Puckett Mill's Vision Statement
We envision a community of world-class leaders
who develop and empower 21st century learners.
Puckett's Mill Mission Statement
Our mission is to create a cohesive team of learners and leaders. We empower all students to achieve at their highest levels by taking ownership of their learning while engaging in rigorous instruction that sparks curiosity, imagination and ingenuity. All stakeholders build positive relationships within the larger school community through collaboration, communication and the celebration of student success.
November 12, 2010
Can I say that the children are EXCITED about our field trip! You would think we were headed to Italy! I have heard from most of you, and the turnout is going to be great! A few families checked out ippolito’s this week and reported that we would not be disappointed! I look forward to seeing you there!
Speaking of Italy, I hope you have heard of my good fortune; after tossing three coins in the Trevi Fountain in 1979, I am FINALLY returning to the land of pasta! I will be vacationing there with my family next year! My sister and brother-in-law just returned from a one week trip in September, and loved it so much they immediately began to arrange their return. I am thrilled to be included in their plans! We are staying in a villa that was built pre Christopher Columbus. Thankfully bathrooms have been added! In case you are curious, or would like to plan a trip yourself, I thought I would share the link. http://www.lemandorelle.com/ Enjoy!
Thanks to those who volunteered to help make pasta vehicles on Tuesday. A couple of you were trying to work out final plans to attend. Would each of you please zip me a new email to confirm your attendance by Monday afternoon. This will allow me to make my final groups. It will be an experience to remember!
It was another unusual week in FOCUS with Early Release impacting our Thursday schedule. During our limited time together the children:
viewed the remainder of the Pasta Commercials
worked on Thinking Skills points
generated words from the letters in SPAGHETTI (verbal intelligence was evident)
completed the Guess and Check math strategy worksheet
solved a logic puzzle, and practiced classifying from our PETS lessons
had fun learning!
Have a great weekend! The forecast calls for beautiful weather Saturday and Sunday, then rain on Monday. That sounds perfect!
November 5, 2010
“Let me entertain you!” That is exactly what your talented children could have said as they entered class on Thursday because entertained I was!!! They did a fabulous job acting in their commercials, and so did many of you! I had the urge to contact the CLIO awards organization! Congratulations on a job well done!
With the short time left after the presentations, both classes heard a thought provoking story Pompeii…Buried Alive! The concerned looks on their faces were priceless as I read about the destruction caused on that fateful day in 79 A.D. I would imagine that the reading of this book sparked a few conversations at home afterward. The children were spellbound! Unfortunately, the students had to return to class immediately after reading the story, so there was no FOCUS time for discussion. Now they REALLY want to visit Italy and see the ruins! We can’t exactly make that trip, but I do have a fieldtrip in store for us!
On Tuesday, November 16th, I need volunteers! The students will be designing and making pasta vehicles that actually roll! Adult assistance is needed with hot gluing, as groups of three or four students design and build the vehicles. Your job will be to follow the instructions the children give you. Experience has taught me that this activity requires student and volunteer focus, so please leave younger siblings at home. Thank you for understanding.
8:15-9:45 = 5 parents from Ms. Marshall and/or Ms. Powell’s classes are needed
1:00-2:30 = 3 parents from Mr. DiMuzio or Ms. Wilker’s classes are needed
Parents who send a reply email first will get to participate! Dads and grandparents are welcome too!
Who loves Italian food? I am planning an after school field trip to an Italian restaurant the Tuesday we make the vehicles. The location will be announced soon, so be sure to put Italian Dinner on your calendar for November 16th. I know there are many sports events during this time of year, but hopefully most of my students will be able to attend. Families are welcome also, and will be seated at nearby tables to enjoy their meals. Look for details in the upcoming week.
Remember to drop by before or after your child’s conference. I look forward to seeing you, sharing the Thinking Skills goal cards, and answering any questions you might have. Again, please send an email if you would like me to attend the classroom teacher’s conference. I’ll do my best to be there.
Stay warm and have a nice weekend!
News you can use!
