FLIPPEN FALCON NEWS

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December/January 2016

Flippen Elementary Newsletter

Personalized Learning @ Flippen Elementary

We are excited to announce that Flippen Elementary School has

been selected to take part in the Henry County Schools Personalized

Learning Grant. This is a three year process in which we will be re-

searching programs to improve instruction at Flippen Elementary

School. Teachers from Flippen will be researching new programs,

visiting other schools, and implementing programs to prepare our stu-

dents not only for school, but for their lives after school. Our mission

is simply “Focusing on Learning for Every Student”. Each student

possesses a unique set of gifts, abilities, talents, and preferred learn-

ing styles. We value those unique differences and strive to facilitate

student growth by providing opportunities for students to interact with

the curriculum using a variety of methods and strategies including:

differentiated instruction, station teaching, technology, STEM activi-

ties, and project based learning. We believe students should take

ownership of their own learning by having a voice and a choice.

The vision for FLES is to allow students to develop the skills needed

to become their own educational advocate. When students leave Flip-

pen Elementary they will be able to set SMART goals for themselves

and create an action plan to reach those goals. They will have the

critical thinking skills needed to realistically set long and short term

life goals. They will be able to communicate and collaborate with oth-

ers to reach their goals. Our students will be able to look at the data

provided during progress-monitoring to refine their goals and action

plans. All Math and ELA/writing instruction will be based on standard

mastery, not grade level. Students will be able to move to the next

competency when mastery is achieved. Science and social studies

will be taught during Discovery Block. This content will be taught the-

matically during this block. Students will pick which themes to study

during the block. Once they master the standards for their grade lev-

el, they will be able to revisit a theme to gain more in-depth

knowledge on their topics of interest or accelerate to a higher stand-

ard.

Message From The Principal

In addition to content instruction, we will allow a time each day for stu-

dents to learn and participate in a STEM project based learning oppor-

tunity of their choice. This time will be called PBL/STEM Cells. During

PBL/STEM Cells, every student is empowered to explore their own

passion. PBL/STEM Cells will allow students to explore their own ideas

and encourage creativity in the classroom. It will provide students a

choice in what they learn during a set period of time. PBL/STEM Cells

will provide opportunities in all five personalized learning tenets.

Personalized Learning Tenets: Learning experiences for all students are tailored

to their individual developmental needs, skills and interest. Personalized learning in

HCS will include the following tenets:

Learner Profiles including Personalized Learning Plans: captures individual

skills, gaps, strengths, weaknesses, interests & aspirations of each student.

Each student has learning goals & objectives. Learning experiences are di-

verse and matched to the individual needs of students.

Competency-Based Learning: multiple instructional delivery approaches that

continuously optimize available resources in support of student learning. Con-

tinually assesses student progress against clearly defined standards & goals.

Students advance based on demonstrated mastery of defined competencies.

Technology-Enabled: students will receive a mix of face-to-face and digitally-

enabled instruction.

Authentic/Project-Based Learning: inspiring a culture of creators and achiev-

ers who synthesize information from many sources while engaging in real-

world problem-solving.

Focus on 21st Century Skills (specifically, communication, collaboration, cre-

ativity and critical thinking/problem-solving): fostering and measuring

student growth with regard to these behaviors in order to better prepare stu-

dents for college and career post-secondary endeavors.

We are very excited about the opportunity we have to make a positive

impact on our students’ education. We have hard work ahead. We are

drawing our own map as we go, so we ARE going to make some wrong

turns. We are also going to do great things! We appreciate the support

from all of you and encourage your participation along the way. Please

contact Ms. Lisa Henriquez (project manager), Dr. Toni Obenauf

(principal), or Ms. Shannon Daniel (assistant principal) for more infor-

mation, concerns, or questions. Once we are able, we will plan parent

meetings.

Toni L. M. Obenauf, Ed. D.

Congratulations

Students of the Month for

November and January

Pre– K News

Pre-K students at Flippen Elementary are working on indi-

vidual goals and objectives and exploring Kindergarten

standards on a daily basis.

Mrs. Banks and Mrs. Buhai are busy with testing the stu-

dents, meeting with the special education coordinators and

parents in order to make placement decisions for students

that will be going to Kindergarten for the 2016-2017 school

year.

We are learning about Winter time and we count and make

patterns using snowflakes, mittens and polar bears. We find

the same and different, and sort items by various attributes .

Our students are really improving on tracing shapes, num-

bers, letters of the alphabet and their own names. Social

skills and following the daily routine in the classroom are

closely monitored in the pre-k classes. Our bulletin boards

demonstrate all the hard work that pre-k students put in their

art projects.

