GOOD NEWS

Our mission at Vaughan Elementary School is to work as a community to meet the diverse
learning needs of students in order to prepare them for success in a global economy. 

~The links in this web page will take you to sites OUTSIDE of the Cobb County School
District Web. These sites are provided as a resource ONLY and may not reflect
the opinions or standards set by the Cobb Board of Education and the CCSD
Administration. A link to any site should NOT be misconstrued as an endorsement of
that site and CCSD is NOT responsible for any questionable or illicit content that may
appear past this point. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. As always, children should be
supervised when researching the Internet.

• Target field trip on Friday.
• Book Fair is here!  Teacher’s previewed last night and there is an excellent selection this year.  We will be previewing as a class tomorrow.  
• Math user names and passwords are now in student’s agendas.  See below for the rest of the information to log on and use the online math books.
• Students are working on performance assessments for Native Americans and Explorers.  We should be finished next week. Our next science unit will be Light and then Sound.  We plan on being ready to test on November 20^th. 
• We will be alternating grammar and spelling from now on.  Next week will be spelling.
• We are working on our novel study reading The Indian in the Cupboard and responding to literature.
• Reading logs need to be completely filled out and signed on Thursday nights.  Please check to be sure you child is writing a quality summary.  If they don’t have time to write it at night, they are welcome to write it when they come in after they complete their daily work.
• If you can donate any anti-bacterial wipes, we would appreciate it!
• Thursday folders need to be signed on Thursday nights.  All mistakes should be corrected, if they haven’t been reworked all ready.  Papers below an 80% should be corrected, signed and returned.   
• Reminders:

                        ~Please make sure your child has a sock for their white board.                                

• Zack Z. is our Terrific Kid for October.  Congratulations and great job showing good character!

             RESPONSIBILITY: Taking care of one's self and others; to carry out a duty or task carefully and thoroughly.

~Please be aware that not all students are on the same level in this class. I am target trained; therefore, there may be some students who are working on an extension of a topic because they have already mastered the basics. I usually pretest and all those students who score well will be challenged. No, you don't have to be "in target" to be challenged! Also, everyone has areas of weakness, so there again; some may have different activities suited to their needs.
Please let me know if you have any questions or information I need to know about.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

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QUOTES TO PONDER:

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”

"Wisdom is knowing what path to take next ...integrity is taking it."

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny."

~unknown

"Successful is the person who believes in themselves…enough to know that they make a difference in the world by dreaming more than others think is sensible, and expecting more than others think is achievable and looking for the best in others, while giving the world best of themselves. They face challenges knowing that our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to what happens; not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. Just by believing in oneself with a positive attitude, the world around us becomes a better place to live, and success is imminent."

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SPECIALIST NEWS:

Students should always wear tennis shoes to PE.  

All specialists are asking for tissues and hand sanitizer!  Thank you.

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NEWS FROM THE NURSE:

Is My Student Well Enough To Go To School?

From the Cobb County Web site:
http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/studentsupport/schoolhealth/wellenough.htm

Diarrhea/Watery Stools:

• Students will be sent home from school for:
  • More than two episodes of diarrhea occurring during a school day.
  • One episode of diarrhea if other symptoms are present
    (e.g. fever, abdominal discomfort, vomiting, etc.)
  • Soiling themselves or their clothing.
• Children may return to school 24 hours after the last diarrhea stool if they feel well and do not have a temperature over 99.5° F without taking a fever-reducing medication such as Tylenol.

Vomiting:

• Children will be sent home from school for:
  • More than one episode of vomiting occurring during a school day.
  • One episode of vomiting if other symptoms are present
    (e.g. fever, abdominal discomfort, diarhea, etc.).
  • Soiling themselves or their clothing.
• Students may return to school 24 hours after the last vomiting episode.

Fever (Normal oral temperature is 98.6 degrees F):

• Low-grade (Oral temperature 99.5 to 100.9 degrees F):
  • The school nurse will notify the parent/guardian of students with low-grade fever.
  • Students with low-grade fever may remain in school if no other symptoms are present.
  • Students will be sent home from school with low-grade fever if other symptoms (e.g. cough, sore throat, headache, abdominal discomfort, etc.) are present.
•  High-grade:
  • Oral temperature of 101 degrees F or above:
    • Students will be sent home from school for a high-grade fever.
    • Students may not return to school until free of fever for 24 hours.
    • Students will not be dismissed to the bus with a high-grade fever.
  • Oral temperature of 104 degrees F or above:
    • The school nurse will institute measures to bring down the child’s temperature:
      • Allow student to lie down on cot.
      • Ask/assist student to remove outer layers of clothing, such as a jacket, sweater, second shirt, and shoes.
      • Do not place blanket on student.
      • Apply cool washcloth or towel to student’s forehead and arm pits (if area is accessible). Keep cloths cool and damp.
      • Offer sips of cool water only if student is not vomiting and is free of abdominal pains.
    • The parent/guardian will be notified immediately.
    • The school nurse will initiate the school’s Emergency Management Plan if the parent/guardian is unable to arrive at school within fifteen minutes to pick up their student. (See Section E of Rule JLC)
    • The school nurse will notify school administrator that 911 has been called.

