Transcript Shaffer Times September 2009 Welcome to all of our wonderful families and students from Turtle Creek and Churchill.

Shaffer Times
September 2009
Welcome to all of our wonderful families and
students from Turtle Creek and Churchill. It’s going to
be an exciting year at Shaffer Elementary so read on
and check those back packs every day!
Principal’s Perspective
As we begin “anew”,keep in mind that change can be a wonderfully,
positive event.As one of our building goals,we are working to increase
our Parental Involvement.I want to remind you that if ever you have
concerns about any aspect related to school matters,I am always willing
to positively address those concerns.Call the Main Office, email me or
send a note. We are all working towards the same goal:to ensure that
every one of our children receives the highest quality education.
Yours in Education Excellence, Principal Leonard
Fall Fundraiser with Superb
Fall fundraiser packets will be sent home next week. Orders are
due on Wednesday, September 30th. Students who sell
five items between our two MAIN fundraisers earn the
opportunity to go to our annual “Day in the Park.” We
will only accept checks from Shaffer parents/guardians, not
third parties.
Visit whsd.net for up-to-date Shaffer and District news!
Who’s Who at Shaffer
The K-Team at Shaffer of Mrs. Watts and Ms. Rooney
Make plenty of time for learning & some time to be loony.
Getting first graders to benchmark is an important role
It won’t be a challenge for Mrs. Maus and Mrs. Cole.
If anyone can make school and adventure and a party
It’s the 2nd grade duo of Mrs. Tomko and Mrs. Michalski.
Our PSSA skills will truly be honed
By the third grade leaders, Mrs. Zemba and Mrs. Catone.
Who better to prepare our students for fifth
Than the 4th grade aces, Mrs. Smith and Mr. Meredith.
When Junior High starts, our big kids will be ready and able
Especially after a year with Mrs. Simon and Mrs. Gable.
While academics will give our children the very best start
It’s never complete without Library, Music, Gym and Art.
When Reading and Math coaches help,
They can put a smile on a face.
And the support staff at Shaffer make it the very best
Woodland Hills place!
Let’s Do Lunch!
Want to put a huge grin on your child’s face? Join them for
lunch! Kindergarten has lunch from 12n-12:30pm.
First and Second graders have lunch from 12:30pm1:00pm. Third and Fourth graders eat from 11:30am12Noon, and Fifth and Sixth graders dine from 11am11:30am. Bon appetit!
Shaffer Times page 3
Also in the news . . .
Starting in October, your Shaffer Times will have features
from our fifth and sixth grade students . . . Do you have
news from Turtle Creek or Churchill? Care to share event
information? Email it to [email protected] for
inclusion in future editions.
Drop-Off/Pick-Up Procedures
Parents and guardians, please use the large parking lot
adjacent to the school to drop off and pick up your
student(s). Mrs. Leonard appreciates your
cooperation.
First PTO Meeting
Children are welcome at all PTO meetings so bring the
whole family! Our first meeting will be on Tuesday,
September 8th at 7pm in the Library. Feel free to
bring a snack to share. We will plan for PTO
Elections in October and our School Nurse will
present valuable information!
Notes from the Nurse
This year’s Kindergarten students need to have had
a physical, Dental exam and have their immunizations
up-to-date. This year’s third graders need to have
had a dental exam. If you have any questions about
immunizations, please call Nurse Walter at
412.371.4535, then press 4.
Teacher Tidbits
Ms. Brodt and Mrs. White would like all fifth graders to
bring in a plain, two-pocket folder and their classrooms are
in need of hand sanitizer, Kleenex and ziploc bags as well.
Mrs. Cole and Mrs. Maus are working together on reading
multiple books by one author to their children. It is one of
our State Standards. Mrs. Cole did a great job making the
pigeon come alive in the series including Don’t Let the Pigeon
Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems. Mrs. Maus is reading the
Black Lagoon series including The Lunch Lady from the Black
Lagoon by Mark Thaler. These books are humorous, so if
you like to laugh, read these books!
Did you know? Ms. White graduated from WHHS in 2001.
She went on to receive her Bachelors from Carlow and her
Masters from Duquesne University before teaching at Rankin
Intermediate. You may see her around town as she lives in
the District!
Coming in October . . . School
Picture Day on Fri. October 9th
September Events: PUT ON FRIDGE!!
5th
8th
9th
11th
18th
23rd
25th
30th
Rally in the Valley: WH Wolverines play in Wheeling at
3:30pm against Steubenville. Tickets are available at
Athletic Office at High School. See Website for details.
7:00pm PTO Meeting in Library
Fundraiser Kick-Off
Patriot Day – Wear Red, White and Blue
7:30pm Wolverines at Connellsville
7:00pm Wolverines vs. Canon-McMillan
OPEN HOUSE 7pm-9pm
NO SCHOOL for students
7:00pm Wolverines vs. Bethel Park
Fall Fundraiser Orders Due
DIBELS Time
We at Shaffer Elementary are proud of our very successful
PreventiveModel of reading instruction. Research has shown it is much
easier to prevent reading difficulties than it is to remediate them.
A basic component of the Preventive Model of Reading Instruction is
universal screening. All students, kindergarten through sixth grade, over
the course of the next two weeks, will be pulled from their class and
administered a Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills(DIBELS)
Assessment.
The assessment is very brief, no longer than 15minutes, and individually
administered. The results of this screening along with other data will be
used to determine the course of your child’s reading instruction.The
assessment is leveled and the tasks are age and developmentally
appropriate. Kindergarten will be assessed on the ability to identify upper
and lower case letters as well the ability to isolate and identify initial
sounds. The first grade assessment measures letter identification, phoneme
segmentation, and nonsense word fluency. Second through sixth grade will
be assessed on their oral reading fluency. In approximately 6 weeks you
will receive a DIBELS Report with your child’s results and a brief
description of their correlated instruction.
If you have questions concerning the DIBELS Assessment or the reading
program at Shaffer Primary please contact Mr. Sharp at 412-371-4535 or
[email protected].
Guidance Time
Welcome back to all new and returning students and
families. As the counselor, I look forward to meeting
each student during the school year through classroom
visits, group lunches, and through incentive programs
and STAR, using monthly themes to promote positive
thinking and acting responsibly. Each parent and
family member can help promote these ideas by
working with their child(ren) daily. I will be available to
speak by phone at 412.371.4535 ext. 2230, or in
person with a scheduled meeting. I look forward to
conducting another food drive during the holiday
season and promoting other community projects that
arise, as well as planning Career Day once again in the
spring and seeing our students grow from the
beginning to the end of the school year. I also look
forward to working with our families. Once again,
welcome to Shaffer Elementary!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Jessica Cohen