Our students enjoyed “The Mitten” by Jan Brett and“ Tacky

the penguin” by Helen Lester and they graphed their favor-

ite winter activity.

Inclusion is going great and our students are excited to par-

ticipate in Music, Art, and PE classes with their Kindergarten

peers.

The Pre-K Team

We have been busy down in Kindergarten!

In January, we celebrated the 100th Day of School.

That means the kids are over half way to going to 1st grade!

Isn't that exciting?

Since we are on our way to the end of the year, please remem-

ber that all of the extra practice and homework that you do at

home contributes to your child's success. The Kindergarten

team appreciates all the time and effort that you put into their

school success.

Coming up in February, we will be studying President's Day,

polar animals, and important people in Black

History. We will also be finishing up our measurement unit in

math and beginning addition.

Congratulations to our Students of the Month:

Mrs. Holland– Brianna Sweatman

Mrs. Ruffin– Nathalie Batalla-Arrendo

Ms. Shepherd– Katherine Lee

Mrs. Williams– Josiah Normil

Mrs. Wooley - Selina Burge

First graders are on the move!! We are excited about working on in-class Project

Based Learning projects where the students are working together to design and

build various things using the standards. The students’ first project was to create

a mitten using a variety of materials collected from donations. They were really

proud of their ideas and finished product. In social studies, students are begin-

ning to learn about American Heroes, Lewis and Clark with Sacagawea. The

next hero we will learn about is Harriett Tubman. Students also are currently

learning about measuring and time in mathematics. However, we will be soon

exploring shapes and fractions. In language arts, students are learning about

sentence structure and grammar concepts along with writing informational pie-

ces. In science we are exploring and investigating the many uses of magnets.

Be sure to ask your first grader all about their Project Based Learning in-class

projects. Students are doing a great job working together to design and build

their desired product.

Students of the Month :

Ms. Craig- - KeAjah Petty

Mrs. Fitterer - - Seth Evans

Mrs. Harris – – Zion Morris

Mrs. Patterson- - Kaylin Raimi

…”We have a dream…” that all second graders will succeed. Second grade is in the middle of their Famous Americans research project. We are so ex-cited to present our projects to our classes and learn more about MLK, Jr., honest Abe, the Underground Railroad conductor, Harriet Tubman, and so many others. We continue to review addition and subtraction facts and are beginning two digit regrouping. We will begin units on Polar Bears and Jack-ie Robinson with our reading and writing lessons… we will ‘RACE’ on through.

Your child is currently participating in ‘ClassDojo’. The goal is to maintain a 75% in his/her account. At the end of the 9 week period, if they maintain this goal, your child will be invited to attend a Dojo celebration.

Please continue to read with your child nightly. This will help them achieve their fluency and comprehension goals. Also, continue to review your child’s school work every evening as this will better prepare him/her for success in not only the present, but for their future as well.

Students of the Month:

Ms. Henderson– Cohen Polk

Ms. Olson-Bradly Fredriksen

Mrs. Persaud– Kingston Prophet

Mrs. Thurmond– Sara Gao

Ms. Wainwright-Richelle Batalla -Arredondo

Hundred Day Fun!!!

“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself!” That’s what Franklin Delano Roosevelt said back when he was president! Third graders are learning about many different heroes who made a difference for the United States of America! We will be studying about Eleanor Roosevelt, Thurgood Marshall, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Caesar Chavez in the near future. Parents, please en-courage your children to read on a nightly basis. Just 15 minutes of reading aloud at night will make a big differ-ence with their reading fluency and accuracy. It will also help build reading comprehension skills if you ask ques-tions about the books after hearing your child(ren) read.

Third grade has also been studying and training to become experts of multiplication and division concepts in math. We have been rolling up our sleeves and practic-ing daily. We are moving on now and are studying about geometry. Third Graders will continue to expand their training by learning about fractions, perimeter and area, time and measurement in the near future. Parents can help support our trainees by practicing with them for 5 to 10 minutes daily.

Well, it seems as if the cold weather is here to stay. The third grade thought this would be a great time to learn about how animals adapt to this cold weather in science. The third graders will learn about the various habitats and the adaptations each one uses to survive.

