THE INDIAN INFORMERApril 2017 Page 1

News from the Principals

Principal: Kim GreenwayAssistant Principal: Donna Stapleton

Hello Parents, Students, and Friends, We are so excited that spring is here! We are hoping for some sunny, warm weather this week. This will be another busy month here at

school. Please continue to encourage and help your child with all he or she is learning. As you know, we have been working hard all year to learn as much as we can! Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders will be taking the Writing

portion of the TNReady assessment on Wednesday, APRIL 19. Then, a few weeks later, the TNReady assessments will be coming up. Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders will be taking these assessments May 1 – 5. Our second graders will also be taking the 2nd grade assessment that week. We are excited for our students to “show all they know!” These tests are very important as they show strengths and areas of challenge for students both individually and as grade levels. Students will need to be present and well rested EVERY day of the tests in order to do the best job possible on these assessments. It is also especially important for students to be on time during testing. Thank you for your cooperation and support in helping our students realize the importance of doing the best job possible each day. Please help by making sure they are in bed on time and have a great outlook about taking the test. With your help, the best kids ever, and a positive “can-do” attitude, we know we will see great results on these assessments.

Round Up for incoming Pre K and Kindergarten students will be April 13. Please look for information about this on our school website. Another important date is April 27, when we will have a “Students and Parents: Strategies and Performance” night here at school. We will begin with Testing Strategies from 5:00-5:30; then take a break to eat some pizza; then at 6:00, our Music Club will be presenting a performance. We look forward to seeing many of you here for this great night!

Individual Spring Pictures will be taken on April 11. Look for information about this (along with a pre-pay envelope) in your child’s folder, and remind them to wear a smile! Please remember that there will be no school on April 14 and 17. We hope everyone will enjoy this special time with families and friends. Check the bottom of this page for other important dates to mark on your calendars.

We have made so much progress here at Loudon Elementary this school year! Thank you, parents, students, and all our staff for working together to grow and learn. Please remember to set aside 15 minutes each day to read with your child. Reading is one of the first keys to success. Thank you for all you do, parents! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, suggestions or compliments, please call or come by. We talk about being “bucket fillers” with our students every day, and we have some of the kindest kids around! Thank you for teaching your child to be kind to others – this is so important in all aspects of life. We know that together we are working every day to help everyone at Loudon Elementary remember to “do the next right thing.”

Together for education, Kim Greenway

Donna Stapleton

Inside this Issue1 News from the Principals and Important Dates2 PreK, Kindergarten, First and Second Grade News 3 Third, Fourth and Fifth Grade News4 Lunch Menu

Important Dates to Remember

April 11 – Spring PicturesApril 13 – Pre-K & Kindergarten Round-UpApril 14-17 – Easter BreakApril 19 – Writing Assessment Grades 3,4,5April 27 – Students & Parents: Strategies and Performance

Loudon Elementary Expectations: Be responsible. Be respectful. Be safe.

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April is National Poetry Month

Pre-K NewsWe have had a wonderful time learning about zoo

animals in Pre-K! We even wrote our own books about our favorite zoo animal.

In April we will be learning about farm animals and plants. Please check our weekly newsletters for more information. Pre-K and Kindergarten round up will be April 13th from 8:00-3:00. Current pre-k and K students will not attend school that day. We will send home their packets to send back to school. Also don’t forget: No school April 14th and 17th for the Easter Holiday. Spring flowers bring more than showers; they also bring the sniffles. Please help us out by sending Kleenex; we are almost out Thank you

Kindergarten NewsApril will be a busy month in Kindergarten. We will be

hunting eggs on Tuesday, April 11th. In preparation for this, please send in one dozen hardboiled eggs on Friday, April 7th. On Wednesday, April 12th, we will be taking our spring field trip to the Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga. Your child should have brought home additional information, including the permission slip, concerning this trip. Please complete and return all necessary paperwork to your child’s teacher as soon as possible. Pre-K and Kindergarten students will not come to school on Thursday, April 13th. The Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers will be registering new students for the 2017-2018 school year.

We will begin working on subtraction in math. We will also continue to learn about counting, identifying, and writing numbers to 100. In reading, we will be learn how to compare texts and characters. Please continue to complete the nightly homework with your child, making sure to read every night.

As always, thank you for your continued support and everything you do to help your child be successful.

First Grade News First grade had a wonderful trip to the zoo with beautiful

weather. We saw many of the animals that we have been learning about and some new ones, too. There were many baby animals with their mothers.

We are now ready to improve our reading even more by learning new vowel teams and suffixes. Fluency is important in first grade, so please help with this by having your child read to you every day.

In math we are continuing to graph to find out which group has more. Then we will be learning to measure and decide which object is longer or shorter. Of course, we also will keep reviewing addition and subtraction so we don’t forget what we already know!

We are enjoying the spring weather and pretty flowers and hope you are, too.

Second Grade NewsIt's hard to believe it is already April! Please remember to

have your students get plenty of rest and eat a good breakfast. We are studying measurement in math and will be moving on to data soon. We are also reading and learning about the digestive system. Ask your student about all the interesting facts we’ve learned. Let's finish the year out strong! Thank you for all you do.

