| Kindergarten News – Mrs. Dastillung, Mrs. Broermann, Mrs. Brosius, Mrs. Malone and Mrs. Spurlock
What an exciting month! We had fun doing many 100 day activities in celebration of the 100th day of school. We counted to 100 by twos, fives, tens, and wrote numbers. Our Valentine’s Day parties were a success thanks to all of the parents’ donations and help. We continue to work on reading by blending letter sounds to build words. We are working hard on our writing skills too. Keep up the good practice!!
Second Grade News – Mrs. Ritzie, Mrs. Rutledge and Mrs. Stigall
Thanks to all of the fathers who attended the Father/Daughter Dance. We had a great turnout and many second graders and their fathers attended. It was awesome to see all the girls dressed up and having fun with their family and friends.
The second grade teachers and students would like to thank everyone who sent in Valentine goodies and treats. We had a great time at our parties and appreciated everyone's help.
We continue to work on increasing our fluency and comprehension in reading. Please continue to have your child read each night at home. Encourage your child to tell you their favorite parts of the story they are reading. Help increase comprehension by asking them questions about their story. For example: Who are the characters? What is the setting? What is the problem? What is the solution? What happened at the beginning, middle, and end?
In math we are working on addition and subtraction with and without regrouping. This can be a challenging task for some students. Any extra practice at home will help increase their understanding of this process.
Just a reminder that when we have snow delay days, breakfast is not served at school.
We appreciate your continued support.
Fourth Grade News – Mrs. Berenzweig, Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Frechtling
Fourth grade reading students are working on drawing conclusions, discovering root words, comparing and contrasting, prefixes, and steps in a process. Don't forget to be working on book projects! They should be completed by March 17th.
Our writing practice this quarter has been writing explanatory pieces on how-to-make a simple project.
Social Studies classes are beginning to study how Ohio became a state and how this was affected by immigration and migration. Science classes are studying about energy and simple, complex, and compound machines.
Fourth grade Math students are working with 2-digit multipliers. We are learning the step by step process of multiplying by 2-digit numbers. We will also be moving into long division soon. Knowing our times tables through twelves is mandatory to be successful. Click HERE for a list of current members of the Three Minute Club.
Sixth Grade News – Mrs. Howard, and Ms. Blakley
We are really gearing up for the Ohio Achievement Test. Parents can help by having their students read daily. A good reader READS and then reads more.
We are ready to start the next unit in reading. We will read about characters that meet challenges with determination and ingenuity. Students will select books and report to the class about challenges their character faces.
Turning in homework seems to be a challenge for some students. Please remind your child that it is to be completed and brought back to class the next day unless otherwise noted in the planner.
Don't forget to turn in the field trip permission slip and money by the end of February.
We are about to finish up our work with fractions and be moving on to geometry and graphing. There will be "mini-units" taught with quizzes as we prepare for the Ohio Achievement Test. Expect to see an increase in the difficulty level of the homework. Quality counts! I will be emphasizing more than ever that students must show their work! This is what will gain them points on the OAT tests. The ability to explain and express yourself in "math language" is an important requirement for success on the OAT.
Math tutoring continues on Friday mornings at 8:00 am in Mrs. Howard's room. Students may receive extra help with our current math topic.
The Adams Science Fair was held on Friday, Feb. 15th. Many students are breathing a sigh of relief. Since this project comprises so much of their third quarter grade, we decided to hold off on interims for 6th graders until all projects had been judged and graded so that parents would have a truly accurate picture of their science grade. We will be moving on and covering other topics, but this will carry the majority of weight for the third quarter.
Don't forget!
Permission slips for the 6th grade field trip to see the Cincinnati Cyclones need to be returned to school as soon as possible with the $5.00. Since this is an educational field trip students will not be permitted to purchase souvenirs. They will need to pack a lunch as stated on the permission slip. Mark the March 19th date on your calendar!
Music – Mrs. Froude
April seems a long way off, but students are already rehearsing for upcoming concerts. Saturday, April 5 is ArtRageous, a fantastic showcase for music and art of students in Hamilton City Schools. More information will be sent home nearer the event.
