November 2012

Buddy Reading is a great way to help struggling readers improve and successful readers learn useful skills.  The students from Mrs. Pando's 6th grade class love to come read with the second grade students in Miss Levi's class.  Student pairs work together to practice fluency, accuracy and comprehension.  'Spot On' reading is happening at Santaquin each day!

Hi, I’m Erin Miller, I was asked to do a report on the Parents and Pastries program.

What is Parents and Pastries? I’ll tell you. Parents and Pastries are when a parent (or parents) bring their child (or children) to the school to read to them. Or the children read to the parents if they want to. The P.T.A. brings donuts and milk to hand out to the parents and children. That’s why it’s called “Parents and Pastries.”

I believe that Parents and Pastries was a success. When I went, I saw loads of parents, children, and yes, pastries. The pastries were scrumptious, and the milk was refreshing. My mother came and read to me and my brother, Zane. They read Christmas stories, you know, because it’s Christmas. The books were spectacular. The children and the parents looked like they were enjoying themselves. The principal, Mr. Argyle, was there too. He looked like he was enjoying himself. The children he was reading to did too. I know that I enjoyed myself.    

The sixth grade students at Santaquin Elementary have been learning to sculpt with tape in their art class.  Mrs. Marzan taught students to work collaboratively as a team to create specific body parts.  Once the individual pieces were completed, they were taped together to make a whole person sculpture.  The 'students' were jumping, diving, flying, reading and even practicing math fast facts.  Great imagination and teamwork!

On November 27th, the PTA at Santaquin Elementary provided donuts and milk for parents and students during our famous "Parents and Pastries" reading event.  Families came to school early in the morning to read and eat together.  Thank you PTA!!!

Mr. Argyle and his team kept the student excitement at a fever pitch as they gave away books, money, posters, balls and two BICYCLES.  Students who had read and earned reading tickets were waiting anxiously for their chance to shoot a basket for CASH, or to simply have their choice of the cool prizes on the steps.

Congratulations to Maddie Galloway and Easton Gofort,h who won the bicycles THIS time.  There are more assemblies and more bikes in the future!!

Two sixth-grade photographers walked around Santaquin Elementary this afternoon looking for evidence of Thanksgiving.  They took pictures to show us what they saw.

Dear Readers,

      Today I am so excited because I won a bike!!! That is my first time winning a bike and it is so exciting.

I called my mom and she said that she would come in our truck to get it.

     I love my bike, it is so pretty.  It is blue and black.  Everyone said, "Congratulations!" to me.  I am the happiest person right now.

     I can't wait to ride it.   IT PAYS TO READ.

                                                           Keep Reading,

                                                           Maddy Galloway

There was a feast to be had at Santaquin Elementary on Tuesday, November 20th.  The students of Ms. Harker and Ms. Craig enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving dinner as part of their celebrations.  They dined on homemade weaved place-mats and enjoyed a turkey dinner complete with mashed potatoes, stuffing, salads, sweet potatoes, and ... pumpkin pie!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Walk in the halls ... keep hands to yourself ... appropriate noise level.  These are the things students at Santaquin Elementary are being recognized for!  Teachers, faculty and staff are keeping a watch out for students who are working on these school-wide goals and recognizing them with Positive Behavior tickets that teachers collect in each individual classroom.  In the lunchroom, students work to keep the noise monitor light from going to red by using "inside voices" while eating.  Ten days without going to red equals a whole school reward!  Student names are periodically drawn and the deserving winners get to come pick a reward from the treasure box!  Keep up the great work, students!

On Thursday evening, November 15th, the fourth grade teachers at Santaquin Elementary were excited to hold their first annual Write Nite.  This was an opportunity for parents and students to receive strategies and tools to encourage writing at home.   Prizes and writing materials were given away to those in attendance at the end of the evening!  Families learned about all Core Writing Areas, to include: opinion, informational and narrative.  Thank you for supporting student learning through our Parent Literacy Night.