Parent teacher conferences are coming up this Friday. Be looking for the conference schedule and conference notes coming home over the next few days. 

Progress Reports and BOG scores are coming home today. I will emailed/send home a copy of my conference notes either tomorrow or Thursday for you to review, so that you can come up with questions, comments, strengths and areas for your child to work on.

See below for who I have signed up already:

Wednesday Sept. 24
5:15: Dante

Friday Sept. 26
8:00: Lila
8:20: Oshun
8:40: Chris
9:20: Talia
9:40:
10:00:
10:20:
10:40:
11:00: Sam
11:20: Fantisa
11:40: Rio
12:20: Mancel
12:40: Stella
1:00: Ruby
1:20: Madison
1:40: Ellagray
2:00: Cordasia
2:20: Aidan
2:40: Sam
3:00: Matthew
3:20:
3:40: Eniyah

If you do not see your child’s name on the list please contact me with a good time to meet

This week Mr. Ray is taking on the class full time. I will still be here, most days, and will be working with small groups and putting my two cents in, but for the next three weeks Mr. Ray will be giving the main instruction. I am looking forward to observing some other classes, doing some research on closing the achievement gap, helping Mr. Johnson and Mr. Emry dig into some data and helping the School Improvement Team write the School Improvement Plan. Having a student teacher is a brand new experience for me and giving up control might be hard at times, but I know Mr. Ray will do a great job.

Reminders:
•Field trip to the Bebe Theatre this Thursday for fable musicals. If you haven’t done so already get that field trip form in and $5. If I haven’t received your form yet I’m sending another home today to the following students: Matthew, Ian, Chris
•I will be off campus this Friday writing the School Improvement Plan. There will be a substitute, but Mr. Ray will be here running the class.
•Your student might be asking if they can bring pebbles to school. We are collecting 1,000 pebbles to work on counting large numbers, adding large numbers and grasping the idea of what 1,000 of something looks like.

This week in:
Math: adding and subtracting triple digit numbers and collecting 1,000 pebbles.
Language Arts: Connecting with characters in our reading.
Fundations: suffixes
Science: The class will be with Mrs. Reeser learning about the life cycle of plants
Writing: Modeling the writing procedure

From the media center:
Hey everyone,
A long term goal I have for the library is to create centers in the library that students can visit during their lunch time. One of the centers I would like to plan is called Lego poetry and uses Lego Duplo blocks. If anyone has any that are just sitting around the house they would like to donate, I need bunches and bunches! Also, for those of you who send home newsletters or email families, I would love to get this need out to our larger school community.
Many thanks!
Crystal Hendrix, NBCT

From 4th Grade:
Drink Coffee? Want to support Isaac Dickson Fourth Graders and their Sound to Sea Field Trip? Stop by the office to purchase your super- cool -artsy coffee mug! Made by Freeman Clayworks- Andrea Freeman. She has agreed to give $10.00 of the proceeds from each mug to help fund the Fourth Grade Sound to Sea Field Trip. Each Mug costs $20.00 and a guarantee that your coffee will taste better coming from such a pretty mug!

From the office:
Please communicate to parents:

If you DID NOT receive your picture order, there was a camera malfunction (apparently Mr. Johnson broke the lens 

Mr. Ray is in his second week of full instruction. He is doing a great job and the students are responding to his instruction.

We are headed to Hickory Nut Gap Farm next Thursday from 8:15-1:30. We need two chaperones to go with us. Let me know if you are interested.

Tomorrow evening form 5:30-6:30 we will have a Read to Achieve information meeting in the media center. You are invited to attend to get some more information on the Read to Achieve Legislation that might affect your child.

Dickson's annual Health Fair is tomorrow and we still need volunteers to help from 9:30-11 and 12-12:30 at our Vision Screening and BMI stations. Even a half hour helps! Please contact Emma Rosen at emma@acsf.org or 828-350-6851 to volunteer. 

And don't forget that picture make-up day is also tomorrow! If you didn't receive your pictures, didn't get a chance to order the first time, are new to IDES or would like a re-shoot your child is free to participate.

The following students ordered pictures and will definitely be reshot tomorrow:

Madison, Ruby, Rio, Lila and Stella

From the nurse:

I'm sure you are all aware of the diagnosed case of Ebola in the US.  Buncombe County Department of Health & Human Services has developed a great Ebola Handout for you to review.  As always, the CDC is going to be your best source of accurate information if you have further questions. And don't forget, hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of any and all germs!

It is time for our dials to hit max and the year will begin to fly by. Even more than it has so far.

Today we went to Colburn Science museum and had an awesome time. The kids learned a little bit more about matter and got to explore the museum focused on weather and rocks. Each child received a family pass in a brown bag with a piece of mica and the lady at the museum said they would be doing an extra special even this Saturday all about the moon. More information at the link: http://colburnmuseum.org/event/super-science-saturdays-mysteries-moon/

The assessment window opens tomorrow and we will be jumping right in with one of the MAP assessments. This will take place in the classroom on laptops from 8:15-10:00 tomorrow, Wednesday January 21 and  Wednesday, February 4^th. WE will also begin benchmarking students in DIBELS Oral Fluency and TRC passages.

