Arcado Elementary

5150 Arcado Road

Lilburn, GA 30047

Ph.: 770-925-2100

Fax: 770-931-7026

Ms. Penny Palmer Young

Principal

Ms. Kristina Jackson

Assistant Principal

Dr. Ricardo Quinn

Assistant Principal

Dates to Remember 9/30—Monday Spanish Curriculum Night Kind, 1st, & 2nd/ Niche de curricula en Española 6:30 pm—7:30 pm

10/2 Wednesday Spanish Curriculum Night Grades 3rd, 4th & 5th Niche de curricula Para grades 3ro, 4to y 5toen Española 6:30 pm—7:30 pm

10/7 Monday—Butter Braid Fundraiser Kick-off

10/8 Tuesday—Chick-fil-A Spirit Night 5:00 pm—8:00 pm

10/10 Thursday-Science Fair Informational Meeting for 4th & 5th grade students 6:00 pm-7:00 pm

10/14 Monday-Student

Holiday—NO SCHOOL

10/19 Saturday—Arcado Beautification Day 9:00 am-12:00 pm

10/21 thru 10/25—ITBS Testing for 3rd & 5th Grade Students begins at 8:30 am

10/28 thru 11/1—Red Ribbon Week

10/28 Monday—Butter Braid Fundraising Orders Due

10/28 Monday—Math Showcase 6:30 pm-8:00 pm

WEBSITE: http://arcado.org/home October 2013 Vol.33 Issue 1

Greetings Arcado Parents!

The 2013-2014 school year is under way and I must say is going well. Students and teachers are focused on our core business of teaching and learning. As I am writing, you are conferencing with your child's teacher. While conferences were much earlier this year, I hope you have a good understanding of this year's learning expectations.

The Common Core Georgia Performance Standards have been aligned with the Academic Knowledge & Skills (AKS), our district's curriculum. There are three key ideas about the common core that you as parents need to know.

1) Thinking Deeply- The common core emphasizes critical thinking. It requires students to analyze more, discuss more, evaluate more, justify more and explain their thinking & understanding deeply, especially in writing.

2) Integrating Learning- The common core emphasizes learning across disciplines (reading with math & social studies standards combined into one task). Students spend more time working together with different settings, structures, & tools.

3) Showing How They Know- The common core emphasizes proof & evidence. Long gone are the days of worksheets, fact memorization and skill & drill. Students are not taught this way and they are not assessed this way.

Here are three take aways from these new standards:

1) Really thinking deeply is hard. Let it BE, help them talk it out.

2) Problems & solutions happen everyday in the real world.

3) The new way of assessing student achievement and skill mastery will require students to explain how they know.

Here are a few ways you can support your child's learning at home

Ask *why* when children tell you they want something or want to do or not do something. 2) Use the word *because* after “No” or “Not tonight…” 3) Give reasons--you to them and them to you. 4) Encourage questions & explore answers (especially questions whose answers are not yes or no.) 5) Explain & discuss issues or problems in your house, neighborhood, & community. Brainstorm solutions. 6) Compare how things are alike and different-videos, movies, food. 7) Look for patterns 8) Describe & categorize stuff. 9) Tell your children what you value & why. 10) Encourage & celebrate opinions.

Sincerely yours, Penny Palmer Young

School Footwear Physical Education is an integral part of the education of every child. The National Association of

Sports and Physical Education recommends 60 minutes of daily aerobic activity. To safely participate

in both PE class and daily recess, proper footwear is essential. I strongly recommend that students

wear tennis shoes to school. Shoes that do not fasten securely on the foot and cover the toes and

heels are not safe (strappy sandals, flip flops, crocs) . I am very concerned about high heels

especially the new "tennis shoe-like" shoes that have built in heels. These shoes put a child's foot in

a dangerous position for ankle injury. A good rule of thumb is that if you, as an adult, would not wear

a shoe to go jogging or to workout, please do not send your child to school in that type of shoe.

Thanks for keeping our children fit and safe. -Kathy Muir, PE Teacher

October 2013 / Vol.33 / Issue 1 2

Literacy Coach’s Corner

Dear Parents,

Welcome Back! I am so excited to have the opportunity to return to Arcado in a part time role as Literacy Coach this

year! I shared with Ms. Young that even though retirement is a good thing, I have missed Arcado staff, students, and

community so much! Thank you, Ms. Young, for having me back to the best school ever! I am looking forward to

another incredible year of learning together!

Sincerely,

Dr. Vickie Nash

Here are a few quick and easy reading activities that parents can do with their child(ren)

to support fluency and comprehension growth at home.

