Gillespie Gazette…May 29, 2011
Blog: www.gillespiegazette.blogspot.com
Email: anna.gillespie@jordan.k12.ut.us
School: 446-3200
Cell: 801-623-7625
Home: 801-375-0024
Dear Parents,
This is the last Gillespie Gazette. The year is over. Wow, time does fly when you are having fun. It has been a lot of work, but in the end, I have come to enjoy this class very much. We have had lots of laughs and good times, we have learned so much, we have grown together and learned to appreciate things about each other. Thank you again for raising caring people.
Conner was our student of the week and kept me on schedule reminding me what was next to do. It was a busy week as I tried very hard to motivate kids to sprint to the end and turn in quality work that they could be proud of. Some will be shopping with Extra Credit work that they have earned this third term and this will be “frosting on the cake” (Idiom) I am sending home all of their work with this Gazette, and asking them to make sure that you are handed it. It has lots of cool writings, journals, Color Journals, and things that you might want to put in their “elementary box’ My children have always got a kick out of going through their grade school boxes and remembering all the different years and teachers. I didn’t save all their papers, but would keep a good sampling of what they had done that year. I strongly recommend you keep the journal pages they have done. They wrote some great things and you will enjoy reading them. You might also notice their improvement over the months.
I have attached a page for you to sign if our child handed you the portfolio. This is important to me and so I will give the students a “prize’ if they bring back this signed paper. You will also be able to better understand the score your child has received on their Report Card by looking over their work. I only wish you could see the work and writing of all the students to compare. This would give you a better handle on why your child received a “4”, “3”, “2” , “1”. However, that can’t happen, so you will just have to trust me that your child has received the score they deserve. Please let me give you a full disclosure on that. When you see a “4”, you will recognize that your child had a tremendous work ethic and did all the required work at an excellent level to earn that grade. Please congratulate them. When you see a “3”, you will recognize that your child had a very good work ethic and tried very hard to follow all the procedures that I asked them to. They did great work and should be congratulated! When you see a “2”, it tells you that your child has an okay work ethic and turned in average work for a fourth grader. They have passed the class and understand the concepts at a typical level for children their age. If your child has earned a ‘1”, I am simply going to tell you that your child has a low focus and low work ethic. I will not sign their Report Card if the Language/Reading Overall score or the Math overall score is a one and will give you a strong warning that your child will struggle in fifth grade. I have worked very hard to help each child advance, but in reality the teacher can only do so much and if the child doesn’t care until the very end, it is very difficult to catch up. However, I have had several children this past week that have proven it is possible. Thank you for your support on this. My Report Cards mean something…I believe in giving the parents a true picture of what is happening with their children. Report Cards will be sent home on Thursday, June 2. School is dismissed at 12:30.
I am quite certain if you attended the Fourth Grade Utah Program, you enjoyed it. Didn’t our kids do great? I am still smiling at how cute they looked in their costumes and doing their great dancing.
The children also enjoyed a fourth grade Kick Ball Tournament. It was great fun to watch them enjoy this.
Congratulations to the following Fantastic Falcons: Tenney, Bailee, Courtnie,
On June 1, Wednesday, the school will be having a Field Day. Please have the students dress appropriately…tennis shoes and sun screen are smart things. The children will be outside for most of the morning and again between 1:45 and 2:15 playing on a Blow Up Slide Toy. They will be having lunch outside (picnic) and also a Water party. I will need parent volunteers to help during this time. It would be great to have three or more for the morning shift (9:00 to 11:00) and then one volunteer for 1:45-2:15. I know Michelle May (room mother) is trying to arrange that (Thanks). Please know that anyone that can come to help, I will put you to work. I am moving to a new school that is closer to my
Now for a very important announcement and invitation…I will be hosting a Raging Water/Seven Peaks party in July. I will need to have this party on one of the following days...July 9, 10, or the 11th. Please visit with your child and let me know which of these days work the best with their schedule. I will then have the students vote for their best day whether it be Saturday, Monday, Tuesday of those days and then the majority wins. I will then contact Raging Waters and rent a pavilion and let you know where to meet me. I will be there at the open of the park and will be able to buy tickets at a discount because of the number that will be attending. If you want to pay ahead and have me by the ticket, please call me (801-623-7625) and know that it will save you lots of money (usually about $5.00 off the ticket price) I am extending this invitation to any parents or siblings that would like to come. I serve a lunch at 1:00 and will be there to remind your child to put on sun screen. It is a very fun day for me. Please know that I will stay at the Park until the park closes, but will not be able to give your child a ride home, so make arrangements to pick them up or stay the day and have fun with them. I will enclose a flier about this in the Report Card envelope that will explain details (address to the Park, times it opens/closes, pavilion number, and the date we have chosen for the event. Etc.) Please know that you can pay at the entrance if you don’t want to contact me and pay ahead for the event. It is very key to call me if you want to have me get a group discount ticket for you or your child. Please know that I will provide only the lunch (1:00). If your child wants to eat later on in the day, they should bring food, or money to purchase food there. There is also an extra charge to rent inner tubes from the park. I don’t know the price for that.
Thank you to Damon’s Mom who is arranging to have a Pizza Party for the kids on Thursday, June 1. She works for Pizza Hut and has agreed to do this. If anyone would like to contribute a dollar for this, we can buy Root Beer and cover a bit of the cost for the pizza. This is not required, and Damon’s Mother has graciously agreed to cover the cost of the pizza. I just know that it would be nice to have root beer and help her a bit with the cost of this party. There will be no lunch served in the cafeteria on Thursday, so it will be nice to have this little lunch as the kids will be hungry by 12:00. Thanks for any donation you can send.
Gee, I hope I covered everything.
Love,
Mrs. Gillespie
