P A G E 1

Cedar Lane Elementary

Creating Leaders

Everyday www.cedarlaneschool.org S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R I S S U E

Regular school hours

for the students are

from 8:35 A.M. until

3:35 P.M. Students

who are having

breakfast may enter

the building at 8:25.

Veteran’s

Day

Observed

November

10

Student-Led

Conferences

November

20-21

Thanksgiving

Break

November

22-26

Upcoming Events:

“A place where learners, leaders and friendships grow!”

1259 Cedar Lane Rd.

Middletown, DE 19709

302-378-5045

Melisa Stilwell– Principal

Kim Gibbs– Assistant Principal

P A G E 2

Creating Leaders Everyday

C R E A T I N G

L E A D E R S

E V E R Y D A Y

First Grade Fun...

C R E A T I N G L E A D E R S E V E R Y D A Y

First grade is very fun! I like to follow the

rules. I like to do the Seven Habits. I like

to add. I like reading a lot. I like to do

my vowels. I like to do story problems. I

like to do word wall. I like learning in first

grade.

By Tyler

First grade is very fun! I’m learning

word wall. I’m learning about long ago.

I like the rules. I like adding. We are

learning story problems. I love reading.

First grade is fun!

By Piper

First grade is fun! I am learning story

problems. I am learning to read. I am

learning word wall. I am learning the

rules. I am learning about long ago. I

am learning short vowels. First grade is

fun!

By William

P A G E 3 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R

In honor of Veteran’s Day, Mrs. Dunn’s first grade class made cards to

honor these veterans, including a very special one! Evan Williams’s

mother is currently enlisted in the Army. Here, she and her fellow soldiers

posed for a picture to express their gratitude.

Honoring Our Veterans

P A G E 4

Wow! Second grade is in full swing this fall! We are very busy learning all sorts of things.

In reading, we are wrapping up Unit 1. We focused on the story elements of

fiction…characters, setting, problem and solution. We also learned about the many

character traits that we can use to describe who a character is on the inside. We

answered lots of questions about how characters respond to main events in a story too.

In math we are finishing our first unit. We practiced a lot with time and

money. We learned many new strategies to solve addition and subtraction story

problems. Our favorite strategies are number line and using place value to represent

numbers. We also analyzed the relationship between numbers. These are called fact

families. An example is if you know 8 + 7 =15, then 15 – 7 is easy! In writing we

have been exploring the different forms of writing. We began writing a

narrative, which is a story with a beginning, middle and end. It can be about your life or

a creative story about characters you create! In Science second graders

are in the world of insects. We are enjoying making observations while they go

through the life cycle. In Social Studies we finished our first unit which was

all about being a respectful citizen. We tied this into our 7 Habits practice and class-

room leadership.

What’s going on in 2nd grade?

3rd Grade News

P A G E 5

We are off to a great start! Cursive handwriting is under way

and looks fabulous. In reading, we studied our first fiction unit with

emphasis on some new vocabulary for story elements including

plot, conflict, climax and resolution. We studied illustrations to:

make predictions, help us better understand characters and

setting, and to determine the mood of the story.

In math, our unit focus has been estimating and solving addition

and subtraction problems with multiple strategies such as number

lines and number strings. We are also working on our fact fluency

for addition and subtraction facts.

Our first Social Studies unit is complete. We learned the

differences between rights, responsibilities and privileges.

Citizenopoly helped us understand how to be better leaders in our

classroom, school, community and country.

Do you see future geologists at work? Our science kit had us

examine what makes a rock a rock. We practiced using tools to

classify the hardness of minerals and how to detect calcite’s

presence in rocks.

Third grade is a busy, yet exciting year! Stay tuned for the rest of

our adventure filled year together!

C R E A T I N G L E A D E R S E V E R Y D A Y

4th Grade Fun!

Fourth graders are off to an amazing start this school year, learning all

about leadership and goal setting, as well as a variety of concepts across

the board.

In reading, fourth graders have explored fictional texts to identify the

elements of plot such as exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and

resolution. We read a variety of fictional texts and learned about how to

determine the point of view of the story, either first or third person. We can

tell which one is appropriate to the story by looking for key words as we are

reading. Trying to determine the author’s purpose for writing, we talked

about the differences between persuasion, entertainment and information.

As writers, these are also styles of writing that we have practiced in class.

