October 28th

Happy Halloween!
The kids will bring home a book order tomorrow (Tuesday.) I want to get it sent off to insure delivery before Christmas. It will be due on Tuesday, November 5th. If you want the order to be kept a secret from your child, just shoot me an email. I'll keep it on the sly and email you when it gets here so we can make arrangements for the pick-up.

For all you veteran South Elementary parents, you already know about Halloween, but for the new parents, here is the skinny.
     • No costumes at school.
     • Keep all candy home the next day. Sugar highs with 22 kids are bad enough without encouraging
       more hyper activity.
     • This year our music teacher is having a Halloween sing at the end of the day, just for fun.

Keep up the home reading time. It is so-o-o-o important!!!!!

October 24th

Hello out there in cyber world.

Just a quick note. Your child's homework tonight is another pretest for math...chapter 2. Have your child do it alone. Then check to see if he/she understands everything. If not will you please help him/her? I've done my best to plug in holes in the kids' knowledge base while teaching the concepts.

Also, I'm taking the progress reports home tonight to start getting them ready to send out to you parents. I'll staple them to the spelling tests that will be coming home on Monday. Watch for them!

Have a great rest of the week.

October 11

It is with a heavy heart that I write this blog to inform you that POWER HOUR will no longer be a part of our curriculum. When I have good children boldly lie about doing their work just so they can participate, what does that tell me Power Hour is teaching them? When too many parents email and call telling me that their children don't want to come to school on Fridays because they don't get to come to Power Hour because they've been messing around and not completing assignments, that tells me Power Hour isn't worth it.  So-o-o-o POWER HOUR is no longer nor will it be the rest of the year. Friday afternoon will simply be a continuation of regular study.

For my more advanced children who need extra to continue their extended learning, I will start projects for them which they can work on any time they complete their regular core work early.

Many parents are worried that their children miss recess to finish work, even knowing that oodles of time is given to complete assignments. Please know that the children who are working at recess always take a lap around the playground and come huffing and puffing back into the room. THEY GET THEIR EXERCISE!!

Now on a lighter note:
• Remember that Harvest Holiday will be next Thursday, Friday, and Monday (17th, 18th, and 21st.) Tuesday school will resume.
• The students need an apple next Monday. We are going to be making shrunken-head witches.
• Thank you all for coming to parent teacher conference. It's always nice to get on the same page.
• Each Monday, attached to the spelling test, I will send home a bright pink paper informing you of the work that was accomplished the week before. The incomplete work will also be in your child's backpack. If you wish to keep your child current with the class, have your child complete the work at home.

I just know that next week will be better than today.
Carolyn Olenslager