READING FLUENCY PRACTICE AT HOME…

*Echo Reading Practice…

VERY IMPORTANT: Choose a book on your independent reading level. This is the letter level one below the reading

level reported to you by your child’s teacher at the September conference. (Example: If a child’s reading

communication report has reading level M on it, the child would need to check out level L library books to practice

their reading independently. Level M is the instructional level that a child’s teacher is using in small group support.)

Ask a parent or older sibling to read a short paragraph aloud to you. Pay close attention to how the text is read to you.

Now you try to read the same short paragraph aloud echoing your parent or older sibling.

BE SURE to pause at commas and stop at periods, ? and !. Use expression in your voice when you read aloud using

the ending punctuation to guide you.

Repeat the echo reading practice at least 4-6 times.

*Choral Reading Practice… A chorus is a group of people who sing the same words together. With choral reading,

you are reading the same words with a parent or older sibling to help you increase your fluency.

VERY IMPORTANT: Choose a book on your independent reading level. This is the letter level one below the reading

level reported to you by your child’s teacher at the September conference.

Ask a parent or older sibling to read a short paragraph aloud WITH you. Pay close attention to how the text is read to

you.

BE SURE to pause at commas and stop at periods, ?, and ! Use expression in your voice when you read aloud using the ending punctuation to guide you.

Repeat the choral reading practice at least 4-6 times.

COMPREHENSION PRACTICE AT HOME:

*READ…COVER…RETELL

READ a paragraph or a page in a book on your independent reading level.

COVER the paragraph or page that you just read.

RETELL in your own words to a parent or older sibling what you just read about. Keep in mind the question words WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, and HOW as you retell.

Sample questions…

Who were the characters in the passage?

What were they doing?

When did the actions in the passage occur?

Where did the happenings in the passage take place?

Why did the characters act in a certain way?

How did the characters act towards each other?

REMEMBER…Read AT LEAST 20 minutes (or more) each night to become a CHAMPION READER!

October 2013 / Vol.33 / Issue 1 3

During the week of October 7th through the 11th, we are kicking off our United Way Change for Champions fundraiser. We are asking students to bring in any loose change

to help others in need. The office will have “heavy change” in exchange for dollar bills. The class in each grade level with the heaviest weight of change for the week will win ice cream treats for the class from Ms. Young. The overall school winning class will

receive a pizza & ice cream party with our administrators.

Butter Braid Fall Fundraiser

begins MONDAY, October 7th!

Sale proceeds allow Arcado PTA to fund many programs including:

Cultural Arts programs for each grade level are sponsored by PTA

Family Nights and the Student Dance are both provided by Arcado PTA

Weekly Readers for EVERY Arcado student

Technology

The sale will offer the tasty Butter Braid pastries and Cookie Dough. There are many varieties to choose

from.

Order forms and information about the sale, including prizes, will be sent home in your student’s

Monday folder on October 7th.

New this Year:

Sell at least two items and be entered in a drawing for additional prizes!

Grade Level CHALLENGE for the grade with the highest participation rate!

Orders and payment are due, on Monday, October 28. Pickup is in November, just in time for the

holidays!

This is PTA’s ONLY fundraiser. Let’s ALL help Arcado.

Every order counts and every order earns money for our school.

During October, Computer Learning Month, Arcado is conducting a

used electronics drive. We are collecting these devices so that we can

earn credits toward the purchase of Kindle Fires for the classrooms.

We can accept many items such as iPods, iPads, tablets and

cellphones, if they are in good working order and have personal

information erased. For your donation, we will give you a letter

recognizing this tax deductible donation to Arcado. Please fill out the

Technology Donation Description and turn it and the device into the

office. Please refer to Arcado’s website for more details, including

what types of equipment we can accept. If you have any questions, please email

Ms. Swafford at: judy_swafford@gwinnett.k12.ga.us

October 2013 / Vol.33 / Issue 1 4

PTA Reflections Art Program 2013-2014

THEME: Dream, Believe, Inspire!

In its more than 40-year history, the Reflections program has encouraged millions of students to explore their

artistic talents. The program offers students the opportunity to create works of art for fun and

recognition! They choose the media they enjoy and create an original piece that fits the theme: “DREAM, BELIEVE,

INSPIRE”

Participation and appreciation for the arts is the Reflections Program's goal

Students may submit an entry in any one of the five arts areas listed below. Only original works of art are accepted. The

five arts areas are as follows:

Literature

Musical Composition

Visual Arts

Film/Video Production

Photography

Please be sure to pick up an entry form if interested which

can be found at the Reflections bulletin board display located in the Panda Café or the

Media Center!

