We know that the changes can be difficult and appreciate your understanding that each bus needs to be safe and not overcrowded. We are thrilled that the expanded parking lot provides many more spaces; including three visitor spots across from the main entrance. Please note that the parking lot remains closed to cars during arrival of buses (8:20-9:00 a.m.) and dismissal (2:45- 3:20 p.m.). During the PEP mid-day pick-up and arrival, from about 11:15- 12:45 p.m., please be very careful in using our parking lot and drop-off loop. The buses have priority over cars and we ask that you avoid parking in the loop so that buses may pass through safely. I had many parents report that cars are parking in ‘No Parking Zones’ or blocking driveways on Pomona Drive in the back of the building. Please be respectful of our neighbors and obey the signage. Also, please remember to only make a Right-Turn when exiting the back loop. We had a fantastic turn-out for both the Back to School picnic and our Back to School Night. We heard many positive comments from parents about the smooth start—thank you! We have many exciting things happening this month and this year. Please refer to your calendars that were sent home in the summer (also listed on the Ashburton website). In the past few years many of you requested that you receive the newsletter electronically and we appreciate your efforts to help us save paper. Following in this newsletter is a form to complete and return if you prefer to get a paper newsletter. We are a green school and this effort saves printing at least 650 copies of the newsletter, but if you prefer a paper copy, we are happy to get one to you. If you do not return the form, you are agreeing to get the newsletter electronically through the list-serve or on our school website. We urge you to join the list-serve in order to receive timely and important information from the PTA and school throughout the month. To subscribe send an email to AshburtonESPTA- [email protected]We will take part in Walk to School Day on October 8 th . We have participated in this International Walk to School Day for a number of years to promote pedestrian safety and a healthy lifestyle. We will celebrate it a little differently this year and encourage families to walk directly to the school, if they can. As noted earlier we have so many families that depend on the bus for transportation and have grown so much, the tradition of driving/walking to the library and then walking to school needed to be updated. We will do a variety of Important Dates: October 7-Volunteer Training 9:30 a.m. or 7:00 p.m. October 7- PTA Meeting 7 p.m. October 8- Walk to School Day October 13- Open House 9:00-12:00 for Parents October 17–No School for Staff and Students- Statewide Teacher’s Convention October 22- Dine Out with Ashburton at BGR October 24-Family Fall Festival 6:30- 8:30 p.m. October 30- Halloween Parade and Parties 1:45- 2:45 P.M. October 30- End of the First Marking Period October 31 –Professional Day- No School for Students
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Ashburton Elementary School 6314 Lone Oak Drive, Bethesda, MD 20817 * 301-571-6959
PRINCIPAL’S NEWS
October 1, 2014
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We are off to a great start to the school year! Ashburton’s enrollment continues to increase across all
grade levels and our first grade enrollment was large enough to warrant a seventh teacher during the
beginning of September. We welcome Ms. Taylor Garber to our first grade team and Mrs. Robyn
Goldman as our new Reading Initiative teacher. We’ve also needed to re-do our bus routes several times
with almost 600 students riding the bus now. We know that the changes can be difficult and appreciate
your understanding that each bus needs to be safe and not overcrowded.
We are thrilled that the expanded parking lot provides many more spaces; including three visitor spots
across from the main entrance. Please note that the parking lot remains closed to cars during arrival of
buses (8:20-9:00 a.m.) and dismissal (2:45- 3:20 p.m.). During the PEP mid-day pick-up and arrival, from
about 11:15- 12:45 p.m., please be very careful in using our parking lot and drop-off loop. The buses have
priority over cars and we ask that you avoid parking in the loop so that buses may pass through safely.
I had many parents report that cars are parking in ‘No Parking Zones’ or blocking driveways on Pomona
Drive in the back of the building. Please be respectful of our neighbors and obey the signage. Also, please
remember to only make a Right-Turn when exiting the back loop.
We had a fantastic turn-out for both the Back to School picnic and our Back to School Night. We heard
many positive comments from parents about the smooth start—thank you!
We have many exciting things happening this month and this year. Please refer to your calendars that
were sent home in the summer (also listed on the Ashburton website). In the past few years many of you
requested that you receive the newsletter electronically and we appreciate your efforts to help us save
paper. Following in this newsletter is a form to complete and return
if you prefer to get a paper newsletter. We are a green school and
this effort saves printing at least 650 copies of the newsletter, but if
you prefer a paper copy, we are happy to get one to you. If you do
not return the form, you are agreeing to get the newsletter
electronically through the list-serve or on our school website. We
urge you to join the list-serve in order to receive timely and
important information from the PTA and school throughout the
month. To subscribe send an email to AshburtonESPTA-
Cafeteria Supplies: Please provide your children with forks, spoons, and napkins when they bring
lunch from home. The cafeteria is not required to provide utensils for children not purchasing school lunch.
