The Lion s Roar. Where Pride Can Move Mountains DATES TO KNOW: Blue Ridge Elementary School Newsletter, Vol. 12 FROM THE PRINCIPAL S DESK:

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1 Blue Ridge Elementary School Newsletter, Vol. 12 DATES TO KNOW: The Lion s Roar Where Pride Can Move Mountains Charles Town Road, Harpers Ferry, WV October 16 Phone: FALL FESTIVAL, 6:00 pm End of 1st grading period October 23 Report Cards issued October Book Fair, Parent Night, October 27 from 4:00-7:00 pm October 29 Big B/Character Counts Assembly, 9:15 am November 5 Parent-Teacher Conferences, 6-8 pm, (by invitation only) November 11 Veteran s Day No School November American Education Week FROM THE PRINCIPAL S DESK: As I put pen to paper (although it is actually fingers to keyboard) I contemplate the happenings over the last several weeks of school. It is hard to believe that we have been in school for almost two months. The school has definitely fallen into a very smooth rhythm. There is excitement in the air from the moment the students get off of the bus as they head to their classrooms. You can feel the vibration in the atmosphere. They can t wait to start a new day. They are happy to share what s taking place in their classrooms. Some of the buzz in the hallways this month has been about our attendance competition. We have two different competitions. One is in the form of a football game with the students traveling down the field hoping to be the first class to make a touchdown for having the best classroom attendance over a five week period. You should hear the silence in the rooms when Mrs. LaVigne and I start the Blue Ridge Sports Center on Monday mornings during the announcements. We are all enjoying the Team Up for Attendance Fridays where everyone wears their favorite team jersey. The second attendance competition is done daily and the students really cheer when their class is announced as having the best attendance for the day! Plus they have the bonus PRIDE cash for the day coming their way. There is music in the air as our 4th and 5th grade chorus members are starting their rehearsals. We have had an exciting student council officer and representative election campaign in our upper grades over the last several weeks. There were some very creative posters hanging in the hallways during the time before the elections. Things are surely hopping here at Blue Ridge Elementary. I will catch you up next month; until then have a save and enjoyable time with your children. Remember you only travel this journey with your child once so savor each moment. Susan Zigler, Principal Find the hidden lion and receive $5.00 in PRIDE bucks from Miss Amy and Miss Julie! Above all, watch with glittering eyes the world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. ~ Roald Dahl ~

2 The Lion s Roar, October 2015 Page 2 BREA (PTO) NEWS: BREA MEETINGS: November 2, 6:30 pm, BRP. Scott Sudduth, President of Jefferson County Board of Education will speak about the levy. FALL FESTIVAL: Friday, October 16, 6:00 pm. Come join the fun! Games, prizes, food, and activities!! LIBRARY NEWS WITH MRS. HENDERSON: Hello Students and Parents! It is time to gear up for the Scholastic Book Fair coming October 26-30, As always, I am excited and am looking for volunteers to help with the Book Fair. We will have Family Night on Tuesday, October 27th from 4:00-7:00 p.m. We would like to have a training for the Book Fair on Wednesday, October 21st at 3:00 p.m. It will be informative as to the specific job you are doing at the book fair. Some of the tasks are: helping students find books, counting loose change before the student s purchase, bagging, and attending to the cash register. In library class, we are working on listening, following directions, understanding where to find a book by decoding the bibliographic information on the computer, and how to use the automated card catalog. I will be sending out the volunteer sign-up information for the Book Fair training this week. I look forward to seeing you there. DID YOU KNOW? All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill. The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid. ESL NEWS WITH MR. HARNER: In Mr. Harner s ESL classroom, students are learning about the pyramids of Egypt. Students are discussing who built them, why, and how it may have been done. Students are engaging in readalouds, partner reading, and silent reading as they unpack the text and make discoveries. We are building vocabulary, reviewing how to steal from the question to write solid answers, and justifying those answers by looking back in the text to find information. WELCOME TO OUR NEW STAFF MEMBERS JOKE OF THE MONTH! What happens if you eat yeast and shoe polish? Every morning you ll rise and shine!! We welcome the following staff members to our Blue Ridge Family: Grade 2: Mercedes Younker (Mrs. Taylor got married this summer; her new name is Mrs. Jones) Grade 3: Jennifer Royster Special Education: Wendy Sonnemann and Kelly Bungard Reading Interventionist: Emily Alexander Nurse: Susan Fridley IEP Coordinator: Linda Butler Cook: Michelle Wilson Custodian: Benjamin Wolfe

