Dear Dogwood Families,

It was a pleasure seeing so many families at our “Back to School Night” on September 9th. The col-

laboration between home and school contributes significantly to the success of our Dogwood students. A

special thank you to all the parents who supported our Claire’s fundraiser On behalf of the entire staff,

sincerest thanks for your continued support and cooperation in making education a priority.

The weather is getting colder, days are getting shorter, and the flu season is upon us. The flu

mist will be offered for free at school on October 21. Your students will receive the permission slips to-

morrow. Please remember to return them to Mrs. Edwards no later than Wednesday, October 15th.

The end of the first marking period is Thursday, October 31, 2013. Schools will be closing 3

hours early. Grade 1 parents will schedule conferences with parents to discuss child’s progress, instead of

receiving a report card. Kindergarten students will receive their progress reports November 14th, at con-

ference day. Distribution of report cards will be November 13.

We will have our annual Harvest Festival Parade on Friday, October 30th instead of October 31st

due to early dismissal on that day. Students will bring their costumes to school and parade around the

school at 2:00 p.m. We encourage parents to attend, and don’t forget to bring your cameras. We look

forward to seeing you.

Also on Thursday, October 30st, the PTA will be hosting an evening Harvest Festival. That evening,

students will come dressed in costume and enjoy going door to door to classrooms to “Trick or Treat.”

This will take place in 3 rotations. Students will receive a color coded ticket that will admit them to the

gym for Harvest activities, refreshments, and the Haunted House. Additional details from PTA to follow!

Parents we need your help with early dismissals. Teachers have so much instruction to complete

during each lesson. When students are pulled from the class prior to the end of the school day, they do

not have adequate time to complete their final assessment. Without the teacher being able to observe

students’ understanding at the end of the lesson, the teacher is not able to adequately assess their total

comprehension of the skill, and provide a grade that reflects their understanding. Please help us to con-

tinue to help your children, and try to make doctors’ appointments before or after school.

Reminders…. If you would like to have a conference with your child’s teacher; please send a note

with your child to schedule a date and time. Picture Day with Lifetouch Portraits is scheduled for

Wednesday, October 15th . Look for a packet with information coming home the week of October 6th.

As always we encourage you to join our PTA; the cost is only $10.00, and these funds support par-

ents, students and school-wide activities. Volunteers are needed to assist students in the classroom, of-

fice and in the cafeteria. If you are available to volunteer for an hour or two, please stop by the office

and fill out an application. Thank you in advance for your support!

Mrs. Pettiford

A Note from the Principal

Dogwood Elementary

October 2014

Reading: We are continuing to read different stories from Wonders which focus on the idea of achieving our goals. Students are encouraged to read at least 15 minutes every night at home!

Math: The students will be finishing up with the Place Value unit and be beginning Unit 2, Multipli-cation. In preparation for this unit, please practice basic multiplication facts with your child. In this unit, they will be expected to multiply two and three digit numbers.

Science: In the next week, the students will begin their first science unit, Eco-Trekkers. As part of the unit, our fifth graders will be attending a field trip on October 13th to the Chesapeake Bay. If you have not, please send in the signed permission slip. The 5th grade teachers will send home notices about what students are expected to bring for the field

trip at a later date.

Class Dojo: The 5th grade team thanks those parents who have been accessing the class dojo accounts. Again, this is not only used for behavior but also pro-vides the teachers a way to communicate with par-ents and students. If you are having problems, please let your child’s homeroom teacher know.

Magnet School: Applications went out the beginning of the school year and are due by the end of Novem-ber. Please take some time and read it over with your child. It is a great opportunity.

Thanks for your continued support! 5th grade team

Ms. Sutton csutton@bcps.org

Ms. Crump acrump@bcps.org

Ms. Williams bwilliams11@bcps.org

Ms. Caldwell bcaldwell@bcps.org

What’s New in 3rd Grade!

This month in math we will be working on place value. But let’s not forget

those multiplication math facts. Please continue to practice those 0, 1, 2, 5,

and 10 multiplication facts. In reading, we are connecting with nature. We

will be writing research papers explaining one endangered animal.

Page 2

Inside the 4th Grade

Dogwood Elementary

5th Grade Highlights...

Math

We will continue working to deepen

our understanding of place value

concepts and how they apply to

the read world, with a special focus

on understanding money and a

brand new concept—decimals!

Science

As we finish our first Health unit, we

will soon dive into our first science

unit, Taking a Closer Look at Space!

Important Dates

School Closed: October 17th

Half Day: October 31st

Be on the lookout for information

about our annual Harvest Festival!

Contact the Fourth Grade Team

Miss Liston: jliston@bcps.org

Ms. Putnam: sputnam@bcps.org

Miss Talerico: mtalerico@bcps.org

Mrs. Monroe-Rice:

smonroerice@bcps.org

Reading/Language Arts

Fourth grade is continuing with our

first reading unit, We Are the Sto-

ries We Tell. We have been read-

ing the novel Wonder, which cen-

ters on the memorable character,

Auggie. We will continue discov-

ering memorable people and

characters while reading autobi-

ographies, biographies, and a

variety of literary texts!

