October
Newsletter 2022
Your Office Team
Kimbre Smice - Assistant Principal
Jennifer Brooks - School Nurse
Olga Delgado - Head Secretary
Norma Cornejo - Child Nutrition
Ashlee Meharg - Registrar
October Dates to Remember
3-7 – Spirit Week!
4 – Picture Day
4 – Happy School Custodian Day!
6 - NED Fundraiser Starts
7 – Picture on the Hill at 2:00 (Spirit Day – Wear Blue!)
10 - NO SCHOOL
11 - PTO Mtg. at 3:30
13 – Third Grade Music Program Rehearsal at 6:00
14 - Ned Fundraiser Ends
14 – End of Quarter 1
17 – NO SCHOOL EC/Elementary Plan Day
19 – Wear Orange for Unity Day
19, 20, 21 – Parent Teacher Conferences
19 P/T Conferences and Book Fair 3:30-7:45
20 P/T Conferences and Book Fair 3:30-7:45
21 No School –P/T Conferences 8:00-12:00 Book Fair 8:00- 10:00
24 – School Safety Week
Assistant Principal Letter
Getting to Know Your Assistant Principal
I would like to take this time to introduce myself as your new assistant principal here at Ware Elementary School for the 2022-2023 school year. This is my first year at Ware but I have had the privilege of working at multiple schools on post. I started at Fort Riley Middle School as a paraeducator when my husband first joined the Army. When the opportunity arose for me to have my own classroom, I accepted a position at Seitz Elementary where I was able to be part of the opening of the building in 2012 and worked there until we PCSed to JBER, Alaska. My husband was then medically retired and we moved back to Kansas (our choice 😊) and I worked at Fort Riley Elementary as a teacher and instructional coach until I accepted the assistant principal position here at Ware Elementary.
I love being here at Ware and getting to know so many of the students and families. I think my favorite part of joining the staff is how supportive everyone is and doing what is needed for all of our bears. If you see me out in the mornings giving a high five or around base, please make sure to stop by and say hi! Have a Ware Bear day!
Assistant Principal’s News
It is hard to believe that we have already reached the month of October. As the new month begins, it brings an end to the first academic quarter, report cards and parent teacher conferences. We will be having parent teacher conferences on the evenings of October 19th and 20th from 3:30-7:45 pm and the morning of October 21st from 8 am-12 pm. We hope that you take advantage of the opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss your child’s academic strengths and areas to be improved. Conferences provide you with a snapshot of progress made from the beginning of the year.
I also want to say a quick thank you for your attendance and neighborhood support during our annual A Day in the Life of a Bear and our annual Freedom Walk. It is great to observe all of the involvement in our wonderful school.
The after school program is up and running smoothly thanks to our coordinator, Mrs. Kaus. This program is for students in kindergarten through fifth grade needing additional tutoring and experiences with enrichment. Students are able to have time to work on their homework but also enjoy various camps such as legos, robotics, engineering and other hands on activities that allow them to expand what they are learning outside of the classroom. We know that the spots are limited in the after school program so as we have openings, we will be working down the wait list to fill those openings. If you have not applied and would like an application to be put on the waitlist for the afterschool program, please contact the front office.
Finally, I would like to say how we are so proud of our school, especially our students, parents, support staff and teachers who work very hard to achieve academic success. We are a high achieving school because we have the most qualified teachers committed to using innovative research based strategies with your children! Our teachers are doing the right things to make learning happen, keeping our kids safe and cared for every day. A simple thank you to your child’s teacher is always appreciated and your continued support means so much to them as well. We look forward to our conversations during conference times and seeing what this year entails!
Kimbre Smice
Assistant Principal
Kindergarten News
A successful month has come and gone in Kindergarten! As we see the season change from summer to fall, we are also seeing many changes in our Kindergarteners.
So far in reading, we have learned some letter names and letter sounds, along with some sight words! We are now blending sounds together to make words which is exciting! In math, we will continue practicing numbers 0-5 and start focusing on numbers 6-10. During science, we have started learning about trees and why trees are so important! We will start our body unit in October where we learn how our bodies work on the inside while creating our very own body system with a partner. These will be on display during parent-teacher conferences!
You will see a variety of activities coming home in your child’s Ware Bear Folder. Activities like practicing letter sounds and letter formation, foldable take home books, and a homework calendar to reinforce your kindergartener’s literacy, math, science, and social skills. This is a way for your Kindergartener to show you what we have been learning each day!
Please continue to work with your Kindergarten Ware Bear at home on skills like tying shoes and zipping jackets/coats. Students are doing an outstanding job but continuing to practice these skills will only make them more efficient.
