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Our Mission: Working together we will be a caring community of lifelong learners.

Go Cougars!

The Cougar Report

May 2016 Jade Morton, Principal www.landerschools.org

Andrew Lanz-Ketcham, Assistant Principal

In this issue: Coming Events

Principal’s Corner 2

Principal’s 196 Club Winners! 3

ONLINE REGISTRATION 4

FCSD#1 Parent Survey

K-8 Summer School/Teton Science/Lights On 5

From the Desk of Student Council

Kindergarten News!/Pre K Lights On 6

Fun in Frist Grade 7

Second Grade News! 8

Third Grade News! 9

K.2.3 Art at GPE

Music Notes 10

Overdue Books/Spring Book Fair 11

Try out BookFlix at Home!

eBooks! 12

Farm to Plate 13

Reading Connection Beginning Edition 14

Reading Connection Intermediate Edition 16

Principal’s Summer Reading Program 18

LAST DAY OF

LIGHTS ON

MAY 13

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL MAY 20

EARLY DISMISSAL AT 12:05

Farewell Mr. Morton! As we wind down this school year, we want to wish Mr. Morton the best in his new adven-tures. As many of you know, Mr. Morton is transferring to Baldwin Creek Elementary. It is with a heavy heart that we wish him well on this new journey in his career. Mr. Morton made it his personal mission to learn every student’s name in our building. Each day he greeted them with a smile, high five, or a hug. The kids always felt welcome to bring him their favorite story to read, tell him a tale, or just go to him for comfort during the day. Many students were sad to hear he is leaving GPE, but they will soon be back in his building as they transition to Baldwin Creek for fourth and fifth grade. The staff at Gannett

Peak will also miss working alongside Mr. Morton. He is definitely a trickster- loving to joke, scare, and play games with us. He has always been supportive of what needed to be done for kids. As Mr. Morton starts on the new chapter in his life we wish him the best of luck and thank him for the mark he has left on so many hearts at Gannett Peak!

INTRODUCING OUR NEW PRINCIPAL!

WELCOME MRS. VOXLAND TO GANNETT PEAK ELEMENTARY

I am so excited to be the Principal at Gan-nett Peak Elementary School. For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed kids. My educational journey began in a one-room country school in southwestern South Dakota where I attended K-6 grades. I was the only girl in my grade and loved helping the younger students as well as the teacher. From a very early age

I knew I wanted to be a teacher and fulfilled that dream at Chadron State College, NE, where I earned my B.S. degree in elementary education with a minor in early childhood. My first teaching job was at Ellsworth AFB near Rapid City, SD, teaching fourth grade. For the next 10 years I taught various grades including second, fourth, and fifth grade, plus I was a library media specialist for six years.

I consider myself a life-long learner and have earned several degrees over the years, including a Master’s degree in Curric-ulum and Instruction with an emphasis on literacy, a library media endorsement, and a Principal endorsement. I became cont. pg 2

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May 2 Kindergarten to Sprouts

May 2-13 Johnson swims 11:45-1:00 Clancy swims 12:45-2:00

May 3 Simpson & McNair to

Sprout’s

May 5 PIE meeting at 6:00 in the

Commons

May 9-10 Book Fair

4:00-7:30 in the gym

May 9-13 K-2 Dibels Next Testing

May 13 Bryce & Abernathy to

Pioneer School Nielsen & Tafelmeyer

author’s event at Central Office

Wheeler’s class to Red Canyon Ranch

Last Day for Lights On!

May 16 Schucker & Bentley to

Pioneer School

May 17 First Grade Wyoming Reads

Day at Lander Library Resource Room to

Dillon Park

Hudson & Meredith bowling May 18

TRANSITION DAY

May 19

Hemingway & Dripps to Pioneer School August 24

First Day of School for K-8 grade students September 5

No School Labor Day

Coming Events

P r in c ip a l ’ s Co rn er Dear Gannett Peak Parents,

Happy spring! In the next few weeks we will be completing our final round of MAP

testing and anticipate seeing some outstanding growth in reading and math. Please

know your student(s) are working very hard this year and deserve much praise. I

would like to commend the Gannett Peak staff for an outstanding year of teaching,

and to the parents and guardians for being so supportive. We could not do it without

you. We will also finish one more round of DIBELS, and that will be the last of

standardized testing for the school year. Please ensure your students get plenty of

rest and nutrition during this time, encourage them to do their best, and please be

sure they are present and on time. If students are absent or late, they will need to

make the test up. Remember, research shows that watching television can be detri-

mental to achievement during testing days. Research also shows the last items a stu-

dent hears or sees before bed will be what they mostly retain. Thank you for your

understanding and support. Please look at our district calendar to find what dates

your student’s class will be proctoring those assessments. Our students will breathe

a sigh of relief, but they are eager to finish the year strong in the classroom.

I’m very excited to let you know that the grade level transition process at Gannett

Peak is well under way. We have quite a few new teachers and everything appears to

be on track, and we are all very excited. As a staff, we will be looking at data to see if

need to tweak our flexible grouping to what will best meet the academic needs of all

of our students. Remember, our goal is to not only to increase achievement, but en-

hance our already collaborative and “family” like culture.

Thanks to all you who chose list your student(s) strengths and concerns. We will use

that important information when considering placement of students in classrooms.

Remember, FCSD#1 is not a “request” district, but we want to create optimal learn-

ing environment while meeting the needs of all students.