3 The Lion s Roar, October 2015 Page 3 GUIDANCE NEWS FROM MRS. BRITTINGHAM: It is National Bullying Prevention Month and we can all work together to help our children stand up for what is right. Talking with your children and helping them learn when they need to seek help empowers our youth. Parents can help their children learn to identify bullying, what to do in uncomfortable situations and be active bystanders when help is needed. Learn more by reading together and exploring the topic online. The following are great websites to explore: safety and bullying prevention. There are also many books that teach kindness, acceptance, and getting along with others. Here are just a few for kids to check out: Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson (caring, including new students, kindness ripples) My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig (friendship, respect, conflict resolution) Enemy Pie by Derek Munson (friendship, respect) Alley Oops by Janice Levy (anti-bullying, respect, wrestling with good choices) ATTENDANCE The students are really enjoying the attendance football game we are playing to promote good attendance. As of now, we have not had any classrooms make a touchdown, but we have several that are very close. With only five yards separating the top four classes, it s anyone s game! Remember that every student helps their team move down the field by being in school every day for the entire day (9:00 am to 3:40 pm). We are continuing to hand out perfect attendance tags for those students who have perfect attendance for the month. Gavin and Mrs. Zigler before BOE meeting. Gavin saying the Pledge of Allegiance at the September 28th Board of Education Meeting. GAVIN WICK Gavin is a 4th grader who strives to achieve his personal best in his academics, which is demonstrated through his grades and work ethic. He continues those high goals in his sports accomplishments. Gavin played for the U10 Winchester Warriors Inline Hockey Team, which qualified for Nationals. The team played in Detroit in June and placed 4th in the United States! Gavin was the only individual from West Virginia! Recently, he made the Select Stars Ice Hockey Team located in Frederick, MD and will be playing in the Dream Games on October 24th. In addition, he was invited to skate on ice with the flag during introductions for the National Anthem at the Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins game on October 2nd. Gavin is one of those truly well-rounded students and we are pleased to have him at our school.

4 The Lion s Roar October, 2015 Page 5 BOX TOPS ALL-STARS FOR SEPTEMBER: First place goes to Danielle Records from Mrs. Royster s 3rd grade class who brought in 348 Box Tops!! Danielle won $ in PRIDE bucks! Noah Shegogue was a close 2nd with 332 Box Tops. BOX TOP LEADERBOARD: 1st Mrs. Rinard s class won recess equipment, trophy, and $25 PRIDE buck for every student (641) 2nd Mrs. Royster s class won recess equipment (447) 3rd Mrs. Dunbar s class won recess equipment (306) 4th Mrs. Pesi (289) 5th Mrs. Hughes (226) In August and September, our school brought in a total of 3,597 Box Tops!!! Keep up the good work! STORY PIRATES STORY PIRATES will be coming to the Blue Ridge Campus on Wednesday, November 4th. There will be free pizza beginning at 6:15 p.m. and the show will begin at 7:00 sharp. To get more information about Story Pirates, visit their website at To volunteer at this event, please Sarah Gunn at blueridgeboxtops15@yahoo.com. RED RIBBON WEEK Red Ribbon Week is a national drug and alcohol prevention week in the month of October. I take this opportunity to teach lessons about making healthy choices in our lives. We dedicate one week of this celebration with a weekly themed dress up schedule. Dressing up is optional. ~ Mrs. Brittingham ~ Monday October 19 Crazy Red Ribbon Week Wear Red And your craziest socks. Tuesday October 20 Hats off to Healthy Choices Wear your favorite hat all day! Wednesday October 21 Dream of a DRUG FREE world. Wear your pajamas! Thursday October 22 Your dreams can come true when you make smart choices. Dress up showing your favorite career choice! (Example: Doctor, Vet; Teacher; Artist; Auto Mechanic etc.) Friday October 23 Team up against drugs! Wear clothing supporting your favorite sports team! (no helmet or cleats please) Make sure they are school appropriate (no slippers please)

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