pennell in print - pdsd.org · pennell reading fair week more info. on pg. 3 31st halloween jersey...
TRANSCRIPT
What’s coming up in
October?
8th Picture Day
PTL Meeting 6:30 pm / Library
11th Superhero Math Assembly
16th 11:15 am Early Dismissal / Teacher In-service
23rd
School Board Meeting 7:30 pm
24th
Fall Fest / 6 to 8 pm Front Field
25th 1:15 Early Dismissal / Teacher In-service
28th
thru 1st
Pennell Reading Fair Week More info. on pg. 3
31st Halloween
PENNELL IN PRINT
OCTOBER 2013
PENNELL ELEMENTARY
3300 RICHARD ROAD * ASTON, PA 19014 * 610.497.6300 x 7500
PENNELL ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTER
Happy October Parents!
Happy autumn to everyone!
It has been an exciting start to our school year! Between introductions, setting routines, and
jumping into the curriculum, the first few weeks of school are always a blur. It has been
wonderful to see smiling faces back in our hallways and classrooms! It was also great to see so
many parents at our Back to School night last month. Your participation in your child’s
education is essential in challenging and supporting them as they learn and grow.
As we settle into the new school year, it is so important to set aside some time at home each
night to have your child read. You can involve yourself in this routine by having your child read
to you or share in the reading with them. Reading aloud and discussing the story supports
listening comprehension skills and will certainly help your child in school. Anything you can do
at home to support us in this ongoing endeavor is greatly appreciated.
On the topic of reading, I would like to recognize 4th grade
student, Kelsey Celestino (pictured left) for reaching 1,000,000
in our Reading Counts program before the first day of school!
Kelsey made great use of our open library this summer and
accumulated her 1,000,000 words at a rapid pace! She became
the fastest to reach 1,000,000 words in Pennell Reading Counts
history! HUGE congratulations to Kelsey!
We finished the month of September
with our annual Spirit Week!
From crazy hats, slippers, and socks, to
proudly sporting their school colors,
our students showed their Pennell
spirit all week long! Favorite sports
jersey day of course was one of the
biggest hits!
1st grade boys (pictured above from left to right), D.J. Rhoads, Danny Digan, and Jacob Farrell
show their love of Philadelphia sports!
As always, thank you for your support!
Mr. Shawn Dutkiewicz, Pennell Elementary Principal
Please “LIKE” the
Pennell Elementary and
PDSD Facebook pages!
Dear Pennell Families,
It is with great excitement that we are announcing the schedule
of events for the first ever Pennell Literacy Week! This exciting
week will be full of hands-on, minds-on activities with lots of
amazing literature!
Sincerely,
The Reading Fair Committee
Schedule of Events:
Monday, Oct. 28 – Author Visit: Author and illustrator Lee Harper will be visiting our school and
holding several assemblies geared to meet the needs of each grade level.
Tuesday, Oct. 29 – Paired Reading Activity: Younger and older students will be paired together
to read a story and create a project on their book.
Wednesday, Oct. 30th – Mix It Up Book Club Lunch Bunch: Students will be allowed to sit with
other students in their grade level at lunch. Once “mixed up”, students will be discussing a book
read in class. 1/2 day Kindergarten will have a parent shared book day as well!
Thursday, Oct. 31st – Dress Like Your Favorite Character Day: Students are invited to dress up
like their favorite book character (see guidelines below). Participation in this dress up day is
optional.
Friday, Nov. 1st – Reading Fair: All students in the school will have a chance to view the tri-fold
projects entered in the reading fair contest and create a list of books they are interested in
reading.
Guidelines for “Dress Like Your Favorite Character Day”:
Students are invited to dress like a character from one of their favorite books or novels. When helping
your child put together their outfit, please remember to check and be sure everything being worn is
school appropriate and follows the dress code guidelines set by the district. Accessories to the outfit
should certainly be fun and festive; however, they should not interfere with your child’s ability to focus
in class or participate in regular school activities like: specials, recess, lunch, etc. Please be aware that
no weapons, blood, or face paint will be permitted.
We hope you are as excited as we are to share the love of literature. As Dr. Seuss said, “The more you
read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."
THE PENNELL READING FAIR IS COMING SOON!
Each month, Pennell focuses on a core value/essential that we hope students will practice and apply in their daily lives. We recognize students who exemplify our core essentials by giving them “team tickets”. Team tickets are awarded to students and then displayed in our lobby. At the end of the month, students who received a team ticket are chosen randomly to have lunch with the Principal, Mr. Dutkiewicz.
