Vol. 10 No. 8 April 2015

April 2 School Musical: The Emperors New Clothes, 7 p.m. 610 Spring Recess No School 16 District Film Festival 14 PTA meeting, 9 a.m. 17 Kindergarten Orientation, 3:30 p.m. 20 SAGE end-of-year testing begins 21-23 Fitness Testing 23 Draper Elementary Film Festival, 6:30 p.m. 24 Early Out Day, 1:35 p.m. 28-30 Fitness Testing May 1 Walk/Bike to School Day 4-8 Teacher Appreciation Week 8 BYU Dance Kinnect Day 14 Dads & Donuts, 8 a.m. 15 Last day to turn in Box Tops 20 Mix-it-Up Lunch Retro Recess 22 No School Report Card Prep Day for teachers 25 Memorial Day No School 28 Third Grade Program, 2 p.m.

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The Emperors New Clothes to be Performed Thursday Please plan to join us for an evening of music and fun as our Draper Elementary Choir performs its spring musical, The Emperors New Clothes on Thursday, April 2, at 7 p.m. in the Gym. Our choir has been rehearsing since January for this performance. The musical is the story of an Emperor who decides he can only gain confidence by dressing in the finest attire, so he commands his Royal Clothesmaker to fashion him in the most royal wardrobe. Taking advantage of the Emperors uncertainty and immaturity, a Swindler promises to make magic clothes that are invisible to fools for a large and hefty price. He eventually learns some important lessons about outward appearance. The choir is directed by Ms. Pixton, Mrs. Fenton and Mrs. Ellingson. Mrs. Haggerty accompanies the choir. New Art Program Coming Next Year Draper Elementary is excited to announce it is becoming a Beverly Taylor Sorenson Foundation school. We will be part of a district-wide grant to access certified art teachers to teach our weekly Specials classes. While we are very sad to see Artyology go, we are grateful for this opportunity to have highly qualified teachers teaching standards-aligned art lessons. A special thank you to Anna Andrews who has provided are Art Through the Ages (now called Artyology) the past 10 years. It was my profound privilege to be part of your childrens education, enthusiasm and creativity, she said. Bike Safety A few parents have expressed concerns about the many students riding bicycles and motorized bikes to school and getting in the way of traffic. They are also concerned the students are not wearing helmets. Please help keep our students safe by reminding your children about the importance of bicycle safety and helmet-wearing to protect our students in case of an accident. Teacher Appreciation Week For those of you parents who like to plan ahead, Teacher Appreciation Week is scheduled for May 4-8. The PTA will honor teachers throughout that week.

Deweys Diary Draper Elementary PTA Newsletter

From the Principal How I love spring! Its so nice to have daylight last longer, to hear birds chirping, and see spring flowers popping up! In April and May we have multiple opportunities for involvement and participation at our school. Art and music education is very dear to my heart. Research shows that students involved in these activities tend to have higher rates of success in academics and behavior. We just recently learned about the Expressionism period in our Artyology lesson. Thank you to Anna Andrews, Angela Hanks, and the volunteers and Specials aides that help make these art lessons possible! (See related story on new art program next year.) Our spring musical, The Emperors New Clothes, will be presented on Thursday, April 2, at 7 p.m. We also have several students participating in the District Film Festival on April 16 and our school Film Festival on April 23.

In May, all third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students will begin taking Utahs Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence (SAGE) testing. Please make sure you child is on time to school, has plenty of sleep, and eats a healthy breakfast. All of our students and teachers have learned and worked diligently this school year. We want our students to be able to show what they know. Literacy and math are often our most talked about subjects, but I want to emphasize that at Draper, your child is receiving an excellent Science and Social Studies education. Teachers are actively working with students to think scientifically and to understand our community and world as responsible citizens. Teachers expertly integrate science and social studies topics into all aspects of the curriculum, and our students participate in labs and field trips for hands-on learning of these topics. The next two months promise to be a continuation of rich learning experiences for our students, including programs and field trips. Thank you so much for being actively involved in your childs education. Together we are helping our students achieve their potential. Mrs. Piper Riddle, Principal

Early-Out Fridays Coming Back Next Year We will have a new schedule next school year! The Canyons Board of Education has approved a new schedule for all elementary schools in the district. The schedule brings back early-out Fridays and gives teachers uninterrupted collaboration and planning time so we can better meet student needs and prepare students for college and careers. Stuffed Animal Donations Wednesday, April 1, is the deadline for gently used and clean stuffed animals and blankets. Students can drop their donations off at the main office. Their donations will be given to Primary Childrens Hospital. Walking School Bus Contest The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is celebrating a Spring Walk 'n Win until April 30. Use the app and every time you and/or your child walks or rides a bike to and from school you are entered to win prizes donated from sponsors. Prizes include an overnight stay and breakfast for parents at the Blue Boar Inn in Midway, bikes, scooters, and helmets for students, and breakfast with the Utah Jazz Bear for the winning WSB group along with $500 for their school/PTA's safe walking and biking programs. Visit this link for more information: www.udot.utah.gov/snap/parent, and click on Spring Walk. Literacy Week a Big Success Our students set a goal in March during Literacy Week to read more than 75,000 minutes. The students surpassed the school goal by reading more than 100,000 minutes! Teachers performed a Lip Sync contest as a reward for a great week of reading by our Draper Dragons. PTA Presidents Message It is almost time for Spring Break to spend quality time with our friends and family. It is nice to have a week to get refreshed and ready to finish out the rest of the school year. It seems time has so quickly come to the last quarter of the school year. I am so grateful to great teachers and staff who continually work hard to help our children reach their full potential! Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who help in the school, assist in Mix-it-Up Lunch, Artyology, Dads & Donuts, Literacy Week, and all the other events PTA offers. Without volunteers, we would not be able to have such great programs. I am thrilled to rub shoulders with the best, most involved parents I have ever met! Watch for a parent survey coming up in the next month or so. Your input is valued and appreciated. Have a wonderful time off, and see you soon to continue "Changing the world one child at a time." JoAnna Meyer, 2014-15 PTA President draperelementarypta@gmail.com