Week of April 14th - 18th

 

Upcoming Events:

Monday, April 14th  - Reading Log/Homework Sheets due

Wednesday, April 16th - Late Start

Friday, April 18th- Zoo Permission Slip Due

Spring Check - In

Spring is definitely in the air! With all the year end events, students are certainly beginning to get excited. However, we still have seven more weeks of school left and much testing still to complete. We'd appreciate it if you could have a conversation or two about school and learning expectations as we close out this year. Please encourage your child to continue to stay focused on doing his/her best work, persevering through difficult challenges socially and academically, and staying the course through the end. We thank you for your support in helping your child finish the year strong.

M-STEP TESTING

We will not be testing this week. Our testing dates are April 22nd and 23rd for M-STEP Math. If possible, please avoid scheduling any appointments around these times. Thank you so much!

End of the Year Events

Below are a list of events that are coming up in the future. We wanted to share them with you in case you are looking for a time to volunteer or attend a field trip. More information will be coming on all of these events. 

Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend - May 2nd (Chaperones needed)

3rd-5th Grade Track Meet - May 9th at the high school (Parents may volunteer to help or just attend)

Reading Camp at Lincoln - Tuesday, May 27th (Volunteers needed all day, or just the morning or afternoon)

Lincoln School Picnic/Field Day - Thursday, May 22nd (During the day, volunteers needed)

Kiwanis Park- Wednesday, May 21st afternoon 

Multiplication and Division Facts...ICE CREAM!

This week we will begin our next multiplication and division challenge...ice cream!  Please have your child continue reviewing their multiplication and division facts.  The ice cream challenge will be very similar to the pizza challenge we did in January, but instead of slices, students will earn ice cream scoops and toppings. We will celebrate everyone's hard work learning their multiplication and division facts with an ice cream party at the end of the year. :)

A Message from Mr. Wilson about the Track Meet and Time Trials

What are Track Meet Time Trials? When are they done? What are they used for?

In the coming weeks, your child will participate in a Track Meet Time Trial during their regularly

scheduled PE class. These Time Trials help ensure that students are properly prepared for the

upcoming track meet. The Time Trials will take place on a PE day, and it’s expected that

students will come prepared for activity, just like any other day in PE.

Please ensure that your child wears appropriate footwear for all PE classes. This ensures that

your child will be able to safely participate in class activities. This is especially important during

Time Trial season, because we have a tight schedule and will only be able to time the children

once, when the weather is nice. The weather is not alway predictable so I can’t give a specific

date as to when each class will have their Time Trial so just assume that it will be any good

weather day in the month of April.

To clarify the purpose of the Time Trials: The Time Trials serve to place students in the correct

lanes and heats for the Track Meet, ensuring that volunteers can accurately time each student.

We also use these times to select relay runners for the class. Unfortunately, there has been

some confusion recently, with too much focus placed on the relay teams rather than

encouraging students to do their best and be proud of their efforts. We want to remind

everyone that these trials are not about competition, but about having fun and giving each

student the chance to participate.

How you can support your child: We kindly ask for your support in helping your child

understand that the Time Trials are not a "tryout" for the relay teams. They are simply a

measurement tool to ensure an organized and fair track meet. It would be helpful for your child

to hear from you that the Time Trials should be seen as an opportunity for fun and

self-improvement, not as a pressure-filled event. We do not advertise them as a "tryout," and

we appreciate your help in reinforcing this message at home.

We are timing over 650 students, and with various factors at play, timing each student once is

the only way we can make the Time Trials happen efficiently and fairly for all. Your support in

helping your child understand the purpose of this process and ensuring they are prepared for

PE each week will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your understanding and support!

Evan Wilson & Katie Kovac

St. Joseph Elementary Physical Education Team

Weekly Specials Schedules

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Mrs. Clark	10:30-11:20 Media Center	9:35-10:25 Art	9:35-10:25 Gym	No Special	9:35-10:25 Music
Mrs. Ettinger	9:35-10:25 Gym	10:30-11:20 Music	No Special	9:35-10:25 Media Center	10:30-11:20 Art
Mrs. Nowicki	9:35-10:25 Media Center	9:35-10:25 Music	10:30-11:20 Gym	No Special	9:35-10:25 Art
Mrs. Peek	9:35-10:25 Art	9:35-10:25 Gym	No Special	9:35-10:25 Music	9:35-10:25 Media Center

What we are learning this week!

Reading - EL Reading  Module 3, Unit 1: Exploring Literary Classics (Peter Pan)

Math - Unit 7, Geometry, Elapsed Time

Writing - Vocabulary, Grammar, Essay Writing

Social Studies- Economics of Michigan

 

Contact Us:

Mrs. Clark: nclark@sjschools.org

Mrs. Ettinger:  aettinger@sjschools.org

Mrs. Nowicki:  cnowicki@sjschools.org

Mrs. Peek:  gpeek@sjschools.org