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South Fayette Elementary School
Building Report
May 2013
Over the next few weeks, the students in second grade will
be observing the life cycle of the Painted Lady Butterfly. They
will watch their caterpillars grow, shed their skin several times,
transform into a chrysalis, and finally emerge as a black and
orange butterfly; all within a month. After the metamorphosis
has occurred, the students will be able to observe them in a
butterfly cage. After a few days, they will be released into the
wild. The second graders are excited to be able to experience
this amazing change. Be on the lookout for these Painted Ladies;
some do escape! Submitted by Second Grade Teacher, Mrs.
Colangelo
Just like spring, the kindergarten students
have really bloomed! They have learned all 26
letters of the alphabet and 40 high frequency
words. They are able to decode and read
sentences. In math, they have learned shapes,
solid figures, and how to represent a two-digit
number using tens and ones. This is such an
exciting time of year! Look out first grade…here
they come!
The kindergartners planted sunflower
seeds and are watching them grow. They also went on a field trip to the South Fayette library,
police station, and post office. There was a fire truck and ambulance parked outside of the police
station, so the students could learn about the jobs they do. They also visited Lomma Construction
Company and were given yellow construction hats. Submitted by Kindergarten Teacher, Mrs.
Brentin
The Painted Lady Butterfly
There are many exciting things happening in fourth grade
during the month of May! On May 3, the students were treated
to a visit from “Big Mike” Dorsey, a contestant from the TV show
The Biggest Loser. He came to South Fayette to take part in
healthy activities with the fourth grade students. Fourth grade
teacher, Sara Oddis, knows Mike from college, and was able to
arrange his visit. Her class also corresponded with Mike during
his time on the show. Mike didn’t win the competition, but as you
can see, he certainly is a positive role model for the students
about what healthy eating and exercise can do. To learn more
about Mike’s visit to South Fayette, you can read the article from the May 6 edition of the Almanac
at http://www.thealmanac.net/article/20130506/NEWS07/130509969/-1/NEWS#.UYh0ooImaG4.
May is also a time for
fourth grade fine arts week.
During the week of May 6-10,
the students centered all of
their academic learning around
the arts. Visiting artists,
coordinated through the
Pittsburgh Center for the
Arts, facilitated activities
centering on puppetry, dance,
theater, and the visual arts. This was a terrific opportunity for the students to be exposed to
many different types of artistic expression.
Earlier this year, the fourth grade students were visited by Cindy Cox and Holly Bomba from
the South Fayette Conservation Group. As an extension of the fourth grade environmental science
curriculum, they brought a watershed table into each of the classrooms to explain how a watershed
works. As a follow-up to this activity, members of the conservation group will be taking each class
to the wetlands to participate in hands-on science activities. This collaboration has been a very
positive learning experience for the students. It will also help to prepare them for the fourth
grade field trip to The Outdoor Classroom later in the month of May. Submitted by Fourth Grade
Teacher, Ms. Brandtner
Ms. Oddis and her class with Mike Dorsey
In January, South Fayette Elementary School was chosen for the
first time to be a part of The Giant Eagle Kids of STEEL; a running
program through Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon. KOS is
an exercise and nutrition program developed to promote and encourage
healthy lifestyle habits in young children. Children in grades K-5 were
eligible to run.
Over the course of 18-weeks, students who participated ran
approximately 25.2 miles. On May 4, 2013 the
KOS ran their last mile together in the Toyota of
Pittsburgh Kids Marathon. There were over 200
South Fayette students who participated in the program. During their
training, the students and their coaches ran two times per week prior to the
beginning of the school day. The coaches offered cardio stations such as
burpees, squat jumps, planks, and wall squats. They ran for at least 10-15
minutes per session. As the weather improved, they were able to run outside
on the elementary playground.
The Giant Eagle Kids of STEEL Physical Education Grant worth $1,000 was awarded to five
different schools that had more than 50 participants. The money is to be used to purchase new
physical education equipment. South Fayette was chosen as one of the five schools. We are looking
forward to choosing some new equipment for all of the children to enjoy.
The SFEPTA bought all of the KOS participants a “Lions of Steel” training
shirt. The children wore the shirts on training days and on the day of the race.
The logo on the shirts was drawn by Mrs. Jen Sander’s daughter, Jillian Sander.
Thank you to the PTA for your generous gift and for supporting our program!
To encourage healthy eating habits, KOS
participants were encouraged to taste different
kinds of fruits and vegetables. The children also
logged their own activity time. Besides running at
school, 20 minutes of other activities such as hockey, soccer, dance, or
tennis counted as one mile. As a group, it is estimated that we ran over
5,000 miles in 18 weeks. Way to go LIONS OF STEEL!!!!
