February begins our third grading period. Our students have an opportunity to take full advantage of full weeks of learning, due to limited school days off. For this reason, our students will be able to deepen their level of understand-ing as they engage in a consistent pattern of learning experiences. Building partnerships with our learning community is vital to our school’s suc-cess. These partnerships are developed as parents/sponsors volunteer in the classroom, chaperone field trips, and attend after-school events, to name a few. The Pierce Terrace faculty has hosted several after-school activities fo-cused on supporting student learning. We enjoy seeing our parents/sponsors as they engage in learning activities geared towards developing an under-standing of their child(ren)’s learning experience. In addition, our monthly Principal/Parent Forums serve as a tool to increase partnerships. Pierce Ter-race has scheduled our Principal Forum for February 15. We look forward to engaging in dialogue with our learning community members. Throughout this month, Pierce Terrace’s learning community will engage in many events and activities. Fort Jackson schools are hosting a STEM in the Gym event on February 5. Additionally, Fort Jackson schools have scheduled our annual Read Across America/DoDEA events during the week of February 24. We will celebrate Read Across America/DoDEA with activities such as Goodnight School, Author’s Tea, and Wacky Wednesday 5K. An informational flyer will be provided later in the month. Lastly, AdvanceEd will visit Pierce Terrace on February 26. AdvanceEd will be conducting a review of our school’s teaching and learning. Furthermore, sponsors/parents are invited to meet with the AdvanceED team on February 26, at 3:30 PM, in the multi-purpose room. An invitation will be forwarded to all families later in the month.

As always, continue to review the monthly newsletter and our school website for updated, school-related information. Pierce Terrace looks forward to working alongside our learning community as we continue to “Raise the Bar” this school year. Your continued support promotes a school climate neces-

sary for all students to experience a joyful and exciting learning environment.

Pierce Terrace Dragon Digest February 2019

Mark Your Calendars

COMMUNITY SUPERINTENDENT

Office Number: (912) 369-6691

Email Address:

Kathleen.Reiss@am.dodea.edu PRINCIPAL ’S CORNER

DR. RAYMOND BURK, PRINCIPAL

OFFICE PHONE: (803)782-1772 Email:

Raymond.burk@am.dodea.edu

Vision Statement: "Pierce Terrace Elementary School Positive, Tech Savvy, Empowered,

Successful Lifelong Learners

Feb. 05 STEM in the Gym (CCP)

5:00 PM

Feb. 15 Principal Forum @ 0900

Feb. 18 No School

President’s Day

Feb. 19 Dental Clinic

Classroom Visits

Feb. 20 Q3 Progress Reports Issued

Feb. 21 School Board Meeting

@ 1230 CCP

Feb. 22 Dental Clinic

Classroom Visits

Feb. 27 Hump Day 5K

Feb. 28 5:00 PM Reading

Prize Patrol

Feb. 24-28

Goodnight School

Feb. 24- Mar.01

Read Across America

PAGE 2

PIERCE TERRACE DRAGON DIGEST MUSIC NEWS

PK/PSCD NEWS

KINDERGARTEN January was a very busy but exciting month in Music! During the first week in January, students watched a video of their winter concert and complet-ed at least one self-

assessment to reflect on and critique their performance. Over the past few weeks, students have been learning about high/low pitch contrast, how to play the hand bells (brand new instruments at Pierce Terrace!), and how to sing and play the scale on their hand bells (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do). In addition, students have learned how to play The January Song, Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Mu-sic, and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star on the hand bells with the correct pitch and rhythm. In February, our focus will shift from pitch to another important musical element; rhythm and tempo. As part of our upcoming unit on rhythm and tempo, students will continue learning how to perform, read, and write rhythm patterns. Students will continue playing the conga drums and other percussion instruments such as the guiro, maracas, rhythm sticks, bon-gos, hand drums, and shakers to build their rhythmic profi-ciency.

First Grade

February is the shortest month but filled with many excited days!

February is Black History Month and Dental Health Month. We

also have Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, the 100 Day of School

and Read Across America Week! First grade teachers will be

sending home more information regarding upcoming events soon!

In Reading, we will be working on our Benchmark Advance Unit

5: Technology at Work. In this unit, students read and compare

selections about inventors and their inventions to understand how

technology is made and works.

This month in Math, we will be working on Unit 5: Place Value

and Comparison. Students will understand that a 2-digit number

is composed of tens and ones. They will practice mentally adding

and subtracting ten from a number. They should be able to count,

read, and write numbers to 120 and compare two 2-digit numbers

using the <,>, or = symbols.

In Social Studies we will be studying History. Students will com-

pare and contrast everyday life in different times and places

around the world and recognize that some aspects of people, plac-

es, and things change over time while others stay the same. In

Science, we will be continuing our unit on Sound and Light.