PMES Used Book Drive!!!
Do you have boxes of old children's books that your kids have outgrown lying around the house? Do you have bookshelves filled with books your kids no longer read? Well...send them to school!
In honor of our upcoming Literacy Night on December 2nd, Puckett's Mill is having a used book drive. As you know, our students spend much of their day reading self-selected texts. In order to provide them with a wider range of reading materials, we need your help! Please send in any used books that you have around the house and we will use these to fill our classroom teachers’ libraries.
As an extra incentive to clean out those basements and attics, every student that brings in 5 or more books will be entered in a drawing to win a personalized copy of Carmen Deedy's delightful book The Library Dragon. Hurry-drive ends December 2nd!!!!!
Don't forget...
Thursday, December 2nd from 6-7 PM is Literacy Night for K-2nd grade students! Author Carmen Deedy will be here to tell stories and sign her books!
To order personalized copies of Carmen's books, fill out the attached form and return it to your child's teacher by Friday, November 19th. A personalized book makes a great Christmas gift!!!!
It's November again (can you believe another YEAR has flown by) and we are having our annual coat drive. It will run through the month of November and we will take any and all gently used coats (children as well as adult.) There will be collection bins in the front lobby.
October 29, 2010
Happy Halloween weekend! I hope everyone has a safe, fun filled event in store. By my estimations, the sugar high should be over by next Thursday, so I dodged that bullet! J
It was wonderful to be with my friends for TWO WHOLE DAYS this week! Unfortunately, we are back to our once a week schedule for next week. Remember that the pasta commercial is due the Thursday after Election Day. I can’t wait to see my actors and actresses in full form!
With our time together this week we:
Cooler weather is in the forecast. Enjoy your weekend!
October 22, 2010
Happy Friday, and happy end to the ITBS!! I truly believe that taking it is more fun than walking around watching others take it. At least they get to read!! Next week I will see my FOCUS friends both Tuesday and Thursday! YEAH!!!
We packed as much as possible into the three hours we shared this week. My thinkers:
• heard a story of a little mouse who became the family hero when his creative pasta saved the family business
• designed a new, creative pasta shape, named it, and began designing a box for it
• used convergent thinking to determine the like attributes of a group of objects
• reviewed the exemplary math problem solving work of classmates
• continued their work on Thinking Skills (the Powell/Marshall team had an abbreviated time frame due to some catch-up work they needed to do, so don’t be alarmed at the small number of points earned)
Certainly you have heard about the next homework assignment that is due November 4, the Thursday after Election Day. With your help, your child will plan and perform a commercial which will convince others to purchase his/her new pasta product. The goal is to make the pasta appealing to both kids and parents. Many of the students would like to record their commercials at home and bring them in for TV viewing. This will be acceptable but not mandatory. Live commercials, complete with props, performed at school are great! If you choose to tape at home, please use a CD or a DVD disk; label it clearly with your child’s name and whether it should be played from the computer or the DVD player. That will make it easier for me to show the commercials and return them to their rightful owners. Here are some answers to questions you might have.
• Yes, your family members and/or pets may be in the commercial, but the FOCUS student must be the main character.
• You may redraw the box cover and tape it to a real box for a realistic look.
• You must bring the new pasta box handout or the box you design back to school on the day of the presentation. I have the original new pasta here at school.
• I advise watching a few Saturday morning commercials and counting how frequently the name of the product or the slogan is repeated; take a lead from those advertisements for a successful pasta commercial.
• You do not have to return the third sheet about planning the commercial. Planning will be evident by the commercial presented.
• Yes, you should have fun preparing this assignment. One of my sweetie pies said this was THE BEST homework assignment she had ever been given! Enjoy!
Please remember to email me if you would like me to attend your child’s classroom conference. If not, I hope you find time to drop by room 1.331 and say hello! I will have Thinking Skills task cards available to tickle your brain, and will be available to answer any questions.
Both of my sisters are visiting for the weekend, so I am in for some good times! There may be a little retail therapy in sight! I hope you have a great weekend. Enjoy this wonderful weather!
