Paws for the Principal Word From Mrs. Thompson

Pyron Elementary School

M A R C H 2 0 1 6

U P C O M I N G

E V E N T S :

March 9– End of 3rd

Quarter

March 17– K-6 Parent

Teacher Conferences

March 21-25– Spring

Break

Home and School Connection:

Working Together for our Students

Spanish version available

upon request.

Versión en español dis-

ponible sobre petición.

I NS ID E

T HIS

Pyron’s

Arithmetic Ace

2

Counselor’s

Corner

2

Social Media Links 3

Class News 3

Testing Info 4

AR Super Readers 5

PE classes have started working with Mrs. Jones to learn about biking! Due in

part to a grant, Pyron is fortunate to have a biking program. Your students will not only ride but learn all about bicycle

safety and health benefits of riding. With warmer and longer days ahead, I challenge all parents to ride the Spadra

Nature Trail or neighborhood streets with your child.

“…the bicycle is the most efficient machine ever created: Converting calories into gas, a bicycle gets the equivalent of three thousand miles per gallon. ~Bill Strickland, The Quotable Cyclist

Follow the rules of the road: ride on the right side of the

road-with the traffic flow, not against it;

obey traffic signs and signals

just as if you were driving a car;

use correct hand signals; stop at all signs and red lights;

and stop and look both ways before

entering a street; Depending on the laws in your

community, children may ride on sidewalks and paths.

If riding at dawn, at dusk, or at

night, wear reflective clothing (not just light-colored clothing) and make sure that the bike has a front headlight and a rear red reflector or flashing red light.

P A G E 2

Preparing for Parent-Teacher Conferences

Our teachers are busy planning to visit with you at Parent-

Teacher Conferences scheduled for March 19th. These

conferences provide a great opportunity for parents and

teachers to learn more about students. You can use the time

to share important information to help your child succeed in

school. The key to a successful conference, parents and

teachers agree, is two-way communication. You may

consider jotting down questions before you arrive at the

meeting. This will ensure that you make the best use of the

time you have with your child’s teacher.

At the conference keep an open mind. Remember both you

and the teacher want to help your child succeed. Always

remember to ask to see your child’s work. There is no better

way to see how your child is doing. You can also ask the

teacher to explain terms that are new to you. Every

profession has its own jargon which can be hard to

understand. At the end of the conference, it is good to make

sure both you and the teacher agree on any decisions you

have made about your child. If necessary, ask to meet again.

We are always here to help your child succeed.

Courageous means being brave and standing up for what you know is right. You should try something new, encourage your friends and be yourself.

COURAGEOUS

What Does Respect Look Like? Your child’s daily dealings with adults and kids alike will be more pleasant if

he speaks and acts respectfully. Try these tips for helping him learn respect.

RESPECTFUL REPLIES. Think about something that you and your

youngster disagree on (say, whether his video game time should be limited).

Model having a respectful discussion about it. You might say that his brain

and body are growing, and he needs to run and play to stay healthy. Then,

suggest a respectful response, such as, “I want to be healthy but I love video

games.” Finally, have him brainstorm other situations where people have

different opinions but still speak to each other with respect.

EVERYDAY ACTS. When you mow the lawn or clean up after your

dog, you can teach your youngster about respect for neighbors. Explain that

keeping your neighborhood clean and neat makes it nice for everyone. Ask

him to think of other respectful things neighbor's should do. If you share an

apartment laundry room, he might point out that you respect neighbors’ time

by removing your clothes when they’re done so others get to use the washers

and dryers.

Erin has set a record for Pyron by completing all

Math Facts in a Flash as well as the Accelerated

Math 4th Grade Library! We are proud of her and

her hard work!

PYRON’S ARITHMETIC ACE

P A G E 3

Fourth graders are flying through fractions in math, getting all revved up for the American Revolution in Language Arts, and learning the meaning of matter in science. We are all working hard this week to get our Chapter Books, AM Objectives, and Math Facts in a Flash before the cut off for this nine weeks! We are trying our best to learn from the ACT Aspire Interim test that we took, so we’ll be better prepared for the real test in May. We are very excited to go to the Ft. Smith museum and tour on April 6th!

TESTING is on the horizon… As such, Second Grade will be learning important test taking strategies throughout the month of March to help

them prepare for their upcoming ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills). The ITBS will be held on April 5th-7th and will assess each

student’s knowledge of vocabulary, grammar (language), reading proficiency, and ability to solve math problems!

Spring is almost here and we have a large amount of coats and jackets in the lost and found. If your child is missing one please come check to see if we have it. There are some really nice things waiting to be claimed!!

Third grade has begun the fifth unit in literacy with “A Feast of Words on a Planet Called Earth and Beyond”. Students are reading Frindle by Andrew Clements, and they will be learning what makes a word or phrase the “right” word or phrase in writing. Other areas of focus will be the use of idioms and differentiating between literal and figurative meanings of words. For this month, the reading minutes goal will be 275 minutes. This is due to spring break which is March 21-25. It is a very achievable goal so everyone is expected to meet it.

In math, students are working on fractions, measuring perimeter, and finding area of objects. Keep memorizing those multiplication and division facts. Spring is almost here, and we are ready!

Pyron is so proud to announce that we

have raised $702.90 for the American

Heart Association through our Jump

Rope for Heart Event! Students have

enjoyed learning about their heart and

participating in jump roping and other

heart healthy activities in PE.

Pyron Elementary

School CUBs

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#Pyron cubs

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Download our FREE School Info App to get

announcements on your phone.

Spring Testing Dates Announced

Students at Pyron Elemetnary will

participate in Arkansas’ State Man-

dated Testing this Spring. Please do

your best to see that your child is in

attendance on testing dates.

2nd Grade ITBS April 5-7

3rd Grade ACT Aspire May 5-6

4th Grade ACT Aspire May 3-4

Congratulations to the 4th Grade Pyron Quiz Bowl team! The placed first in the regional

quiz bowl tournament in Van Buren on March 1, 2016

P A G E 4

P A G E 5

Addison Harkreader Tristan Kremers Leo Ruiz Chase Snellings Thomas Skidgel

Roselyn Murguia Brandon Acosta Jackson Hemund Esperanza Jimenez Beyonce Iturriaga

Kylie Williams Azlyrn Dominguez Carley Flurry Ava Lensing Lolita Prieto

Trey Efurd Trenton Jones Alex Ruiz Noah Fernandez Lian Joy Ambagan

Gwendolyn Ceballos Avery Nichols Rebecca Cain Hannah Fultz Doe Htoo