Thank you to Mrs. Jessica Lapinski, a seasoned runner herself, for
bringing the Giant Eagle Kids of STEEL program to South Fayette. Coaches
Mrs. Lapinski, Mrs. Rebecca Colangelo, Mrs. Jen Sander, Ms. Emily Bigley, Ms.
Jesse Lee, and Mrs. Angela Johnson were able to make this program
successful by assisting the students with their training for the race and
teaching them valuable health and fitness habits.
With the help and support of our running coaches, parents, administration, and our young
emerging runners, this program would not have been
successful. The smiles on the runners’ faces as they
crossed the finish line were priceless. The sense of
accomplishment and our South Fayette pride were apparent
throughout the streets of Pittsburgh and at the finish line. It
is our hope to continue to bring programs to South Fayette that will promote
and foster the idea of living a life of health and fitness. Additionally, running
qualifies as a life sport; one in which athletes are likely to maintain over their
life spans. It is important for children to cultivate a healthy lifestyle at an
early age to obtain the goal of lifelong fitness. Submitted by Second Grade
Teacher and Running Coach, Mrs. Colangelo
First grade began their science unit on organisms this month. This is a hands-on unit that
explores similarities and differences between living things such as animals and plants.
During the month of May, we are observing terrariums in which the first graders planted
tree seedlings and moss. The students will also observe bess beetles and pill bugs in their new
environment. These little critters are not as small as you may think!
Next, the students will set up their aquariums; they will observe their new guppies and snails.
The children will feed and care for their guppies daily and observe the changes in their aquariums,
as well.
Some exciting changes that take place during this unit are the addition of baby guppies and
snail eggs. They will use their magnifying glasses and record their new findings. The students are
responsible for the care of each aquarium and terrarium, which makes this a great learning
experience for the whole class!
The first graders started a new unit in math class called Investigations. This unit
emphasizes careful observation and description of geometric shapes. They will learn
characteristics and attributes of these shapes and compose and decompose them in different ways.
They will also find ways to sort, categorize, and name the relationship between their shapes.
The first graders joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Resident Conductor,
Lawrence Loh, in a symphonic reading of Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book Where the Wild
Things Are. They followed Max on his voyage to the land of the Wild Things while discovering
music that illustrates his exciting journey. Submitted by First Grade Teacher, Mrs. Johnson
Did you know that Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States, was a tailor
before he was President? Or that one of George Washington's favorite foods was ice cream?
These are just two of the interesting facts about past U.S. Presidents that our third grade
students discovered through their research. Many Presidents had unusual careers before entering
the White House. Jimmy Carter, the 39th President, was a peanut farmer. Ronald Reagan, the
40th President, was a movie actor. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, once worked chopping
wood to make fence rails. The study of Presidents is fascinating and interesting for students at
this age. The third grade students conducted research using a variety of methods and synthesized
information utilizing audience and purpose. The students first read about the president they would
write their report on and took detailed notes on key information such as important dates, critical
events in the President’s life, people who influenced his life, and major world events in his life.
Rough drafts were written, corrections and revisions made, report covers created and printed, and
final copies were submitted. All third grade students are sharing their research through oral
presentations this month.
Spring begins with buds on trees, daffodils, and ... chicks and ducks? Yes! Once again this
year, Mrs. Leroux's class anxiously awaited the arrival of new chicks and ducklings on May 1. They
also had some tiny classroom visitors to wish them luck on the PSSA's. About 300 newly hatched
praying mantis nymphs to be exact. These springtime bugs prove that spring truly has SPRUNG!
Heraldry is the study or art of tracing genealogies, and the designing and granting of coats
of arms. A coat of arms shows an individual's or family's history
and heritage. Students from several third grade classrooms
created their own family’s coat of arms by choosing symbols they
felt best represented their family. Students were required to
include a family photo and write out the meaning of their coat of
arms and explain why they chose those particular elements.
Our annual Celebration of Excellence was held on Thursday,
April 25. Thank you to everyone who attended. The students and
teachers worked hard to prepare for the special evening, and we
appreciated your attendance. We are proud of the many successes of your sons and daughters.
Your comments stimulate our thinking and help us with the ongoing improvement of instruction.
