PTO Update 09-04-16

Welcome Back Welcome to Glenridge Elementary! We hope the transition to school after the summer break will be an easy one and that you are ready to help us make this year successful and enjoyable!  Please take the time to read all of the papers that are being sent home from the school and return any forms required as soon as possible.  School supply lists are available on the school website.  1st-6th • Kindergarten The Glenridge PTO sponsors many activities for students such as school assemblies, field trips, events, movie nights, reading programs, the book fair, and numerous other events throughout the school year. We cannot be successful in any of our endeavors without your support. There are many different ways to do this: you can chair a committee, join a committee, work an event, or help with projects at school or home. You just need to choose what works for you. We all have hectic schedules, and unfortunately, “free” time is not often easy to come by; but, if we all work together, and do what works for each of us individually, it will balance out. What the students gain from all of us working together is priceless. Please send us an email if you can volunteer your time to assist us in any way.

Summer Reading Challenge Did your student log their reading minutes and pages over the summer?Wednesday, September 7th is the last day to turn in your log to be eligible for their prizes. Make sure to send your signed log and any books borrowed from Glenridge back to school this Tuesday. Popcorn Friday is in Danger of Ending Can you help? Volunteers are needed to continue the tradition of Popcorn Friday. Training and supplies are provided, 1-3 volunteers (great for a group of friends), once a month (traditionally the first Friday), 12:30-2:30. Contact the PTO if you'd like to help.

Apply to Volunteer at Glenridge Are you going to volunteer this year? If you want to help out in the classroom, on a field trip or around the school you need to apply online to be a part of Kent School District VIPS - Volunteers in Public Schools! Once your application has been processed and you are approved (typically in 2 weeks time) you will be able to assist in school learning, activities, competitions, or events at Glenridge. Be a part of a team that is successfully preparing all students for their futures. Volunteers can make a difference in the lives of students every day by engaging families and community members in successfully preparing all students for their futures. Summer Box Top Sheets Did you collect Box Tops this summer? Bring your summer sheet back to school beforeSeptember 9th and get a popsicle at a future recess! If you misplaced your sheet you can download one or send 10 Box Tops to school in an envelope marked with your student's name and the name of their teacher. Each Box Top earns 10¢ for Glenridge, if every student brought in their sheet we'd have more than $400 for reading programs and field trip transportation. Make sure you continue to collect Box Tops for our first contest of the year starting September 12th and ending October 24th. The class that brings in the most will earn a prize! Be an Art Docent In cooperation with The Interurban Center for the Arts (sponsored by the Green River Community College Foundation), Glenridge PTO volunteers provide monthly art lessons to all of our students. The Art Docent program at Glenridge gives our students an opportunity to learn about different artists and works of art from different cultures.  We have a wonderful set of art to share this year; volunteer to help with this amazing program!  Training classes start in September, contact us today! S.I.T. Meeting Join us for the first S.I.T. Meeting of the school year, September 13, 2016,  4:00pm - 5:15pm in the Glenridge library. The School Improvement Team (S.I.T.) is a team of staff, parents and community members who meet monthly to discuss and guide Glenridge’s yearly plan for improvement. This includes overseeing the School Improvement Plan, communicating progress, and providing input on important school activities. It's a great way to get to know your school and have a say in what is going on. PTO Meeting The first Glenridge PTO meeting of the school year is Tuesday, September 13 at 7:00pm in the Glenridge library, free childcare! We want you to be a part of the process! Come help make plans for the 2016-2017 school year. Your support is needed to help us carry on the Glenridge tradition of a Fall Carnival, Holiday Breakfast, Family Dance, Movie Nights and more. Without PTO support, the school will not have Accelerated Reader, Raz-Kids or field trip transportation. Help us make another great year. September 7 - First Day of Kindergarten September 7 - Reading Challenge Logs Due September 9 - Summer Box Top Sheets due  September 12 - New Box Top Contest Begins (ends October 24th) September 13 - 4:00pm SIT Meeting September 13 - 7:00pm PTO Meeting September 15 - 6:00pm Curriculum Night/Parent Open House (watch for information to come home) September 20 - Picture Day (watch for information to come home) September 22 - PTO Fundraiser Begins (ends October 10th) Plan ahead! See our calendar.