The Pre-K Department con-

cluded studies on “Clothing”

by having our school nurse, a

firefighter and a police officer

visit our classrooms. Pre-K

students enjoyed their visit

and enjoyed asking questions

about the uniform they wore.

Our Buildings’ Unit is currently underway. So far stu-

dents have enjoyed learning about buildings in their

neighborhood (Fort Jackson) through a Power Point

Presentation. As we study buildings, we will learn con-

cepts and skills in science, social studies, literacy, math,

the arts, and technology. We will also use thinking skills

to investigate, ask questions, solve problems, make pre-

dictions, and test our ideas.

The Buildings Study includes five investigations aimed at

exploring buildings. The investigations offer children an

opportunity to learn more about the characteristics and

features of buildings, the people who build them, and

the role buildings play in our communities.

Hello from your KINDER FAB5! Happy February! Winter is here

and with temperatures as low as 30 degrees, please remember to

send your child to school in warm clothing along with a jacket, hat,

and gloves. Themes this month include Groundhog’s, Valentine’s,

and President’s Day. We will also have information shared with us

regarding Dental Health. We will celebrate the 100th day of school

on Friday, February 22, 2019. Please look for more information to

be shared later this month.

Here is an overview of the major topics covered this month:

ELA/Reading: Informational text with emphasizes on text features,

summarizing texts, as well as making and confirming predictions

Word Recognition: Please continue to practice on the kindergarten

sight words. We will continue to reinforce them daily. Encourage

your child to use these words when they write so they can spell

them independently.

Writing: Students draw and write about a topic. We will continue

to focus on: capital letters to begin sentences, punctuation, spacing,

letter formation as well as correct spelling of sight words

Math: Comparing numbers, fluently counting to 100 by ones and

tens

Science: Physical science

Social Studies: Locations, Places (Maps/Globes), Environment

PIERCE TERRACE ATTENDANCE DATA

STEM

ART NEWS

News from the Counselor

PAGE 3

PIERCE TERRACE DRAGON DIGEST

STEM (S=Science, T=Technology, E=Engineering, M=Math) students learned how snow and snowflakes form, listened to “Snowmen at Night” and then created their own snowman scene, learned how paper is made and how we can save trees by recy-cling paper, made snowflakes (no two looked alike), and began the first steps of coding – giv-ing the com-puter direc-tions. This month we began learn-ing about shadows in our new center-based STEM class. We will continue to learn, dis-cover and create in STEM! Nancy Reichert nancy.reichert@am.dodea.edu

THE MAGIC of LINES Our PT Dragon artists have been hard at work practicing drawing with simple LINES. If you visit PT you can see the posted drawings done by Kinder and 1st graders. These drawings were completed without tracing, but rather us-ing observation skills and knowledge of the seven LINES that they have been learning over the past month. This is the first step to learning how to draw what is observed. Students were very surprised at how accurately they were drawing! By focusing on the process of drawing LINES, many students forgot to be overwhelmed, a feel-

ing that often affects emerging artists. Wait till you see the pro-gress our artists have made and the next steps they will take in this journey.

Happy February!

Pierce Terrace kicked off their Positive Behavior Program last

month. Our Positive Behavior Program (PBP) is based on an

understanding of why problem behaviors occur. Our PBP will

apply evidence-based strategies and systems to assist our

school’s academic performance, improve safety, decrease

problem behavior, and establish a positive school climate.

The Positive Behavior Program is a school-wide system of

support that includes proactive strategies for defining, teach-

ing, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create a

positive school learning environment. The goal of our PBP is

to support teaching and learning environments that are effi-

cient, relevant, effective, and durable. Teaching positive be-

havior is more effective than punishing negative behavior.

Positive rewarding of appropriate behaviors is emphasized

through Dragon Dollars, positive referrals, monthly/weekly

rewards, school-wide recognition and verbal reinforcement.

Our PBP brochure will be distributed this month so be sure to

look out for it!

If you have any questions, please feel free to stop by and visit

the school counseling office!

Pre-K3 Pre-K

Kindergarten1st

Total

84%

86%

88%

90%

92%

94%

96%

98%

Pierce Terrace Attendance Data

A Word from the Nurse PIERCE TERRACE DRAGON DIGEST

PAGE 4

Be sure that your contact information is current and up to date at the

office in case of an emergency.

Reminder, if you child has been sent home from school

with a fever, DoDEA policy states that a child must be fever free

(temperature less than 100°) for 24 hours WITHOUT Tylenol or

Motrin. Unfortunately, many children return to school the day after

they have been sent home with 100°+ temps. These children are still

potentially infectious and they will be sent back home. Please help us

protect our large population from the spread of all infectious occur-

rences.

Routine screenings for vision, hearing, dental and scoliosis will be

occurring in the next few months for your child. If you do not hear or

receive any information, it is safe to assume that your child is within

normal limits.

Please have an extra change of clothes in your child’s book

bag that is appropriate for the weather. Accidents happen

all the time and your child will appreciate it.

Sleep is an important activity that is required by the body. It provides

us with many benefits and fortunately doesn't take a lot of effort. Un-

fortunately, it is an activity we often chose to sacrifice in order to do

something else. Doing this impacts us in many negative ways.

When you're tired you're likely to feel moody and have trouble get-

ting along with your family and friends. You may not look or feel

your best. You are likely to have trouble staying focused and remem-

bering things, so you may not do very well on tests and assignments

and you may forget important information and dates. Feeling tired

also decreases your energy and stamina, so just getting through your

day can be challenging. How well you do in sports is impacted and

physical activity suffers. Lack of sleep can also lead to a shorter

lifespan. It can increase stress and inflammation in addition to putting

the safety of you and those around you at risk. For example, if you

drive when you're sleep deprived you may be just as impaired as if

your blood alcohol level was 0.08% (which is the legal limit in all 50

states). Being tired may also cause you to eat more food, especially

unhealthy choices like fried foods or sweets, causing you to gain

weight. Luckily by simply getting the sleep you need you can help to

avoid all this.

Everyone is an individual and the amount of sleep needed varies from

person to person. Sleep needs also vary depending on your age, health

and lifestyle. Below is a chart of general recommendations you can

use as a guide. Average Sleep Needs by Age Newborn to 2 months

old 12 - 18 hrs, 3 months to 1 year old 14 - 15 hrs, 1 to 3 years old

12 - 14 hrs, 3 to 5 years old 11 - 13 hrs, 5 to 12 years old 10 – 11,

hrs 12 to 18 years old 8.5 - 10 hrs and Adults (18+) 7.5 - 9 hrs.

You can find out the amount of sleep you need by paying attention to

how you feel. If you feel alert and energetic throughout the day

you’re likely getting enough sleep. Note how many hours you needed

to feel this good and aim to get them consistently. Just remem-

ber that there is a big difference between functioning at your

best and just getting through the day.

No drinks or pills can replace good sleep and properly catching

up on sleep often requires more than just sleeping late on the

weekends, which is just a short term fix. When we lose sleep we

build up a "sleep debt" and in order to decrease this debt we

need to pay it down gradually. A smaller sleep debt (less than 10

hours) can be replaced 1-2 hours at a time, by going to bed earli-

er at night or sleeping a little later when possible. Naps can also

help you get some extra rest, but if you nap for too long or too

close to bedtime it can actually disrupt your schedule and nega-

tively impact your sleep. Larger sleep debts take a little more

effort as your entire sleep schedule will likely need to be reset.

Two weeks of consistent bedtimes and waking up on your own

(without an alarm) is the way to find a sleep schedule that works

for you and digs you out of debt.

To avoid sleep debt practice good sleep habits. Go to sleep and

get up at the same times every day, even on the weekends. Start

and maintain a sleep routine that helps you to relax and begins at

least an hour before you'd like to fall asleep. Avoid watching TV,

using the computer and playing video games close to bedtime.

Stop eating 2-3 hours before going to sleep and avoid caffeine

and chocolate. Keep your room dark, quiet and cool (< 70 de-

grees F is recommended). These measures should help you to

fall asleep and stay asleep. When you do miss out on sleep re-

place it promptly before your debt builds. As with anything too

much sleep has risks as well, so don’t overdo it. Listen to your

body! Make sleep a priority and don’t put it off until everything

else is done. If you create and maintain positive sleeping habits

you should find you feel pretty good, but if you don’t be sure to

discuss it further with your doctor. Sweet dreams!

Several students have food allergies, please be consid-

erate when sending food to school with your child.

Allergic reactions to food allergens are life-

threatening. Food allergens that are affected by our

students at this time are: Cashews, Strawberries, Shell-

fish, Tree nuts, Eggs, Soy, Red dye, Pears, Seafood, and

Citrus.

Should you have questions, feel free to call the school nurse at

803-782-1772 or email at lorraine.emory@am.dodea.edu

Parents,

Please help us to keep you, students and staff members safe by not parking illegally in the lower parking lot of Pierce Terrace Elementary School. The buses cannot safely enter and exit when cars are parked along the curbs and in other illegal locations in the parking lot. Please remember that students, staff members and parents are also attempting to safely walk to the crossing guard loca-tion.

1. Please only use the designated parking spaces. Do not park along the curbs.

2. Please do not "block" any of the buses by parking be-hind or too close to them (designated parking spaces on-ly). 3. Do not move any of the safety cones.

Arrival and dismissal times can be hectic. Your patience is appreciated in advance. Thank you for helping with our safety concern.

