Kelly Edwards Elementary 1071 Elko St. Williston, SC

803-266-7061

Home of the Lil’ Blue Devils

News

Proud to be a Title I School

October 15 Picture Day J

October 19

End of 1st Quarter

October 19 - 21 AdvancED Team Visits Williston

School District 29

October 20 SIC/PTO Meeting at 5:30 p.m. –

KEES Media Center School Board Meeting at 7:00 p.m. –

District Office

October 22 Awards Day

K – 2nd Grade: 9:00 a.m. 3rd – 5th Grade: 1:00 p.m.

October 26

No School for Students Parent/Teacher Conferences:

3:00 – 7:00 p.m. Report Cards Issued

Keep up-to-date on the latest news and happenings at

Kelly Edwards Elementary…

!!

Kelly Edwards Elementary…

Where We Love First,

Teach Second

Principal’s Corner by Principal Nakeisha Baxley

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Fall is in the air! What an exciting time of year, as activities like football games and pumpkin patches provide opportunities for families to make new memories. I love cheering on my Blue Devils with my extended family on Friday nights or snuggling on the couch with my little one under a warm blanket. These are the moments that our children treasure - and the time goes by so fast! At KEES, we strive to make memories with our students that go far beyond learning the standards. Yes, we want them to add, subtract, and multiply - but we also want them to think of the experiences and activities that made them feel loved, like sharing lunch with their grandparents during the school day. Some memories truly do last forever, and we will do our best to provide as many as we can for you and your families!

To show our support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we are designating October 30th as PINK OUT DAY at Kelly Edwards! Wear pink to support the fight against breast cancer.

Sept 1 Labor Day

Sept 8 & 9 Grandparents’ Day

Sept 16 SIC Meeting 6:00 pm

Sept 17 Interim Reports

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Unity  Day  -­‐  Wednesday,  October  21,  2015    

Together  against  bullying  —  united  for  kindness,  acceptance  and  inclusion.    

Sponsored  by  PACER’s  National  Bullying  Prevention  Center  since  2011

October  is  National  Bullying  Prevention  Month.    October  21st  has  been  designated  as  UNITY  DAY.  That’s  the  day  everyone  can  come  together—in  schools,  communities,  and  online  —  and  send  one  large  ORANGE  message  of  support,  hope,  and  unity  to  show  that  we  are  united  against  bullying  and  united  for  kindness,  acceptance  and  inclusion.    Wear  orange  to  show  your  support  on  October  21st.      

Our  Speak  Up  Hotline:    803-­‐335-­‐2008  

Williston  School  District  29  takes  a  stand  against  bullying.    Bullying,  intimidation,  and  harassment  are  not  tolerated.    Students,  parents,  or  staff  can  leave  a  voice  or  text  message  anonymously,  and  a  designated  school  administrator  is  notified.  

Here  are  10  things  you  can  do  to  increase  the  chances  that  your  children  will  “just  say  NO”  to  drugs:  

1.  Be  a  good  listener.  Make  sure  your  child  feels  comfortable  bringing  problems  or  questions  to  you.  

2.  Be  available  to  discuss  sensitive  subjects.  Children  need  to  know  they  can  rely  on  you  for  accurate  information.  

3.  Be  a  good  role  model.  Your  own  habits  and  attitudes  about  tobacco,  alcohol,  and  other  drugs  make  a  big  impression  on  your  child.  

4.  Be  straight  on  tough  topics.  Give  clear,  specific  messages  when  talking  about  drugs  of  any  kind,  so  your  child  knows  exactly  what  is  expected  of  him.  

5.  Be  media-­‐savvy.  Read,  watch  TV,  and  go  to  the  movies  with  your  child,  and  compare  media  images  to  reality.  

6.  Be  helpful.  Teach  your  child  to  manage  stress  in  healthy  ways,  such  as  seeking  help  from  a  trusted  adult  or  engaging  in  a  favorite  activity.  

7.  Be  positive.  Emphasize  what  your  child  does  right  rather  than  wrong;  self-­‐confidence  is  her  best  protection  against  peer  pressure.  

8.  Be  aware.  Know  your  child's  friends  (and  friends'  family  members),  and  be  aware  of  their  habits  and  attitudes  toward  drinking  and  drugs.  

9.  Be  honest.  Help  your  child  understand  that  he  doesn't  have  to  do  something  wrong  to  feel  accepted  by  his  peers,  and  that  his  real  friends  won't  pressure  him  to  use  tobacco,  alcohol,  or  other  drugs.  