3rd Grade News...

It’s hard to believe that it is already Fall! We have been working hard and learning all of

our new routines. We recently began switching classes for Phonics. Just a reminder that

phonics and reading homework will be given out each Monday, and is to be returned each

Friday. Math homework will be given on a daily basis depending on your child’s homeroom

teacher. Please make sure you have sent the white emergency contact form (signed) back

to school. This is vital in case of a school emergency. Also, be sure to be on the lookout

for a notice for our first field trip to the zoo!

Important Dates to Remember:

Friday, October 17th- Professional Development Day- Schools Closed for all Students

Friday, October 31st- Marking Period Ends and Schools will Close 3 Hours Early for Ele-

mentary and Middle School Students.

Phonics

In phonics, first grade will be work-

ing on short vowel sounds and blends.

We will be reading, writing and blend-

ing words with different sounds

every day. You will see spelling words

come home that match the sound we

are working on for the week. Please

practice these words and complete

the nightly homework to ensure they

are successful at home and school.

Math

First Grade will be working on addi-

tion and subtraction and shapes in

October. We will be solving addi-

tion and subtraction story prob-

lems as well as learning shapes like

rhombus, hexagon, trapezoid, tri-

angles, and squares. Students will

be doing math workshops that re-

late to these skills in school. Please

continue to complete student’s

math homework every night as it

reflects what was taught in school

that day.

Reading

First grade will be focusing on main

idea, finding key details and story

mapping in October. We will also be

reading fiction and non-fiction

text. Please read with your child

every night to ensure success at

home and in school. Asking ques-

tions about what they are reading

at home is an important part of

being able to see if they under-

stand what they are reading. Thank

you for all you do to support your

child’s reading.

October 2014

1st Grade Corner

Page 3

2nd Grade News

What’s Happening in Kindergarten?

Cut off day for Free & Reduced lunch is October 13th 2014. Please be sure you

have completed an application for your child lunch account.

For Free and Reduced price Meals- apply online at

https://mealapps.bcps.org/lfserver/eform or receive a application from the

main office.

CAFETERIA NOTICE

clues, etc. Please work on

these skills with your child at

home as you read with them.

During math we are working

on our number sense and one

to one correspondence.

Helpful Reminders:

-Please bring in a snack

EVERY DAY

-Check DAILY for important

papers in your child’s commu-

nication folder

-Please make sure your

child has an extra set of

clothes at the school

Important Dates:

Monday 13th – Field Trip to

Clark’s Elioak Farm

Friday 31st-schools close 3

hours early

This month our Kindergar-

ten students will continue

learning how to write, iden-

tify, and sound out letters

of the alphabet. We will

also be reading stories re-

lated to our fall season, ani-

mals, friendship, and con-

tinuing the basic skills for

reading such as reading left

to right, point to each word

as you read, use picture

“Bears on Parade” A display of Dogwood Art Students work can be seen at Security Mall.

Music Library/

Technology

For the month of October Dogwood is very lucky to

get The Heart Adventure Course which is on loan

from Baltimore County Public Schools. Students will

travel throughout the

gym learning the path-

way that blood flows

throughout the heart.

Please stop by and ob-

serve your child in this

wonderful experience!

As always please encourage your child to wear

tennis shoes to school, especially on their physical

education day. Thank you for your continued support!

Special Area News

What can we all do to prevent illnesses?

Washing hands with soap and water is the single

most effective way to prevent someone from becom-

ing sick. Students with signs of contagious illnesses

( fever, rash, vomiting and/or diarrhea) should be

kept home and a health care provider should be noti-

fied,. If the student develops this type of illness in

school, they will be sent home. At school we are

modeling cough/ sneeze into your sleeve to prevent

the spread of germs.

The date of the Flu mist—October 21st and to look

for the information with the consent form next

week . In light of all the news attention regarding

different viruses and the start of cold and flu sea-

son, the home –school connection’s goal is to keep

our Dogwood community healthy and safe. Please

consider the flu mist for your students unless they

have asthma or an egg allergy( your health care pro-

vider will give your child the flu shot) and be sure to

keep your children up-to-date on their immuniza-

tions.

Mark your

Calendar!

Counselors Corner

October Events

October 7 ————— PTA Meeting

6:00 pm

October 16 ——— Think Pink Day

(Wear pink to support Breast

Cancer Awareness Month)

October 17——————No School

System-wide Professional Development day

October 30——— Harvest Parade

2:00 pm

PTA Harvest Festival

Time TBD

October 31—— End of Marking PD

3 Hr early dismissal

Students dismissed at 12:10pm

Nurse News...

The character trait of the month is:

RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility means being prepared and

making good choices. Students can show responsi-

bility by following class rules, being on time for

school, coming to school prepared, doing their

homework, and being dependable.

Parents: Talk with your children about responsibili-

ties they have around your house!

*5th Grade Parents-

Remember to attend all magnet school open houses

in order to gather all necessary information!

Dogwood’s Magnet Night – October 2nd at 6:00pm