Students of the Month:

Mrs. Allen - Milan Rookwood

Ms. King– Taylor Engram

Mrs. Palmer– Tanner Jolley

Mrs. Shell– Kenadie Ray

Mrs. Wiernicki– Ronnie Hackler

Thank you, parents and guardians, for continuing to help us encourage RAD behaviors at Flippen Elementary School. Please remember to check your child’s agenda daily, use the email system to contact us, and keep track of grades by using the Infinite Campus parent portal and the Tuesday folders. With your continued support, our students can achieve great suc-cess. Our fourth graders are working towards mastery of a number of standards. We’re currently working on: Math: Our fractions unit is full of information for students. As we study, stu-dents will be expected to:

- understand representations of simple fractions - compare fractions with different numerators and denominators - understand the concept of mixed numbers - add/subtract fractions with common denominators - add/subtract mixed numbers with common denominators - convert mixed numbers to improper fractions and improper frac-

tions to mixed numbers - solve word problems involving multiplication of a fraction by a

whole number There are many options on teachers’ webpages to practice these con-cepts. Science: Our new unit will focus on Force and Motion. Students will demonstrate the relationship between the application of a force and the re-sulting change in position and motion on an object. We will use different size objects in order to observe how force affects speed and motion. The students will also identify simple machines and explain their uses (lever, pulley, wedge, inclined plane, screw, wheel and axle). Social Studies: We are learning about America’s beginnings and the Con-stitution. We are beginning to understand how government works. Reading/Writing/ELA: We have been working on research! We are learning how to use sources to write an informational paper. At the end of this re-search paper, we will create a presentation. Ask us about how we’re doing! Students of the Month for January: Ms. Bennett: Ammy Martinez Mrs. Floyd: Jorge Gomez Mrs: Marquez: Brandon Rochon Mrs. McKee: Mahil Patel Ms. Wilson: Ryan Sanabria

As some would ask, “Where did the time go?” Half of the year is gone and your

child’s elementary years are almost over. It has been a treat to watch them grow

and blossom.

Speaking of the end of the year, the end of the year celebration is quickly ap-proaching. Please become a part of the committees and attend the meetings. Your participation is a MUST in order for it to be successful!!

Students have enjoyed learning about the “Roaring Twenties”. They were amused by the “Talkie” and could not wait to get home to see if you were familiar with it. In addition, they learned the dances and music of the 20s; some of them can really “cut a rug”! We are currently learning about World War II and will begin a ce-real box project; LOOK OUT FOR MORE DETAILS TO COME!!!

If your child has become quite the expert with convincing you; !!! We have been working on persuasive writing and how

to persuade others in an effective way. Students are also modeling decimal num-bers with different operations and working with fractions. Please encourage your child to participate in “First in Math” daily for this will enhance their math skills. In ad-dition, remind students that they should be reading at least 30 minutes daily and to record their time read on their reading log.

Reminders: The next payment for Driftwood is February 5th Last payment for Driftwood is March 4th (LAST DAY FOR REFUNDS) Yearbooks are on sale

Thank you for all of your support! Together we make an AWESOME team!

Anye Crawley Jessie Hackler Dominic Kellings Aastha Mishra Venel Normil Sarah Shuttlesworth

FLE is proud to be a No Place for Hate® school for the past several years.

When you enter the school’s main foyer and the gym, No Place for Hate

banners are displayed showing the efforts of the school in developing a cli-

mate that is committed to stopping bullying and forming biases. We will pro-

ceed with our No Place For Hate Campaign as we come together, school

wide, to continue our activities that show we have No Place for Hate. To

help support our efforts, the counseling department will be selling No Place

for Hate t-shirts. Orders will be submitted monthly. Order forms can be

turned in with the money by the following dates: February 5th, March 3

rd,

March 31st, and April 28

th. Order forms are available on the school website

and at the end of this newsletter. Remember—“Love is Louder Than Bully-

ing” No Place for Hate T– Shirt order forms are available on our school website. You can preview the samples in our front lobby. Please order yours now!!

Media Center News

Our theme for this spring’s book fair is “Feeling Groovy” and the stu-

dents are feeling groovy as they make their purchases. I want to say

“Thanks” to our parents because they always ensure our success in

reaching our goal of selling more than 1000 books. The book fair ends

February 5th at 11:00 am. There will be a late night sale on February

4th, our PTO night. Our administrators have yet another grand surprise

planned for our students! I think it’s the best one yet because this partic-

ular surprise has brought our staff closer together as we prepare for it.

We encourage parents and students to visit our online book fair through

February 22, 2016 to continue purchasing books for themselves and to

help their teachers build their classroom libraries.

Additionally, the due date for Six Flags Read to Succeed forms is Febru-

ary 12th. To receive a free Six Flags ticket, students must document

having read 360 minutes or six hours by the aforementioned date.

Happy Reading!

Thank you for your continued support!

It is the second half of the year and we are in full speed

ahead mode. All the grade levels have been doing great.