10.  Be  your  child's  biggest  fan.  Children  need  your  unconditional  love  and  support,  both  in  good  times  and  bad,  to  manage  stress,  resist  peer  pressure,  and  thrive  in  their  daily  life.  

Hello  parents!    This  month  we  will  be  celebrating  the  national  war  on  drugs  and  our  theme  this  year  is  “  RESPECT  YOURSELF……  BE  DRUG  FREE.”    Classroom  guidance  lessons  this  month  will  focus  on  the  negative  and  long  lasting  effects  of  smoking,  using  drugs  and  drinking  alcohol.    Take  some  time  out  and  talk  to  your  children  about  this  habit  that  can  be  harmful  to  their  bodies.    

 I’m  counting  on  you  to  help  make  a  difference  in  the  war  on  drugs.  

 Red  Ribbon  Week  -­‐  Oct.  27-­‐30,  2015

With  something  to  think  about  .  .  .  this  is  your  counselor!  

Ms. DeShun Mack

Join Mrs. Adcox, kindergarten teacher, as she takes you on a journey through learning in kindergarten…

Welcome to Kindergarten! During the month of October, we celebrate "Mm" as we explore m&m math. We make predictions, count, sort, and graph m&m's. Then, we calibrate our graphs, and interpret the information on our graphs (most, least, same amount, null set (zero), how many, and total number) using our own individual bags of m&m’s. We began our exploration of magnets. We continue learning about how we are all special, and act out “verbs” we each can “do”. We continue our exploration of letter formations and phonics as we concentrate on Ff. Our units include “fire safety” and the “farm”. We do tree maps, which help the children draw a correlation between parent and baby farm animals and the sounds they make, and we act out our reading lesson book, The Farm Concert. We have been writing “words”

for their pictures which begin with the sound of the letter of the week using the “phonics we know”—called “invented spelling.” The children are using their Zoo-Phonics we have learned to help them understand the relationship between letters and sounds. We are encouraging the children to learn vital personal information in case of an emergency, so if your child does not know his/her full name, phone number and birth date, or how to dial 911 to access help, please help your child learn this very important skill at home. In the middle of the month, we will study “Safety” and “Signs” and sink and float, with a special emphasis on boats. In addition to our reading and writing exercises, we continue to study pattern, counting sequence and making sets to match numbers. The children are "reading" lots of predictable stories. Our studies for the end of October will revolve around the letters Pp and Hh. We will continue to expand our knowledge of repeating patterns. Most of the children are confident with many different patterns, including AB, ABC, ABCD, ABB, and AAB patterns. We will predict and verify the circumference of three pumpkins, and compare their sizes and weights. The week of Halloween, we will clean the pumpkins, carve them into jack-o'-lanterns, count their seeds by tens, and then compare the numbers of seeds in the pumpkins and try to determine whether there is a correlation between the pumpkin’s size and the number of seeds in the pumpkin.

There are many milestones in childhood—the first word, the first step, the first lost tooth. Once your child reaches elementary school, there are many more milestones—the first word read aloud, the first school project, the first multiplication table memorized, that dreaded Science Fair project. When a child is in elementary school, things like middle school, high school, and college can seem far off in the distance, but it is important to remember that the foundation for your child’s educational future is being laid now, in elementary school. Here are a few ways to make sure that your child is receiving a strong foundation for the future. 1. Read aloud to your child and encourage independent reading. Studies have shown that reading aloud to children, as well as having them read independently, greatly increases their vocabulary, reading comprehension, and verbal skills. Do you have a “reading nook” where your child can read independently for fun? Do you set aside a time each day to read to your child? 2. Make sure that your child has a firm educational foundation. In education, skills and knowledge build upon each other. In order to ensure that your child is prepared for later learning, take the time now to make sure he or she is reading fluently and has his or her math facts memorized. The time spent now will be worth it! 3. Encourage your child’s curiosity. Children are filled with questions. As you know, you most likely answer dozens of questions from your child each day! Encourage your child to ask questions about the world around him or her. Your child is always learning. Albert Einstein once wrote, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” Sometimes we would like to tell our kids to stop asking so many questions. J Just remember, with every question they ask, they are learning about the world around them.

PROFILE OF THE SC GRADUATE: Focus on Building Successful Graduates Through Innovation

For more information about the Profile of the SC Graduate, visit http://www.eoc.sc.gov/Reports%20%20Publications/Annual%20Repor%20t2015/Feb1report2015.pdf