The January BCAAT meeting will feature

in introduction to Destination ImagiNation,

a great learning opportunity that teaches

creativity, teamwork, and problem solving.

For more information: Destination ImagiNation

 

This month's meeting is Monday,

January 16th, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

at the BCPS Board Bldg

on Walnut Street.

*     *     *     *     *

 January 2012 (2012!!--wow!)

Scholastic Book Orders

are due on/by Wednesday, January 11th--

online orders will be open after Jan. 3rd.

(order forms are being sent home Jan. 4th)

 *   *   *   *   *

 

This year, the four second grade teachers will be planning fun and educational field trips and activities for your students. Information will be provided online and by note as plans are finalized. Field trip permission procedures have changed and it will be necessary to sign permission slips for each individual trip--please make sure to return field trip notes promptly to ensure that all children benefit from these wonderdul learning opportunities. Thank you.

 

On Wednesday, December 14th, the Second Grades traveled to Bay City State Park and Recreation Area. While at the park, we learned about local birds and mammals and made small bird feeders for our feathered friends. The cost of this grade-level trip was paid for with funds raised during the school-wide fundraiser. 

We hope to end the year with a special, all-day trip to either the Institute of Art or Zoo in Detroit in May. In order to stay later than 1:45 (the time the BCPS school buses must return to school), we will have to travel via motorcoach buses, which cost $800-$900 each. We will keep our families updated as we attempt to raise money and make plans for this trip throughout the year. Our first fundraising event, our only Goodie Sale, was held on Friday, November 11th, and it was a big success--due to the generosity of our parents and students, we were able to bank over $500! Our second event, the Wreath Auction (see above) put us near the half-way mark. Information about future plans will be sent home when we return to school after the holiday break.

The twice-a-year BCCAT raffles are the only sources of additional funding for the district's gifted and talented classrooms. The fall raffle has ended, and our classroom raised $400 to help fund activities and materials that will benefit the 2011/12 students. 

 

This year, BCAAT funds were used for the class trip to the play at SVSU, purchase four one-person logic games for classroom use, and purchase a subscription to a class set of Discovery Magazine (the children brought their first issue home December 16th). In the spring, we hope to join Mrs. Michalak's third grade class for an all-day field trip--details will be provided as plans are finalized. I am also looking into purchasing student response technology for the classroom in the new year with BCAAT funding.

 

 

 

                                2011/2012

 

(lists of books and activities

that appeal especially

to boys [but can be

enjoyed by all])

 

BAY COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEWORK HELP PAGE

SCIENCE KIDS

YAHOO KIDS

 

 

OUR SCHOOL PLEDGE:

                                   We are Proud,

                                        We Act responsibly,

                                        We Work together,

                                   We are Safe.

We do not use “formal rules” in the classroom, but practice procedures and behaviors called the Eight Expectations for Living and their partner Life Principles. The Expectations and Life Principles work together to form the foundation for positive, valued relationships; help establish a safe, threat-free classroom environment and enhance reflective thinking; guide the development of independent, lifelong learners and valuable, participating members of the community; and teach the children that inappropriate choices and behaviors result in less-than-favorable, logical and natural consequences. They also easily partner with our whole-school behavior expectations.

“Men of genius are admired. 
Men of wealth are envied. 
Men of power are feared.
    But only men of character are trusted.”     
                               -Arthur Friedman  

The EXPECTATIONS FOR LIVING:

Citizenship~behaving in a responsible manner as a member 
of a community
Commitment~keeping a promise or pledge
Common Sense~thinking before acting; using good judgment
Compassion~ability to share another’s feelings or ideas
Cooperation~working together toward a common goal
Courage~strength to act even when afraid or uncertain
Courtesy~consideration, cooperation, and generosity
Curiosity~ a desire to investigate and seek understanding 
of one’s world
Dedication~setting aside personal wants to work for a 
particular purpose
Effort~ to do all things to the best of one’s ability
Empathy~the capacity for understanding another’s feelings 
or ideas
Esprit De Corps~devotion among members of a group for each 
other and the group’s purpose
Flexibility~ to be willing to alter plans without 
complaint when necessary
Forgiveness~the act of forgiving an offense; pardoning 
another
Fortitude~strength of mind that enables a person to 
encounter danger or bear adversity with courage
Friendship~ to make and keep a friend through mutual 
trust and caring
Honesty~truthfulness
Humanitariansism~promoting human welfare and social 
reform
Humility~being humble, not proud or haughty, not 
arrogant or assertive
Initiative~to do something, of one’s own free will, 
because it needs to be done
Integrity~ to act according to a sense of what’s right 
and wrong
Justice~being fair, right, and upholding what is right
Loyalty~faithfulness to another person or group
Optimism~an inclination to anticipate the best possible 
outcome
Patience~ to wait calmly, without complaining, for 
something or someone
Patriotism~the love for or devotion to one’s city, state, 
country
Perseverance~ to keep at a task until it is completed
Problem-Solving~creating solutions, finding answers
Propriety~the standard of what is socially acceptable in 
conduct or speech
Resiliency~recovering from or adjusting easily to 
misfortune or change
Respect~feeling honor
Responsibility~to be accountable for one’s actions, to 
respond to the needs of others when appropriate
Self-Discipline~the ability to choose and control one’s 
own actions
Service~giving of one’s time and energies to help others
Sincerity~honesty of mind; freedom from hypocrisy
Temperance~moderation in action, thought, or feeling

 

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW . . .