August 2012

Bright and early Friday morning, the students, teachers and staff of Santaquin Elementary conducted their first fire drill of the school year.  Students quietly followed teachers to designated areas, where they were counted and then waited for the 'all clear' signal.  Safety first at Santaquin!

At Santaquin Elementary, after reading the book Enemy Pie, Miss Dooley's first grade class decided to write their own recipe for Friendship Pie.  Working together in a Shared Writing activity, the students and teacher recorded their ideas for important things to have in a recipe for friendship.  They will use this recipe to help build their classroom community throughout the year.  Thank you, 1st graders, for sharing such a great example of friendship!

On Thursday, August 30th, the students at Santaquin Elementary participated in the first of many It Pays to Read assemblies.  To recognize the importance of reading throughout the summer and all year long, students were treated to new books of their very own!  Names were called to shoot baskets for cash, as well as for the grand prize of a brand new bike, the winner of which had read over 8000 pages during the summer!  We want to thank the Road to Success reading program for keeping us excited about books!  Keep up the great work! 

Parents, students, teachers, and faculty were all in attendance Thursday evening at our annual Back to School Night at Santaquin Elementary, August 23rd.  Families were able to visit with teachers about the procedures and policies in their students' classrooms, as well as receive information and sign up for upcoming events through the efforts of our wonderful PTA.  We were excited to review our school vision of:  Everyone caring, involved, and improving.  At Santaquin, we celebrate success because ... ALL students are OUR students!  Thank you for your support of our learning!

On Thursday morning, August 23rd, students and faculty participated in our 'kick off' Safe School Assembly.  We were reminded of school-wide expectations, such as:  what appropriate behavior looks like, safety always comes first, respect for ourselves and others, etc.  We are so grateful to have a beautiful school building to come to each day where we know we are safe and able to learn.  We each make the difference at Santaquin Elementary!

The 5th grade teachers at Santaquin Elementary, joined by members of the Adminsitrative Team, treated the fifth grade students to an original portrayal of the classic 'Little Red Riding Hood' in their literary introduction to Readers' Theater.  The students cheered wildly as the Wolf, played by Mr. Kern, 'dismissed' the grandmother, portrayed by our very own Principal Argyle (in full costume).  To everyone's great relief, the reading concluded with a rousing game of baseball!  Thank you, Fifth Grade Teachers, for making literature come alive for our students!

Monday, August 20th, found students and parents at Santaquin Elementary exploring classrooms and meeting new teachers at our annual Open House.  Everyone is very excited for another amazing school year.  Good luck and happy learning!