Volumn II Issue 6 CASSINGHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL March 2013

AN IB/PYP WORLD SCHOOL

A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL H. Jeannine Hetzler

The warm & welcomed sunshine streaming in the

office windows as I write helps me believe that

March is right around the corner – even if our

recent “Ice Day” painted a different picture.

Another sure sign of spring’s approach is the set of

standardized assessments that our students in

grades 2-6 confront. The teachers and I ask that

you please check in with your child’s testing

schedule, if you must make appointments during the

school day. We’ll be making up Terra Nova tests

during the first week of March and scheduling Ohio

Achievement Assessments the week of April 22nd

.

I invite you to check out the display that will be

emerging just outside of our Cassingham Office

with updates about the Molly Davis Garden. In

January, our PTO, local landscape architect Mark

Schieber and I presented the garden plans to the

City of Bexley’s Planning Commission. We have

received their endorsement of the initial phase of

the project. Our plan is to work with donated funds

and a BEF grant to begin installing the project in

April. If you are interested in supporting the

project with your gardening expertise, please

contact our PTO volunteer coordinators (http://

cassinghampto.org/volunteer.html), as we’ll be

seeking a garden chairperson. Additional watering

and tending support will be needed, particularly

over our first few summers to ensure that plants

and foundational structures get off to a solid start.

I am hoping to see a crocus pop up out of the

ground soon! As always, let me know if you have

any questions or concerns.

Jeannine.hetzler@bexleyschools.org/614-237-4266

March

3/1……….Read Across America Day

3/5....…….Late Start-Doors Open at 9:20

36………..Gr. 3-5—Play Auditions

CS Theatre 5:30-7:00 p.m.

3/7……….Gr. 3-5—Play Crew Interviews

Studio Theatre 3:30-4:30 p.m.

3/9……….Montrose Elementary School

Fun-for-All 12:30-3:30 p.m.

3/12………Gr. 1-2—Play Workshops

Studio Theatre 6:00-7:00 p.m.

3/12..….....PTO Meeting-6:30 p.m.

3/19..…….Market Day Pick-up 2:45-3:45

3/22……...End of Quarter 3

3/25-29…..

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

...kindergarteners will discover how we are

sharing the planet with many different

living things—plants & animals? We will

become reading fact-finders as we learn to

write books all about living things.

...first graders have been focused on communication

of ideas through different avenues? We have

learned about communication that is done through

music, art, writing, dance, drama and other

expressive forms. We have visited the Columbus

Museum of Art to learn about expression we can

enjoy in picture books. Through Bill Manchester

we have learned about expression through the arts

of music, dance and visual art. And, through

several of the first grade students' families we have

learned about expression through the banjo (Ray

Pauken), guitar (Molly Pauken), bass (Billy Zehnal),

and first grader Jordan Steinbrook (percussionist

on drums, cymbals, and tambourines). In reading

we have been learning how to share ideas with other

people through writing down understandings we

have gleaned from our readings. Soon we will begin

to study How the World Works.

...second graders have been learning about how

forces and motion work in our

world? Students have experimented

with these ideas in weather as well as

other activities that show push, pull,

friction, gravity and magnetic forces.

...third graders have been studying matter and

energy? The students have prepared energy-related

science demonstrations that they will share with the

school and parents at Cassingham's own Center of

Science and Industry (C-COSI). Each

demonstration will show how a form of energy

moves or changes some form of matter.

...fourth graders will begin a unit of inquiry into

how we organize ourselves in mid-March? We will

explore and investigate how entrepreneurs organize

resources and take risks to make a profit and

compete with other producers. Since many goods

and services people use depend on electricity and

heat, we will begin our study investigating these two

areas of physical science. Children will design and

conduct heat experiments. They will play, explore,

and build using an exciting, hands-on introduction

to electronics called Snap Pro Circuit Kits.

...fifth graders will be learning about how native

DID YOU KNOW...

First graders are continuing their learning of birth-

day celebrations and related vocabulary. Next they

will be moving on to weather words!

Second grade is working with sport/activity related

words. They will soon be learning about different

fairytales related to their IB unit.

Third graders are gearing up to learning about

transportation related vocabulary. We will also

discuss and explore the Pan American highway and

the Spanish speaking countries that it passes

through!

Fourth graders are having a great time learning

about foods from Spain and Latin America. We are

currently working with breakfast related vocabu-

lary words.

Fifth graders are exploring the worlds of the an-

cient Maya, Aztec and Incas in relation to their

homeroom IB unit. We will be making a grade lev-

el “Quipu” to learn about how the Incas communi-

cated over long distances without a written lan-

guage.

Sixth graders are concluding their study of Spanish

verbs and communication. We will begin small

group projects to create short news broadcasts. We

will be using a variety of vocabulary from previous

grade levels as a culminating review.

En La Clase de Español Señora Kristen Konya

cultures influence modern day systems and

technology as we inquire into the Where we are in

place & time” unit? We will be

learning about Native American

legends along with how the solar

system impacted their thinking. A

trip to the planetarium will be one

of our highlights!

...sixth graders are investigating how ancient

civilizations have expressed themselves? On March

8th

we will be inviting the community to visit our

Ancient Civilization Museum. We cannot wait to

see you there!

The Mystery Musician for February was Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). This German com-

poser wrote hundreds of works for organ, clavier, chorus, orchestra, and solo instruments. We

enjoyed “Little Fugue in G Minor,” The Coffee Cantata, “Bouree” from the third cello suite, and

the third movement of the second Brandenburg Concerto. We learned about organs and admired

the way an organist can play with hands AND feet.

On March 22, at 1:30, Opera Columbus will present “Jack and the Beanstalk” in the Cassingham Thea-

tre. This anti-bullying version of the story is being presented through a multicultural grant for all three ele-

mentary schools. During March, all of the students will learn the chorus parts to be sung from their seats in

the theatre. We thank the district for funding this performance. Miss Goodenow will be working with the

students on bullying issues brought up by this story and others.

On March 9, at 10:00 and 11:30 a.m., at the Lincoln Theatre, Jazz Arts Group will present a PBJ and Jazz

concert featuring the New Orleans sound of the New Basics Brass Band. This concert is designed for fami-

lies to attend together. Go to http://www.jazzartsgroup.org/jazz-academy/jazz-in-the-community/pbj-and-

jazz/ for more information.

Notes from the Music Room

by Mrs. Deborah Forsblom

Our Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart event was a

huge success! With donations still arriving on a dai-

ly basis, I am proud to say this year has been our

best year yet! Currently, 6th

grade and Hoops for

Heart donated $854.00, while grades 3, 4, and 5 par-

ticipated in Jump Rope for Heart and donated

$7,155.21 for a school total of

$8009.21! WOW! That is the most money we have

ever donated to the American Heart Association in

one year! All donations will be used for research on

heart disease and stroke. Thank you to everyone

for donating, jumping and shooting to benefit those

people who have either passed away or are current-

ly living with the effects of heart disease and

stroke. Our top donators are Evan Trabitz for

Hoops and Ryder Robins for Jump Rope. Thank

you Cassingham!

In The Gym With Ms. McCarthy

A Collage From Mrs. Ungar’s Art Room

Kindergarten students are making symmetrically

designed clay butterflies. Students experimented

with a variety of tools to stamp into the surface of

their clay creating wonderful textures inside of the

symmetrical shapes. These pieces will be glazed

with bright colors, just in time for spring!

First graders are studying non-objective art. Stu-

dents noticed how artists use lines, shapes and color

to express themselves. They’re painting a rainbow

colored background and cutting

out concentric circles from

brightly colored construction

paper, much like Wassily Kan-

dinsky’s well known circle

paintings.

SAFETY PATROL NEWS Mrs. Sonja Hutchison, Advisor

Please remember to wear appropriate clothing as

Ohio weather can change quickly! There is a cap-

tains’ meeting on Friday, March 8 and 5th

grade

patrol meeting on Friday, March 15; both meetings

will be held at 8:00 a.m. Special thanks to our flag

captains this month as they dutifully fulfill their re-

sponsibilities!

