From the desk of Cherie Swader
September 24, 2007

Dear DES Family and Friends,

We have two MAJOR events coming up - our annual FALL FESTIVAL and the FALL BOOK FAIR. Both of these are important fundraisers and family events. We hope that you have already reserved, Saturday, September 29th from 2:00-6:00, and that you are planning on bringing family and friends to enjoy the fun, fellowship, food, and activities at the DES Fall Festival. I think this year's event is going to be even bigger and better than past years - so don't miss out on it. We have lots of games and entertainment scheduled for the afternoon and as always we will close the event with Bingo from 5:00-6:00. Don't miss out on all of the fun. Your children may purchase tickets at school this week - (.25 per ticket), or you may purchase them at the festival. Our Fall Festival Committee, chaired by Leonda Smith and Tarre Ginn has worked really hard to make this a great event and we appreciate all of the committee members and their efforts. We also appreciate all of the parents who have contributed donations (food, prizes, time/energy) - every contribution is welcome. A special thanks to Leslie Tate who provided us with billboard advertising for the event. We are extremely fortunate to have such great parents who are actively involved in their children's school.

The second important event - beginning the day of the Fall Festival is the Book Fair. Sonya Snay, our media specialist and Charlotte Lane, our media assistant, have been planning for this event for several weeks. The theme is the Arctic, and in addition to building an igloo and creating a winter wonderland in the media center, they have lots of fun and educational activities planned for the children and their families during the week of October 1st-5th. We will have a polar bear (one of our administrators - you'll have to come and see who) and the children can throw snow balls at the character. We will also be having dress-up days related to the theme of the Arctic that week - and I will give you more information on that in next weeks newsletter. The Book Fair is also a great time for you to share with your child the importance of reading - together you can talk about what kinds of reading materials your child likes and you can purchase a book to read together. We are also in need of volunteers to work in the library during Book Fair week, so if you have an hour or more, please contact Sonya Snay, Charlotte Lane, or Brenda Wheeler, our Parent Involvement Coordinator and schedule a time to work. Children love to have their parents at school and again your participation underscores the importance and the value you place on education.

Our Character Education Trait for September is "Respect for Others" - talk with your child about this trait and the importance of respecting themselves and others.

FALL BREAK - October 8th-12th - and Teacher Inservice Day, October 15th - these are all days that the students will be out of school.

We will not have a PTO meeting in October - the next scheduled PTO meeting is November 13th and the Kindergarten classes will be in charge of the program.

Brenda Wheeler and the Parent Involvement Team are planning a "Math Night" on Tuesday, October 16th - this is going to be a fun and informative evening and will be held in the cafeteria. It will begin at 6:00 and will last about one hour. Each grade level - kindergarten through 5th grade are planning math games and activities for students and parents to participate in together. Bring a covered dish or stop at the deli and pick up something to bring to share for dinner. This is just one of many wonderful activities that Brenda Wheeler is planning for this year. Take advantage of this time that you have to spend with your child, sharing in a fun educational activity.

Many of us view math as a difficult and complex subject, but manipulatives, such as beans, straws, coins, dominoes, cards, etc. can help to unlock the number sense that makes math a mystery to many students. Paper and pencil is no longer the only instructional strategy for teaching math - children learn from doing - so work with your children at home and make math a fun and active experience. When you are cooking let them help you measure or determine the amount of an ingredient needed. Involve them in simple building projects. Let them help plan trips mapping the destination, determining the mileage, gallons of gas needed and other factors necessary in preparation for a trip. Grocery store outings also provide excellent opportunities for practical math activities. There are lots of ways to involve your children in everyday math lessons.

Please make plans to attend the Parent/Teacher Conference Day on October 25th - this will also be an early release day (1:00) for students. You will be receiving a form for you to sign up for a time to meet with your child's teacher. The teacher will be giving you your child's report card and last year's CRCT scores, and will be sharing with you the progress that your child is making this school year.

Read to or with your children daily and give them lots of experience communicating through conversation and writing. You are your child's best teacher.

Have a great week and we will see you at the Fall Festival on Saturday.

Cherie Swader
Principal
Dade Elementary School
"Hand In Hand - We Learn Together"