STARBASE Day 5

Play Day May 18, 2012

Summer Tech Center Classes

The Wamego Tech Center is offering fun classes this summer.  Two ways to register! Please sign up quickly as sessions are capped at 25 participants.

1. Email director@wamegotechcenter.com with session and date attending, parent name, child’s name, email and phone number.

OR

2. Fill out the form below and return to the school secretary by the last day of school. Please print a copy for your records.

STARBASE Day 4

STARBASE Day 3

STARBASE Day 2

STARBASE Items

STARBASE has a few items for sale if families would like to purchase them. Please send the order form and exact change (or checks made to STARBASE) by Wednesday. Thank you!

STARBASE Day 1

STARBASE Student Letter

Starbase Student Letter

May West Words

West Words May 2012

May Menu

West Menu May 2012

Science Assessment Celebration

We celebrated our hard work on the Kansas Science Assessments April 20th. Students created, tested, and then had a fly off with paper airplanes. Here is the process and results!

Play Day is May 18

I will need at least 3 parents to help with groups for play day.  Please fill out and return the form.  Thank you!

Angry Verbs!!!

Angry Birds has many educational standards that it address in a fun, interactive way.  Today we finished our activity on Angry Verbs (inspired by Angry Birds, thank you, Mrs. Vargas).  Here are some online games to play for verb and adverb fun!



Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

Attend to precision.

Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.





Pick It Adverbs



Balloon Verbs

New Wamego Technology Center

The new Wamego Tech Center is up and running!

There will be an Open House for the public on Monday, May 7th from 6:00-8:00 pm. The center is located at the Wamego High School in the library. Everyone is welcome to attend!

The Wamego Tech has open lab times where anyone can come in and use the wireless access, computers and iPads. Right now the Tech Center is open from 4:00-8:00 pm on Mondays and Thursdays. There is no charge for open lab at this time.

Several workshops are being offered. People interested in attending at workshop can email the tech center at director@wamegotechcenter.com.

Pads for Parents
Has your child come home from elementary school talking about all the cool stuff they are doing with iPads? Well this session is for you, explore apps as teachers from USD 320 demonstrate what they use in class to enhance learning using the iPad. Sessions are $5 dollars and are offered on three different dates:
Monday, April 23 (6:30-7:30)
iPad Basics
This session is for anyone in the community that would like to learn more about iPads. Come and find out the features that come with an iPad, see demonstrations of apps, and how the iPad is changing personal computing. Each session is $5 dollars are offered on the following dates:
Monday, April 30 (7:00-8:00)
Thursday, May 17 (7:00-8:00)
Skype and FaceTime New!
Learn how to connect with loved ones using Skype and FaceTime. Oprah uses it and you can, too! Skype and FaceTime allows you use audio and video over the internet. At the workshop you can set up an account and learn how to use both programs! It's a great way to keep in touch with family so come and have fun with us!
Monday, May 14 from 7:00-8:00 pm.
Please help us spread the word about the Wamego Technology Center to your family and friends. Our success depends on the usage of the center. If it’s successful, we could apply for another round of funding!
If you have any questions, please email director@wamegotechcenter.com.
Additional information and updates can be found on our website: www.wamegotechcenter.com and facebook wamegotechcenter.

West Wins Cans For Conservation Contest

Congratulations! West Elementary, in a last week effort, ended up recycling the most cans earning the title of Top Recycling School for 2012! West Elementary recycled a total of 605lbs surpassing all other schools. In addition to recycling the most cans, West Elementary will be able to display the new traveling trophy that will be presented during the free, all school assembly in May. Your school can keep the trophy on display until the start of Cans for Conservation 2013.

Thank you for your participation in this program, and helping raise funds for tiger conservation. Collectively, all four schools raised over $525.00 to help the endangered Amur tiger.

Finally, Sunset Zoo will bring by tickets for the Earth Day celebration by noon on Friday.

Cheers!