Entry forms are due back to your teachers by next Thursday, October 3rd to receive an information packet for this

exciting event! FINAL entries will be due no later than Monday, October 14th.

Please contact your Reflections Committee Chair if you have questions: Joi Pettus at 404/886-7211 or via email at:

joipettus@gmail.com.

We are looking forward to your participation this year!

It’s time to get your Spirit Wear on! Though it’s not mandatory, we are encouraging all of our student and staff members to show their Arcado spirit every Friday. From shirts, headbands, zippers pulls, to necklaces window clings, and reusable bags we’ve got you covered. Order forms have been distributed in your child’s September 23, Monday folder. Need another form? Check us out at: http://arcado.org/our-school/news/arcado-pta-spiritwear/ Thank you for your support!!

Arcado

Astros

Grandparents’ Week: A HUGE Thank You to our WONDERFUL Volunteers!

A big thank you to all of the parent and grandparent volunteers who helped make Grandparents’ Week possible. Many

people worked tirelessly throughout the week and behind the scenes creating the frames, taking pictures, and greeting

visitors for the big event. Almost 600 grandparents and their grandchildren children shared lunch together. Research

shows that elementary students who had consistent help from an adult age 55 or older improved their critical reading

skills by 60 percent during one school year. From all of the smiles on the faces of the grandparents and grandchildren, it

was obvious that special relationship is having a positive effect on Arcado’s children.

Our next Chick-fil-A Spirit Night will be Tuesday, October 8th, from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Come join us, let our Highway 29 Chick-fil-A do the cooking and help with our school

fundraiser.

October 2013 / Vol.33 / Issue 1 5

Arcado Elementary School Celebrates Red Ribbon Week 2013

October 28th through November 1st "A Healthy Me is Drug & Bully Free!"

Red Ribbon Week is a national drug prevention and awareness campaign that began with the murder of Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, an undercover DEA agent, in 1985. Camarena wanted to make a difference even though he knew he was only one man. He died at the hands of drug traffickers.

Soon, coalitions began to form by those outraged by the death and the devastation drugs in this country caused. They

wore red ribbons to honor him. By wearing a red ribbon in October, Americans pledge their opposition to drugs.

Join Arcado in observing Red Ribbon Week by explaining how important it is to make HEALTHY CHOICES AGAINST DRUGS & thoughtful choices AGAINST BULLYING. This year our Health Committee has organized the following

events in honor of Red Ribbon Week:

Monday, Oct 28th Students wear Red Ribbons & create pledge Banner with class to be displayed on class door

Tuesday, Oct 29th

Wear RED clothes Day Also wear Red Ribbon Week sticker (given that day ) & RED Ribbon

Wednesday, Oct 30th

Students wear CRAZY SOCKS to "Sock Out Unhealthy Choices & Bullying!" & wear RED Ribbon

Thursday, Oct 31st Students wear CRAZY SHOES to "Step Out Against Unhealthy Choices & Bullying!" & wear RED Ribbon

Friday, Nov 1st

Students "Show your CHARACTER against bullying & drugs" by dressing up as your favorite book character. NO MASKS OR ACCESSORIES & wear RED Ribbon

Fun Family Night Option:

Glow Dance "Show your CHARACTER against bullying & drugs!"

Come with your child dressed up as your favorite book characters & show your best moves! Still no masks or accessories.

For all you Rock Stars Out There, Get Your Dancing Shoes On and Join us for

the Family Fun Glow Dance on Friday November 1st. Look for details soon in the Monday folders. This is not a drop off event. Students must be accompanied by an adult.

Interested in helping out? Please contact Rupa Sheth at:rupasheth@gmail.com

COMING IN NOVEMBER

Help Arcado Help Others in Our Community

Coat Donation Drive

Tennis Shoe Recycling

Thankful-Grams to benefit Relay For Life

Look in the November Astroflash for MORE Information!

October 2013 / Vol.33 / Issue 1 6

PTA Environmental Committee Wants Your Recyclables! Arcado’s Recycling Program supports environmental education and conservation, and we

appreciate your contributions. Contact PTA Environmental Committee at

environmental@arcadopta.org with questions.

Arcado’s Recycling Center is located in the hall next to the media center. We accept

used electronics (cell phones, laptops, calculators, iPods, PDAs, GPS devices, digital

cameras, game consoles), DVDs, video games, used eyeglasses, six pack plastic rings, and

aluminum tab tops.