Our fourth grade mathematicians reviewed concepts of place value,

including comparing and ordering numbers, writing numbers in expanded,

word and standard form. We are now finishing up our unit by reviewing

fourth grade strategies for addition and subtraction. We can’t wait to start

working with our division and multiplication facts. That is coming soon!

Scientifically, we have learned about the structures and functions of

plants and animals, and have had a blast inviting our crayfish and beetles

into our classrooms! They were creepy for some of us, but having live

organisms is always exciting!

In Social Studies, we have been studying the Native Americans that

settled in different parts of North and South America. Their environments

included places such as the desert, the mountains, grasslands and the

arctic ice fields. They had to adapt to each of these environments, and

used the natural resources there to help them live. We will next be learning

about the Native Americans that lived in Delaware.

P A G E 6 M A Y / J U N E I S S U E

News from 5th Grade

P A G E 7

C R E A T I N G L E A D E R S E V E R Y D A Y

Multiplying by powers of 10, learning how to represent multiples of ten using

exponents with whole numbers and decimals are just a few things students have been

learning so far. Using Algorithm and other strategies to multiply 2 digit by 3 digit numbers

has been loads of fun and students were making some amazing real life connections to

these skills.

Matter, matter everywhere. Using stem scopes students are learning about and

experimenting with different concepts of matter. They have learned that

matter is made up of particles too small to be seen and temperature can

affect the state of matter. If they haven’t already done so, students will

be conducting experiments to determine what affect changing states of

matter from a solid to a liquid has on the mass, weight of different items.

Students will be making a claim, using evidence from their experiment and explain the

reason the evidence supports their claim to prove their findings. Ask your child what they

have done so far.

The fifth graders have been comparing and contrasting different characters and

settings in a story and making connections between the changes in setting and

the actions of the characters. They have also been using novel studies to practice the

concepts learned and demonstrate their knowledge of plot and character. They are

really enjoying the books their class is reading and getting to engage in discussions on the

events in the story.

Students have been working hard to prepare for their trip to JA where they were a

part of the flow of money in an economy. They have learned about the purpose and

services of banks, how businesses and people trade money for resources

and/or goods and services, the responsibilities and rights of citizens.

While at JA students had a job, earned a paycheck, made deposits in

to their checking account and used their earned money to shop.

P A G E 8 M A Y / J U N E I S S U E

News From Mrs. Edge

P A G E 9

News From Mrs. Edge

C R E A T I N G L E A D E R S E V E R Y D A Y

P A G E 1 0

Nondiscriminatory Statement

The Appoquinimink School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, disability, marital status, national

origin, or other legally protected categories in its educational programs, activities, employment, or student admissions policies or practices.

Inquiries regarding compliance with the above can be directed to:

Section 504

Contact Dr. Josette McCullough, Director of Student Services, Appoquinimink School District, 313 South Fifth Street, Box 4010,

Odessa, DE 19730-4010. Telephone (302) 376-4130

Section 504 Coordinator’s Responsibilities: To coordinate the Appoquinimink School District’s efforts to comply with the

disability discrimination laws.

Title IX

Contact Matt Fallis, Director of Personnel, Appoquinimink School District, 313 South Fifth Street, Box 4010, Odessa, DE 19730-

4010. Telephone (302) 376-4275

M A Y / J U N E I S S U E

In Physical Education we have started off the school working

on a variety of skills and concepts. Every year we begin with a unit

on cooperation. Within this unit we focus on teamwork strategies,

verbal and non-verbal communication, and safety. We discuss,

practice, and then incorporate these concepts into game

play. Our second week together we begin focusing on overhand

throwing. Students are learning to turn sideways, make an “L” with

their arm, and to follow through on their overhand throws. They

also work on their aim and hitting different targets. After practicing

students then play several fun games trying to perfect their

throws. Along with throwing and cooperation we have also been

focusing on all components of fitness (cardiovascular endurance,

muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and

balance). During each class we spend time either jogging,

sprinting, stretching, or doing TABATA. In closing, the school year

has gotten off to a great start, and I look forward to a fun rest of

the year. ~Mr. Guth

Related Arts Corner

Welcome to our newest Related Arts team members, Ms.

Gillespie, Mrs. Edge and Mr. Goetz!! Ms. Gillespie is our new Library

-Media Specialist. Mrs. Edge is our school counselor, and Mr.

Goetz is our new Music Teacher. We are lucky to have them!