Tuesday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m. is the concert date for grades 2 and 5 to perform. Parents of these students will get more detailed information soon, but please mark your calendars now! The concert will be held in the Adams gym.
Kindergarten and Grade 1 have been doing a lot of creative movement and acting out books such as “The Snowy Day,” by Ezra Keats, and “The Mitten,” by Jan Brett. They add songs and instruments, and using poetry and literature help to solidify their rhythm and singing.
Grade 4 has begun their recorder unit. At the present time, all students have been assigned a brand new recorder which is paid for in school fees. Since there are still students who have not paid their fees, I cannot allow the recorders to go home. This slows down the teaching process, because students do not have personal practice time. They need some extra time on their own at home to prepare for playing tests and to solidify songs we do in class. I would appreciate it if parents could take care of this situation as soon as possible. Thank you to all of you who have already done so!
Grade 6 has been working on a composition unit, creating short instrumental pieces using xylophones, drums and other percussion instruments. They are notating songs, then performing them for their class.
Art – Mrs. Pearson
Students are still enjoying our around the world art travel experience.
The classes have learned a lot about the different cultures and arts and crafts.
We have left Egypt and are currently in China. The classes have made this journey with Miss Anglin my student teacher from Miami University. In two weeks we will be going to a new destination. Hopefully, somewhere tropical!
If your child doesn’t bring home their creations from Egypt or China in the next weeks it has probably been selected for “ArtRageous” the Hamilton City Schools Fine Arts celebration on Saturday, April 5. I will inform students if their artwork was selected for display. Additional information about “ArtRageous” will be sent home closer to the date.
When artwork makes its way home please take the time to admire your child’s hard work. Allow them to explain the process they used and what they learned from creating their special work!
Library – Mrs. Sheneman
Kindergarten just finished our Valentine unit and now we are celebrating Black History Month by reading books written by Africa-American authors. 1st and 2nd graders are still learning about the On-line Catalogue. The entire third grade is working on a biography for their current book report project. Fourth and fifth graders are just reading fiction at this time. The sixth grade is also learning about Black History Month by reading books about famous African-Americans. There aren’t many biographies left in the library.
Book Fair will be held in the library March 3-7. Therefore, there won’t be any Book Club meetings until March 14th. If you are the parent of a Book Club member you should have received a letter about this. Please plan accordingly.
I know that spring is just around the corner. I’m sure, like me, you are so ready for winter to be over. After Book Fair we will begin our springtime units. I can’t wait.
Counselor Notes - Mrs. Walton
The new Peer Mediators have finally been chosen! They are: Tyler Denton, Zach Vaughn, Laurie Phillips, Pharron Mitchell, Janaya Douglas, Victoria Stone, Sarah Holmes, and Michael Hubbard. Congratulations to each and every one of you! I am looking forward to working with you. Training will begin very soon. Once our mediatiors are trained, they will be more than ready to mediate any problems that our students may have with one another! Mrs. Walton, Counselor
CCC Lab - Mrs. Cole
It is work as usual here in the Computer Lab. We haven’t started any new programs. Hopefully we will be starting a new keyboarding program in the coming months. I will continue to update you with any new work we begin.
We have a whole new group of students to add to our growing list of students that have mastered the skills in FASTTMath.
3rd Grade-Addition 0-12
6th Grade Division 0-9
4th 5th and 6th Grade-Multiplication 0-12
- Asia Beard
- Gunner Price
- Deona Thomas
- Rachel Laprade
- Jacob Baker
- Austin Belden
- Johnathon McVey
- Victoria Buell
- Olyvia Thompson
- Mickey Kammeron
- Cullen Combs
- Jacob Edmonds
- Garrett Feeback
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First Grade News – Mrs. Stockhoff, Mrs. Vocke, and Mrs. Combs
First Graders are staying very busy. We celebrated our last party of the year on Valentine’s Day. We would like to thank all of the family members who helped with the parties. There were parents who attended the parties and many more that sent in treats. We are grateful for your help and generosity.
In reading the students are working with long vowel sounds. This can be difficult for the students. Please help the students by reminding them that when there is more than one vowel they need to make one vowel say its name. The more the students read at home the easier this will get for them. We are focusing on improving the students’ fluency and expression when they read. Oral reading at home is the best way to help your child improve.