Make all your visits to Arcado Litter Free! Plastic water bottles will be collected at Arcado events, in individual bags/frames

marked for recycling; however, a PTA volunteer takes them home to be picked up by the sanitation company, so please do not send

bottles from home. Athletic shoes will be collected for Nike “Reuse a Shoe” program November 11-14, to celebrate America

Recycles Week. More information will be provided in the November Astroflash, but please set them aside for our collection.

Our Bus Lane Recycling Center is located behind the school at the end of the bus lane and bins are marked to accept paper,

cans and cardboard. Sorry, we do not accept plastic or glass at this time.

Paper, including newspaper, scrap paper, junk mail, catalogs, and magazines, goes into the red/green bins. To receive rewards,

students must stack, measure, deposit and bring a signed note (see below).

Aluminum cans go un-bagged in the trailer. To receive rewards, students must bring a minimum of 24 cans cleaned, crushed,

counted, and deposited, and bring a signed note to the teacher (see below).

Cardboard, pasteboard (like cereal boxes), and telephone books go in the Pratt’s blue bin behind the cafeteria. Please

disassemble and flatten before dumping. Arcado is the only elementary school in the Parkview cluster to offer cardboard

recycling to the community.

Rewards for Paper and Aluminum Cans

Every month the Environmental Committee tallies class recycling charts and winners are announced in the Astroflash and on the

news show. Prizes are subject to change, but here’s how to participate:

Paper

Students stack paper at home, measure its height in # inches, and deposit it in the red/green bin.

Students bring a signed note from a parent, stating the student’s full name, teacher’s name, and number of inches of paper deposited.

Students then enter their name and inches of paper recycled on the monthly Recycling Chart, located in each classroom.

Each month, all students who recycle paper from home receive a coupon for a sweet treat from Sonic. Top three student recyclers

win a coupon for free games at Brunswick Zone and a “green” prize, and the class that recycles the most paper wins an organic

fruit party! The class with the highest participation wins a cool certificate to keep and display on their door, and they will have

possession for the month of the Arcado Zoo, which displays endangered animals adopted by Arcado.

Aluminum Cans –“Cans for Cookies and More” at Smokerise Pizzeria and Eatery (aka Cioffi’s/ Rhodes)

Students clean, crush, and count cans at home and deposit them un-bagged in the trailer.

Students bring a signed note from a parent, stating the student’s full name, teacher’s name and number of cans deposited. Students

then enter their name and number of cans recycled on the monthly Recycling Chart, located in each classroom.

Each month, all students recycling 24 cans win a box of bite size Panda cookies, students recycling 25-50 cans win a coupon for their

choice of fresh baked cookie, 51-99 cans win a coupon for a free kid’s meal, and students recycling 100+ cans win a coupon for

a free 2-topping medium pizza!

Thank you for your contributions.

Arcado Elementary is known throughout Gwinnett County as a leader in

environmental education and stewardship. We could not do it without you!

October 2013 / Vol.33 / Issue 1 7

Want to Walk Around the World?

International Walk to School Day

is Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Join your friends and neighbors as we celebrate the health and environmental benefits of walking to school with over 40 countries and 3,000 schools nationwide. Our goal is for all students who live within 1 mile of school to walk or bike to school and practice safe pedestrian skills. Students living farther than 1 mile can make a poster to promote the event and receive a prize.

To prepare for this bi-annual event, teachers will be conducting Student Travel surveys in class 10/1-10/2 and regular walkers are invited to be interviewed on the morning news show in the days leading up to the event. A police officer will help you cross Arcado Road in front of the school, and children will be welcomed at the front and back doors of the school by PTA Environmental Committee volunteers, special guests from the Environmental Protection Agency (Dept. Children’s Health), and Green Team students. All participants receive stickers and prizes, and additional incentives to encourage them to continue walking or biking when the weather permits. All participants are invited to write their name on the “reducing our carbon paw print” banner to illustrate their effort to reduce air pollution and wake up their brains.

This year, look for “walking school bus leaders” identified by a yellow pennant. And if Wednesday just doesn’t work for you, children may walk with parents on another day of the week and bring in a signed note to Mrs. Muir to receive a participation prize.

Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safe routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize important issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment. Besides, it’s fun fitness and studies show exercise before school contributes to more attentive students.

Please join us in walking and rollin’!!!

