December 2017

COMING SOON

December 5:           Electric City Christmas Parade -  "Run, Run Rudolf"

December 12:         NO SCHOOL

December 14:         Pajama/Stuffed Animal Day!

December 19:         Cancelled!  PAC Meeting 6:00 - 7:00 PM

December 21:         Holiday Color Day! Wear your favorite holiday colors. (Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukah, etc.)

December 22-

January 1:               NO SCHOOL - WINTER BREAK

In the Distance...

Character Traits Color Week:

         January 15:  Red

         January 16:  Orange

         January 17:  Green/Yellow

         January 18:  Blue

         January 19:  Purple

January 19:        1/2 day, 11:30 Dismissal

January 22:        No School

January 29:        PAC Meeting

KNAPP'S NOTES

Happy Holidays Electa Quinney Students, Staff, Parents, and Families! We are enjoying a wonderful school year and are looking forward to the holidays! I want to take a moment and thank all of you for all of the work you do to assist the students and staff here at Electa Quinney.

We are fortunate to live in a giving community. At school, our student body collected 1,507 items for the community food drive sponsored by KHS National Honor Society in October/November.  This is the smallest school population we have had in 7 years and yet the largest amount of collection in 7 years. In December the Cougar Council is sponsoring a service project of CARING. Students are invited to donate cash (coins and/or dollar bills) which will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House in Milwaukee. We are so blessed to be part of such a wonderful school and community.

I hope you had a chance to review the Electa Quinney Elementary School Accountability Report Card that was released in mid-November. I am proud to see the successes we have had in continuing to Exceed Expectations.  I look forward to focusing on our School Improvement Plans (SIP) and the addition of our Academic Support Teacher, providing additional intervention to even more students, this year to make Electa Quinney even better!

I want to wish you all a very happy and safe holiday season. Be well and be happy!

Summer School 2018 Information

KASD is already busy planning for summer school!  Thank you to all the parents who responded to the survey following Summer School 2017.  The combination of parent and staff feedback as well as a large amount of maintenance work to be done within the district this summer, the following decisions have been made regarding Summer School 2018:

Location - Classes will continue to be held at Kaukauna High School.

Dates - All courses will be offered in one session, Tuesday June 12 - Friday June 29, Monday - Friday.

               Strength and Conditioning and Music Lessons/Band Camp will also be held in July.

Other Valuable Information:

We will again offer an Open House prior to the start of summer school for families to become familiar with the location and rooms that classes will be taking place in.

Busing/transportation will continue to be an option for families for a fee.

Penny War: All for Ronald McDonald's House!

Each year the Cougar Council does a community CARING project in the month of December.  The proceeds from this year’s project will go to support the Ronald McDonald House in Milwaukee.  The Ronald McDonald House provides a place for families to call home so they can stay close to their hospitalized child at little to no cost.

Here’s how the Penny War works: 

• This is a friendly competition amongst grade levels to see who can get the most positive points at the end of the week.
• Each silver coin/dollar bill is worth the positive point total of that coin/bill—for example, a quarter is 25 points and a one dollar bill would be 100 points.  Silver coins and dollars will be placed in grade level buckets.
• Pennies count as negative points for OTHER classrooms. In other words, dropping 40 pennies into another classroom’s container takes 40 points from their total—so save up those pennies!
• As an extra boost in our fundraising efforts, on Wednesday, December 6th, if as a class the students donate $15.00 or more in cash or checks, that class will earn a game hour where students can bring in electronics or board games to play with their classmates!

Start saving your change—it can make a big difference!

PAC NEWS

The Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) had successful October and November meetings. The Tuesday, December 19th PAC meeting is CANCELLED in light of the busy holiday season. Our next meeting will be Monday, January 29th at 6:00 PM. We hope you will consider attending if you are able.

Nurse News from Mrs. Sundelius

Teaching your child how to shampoo their own hair...

Although each child may be ready to shampoo their own hair at a different time, it is appropriate to have your child assist you with washing their hair at an early age.  This early experience will help them learn how to do it correctly while you are still assisting and supervising them.

Follow these steps to help them develop healthy hair-care habits. 

1. Wet hair and scalp with warm water. 
2. Pour a quarter-size drop of shampoo in the palm of your child’s hand. Putting the shampoo in the hand first makes it easier to apply.
3. Tell your child to massage the shampoo gently into the scalp. When shampooing, it’s important to wash the scalp rather than the entire length of the hair. Washing only the hair often leads to flyaway hair that is dull and coarse. 
4. Rinse well with warm water until the hair is suds-free. Rinsing well washes away shampoo and dirt.
5. Cover hair with a towel. Help your child wrap a towel around the wet hair. This helps to absorb the water. Rubbing hair dry with a towel can damage the hair, causing it to break.
6. Comb out damp hair gently. Use a wide-tooth comb, especially on curly hair. Don’t yank or pull the comb through the hair because that can pull out hair or break the hair.

Additionally, children with dry or curly hair should use a conditioner with each shampooing.

Although every child is different, in general, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of 12 years wash their hair 1-2 times per week.  Once children are 12 years of age or when puberty starts, they may need to shampoo more often; daily or every other day.

Also, remember to check for lice each time you assist your child with shampooing.  

Library News with Mrs. Wolf

Library Catalog

Library Web Site

Second Grade: Last month, second graders practiced Trash and Treasure note-taking on a web to help them remember what they read about bats.  This month, they used their webs and wrote sentences about bats.