October 15, 2010
Hello again!
First of all, WELCOME to my new FOCUS students, Gianna D., Parker R., and Nyny H. We are thrilled to have you join us this year!
We had a very short week in FOCUS, and next week will be the same. Field Day and proctoring for ITBS put a kink in the schedule. The week of the 26th we will be back on track for one week, and then we’ll have two more short weeks: Election Day and early release. I won’t speculate past that – I just wish all “extra events” didn’t occur on Tuesday and Thursday! I miss my FOCUS friends!
Speaking of Early Release, I will have an “Open House” each afternoon from 1:00-5:00. If you schedule your conference during that time, please drop by for a glimpse at the Thinking Skills goal work, and to ask any questions you might have. If you have pressing issues and need me to attend your child’s conference with the homeroom teacher, please send me an email. I will accommodate as many as possible, but a drop in might suffice.
We began FOCUS by focusing on completion of the Draw a Picture final review. I hope to see some fabulous problem solving by my mathematically gifted friends. To receive a 4 on each problem I must see numbers, words, and a picture to support their thinking. I encourage the students to make another similar problem as an extension, or solve it another way. Next week I’ll share exemplary work with the rest of the class. They can always learn from each other! :)
The children received their final Thinking Skills grade on Tuesday. I am extremely proud of the 15 children who reached the goal of 400 points, and are now on the Wall of Fame! Next the children had to prepare for the second nine weeks of goals. This process took quite a while as they learned to transfer the completed tasks to their new goal sheet. After completing this job, the thinking began! The range of points earned the first day went from 20 to 120. Look in the FOCUS folder to see where your child ranks. We will be having a discussion with the four children who earned 100 points or over to learn their Thinking Skills strategy. Please know that some of the children tackled the difficult tasks first, worked a long time, and then had an incorrect answer. That is a bummer for sure! One strategy is to move to something easier if a task seems hard. They are still learning the fastest way to gain points!
Is your child interested in chess? Kid Chess is hosting a tournament, but you do not have to be a registered Kid Chess Club member to participate. Check out the link for thoughtful fun!
http://www.kidchess.com/chessplace.php#2010-10-24%2023:59:00
Atlanta will be hosting The National Association for Gifted Children Convention this year. If you are interested in attending a special parent workshop on Saturday, November 13th, please check out this link. As some states move to cut gifted programs during these challenging budgetary times, we must advocate for our children!
Have a nice weekend! I am headed to the Big Green Egg Fest at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. There will be some tasting going on! YUM!!!!
October 7, 2010
Happy Thursday!
I am headed to Washington DC this afternoon for a conference, so I am sending a quick Thursday update. This week your gifted children:
• ended their goal work for the grading period. The final scores will come home on Tuesday.
• completed the Figure It Out math strategy “Use a Picture.” They are so accustomed to drawing their own picture that they thought it was really easy to work with pictures already provided. I hope this proves true on the Review next week!
• visited the Red Lab to research the many types of pasta and the meaning of their names. They also chose a few favorites they would like you to try!
• filled in a triple Venn diagram with sortable shapes. They were proud of this accomplishment!
• used algebraic thinking to solve a Balance Your Pasta worksheet. It began with “This is hard!!”, and ended with, “Now I get it!” I LOVE those moments!
• listened to the first chapter of Frindle, by Andrew Clements. This book supports our theme about change in the Language Arts program, Beyond Words. They are loving Nick Allen so far!
• Used more "out of the box" thinking to solve word puzzles. These are a favorite!
Have a wonderful three day weekend! I’ll see your sweet children the day we return! YAHOO!!!
October 1, 2010
Fall is in the air! I hope you are enjoying the change in the weather! The rain has been a blessing to my plants! There was no fussing from me about rainy car rider mornings! :)
The end of the 9 weeks is near, and so is the opportunity for my students to reach their goal in Thinking Skills, as there is only one more class to accrue points. I am proud to announce that 6 students have already reached the Wall of Fame, which is more than I have ever had for the first grading session. WOW!!! I am sure more will join them next week! I'll be eager to see the final scores!