Jared Bixby
Curator of Education

Relay for Life Coin Drive

There will be a coin drive from April 23rd to May 11th. A flyer will be emailed later this week. Print copies will be sent home with each student along with the brochures for the actual event. The event theme this year is carnival. To follow that theme, a popcorn party will be awarded to the class from each grade that raises the most money. Someone will come to the school on Fridays to collect coins from each classroom. They will keep track of each classroom's donations. They will come on Thursday the week that there is no school on Friday.

Fifty States Test

The first 50 states test will be Friday, April 20. Students may retake the test as often they want to improve their score. Their best score will be entered into the grade book for a grade. Use the following map to study.
Map With State Names in Color

Library Destiny

Check out our new library software program, Destiny! It is awesome!
One of the exciting parts of this new system is that you now have access to our library catalog from any computer or iPad—at home or school, if you are connected to the web. Here is the link to all of our school libraries:Click here

There are two options available for guest access to our catalogs. Destiny Quest offers a more graphical search option.

Below are the direct links to each school’s catalog:

http://destiny.usd320.com:81/quest/servlet/presentquestform.do?site=100&alreadyValidated=true
Central Elementary Destiny Quest

http://destiny.usd320.com:81/quest/servlet/presentquestform.do?site=101&alreadyValidated=true
West Elementary Destiny Quest


There is a Destiny Quest app available for the iPad.

You can search for a book, then click on the title and read about the book. You can also go to a link at the left called “TitlePeek”. This gives you more details about the book. Also on the left, you will find “ShelfBrowse”. You will be able to see other books, just like you are standing in the library!

I'm Ready and I Know It

As incentive for our state assessment testing students helped put together a remix video. They have been working hard and using their tools to show off all they have mastered. This was quite a project to undertake and may need some editing, but enjoy our first version!

Vocabulary Parade

We will be reading Miss Alaineus in class at the end of the month. In May, we will celebrate vocabulary with a fun activity based on the book. For ideas click on the author's link.

Central Elemenatry

West States

West States

Rube Goldberg Demonstrates Force

In reviewing science standards this week we discussed force. We watched a few video clips to observe push, pull, throw, spin, drop and roll. Enjoy!
Honda Commercial
This Too Shall Pass
The Page Turner

Kansas Science Assessment

Today the students did an excellent job working on the math assessment. We will take part 2 Tuesday and part 3 on Thursday. Next week, April 10th and 12th, we will take our final state assessment. The science assessment reviews all the standards learned in science. Here is a review for your student to use at home.

STARBASE Update

Parents,
Unfortunately STARBASE has undergone some budget cuts this year. We found out last week that the STARBASE t-shirts will not be free this year -- the instructors are asking for $5 per student to cover the cost of their t-shirt. Of course, purchasing a t-shirt is optional. If you would like your student to have a t-shirt, and the cost is a problem, please let your child's homeroom teacher know. Also, we are still looking for parent volunteers to accompany us on any of the STARBASE days. If you would like to come with us, please let your child's homeroom teacher know so that we can get you a volunteer form. Thanks so much!
~ the Fourth Grade Teachers

Win a Popcorn Party

Student Newspaper Drive Letter - April 2012

Newspaper Drive

Newspaper Drive Parent Letter

Camp Invention

Camp Invention is coming to Wamego June 18-22. March 30th is the last day for the Early Registration Savings Discount. It is also the last day for using a payment plan through Camp Invention. Spring into Summer discount begins April 1st. You will receive $15 off the base price of camp. Starting on April 1st, the sibling discount will go into effect as well. Two siblings receive $25 off each registration, and 3 or more siblings receive $50 off each registration. If you are registering online, that discount will be taken off automatically as long as you register siblings at the same time. Check us out! www.campinvention.org

STARBASE

West Elementary 4th Grade Students will go to Starbase at Forbes Field May 8, 10, 15, 17, and 22. This program offers students experiences in science, engineering, and math. The students will work in groups to complete tasks, do science experiments, and learn about concepts of flight and Newton's Laws. Students will build and launch a rocket and get to tour an airplane. We will need 4 parent helpers each day. If you can volunteer for one (or all) of the days please let me know. You do have to sign a release form for Forbes. See this link for more information about this fabulous program.