Second graders are doing learning about the author and illustrator, Tomie dePaola.  Students watched a video and learned where Mr. dePaola gets his ideas and watched him paint a picture.  They also heard his most famous story, Strega Nona.  During checkout time, second graders heard Bill and Pete, Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep, and A Turkey for Thanksgiving.

Third Grade:  Third graders reviewed the rules for online safety.  They also learned about cyberbullying: What it is, what it looks like, and what to do if it happens to you or someone else.  We learned that the best way to stop cyberbullying is to NOT be a cyberbully ourselves! For more information on Internet safety and cyberbullying, check out the library web page.  Students, click on the Digital Citizen tab.  Parents, there’s lots of information on the Parent tab.

Fourth Grade:  Fourth graders reviewed the use of the online catalog to find books.  They are also practicing finding nonfiction books on the shelf by their Dewey Decimal Classification number.  Fourth graders LOVE, The Dewey Rap!

Mrs. Krueger's Music

2nd grade

The 2nd graders are making great progress with their singing skills!  They enjoyed singing many songs in November. Some of them include: The Gobble Song, I Want Some Pumpkin Pie, and We Are Thankful, and Thankful Most of All For Me. They also continued to work on rhythm. They are getting very good at counting and clapping simple rhythm patterns!

3rd grade

The 3rd graders continued to work on rhythm during the month of November by practicing how to count and clap simple rhythm patterns. They also started learning about the instruments of the orchestra. They had fun practicing their singing with several songs: Pumpkin Pie Polka, Mashed Potatoes, Cranberries Forever, and The Thanksgiving Blues. They enjoyed learning about the Blues and that it is a form of jazz music.

4th grade

The 4th graders are going great with their recorders and the Recorder Karate Program. They have been focussing on three notes so far, B, A, and G. Almost everyone has earned their 1st Recorder Karate belt already! Way to go! The 4th graders also enjoyed learning about different instruments this month.

Art News From Mrs. Siegel

Second graders formed a snow person head sculpture with newspaper and tape that was papier-mached with a newspaper and then a white layer.  Students then chose one color family to decorate their snow person with their best craftsmanship.  A variety of mixed-media items were available to use: model magic clay, felt, buttons, ribbon, yarn, and more. These ornaments will decorate the tree in the office, and then will come home for a gift!

Third graders used newspaper, tape and a cardboard base to create their snow person sculpture form.  Their structure was papier-mached with a newspaper and then a white paper layer.  Mixed-media objects (yarn, Model Magic Clay, felt, buttons, and more) were used to decorate their snow people in one color family with students’ best craftsmanship.  

Fourth graders drew and outlined a portrait from the “old days” with lines and shapes.  After reading the book, The Color of Us, by Karen Katz, students mixed red, yellow, black, brown, and/or white to watercolor a skin tone for their portrait.  A variety of brown crayons (monochromatic) were used to color the rest of the portrait.  The portraits were cut and glued to a neutral colored chalk background, and a “frame” was added. Some students made theirs into a “wanted” poster!



ARTSONIA
You should have received an email from “Artsonia” for parent permission.  This is an online art gallery.  Students will leave Electa Quinney with a digital gallery of most of their work from wherever they began at Electa Quinney. You can also order items online with artwork printed on them, just like Square1Art.  A percentage of these purchases go towards the art room.  Fourth graders even use iPads in the art room to upload their own work and to write an artist statement!

Mr. Halloran's Busy Bodies

Mr. Halloran's classes have been working on their soccer skills this past month.  They have been learning dribbling, passing, trapping, and shooting.  They have played several games working on their soccer skills including pin soccer and sideline number soccer. 2nd-4th graders were also able to learn and play the game 'Battleship' which was a giant version of the board game Battleship.

Play by Play with Mrs. Stratton

4th grade- 4th grade worked hard in November with their volleyball skills.  By the end of the month we were playing games and some groups had great volleys back and forth! We worked mainly on forearm passing, setting and underhand serving.  This year we work hard on understanding how to score!   

3rd grade- We started to play some volleyball games at the end.  Teams were working on rotating and calling out the ball.  Next year we will focus more on scoring! 

2nd grade-We did some fun volleyball skills, and played a few different type of games with the volleyball nets.  We also had some skill centers where we were working on many different skills like jumping rope and tossing and catching.

December is going to bring some fun fitness and wellness lessons.  We are going to all work hard to keep our bodies moving and learn the importance of why we move...along with having a great time of course! 

Counselor's Corner: Ms. Duda

CLASSROOM GUIDANCE FUN!!

During the month of December, I will be visiting all classrooms to talk about and celebrate our differences and diversity! In each grade level, we will discuss how we are individually unique and together complete. As always, feel free to call me at 766-6116 Ext. 3309 or email me at dudaa@kaukaunasd.org  with any questions or concerns. 

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING

Can be provided on an as-needed basis for short-term social/emotional concerns.  Students may be referred by self, teacher or parent.

SMALL GROUP COUNSELING

We currently have Social Skill/friendship groups going and we will be starting more with different age groups in the weeks to come.  If your child is invited to participate in the great opportunity, you will receive a letter home in their take-home folder describing the group and our goals!

Music Notes From Mrs. Nimmer

(for the homerooms of Ebben, McKinnon, Dercks, and Rosenbeck):

Each month, we celebrate the birthday of a famous composer.  We learn facts about the composer's life, and we listen to music written by that composer.  For the month of November, our birthday composer was Aaron Copland.  We learned about the life and music of this American composer.  Copland called himself a “cowboy from Brooklyn” because he liked to include the sound of the Wild West, fiddle tunes, and American folk songs in his works.  We listened to one of his most famous pieces, called "Hoedown" from the ballet Rodeo.   We labeled the A, B, and C sections of the piece with cowboy hats, lassos, and cowboy boots.  We used these symbols to count the beats and follow through the piece.  We also watched a short video clip of a ballet performance of this piece.

In 2nd grade music, we practiced playing the bells to a steady beat with the song “Over the River and Through the Woods.”  We will be having a “beat test” in December!  We also learned how to draw quarter notes, eighth notes, and rests, and used our dry erase boards to notate rhythmic patterns we heard clapped.  We heard several more pieces from The Carnival of the Animals, including the “Swan” and “Hens and Roosters.”  One of our favorite songs this month was the “Pumpkin Pie Polka.”  We learned what a polka dance looks like, and watched a video to see what the accordion looks like, which is a popular instrument in polka music.  Did you know the polka is Wisconsin’s state dance?  We also learned a good old-fashioned barn dance to the old folk song called “Turkey in the Straw.”

In 3rd grade music,  we learned a song called “Any Turkey Can Tango.”  Did you know the tango is a dance?  We watched a video of two young dancers who have mastered the tango.  It is a very dramatic dance!  We reviewed rhythmic patterns and beats this month with a new game called “Rhythm Toss.”  We also used our dry erase boards to practice rhythmic dictation.  We added tambourines to the song “Harvest Time,” and got to learn how to speak some of the words in Hebrew for this Israeli folk song.

In 4th grade we have been working hard at our first 3 notes on the recorder:  B, A, and G.  We learned how to hold our recorders, and how to play several simple pieces with our first 3 notes.  We continued studying the brass family and heard a live demonstration of the French Horn and the trombone.  We had fun learning about Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (did you know he was completely deaf when he wrote it?) and hearing the famous “Ode to Joy” melody from that symphony.  We then sang a Thanksgiving parody called “Ode to Thanksgiving” that is a tongue twister of all different foods we eat during the Thanksgiving holiday! 

November 2017

Coming Soon...

November 6:          Go Pack Go!  Wear your PACKER gear to support the Pack!
November 10:        Wear RED, WHITE & BLUE to show support for our Veterans

November 14/16:   Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences & Book Fair 4-7:30 PM

November 17:        11:30 Dismissal

                               Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences & Book Fair 12:30-4 PM

November 20:        PAC Meeting 6:00 - 7:00 PM

November 22-24:   NO SCHOOL

In the distance...

December 5:           Electric City Christmas Parade -
                                "Run, Run Rudolf"
December 12:         NO SCHOOL
December 14:         Pajama/Stuffed Animal Day!

December 19:         PAC Meeting 6:00 - 7:00 PM
December 21:         Holiday Color Day! Wear your favorite holiday colors. (Christmas,
                               Kwanzaa, Hanukah, etc.)

December 22-

January 1:               NO SCHOOL- WINTER BREAK

KNAPP'S NOTES

Greetings Quinney Families;

It is hard to believe that we are one quarter through the school year already (November 3).   There are a number of great things that have occurred already this school year or are in the works for the upcoming month.  Please be sure to review this blog post to read more about these items...

• Parent / Student / Teacher Conferences
• PBIS and Assembly Update
• PAC Update

Electa Quinney is once again participating in the Kaukauna High School National Honor Society Food Drive. The drive began on October 30th and will end on Thursday, November 9th. Quinney has kept the trophy at our school building winning the competition amongst the other schools since 2011.  Thank you for any donations to help keep the trophy tradition alive for Electa Quinney Elementary but even more, thank you for supporting our community and the NHS food drive efforts.
    ~Mrs. Stacy Knapp  ~  Principal

FALL CONFERENCES

The evening of Tuesday, November 14, Thursday, November 16 and afternoon of Friday, November 17 will be our Parent-Teacher-Student Conference night. On Tuesday the 14th, and Thursday, the 16th, conferences will be held from 4:00-7:30 PM. On Friday the 17th, conferences will be held from 12:30-4:00 PM. Friday will be an early dismissal at 11:30 AM. We will again use Sign Up Genius to register for conferences. A link is available on our school website under Quick Links. Each assigned conference time runs in 20-minute increments so we ask that you arrive a little early to ensure a smooth transition from one conference to the next. Thank you for help and we look forward to seeing you during conferences.

Please remember that our Scholastic Book Fair will take place on November 14th, 16th and 17th during conferences. Scholastic provides books and Scholastic Dollars for our school based on the
sales from this event. There is also an opportunity to purchase books for your child’s classroom! Check out the teacher’s “wish list” board when you are visiting the book fair.

PBIS October Assembly 

For October, our focus was RESPECT. We reviewed respect with an assembly in the gym on October 25. During the assembly, a coach and two athletes from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Wheelchair Basketball Teams - Cornerstone for Success Program joined us to talk about respect and awareness of disabilities and being successful in whatever they do in and out of the classroom.

Our focus for November is RESPONSIBILITY and conflict resolution.  We will be learning about how we can be responsible and resolve conflicts at school, at home, and in our communities.  We will end the month with another all-school assembly.  Thank you to the 2nd-grade teacher team who assisted with the organization of the October assembly.

Colder Weather has Arrived

As the weather gets colder, students should come to school dressed appropriately. Please consider the following when dressing your child for school:

• Dress your child for cold, wet weather. Even if you transport them to school, students are usually expected to be outdoors before school and at recess time.
• Layers of clothing that let children adjust to temperature changes in the building and outdoors are helpful.
• Weather conditions change quickly. Although the weather may appear to be favorable before school, conditions may change before lunch or afternoon recess.

Thanks for your help in making sure your child is prepared for the weather!

PAC Update

We are two meetings into the year and so much has taken place already.  We have been able to purchase alternative seating options to pilot in some classrooms with the Scholastic Funds that are raised during Book Fairs.  A number of our classrooms are piloting the items so we can better understand which alternative seating options will have benefits for our classroom environments and student needs.  Tall student tables and Kinetic stools are items recently received and being used in some classrooms (as pictured).  Thank you PAC and families!

Additionally, the PAC able to approve the purchase of RedCat Access Audio Systems for ALL of the large group classrooms at Quinney.  This compact speaker and small teacher worn microphone allow for sound to be amplified in a manner in classrooms that makes speech more intelligible and in the process brings help with student attentiveness and ability to process sound, student comprehension, behavior, teacher vocal fatigue and more.  This idea began two years ago with a pilot of three audio systems and the abilities of the system have our teachers interested in having it in their classroom as well.  Thank you PAC and families!

Again, we thank all families for their help in all the fundraising efforts of the PAC as those funds provide the ability to purchase these useful items for our students and teachers.  The PAC is currently planning ONLY ONE BIG FUNDRAISER for the school again, the second annual Color Run/Basket Raffle.  Please watch for more news later in the year about that great school and family event that raises funds for the events such as the Wheelchair Basketball visit, the alternative seating items, the audio systems and more.  Our next meeting will be Monday, November 20th, 6:00-7:00 pm in the Quinney Library. 

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND  ACTIVITY FLYERS

NEW THIS YEAR!  All community flyers will be found on the district web page.  Click here to access information about the Food Drive and Chartwell's information for this month.  Anyone requesting flyer distribution at the elementary level should submit an electronic copy to the district office, attention Erin Kape at kapee@kaukaunasd.org for consideration two weeks prior to the first of each month. Click here or visit the school district website to view the up to date list of events and flyers.

ART WITH MRS. SIEGEL

Second graders used red, yellow, and blue watercolors to paint the primary colors on a printed paint palette.  They then reviewed how to mix the secondary colors onto their palettes.  Finally, students mixed a brown or gray, and some also created “fun” colors (blue-green, pink, yellow-orange…).  The palette was cut out neatly and glued to their sketchbook cover.  Second graders also created a paper brush to overlap onto their palette. Finally, black Sharpies were used for a border of lines and shapes around the sketchbook. Neatness and following directions were concepts emphasized.

Third graders stamped bubbles onto their sketchbook covers, and then cut and glued fish drawings to the bubble background.  They looked at fish pictures and drew their own fish with lines and shapes and textures.  The fish were outlined and then painted with only the 3 primary colors.  Students had to at least mix and paint the 3 secondary colors, and then could add more colors of their choice.  Students were read the Rainbow Fish book, and had the option of adding a sparkly scale!

For the covers of their sketchbooks, fourth graders cut out and glued an object from black paper that could portray a “splash of color” (paintbrush, water bottle, elephant trunk…). Primary colors of tempera paint were then used to paint the colors of the color wheel in order.  Students were to paint the 3 primaries and 3 secondaries, and one to six of the tertiary/intermediate colors.  Neatness and the use of their fine motor skills was emphasized.

Student artwork from the school districts in the Heart of the Valley area will be on display down the main hallway of the YMCA during the YMCA “Y-Arts Week” from November 13th-17th..  Quinney students that have artwork displayed will receive a note home.     For more information call Sharon Johnson at 920-830-5705 or email sjohnson@ymcafoxcities.org.

LIBRARY NEWS WITH MRS. WOLF

Second Grade: Second graders are learning about note-taking so they can remember what they read and not copy.  We read nonfiction books about bats and added notes to a web.  

Third Grade: Third graders continue to learn about the online catalog and how the books are arranged in the library.  We are learning more about nonfiction Dewey Decimal call numbers.  Third graders finished hearing the book, Muggie Maggie, and will next hear Birney’s chapter book, The World According to Humphrey.

Fourth Grade: Students are learning about being good digital citizens.  One way is to create citations for books and other media we use in our school work.  We used the citation generator, EasyBib, to cite books by the International Standard Book Number (ISBN).  We are also reviewing call numbers, especially Dewey Decimal call numbers. 

Image from  http://www.virtuallibrary.info/digital-citizenship.html

COUNSELOR'S CORNER WITH MS. DUDA

CLASSROOM GUIDANCE FUN!!

During the month of November, I will be visiting all classes to talk about conflict resolution strategies! In each grade level, we will discuss the size of the problems that we may encounter and how to go about solving these problems by using Kelso’s Choices.  As always, feel free to call me at 766-6116 Ext. 3309 or email me at dudaa@kaukaunasd.org  with any questions or concerns. 

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING

Can be provided on an as-needed basis for short-term social/emotional concerns.  Students may be referred by self, teacher or parent.

SMALL GROUP COUNSELING

We currently have Social Skill/friendship groups going and we will be starting more with different age groups in the upcoming weeks.  If your child is invited to participate in the great opportunity, you will receive a letter home in their take-home folder describing the group and our goals!  

NEWS FROM THE NURSE-MRS. SUNDELIUS

A child needs many tools to succeed in school. Good vision is one of these important tools. Some tasks at school that require good vision include; reading, writing, chalkboard work, and using computers. A child's eyes are constantly in use in the classroom and at play. When his or her vision is not functioning properly, education can suffer.

According to Prevent Blindness Wisconsin vision problems affect one in 20 preschoolers and one in four school-age children. Without early detection and treatment, vision problems can lead to: 

• permanent vision loss
• learning difficulties

Only an eye doctor can diagnose and treat a vision problem, but screenings help find children who need a full eye exam.

In the month of October the Kaukauna Lioness Club has been in the Kaukauna schools doing vision screening for preschool, kindergarten, grade 2 and grade 4 students.  The Lioness ladies use the Spot Vision Screener.  This is a handheld, portable device designed to help users quickly and easily detect vision issues on children. Spot screens both eyes at once from a non-threatening 3-foot distance.   

Parent contact will be made for any of the children in these grades who did not pass this screening.  If you do not receive a letter regarding a vision concern, please be assured that your child did pass this screening.  As always if you have any questions please contact the nurse at your child’s school.

MRS. KRUEGER'S MUSIC 

The 2nd graders were tested on their ability to match pitch this month on the song “Mr. Sun”  They also worked on how to count simple rhythm patterns and vocabulary. Some of the vocabulary they worked on were the louds and softs of music: piano, mezzo, and forte.  Some of the songs they worked on were:  Skin and Bones, This Is Halloween, the Whacky Halloween, Halloween, Pick A Pumpkin, and The Halloween Parade.

The 3rd graders were tested on their ability to match pitch this month on the refrain of “This Land Is Your Land.” They worked very hard on rhythm and vocabulary during the month of October. They also worked on dynamics, the louds and softs of music:  pianissimo, piano, mezzo piano, mezzo, mezzo forte, forte, and fortissimo.  They learned what a round is and got to practice one with the song The Ghost Of John.  Other songs that they worked on were Skin and Bones, Scarin’ Alive, They’re Out of Sight, and Halloween Night.

The 4th graders were tested on their ability to match pitch this month on the son “The Star Spangled Banner.” They also got a good start to the recorder Karate program.  They have already learned the first song and will have the opportunity to earn their white belt very soon.  Please encourage your child to practice their recorder and help them to find a suitable area at home to do this.

MUSICAL NOTES WITH MRS. NIMMER

 (for the homerooms of Ebben, McKinnon, Dercks, and Rosenbeck)


Each month, we celebrate the birthday of a famous composer.  We learn facts about the composer's life, and we listen to music written by that composer.  For the month of October, our birthday composer was Charles Ives.  We learned about his life and music.  Did you know that he owned his own insurance company, and just did composing on the side?  We listened to one of his most famous pieces, called "Variations on America."  It was based on the tune "America" (My Country 'tis of Thee).  We learned how to sing the song and then listened to the many ways that Ives changed the song in his variations.  We learned about a pipe organ, which Ives wrote the piece to be performed on.  We even got to see a clip of a person playing the piece on the pipe organ.  Did you know people play a keyboard (pedals) with their feet when they play the organ?

In 2nd grade we learned the song "Aiken Drum."  We also began listening to the Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens.  We love to see which animal "appears" in the carnival each time we come to music!  The 2nd graders learned the words:  woodwind, brass, percussion, and string (4 instrument families).  We read both a fiction and an informational text about spiders, and connected this to our new Halloween song "Eight Legs."  We got to hear a pipe organ in this piece and talked about a "refrain" of a song, which keeps coming back.  We practiced piano/forte in the song "Skin and Bones."  We also got to work on our pitch-matching skills with a new game called "Here We Sit."  It is a fun guessing game where we try to identify "secret" voices from our class!  We practiced basic rhythmic patterns and identified them in particular songs we have heard.


In 3rd grade we learned about a string quartet, in preparation for our Artistic Adventures field trip to the Trout Museum.  We learned 2 new folk songs:  "Rocky Mountain" and "This Land is Your Land."  We practiced verse and refrain in each of these pieces.  We learned "Bones Boogie" and "Halloween Night" for Halloween, and some students volunteered to sing some solo verses on "Halloween Night."  We practiced piano and forte with the folk song "The Ghost of John," and learned a fun game called "The Conductor Game" to review the 4 instrument families.  We took a pre-test on our "Third Grade Power Words" that we will be learning this year (music vocabulary).  We can't wait to take the test at the end of the year to show how much our music vocabulary has grown!  One of our favorite listening pieces this month was "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from the Peer Gynt Suite by Grieg.  We loved to hear the pizzicato strings in the beginning, and how the dynamics and tempo changed during the piece to help tell the story of Peer Gynt and the trolls!


In 4th grade we began our study of the brass instruments.  We got to hear and see a trumpet, and got to listen to how different mutes can change the sound of the trumpet.  We also heard a French Horn demonstration.  We continued to work on memorizing our National Anthem.  We learned a spiritual called "Dry Bones," and discussed how these spirituals are the basis of all popular music that we listen to today.  For Halloween, we sang "The Sounds of the Night" while practicing some rhythmic patterns in the middle section of the piece.  We played an instrument recognition game called "Clip It" to preview all of the instruments we will learn about this year, and we continued to review our note-reading skills as we prepare to begin playing the recorder in November!

P.E. PLAY BY PLAY WITH MRS. STRATTON

I am unsure where the Month of October has gone! It seems it just flew by and here we are in November!   Football with grades 2, 3, and 4 has finished. We worked hard with this unit! All levels worked on learning different positions; quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and center are the ones we worked on the most.  4th grade got into some four down flag football. We also ran the mile.  It was not what they were expecting but they all did so wonderful!  All levels ended October with the game that seems to be a favorite.  A game called “Ghostbusters.”  Ask them about it!  In November we will begin Volleyball.

P.E. CLASSES  WITH MR. HALLORAN

It has been a great year so far in Physical Education! 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades all have been working on their football skills in class.  Most classes have taken part in the mile run outside around the playground. What a great accomplishment! Some 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade classes have taken advantage of the nice weather and the disc golf course outside and have learned some of the skills of disc golf.

October 2017

COMING SOON:

OCTOBER

     4:    International Walk to School Day
8-14:    Fire Prevention Week
   11:    Cancer Awareness Day! Wear a color to support any cancer awareness that is important to you!
   19:    Family Event! 6:00- 7:00 PM
   23:    Teaming up against drugs is no sweat!  Wear your favorite sweats/sports team apparel.
   24:    My Future is bright drug free!  Wear bright / neon colors.
   24:    PAC Meeting at 6:00 PM
   25:    Red Day! Be united against drugs!  Dress yourself out in RED apparel.
26/27:  NO SCHOOL

NOVEMBER

       1:    Picture Retake Day
14/16:    P-T-S Conferences/Book Fair 4:00-7:30 PM
     17:    P-T-S Conferences/Book Fair 12:30-4:00 PM
     20:    PAC Meeting at 6:00 PM
22-24:    NO SCHOOL

Knapp's Notes

Happy October Quinney Families;

We have had a great first month of school!  Our "Journey to Excellence" began as we welcomed our returning students, including 93 new 2nd students, and many other students new to Electa Quinney.  As always, I am super proud of our teachers and support staff and the outstanding job they did preparing for the start of a new year with the various building upgrades taking place. 

Thank you, parents and families, for all of your support during the first month of school.  The dedicated staff at Quinney are eager to help your children experience a successful school year of learning. We value collaboration and welcome your questions, comments, and ideas as we look to continually improve and evolve with the community and world around us.

I want to mention our upcoming Family Event on Thursday, Oct. 19th. It is a wonderful evening with lots of fun activities and is free.  I look forward to seeing you at this and other upcoming school events. Watch each newsletter and our school website for a list/calendar of Upcoming Events.

What Went Well Wednesday

How are your conversations at home about school going?  What Went Well Wednesday is Electa Quinney's effort to help our families experience rich conversations about school and continue to encourage a growth mindset for our students. 

With many of us as parents as well, we realize the impacts daily schedules and activities have on our children, parents, and families as a whole.  We know that "research...reveals...: that parents, of all backgrounds, don’t need to buy expensive educational toys or digital devices for their kids in order to give them an edge. They don’t need to chauffeur their offspring to enrichment classes or test-prep courses. What they need to do with their children is much simpler: talk." We know that our parents want to be involved in their child’s development and schooling; and, we know that a positive attitude and a growth mindset help students be successful.  

We hope having no homework on Wednesday's other than to reflect and discuss what has gone well at school has brought a positive light to your conversations at home and what students are sharing about school.

http://ideas.time.com/2012/10/24/the-single-largest-advantage-parents-can-give-their-kids/

International Walk to School Day

A big thanks go out to all students who laced up their tennis shoes and walked to/at school on Wednesday, October 4. It was a beautiful day to celebrate International Walk to School Day, which gives us the opportunity to create a safe means for students to walk to school with teachers/staff from area parks, or the opportunity to walk during recess. 

Fire Prevention Week

This year, Fire Prevention Week is October 8-14. The Kaukauna Fire Department uses the entire month to work with classroom teachers with instruction. This year’s theme is “Every Second Counts, Plan 2 Ways Out”. Each grade level will have the opportunity to have a visit in the classroom.

Background Checks Timeline

Background checks which are older than 6 years old were removed from Infinite Campus this summer. These volunteers will need to complete another background check form to be considered for volunteering again. The process takes a minimum of two weeks, so if you are interested in chaperoning, check early!

Guidelines for Picking Up Afterschool

If your child is picked up after school, they will be waiting near the picnic tables on the playground near the corner of the school where there will be supervision until 3:20 PM. In the event that you are late, for the safety of your child, the supervisor will bring them into the office so that you can be contacted.

Leaving for Appointments & Phone Calls During the Day

If your child has an appointment that requires them to leave during the school day, please include a note in the agenda planner. Having the information in the morning will help have your child ready in a timely manner when you arrive to pick them up. When you arrive to pick up your child, please come into the office to sign them out. Your child will be called down at that time, we do not allow students to wait in the lobby for their safety. 

Your phone calls are important to us!  When calling during the school day, please be aware that you may be transferred to the staff member's voicemail if it is during instructional time.  We work hard to avoid interrupting instructional time if at all possible.  If an immediate message is needed, please let the office staff know and that message will be delivered via note/in person to the staff member.

Thank you for understanding!

PAC News

The Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) had a successful first meeting of the year. We would like to thank everyone that took time to attend the meeting. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, October 24 at 6:00 PM. One of our objectives for the evening will be further discussing fundraiser ideas including a second possible year of the Color Run fundraiser. We have several PAC Chairperson/Board members positions that are still open. We hope you will consider nominating yourself or a friend for a PAC leadership position for the 2017-18 school year.

The PAC is a dynamic organization that makes a big difference in Electa Quinney and our school community/family.  Some of the recent items that the PAC has assisted in funding for the students' benefit include alternative seating options for classrooms and amplification systems for classrooms.  We know that children process and filter sound less effectively than adults do and are more likely to be “overloaded”.  Amplification systems compensate for this and have been shown to improve student attentiveness, improve student comprehension, improve student behavior, decrease  Special Education referral rates, and improve academic scores including higher reading and math scores.  All of these items are of great benefit to our classrooms and students.  THANK YOU EQ PAC!!!

The success of our school and organization depends on parents. So, here is another great opportunity to help your children, their teachers, and our school.

Red Ribbon Week - Oct. 23-26

News from the School Nurse

Is my child too sick to go to school? Often parents have a hard time deciding if their child is well enough to go to school. Ask yourself the following question: Is my child feeling up to participating in regular school activities; including recess? Having a sore throat, cough, or mild congestion does not necessarily mean a child can't be active and participate in school activities, however, if they are lethargic, clingy, complaining of pain or just not acting like themselves perhaps a sick day is in order.

Of course, never send a child to school who has a fever (even when their temperature is normal with fever-reducing medicine), is nauseated, vomiting, or has diarrhea. If your child is experiencing any one of these symptoms they need to stay home for 24 hours after the symptoms subside.

If you do bring your child into the doctor, remember to get a doctor's excuse for school so your child's attendance can be coded as a medical excuse. Thank you in advance for helping all students and staff stay healthy.

4th Grade Students & Parents - 5th grade BAND

Next year when you are in 5th grade, you will be able to participate in our district's band program so we want to make you aware of a change in our beginning band recruitment process. Beginning in the 2018-19 school year, students who are interested in being part of the percussion section will be expected to have at least 1 year of piano lessons. If you need information about local piano instructors or have questions about the band program, please feel free to contact Julia Langenhuizen (5th & 6th Grade Band Instructor) at River View Middle School (766-6111 x4183 or langenhuizenj@kaukaunasd.org).

Community Events and Activity Flyers

There are a great many worthy undertakings in the Kaukauna Area School District that understandably deserve public support. The Board of Education/School District assist with this process in providing notice to students and/or families of certain non-school-related community activities/programs that are for public school-age students (that apply and meet policy conditions).  Click here or visit the school district website to view the up to date list of events and flyers.  

Art News with Mrs. Siegel

Welcome to the new school year!  This year all students receive art for an hour in the Day 1-6 schedule.  Students created a “dot” that was formed into a fish for International Dot Day!  Students then created a square project for the annual “Square1Art” fundraiser that benefits NDLC.  The art projects will be sent to the Square1Art company and will be returned with an order form around mid-November.  Any products ordered that are printed with your child’s artwork will be shipped early December and ready for holiday gift-giving.  More information will be coming.

SQUARE1ART THEMES:

Second and third graders used colored tissue squares and water to “stain” the background of their square.  A detailed drawing of a flower was drawn on white paper with Sharpies, and cut, and glued to the colored background. 

Fourth graders learned the monochromatic colors as they painted tints, tones, and shades of one or more colors to the background of their square.  A mandala (circle design of geometric shapes) was drawn with Sharpies on white or colored paper and cut and glued to their mandala.

All students worked on following directions and on their fine motor skills.

Library News from Mrs. Wolf                     

Library Catalog

Library Web Site

Second Grade: Second graders have been discussing good library manners. We read The Shelf Elf, by Jackie Mims Hopkins. We are also learning to take good care of books. We will always use a shelf marker while searching for books, keep books away from food and anything wet, keep books safe from babies and pets, and always use a bookmark to hold our place. We learned that our library has eBooks or digital books that we can access from home!  We shared the eBook, Bats at the Library or Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies. To try this from an Internet-connected computer or other digital devices, follow these directions:

• https://kaukauna.follettdestiny.com
• Click on Quinney/NDLC 
• Click on the Catalog Tab
• Click on Destiny Discover (on left)
• Scroll down to eBooks
• Click on the title you want to read
• If asked, enter username: eqstudent and password: cougar 
• Click Open
• Navigate from using arrows at side of screen

Second graders also heard the story, The Book Just Ate My Dog, a Golden Archer Nominee.

Third Grade: Third graders are becoming experts at using the library’s online catalog, Destiny. We have been practicing using the basic search screen.  They have also been hearing Judy Blumes chapter book, Muggie Maggie.

Fourth Grade: We reviewed library procedures and manners by participating in a scavenger hunt!  Students followed the clues around the library with a partner. Students reviewed the use of the online catalog and the EQ-NDLC Library Media Center Web Page.  Students are also hearing the chapter book, Frindle, by Andrew Clements.

Music Notes from Mrs. Krueger

Hello!  My name is Sheri Krueger, and I am one of the music teachers at Electa Quinney this year.  I also teach all of the NDLC classes as well. 

I am looking forward to a great year here at Electa Quinney!!  Each class attends music three times in a 6-day rotation for 30 minutes at a time.  We do a lot of singing and also a variety of other activities such as playing rhythm instruments, movement and listening.  The major concepts we study are matching pitch, rhythm, steady beat, dynamics, and tempo.  Also, the 2nd graders perform in a concert, and the 4th graders learn to play the recorder. 

I believe that music is very important in the lives of children.  I love working with children, and I will do my best to instill in them a love and appreciation for music that they can take with them through their adult lives.

The 2nd graders started the year by reviewing our routines and expectations. They also worked a lot on their singing voices and their ability to match pitch.  Some of the songs they worked on were: The School Song and The Character Tango which they will sing for our monthly all-school assemblies.  They also worked on The Birthday Song, It’s In Every One of Us, Mr. Sun, and What’s More American.  

The 3rd graders started the year by reviewing our routines and expectations. They also learned a partner Hello Song that we start each class with. Some of the other songs they worked on were: The School Song, The Birthday Song, Feelin’ Good,  This Land Is Your Land, and It’s In Every One Of Us. They also learned some vocabulary words: staff, treble clef, refrain, and verse.

The 4th graders started the year by reviewing our routines and expectations. We talked a little bit about their 4th-grade year and playing recorder.  They also learned Feelin’ Good, It’s In Every One Of Us and The Star Spangled Banner.

Music Notes from Mrs. Nimmer
(for the homerooms of Ebben, McKinnon, Dercks, and Rosenbeck)

Each month, we celebrate the birthday of a famous composer.  We learn facts about the composer's life, and we listen to music written by that composer.  For the month of September, our birthday composer was George Gershwin.  We learned about his life, and how he often partnered with his brother Ira to compose songs.  George would write the music, and Ira would write the lyrics.  We learned to sing the song "I Got Rhythm," written by George and Ira Gershwin.  We also listened to and compared several different recordings of the song, including recordings by Judy Garland, Sara Vaughn, and even a Barbershop Quartet!

In 2nd grade we learned about piano and forte, and used these concepts to play a circle game called "Rig a Jig."  We also learned how to play the piano/forte hiding game.  We learned how to read verses in written music in our song Bill Grogan's Goat, and compared the song's story to the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff.  The students learned the Quinney School Song, Shake My Sillies Out, Everybody's Got to Grow, and Joy of Music to work on our pitch-matching skills.  We had fun playing the "Red Shirt" game to practice our quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests.

In 3rd grade, we learned to sing Jambo.  We get to sing in Swahili, Spanish, and Japanese!  Jambo means "hello" in Swahili.  We also listened to a piece from Africa called Kwaheri, which means "goodbye" in Swahili.  We added drums, maracas, and tambourines to the piece, following a rhythmic read-along chart using quarter notes, eighth notes, and eighth rests.  We learned two folk songs this month.  The first, Old Joe Clark, tells a funny story!  We learned about the guitar, and got to sing with the guitar for this piece.  We also reviewed the concepts of verse/refrain in this song.  Playing a circle partner game to the song John Kanakanaka was a class favorite!  We will be studying the string family this year, and the students watched an overview video of the String Family of instruments to preview some of the orchestral and non-orchestral string instruments we will be learning about this year.  We will be partnering with the Fox Valley Symphony and our 3rd grade classroom teachers to participate in the Artistic Adventures program this year, which will include a trip to the Trout Museum this fall to hear a string quartet, as well as a trip to the PAC in spring to hear the Fox Valley Youth Symphony.  We are very excited for this great opportunity and partnership for our students!

In 4th grade, we learned a piece in a jazz style called Dancing on the Rooftop.  We even got to try out some of our own jazz dance moves while singing the piece, and got to try some scat-singing.  We watched a video demonstration of jazz singing and scat-singing.  We learned our state song in September, On Wisconsin.  We then segued into the National Anthem.  We learned about the War of 1812, and how Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics for The Star Spangled Banner after witnessing one of the battles.  We discussed the meaning of several of the words, including dawn, twilight, gallantly, ramparts, and o'er.  Understanding the words we are singing is so important when singing our country's song!  We have been reviewing music staff vocabulary this month, in preparation for learning to play the recorder later this fall.  We can't wait to put our music-reading skills to good use!  The 4th graders will be studying brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments this year.  We will be starting with the brass family.  We watched an overview video about brass instruments and how they produce sound.  The students will get to see live demonstrations of many of the instruments they can choose to play at Riverview next year!

Counselor's Corner

Hello! My name is Ashley Duda and I am the new School Counselor at Electa Quinney Elementary School and  New Directions Learning Community. I grew up in Green Bay so naturally, I’m a huge Packer fan! I recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with my Master's degree in School Counseling. I also recently finished a year of service in AmeriCorps as a licensed School Counselor and volunteer recruiter within the Barron Area School District.

I consider myself a people person, therefore, spending time with family and friends is always something I look forward to. I enjoy spending time volunteering for local organizations and causes such as Wisconsin Special Olympics and the American Red Cross.  Lastly, when I have free time I enjoy traveling and experiencing new places. 

The most common domains I provide support in are, academic, social, emotional/behavioral and career development. Each classroom will receive 30 minutes of developmental guidance from me every month. I also conduct individual and small group counseling throughout the year. October's lessons will revolve around keeping our bodies and brains healthy by staying drug-free. I am overjoyed to be a part of the Kaukauna Area School District and look forward to meeting you!

Please feel free to contact me at any time via E-mail or phone if you have any questions. dudaa@kaukaunasd.org 920-766-6116 ext. 3309

P.E. Play by Play with Mr. Halloran and Mrs. Stratton 

The first month of school brought big changes for everyone in PE land.  First was the addition of Mr. Halloran!  We feel very happy to have him be apart of the Quinney adventure team! The second was the new schedule.  This new schedule allows for more team teaching opportunities for us. Cooperation has been the name of game this month.  Working on skills like teamwork, communication, and self-reflection.  Classes have combined to play games like, Steal the Gold, Battleship, and Hula Hut Throwdown! October is going to bring on football.  2nd-grade classes will focus on skills like throwing, catching and route running. 3rd grade will focus on punting, route running and eventually some 4 down flag football.  4th grade will review skills from the previous years and get into 4 down flag football as soon as possible.  We are hoping to get outside and get some great games in!  We know with all this work on cooperation in September we will have great teamwork in football!!