Additionally please do not allow your student(s) to

come to school (car rider or walker) before 7:30 AM

daily. Staff members are not available to provide

supervision until this time. Breakfast service begins

at 7:30 AM. Students who are not eating breakfast

go to the cafeteria at 7:30 AM.., where they will be

supervised by staff and their teacher will go down

and pick them up to take them to the classroom at

7:55 AM. All students will need to arrive to school

by 8:00 AM. Those arriving after 7:55 AM will not

have access to breakfast.

Early dismissals are granted until the last thirty (30)

minutes of the school day. School ends at 2:45 PM

on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, so

early dismissals are granted until 2:15 PM. The

school day ends at 1:40 PM each Thursday and

early dismissals are granted until 1:05 PM.

Please ensure that you have listed several persons

who can pick up your child in the event of an emer-

gency. The school cannot release students to per-

sons who are not listed as emergency contact/pick-

up for your child. For the safety of your child, the

school cannot take changes in transportation by

phone. However, parents may send a not with stu-

dents or an email to either feli-

What do I do if my Kiss&Ride tag is lost or broken? Kiss & Ride tags/numbers that are lost or broken will need to be replaced. Currently, the office staff is discussing strategies to fin-ish the school year using the numbers re-maining. Coincidentally, duplicate numbers have been distributed between both Fort Jackson schools. As a result, the office staff is having difficulty assigning numbers to new families and providing tags to families who have lost their Kiss & Ride tag. In the meantime, sponsors/parents are to visit the office registrar if a Kiss & Ride tag has been lost or damaged.

SAFETY AND SUPERVISON PARENT FORUM—FAQ

PIERCE TERRACE DRAGON DIGEST

PAGE 5

FITNESS CHALLENGE

To be physically fit, you need to be more than just strong. Muscle strength only gets you so far. Flexibility, balance and cardio-vascular (aerobic) fitness all also need to be addressed. That’s why participating in a va-riety of activities is best. It challenges differ-ent muscles, positions and endurance. Most kids do this naturally when they play, less so when focusing on one sport. Encourage a diverse set of games and sports to ensure they are truly fit!

PAGE 6

PIERCE TERRACE DRAGON DIGEST

Speech News

An important point to keep in mind when your child is receiv-

ing speech and language services is the value of practicing

sounds at home. There are everyday strategies that can be in-

corporated into a child’s daily routine to boost their speech and

language skills. In this post, we will focus on articulation.

Articulation: These strategies are intended for parents of stu-

dents who have difficulty saying certain sounds.

1. If you cannot understand a word or phrase and you have

asked them to repeat themselves, it might help to ask your

child to show you or say it in a different way.

2. If your child’s response contains a known sound error, it’s

important to repeat what your child said with an appropriate

model. For example, if your child says ‘nak’ for snake, you

would say, “Oh, you want the snake.” This way you are not

focusing on the error, but providing an appropriate model.

3. If you hear a consistent speech sound error, you can use

written text to increase the child’s ability to see, hear, and be

aware of that sound. For example, read a story that repeats that

sound in the words of the story and have them help you “find”

all the “g-words” on a page.

4. Reading aloud and keying into the words with the sound is

very important.

5. Associate the sound with an object, action, or noise to help

practice it in a fun way.

6. Develop a secret code with the sound to use at home.

7. Play “I’m thinking of a word that starts with: st, sp,

thr,” (identify pictures in books).

8. Make matching picture cards with the sounds to play Go

Fish, Memory or Lotto.

9. Find objects with the sound/ start a collection.

10. Play “I’m thinking of a word that starts (or ends) with

______(make the sound).

Here are some examples of books that focus on spe-

cific sounds:

F SOUND

FAMILY by Helen Oxenbury

FEELINGS by Aliki

FINDERS KEEPERS by Will and Nicholas

Mordvinoff

A FARMER'S ALPHABET by Mary Axariun

THE FOOT BOOK by Dr. Seuss

THE FOOLISH FROG by Pete and Charles Seeger

FIVE LITTLE FOXES AND THE SNOW by Tony

Johnston

ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, BLUE FISH by

Dr. Seuss

FIX-IT by David McPhail

GONE FISHING by Earlene Long

THE LITTLE FUR FAMILY by Margaret Wise

Brown

K SOUND

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR by Eric

Carle

CROSS COUNTRY CAT by Mary Calhoun

CAPS FOR SALE by Esphyr Slobodkina

CATS AND CANARY by Michael Foreman

CAN I KEEP HIM by Steven Kellogg

Provide doctor/parent notes to clear any unexcused absences.

Student contact information changes can be made directly with the Registrar

during school hours.

Sponsor duty phone number and unit changes can be made directly with the

Registrar during school hours.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Note. The graph represents average scores for each grade level regarding assessments administered as of January 25, 2019. Eighty (80) percent is considered proficient.

Note. The graph represents average scores for each grade level regarding assessments administered as of January 25,

2019. Eighty (80) percent is considered proficient..