I have finalized grades for the second quarter and report cards will be coming home on January 27.

We will be having a meeting going over some details for Camp Greenville on Tuesday Feb. 3. It will be in the evening and I will get the time to you when I get it. Some of you have already been turning in permission forms and money, which is great. All moneys for Camp Greenville will be due by March 20 and the dates of the actual trip are April 23 and 24.

Thursday, February  5 is an early release day and Friday, February 6 there is no schools for students.

Be on the lookout for another fieldtrip form coming home. We have just begun reading “Little House on the Prairie” and will be attending a play focusing on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life at Diana Wortham Theatre. This will be Wednesday, Feb. 11 and will cost $6 a child and I am looking for two chaperones to join us. Same cost for chaperones: http://www.dwtheatre.com/performances/calendar/1415mainstage/laura-ingalls-wilder

Colburn Earth Science results

Parents,
We are so close to spring break and we have got a lot going on in the class this week. Fieldtrip to Linville Caverns this Wednesday. I have Brooke Dickson and John Murray as chaperones. This will be an all day fieldtrip. Leaving no later than 8:30 and might have to leave a little earlier and will be back right before school lets out. Tomorrow we are skyping with the leader of the pollinator project and this Friday we are going to Skype with a friend of mine that just returned form Thailand.

Math: Fractions on a number line
Reading: finishing up our Global Families presentations and questioning with informational text
Writing: Persuasive piece on if you should move to the country you researched.
Fundations: Getting back into this after a short break

Reminder that we do have school this Friday and the potluck is on Thursday in the classroom.

Attached you will find information on the pollinator project 3rd grade is helping with.

Do you have books your child no longer reads? Be awesome and donate those books to our end of the book drive. Classes visit the library and each student picks out a book to take home and add to their home library. Students don’t have to donate a book to get a book, but we need a lot of book donations so students can find something they are truly excited about reading. Donations can be brought to the library. At the end of the year, if we have enough books, we will invite all classes to the library to pick out a donated book.”
Crystal Hendrix, NBCT
School Library Media Specialist
Isaac Dickson Elementary School

Hello Wonderful Dickson Families,
We need help taking care of the chickens over spring break, especially Wednesday through Sunday. Please go to the following link to sign up and get instructions. Please include a contact number if you sign up in case we need to pass along any more information.
https://docs.google.com/a/acsgmail.net/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnDgQOH1VqvxdEJhdUJnbEJZNUJaYnNkUGt6ZDdRWVE#gid=0
Thanks,
Kate White
4th Grade Teacher
Isaac Dickson

I can’t believe this year is almost over. Heading in to the last three weeks of school there is a lot going on, so this might be a long one.

We successfully completed the math and reading MAP assessment on Monday and Tuesday. The kids seemed nice and relaxed.

We will be having our compliment party this Friday: Students can wear pajamas, bring a stuffed animal and electronic devices. And if you would be so kind to send in a treat for the class with your student that would be great.

Monday is a half day. Students will be released at 12 pm. Please make sure your student is aware of how they are getting home and if it is out of the ordinary please send a note.

All library books are due by Wednesday, May 27th.

Next Thursday and Friday are the Reading and Math EOG respectively. I like for parents to provide some breakfast for the class each day. Please go to the following link and sign up for a day and dish. Some ideas are fruit, granola, oatmeal, quiche, yogurt. Nothing too sweet. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1S-m7nz0CDmzlKAlXblk_r8UacLOnA-h9YCJiMR3Zo84/edit?usp=sharing

Urban Trail permission slips are coming home tomorrow. We will be taking this field trip on Monday, June 8th and really need parental support that day. Any and all chaperones are needed. Just let me know that you are coming so we can make sure to have enough lunch prepared.

Field Day is the next day, Friday, June 9th. Send in a towel and a change of clothes. They will be getting wet.

The IDES Garden Program is excited to share some wonderful gardening opportunities with our school community.
We invite all of our families to gather with us from 10:00 am-1:00 pm on each of the four Saturdays left in the school year. We're doing all kinds of fun, kid-friendly activities including:
* Watching Bugs
* Harvesting Food
* Making Lemonade
* Making Signs and Banners
* Creating Fairy Houses
* Planting and Mulching
* Painting
* Watering
* Planting Seeds
* Taking Photos
Come Grow With Us!
The IDES Garden Club


Want to find out about next year’s 4th grade Sound to Sea trip? There will be a parent information session on Thursday, 6/4/2015 from 5:30 – 6:30 in Ms. Genova’s room at Isaac Dickson. We will share information about the trip and answer questions. We will plan fund raising efforts.
Thanks,
Kate

Hi Everyone,
Asheville City Schools Foundation invites you to hear Senator Terry Van Duyn and Representative Susan Fisher speak about current education related legislation and how it can impact our schools here in Asheville.
Date/Time: Friday, May 22, 2015 from 11am- 2pm
Place: Vance Elementary School @ 98 Sulphur Springs Road
More information can be found on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/439965786179451/
Also, if you're interested you can sign up to receive Advocacy Alerts from the Asheville City Schools Foundation. Here is the link to the sign-up page: http://acsf.org/get-involved/advocacy.php
Thanks so much,
Kristen Wilkerson

www.biguniverse.com