We continue to work with addition and subtraction in math. All students should be using flash cards at home to help them learn their addition and subtraction facts. If you need flash cards, please let your child’s teacher know. The students should also be practicing their counting at home. They need to be able to count by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s all the way to 100. Counting backwards is also a skill the students should be practicing. We are creating picture graphs, bar graphs, and tally charts in math as well.
In science we have been talking about how things move. We discussed pushing and pulling and looked at how magnets work. The students will soon be discussing the sky in science. They will learn about the phases of the moon and will compare the day and night skies. We will also talk about the stars. Please encourage your child to talk about science at home.
Thanks again for your help and support.
Third Grade News – Mrs. Turnbull, Mrs. Mazzeo and Mrs. Smith
This time of year is becoming very busy in the third grade. As always, we have many exciting activities and projects going on. The students are also busy in class preparing for the Ohio Achievement Tests for reading and math. These last couple months are very important for the students to be at school. Please refer to the Achievement packets we gave out at first quarter conferences for additional home support. In reading class your child has monthly book reports that are due. This month the students must read a biography and then teach the other students about the person. This is always one of the students favorite activities during the year.
On February 13, Lynn White, a fossil expert, came to speak with the students about fossils. This will prepare them to become paleontologists later in the year. We are currently becoming geographers. We are studying different kinds of maps and making an atlas.
In math class, we have finished our unit on multiplication, however, the students are responsible to be studying the times table every night for 10 minutes. The students are taking 45 second time tests a few times a week. Those students who pass all the tests will be invited to an ice cream party with Mrs. Smith in May. Please sit down with your child a few minutes every night to help them memorize the facts. It really will make life easier for them in math class.
Officer Bob Gentry from the Hamilton City Police Department came to speak with the third graders about seat belt safety. The students watched a video and saw a demonstration about the importance of seat belts. The students should be creating a seatbelt slogan and picture to go with it. We will select a winner from our school. The winner will receive $20 and be invited to a party and a chance to win other prizes.
Fifth Grade News – Mrs. Westrick and Ms. Neustadt
In math class we have been working on our geometry unit. The students have been using a protractor to measure and draw angles. They have also have been using models to determine the sum of the interior angles of a triangles and quadrilaterals.
Science fair was a great success. Thanks for supporting your child through the process. I would also like to thank the volunteers that helped out. There were some really interesting projects. It was nice to learn with the students.
Reading we are continuing to work on getting ready for the Achievement test. We have been reading a variety of genres from folklore to non-fiction. This week we are reading about the Chief Crazy Horse Monument they are building in South Dakota.
In Social Studies we are continuing with the Age of Exploration - the students are finding out about the impacts and effects of these explorers from several hundred years ago. Students have learned that there are still effects today in our country from these European explorers! The test on this unit will be next week.
Gifted News – Mr. Heilman and Mrs. Peters
Visit us at Hamilton's Taste of Excellence on March 6 at the Hamilton Freshmen School from 6:30 - 8:30.
Our students have recently begun a new method of learning. We are calling it "My Priorities" and it gives each student the opportunity to learn at their own pace. It requires students to set goals and learn the process for achieving the goal. This methodology complements the philosophy of Hamilton's Gifted Education Model called The Autonomous Learner, in which students take control of what and how they will learn with guidance from a teacher, but very little direct instruction. It has been a wonderful success. The classes have become motivated learners with the ability to prioritized and succeed in a fast-paced learning environment. It also allows the teacher more time to work with individual students to better meet each child's unique needs. In addition, we are eager to meet our new student teacher, Ms. Longmore, who will be joining us for eight weeks during March and April.
Language Arts - The fifth graders are currently working on several writing projects, as we work to add detail and excitement to our writing. Each student has written 6 original poems (limerick, haiku, cinquain, sonnet, catalog poem and a diamante). They have done a wonderful job of expressing their opinions, emotions and thoughts about many subjects through poetry. The sixth graders are working on supporting predictions with information that may be placed in different parts of the text. To do this, we are reading Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.
