B.E.S. News

B.E.S.-Believing in Every Student as we Set Sail For Learning January, 2013

Junior Achievement

The fourth grade recently participated in JA in a Day. The program focused on Our Region and the students were involved in various hands-on activities. Students created their own business and kept track of their profits and expenses. It was a fun-filled day and the best part was graduating from the program in one day! Here we are smiling from ear to ear with our certificates!

Media Center News

Our Ahoy, Matey! Genre Stars for the month of November were Austin Worthington, Chase Rhinerson, Christopher Ranburger, Cohen Bailey, Dakia Carbon, Dawson Bowlds, Jackson Whitesell, Jade Lee, Jalen Rogers, Jayden Anderson, Jomar Anton, Julia Hagan, Kailee Foutz, Kaitlyn Wagoner, karis Young, Kenara Johnson, Kendyl Knight, Lance Crabtree, Lea Rhinerson, Mahogany Parks, Nicholas Varner, Nolan Howell, Payton Renfrow, Preet Patel, Riley O’Dell, Sydney Bunch and Tony Luna. Our Ahoy, Matey! Genre Stars for the month of December were Alyssa Kessenger, Andrew Young, Austin DeWitt, Benji Fulkerson, Cameron Hester-Dean, Chase Rhinerson, Chloe Kirk, Christopher Ranburger, Cohen Bailey, Dakia Carbon, Evan Miller, Jackson Whitesell, Jessie Gray, Kailee Foutz, Kaleigh Young, Kenara Johnson, Kendyl Knight, Molly Dysinger, Natalie Hale, Preet Patel, Riley O’Dell, Sarilyn Wright, Stephanie Hale, Sydney Bunch and Wesley Napier. These students read three books in a genre and then passed the Accelerated Reader quiz over the books. The more students read the better readers they will become.

The 2nd and 3rd grade Genre Book Club took place during November and into December. Students worked on a career dog tag, made Christmas book marks as well as a bookmark of a picture of themselves. They also learned how to find out what the genre of a book is that they have already read and taken an AR test on. Several of them received genre dog tags for November and will receive more for December. Those students participating were Jack Whitesell, Jayden Anderson, Jessica Gray, Kailee Foutz, Kaitlyn Wagoner, Kenara Johnson, Kendyl Knight, Molly Dysinger, Natalie Hale, Nicholas Varner, Riley O’Dell, Stephanie Hale, Sydney Bunch and Wesley Napier.

The Caldecott Award is given each year by the American Library Association to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. During the last week of January students reviewed the Caldecott Award and a winning book was read to each class. The 2013 winning book is This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen.

The Newbery Medal was also announced. The 2013 winner if The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.

Our second Scholastic Book Fair of this school year will be the first week of March. I will need help setting up Thursday, February 28th if anyone is able to help. I will start setting up at about 1:45 in the afternoon. Of course, I will also need volunteers during the book fair. Letters regarding the book fair as well as flyers showing some of the books available will be sent home during February.

Have a great February and remember to keep on reading!

December Students of the Month

The following students were named December student of the month by their teachers:

Meyzen Lopez-Vasquez, Julia Mullen, ZaNiyah Jackson, Katie Ripley, Garrett Gargus, Kole Ripley, Chelsey Rivera-Torres, Morgan Turner, Jack Whitesell, Kristen Shofstall, Molly Dysinger, Joseline Barragan, Trevor Hall, Gabriel Nies, Yasmine Pope, Raygan Roby, Shaffer Shaheen, Jordan Bailey, Julia Hagan, Jaiden Strong, Jalen Harris, Madison Hillard,

Kaylene Simmons, Julia Case, Elijah Mills, Taryn Mills, Alison Zapato and Brayden Duke

Dates to Remember

February 2 Academic Team District Meet

Feb. 4 – Feb. 14 Pennies for Patients

February 15 No School

February 18 No School (President’s Day)

February 19 Academic Team Regional Meet

JANUARY NEWS FROM

BES FIFTH GRADE

“Why do I have to read? I don’t like Accelerated Reading!” As fifth grade teachers, we often hear parents and students repeat statements such as this. At Burns Elementary, our AR program is incentive-based rather than mandatory. Additionally, grades are not altered whether a student meets or does not meet his / her goal. We encourage our Bobcats to read because the value of being a proficient reader is immeasurable.

As I sat on Saturday morning reading the Messenger-Inquirer, it was quite a surprise to read the editorial titled “AR Program Sparks Youth Reading” by Don Wilkins. Of course, I had to find out why he, as a parent, was in support of AR when so many parents are not.

Mr. Wilkins shared that as a child, he loved to read “for the sake of reading.” He noticed that as technology such as television and Nintendo became available to occupy free time, his parents had a much more difficult time getting him to read. He found himself playing with Nintendo and Atari or watching television. “It was as though books never existed.”

It wasn’t until Mr. Wilkins was a junior in high school that he rediscovered his passion for reading. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the Autobiography of Mark Twain were two standouts. With his love of reading reignited, Wilkins was destined to pass that enthusiasm along to his children.

According to the article, he discovered that his children had an even greater problem finding leisure time to share his love of reading after the introduction of Xbox, PS3 and Wii. Even though he admits his children’s love of reading may be in part genetic, Accelerated Reading, “the reading software created to assess a student’s reading level by testing through book comprehension quizzes,” at his children’s elementary school is given credit as well. “Students who have parental involvement and teachers who make the AR program a priority will no doubt have greater success.” Wilkins feels that without the program, his children would not have been inspired to read as many books. “The reward element of the program (which we also have at Burns) places the fun back into reading instead of being seen as another homework assignment.”

Mr. Wilkins ended his article by stating, “Reading for the sake of reading doesn’t have to be a lost art.” Our fifth grade team agrees. Reading is the one thread that winds its way through EVERY subject. Our fifth grade students who read and continue to increase their book levels have shown improvement on our recent STAR test. Students who read few or no books remained unchanged or lost ground as compared to their peers. We realize some children grumble and whine about reading fifteen to twenty minutes each evening, but they may also grumble and whine about brushing their teeth or bathing. Help your child set a goal to meet his / her AR goal for the third nine weeks. Our requirements are:

3 chapter books of 100 + pages

1 informational book of 20+ pages

ONE of the minimum of four books MUST be toward the top of your child’s reading level.

Just a few minutes spent reading each day will yield dividends for years to come!!

Susan Warren, Julia Cecil, and Kellie Childress

BES Fifth Grade

Bobcat Bash