Mrs. Rutherford’s ClassDid you know that stress can keep your child from learning?  When we are stressed, the body releases chemicals into the brain that cause the neurons to shrink.  The pathways to the front of the brain, where memories are stored, shut down like a door that has closed.  However, the good news is that the brain can recover quickly if we can learn to be aware of stress.  There are two things that we can do that can help our brain “open the door” to learning again: 1. breathing and 2. movement.  When we realize that our thoughts and emotions cause chemical responses in our brains, then we can take control of our learning.  Breathing deeply calms the brain.  Moving helps the brain calm as well.  Therefore, before you do homework with your child try some of these ideas:  Listen to fun music and dance together.  Take a walk, do jumping jacks, or run.  Do something to wake up the brain so it is ready to learn.  In addition, remember that good nutrition helps you learn as well.  The brain needs protein, water, and lots of vitamins to grow and learn best.  So get moving and eat well.  Your child’s brain will thank you!

RTI NewsDear Parents,

Kindergarten and 1st grade will continue working on Letter Naming and Letter Sound and word decoding. 2nd and 3rd grades are working on short vowel “e”. In 4th and 5th grade, we will still be working on “ay” and “ed”. Spring Benchmark testing is April 3rd through 14th. Please read with your child at home. Continue to pray for Ms. B.

Mrs. Randle and Mrs. White RTI

If you pick up your child in the afternoon “car rider line,” please do NOT block the driveway at the top of the hill. Officer Williams has had complaints from residents who live in that area. Thanks for your cooperation.

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Third Grade News

We hope that everyone had a great Spring Break and are ready to work extremely hard before our TNReady testing begins. Some guidelines for helping your child be successful during this period are: 1. Keep a positive attitude and be a cheerleader for your child. 2. Make sure he/she is on time for school each morning. 3. Be sure that your child eats breakfast daily - either at home or at school. 4. Encourage him/her to pay attention during class and review sessions. 5. Talk to your child about the TNReady practice tests and the topics that were reviewed that day. 6. Establish a certain bedtime and morning routine that will allow your child to come to school rested and relaxed for the day ahead. You are your child’s greatest fan, and we appreciate all that you do to help him/her be more successful. Sincerely, The Third Grade Teachers

Fourth Grade NewsWe can’t believe that the 4th and final nine weeks of the school

year has begun! We are so proud of the improvements your child has made this year and look forward to seeing even greater improvement on the end of the year tests. The first part of the English Language Arts, which is a writing test, will take place on Wednesday, April 19th. Testing will take place May 1st – May 5th.

As we wind down this school year, we are still introducing skills as well as reviewing all of our previously learned skills. We have discussed with the students the importance of paying attention in class and putting forth 100% effort all day every day. Thank you for reinforcing this with your child.

Thank you for continuing to encourage your child to be responsible, respectful, and safe each day. Any student who does not maintain an A in conduct all year or has in-school or out-of-school suspension will not be eligible to participate in our incentive field trip, which will take place at the end of the school year.

We really appreciate all that you do to ensure that your child is at school and ready to learn each day. We feel blessed to be a part of your child’s life. Happy Easter to all of you!

Fifth Grade News- We are working really hard in all classes. State testing begins with the writing assessment on April 19th. The rest of our state testing will be held the first week of May. Ask you students about all of the wonderful things they are learning & reviewing in their classes. - We are anxiously awaiting our incentive field trip to Nashville on May 10th. Please remind your child to keep up their good behavior so they can join us on this wonderful educational trip.- Also, please remind your child that his or her teachers continue to have high academic expectations for them throughout this last 9 week period. They are expected to listen and work hard in class. They are also expected to complete their homework and turn it in on time. The 5th grade will begin having study hall twice a week to help students complete any of their missing assignments. - As the weather gets warmer, please make sure that your child is dressed according to the LES dress code, which is in their Indian Notebooks.

May 15th end-of-year celebration: This is a time where we will celebrate the accomplishments of all of our 5th graders. Students will wear their class shirts (which will be provided to them) and jeans for this day. More specific information will be provided in your child's class newsletter as the date approaches. All parents are invited, and we hope to see you there.

Loudon Elementary School2175 Roberts RoadLoudon, TN 37774

Phone:(865) 458-2001

Fax:(865) 458-1405

Do the next right thing.

We’re on the Web!

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Menu Uncrustable Soy Jammers/String Cheese available daily

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2 3Cheese or Fiestada Pizza

4Chicken Tenders

5Spaghetti or Cheese Sticks

6Turkey or Ham Slider

7Chicken Nuggets or Fish Sandwich

Fundraiser beginsCelebration of Learning

8

9 10Stuffed Crust Cheese or Pepperoni Pizza

11Sliced Turkey

Spring Pictures

12Beef Taco Scoops or Cheese Quesadilla

13Hotdog/Chili or Chili/Half Grilled Cheese

Pre-K & K Round-Up

14

Easter Break

15

16 17

Easter

Break

18Sausage or Chicken Biscuit

19Hamburger or Chicken Patty

Fundraiser $ Due

20Chicken Pot Pie Bread Bowl or Mini Corndogs

21Chicken Nuggets or Fish Sandwich

22

23/30 24Cheese or

25Meatloaf or

26Beef Taco

27Pork BBQ

28Hotdog/Chili or

29

Menu Uncrustable Soy Jammers/String Cheese available daily

Fiestada Pizza Cheese Sticks Scoops or Bean Burrito

Sandwich or Mini Corndogs

Student & Parents Strategies 5-7

Chili/Half Grilled Cheese

See the county website www.loudoncounty.org for a complete lunch menu. Look under our school then menu.The website for paying students’ lunch money is up and running and is www.mealpayplus.com. You will need a seven digit state ID number; you can call the office and we will get that for you. This is a great program everyone should utilize if you have access to a computer. Also, our newsletter and menu are placed on our school website every month for parents to access from home or work. When sending in lunch money with your child, please place in an envelope with his/her name, grade, teacher name, and lunch number on it for easier submission. Thank you!