The Cub Reporter

Dutch Fork Elementary School.Academy of Environmental Sciences

7900 Broad River Road Irmo, SC 29063 y (803) 476-3900 FAX (803) 476-3920
www.lexrich5.org/dutchfork.cfm y Title I School
October 29, 2015

Nov 2
Tag of Honor for 4K and Hardie
8:15 a.m.
PTO Mtg. 6:00 p.m. Media Center
Nov 4
Second Cup of Coffee 7:30 a.m.
Media Center
K5 goes to Lever Farms
Nov 5
3rd grade to Congaree Swamp
Nov 6
PBIS Fox Fun Friday
Nov 9-13
Scholastic Book Fair Media Ctr.
Nov 9
District Board Mtg. 7:00 p.m HIS
Nov 10
1st gr. SC Museum & canal walk
Nov 11
SIC Mtg. 6:00 p.m. Conf. Room
Nov 13
5th grade to Barrier Islands
Fall Festival 6-8 p.m. with
Scholastic Book Fair Open
Nov 16
2nd grade to Camp Discovery
Nov 17
4th grade to Planetarium
Spirit Night at Chipotle 4-9pm
Nov 19
Early Release Day 11:40 a.m.
Nov 20
2nd grade to Camp Discovery
Nov 23
Picture Make Up Day
Nov 25-27
Thanksgiving Holidays

Buy A Brick Today to Help Us Create

Pathways of Learning For Our Students
Your engraved brick will be a permanent
piece of the outdoor learning environment that
your funds are supporting! These bricks will line
the pathway of the Secret Garden located next to
our mini theater. 100% of the proceeds will
support and maintain our school gardens and
outdoor learning areas. It will also support other
environmental projects which have become integral
to our mission of developing students who love the world we live in and express
critical thinking through natural curiosity and wonder.
For more information or to order your brick please see our webpage at
www.lexrich5.org/dutchfork.cfm

B2 = Breathe Better Campaign

What is Breathe Better? Breathe Better is an anti-idling/clean air campaign.

The goal is to protect the health of children by reducing harmful vehicle emissions
around school campuses. Students are taking actions such as educating drivers
about idling and posting no idling signs around the school campus. Students are
also implementing other school projects aimed at improving air quality, such as
planting trees and encouraging alternative modes of transportation. The Breathe
Better campaign is a voluntary initiative. It is an environmentally sustainable
project that can be easily developed, implemented and maintained. There is zero
cost to your school or organization to participate
Why focus on school campuses? Large numbers of vehicles idle on school
campuses during daily arrival and dismissal. Students, parents, faculty and bus
drivers are exposed to higher levels of vehicle exhaust at these times. Exhaust may
also be drawn into the air vents and accumulate inside the school building.
Children are more sensitive to air pollution than adults because they breathe more
(relative to body size) and their lungs are still developing. Pollution from vehicle
exhaust has been linked to asthma, other respiratory diseases and increased risk of
long-term health effects. Asthma in particular is a common, chronic illness in
children and a significant cause of school absence.
Why is vehicle idling a problem? Mobile sources such as personal vehicles,
school buses and delivery trucks are major contributors to air pollution in South
Carolina. (continued)

(cont. Breathe Better)

Idling means that a vehicles engine is turned on but the vehicle is not in motion.
Idling wastes about mile worth of fuel every minute and releases many harmful
pollutants.

Coming Soon!!
Scholastic
Book Fair
November 9-13!
DFES Media Center

The Book Fair will be open

during the Fall Festival!

First Quarter
Tag of Honor Ceremony
Each quarter students at Dutch Fork
Elementary are honored at our Tag of
Honor Ceremony for outstanding
achievements in several academic
areas as well as being recognized for
Perfect Attendance. Tags are
presented
to
students
and
accumulate throughout the school
year. The tags are worn on a
necklace at each ceremony and at the
end of the year students are allowed
to take them home. Our first
ceremony for this year will be held

Friday, October 30
8:05 3rd grade
9:05 1st grade
10:05 5th grade
11:05 4th grade
12:20 2nd grade
1:20 Kindergarten

