Deweys Diary

Draper Elementary PTA Newsletter

Vol. 7 No. 4

draper

December 2011

December
19-30 Note: No SchoolWinter Recess No Dads & Donuts this month

Common Core State Standards: Tips for Parents

Do you have questions about the new Common Core State Standards? Want to know how to help your child become career- and college-ready? Canyons School District has posted resources for parents at www.canyonsdistrict.org, under the Parents and Students tab. There, you can learn more about the standards designed to help students get ready for college and career, see what your child will be learning in each grade, and access National PTAs tips for helping your child learn at home. The Website complements the Common Core brochures made available at recent parent-teacher conferences. If you have further questions, or would prefer hard copies of the brochures, please email communications@canyonsdistrict.org.

January
2 6 Classes Resume Dual Immersion registration Deadline 11-13 No school for kindergarten (assessments by appointment) 12 Dads & Donuts, 8 a.m. 16 No SchoolMartin Luther King Jr. Day 18 ATTA Training, 9 a.m. 19 Early Out 20 No SchoolEBL Day

Art Through the Ages Volunteers Are Essential

Thank you to all the volunteers who make Art Through the Ages fun and educational for our students. We had so much fun this past unit fighting WWI and learning how to express ourselves through shape and color. Thanks especially to Ashley Boyle who orders and organizes all the materials and makes the volunteers' lives so happy! Our next unit is Realism & Surrealism and the Great Depression. Training is Jan. 18. Volunteers are always welcome. The more adults in the classroom the easier it is for students. Please contact your room parent if you are willing to help with any of the units.

Stay Informed
Like Draper Elementary on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and visit our PTA blog at
draperelementary.blogspot.com

Draper Elementary
1080 E. 12550 S. Draper, UT 84020 Ph: 801-826-8275 draper.canyonsdistrict.org draperelementary.blogspot.com

Register for e-BoxTops if You Shop Online

With holiday shopping now in full swing, here's an easy way to earn money for Draper Elementary. If you are an online shopper, you can earn money for our school by adding one easy step to your shopping process. It takes a few minutes to get setup, but after that is done earning money is a cinch! Here's how it works: Go to www.boxtops4education.com and "join now." Follow the prompts to register yourself with our school. Once you are registered, you return to boxtops4education.com before you shop. You click on the

Principals Message

"Earn" tab and scroll down to "Shop Marketplace." All of the online stores that earn money for Draper Elementary will appear on a list. These are likely the stores where you already shop: Old Navy, Justice, JC Penney, Land's End, Walmart, Target, Nordstrom, etc. Find the store where you want to shop and click "Shop and Earn." You will automatically be directed to that store's homepage. Anything you buy while shopping will be calculated for every $10 you spend.

Spirit Wear Ready on Dec. 12

December is the month that brings families and friends together. We celebrate with each other and plan for the upcoming year! During this season, I wish you the best now and in the year ahead. Fun things are happening at Draper: our sixth graders will be graduating from the DARE program on Dec. 2, our Dragon Choir will be performing its holiday program on Thursday, Dec. 8, and we recently recognized more than 165 student Reflections entries! I have been visiting classrooms lately and it is amazing to see what they are learning. We are very proud of our Dragons! I also wanted to make you aware that this summer our building will be undergoing a large roof and seismic upgrade. You will start to see things happening in March and then the day after school is out they will begin the main part of the project. Due to the size of the upgrade, we will be packing up EVERYTHING in our building and moving it out. Planning and packing for this move will be an ongoing activity at the school starting in March. The holiday season can cause unnecessary stresses on an individual and family. Remember to spend quality time to refocus, reconnect and relax with those who are truly meaningful in your life. I wish everyone a happy and healthy winter break. -Ms. Kenna Sorensen, Principal
For those who ordered new Draper Elementary hoodies and T-shirts, your spirit wear will be ready Dec. 12, not Dec. 2 as originally announced.

No Dads & Donuts This Month

There will be no Dads & Donuts in December. Please plan to join us Jan. 12 as we resume our monthly schedule. Happy Holidays!

Dual Immersion, Rosetta Stone Deadlines

Kindergarten parents wanting to have their child participate in our Chinese dual-immersion program need to register online between Dec. 1 and Jan. 6. Register via www.canyonsdistrict.org. For parents interested in learning Chinese you can subscribe to the Rosetta Stone online program for a discounted rate of $95. Subscriptions are due by Dec. 8. Sign up via our website: www.draper.canyonsdistrict.org.

Creative Pursuit Teams Win District Competition

Congratulations to our two Creative Pursuit fifth-sixth grade teams who won first and second place at the Canyons District contest. Each team has five students. One team is from Kami Abercrombies class and the other team is from Amy Brands class. Visit our blog for more details.

Dress Students Warm for Cold Weather

Please be sure to have your students dress appropriately for the winter weather. We still have recess outside and they need to dress warm.

PTA Presidents Message

December is such a wonderful month. I think one of the reasons it is so magical is because people take time off work and school to celebrate the holidays together as families. It is a time of giving and serving others, as well as, the people we love. Its been said that, Love is spelled T-I-M-E. Time is something that cannot be bought or sold, but its value is immeasurable. As we celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or any other holiday this season, I hope that you will enjoy the time you spend with your family. This is the best way to show your love for them. So enjoy your children, love your children, and spend time with them while they are home from school for the holidays. You wont regret it. Your children will remember the love they feel from you much more than any present you can buy. -Jolynn Skousen, 2011-12 Draper Elementary PTA President