Drainage:

• It is not necessary to exclude every student from school who has drainage from the nose, eye, ear or open sores.
• Exclusion from school will be at the discretion of the school nurse, and/or principal or designee based on the following criteria:
  • Color of discharge
  • Child’s personal hygiene skills and need for assistance
  • Classroom setting
  • Child’s developmental level

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NEWS FROM THE OFFICE:

The next PTSA's Town Hall Meeting is next Tuesday, Nov. 10th from 6:30-7:00.  These Town Hall meetings were started to conduct PTSA business, but to also keep parents informed about academic and extracurricular activities at Vaughan.  On November 10^th, Boosterthon will be presenting. All parents are encouraged to come. After each meeting a grade level does hold curriculum night, but these are also open to all who would like to attend.  Fifth grade will be showing off this month!

Upcoming topics:

*January: Guided Math—2^nd Grade will present & a speaker from Sylvan Learning Center will present a brief presentation entitled "Algebra Spoken Here" (It helps parents incorporate math into their everyday lives and eases anxieties some parents may have about helping their children with math.)

*February: CRCT—4^th Grade will present

*March:  Thinking Skills

*April: Test Prep – emotionally preparing students for testing

~Please communicate with the office for any last minute transportation changes as I  might not get to check an e-mail in time or the system may be down for the day                                       
 ~When you come to eat lunch with your child, please sit at the Parent Table. This year we have HUGE classes and unfortunately some of the tables aren't big enough for parents too.

Let us give thanks

Vaughan Community Outreach Program assists many families within our own school community.  We need your help!  As the holiday season approaches, please open your heart to those in need.  Your small contribution, along with many others, can provide a feast to some families who otherwise may go without.

The Community Outreach collection barrel will be in the lobby from October 26^th – November 6^th.  Suggested items for donation are:

·         $15 gift certificate from a local grocer for a turkey

·         Dressing mix

·         Cranberry sauce canned 

·         Instant potatoes

·         Canned green vegetables

·         Canned yellow vegetables

·         Non-refrigerated pie shell

·         Pumpkin pie mix

·         Dried or canned milk

·         Roasting pan

·         Other welcome foods are dried beans, peanut butter, canned meat of any kind, rice, pasta, cereal, soup, bread or rolls, canned fruit.

Thank you so much for your generosity in these tough economic times! 

If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact Amy Vitelli at amynzach@yahoo.com.

Amy Vitelli & Katharine Faucett

Community Outreach

  Please sign up to be a member.

Go to this site for LOTS of information.

http://www.cobbk12.org/Vaughan/  

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MATH:

The objectives listed below will be used to lead your child to mastery of the concepts covered in the 2nd Nine Weeks Unit of study. 

Multiplication and Extend Division

• 2 and 3 digit by 1 and 2 digit multiplication
• Rule for order of operations:

1. Compute inside the parenthesis first  

2. Multiply or divide in order next  

3. Add or subtract in order to finish  

• 2-digit and 3-digit by 1-digit or 2-digit division   (324 ÷ 12 = )
• Solve division problems including those with remainders
• Know division facts with understanding and fluency
• Estimate quotients using multiples of 10
• Understand the relationship between dividend, divisor, quotient, and remainder
• Compute using commutative, associative, distributive property
• Mental Math in estimation of products and quotients; determine reasonableness
• Problem solving

Algebra

• Represent unknowns using symbols such as □ and ∆
• Write and evaluate mathematical expressions using symbols
• Understand and apply patterns and rules to describe relationships and solve problems

Measurement of Angles

·         Use appropriate tools and other methods to measure angles (protractor, angle ruler, paper folding, draw a diagonal on a square)

·         Concept of a half rotation (180˚) and full rotation (360˚)

Geometry and coordinate system

·         Examine and compare angles (acute, right, obtuse, straight)

·         Use angle size or side length to classify triangles (equilateral, isosceles, scalene)

·         Describe parallel and perpendicular lines in plane figures

·         Examine and classify quadrilaterals (parallelograms, squares, rectangles, trapezoids, and rhombi)

·         Compare and contrast quadrilateral relationships  (Compare angles and length of sides)

·         Understand, apply and locate a point in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane

·         Graph ordered pairs in the first quadrant

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Here are some suggestions as to what you can do at home to help your child:

Division: Your child is now dividing greater numbers by 2-digit divisors.  Rounding off the numbers and estimating the quotient is a useful first step.  The estimation tells your child how many digits will be in the answer.  The exact quotient can then be compared to see if the answer is reasonable.  Here is an idea to try:

Menu Math

Step 1 Have your child choose items for 4 people from the menu below and add up the

 total bill.  Ask him or her to estimate about how much each person would pay if they  

 divided the bill equally.  Then divide to find the actual share owned by each person.  