Social Studies - The fifth graders have just completed a unit on Early Exploration. We had a self-rule day and got a brief understanding of how difficult it must be to establish rules to govern oneself. We are currently learning about slavery through primary sources and simulations. The sixth graders have just completed a study comparing and contrasting Judaism, Islam and Christianity as we work through our Middle East unit. We have also learned about the conflicts that exist in this part of the world and had some great discussions.
Math - The fifth graders are beginning a new unit on data sets. By using surveys, students investigate landmarks, stem and leaf plots and the effect of sample size. The students will read and use contour maps that show climate and growing season data. Sixth graders are starting a new unit in Geometry. This unit focuses on the relationships between angles in geometric figures and on the concept of congruence. This unit will cover a wide variety of geometric vocabulary.
Science - 5th and 6th graders have been busy working on their Science Fair Projects. They used the scientific method to identify their hypothesis, design an experiment, analyze data, record results and determine a conclusion. The students were able to explain why an experiment must be repeated at different times with consistent results before the results are accepted. The fifth grade winners in Adams Science Fair for Mr. Heilman's class were: First Place: Will George and Tyler Vieira, Second Place: Andrew Richmond and Cassidy Hicks and Third Place:Victoria Stone and Aaron Stauble and in Mrs. Peters' class: First Place: Abby Miller, Second Place: Gabrielle Schirmer and Third Place: Hannah Russell
Physical Education – Mrs. Morris
February, American Heart Month, brings to mind thoughts of Valentine’s Day and images of hearts and love. But the heart is much more than a symbol. The human heart is a vital organ that pumps blood and delivers nutrients and oxygen to the brain and body. Good heart health is achieved through proper nutrition, regular exercise, sufficient hydration and adequate sleep. That is why I encourage your family to get your hearts in shape with heart healthy ideas and activities that can improve your well being for a lifetime.
Did you know that one in three American adults suffers from heart attack, stroke, or other forms of cardiovascular disease? Chances are that you or a member of your family has suffered from heart disease, the nation’s number killer. Cardiovascular activities like walking, jogging, biking, and swimming, increase the heart rate to strengthen the heart muscle and increase lung capacity. Recent neuroscience research also shows that cardiovascular exercise will grow new brain cells that boost brain function, a process called neurogenesis. A healthy heart is vital to a healthy mind and a healthy life so start now to strengthen and protect your heart.
Good health habits begin early in childhood. Here are some suggestions to help your family develop healthy habits:
• Parents should be positive role models. Make healthy habits a family priority.
• Fit families fit together! Get the whole family physically active. Vary the activities so that everyone’s interest stays high.
• Change “sitness” into fitness. Limit activities that involve sitting. Did you know that standing burns more calories? Try standing while talking on the phone or watching TV, and add some push-ups or curl-ups during TV commercials for added activity time.
• Set goals as a family for physical activity. Calculate how many total calories you burned as a family in one week, or how many miles you covered. Record exercise repetitions each family member does during a TV commercial, then see if you can beat that total during the next commercial.
• Celebrate successes as a family! Be supportive so that teens and kids develop a good self image. Create a list of rewards that the whole family would enjoy, and are not food or candy. Have several smaller rewards to keep the interest high.
• Review the family’s eating habits and include healthy foods. Eat dinner together as a family to encourage quality time for conversation and sharing. Ask your children to share the types of activities they have learned in physical education class that they can use outside of class.
• Let kids be involved in planning, shopping and cooking family meals. Compare foods for nutritional value to know which foods to include and which to avoid.
• Increase water intake and decrease soda drinks. We have over 100 billion thinking cells, called neurons that fire electricity each time they are activated. Water is the body’ natural conductor of electricity, therefore water helps the brain to function properly.
• Be an advocate for healthy, active children. Learn about what foods are served in your school’s cafeteria.
Encourage daily, quality physical education. Support programs like Jump Rope for Heart or Hoops for Heart at your child’s school. Visit the American Heart Association for more details at www.americanheart.org.
Healthy hearts, healthy minds. This February your family can celebrate Heart Month “whole-heartedly” with heart healthy habits for a lifetime.
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