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-Waynesville Elementary, February 2012 Newsletter

In collaboration with the Waynesville American Legion, students from Waynesville Elementary brought in canned goods to support the needy families in the area and replenish the food pantry.  We challenged our students to bring in over 6,800 canned goods, and they EXCEEDED the challenge with a new Waynesville Elementary School record of 7,144 canned goods. Mrs. Denier’s5th grade set a new individual class record and enjoyed ‘free gym’ with Miss Hartman! Teaching students community service directly relates to and reinforces our 3^rd Pillar of Excellence: “We will provide the example, leadership, information, and training to help each student function in an honest, moral, and ethical manner in their family, community, and society.”

The MAC Grants program, an initiative sponsored by local McDonald’s owner/operators, is designed to help Make Activities Count for students. The cash award of a requested amount not to exceed $500 is donated to help provide meaningful, hands-on activities to enhance the learning process for students.  The following WLS teachers have received MAC Grants during a special recognition ceremony on December 5^th .

Mrs. Cathy Bowersox decided with implementing new curriculum into her classroom, such as Daily 5, Café, The Phonics Dance, and looking at the new Core Curriculum Standards, that this would be the perfect time to apply for this grant. When applying for this grant, teachers are asked to describe how they would utilize the MAC Grant to create a hands-on activity for their class.  They were also asked to provide a detailed, itemized budget. Mrs. Bowersox was notified she would receive the 2011 McDonald’s MAC Grant for $500 to buy instructional materials and supplies for her Kindergarten classroom to enhance and enrich their learning.  This grant will allow her to purchase additional books, math manipulatives, books on CD, etc. that will continue to support the Kindergarten curriculum.

Ms. Jan Durham after evaluating the new Core Curriculum Standards for Mathematics, also decided to apply for this grant.  She was notified she would also receive a 2011 McDonald’s MAC Grant for $500 to buy hands-on math manipulatives and materials for her Kindergarten classroom to enhance her math lessons. By providing students with manipulates to explore and understand mathematical concepts, she will be able to provide the students with extensive, concrete experiences. The experiences will enable students to problem solve various types of math problems. The problem solving experiences will build students confidence and make them more competent in the changing world, while developing number sense.

Rainbow Reading Teachers
Rainbow Reading has wonderful news! They applied for and received a MAC Grant!  Their grant, Hands on Motivational Reading Activities, will allow them to buy materials to help students become readers.  The games are for all grades they serve, Kindergarten through 4th.  They are excited that some of the games are for computers; they know how kids love to use computers. 

Here is a list of the games they will be purchasing with their $482.21. 

• Can do! Reading Games
• Match-A-Sound, Phonemic Awareness
• Sight Word Challenge Game, Grade 4
• Sight Word Family Picture Wheels
• Word Family Flip Book
• Tic-Tac-Toe
• Fiction and Nonfiction Comprehension
• Nonfiction Plinko

The goal is to have everything ordered and received by January 2 and to start the new year with the new games.  The Rainbow Reading Teachers would like to thank The McDonald’s MAC Grant program for giving them the opportunity to increase their students’ reading success with these wonderful hands on games and activities that will further strengthen their students’ reading abilities and comprehension.

Lora Schafer and Connie Shaffer, Rainbow Reading Teachers

Waynesville Elementary was honored to have Ohio author, Dr. John Becker, and two of his friends from the Columbus Zoo, visit our school on Thursday, December 1, 2011.  Students spent the morning listening to Dr. Becker discuss his book, Frenemies for Life and the conservation story behind the Zoo’s cheetahs and Anatolian shepherd dogs.  Then, staff from the Columbus Zoo brought out Moya, a young cheetah, and his playmate Carlisle, a golden Lab retriever for students to see.  Dr.