We will be holding parent-teacher conferences this October AND visiting the pumpkin patch 😊 please keep an eye on your child’s Ware Bear folder and Class Dojo for more information.
First Grade News
We love to see our first graders continuing to show PRIDE towards others while at school (Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Dependability, and Empathy). They have been working hard to do their best every day!
In first grade, we are finishing up Unit 1 in Wonders which has covered the short vowel sounds for a, i, and o, along with blends (l-blends, r-blends, s-blends). In Unit 2, students will practice reading and writing using the short e (e – egg and ea- bread) and the short u (umbrella), along with consonant blends that come at the end of words (-nd, -nk, -nt, -sk, -st, -mp). Students manipulate sounds in spoken words, read words in isolation, and read decodable texts. We will continue to connect the phonics sounds to writing as we venture into writing narrative stories. We appreciate any support at home too.
Please practice the reading skills on the back of the weekly communication sheet with your child.
Read books, talk about their day, and/or play a game together.
Have your child practice handwriting and holding a pencil correctly.
In math, we are halfway through Unit1. We will begin to introduce subtraction within 10 while focusing on counting back to subtract. Students will discuss and apply their understanding of addition as it relates to subtraction and vice versa. First graders use these skills to solve multiple types of word problems involving missing addends or taking away from the whole. Students use number bonds, math drawings, and number sentences to show their thinking. Students put in a lot of hard work at the beginning of the year with adding and subtracting fluently within ten to help make connections with future skills.
Check your child’s Ware Bear folders and ClassDojo for upcoming events including Parent-Teacher Conferences (October 19th & 20th from 3:30-7:30 and October 21st - 8:00-12:00). Please make every effort to attend your conference as they are crucial to the success of your student. We look forward to seeing you all soon!
Second Grade News
In math, we will be starting Unit 2. We will be learning different strategies to add and subtract 2 digit numbers.
Reading classes for the 1st quarter are wrapping up. It has been amazing seeing all of the growth our students have made! Please keep encouraging your second grader to read 20 minutes per night. This will continue to improve their fluency and comprehension of text.
In writing, we are finishing up our unit on personal narratives and will be moving into our informational writing unit. They will be researching and writing about things like animals, sports, etc.
Lastly, just a few reminders for you, Field trip money and permission slip is due by October 3rd and Picture Day will be October 4th. Don’t forget to mark your parent teacher conferences on your calendar and be sure to look for more information to be coming home from your child’s teacher for the Fall Festival.
Ware Spirit Week!
Third Grade News
Here is what your 3rd Grade student will be working on for October!
In Reading we are currently reading a variety of different genre types. Please make sure your student is reading for 20 minutes each night at home and writing a short summary in their planner about what they read. This is your student’s nightly homework! In math, we are working multiplication. Please practice with your student at home. In Writing we will be working on Narrative writing pieces. For Social Studies students will learn all about Communities. Students will be learning about Motion and Matter in Science. Students will also have their 3rd Grade Musical in October; more information will be sent home once the date comes closer.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your students’ teacher!
Fourth Grade News
The Ware Bear fourth graders are continuing to be busy and active learners. In math we will be starting to learn about multi-digit multiplication. We will really be focusing on multiplying numbers by 10, 100, and 1,000. Then we will be moving into division with remainders. Students really need to be able to reason about their answers and think critically when solving word problems. The more “how” and “why” questions you can ask them about their math, the better they will become at reasoning and explaining. We are also still working on learning our multiplication facts. All students need to continue working on learning their multiplication facts at home. Spending just 5-10 minutes each night reviewing those facts can really help. We are at the point where we expect the students to know their facts. If they don’t, it really slows down the math process.
Please continue to help your child find 20 minutes to read each night and to write their response to reading on their reading log for the week. This time is so effective in building lifelong readers, and we really appreciate your effort!
In Social Studies we are working on learning about the states of the Northeastern part of the United States. The students are having a lot of fun learning how people in other places live. In Science we continue to learn about environments and how those effect the organisms who live there. We hope to be doing many hands-on lessons with the students to really get their minds thinking about science in a new way!
We are looking forward to meeting with all of you at conference time later this month. Please be on the lookout for more information regarding conference days and times. Your student will also be bringing home information about the upcoming Book Fair that happens during conference week.
We are very much looking forward to the Fall Festival on October 31st. We love to celebrate with our students and to see their personalities in their costumes. Teachers will be sending more information home about their classroom celebrations as the date gets closer. Thank you in advance for helping us celebrate!
We hope all families have a safe and happy celebration of their own. Our good wishes go out to those families who have a loved one deployed.