Be sure to look at the new TS points document sent home on Tuesday. It will allow you to know how many points your superstar has earned each week. Please be sure that it remains in the FOCUS folder at all times. Many of you have requested points earned via email, so I thought a weekly update would be beneficial to all.
Your super thinkers accomplished many other tasks this week. They:
completed a Venn Diagram using "sortable shapes"
began the math Figure It Out lesson, Use a Picture
discussed the meaning of language
played "Guess How I Am Feeling" without using language
learned how to "think out of the box" to read the first of many word puzzles – can you solve this one?
long
The kids LOVED it!listened to another book about Italy
used math skills to read their classmates' pasta patterns and determine the value
We packed many activities into our time together. It was a great week!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Happy Fun Run weekend! I am sorry you didn’t hear from me last week. I was out on Friday, and decided skipping one week would not throw anyone off too badly! Any time you have a question, you know I am only an email away! FYI – I did not give homework this week. Since I didn’t see the Powell/Marshall team until Thursday, I didn’t think that would be fair. The children were thrilled with that announcement, which surprised me. It is fun to spread joy!
The last two weeks have been productive! My bright thinkers have accomplished many things, even though my time with them was short this week due to CogAT testing. They:
• visited the wireless lab to research a website for information on Italy
• independently completed the “Act it Out” review lesson in math
• used analytical thinking through the use of Venn Diagrams while sorting blocks
• studied and learned from the work of a few classmates’ exemplary problem solving techniques and/or explanation of their math thinking on the math review lesson
• worked diligently on Thinking Skills (they only have two more classes to reach their goal). I am proud to announce that 3 of my students have reached the desired goal of 400, which is a grade of 4! Yahoo! Hopefully many more will join the ranks next week.
Speaking of Thinking Skills, if your child submitted a reflections entry, please let me know by responding to this email. I have a few friends who would be very happy to earn 30 extra Thinking Skill points before the grading period is over!
Please read below to learn of other activities in the area this weekend. Thanks to Hailey’s mom, Mrs. Sullivan, for sharing this information with us!
FALL FUN:
This Saturday is jammed packed with wonderful events in our area (besides the 5k). The Smithsonian Institute is having a national day of service, meaning that several museums and historical places (and parks) are opening their doors free to the public. In our backyard The Hudgens Center for the Arts is participating as well and celebrating with a family day (kids will 'make & take').
At the Atlanta History Center they are having an event called "A Day with Abe." I am not sure at this point how much the Civil War is on lessons plans, but it might be an interesting to see Honest Abe come alive. :)
The High is also on the list-with the exciting new Dali exhibit.
The list is countless and then you can add the Duluth Fall Festival, corn mazes, nature hikes and canoe instruction at Chattahooche.
My feet will be walking at the Fun Run on Sunday! I hope to see you there! I’ll be easy to catch up with, I promise! :)
September 10, 2010
Picnic Time! I hope to see all of you this afternoon at the PMES welcome back picnic. Please reintroduce yourself if we bump into each other. All of your names and faces haven’t stuck in my brain just yet!
We had a productive week in FOCUS! Some of our accomplishments were:
• beginning our first independent review of the Act it Out strategy in math. These will be graded individually and sent home for your review. Remember to sign them and send them back to school.
• gaining even more Thinking Skills points using perseverance and intrapersonal intelligence (working alone, goal setting, and using higher order thinking to work through problems)
• solving more Logic Puzzles about our PETS friends (These are fun, and they will be coming home next week in the FOCUS folder)
• exploring the word “change” even more, and learning some generalizations about change. Next week’s homework will be about change.
