January From Our Teachers
Leawood Elementary School
6th Grade News
Sixth grade is once again (and maybe the last time) collecting pop tops for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Start saving, and send them in with your child throughout the spring. Each month our Pop Top Club will collect them from your child’s classroom, weigh them, and graph the results. At the end of May, the class that collects the most pounds of pop tops will get a pizza party. Thank you so much for supporting ten years of collecting.
Instrumental Music News:
A message from Instrumental Music:
Our concert is fast approaching!
January 22nd 2019 – Columbine High School Gym
Orchestra arrive at 5:00pm – perform at 5:30
Band arrive at 6:30pm – perform at 7:00
Students should wear their columbine area music t shirt, black pants or skirt, and black shoes.
This concert will be a fantastic opportunity to hear the progression of musical skills throughout your child’s entire education. In addition to our elementary ensembles the Ken Caryl Middle School and Columbine High School groups will be performing as well. Please plan to stay for the whole concert, either band or orchestra. The orchestra students will be done by 6:30pm, and the band will be done by 8:00pm.
Keep the air moving and strings tuned up as much as you can over our time out of school! Ask your student to perform their concert songs and other holiday tunes for you over break to encourage good practice.
Please contact me with any questions you may have, and I look forward to seeing you in January.
Please contact me with any questions you may have.
Eric Whaylen
Instrumental Music TeacherColumbine Area Elementary SchoolsEric.whaylen@jeffco.k12.co.usLeawood Giving Tree
We would like to thank all Leawood staff, families and community members who graciously donated items or gift cards to our annual Leawood Giving Tree! Your contributions brightened the holidays for many families, as rising rents and costs of living become overwhelming for many. We are so fortunate to have such a caring and generous community!
From the Instructional Coach
As a parent, I feel like our family is running on all cylinders nearly 100% of the time. We are running to practices, play dates, back and forth to school, and it sometimes feels like we rarely have time to breath, let alone sit down for a family meal. I have to pause and remember that sitting down to a meal together is a very important part of parenting. It is easy to get swept way in the fast paced, electronic world we live in, but slowing down and eating together, even a few times a week, can have incredible benefits for everyone in your family. Read about some of these benefits below. Enjoy the holiday season!
Improves Healthy Eating
Families who eat meals at least three times a week benefit nutritionally compared to peers who do not share as many meals as a family. The American Academy of Pediatrics examined studies about the impact of family meals on obesity, eating habits and disordered eating. The results showed a 12 percent lower risk of being overweight, a 20 percent decrease in choosing unhealthy eating and a 35 percent lower risk of disordered eating. Eating together gives you a chance to teach your child about healthy, balanced meals. Preparing the meal together, your child can learn how to cook in a healthy manner.
Curbs Risky Behaviors
Teens face peer pressure to engage in risky behaviors, such as smoking, drinking and trying illegal drugs. Families who eat together aren't immune to teens' risky behaviors, but they can reduce the chance of their teens trying drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Teens who eat family meals at least five times weekly have a much lower risk of engaging in those behaviors compared to teens who eat two or fewer family meals, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. The teens who eat frequent family meals also tend to have fewer friends who use drugs.
Improves Academic Achievement
Family meals won't guarantee A's, but do give your child a better chance at performing well in school. Eating seven family meals together weekly increases the odds of seeing high grades on the report card by 40 percent, according to Columbia's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Younger children benefit academically by improving social skills, such as communication and taking turns. Discussing events at school and topics your child studies also supports learning and shows her that you have an interest in her learning.
Strengthens Family Relationships
Today, families spend many waking hours on the go, but meal time gives you a chance to slow down and be together. That togetherness is an effective way to bond with your kids, giving them a sense of unity and security, according to Kathleen T. Morgan of Rutgers University. Families practice communication skills by sharing stories during dinner. When you turn off the TV and focus on family conversations at the dinner table, your kids learn to confide in you.
Source: www.livestrong.com
Aimee Crispin, Instructional Coach
PBIS
Our Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports team has come up with some open ended questions to get your kids to talk about school. See below:
What is the most amazing thing about you?
Which of your friends do you think I like the most? Why?
Tell me about the best teacher you ever had?
If a genie would give you only one wish, which would you pick, and why?
When you feel sad, what cheers you up?
Stock Market Experience
Congratulations to the 4th grade Stock Market Experience (SME) team of Xander DuBe-Tourjee, Ben Goman, Daisy Darrington, Ryan and Katie Schmalz, Genevieve Notz, Juliette Wood, Taylor Wood, and Lucy Vialpando. They won $50 for their virtual investment in the stock market and placed first in the Denver Metro Region out of 48 teams with 135 students.
The SME is a program sponsored by the Colorado Council for Economic Education. The students researched companies and virtually invested $100,000. They competed with other kids throughout Colorado for the largest increase in portfolio value. On April 30, 2019 the Council will hold an award ceremony at the Denver Zoo recognizing the top three teams in various categories. This class was taught by Angela Langowski and Jackie Chavez.
From the Library
Dear Leawood Families,
Many of you have noticed that our library system started sending out overdue notices via email a couple of months ago. These emails are sent to the address you provided in Jeffco Connect, and are generated automatically by our district wide Follet Destiny library management system. In addition to these automatic reminders, we will be sending home paper copies of overdue notices in Friday Folders this week. Please take some time over break to locate any overdue books. If your student cannot find a book, please let me know and we will add a fine to your student’s account. Once paid, your student will be able to resume checking out books. Thank you in advance for your help and I wish you all a very happy holiday season!
4th & 5th Grade Parents
The Columbine articulation area is going 1:1 Chromebooks in grades 5 and up beginning in the 2019/2020 school year. Students in grades 5 and above will be required to buy a District Chromebook for around $220, and this cost will be added to your student's school fees NEXT year. Please see this document for more information: Columbine Area 1:1 Chromebook Initiative
Mrs Pepper, Leawood Digital Teacher Librarian
P.E. & Gymnastics
We are still moving along and I am very excited about our Leawood kids and staff. We have just finished our team sports after school and floor hockey in class. Every grade did very well and all grades were able to play games of line hockey which is designed to have everyone participate including the kids on the sideline. We had many kids score from the sideline and even from the goalie box when they were able to get the ball up over every one. Our rules and zones are modified to allow more participation from all positions.
We will be getting ready for our gymnastics starting as soon as we get back from break. While we have the spring floor up, we will also be using the climbing wall and ropes for a period of time. I am very excited about this as I have many kids excited about things that they are working on now and want to add to them during our gymnastics time. I will stay in contact with what we have in store for the last part of our unit in March. Have a wonderful break and look forward to a new year with our kids.
Thanks and see you soon.
F.T. Gonzales/Leawood P.E.
Music Happenings
Take a look at the videos from Mr. Lupo’s 6th Grade and Mrs. DeHerrera-Schnering’s 5th grade ukulele “informances”!
3rd grade families, recorders are being ordered over break. If your student will be bringing a recorder from home make sure they bring it in for the first music class in 2019. Recorders will stay in the music classroom for the duration of the recorder unit.
Congratulations to students and families for a successful 2nd and 3rd grade winter concert! According to one 2nd grade student review, “It was fun and we sang from the heart.” And in the words of one excited xylophone-playing 3rd grader, “I felt like I had 11 arms!”
It’s been a great year of music making and getting to know the Leawood community. Thank you for supporting our music program. I look forward to more fun in 2019!
Mr. Zigman, Music Teacher