Fifth Grade Team
With the arrival of October, fall is in the air. We are looking forward to the changing season and the changing leaves. Please remember that fall is also a time for changing weather and have your Ware Bear dress accordingly.
In math this month, our fifth graders will be extending their knowledge of place value to include multiplying and dividing decimals by powers of ten. We will also use place value understanding to read, write and compare decimal numbers to the thousandths place.
In science, we will be investigating Earth Systems, including Earth’s atmosphere and its properties as well as the many important interactions between Earth’s major systems. In social studies, we will continue to learn about early American civilizations and begin discussing early world exploration.
Comprehension and fluency strategies continue to be the focus in reading. Please help your child remember to read for 20 minutes each night and fill out a read and respond form. Nightly read and respond homework helps support both goals of comprehension and fluency.
October is a very busy month here at Ware. With the end of the first quarter, we are wrapping up our current units and preparing to take our end of quarter assessments. It will be very important for all students to be at school every day during this busy time. The end of the first quarter also brings with it our Parent/Teacher Conferences. Our fall conferences are currently scheduled for 3:30p.m. - 7:30p.m. on October 19-20 and from 8:00a.m. - 12:00p.m. on October 21. More information on your student’s conference time will come at a later date. We are all looking forward to this opportunity to meet with you and your child to review academic progress and goals.
Special whole school scheduled activities are shared on our Ware Elementary “Class Dojo” page and through fliers sent home in your student’s Ware Bear folder. The end of October is Red Ribbon Week and our Fall Festival celebrations. Please watch for further information and guidelines for these activities.
Behavioral Health News
Early Childhood News
October brings fall weather and now is when we would like to ask you to make sure that your child has an appropriate change of clothes for school. We do go outside each day and there are days when your child may need a jacket or more. Some days our classrooms are quite warm, but other days they can also get cold. Layers are the best option for little ones in school so that they can adjust as needed. Our learning of Unit 2 Making Friends and the beginning of Unit 3 Families will help us understand more about the people closest to us. In Unit 2 we will learn the letters Aa, Mm, Ss and Pp. We will continue to work on sharing and working together in our classroom and at home. We are all learning about ways in which we can be good friends. In math we will work with numbers up to five and finish Module 1 at the end of the quarter just in time for parent-teacher conferences. More information about those will be coming out to you, so please remember to check your child’s folder. Our Second Step lessons will help us learn about our feelings by introducing self-talk, following directions, asking for what they need and identifying feelings such as happiness and anger. Our feeling buddies are here with us to support these important emotional regulation skills and we will have met all eight feelings now. We would like to thank the parents who have helped us with drop off and pick up by being patient and allowing us to bring students to the car or waiting for us at our line up spot. This really does help to ensure the safety of the children as they transition between teacher and parent.
Nurse Notes
With the change in weather your Ware Bears need to be prepared for unpredictable weather. You may want to send them to school with a jacket, some mornings are very cool. Layering clothing may be helpful also, if the day turns warm, they could re- move the top layer to be comfortable. Just a re- minder that a good breakfast is so very important for your child’s ability to concentrate and learn.
Cold and flu season is just around the corner! Re- mind your children about the importance of washing their hands. This is the single most important way to prevent the spread of germs. Also encourage them to cover their noses and mouths when they cough or sneeze. Please consider having your child vaccinated for the flu.
Just a friendly reminder…
If you have a student that may require a change of clothing while at school, please put extra in their book bags.
- If your child comes home in school clothing, please return them to me after they have been washed.
- Please remember to keep your contact information and emergency contact up to date. Your correct phone numbers are essential for us when we need to contact you for an injured or ill child.
- I’m in need of gently used pants size 5-6, boys and girls as well as new underwear boys size 4-6.
Your generosity is very much appreciated.
STUCO NEWS
The 4th and 5th grade students have elected their Student Council Representatives for this year.
Congrats to:
· Isabella S.
· Ivy C.
· Izzy O.
· Xyzzianah D.
· Abigail O.
· Ja’Kyla B.
· Piper H.
· Westyn M.
· Gunnar M.
· Riley H.
· Ava G.
· Jazlynn J.
· Aidan A.
· Tristen N.
We are excited for all the fun activities and leadership opportunities we will have this school year!
We are so excited to be doing Ware Mart this year! Ware Mart is a school store fundraiser designed to raise money for STUCO so that we can participate in leadership and volunteer opportunities! On Ware Mart days, from 7:40am – 8:00am, students will be able to shop for small school and fun items! Students MUST eat breakfast before shopping either at home or at school. They will be required to put purchased items in their backpack. Items bought should not be played with throughout the day.
Keep Your Eyes Open For October Ware Mart Dates!