When visiting our building during the day, please use the guest parking lot. We have

had an increase of buses picking up students lately in the front of the building for

field trips. To maintain safety and efficacy, please help us keep that area clear. The

only acceptable time to use that area, is if you are a few minutes late after the last

morning bell and need to drop your student of in a timely way.

Please be sure to check out the Gannett Peak and District calendars for all end

of the year activities. Thanks once again for being a part of your student’s life and

the Gannett Peak family.

Sincerely,

Mr.Morton

the Principal of the former, West Elementary, and now Baldwin Creek, in the fall of 2008 until currently. I love kids of all ages, but truly have a passion for primary students. Their smiles, love of learning, as well as innocence, definitely warm my heart. My varied experiences throughout my 25 years in education are a valuable asset to my daily work with our students, parents, and staff.

My husband, Stan, and I have lived in the Lander area since 1995. We have one daughter, Colby, who is currently attending college. Our family enjoys the sport of rodeo, especially team roping, and spending time outdoors. I am looking so forward to being a part of your child’s journey at Gannett Peak and I feel honored to work in such a caring and sup-portive community.

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Back Row: Korina, Mr. Lanz-Ketcham, Emma, Sierra, Paige, & Kaleb Front Row: Mica, Colton, Audreyana, Lucie, Dylan,

Gentry, James & Myles Front Row: Aurora

Congratulations to all students who were nominated for the Principal’s

196 Club for being responsible, respectful and safe. If your child received

this wonderful award please make sure you praise him/her.

Below are the winners who had lunch with Mr. Lanz-Ketcham

at Tony’s Pizza.

Principal’s 196 Club WINNERS!

G R E A T JOB COUGARS!

Cody the Cougar

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Teton Science Summer

School

Digging Into The Past:

Local Archeology

Teton Science Summer School is

open for students entering grades

1-7 who qualify for

Summer Bridges Program

Students must be nominated by

the homeroom teacher to attend.

Dates: June 7-10

Hours: 8:30-2:30

LIGHTS ON

SUMMER SESSION

June 6th—July 1st and

July 11th—July 29th

Closed the week of July 4-8

Monday-Friday

Wednesday is Field Trip Day!

The Cougar Report

PALS programming brought to Gannett Peak Elementary

throughout the 2015/2016 school year

Dancer’s Workshop “Dancing ABCs” - Kindergarten

Todd Green, multi-instrumentalist - 2nd & 3rd Grades

Buffalo Bill Holiday Program - Kindergarten & 1st Grade

Wonder Cabinet Field Trips - 2nd & 3rd Grades

String Fever, string quartet - Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Grades

Missoula Children’s Theatre “Aladdin” - Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Grades

Missoula Children’s Theatre Workshops, “How to Mime” - 1st Grade

Zak Morgan, songwriting - 2nd Grade

Fremont Symphony Orchestra “Peter and the Wolf” - 1st Grade

John Kidwell, cartoonist - 2nd & 3rd Grades

Thank you for supporting PALS!

In an effort to improve system practices, Fremont County School District #1 is conduct-

ing a Parent Survey. We value your opinion and ask that you take a few minutes to

complete it. You will receive a notification for each student you have enrolled. Feel free

to complete one or more surveys depending on the schools you would like to provide

feedback to.

To start, please go to: http://www.advanc-ed.org/survey/public/6136041

Be assured your responses will be anonymous. Your honest opinion is appreciated. Thank you for your time

and attention.

Ken Nielsen Director of Curriculum Assessment Fremont County SD#1

FREMONT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE PARENT SURVEY

K-8 Summer School

When: July 6th through July 28th

Days: Monday—Thursday

Times: 9:00 .M.—2:00

Where: Baldwin Creek Elementary

Breakfast 8:00-8:30 free

Lunch will be served and is free for all

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We have learned so much since the first day of school! This has been an especially hard work-ing group of Kindergarten students. With first grade just around the corner, we are busy learn-ing many new things! Some of the standards we are working on include:

Language Arts: Decoding words by using letter sounds and word chunks, in addition to picture clues Self-correcting for meaning Math: Counting to 100 by 1’s and 10’s Weighing and measuring objects and making com-parisons with their size Social Studies: Naming local businesses and what they provide Science: Identifying plants as a living thing and experiment-ing with seeds Learning about life cycles, such as the life cycle of a caterpillar Foreign Language (Spanish): Greetings, such as “hola” and “Buenos dias” Counting to 10

Important Events: May 2-13 Clancy and Johnson swim May 2nd: Johnson, Clancy, Hitch, Bernard, Wheeler, Welsh field trip to Sprouts Greenhouse, please contact your child’s teacher if you do not want him/her to go. May 3rd Simpson and McNair will go to Sprouts Greenhouse May 12th, Wheeler, Welsh, McNair, Simpson to the Lander swimming pool May 16th, Bernard, Clancy, Johnson, Hitch to the Lander swimming pool May 18th Transition day May 20th Last Day of School!!

P r e - K at L igh t s O n

June 6th through July 29th

8 :00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Jump Start your Kinder with our Summer Pre K Program .

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Fun in First Grade The Cougar Report

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MUSIC

NOTES

The Cougar Report

Here is a fun new web site for you and your children to play with on a rainy or snowy day. It was developed by Google in honor of Music in Our Schools Month, which is celebrated in March of every year. In is called Chrome Music Lab and includes 12 exploratory activities. Enjoy!

https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments

Sincerely, Mrs. Masson Music Specialist, Gannett Peak Elementary Kindergarten, Second Grade and Third Grade

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Coming Soon

e Books !

Students will be bringing home information soon

Learn more at our Buy One, Get One Free Book Fair

on May 9 and 10!

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