Please label lunch boxes. There are many that look alike and we’ve had some mixed up lunch boxes already
this year.
Halloween at Ashburton:
Halloween is celebrated at Ashburton with a parade and class parties on October 30th. All parents and
siblings are invited watch the parade which starts at 1:45 p.m. We know you will not only be impressed with
our students parading as they show off their costumes, but will also enjoy the Walter Johnson jazz ensemble
during the parade. Classroom parties start immediately after the parade ends and end about 2:45 p.m.
Room parents will request either monetary donations or food for class parties. Please keep in mind healthy
snacks, all food must be store-purchased, and ask the teacher about any food allergies. Please do not bring
balloons to school as they cannot go home with students (they are not allowed on the bus). Please choose a
costume that is appropriate for your child. It should fit and not impede movement. Please do not send masks
to school and do not choose a costume that is gory. We do not allow any weapons as part of costumes even if
the weapons are plastic. Leave costume weapons at home. If you have any extra costumes that can be
donated for children who may not have a costume, please send them in to the school office. Forms will go out for an alternative activity for families who do not celebrate Halloween.
Walk to School Day:
Join Ashburton students, staff, & community by walking to school (or to the bus stop)
on October 8th. We are not meeting as a school at the Davis Library this year, but hope you join us
in this walk from your home to school or home to bus stop.
Why?
1. It’s Fun!
2. Healthier Habits
3. Cleaner Environment
4. Promoting Safety
5. Community Benefits
PEP
(Preschool Education Program)
Theme of the month: My Family
Dear Parents,
We are wrapping up our first unit:
Ready for School, and now we are moving
on to our next unit for
the month of October,
which is “My Family”.
This Theme will run
from October 3rd until
October 31st. We will
be learning about
family structures,
family roles, family fun and how our
families are different from one another.
Key Messages
Week 1: Who’s in my family?
Week 2: We take care of each other.
Week 3: Family Fun
Week 4: All kinds of families.
VOCABULARY: family, kindness,
mother, father, brother, sister,
grandmother, grandfather, cousins,
relatives, thankful, together, celebrate,
tradition, alike, similar, love.
STORY TIME & SUGGESTED
READING:
Bear’s Busy Family by Stella Blackstone
Herman the Helper by Robert Kraus
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna
Dewdney
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
We Are All Alike…We Are All Different
by Cheltenham Elementary School
Daddy Calls Me Man by Angela Johnson
Mama Zooms by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto
You and Me Together by Barbara Kerly
Building a House by Byron Barton
Changes, Changes by Pat Hutchins
Celebrating Families by Rosmarie
Hausher
Evening Meals Around the World
by Michele Zurakowski
Bedtime Hugs for Little Ones by Debby
Boone
Families by Ann Morris
What a Family by Rachel Isadora
Who’s in a Family? by Robert Skutch
SONGS/FINGER PLAYS:
The More We Get Together This is My Family Eat it Up Mommy Took Me to the Store My House With My Family On Our Camping Trip Grandma and Me We’re a Happy Family
ACTIVITIES/PROJECTS:
Identify who’s in your family
Play pretend/act out family roles
Build a house for your family out
of blocks
Create a family tree
Name and identify shapes when
creating a house.
Count how many members are in
your family.
Sort pictures of family members in
to categories of boy or girl.
Create an All About My Family
book
Draw and label life portraits of
families
Look at old family photos and talk
about how we grow
Help set the dinner table, or do
household chores
together
Read stories together
as a family
Go on family outings
(grocery shopping, out
to dinner, to the zoo)
SNACK/COOKING IDEAS:
Make food from different cultures and
talk about how different families eat
different things.
Make a family meal together: Give
your child opportunities to mix, Have
your child give you suggestions for a
shopping list. Write a list and then
take it to the
Store and work together to find all
your items.
Pour, roll…etc. to make a healthy
family meal.
*Although we include special theme-related snacks in our monthly units we also provide daily healthy choices for snack such as fresh fruit, pretzels, yogurt, etc.
NOTES & REMINDERS:
Picture Day is on Thursday,
October 2nd and Friday October 3rd.
No school on Friday, October 17th
No school on October 31st
Thank you for your support! Please feel
free to contact us with questions,
concerns, good news, etc.
- - The PEP Team
October
Happenings in
Kindergarten
Language Arts
Early emergent readers will compare the similarities and differences of literary and informational books as they identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book. Students use their listening skills to confirm understanding of a text read aloud by asking about key details. With prompting and support, students ask and answer questions about key details in a text and describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear.