This event is organized by PTA’s Environmental Committee (Joellen_wilson@bellsouth.net) and Arcado’s PE Teacher, Ms. Kathy Muir. Please contact us with questions and review safety tips at http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/sites/default/files/resources/TeachingChildrentoWalkSafely-2page.pdf

Arcado’s Clean Air Program Continues

Help Our Young Lungs Breath Easier

This October, Arcado Elementary School is renewing its No-Idling campaign to protect the health of our students and the health of our environment. In addition to restricting idling by school buses,

we are also asking parents to adopt a no-idling policy for personal vehicles.

In a few weeks, cars that are in the carpool lanes for afternoon pick-up will be greeted by Student Green Team members with no-idling signs. Drivers will be asked by PTA Environmental Committee members to turn off their engines until car pool begins. The No-Idling Zone is part of Arcado’s Clean Air Schools program, in partnership with The Clean Air Campaign.

The emissions that come from our tailpipes harm all of us, especially children who breathe more and at a faster rate than adults. Metro Atlanta’s air pollution problem also poses particular risks for our children with asthma. Georgia has a higher than average rate of pediatric asthma, and even low levels of pollution can trigger an asthma attack or respiratory symptoms.

So, if you’re going to be sitting still for more than 30 seconds while at the school, please remember to turn your car’s engine off. You’ll not only improve our air, you’ll also save money in fuel and vehicle wear and tear costs! To learn more about air pollution, its effects and how we can all breathe easier, visit CleanAirCampaign.org.

October 2013 / Vol.33 / Issue 1 8

Trick or Treat for Tumornators

**IMPORTANT CHANGES**

On Saturday, October 26, come and join us for the Fifth Annual Trick or Treat for Tumornators!

**This is our first year to hold it at Arcado!!** Come at 9:00 AM for registration, buy a Chick-fil

-A chicken biscuit, coffee, hot chocolate and other yummy breakfast items which will be for sale

AND then buy raffle tickets for some great items! The actual walk begins at 9:30 AM and the event

ends by noon. Come join our Trick-or-Treat for Tumornators fundraising event! This costume, kid,

stroller and friendly dog event will include face painting and other activities, candy for the trick-or-

treaters, and a Moon Walk! All funds raised will benefit the Children’s Tumor Foundation! The cost

for all this fun is only $5.00 per child!! More information about CTF and the Turmonators go to:

www.tumornators.com.

October is a very busy month for the Arcado PTA!! With the new school year, comes new events to experience and programs to explore - so get ready because we have many exciting things planned for everyone!

Arcado’s PTA will only continue to thrive if we have enough volunteers! Please consider joining us as a member or a volunteer. If you have signed up and have not been contacted or want your name on the volunteer list. Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Jennifer Bullock at jlbullock@bellsouth.net.

Be sure to visit the Arcado website. The website is very user friendly and full of

valuable information. The school calendar can be accessed from the website as well.

October 2013 / Vol.33 / Issue 1 9

October 2013 / Vol.33 / Issue 1 10

Arcado Elementary School

GCPS Board Policy IHA: Grading

Accompanying Procedures: P.IHA, P.IHAA, P.IHAC, P.IHAE, P.IHAF

The following school procedures have been developed by the Arcado Elementary Administration & Teachers in an effort to

create consistency for the students in the Arcado community.

Procedure 1: Penalty for work not turned in

When a student fails to turn in an assignment, project, etc. the teacher will notify the parent in writing of

the missing assignment. Email notification is the preferable method of communication however docu-mented phone call, agenda book, and written note can also be used. Teacher and parent need to determine

the best mode of communication. The student has three (3) school days to turn in the assignment, once the

parent has been notified, without penalty. If the student fails to turn in the assignment in the three (3) school day window the student will receive a zero (0) for the assignment.

Example: Teacher notifies parent on Thursday afternoon. The student must turn in the assignment Wednesday morning without penalty.

Procedure 2: Homework

Homework is to be assigned as a means for practice and maintenance of skills. Teachers will not grade

homework for the purposes of recording grades in the grade book. Homework should be graded to assess level of mastery only. Teachers should monitor completion of homework throughout the nine weeks and will be included as part of the “effort” grade in the report card.

Procedure 3: Re-teaching & Retesting

P.IHA Procedure #6 Teachers are responsible for providing intervention strategies for students not progressing satisfac-

torily and allowing additional opportunities for reassessment.

Teachers will:

1. Retest students who score a 69% or below on tests and quizzes.

2. Re-teaching will be provided to the student during the school day.

3. The retest will be administered within two (2) weeks of the original assessment.

4. The original test will be administered as the retest.

5. The best grade out of the two assessments will be recorded.

Addendum to the Arcado Parent/Student Handbook September 2013