Coming up in P.E. we have SLO testing for our Kindergarten-

ers and First graders. The SLO test consists of the students

showing me that each one of them can perform four different

movement skills. These skills are walking, skipping, galloping,

and running. They must be able to show the proper form and

technique of each one of these movements. The students all

did these movements earlier in the year so we are looking for

improvement in these areas.

The third, fourth, and fifth graders will be partaking in Fit-

nessGram testing. This type of testing consists of taking the

students height and weight. Then they must perform four dif-

ferent physical activities which are push-ups, curl-ups, sit and

reach (shows their flexibility) and the last task is the 20 Meter

Pacer test (endurance running). Results from the Fit-

nessGram will be sent home with each student later in the

school year. We work on different aspects of the FitnessGram

with our daily exercises.

2015-2016 BETA Club

The new members of the Flippen Elementary Beta club were inducted

during a ceremony on January 14, 2016. Congratulations to the following

students

Officers

Members

Asa Agedah

Eres David

Kayla Davis

Daniel Harvey

Karel Jno-Charles

Arnav Katikaneni

Chace Missouri

Morgan Milbry

Camille Miller

Prisha Patel

Diya Rao

Mia Riddick

Caleb Robinson

Sarah Bellagat- President

Kennedy Collins– Vice President

Tara Tiamiyu– Secretary

Evan McIntyre - Treasurer

Alyse Harrell - Chaplain

Nasir Mayhew- Photographer

Flippen Science Fair Winners

The following students received Best In Show at the Flip-pen Science Fair. They represented Flippen Elementary at the Henry County Science Fair. Eres David - Second Place Henry County Science Fair Emily Patterson - Second Place Henry County Science Fair Caleb Robinson - Second Place Henry County Science Fair Moses Barnes - Third Place Henry County Science Fair

Referrals for Gifted Education Testing

Please use the link on the TAG web page to refer your child for Gifted Testing. Please note that not all students referred will be tested. The Gifted Eligibility Team will collect data on the student to determine if fur-ther testing is needed. There are several tests to be administered to determine eligibility.

Gifted Testing Criteria Description To be eligible for gifted education services, a student must either (a) score at the 99

th percentile (for grades K-2) or the 96

th percentile (for grades 3-12) on

the composite or full scale score of a standardized test of mental ability and meeting of the achievement criteria described below, or (b) qualify through a multiple-criteria assessment process by meeting the criteria on any three of the following four areas: mental ability 96% (intelligence), achievement 90%, creativity 90%, and motivation 90%. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to contact Lisa Henriquez at lhenriquez@henry.k12.ga.us.

So get yours today

before it’s too late!!!

$25.00

Great Job! BAM Winners

For the month of November, December and Janu-

ary

November Winners

K – Shepherd

1st – Fitterer

2nd – Olson

3rd – King

4th – McKee

5th – Oravetz

December Winners

K– Holland

1st – Patterson

2nd – Persaud

3rd – Palmer

4th – Floyd

5th – Wood

January Winners

K– Shepherd

1st – Fitterer

2nd – Henderson

3rd – Palmer

4th – Floyd

5th – Oravetz

Upcoming Dates:

Tuesday, Feb. 2nd– 5th grade parents meeting at 6:30pm

Thursday, Feb. 4th - PTO meeting hosted by 1st Grade– 6:00

to 7:30pm The Book Fair will be opened until 7:30pm

Friday, Feb. 5th– $1.00 Hat Day for the 5th grade Driftwood

Trip

Wednesday, Feb. 10th– Beta Club meeting –2:30-3:30pm

Friday, Feb. 12th - School Council meeting - 8:30-9:30am

Friday, Feb. 12th - Flippen Children’s Ball at Eagle’s Land-

ing Country Club– 6:00– 9:00pm

February Break - February 15th - 19th

Monday, Feb. 22nd– Professional Learning Day - No school

for students. Students return to school on Tuesday, Feb.

23rd

Wednesday, Feb. 24th - Student of the Month Breakfast

Tuesday, March 2nd– Student Led Conferences - 5:30–

7:00pm

Friday, March 5th– $1.00 Hat Day for Driftwood Trip

Wednesday, March 9th - Beta Club meeting 2:30-3:30pm

Thursday, March 10th - Spring Pictures

Friday, March 11th– Grade Period Ends

Friday, March 18th - Falcon Buck Celebrations

K-2 celebration - 9:50 - 10:40am in Cafeteria

3-5th celebration– 1:00-2:00pm in the Gym

Thursday, March 24th - Skate Night at Starlite 5:30-8:00pm

March 28th - April 1st– Flippen Mini Relay Week

Wednesday, March 30th– Student of the Month Breakfast