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 on Thursday, 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

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