Please direct any questions to one of the STUCO sponsors!
emilymoormanmeador@usd475.org darissamaley@usd475.org
Speech
Speech and Language sessions are in full swing! I have loved getting to know our new students and reconnecting with our returning students. So much progress has been observed already this school year and I’ve been impressed with the hard work our students are putting toward their communication goals. This month in speech and language, our focus has been on the start of Fall. We’ve been discussing the vocabulary associated with Fall, contrasting Fall and Summer, and completing Fall-themed activities. Please ask your students about the activities they’ve been completing in Speech and the goals they’ve been working on. We’re hoping to increase student awareness of their own speech and language goals and progress; discussing them at home is a great way to build on this!
Laura Thompson, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Music Team
Students have been doing a lot of singing, playing and moving in their music classes this fall. From drumming to the barred instruments, boomwhackers to unpitched percussion, students are learning proper playing technique as they explore rhythmic and melodic patterns. We have also focused on reading rhythms this quarter.
Upcoming programs this semester include the third graders’ program on Thursday, October 13. They are going to set sail on The High Seas which is a musical play about pirates and sailors going to a singing contest. The fourth graders will perform the patriotic concert, American Song on Thursday, November 10. The tradition continues with the fifth graders’ presentation of The Nutcracker on Thursday, December 15. All programs are in Ware Gym 2 and begin at 6:00 p.m. Please watch the Ware Facebook page and your classroom Schoology page for additional information as we get closer to the program dates.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us at 717-4600 or susangillespie@usd475.org and julianleibach@usd475.org.
PE Team
Our students have been hard at work in the gym, building relationships through team-building, learning about health- and skill-related fitness components, invasion game strategies and tactics, and fundamental movement skills. These include locomotor skills such as skipping and jumping, as well as manipulative skills such as tossing, catching, and balancing. We will continue later this month by adding volleying skills. By acquiring motor skill competency, students can experience more success, confidence, and joy in a variety of types of physical activity.
Also, just a reminder to have your child always bring sneakers (or shoes that cover our toes) to class. We want all students safely participating every day in class. Have kids set their tennis shoes right next to their bag each night before bed if they are wearing boots, sandals, or shoes with a high heel to school. If you have a younger child, practice tying shoes at home a lot! Knot-tying also helps a wide variety of other fine motor skills such as writing and cutting with scissors!
Mrs. Tara Gruver taragruver@usd475.org
Mrs. Kelli Thissen kellithissen@usd475.org
Support Your School!
Library News
Our Ware Bears are off and running with everyone having library books to read! What can I say, our Ware Bears are rockin’ readers! Each class visits the library once a week. Be sure to check with your student’s teacher if you are unsure of their library day. All of our Ware Bears recently finished learning how to care for their library books and general expectations for their district issued computers or iPads. Please help remind your student to take extra special care of their books and devices.
Students in grades K-5 are beginning their Digital Citizenship eduation lessons with Mrs. Kaus. It is our goal to help students flourish in a world of media and techology. We are learning to become respectful and responsible digital citizens. These lessons cover topics such as staying safe online, the power of words, and online communities. I encourage you to take a look at the website Common Sense Media (commonsensemedia.org) to explore some of the resources they offer parents to foster conscientious digital citzenship at home.
We are SO excited to host a Scholastic Book Fair during October parent teachers conferences. There will be additional information sent home with your student in the next couple of weeks. Information will also be posted Dojo, on our Facebook page, and website.
Hello, Ware Bears and Ware Families!
Book Fair Dates and Times:
Online Shopping Open- October 11-24
Wednesday, October 19th from 3:30-7:30pm
Thursday, October 20th from 3:30-7:30pm
Friday, October 21st from 8:00-10:00am
Thank you for continuing to encourage your child to read!
Mrs. Haley Kaus, Library Media Specialist
Mrs. Paige Callaway & Mrs. Brandy Davis, Library Clerks
School Counselor
Hello, Ware Bears and Ware Families!
I have had the pleasure of getting to meet the students in all 28 K-5 classrooms (two times now!) over the past two months. In August and September, we focused on getting to know each other and the role of a school counselor, as well as skills needed for educational achievement this year. K-2 students read My Mouth is a Volcano and learned skills to help them follow classroom expectations. 3-5 Students learned about Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset and strategies to help them change their mindset.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, the focus of lessons in October will be surrounding the topic of bullying, building on the lessons they have already received through Second Step in their classrooms. Below are some great resources if you want to talk to your student about these topics at home!
Educational Achievement/Skills in Class:
Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker by Christianne Jones
My Mouth is a Volcano by Julie Cook
The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein
Bullying Prevention/Skills with Peers:
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry