WESPTSA Parent Info Night: Summer Slide

On Tuesday, May 2nd, the PTSA held a Parent Info Night dedicated to preventing summer slide. Here are some take-away activities/ideas from suggested activities shared at the Parent Info Night: • When eating at a restaurant have your kids estimate and/or figure out the tip (math)• Have your child keep a vacation journal (writing) • Have your child read, or read to your child (reading). A great idea is to take advantage of local reading programs, such as the Capital Area District Libraries (CADL) Summer Reading Program (see https://cadl.beanstack.org/reader365). Please note that Schuler’s Book Store also sponsors a summer reading program (see http://www.schulerbooks.com/src2016) [note the 2017 info is not online yet)].• Have your child type an email or write a letter to a penal • Keep a deck of cards in your purse, bag, or car to play compare • Play guess my number when waiting places or riding in the car • Have your child write a book or movie review • Both you and your child read a book and discuss it together • Have your child help you cook - read the recipe and measure ingredients • Plant a garden and involve your child in all aspects from selection, to when to plant and harvest • Have your child compare prices at the grocery store

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Upcoming WESPTSA &

School Events:

Ongoing: Mileage Club M, W, & F

April & May: M-Step Testing

5/2: Parent Info Night 6:30-7:30

5/4: Ice Cream Social & Scholastic Book Fair

5/10: Bike to School Day

5/11: PTSA meeting (last of the year) 7-8:30pm

5/26: Teacher Appreciation Lunch

5/29: No School (Memorial Day)

6/9: 1/2 day of school (LAST DAY)

8/28: First day of school (2017-2018 academic year)

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WESPTSA Newsletter May 2017

WESPTSA Parent Info Night: Summer Slide (con’t.)• Provide your child with summer activities, such as camps or even attending the free events through CADL • Your kids can participate in a free bowling program all summer long (see https://www.kidsbowlfree.com/)… to add some more learning fun, have them keep score by hand or determine the difference between bowlers or what they would need to average in each frame to get a desired score. • Take your child to a zoo, library, campuses, parks, and museums. Consider taking advantage of June 3, 2017 Be A Tourist in Your Own Town - a passport to get into many great places that day can be purchased for $1 per person (see http://www.lansing.org/events/be-a-tourist/)• For some additional math games, see the end of this newsletter…

Hornet Summer Book Club

This year the WESPTSA is sponsoring a Hornet Summer Book Club. Students in current grades 2-4 (going into 3-5) will have an opportunity to borrow a book from the Who was (Who is) or What was series this summer - one of their choosing from a list provided (see attached form at the end). In the Fall, when students return the book, they can change in a book club - pizza and pages - to discuss the book with friends, teaches, and volunteer parents. Student going into 2nd grade (current 1st graders) can select one of 2 Magic Tree House books to borrow, read, and then discuss the book in the fall with a teacher or volunteer parent. Forms to participate are due May 18th to the Discovery or Explorer office. Also, if you are interested in participating as a parent or teacher (volunteer to read the book and lead the pizza and pages or book discussion), please contact Emily Bouck ecb@msu.edu or Angie Herek (hereka@gowcs.net)

Get Involved The PTSA is always looking for members to become involved. Your involvement can be as much or as little as you want. Small ways to get involved and give back to the schools, teachers, and school include donating items for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon (stay tuned for ways to volunteer your time or food items) as well as donating your time for bigger events. Contact Camilla Fritts (Camilla Fritts (frittscam@gmail.com) to get your name on the volunteer list! Although this year is wrapping up, the PTSA is looking for volunteers to help a little over the summer on planning a new fall PSTA event - Family Math Night. If interested in becoming involved with the planning for Family Math Night, please contact Emily Bouck (ecb@msu.edu)

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April 17, 2017

Ice Cream Social Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and/or supplies for the Ice Cream Social! The PTSA would especially like to thank the Co-Coordinators this year - Michelle Eichler and Melissa Indish. The PTSA would also like to thank the following sponsors: Northfolk Farms & Outback, PS Food Mart, Java Peak, Mosquito Squad, Old Nation, Williamston Community Pool & Fitness Center, Living Arts, Amy Masi - thirty-one, Capital Area District Libraries, Broad Art Museum, Victory Martial Arts, Crosaires, Elizabeth Warren School of Dance, LansingHoops, Friends of Williamston Area Parks, National Park Mysteries for Kids, Williamston Board of Education, Kiwanis International, Sylvan Learning, M&M Farms, Huntington, and Boy Scouts of America. The PTSA would also like to thank all the parents and teachers who donated items for the basket raffles!

The PTSA would like parents and teachers to know that the PTSA voted at the April meeting to allocate money raised from the Ice Cream Social to putting in new filtered water foundations/stations in both Discovery and Explorer elementary schools - for both drinking from the fountain as well as for filling up water bottles!

#ThankaTeacher May 8-12, 2017 is Teacher Appreciation Week. The WESPTSA encourages parents to thank our wonderful teachers at Discovery and Explorer Elementary Schools throughout the school year, but consider taking a moment to share on our Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/gowcs.ptsa/) or Page (https://www.facebook.com/WESPTSA/) to #ThankaTeacher. Feel free to use the hashtag that is National PTA is prompting this week to thank a teacher (#ThankaTeacher)! Please note that the PTSA is planning a Teacher Appreciation Lunch for later in May and we will be seeking out volunteers as well as food and supply donations!

STEAM & Music

The PTSA is aware of questions and concerns regarding the School Board meeting conversations involving Music and STEAM at the elementary levels. We know this has been a topic of presentation and public comment at several board meetings. The PTSA is aware that the position is slated to be posted for an individual with Music Endorsement as the primary qualification. Individuals with additional questions or concerns are invited to attend the 5/15/17 board meeting as well as contact central administration (ask for Dr. Adam Spina) for further clarification. The School Board welcomes all public and/or written comments on the matter. Please note that also prior to the PTSA meeting on Thursday, 5/11/17 from 6:45-7p, the PTSA is hosting 2 School Board members who will be happy to provide information and answer questions on the process the board has gone through while considering the STEAM proposal and attempt to fill in any gaps in understanding. Implementation is not slated to be discussed as that is in the domain of school administrators. Q&A regarding the STEAM proposal will end promptly at 7pm and the PTSA meeting will begin.

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Bouck (2017)

Math Games

Grade (Fall 2017)

Common/Commercial Card Games

Common/Commercial Board Games

Other – Games, Puzzles, Talking Math, Books

1st • Compare (formerly known as War) • Addition Compare • Uno • Skip-bo • Memory/Concentration • Crazy 8s

• Sorry • Life • Connect 4

• Guess my number (to 20) • Jigsaw Puzzles • Build 2-D shapes with marshmallows & toothpicks • Noting shapes • Skip counting as you see things • MathStart books

2nd • Compare • Addition Compare • Subtraction Compare • Uno • Skip-bo • Memory/Concentration

• Sorry • Life • Connect 4

• Guess my number (to 100) • Jigsaw puzzles • Build 2-D shapes with marshmallows & toothpicks • MathStart books

3rd • Addition Compare • Subtraction Compare • Uno • Skip-bo

• Monopoly Empire (child banker) • PayDay (child banker) • Life (child banker) • Battleship

• Jigsaw puzzles [more pieces] • Guess my number (to 500) • Build 3-D shapes with marshmallows & toothpicks • Predict sports scores and discus how those scores could be achieved

4th • Addition Compare • Subtraction Compare • Multiplication Compare • Fraction Compare • Skip-bo

• Monopoly Empire (child banker) • PayDay (child banker) • Life (child banker) • Clue • Dice Game: Yahtzee • Chess

• Jigsaw puzzles [more pieces] • Guess my number (to 500) • Discussing fractions (measuring) when cooking

5th • Multiplication/Product Compare • Fraction Compare • Skip-bo

• Monopoly Empire (child banker) • PayDay (child banker) • Life (child banker) • Clue • Dice Game: Yahtzee • Chess

• Jigsaw puzzles [more pieces] • Guess my number (to 1000)

Bouck (2017)

Math Game Directions

Addition Compare

• Use a regular deck of cards • Make Ace 1; you can decide to make the face cards 11, 12, 13 (jack, queen, king) or all 10 or even Jack 20, Queen 30, King 40. Or you may remove them • Each player turns over 2 cards • Each player finds the sum of their 2 cards • The player who has the highest sum of the two cards they turned over takes all the cards

Subtraction Compare

• Use a regular deck of cards • Make Ace 1; you can decide to make the face cards 11, 12, 13 (jack, queen, king) or all 10 or even Jack 20, Queen 30, King 40. Or you may remove them • Each player turns over 2 cards • Each player determines the difference between their two cards by subtracting the smaller number from the larger number • The player who has the smallest difference of their two cards takes all the cards

Multiplication Compare

• Use a regular deck of cards • Make Ace 1; you can decide to make the face cards 11, 12, 13 (jack, queen, king) or all 10 or even Jack 20, Queen 30, King 40. Or you may remove them • Each player turns over 2 cards • Each player finds the product of their two cards (multiples them together) • The player who has the highest product of their two cards takes all the cards

Fraction Compare

• Use a regular deck of cards • Make Ace 1; you can decide to make the face cards 12 or 10 (jack, queen, king). Or you may remove them • Each player turns over 2 cards • Each player makes a fraction by making the larger number the denominator (bottom number of the fraction) and the smaller number the numerator (top number of the fraction) • The player who has the larger fraction from their 2 cards takes all the cards

Guess My Number

• Decide on the range of numbers (e.g., 0 to 100; 0 to 500, 0 to 1000) • One person selects a number • The other player or players take turns to guess the number • The person who is thinking of the number will indicate higher or lower

Memory/Concentration

• Use a regular deck of cards (decide if you want all or to remove the face cards) • Turn the cards face down in rows and columns • Take turns turning over 2 cards to find a match, as you would in a picture-based memory of concentration game

Hornet Book Club ~ Summer 2017 This summer the Williamston Elementary School PTSA is funding a summer book club – called the Hornet Summer Book Club. The Hornet Summer Book Club is completely optional and free! To participate, you and your child select the book your child wants to read over the summer – the PTSA will provide your child with a free copy of the book to borrow. Your child reads the book over the summers, returns the book in the Fall when school starts, and then participates in a pizza and pages event in the fall to discuss the book over lunch with a teacher or parent volunteer. The focus of books for the first year of the Hornet Book Club is the Who Was series (Who was ___ and What was ____; e.g., Who was George Washington). We encourage you and your child to discuss the book choices together. Again, the Hornet Book Club is completely optional – the PTSA wanted to provide kids a way to read a common book over the summer and discuss it with friends, classmates, teachers, or parent volunteers. We hope your child chooses to participate in the first year of the Hornet Book Club! Please fill out the paper and return it to your child’s teacher to participate by May 18th. The book your child selects will be provided to your child in his or her class prior to the end of the school year. Student Name: ___________________________________ Circle Grade for 2017-18: 3rd 4th 5th Parent/Guardian Signature:__________________________ ___Yes, I volunteer to read/lead a book club group.

Please mark your selection: ___Who was Mozart?

___Who was da Vinci?

___Who was Harriet Tubman?

___Who was Amelia Earhart?

___What was the Great Depression?

___Who was Malala Yousafzai?

___Who was Muhammad Ali?

___Who was Annie Oakley?

___Who is JK Rowling?

___Who was Alexander the Great? See the back for book descriptions

Please return no later than THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017 to the Explorer/Discovery Office

Hornet Book Club ~ Book Descriptions Who was Harriet Tubman? Born a slave in Maryland, Harriet Tubman knew first-hand what it meant to be someone's property. It was from other field hands that she first heard about the Underground Railroad which she travelled by herself north to Philadelphia. Throughout her long lifeand long after the Civil War brought an end to slavery, this amazing woman was proof of what just one person can do.

Who was Alexander the Great? When Alexander was a boy in ancient Macedon, he already had grand ambitions. He complained that his father, the great king of Macedon, wasn't leaving anything for him to conquer! This, of course, was not the case. King Alexander went on to control most of the known world of the time. His victories won him many supporters, but they also earned him enemies.

Who is JK Rowling? In 1995, on a four-hour-delayed train from Manchester to London, J. K. Rowling conceived of the idea of a boy wizard named Harry Potter. Upon arriving in London, she began immediately writing the first book in the saga. Rowling's true-life, rags-to-riches story is as compelling as the world of Hogwarts that she created.

Who was Leonardo da Vinci? Leonardo da Vinci was a gifted painter, talented musician, and dedicated scientist and inventor, designing flying machines, submarines, and even helicopters. Yet he had a hard time finishing things, a problem anyone can relate to. Only thirteen paintings are known to be his. Here is an accessible portrait of a fascinating man who lived at a fascinating time—Italy during the Renaissance.

Who was Amelia Earhart? Amelia Earhart was a woman of many "firsts." In 1932, she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1935, she also became the first woman to fly across the Pacific. From her early years to her mysterious 1937 disappearance while attempting a flight around the world, readers will find Amelia Earhart's life a fascinating story.

Who was Mozart? Born in Austria in 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his first piece of music, a minuet, when he was just five years old! Soon after, he was performing for kings and emperors. Although he died at the young age of thirty-five, Mozart left a legacy of more than 600 works. Black-and-white illustrations on every spread explore such topics as the history of opera and the evolution of musical instruments.

Who is Malala Yousafzai? Malala Yousafzai was a girl who loved to learn but was told that girls would no longer be allowed to go to school. She wrote a blog that called attention to what was happening in her beautiful corner of Pakistan and realized that words can bring about change. She has continued to speak out for the right of all children to have an education. In 2014 she won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Who was Isaac Newton? Isaac Newton was always a loner, preferring to spend his time contemplating the mysteries of the universe. When the plague broke out in London in 1665 he was forced to return home from college. It was during this period that Newton gave life to some of the most important theories in modern science, including gravity and the laws of motion.

Who was Annie Oakley? You want girl power? Meet Annie Oakley! Born in 1860, she became one of the best-loved and most famous women of her generation. She amazed audiences all over the world with her sharpshooting, horse-riding, action-packed performances. She traveled the world and forged a new image for American women.

Who was Muhammad Ali? Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. won the world heavyweight championship at the age of 22, the same year he joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. He would go on to become the first and only three-time (in succession) World Heavyweight Champion. He was an uncompromising athlete who brought beauty and grace to a very rough sport and became one of the world’s most famous cultural icons.

What was the Great Depression? On October 29, 1929, life in the United States took a turn for the worst. The stock market – the system that controls money in America – plunged to a record low. By 1933, many banks had gone under. Though the U.S. has seen other times of struggle, the Great Depression remains one of the hardest and most widespread tragedies in American history. Now it is represented clearly and with 80 illustrations in our What Was…? series.

Magic Tree House Hornet Summer Book Club Who: Incoming 2nd graders

What: A summer reading program combined with a fall book club

Timeline: May - Students hear about the books offered, if they would like to participate, return their form with their

choice by Thursday, May 18th with parent/guardian signature. June - Students receive their book and can start reading! August - Once school starts again, students will return their book for a prize, then participate in a Book Club to talk with a parent volunteer in September. A snack will be provided. Why: Reduce summer gap, you can read with a friend, why not??

How: The PTSA has generously agreed to fund this program. Student Name: ___________________________________ Grade for 2017-18: 2nd Grade Parent/Guardian Signature:__________________________ Date: ____________________________ I would like to read: ______Magic Tree House - Thanksgiving on Thursday ______Magic Tree House - Dingoes at Dinnertime

Please return no later than THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017 to the Explorer/Discovery Office

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Magic Tree House Hornet Summer Book Club Who: Incoming 2nd graders

What: A summer reading program combined with a fall book club

Timeline: May - Students hear about the books offered, if they would like to participate, return their form with their

choice by Thursday, May 18th with parent/guardian signature. June - Students receive their book and can start reading! August - Once school starts again, students will return their book for a prize, then participate in a Book Club to talk with a parent volunteer in September. A snack will be provided. Why: Reduce summer gap, you can read with a friend, why not??

How: The PTSA has generously agreed to fund this program. Student Name: ___________________________________ Grade for 2017-18: 2nd Grade Parent/Guardian Signature:__________________________ Date: ____________________________ I would like to read: ______Magic Tree House - Thanksgiving on Thursday ______Magic Tree House - Dingoes at Dinnertime

Please return no later than THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017 to the Explorer/Discovery Office