It's almost time! PTO Weekly Update 08-23-15

Back to School Ice Cream Social & Reading Night   Come meet your teacher, drop off school supplies and have a cold treat! This is a fun event to say hi to friends, and see what great things to expect in the coming year.   Wed., August 26, 2015 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. School Starts August 31st The first day of school is almost here, have you got your school supplies yet? Find out what your student needs here.  Watch for weekly school supply deals on our Facebook page. Reading Around the Clock Have your students been participating in the schools summer reading program? Every student who returns a reading log will be invited to a Summer Reading Celebration and every time a reading goal is met students earn additional prizes! Reading log needs to be returned to school this September! Glenridge Garden Cleanup and Plant Drive Parents, students, friends, alumni, and Green Team are invited to bring garden tools and willing hands to weed, cut back overgrown ivy, and beautify our school garden planters before school starts. Contact Lorena Long with questions or to coordinate garden donations.   Sat., August 29, 2015 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.    Glenridge Needs Volunteers Lots of Opportunities and Flexible Hours  Training will be provided by Instructional Coach, Simona Funk. Volunteers will work together to: Label cupboards Stamping new reading books Level books with our reading system Deliver new curriculum to classrooms Put new resources on computer inventory sheets  Organize the book room Read one-on-one to kindergarteners Help students learn math facts  Your help is such an important gift of time to our school.  Please contact the office right away if you are interested or have questions 253-373-7494.

Volunteer In cooperation with The Interurban Center for the Arts (sponsored by the Green River Community College Foundation), Glenridge PTO volunteers provide monthly art lessons to all of our students. The Art Docent program at Glenridge gives our students an opportunity to learn about different artists and works of art from different cultures.  We have a wonderful set of art to share this year; volunteer to help with this amazing program!  Training classes start in September, contact ustoday! Grandparents Wanted Glenridge Elementary School is creating a grandparent organization. Grandparents are needed to assist students, teachers, staff and parents in enhancing and improving education. Please pass on this information to grandparents and seniors (no grandchildren have to be attending the school) in the Glenridge Community. If you are interested, or know of anyone that is interested Please contact Dee Miller.

PTO Meeting The next PTO Meeting is Tuesday, September 8th  at 7:00 pm in the Glenridge library. Free childcare is provided. We welcome everybody, the PTO is for all parents and guardians. Can't attend the meeting?  Still want to share your ideas? Please leave a note with the office or contact us by email.   After receiving a bizarre series of encrypted messages, a group of kids embark on an adventure with an alien who needs their help. Come see this month's selection on PTO Movie Night Friday, September 11th in the Glenridge cafeteria. This is a free event for students and their families. Concessions will be available for purchase; funds raised will support school programs. This is not a drop off event; children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Fun Run for Field Trips Glenridge Elementary’s first annual healthy living event! Join us on the playground Saturday, September 19th, registration begins at 9:30 a.m., the Fun Run will begin at 10:00 a.m. All family members are encouraged to participate, proceeds will be put towards field trip transportation for all students. Information will be coming home soon!

Checking in! PTO SUMMER UPDATE 08/02/15

We hope everyone is having a fabulous summer!   To help plan for the upcoming school year, the PTO will be meeting informally on Monday, August 17th.  For details on how to attend, please email the PTO at glenridgepto@gmail.com.  There's an exciting year ahead - and we need you to help to make it great! Reading Around the Clock Have your students been participating in the schools summer reading program?  Every student who returns areading log will be invited to a Summer Reading Celebration and every time a reading goal is met students earnadditional prizes!  Make sure you are keeping track of your minutes! Support Glenridge All Year! Just because it's summer doesn't mean you can't continue to help.  There are lots of ways to contribute: Shop Using AmazonSmile and Amazon will contribute .05% of all qualifying purchases. Target donates 1% of all credit or REDcard purchases to Glenridge. Fred Meyer donates to Glenridge every time you use your Fred Meyer Rewards Card. Register your Safeway and Bartell Drug cards with eScrips and earn money for Glenridge with each visit. Smith Brothers Farms earns $20 for Glenridge with every new sign up. Keep saving all Box Tops and Labels for Education each one earns money for Glenridge. Put aside all your unwanted and outgrown clothes for a Value Village fundraiser in November. You can write a check or send cash in any amount and even specify where you would like the money spent like Accelerated Reader, field trip transportation, drama program or classroom supplies. It's tax deductible too! Be sure to check with your employer many great companies will make matching donations!

School Supplies With only four weeks left of summer it's time to start gathering school supplies! Get the list of what your student needshere.  Be sure to follow our Facebookpage for weekly updates on the best prices! Volunteer In cooperation with The Interurban Center for the Arts (sponsored by the Green River Community College Foundation), Glenridge PTO volunteers provide monthly art lessons to all of our students. The Art Docent program at Glenridge gives our students an opportunity to learn about different artists and works of art from different cultures.  We have a wonderful set of art to share this year; volunteer to help with this amazing program!  Contact us today!