OCTOBER’S MONTHLY VALUE:
HONOR - Letting someone know you see how valuable
they really are.
DISCUSSION STARTER: When Mark Paulauskas fell during a two-mile cross-country race, his loud scream and bloody ankle showed how badly he was hurt. Runners passed by, focused on their race. But one runner, Josh Ripley, stopped his race to carry Mark back to his coaches and family who took him to the ER. Mark received 20 stitches and a walking boot, and Josh didn’t win his race (though he did go back to finish it), but the honor Josh showed Mark inspired everyone at the track that day. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
What did Josh show Mark about how valuable he was as a person by stopping his race to help? Many of the other runners kept right on running, missing a chance to honor someone who was overlooked.
Have you ever honored someone when everyone else was passing by? Who in your life do you value? Talk about a time when someone chose to honor you. How did that make you feel? How can our family look for ways to honor and celebrate others?
Rest:
K-2: Pablo’s Tree by: Pat Mora; In a heartwarming intergenerational story, Pablo cannot wait to visit his
grandfather and discover what treasures will be placed on his tree, a tree that was purchased when Pablo was
adopted and that, each year, is decorated with special surprises.
3-5: The Whipping Boy: Sid Fleischman; Jemmy, once a poor boy living on the streets, now lives in a castle. As the
whipping boy, he bears the punishment when Prince Brat misbehaves, for it is forbidden to spank, thrash, or
whack the heir to the throne. The two boys have nothing in common and even less reason to like one another. But
when they find themselves taken hostage after running away, they are left with no choice but to trust each other.
Experience: It’s easy to know everything about yourself but do you know everything about those around you, like
your family? Do you know your dad’s favorite place in the house? Or your mom’s favorite TV show? What about
your little brother’s least favorite food? If you know a lot about your family that means you are doing a great job
honoring them. Because when you listen and care about the little things, it shows others how valuable they are. So
take time this week to play a getting to know you game! Gather your family together and see if they can give the
following information about each family member. Have everyone write his or her answers down and compare at
the end. The person with the most correct answers about the family wins!
Just some ideas: Eye color, Favorite food, Least favorite food, Best friend’s name, Favorite song, Favorite movie,
Favorite time of year, Ideal vacation, Favorite spot in the house, Ideal pet
CORE ESSENTIALS: VALUE OF THE MONTH
With Scholastic Reading Counts your child participates in an independent reading
program that tracks their success on the books they read, in and out of school. This
technology-based program creates a personalized and engaging learning environment
that ensures independent reading accountability.
This year, our school-wide Reading Counts goal is 114,000,000!
As September 30th: Congrats to the students who have read at least 150,000 words!
Students Total Words Read
Kelsey Celestino 1,577,664
Abigail Fisher 835,774
Brendan Purfield 695,969
Sarah Gartland 596,487
Abigail Otsyina 568,243
Sydney Digan 460,666
Nicole Buscaglia 441,552
Brett Michaels 338,617
Erin Kelly 371,578
Darren Panusky 368,328
Patrick Gill 267,820
Shana Gilmour 249,846
Alex Kenvin 244,041
Tyler Smith 299,216
Ria Medagam 227,187
Sophia Pantuliano 225,829
Julian Diehl 205,630
Sierra Cooney 194,581
Katherine Fallon 183,789
Hailey Chynesky 180,244
Sophie Esposito 175,389
Cole Corrento 171,903
Alyssa Modesto 153,328
READING COUNTS
OCTOBER NOTES FROM THE NURSE:
Flu Facts from the CDC (Center for Disease Control)
Did you know?
The flu is an infection of the nose, throat and lungs caused by influenza viruses.
Children 2 to 17 years old are nearly 2 to 3 times more likely to be infected with the flu than adults.
School-age children are the main spreaders of the flu virus to other children, adults and older people.
Children younger than 5 had similar hospitalization rates from the flu as people 50-64 years of age.
More than 200,000 people in the US are hospitalized each year because of the flu.
The best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated; everyone in the family over 6 months of age should get the flu vaccine every year.
You cannot get the flu from the flu vaccine. The vaccines are made not to cause infection.
Some people may experience side effects, but it is not the flu.
So protect yourself and your family: Get your flu vaccines today
FROM THE NURSE’S OFFICE…