Monday, November 2

8:15 PreK and Miss Hardies Class

Learning Through Authenticity

One of our beliefs as a school is that, We believe in learning through

authentic primary sources. Nothing is more authentic than the life our kids go
through each day here at school and at home.
Recently, our grade level teams met together to discuss ways we can do a
better job with our students as they work as scientists and engineers. One realworld way to do this is to incorporate more opportunities for students to collect,
analyze and communicate data. Scientists and engineers do this every day when
they go to work.
Data can look differently to us as we go throughout our day here at school.
For example:
Counting the number of worms and birds we see every time we walk to the
playground.
Measuring temperature at different locations around our school.
Measuring the amount of recycled materials collected each day here at school.
Measuring the height of our broccoli plants in our raised beds.
Counting the number of Monarch butterflies seen each afternoon.
And the list could go on and on. But its what we do with the data we collect
that matters. Collecting data is just the task. Its the way the data is organized,
displayed, analyzed and then communicated that helps our students make
connections to whats going on in the natural world. Students could just learn about
a worms habitat, body structure and function. But its the questions that kids ask
that count. For example Why are there more worms and birds after it rains? and
Why dont we see worms very much in the winter? Its then that students begin
to connect to whats going on under their feet, in the sky above and with the water
that moves over the ground.
Help us at home, wont you? There are many ways that you can collect and
analyze data at home. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
--Set up a bird feeder and record the different types of birds that come for a
visit. Then use your electronic devices or field guides that can be checked out from
the library to look up the different types of birds you have spotted.
--Take a walk around your neighborhood and record the places where soil
erosion has taken place. See if your child can make inferences as to why erosion is
visible in some places and not in others.
--Make cupcakes following the directions. Then make another batch changing
the method or ingredients a bit. Record the height of the cupcakes before and after
baking. Then taste them to make comparisons. Record observations on a chart.
--Plant a fall garden and record the height and quality of the plants.
*If you need more suggestions, ask your childs teacher for ideas. Its really simple
to make the things you do each day more meaningful and purposeful for your child
as a learner.
--Amy Umberger
Resident Scientist

Dutch Fork Elementary

November 13TH
6:00pm8:00pm

Penny drive
for SC Flood
victims
video game
truck
games

Fall Festival

Clown

story telling
jump
castles
entertainment

candy cake walk

Kona Ice
pizza, popcorn,
face
painting
Truck
cotton candy
$1 each

$5 wristband

Dutch Fork Elementary

November 13TH
6:00pm8:00pm

Fall Festival

I would like to pre-pay for

the wristbands:
x $5 =
exact

Cash
ONLY

Pre- Payments
Due by Nov. 6

Check

Wristbands include all games and entertainment only

Homeroom Teacher:

Please provide student name(s) and telephone number to be

included on the wristband
student(s) name:

games

telephone #:

candy video gaming truck jump castles

cake walk story telling

To help us order pizza, please let us know if you would be interested in buying pizza by the slice for $1.
Yes

No

# of slices

Dont miss FALL FESTIVAL

Pie

Mr. Scott
Want to
know
how?!?
Bring your money from November 6th-13th.
to the library and drop in your grades jug!

The grade level with the most money will get a students
name drawn to PIE MR. SCOTT at Fall Festival

all money donated will be given to the d5 foundation for the sc flood victims!

November 2015
Sun

Mon
1

Tue

Wed

Tag of Honor
4K and Hardie
8:15 a.m.
PTO Mtg. 6:00 p.m.
in Media Center

Thu
4

Second Cup of
Coffee 7:30 a.m. in
the Media Center
K5 goes to Lever
Farms

10

Fri
5

3rd grade goes to

Congaree Swamp

11

District Board Mtg.

7:00 IHS

15

16

2nd grade to Camp

Discovery

1st grade to SC
Museum & canal

4th grade to
Planetarium

18

13

14

5th gr. to Barrier

Islands
Fall Festival 6-8
p.m with Book Fair
OPEN

SIC Mtg. 6:00

Conference Room

17

6
PBIS Fox Fun
Friday

12

Scholastic Book Fair in the Media Center Nov. 9 - 13

Sat

19
Early Release Day
11:40 a.m.

20

21

27

28

2nd grade to Camp

Discovery

Spirit Night at
Chipotle 4-9 p.m.

22

23

24

25

26

Picture Make up
Day

Thanksgiving Holidays

29

30