Back to School Ice Cream Social & Reading Night Come meet your teacher, drop off school supplies and have a cold treat! This is a fun event to say hi to friends, and see what great things to expect in the coming year. Wed., August 26, 2015 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Glenridge Garden Cleanup and Plant Drive Parents, students, friends, alumni, and Green Team are invited to bring garden tools and willing hands to weed, cut back overgrown ivy, and beautify our school garden planters before school starts. Contact Lorena Long with questions or to coordinate garden donations. Find out more here. Sat., August 29, 2015 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.  School Starts Monday, August 31, 2015 at 9:30 a.m.

Book Fair Week

An amazing selection of books is headed your way!  At the Book Fair you will find something for everyone. Be sure to stop by the library after your goal meeting with your teacher and take something fun to read home!

Book Fair Hours:
October 20th - October 24th
Monday and Tuesday: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Wednesday: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm 
Thursday: 9:00 am -1:30 pm

Can't make it to the fair or want a wider selection of books?  Shop our Online and still support our school! Our online shop is available until November 4 and will ship free to Glenridge Elementary.

Need help finding an appropriate title? Try the new Book Fairs App.  Available for both Apple and Android mobile devices, with a quick scan of the book cover or the barcode this free app will display:

• Reading levels (AR, Lexile, DRA, Guided Reading,and Scholastic Reading Counts!)
• Appropriate age and grade
• Book summary
• Price
• Videos and podcasts
• Awards

Parents are also able to search thousands of titles to find recommendations on similar books, create wish lists, and even make purchases for books available online. Purchases are made through your Online Fair.

Scholastic Book Fair - Feb. 10 - 14, 2014

Scholastic Book Fair will be in the Glenridge Library

from February 10 - 14 (conference week.)

 

The book sale will be open on 

Monday and Tuesday 9am to 8pm, 

Wednesday 9am to 4pm, and 

Thursday and Friday 9am to 1:30pm. 

Don't miss out on getting some great books!

 

Find out more on our page at Scholastic.

 

 

Book Fair - Now!

Scholastic Book Fair will be at our school 

from October 21st - 25th. 

 The book sale will be open on 

Monday and Tuesday until 8pm, 

Wednesday until 4pm, and 

Thursday and Friday until 1pm. 

Don't miss out on getting some great books!

What is Accelerated Reader (AR™)?

Accelerated Reader™ Basics for Parents

AR is a computer program that helps teachers manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice.  Your child picks a book at his own level and reads it at his own pace.  When finished, your child takes a short quiz on the computer.  Children using AR choose their own books to read, rather than having one assigned to them.  This makes reading a much more enjoyable experience as they can choose books that are interesting to them. 

Teachers and librarians help your child choose books at an appropriate reading level that are challenging without being frustrating, ensuring that your child can pass the quiz and experience success. Since your child is reading books at his reading and interest levels, he is likely to be successful. This is satisfying for most children. Best of all, children learn and grow at their own pace.

What is a book level?
Book levels are reported using the ATOS readability formula and represent the difficulty of the text.  For example, a book level of 4.5 means that the text could likely be read by a student whose reading skills are at the level of a typical fourth grader during the fifth month of school.

What are points?
Every book that has an AR Reading Practice Quiz is given a point value.  AR points are computed based on the difficulty of the book (ATOS readability level) and the length of the book (number of words).  For example, the Berenstain Bears books, which are about 8,000 words long and have an average reading level of 3.5, are 1-point books.  Hank the Cowdog, which is about 23,000 words long and has an average reading level of 4.5, is a 3-point book.  The Sun Also Rises, about 70,000 words long and at a reading level of 4.4, is a 10-point book.

Visit www.arbookfind.com to help your child find appropriate books!

Author Visit with Margaret Lippert

 On Monday, March 19, 2012, storyteller and author Margaret Lippert will visit Glenridge Elementary School to share some of her favorite stories with our students.  Meg has written a number of children's books and is a well-known storyteller in the Pacific Northwest.

Here is an excerpt from her website:
I believe that the power of telling stories is a joy that can be shared by everyone. With support, encouragement, and easily learned techniques, students begin to find their own storytelling voices. They experience the fun and satisfaction of knowing a story, or part of a story, and giving it to others. I choose stories gathered when I lived in Africa, in Central America, and in Europe. I choose stories told to me by friends or discovered in books.

Find out more about Margaret at Storypower.net