• completing our pasta patterns and determining the value in dollars and cents of each pattern
Pasta, Pasta, Pasta! We have just begun our hands on activities using pasta. Even though I have collected many different pastas over the years, if you see
pasta that is interesting or unique, feel free to send it in for our future projects. Last year some the children’s creativity soared with the use of pastas I had never seen. I promise I will not take them home and cook them! :)
Many of my friends "forgot" their FOCUS folders on Thursday. This is a reminder that the FOCUS folders should come to class each time your child does. Homework is due on Tuesday, so help your second grader remember that too. If a child forgets the homework or the folder, I promise nothing horrific happens. :) Please don't go through great efforts to zip a forgotten folder to school. My goal is to teach the children responsibility for the things they should be in charge of, but at this age they may still need a little help from you.
Have a wonderful weekend!
News you can use!
Puckett’s Mill Elementary School Parent Workshop
Please join our school counselors for a workshop called “Your Child and Homework.” The seminar will provide simple and practical techniques to help parents support their children with homework and study skills.
Date: Thursday, September 30th
Time: 10:00 – 11:00
Call Heather Heigl or Ginna Smith at 678-765-5110 to register.
September 3, 2010
Happy Friday! I am ready for a three day weekend, and I am sure you are also. Can you believe we will be into week #5 when we return to school? We must be having fun, because the year is flying by!
Is your child’s pasta mosaic completed, dry, and in the bag ready for the trip back to school? If not, remember that it is due on Tuesday when they return to school! Please have your child write his/her name on the back of the paper, and give it a title. I will print nice labels for the hallway display. I am eager to see their creative projects next week!
This week was crammed with thinking and hard work. We used our brains to:
• complete the Act It Out math lesson together (so everyone will make a 3 on this paper)
• work toward our Thinking Skills Goals (some of my students are jamming! Many reached 100 or more, and the highest score is 260 points! That child will be playing thinking games soon!) If your child wants to “boost” his/her goal points, consider entering the Reflections contest! It is not too late!
• explore the word “change,” and discover how context clues can help you determine which definition of the word is being used in the sentence. The concept of change is all around us!
• create a pattern using pasta, then determine the value of the pattern after being told the value of each piece of pasta
• brainstorm things with holes (We were able to produce many more ideas as a group than any one person could think of! Teamwork is GREAT!)
• solve more logic puzzles presented in our Primary Education Thinking Skills lesson
Have a wonderful three day weekend! I hope you enjoy some quality family time during your break! My plans for yardwork and porch cleaning don’t sound like much fun, but some things can be put off only so long! LSU vs. UNC Saturday night! Geaux Tigers!!! Hope YOUR team wins!
August 27, 2010
Hello again! Many thanks to all of you who made it to Curriculum Night last night! The turnout was fantastic! Hopefully you walked away with some information that was useful! I am loaded with volunteers for the upcoming school year, and I am so very thankful for your willingness to help!! I will be in touch, and the children will benefit tremendously!
You will find the GAGE application, the parent information sheet, the FOCUS supply money document, and the Power Point presentation from last night on my website. If you were unable to make it to the meeting, or if you arrived a little late, these might be beneficial. Please return the parent information document if you were not able to attend, as this information is valuable. I will be accepting FOCUS supply money until the end of October, so if you have not had the opportunity to make this donation, it is still not too late. :)
We had a busy week in second grade FOCUS. A few of our accomplishments were:
•
beginning our first Figure It Out math lesson, Act It Out•
buckling down and getting busy with Thinking Skills•
determining what prior knowledge the students had about Italy•
watching a Power Point presentation on famous Italian sights•
thinking that we would all like to take a field trip to Italy :)•
proving what knowledge we had acquired by completing a "What I know about Italy now" worksheetI truly enjoyed watching the children absorb the information with excitement and wonder. Ask your child to share some highlights of his/her week!
Homework begins next week! The "pasta project" will be sent home on Tuesday, and needs to be returned the day after Labor Day. A mosaic will be created on cardstock with the pasta included in the bag. White Elmers glue works best to attach the pasta to the cardstock. If your child does not use all of the pasta, please return the unused portion along with the project. We will find a use for it! I hope your child allows his/ her creative juices to flow! When the project is returned to school, try blowing a little air into the bag and sealing it quickly to prevent the mosaic from being smashed in a bookbag. Have fun!!!