Writing We will continue to work on handwriting and learning the correct way to form letters. Please reinforce this at home, it makes a big difference! We will also be working on writing concepts such as leaving spaces between words, sounding out unknown words, and using details in our pictures to tell a story. Math We have been counting and writing numerals, sorting, and collecting data. In the upcoming weeks, we will continue to collect data and compare numbers using greater than, less than, and equal to. Don’t forget to practice counting and number sense with your child every night! Science We will use our five senses to observe weather patterns and changes. October Focuses:
The seasonal change to fall, and its effect on the living world around us.
The Water Cycle
Weather tools and data collection
Social Studies Students have been working on identifying symbols and practices associated with the United States of America. They will also learn about people important to the American political system. Halloween Festivities There will be a school-wide parade in costume, and will be followed by a Halloween party in each classroom. Room parents will be in contact for ways you can help out! Field Trip Kindergarten will be visiting Imagination Stage on October 14th to see the Night Fairy. --The Kindergarten Team
First Grade News Dear First Grade Families, We are off to a fabulous start! Our students are already working hard learning in first grade.
As we begin a new month, we wanted to let you know what we will be focusing on in all areas of the curriculum. Reading and Writing: Teachers have begun to pull students into small groups for reading. First graders will be reading at their own level and continue to progress at their own pace. Each night students will be coming home with reading homework. Please be sure to have students complete their reading homework each night and return it
back to school the next day. In Writer’s Workshop, students will be participating in a shared research project about an animal. This project relates to our upcoming field trip to the National Zoo on October 7th. It also integrates with reading and science. Math: First Graders are learning how to decompose numbers leading up to ten. Also, they will be solving various types of word problems that can be solved using addition or subtraction. At home, students can continue to
practice counting-on or back from a selected number up to 120. Science: First Graders will have the opportunity
to investigate, observe, and record observations
of class lima beans. Also, students will be
learning about food groups and how to eat
healthier. They will continue learning about how
animals meet their needs, along with how
animals protect themselves using their senses.
Social Studies: In social studies students will learn about leaders from the past and present. They are also going to learn about important American symbols.
Reminders:
1. National Zoo
field trip is Tuesday, October 7th. The permission slip and money are due on Friday, October 3rd.
2. Our spelling program will be starting this month. Teachers will provide more information as it approaches.
We are excited for a great month
of learning in October. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely, The First Grade Team
Second Grade Town News
The second graders have had a busy first
month of school. We have learned how to work
together to solve problems, create class rules and
learn new routines.
In reading, we’ve been working on
literary text. Students have been learning about
point of view, character traits, problem and
solution, story elements and comparing and
contrasting different versions of a story. Next we
Some of you have asked how the PTA spends the money that it raises each year. In addition to
holding school events such as Tea & Sympathy, Back to School Picnic, Fall Festival (please
note: this year it is on Friday, Oct. 24th), Family Bingo Night in January, International
Night in March and Spring Fling in May, the PTA also offers a number of grants to the school
community to host cultural arts activities, the Young Authors Conference and other special
events for the students. We also pay for things such as library and media center equipment,
computer equipment, Ashburton clubs, reducing cost for field trips for all students, scholarships
for children/families in need and this year we will continue to fund projects, activities, and
events as requested by the administration on behalf of the students and staff. Once approved, the
budget will be posted on the PTA’s website, and Board members are happy to answer any
questions you might have.
We are fortunate to have a very engaged community here at Ashburton and we hope that you
will all take advantage of the many events we host each month. October is a busy month and we
kick it off with a PTA Meeting on October 7th that will focus on Volunteer Training for anyone
who wants to volunteer in a classroom or at lunch and recess. We will hold two Volunteer
Training sessions on October 7th - one at 9:30am and one in conjunction with the PTA
meeting that evening, at 7pm. Childcare is always available free of charge during PTA
meetings.
I hope that you were able to participate in some of the fun events we held last month, such as the
Ledo’s Dine out (record attendance!), Skate Night (also record attendance) and the Back to
School Picnic. Many more events are on tap for October so mark your calendars!
We are looking forward to another wonderful year at Ashburton!
Have Fun, Make Memories, Get Involved!
All the best,
Laura Chace Ashburton PTA President on behalf of the PTA Board
Support Ashburton Through Grocery Store Programs Every time you shop at Giant, Safeway, or Harris Teeter’s, you can help raise money for Ashburton through their
grocery store programs. Please look for a flyer to send back in with your information, and our wonderful Bonus
Bucks Chairperson – Mary Miller can input your data, or you can follow the link provided by the listserv and
register directly. Please keep in mind that you need to re-register each year, so even if you registered last year, you
need to do it again. This is such an easy way to support your school, and our goal is to have 90% of Ashburton