Students at Florence Elementary participated in all the fun “March is Reading Month” reading activities! The first week of reading month included Hat Day, Pajama Day, Sock Day, and Green day!! The students enjoyed participating in all of the days, along with eating “green eggs” in 5K. Mrs. Wilcox did an amazing job outlining the events for reading month. Students had the opportunity to participate in the “March Reading Challenge” in which they were asked to read or be read to for 20 minutes per day 5 days a week. They filled their reading time out on a reading log and turned them in weekly. If students participated all 5 days for 4 weeks, they received a FREE Pizza Hut pan pizza!!

LIBRARY MARCH MADNESS TOURNAMENT OF BOOKS!!!

Mrs. Wilcox also coordinated a “Library March Madness Tournament of Books” competition. Students, staff, and district families were encouraged to watch a read aloud video of each book and submit their vote by 7:30 each evening. The winner of the votes for the day moved on into the next round of competition. What book will be the winner at the end??????

STUDY SKILLS TIP OF THE MONTH!!!

Joining a study group, which can also be done virtually during this pandemic period, can be very beneficial in learning new information and studying for tests. Sharing notes with group members will allow missing information or important concepts to be added into what you already have. Students can learn from one another, so in a study group, everyone can share their unique insights. Study groups can serve as a support system, especially if it is a subject area that causes stress. When groups work together, more material can be covered, which actually allows you to learn more. The biggest benefit of study groups is that it makes learning fun!!!!!!

FIRST GRADERS INTEGRATE STEM AND WRITING!!!!!

The students in Mrs. Wille’s 1st grade classroom have been working on STEM projects and using them as their topics for developing their writing skills. Utilizing their Lego Education STEM kits, each student created a project, and then they were asked to write complete sentences about what they built and other details. The students did an amazing job with their projects and writing, and they were so excited and engaged in their lesson. They then shared their projects and what they wrote with their classmates! There are plans for many more STEM projects to come...

SCHOOL-FAMILY CONNECTION

While letters home, email, and phone calls are traditional ways of communicating with families, and continue to be very important ways to provide information to parents regarding students, being able to connect and share school news, and update families on student progress, in a timely manner, is vital to classrooms and fostering a sense of “community.” The sense of “community” comes from focusing on the building of family relationships, which are critical for student success in the classroom. 

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

The social-emotional learning model that we utilize within the district comprises five areas of competency. These areas include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. I will briefly discuss one of the competencies each month for the next several months.

Social Awareness: Social Awareness is the ability to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand historical social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

Students in Grades 3rd-6th will be taking the Wisconsin Forward Exam starting the week of April 12th. The Forward Exam is a state assessment that is designed to gauge how well students are doing in relation to the Wisconsin Academic Standards. Students in grades 3rd-6th will take English Language Arts and Math. Students in 4th grade will also take additional assessments in science and social studies. The teachers will be preparing students with practice the week they return from Spring Break.

4th GRADERS CELEBRATE “MARIO DAY”

In celebration of “Mario Day” on March 10th, the 4th graders took some time to do a STEM project and learn about potential and kinetic energy while building a “fireball” launcher modeled after the fireballs Mario throws when he eats a “FIre Flower” in the game. The students each constructed their own launcher and had fun throwing their “fireballs!”

The Florence Elementary 3rd and 4th graders will be participating in the YMCA Swim Lessons. The swim lessons are sponsored by the Northern Lights YMCA and the Dickinson County 100+ Women Who Care. The Florence County Health Department purchased a beach towel and bag for every 3rd and 4th grader. The lessons will be held for 3 weeks in April for the 3rd graders and 3 weeks in May for the 4th graders.