Have you heard about the PTA Reflections program? This wonderful, creative opportunity allows your child to highlight his/her talents. Each student is recognized at the Reflections banquet in January, and I will be there to cheer for each one of them! To support the program, your child will
earn 30 Thinking Skills points for participation. Check out this link for details (scroll down to the Reflections info): http://puckettsmill.org/updatespage.htmI am heading home to greet six relatives tonight, and one more tomorrow, so my weekend will be delightful! Hopefully yours will be wonderful also!
August 20, 2010
Happy Friday! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting your precious children this week! Tuesday could not arrive quickly enough for me!
This week my students:
• explored the acronym FOCUS and discussed the meaning of the words Fostering, Originality, Creativity, Understanding, and Self-awareness
• showcased their originality and creativity by making a creation with Play Doh and writing a story about it
• had pictures taken of these works of art which will be available for viewing during Curriculum Night
• used elaboration to complete a “squiggle” and turn it into something original and creative
• were introduced to Thinking Skills
• set their Thinking Skills goals for the first 9 weeks grading period
Next week they will:
• begin working toward their Thinking Skills goal
• begin Figure It Out math
• have an introduction to our first unit, Pastabilities
Soon the photos of the student’s original Play Doh creations will be displayed on my website. When you have a minute, please visit http://ferrisfocusfriends.shutterfly.com/ . There are links for your child’s enjoyment, archived weekly newsletters in case you hit delete too quickly, and other pertinent information. Please bookmark my website in your favorites.
I hope you can make it to curriculum night on August 26, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in my classroom. This will be a fantastic opportunity for you to see the Thinking Skills packet and learn what goal your child set for this nine weeks. This will help you understand exactly what your child is talking about when they speak of “Thinking Skills,” and I can promise you - they will speak of them over and over!
Many thanks to Mrs. Comings who dedicated a portion of her week to hemming tablecloths for our classroom! The added color is wonderful! They look great!
Your children put many smiles on my face this week as they shared their excitement for learning. Thanks for sharing them with me this year! I look forward to seeing you Thursday evening.
NEWS YOU CAN USE!
• PTA is sponsoring a Box Top contest! Your child's homeroom teacher has more detailed information. Please participate for our school!
August 13, 2010
Hello to my new group of FOCUS parents! You are reading the first of many Friday FOCUS updates for the 2010-11 school year. These communications will provide you with information about the "goings on" in second grade FOCUS! I hope you find them beneficial.
I cannot WAIT for Tuesday to arrive! Your precious children will enter my classroom, and the learning and fun will begin! I am looking forward to a fabulous year!
You will find a FOCUS brochure in your child’s Friday folder. Please be sure to read it carefully. It contains information about the FOCUS program in general, and some news that is specific to second grade. Hopefully it will answer many questions you might have, but I am an email away if you have more.
Please mark your calendars for the second grade FOCUS Curriculum Night on Thursday, August 26. It will be held at 5:45 in my classroom, right before the PTA meeting. Curriculum materials and procedures will be shared, and you will get a glimpse into Thinking Skills; they are a huge component of the FOCUS program. I will also be available to answer questions after the presentation. Hope you can attend!
Are there any seamstresses out there? I have chosen fabric for five “tablecloths” to brighten the classroom, and I need to have them hemmed. If sewing is your thing, please let me know. The finished cloths will be 28” X 34” - just to let you know it’s not a really big project.
Many of you have already had the opportunity to pay the requested $25.00 FOCUS supply fee. I have ordered pocket folders, pencils, 3 ring binders, colored copy paper, glue sticks, and much more to begin our school year. If you have not submitted your donation at this time, feel free to send it in on Tuesday. Make the check payable to PMES, and write FOCUS supplies in the “for” area. Thank you for your support!
Enjoy your weekend! I look forward to meeting each of you very soon!
Welcome to Mrs. Jana Ferris's website!
Puckett's Mill ES
678-765-5110