 Remind your child to be careful about

 placing the decimal point.

Step 2  Repeat, ordering for 5 people, or 8

  people.  Estimate first and then divide.

Grid Search

Materials: Grid paper

                 2 red pens and 2 blue or black pens

Each player draws two grids, label the vertical axis and the horizontal axis on both grids (see example).

Step 1  Players sit so that neither player can see what the other player is doing. 

            Each player secretly marks one point in red on grid 1.  These are the “hidden” points.

Step 2  Player 1 guesses the location of Player 2’s hidden point by naming an  ordered pair. For example, to name (1,3), a player would say, “1 comma 3”.

Step 3  If Player 2’s hidden point is at that location, Player 2 wins.

If the hidden point is not at that location, Player 2 marks the guess in blue or black on his or her Grid 1.  Player 2 counts the least number of “square sides” needed to travel from the hidden point to the guessed point and tells the number to Player 1.

Step 4  Repeat steps with Player 2 guessing and Player 1  answering.

Step 5  The first player to identify the other player’s hidden point wins. 

Alternative version:  “Battleship” ©

 
You can now access your math textbook online at: http://www.eharcourtschool.com/
Click on Registered Users. Enter the following information:

Username: See agenda
Password:  see agenda
Click on: Go to the Online eBook
Then select on the Chapter that you would like to view

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SOCIAL STUDIES:

Unit Essential Question:  How did early Native American cultures develop in North America? How do people adapt to their physical environments?

Key Learning:

•  The physical geography of North America had an impact on where and how Native Americans settled.

•  Native Americans used their environments to obtain food, clothing, and shelter.

Inuit Tribe:

§    The Arctic:

1.       Where did the Inuit settle?

2.       How did the Inuit used their environment to obtain food (caribou & seals), clothing (animals skins), and shelter (igloos)?

The Kwakiutl:

§    The Northwest

1.       Where did the Kwakiutl settle? (left their villages in spring, summer, & fall to settle near rivers).

2.       How did the Kwakiutl use their environment to obtain food (fishing), clothing (cedar tree bark and animal skins), and shelter (cedar tree houses)?

The Nez Perce:

§    Plateau

1.       Where did the Nez Perce settle? (between Cascades & Rockies; migrated and traveled on rivers and settled in valleys).

2.       How did the Nez Perce used their environment to obtain food (fishing and hunting), clothing (made from trees & shrubs & animal skins), and shelter (lodges)?

The Hopi:

§    The Southwest

1.       Where did the Hopi settle? (permanent villages in present day Arizona).

2.       How did the Hopi use their environment to obtain food (corn), clothing (woven fabrics and animal hides/hairs), and shelter (pueblo villages)?

The Seminole:

§    The Southeast

1.       Where did the Seminole settle? (villages in Florida).

2.       How did the Seminole use their environment to obtain food (farming and hunting), clothing (fur & woven grasses), and shelter (along rivers and streams)?

The Pawnee:

§    Plains

1.       Where did the Pawnee settle? (permanent villages near rivers).

2.       How did the Pawnee use their environment to obtain food (farming & hunting), clothing (buffalo skin), and shelter (lodges - bark, earth, grass)?

Vocabulary:

Inuit                       Kawakiutl               Nez Perce               Seminole                Hopi                        Pawnee                 Permanent             Arctic                      Southeast               environment           irrigation                  Northwest              Civilization             survival                     Southwest               Plateau                surplus                    plains

Unit Essential Question:  How was the world changed by the explorations of European nations?

Key Learning:

1. Exploration by Europeans led to permanent contact between the Eastern and Western hemispheres.
2. European explorers had different motives for their explorations.
3. Native American culture was permanently changed by European settlement.

Historical Understandings:

§         What were the reasons for, obstacles to, and accomplishments of Spanish, French and English explorations of Columbus, Balboa, Ponce de Leon, Cartier, John Cabot and Henry Hudson?

§         What were some examples of cooperation and conflict between Europeans and Native Americans?

§         What are some of the positive character traits of key historic figures?

Vocabulary:

Explorer

expedition

Conquistador

navigation

Empire

monarch

Cooperation

obstacle

Accomplishment

fur trading

Geographical Understandings:

§         How the early explorers adapted, or failed to adapt, to the various physical environments in which they traveled?

Vocabulary:

Settlement

colony

Adapt

physical environment

Economic Understandings:

§         What were some opportunity costs and their relationships to decision making across time?

opportunity cost

decision

The students can now access their social studies book online. Simply add this website to your favorites and print out the passwords below. This is a great resource if you forget your book at school.
www.eduplace.com/eservices
username: cobbstudent4
password: password

Social Studies link
Student or Families Tab
Houlton Mifflin Social Studies
United States History
Early Years: Georgia Addition
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SCIENCE: