Kicking Off October and PARP

Howdy, Reading Partner! 

We are kicking off October with PTA's rootin' tootin' reading program called PARP. Previously known as Parents as
Reading Partners, PARP now stands for Pick a Reading Partner! 







We here at Stonehedge are embracing this change and have
invited many special guests into our school this month. Classrooms will be read
to by local doctors, orthodontists, librarians, business professionals,
politicians as well as our very own West Genesee administrators. We thank them
for picking us as reading partners! Remember to take 15 minutes each day to
spend reading with someone you care about. We hope you lasso lots of fabulous
books this month! 



Moreland the Magician wowed Stonehedge yesterday! He
entertained students in every grade level with captivating magic tricks,
audience participation, and stories supporting the idea that all books are
magic. He encouraged children to visit libraries, read with a partner, and read
at least 15 minutes a day.






Magician's assistant Lilly helped Moreland pull a magical scarf from his bag. 





Riley was crowned with a special balloon in honor of Dr. Seuss.





Moreland knighted Jayden.






Some other exciting PARP events include:

Open Library Nights: October 7 and October 21 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Book Fair: October 6-8 from 3 - 7 p.m.









These HEDGE Award Winners Demonstrate Responsibility
The school year is still young, but these students are already working hard and demonstrating how responsible they are. They were recently honored with HEDGE Awards. 














First Grade Award Winners: Jad Abdelqader, Anthony Barba, Amelia Bleskowski, Mason Boyles, Hunter Briggs, Tyler Bullock, Zachary Channels, Charlie D'Angelo, Mila DiNicola, Elizabeth Dunham, Celine El Chibib, Corinna Gartner-Baca, Landon Germinio, Molly Humphrey, Anya Kohut, Andrew Kostiv, Dominick Mancari, Nicholas Meluni, Sophia Olson, Ari Pinkston, Madelynn Root, Leah Sayre, Jack Senus, Christopher Shoults, McKenna Vallely, Harrison Walker, Samantha Winton









Second Grade Award Winners: Peyton Blair, Addison Briggs, Brayden Carvel, Isaiah Coleman, Molli Clark, Mia Coppola, Aaden Couse, Sarah Domin, Jack Dotzler, Georgia Dziedzic, John Egerbrecht, Anni Gilliam, Ethan Harvey, Gabriella Jaquin, Lena Kent, Mikenna Komuda, Emily Neves, Michelle Nuzzo, Sarah Smithers, Mikey Williams, Joshua Whann, Ryan Zeleznock














Second Grade Studies Life Cycles












Second grade students are busy studying life cycles. They are observing as their caterpillars grow, recording information and drawing pictures.







Halloween is Just Around the Corner


The Stonehedge Halloween Parade will kick off at
10:00a.m. on Friday, October 30 beginning with our kindergarten children.
Classes will parade out of the Blue Entrance and follow the sidewalks along the
front of the building and to the bus circle. Parents may also view the parade
as it tours around the Blue playground in the back of the building. Visitors
are sure to have a great view at any point along this route. There is no need
to sign into the building to view the Halloween Parade. Look for a letter
coming home soon with more detailed information.













Don't forget to send in your Box Tops For Education! The classroom Box Top race to earn a pizza party for your
child's class is going on through November 6. Please send in all Box Tops in
an envelope/bag or on a collection sheet with your child's teachers name on it. 










Please remember there is no school on Monday, October 12 for Columbus Day.

~Lori





You can find us on twitter! Look for Stonehedge Blue.

Welcome Back!

And we're off...

The first week back to school flew by. Students had the opportunity to meet their new teacher, create some new friendships, and reconnect with friends they had missed over the summer. All in all, it has been a smooth opening. We continue to iron out some transportation glitches and acclimate students to new routines. I thank you for your patience and trust as we get into our groove.

A Warm Stonehedge Welcome to Mrs. Sheehan

Stonehedge Blue is happy to welcome Mrs. Susan Sheehan to our staff as our new counselor. At our kick-off character education assembly for first and second grade students, Mrs. Sheehan, read from a book called Mrs. Joyce Gives the Best High-Fives. The book describes what a school counselor is and what kids can expect when they meet with one. Following the assembly, she visited kindergarten classrooms and described her job to the students by comparing a school counselor to Mrs. Potato Head! Just like Mrs. Potato Head needs ears to listen and mouth to talk, so does Mrs. Sheehan. 

Parents will have the opportunity to meet Mrs. Sheehan at the Open House on Thursday, September 17 from 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Mrs. Sheehan speaks with kindergarten students.

Have Any Tennis Balls?
Tennis balls are good for a lot more than a great game. Many of our classrooms use tennis balls on the bottom of student chairs to help minimize noise when chairs are moved, as well as for safety. When you think about the math; each classroom has approximately 25 chairs, each needs four balls--that's 100 balls needed for each room! These balls go through a lot of wear and tear during the school year. If you have any extra tennis balls around, please consider sending them in to your child's teacher.

Please mark your calendar, our Open House will be held onThursday, September 17 from 6:30 - 8 p.m. This "curriculum night" will introduce you to your child's teacher as well as outline the exciting year ahead for your child. This event is for parents and guardians only. Children are welcome to attend our spring Open House.   

Sights from the First Week

In honor of Patriot Day, students observed a moment of silence and some classrooms held discussions.

Dates to Remember:

Fall Open House, Thursday, September 17, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Picture Days, September 22 and 23

Book Fair, October 6-8

Yours,

~Lori

We hope you have enjoyed your summer vacation, as it draws to a close, we want to remind everyone with incoming kindergarten students that Kindergarten Orientation will be held on Monday, August 31 from 9 – 11 a.m. It’s an event you don’t want to miss as it is a unique opportunity to meet the classroom teacher, see the school, and ride a bus!

Find Your Classroom Night 

Find Your Classroom Night will be held on Thursday, September 3 from 4- 6 p.m. Whether your child is new to the school, or just wants to locate his/her classroom, families are invited to visit the school during Find Your Classroom Night. Students may choose to leave class supplies in their lockers. Please note: Classroom teachers most likely will not be there and classrooms will be locked. Students may choose to leave class supplies in their lockers.

A Few Reminders:

•     The first day of school is Tuesday, September 8, it is a full day of school.
•     School begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 3:17 p.m.
•     Please join us for our Welcome Back PTA meeting on Thursday, September 10 at 6:30 p.m.
•     Please be sure to send in your child’s PINK emergency Data form that you received in your school mailing. One form is required for each child. Even if you don’t have any changes, the form must be signed and returned on the first day of school.

Enjoy the rest of the summer and we look forward to seeing you soon!

~Lori 

Summer Strategies to Increase the Fun and Learning

Summer vacation is finally here! Though the wet weather has dampened a lot of plans, it is the perfect opportunity for some indoor fun. Your child has made great academic bounds this school year! Don’t let the summer vacation strip him or her of some of those advancements. Here are some great free resources to keep your child engaged and learning through the summer weeks. (As always, be sure to monitor your child as they use the internet. Often times it is easy to click to a different website or on an advertisement.)

Free educational games and activities for elementary students. Unique and fun games that focus on common core standards for math, science and more!

FunBrain is an educational  website for children. The company said the site has 65,000 teachers registered, 35 million visits per month, and 60,000 page visits per day, and provides mathematics and kid style games.

Play educational kids games, computer games, printable worksheets, and learning games online.

And don’t forget about our local libraries!

Check here for their summer reading programs. 

Or try these games and activities:

•  Sight word bingo
• Talk math! Whether you are bowling, shopping, or cooking you are using math. Be sure to discuss with your child the math involved in making that spare, doubling the recipe, or getting an item at a discount.
• Chalk it up! During the summer the world becomes a canvas with inexpensive sidewalk chalk. Children can draw sight words, write a story with illustrations, or draw a hopscotch board.

There are many different resources available. These are just a few. 

Enjoy your summer!

Lori

Bidding a Fond Farewell

A long-standing tradition, the all-staff wave goodbye. 

The last day of school is a bittersweet moment for students and staff alike. We bid goodbye to our friends and wish everyone well while at the same time look forward to relaxing days and family time.   

Dr. Brown stopped by and said goodbye to students. He even got to sign some yearbooks.

For the last few years, our second graders have grabbed some chalk and decorated the sidewalk out in front of the building. Their summery messages line the walkway for their last trip to the buses for the year. 

FUN IN THE SUN

The last week of school brought fun, excitement, and a celebration of learning! These students sure put in a hard year's worth of work and deserved a day in the sun.

Kindergarten students visited first grade classrooms last week. They were able to ask questions to the "big kids" and get a preview of what life in first grade is like.

Yesterday seventh grade Languages Other Than English (LOTE) students visited the school and went over language basics with younger students. 

This beautiful quilt was sewn and gifted to the library by Hunter and Addison Briggs' 'mee-maw'. It will be proudly displayed next year for all to enjoy. Pictured are (left) Mrs. Eichhorn, Mrs. Graser, Addison, Hunter, and Mrs. Abbott.

It's always a must to continue reading with your children over the vacation. Please find some quality time to curl up with a good book!

Have a safe and wonderful summer!
~ Lori

June Heats up Learning

Learning, in the Blink of an Eye

Recently Stephanie Scheirer, Growing Healthy teaching assistant, visited second grade classrooms and performed a demonstration dissection of a sheep's eye with the children. 

"Um, that was kind of gross," said one second grade student who observed it. 

The demonstration coincided with a science unit the students were studying. The visual dissection taught students more than anything a book could! They retained a great amount of information about the eye. They were surprised about the size and feel of the eye and compared a sheep's eye to a human eye.

They eagerly described what they learned. Sammi recalled, "The vitreous body is a clear jelly-like substance that just fell out of the eye like a blob!" Devon added, "There are six muscles that help hold the eye in place." 

Grab Your Swimsuit! It's Time for the Water Carnival 

As you may already know, the schedule for the upcoming water carnival is as follows:

Monday, June 15: Grade 4, 1, and kindergarten

Tuesday, June 16: Grades 2, 3, and 5

(A rain date has been set for June 17.)

We suggest your child wear his/her swimsuit to school and bring a change of clothes. Boys will wear their swimming trunks and a t-shirt during all activities. Girls should plan on wearing shorts and t-shirt over their swimsuits as well. Students may wear sandals or water shoes. Don't forget a towel! Your child may bring sunscreen and a water bottle. 

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs!

First grade students have been studying living versus non-living things in classes. They have been able to get up close with living things like cockroaches, pill bugs, and more.

Stonehedge Stands Proud of our Special Olympians

Many of our students recently took part in the Special Olympics held at the Cicero-North Syracuse High School.  Students competed in a variety of track and field events and returned with several ribbons for their accomplishments. 

Once they arrived back at Stonehedge, our athletes were greeted with cheers of encouragement from our Stonehedge students and staff. Classmates made signs and cheered as the parade traveled throughout the school. Olympic-themed music filled the halls. Congratulations to all our athletes for a job well done and to our student body for this display of love and compassion for each other. You all make us so proud!

Kindergarten Class Enjoys Charlotte's Web

At the end of each year, Mrs. Leonardis' class is treated to a reading of E.B. White's Charlotte's Web. The story of a young girl, a spider, and a pig is classic tale of friendship and love. Students in her class made great spider hats in honor of the story. 

Mrs. West is pictured with Tyler in his spider hat. Mrs. West is retiring this year after 25 years with the district. Mrs. West has touched many lives. We will miss her smile, her warmth, and her compassion for children. If you see her in the upcoming days, be sure to wish her well. 

Yearbooks are in!

The 2015 yearbooks are in and will be distributed soon. If you didn't have a chance to order one for your child, don't worry. Limited quantities are still available for purchase in the main office. Send in cash or check payment in an envelope marked "YEARBOOK ORDER" and be sure to include your child's name and teacher. Yearbook cost is $12. Checks may be made payable to Stonehedge PTA.

End of Year Reminders

Monday, June 22 is a full day of school with lunch served.

Tuesday, June 23, half-day, dismissal 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, June 24, last day, half-day, dismissal 11:30 a.m.

~Lori