Research has shown over and over that schools that are the most successful have a high percentage
of parent involvement. Submitted by Third Grade & Enrichment Teacher, Mrs. Kuntz
Cyberbullying is when someone is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed,
or otherwise targeted using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies, or mobile phones. It
is a growing issue in our society, but South Fayette students are learning how to deal with this
problem in positive and appropriate manners. As we prepare our students to become digital citizens
and members of online communities, it is important that we teach them about online safety,
appropriate use of technology, and cyberbullying. Mr. Wachter, our technology specialist, began the
discussion in each third and fourth grade classroom with the hope that students would continue the
conversation with their families at home. Students in fourth grade empathized with the targets of
cyberbullying, recognized some of the key similarities and differences between in-person bullying
and cyberbullying, and identified strategies for dealing responsibly with cyberbullying. Third grade
students learned that people their age sometimes think and behave differently in groups, they
tried to understand the feelings of someone who is the target of cyberbullying, and generated ways
to be upstanders when faced with cyberbullying. Anti-cyberbullying posters were created and
displayed around the school. Here are some tips about how to handle cyberbullying situations:
Avoid sites that are not age appropriate. Did you know that sites like Facebook, Myspace,
and Instagram require everyone to be at least 13 years old to create an account?
Don’t respond or retaliate. If you are angry and reply, then you might say mean things.
Cyberbullies often just want to get a reaction out of you. Don’t let them know that their plan
has worked.
Block the bully. If you get mean messages online, take the person who sent you the
messages off your buddy or friends list. You can also just delete messages from bullies
without reading them.
Save and print bullying messages. If the bullying continues, save the messages. These
could be important evidence to show your parents or teachers if the bullying does not stop.
Talk to a friend. When someone makes you feel bad, it can help to talk the situation over
with a friend.
Tell a trusted adult. Telling an adult – like a parent, family member, teacher, or coach –
isn’t tattling. It’s standing up for yourself.
If you are a bystander to cyberbullying, be an upstander. Stand up for the target, assist
them in finding help, don’t be silent, and don’t join in the bullying behavior.
Submitted by Mr. Wachter
The week of May 6 - 10 was Teacher Appreciation Week
and Kelly Scheel outdid herself this year! Kelly and the Teacher
Appreciation Committee worked many dedicated hours to make
our teachers and staff feel extra special by providing treats and
surprises all week long.
Breakfast, lunch, and a
dessert table were
provided on different days,
thanks to our parents and different businesses who donated
items. Special treats were provided every day this week,
such as M&M’s in
buckets with shovels
that read “We Dig our Teachers.” At the end of each
school day, several lucky teachers were called to the office
to be presented with gift cards and other little presents
that were donated by our generous parents and local
businesses. Kelly and other helpful volunteers also created
a special bulletin board out of several of our students’
handprints just to show their teachers how much they are loved. Thank you to Kelly and the
teacher appreciation volunteers for your commitment and hard work; the teachers and staff
appreciate and value each and every one of you!
The Thursday after Easter marked the performance of the Fourth Grade Performing Arts
Club. The 85-member group presented their literature inspired “This Book Belongs To…” It was a
great success for the students who sang, danced, acted, and played instruments. Directors, Dana L.
Falosk and Shad Wachter, were incredibly proud
of the students throughout the entire rehearsal
process, as well as the night of the performance.
The students’ dedication was apparent at every
Wednesday rehearsal. “Bravo,” Performing Arts
Club Students!
During the week of May 6 – 10, South
Fayette Elementary School hosted the Fourth
Kelly Scheel, Dana Beck
& Renee Haviland
Students work on listening and group
interaction during the Theater Session
with Sam Turich.
Grade Artist in Residence week. Fourth grade students were asked to “Imagine the Future and
Explore the Unknown” via the arts. The following artists enriched the lives of the entire fourth
grade:
Mr. Sam Turich, who led theatre improvisation
sessions
Artist, Mr. Tom Sarver, who aided the students in
envisioning the future through puppet making
Members of Attack Theatre, a local modern dance
group, who gave the students the opportunity to
explore the unknown through dance and rhythmic
accompaniment
Ms. Jessica Rutherford and Mr. Kevin Wenner,
who led a visual art project that will be installed at
the new Intermediate School next year.
Students worked independently and collaboratively in the
four art residencies. Through the visual arts, the
students created, solved how to achieve their plan using
different materials, and learned how the arts are inter-
related. Projects requiring collaboration were the
improvisation through acting, creating group
choreography, and installation pieces for the
intermediate school. Students were also given time
throughout the week to reflect upon these experiences
and assess how they personally can impact their world in
the future.
Thank you so much to the following groups who provided funding for the Artist in Residence
Program: South Fayette School District, the PTA,
and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts through an
Arts In Education Partnership of the Pennsylvania
Council on the Arts, a state agency. State
government funding for the arts depends upon an
annual appropriation by the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania and support from the National
Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Submitted by Arts Alive Teacher, Dana Falosk
Jessica Rutherford and Kevin Wenner
explain the students' part in the
installation project.
Tom Sarver helps students
add to their puppets
Students work on their choreography for
their group dance with Attack Theatre
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