Stratton Elementary School

The last month of school is finally here. Where did the time go? I want to thank all the SAIL families for their participation and support during the whole school year. It has been my privilege to facilitate your child’s education. As usual, the students touched my heart and challenged me in many wonderful ways.

Although there are only a few days of school left, we will continue to utilize every hour of the day. For reading, we are finishing up our chapter books. For math, we will be closing with an algebra unit and looking at the stock market. We still have a couple of social studies topics to go, and for science, we will be wrapping up our plant growth and development unit soon. For writing, our class is writing short stories for our Harris Burdick book. May is also a good time to complete our unit on creativity.

We also have some other school functions going on in May, including the SAIL ice cream social, Stratton field day, and possibly a short last day field trip for our class. As usual, I’ll keep you posted. And next year, make sure you say hello to me in the hallways, when your child is a 5^th grader.

Springtime is finally here! The kids in 5^th grade SAIL have been working hard all year and are approaching the end of the year with mixed feelings. May will keep us busy and continuing to learn, but the knowledge that our time together at Stratton will soon come to an end is ever present in our minds. This is a remarkable group of young ladies and gentlemen, who are good-hearted, and very well prepared for the challenges of middle school. It’s been a wonderful journey with these kids this year and I know they will represent Stratton well in their future endeavors. The next few weeks will find us busy reading Revolutionary War era themed books and discussing them in Literature Circles, writing daily pieces of our own choosing in Writer’s Workshop, learning more about the American Revolution, continuing to observe our ecosystems, and wrapping up our study of geometry. It’s a lot to do in a short time, but we’re on it!

A Note about the Ball: Students are encouraged to dress in costumes from the time period. Girls and mothers may wear long or dressy dresses from home. Boys and fathers may wear white shirts and dark pants with tube socks for the knickers effect. Costumes can also be found/created at Goodwill, neighbors, or rental shops. The ball will feature an orchestra with instruments from the time period, a dance instructor, and refreshments. Due to limited space in the gym, we ask that siblings not attend this event.

May 9th: No School, optional parent/teacher conferences (call if you'd like to meet with me)

Also—this is an important event to mark on your calendars:

5^th Grade Recognition Ceremony

The 5^th Grade Recognition Ceremony is planned for Thursday, May 22^nd, from 12:30-1:30 P.M. in the Stratton gym. A reception will be held immediately following the ceremony. After the reception, 5^th grade students will have the option to go home with their families. We’re looking forward to this final, special event with our 5^th graders and their families.

A Big Thank-You to Chipotle!

We are so fortunate to have such a generous corporate sponsor for our school! Thanks to Chipotle, and all the wonderful, hungry Stratton folks who dined at Chipotle on April 7^th, we are able to offer the Revolutionary War Ball experience to our 5^th graders AT NO COST! Chipotle donated nearly $1200 to Stratton. When combined with a generous $350 gift from PTA, we are able to cover all expenses for the ball.

And last, but certainly not least, I want you to know that Mike Turner and Chipotle really came through for us in a big way! Next time you’re at Chipotle, please let them know how grateful we are. The kids wrote thank-you notes.

A few final notes:

We still have four weeks of school left (half a quarter!). Absences and tardies have been on the rise and it hasn’t been good for the kids. When they miss a day or show up late, much of what we’ve done, they can’t make up, and it leaves them feeling confused and behind. Please encourage your kids to hang in there and make school their top priority for the next few weeks. The same goes for homework. Lately, more kids than usual are not turning in homework. They still need to continue learning in order to be prepared for the advanced programs they’ll be in next year. Homework is an integral part of that learning. It’s a chance to practice the concepts and skills learned in class each day. It may feel like the end is near, but it’s four weeks away—and that’s a lot of time.

Congratulations to all the kids for their impressive successes lately:

Science Fair went off without a hitch and the projects were amazing! I feel confident that all your kids are now quite well prepared to take on middle school science next year—and the Middle School Science Fair as well.
The Talent Show was incredible! I’m blown away by the diverse talents of these kids. The courage to stand in front of an audience and perform is quite admirable. Your kids are truly something special!
Small group class presentations of the events leading up to the American Revolution were very impressive. Every class member took part in preparing and sharing their event with the whole class.
I am proud to say that our ecosystems are healthy with only one casualty a this point (one fish has passed away).

On a personal note: I would like to thank all of you for your kindness and support this year. You’ve been patient with me in my first year of teaching SAIL, and I’m so grateful to you for that. You’ve been generous with your time and energy, helping to make this year a success for your kids. Thanks so much for sharing your kids with me. They are incredible people, and I’ll always keep them close in my heart.

Thanks!