Sometimes (like last Friday!) our district uses One Call Now a mass notification sys-

tem, to send telephone and email messages to our community regarding school

events and/or cancellations. Here at Cassingham, I use the email notification system

more often that the telephone portion. Please check in with OneCallNow to ensure

that your information is up-to-date. You can manage the ways you are notified

through the OneCallNow website.by following these steps:

1. From the district website (http://www.bexleyschools.org) click on Parent/Student Info.

2. Under the Parents section, click the One Call Now link.

3. This will take you to the One Call Now page where you can enter your last name and phone number

and select Cassingham Elementary.

4. From that point, you’ll be asked to enter the phone numbers and/or email addresses you would acti-

vated by the One Call Now system. 5. If you prefer a text message to a voice message on your cell phone, send a text message to 22300 with a

one-word message: ALERT.

A Dose from the Health Office Joann Spain, R.N. & Katie Talbott, R.N.

We are seeing a lot of kids with

coughs and colds each day. As

you can imagine, the demand

for cough drops is huge and

we’re going through our supply

very quickly. If you know your

child has a cough/cold or sore throat, please send

along a few cough drops or throat lozenges with

him/her. Please remind your children that they

should not bring cough drops to school to share.

Please continue to encourage regular hand wash-

ing to prevent the spread of germs. Hopefully

spring is just around the corner.

Two reminders from the BEF:

1. Nominations for the 2013 Robert A. Glick Educator of the Year Award are due in the BEF office on

March 22nd. A nomination form is included in this newsletter.

2. Bexley Community Book Club rock concert at the LC Pavilion on Thursday, March 21! Tickets

$5.00; doors open at 7:00 p.m. Info available at www.bexleyeducationfoundation.org

Cassingham's numerous lunchtime clubs

are fun, help students connect with others

around a common interest, and may even

teach larger lessons. Check out this inter-

esting perspective:

"In an age when children are too often encouraged to become passive consumers who, (as Oscar Wilde once said about a cynic), “know the price of every-thing and the value of nothing,” learning to knit and engaging in other areas of handwork can be a power-ful way of bringing meaning into the child’s life. For the child who has gone through such a set of experi-ences, an item of clothing will not be merely a status symbol or a disposable mark of fashion; it will be a piece of embodied will activity, meant to be valued

and cared for. " - Discover Waldorf Education: Knit-ting and Intellectual Development

http://millennialchild.wordpress.com/article/

discover-waldorf-education-knitting-and-

110mw7eus832b-7/

Kathy Hayden & Mary Lynn Niland Advisors

The Cassingham Health and Wellness Committee is gearing up for an exciting and active Spring!

Two new student clubs are promoting healthy habits in our community:

The Cassingham Green Team started up again with enthusiastic students sharing great

ideas about collecting water bottles from the cafeteria and teachers' classrooms to be

used in creating art in the style of artist Aurora Robson. If you have a chance, go to

the Franklin Park Conservatory to see her beautiful arrangements she has constructed

from reclaimed water bottles and other plastics. Her exhibit runs until April 28. (http://

www.fpconservatory.org/The-Experience/Exhibitions/Current/Sacrifice-Bliss-Aurora-

Robson) Areas that the green team will focus on include recycling, walking/biking to

school more often, and providing input into the plans for revising the CS/MS Courtyard

area. Please tell your children to look for posters and other announcements about what

the green team will be doing in the next few months!

The Cassingham Running Club will be looking for runners and walkers! Right after Spring

Break, your children can tie up their laces to join the club. Meeting times will be twice

per week, days and time to be determined. We envision completing the inaugural season

with some healthy competition between our club and the Montrose and Maryland running

clubs, respectfully.

Look for more information soon regarding these new clubs via On Track, the Key Communica-

tor and the new Healthy Students, Healthy Earth informational board outside the Cassingham

office.

Finally, we would like to report that the “Try-It-Tuesday” continues to be a roaring success

at lunch time. Foods sampled this school year include blackberries, sweet potato fries and

radishes. Has anyone ever tried putting sliced radishes on a sandwich? One second grader

demonstrated this and we were thrilled to learn a delicious and healthy tip!

Please email cassyhealthandwellness@gmail.com if you have any questions about any of these

activities or if you are interested in volunteering. You don't have to commit to attending

every club meeting; any amount of help you can give will be greatly appreciated!