Bexley City Schools

Cassingham Elementary School

Read-a-Thon, Halloween, and Charity Newsies

Readathon
Thank you for your support of our PTO’s Readathon. I’m looking forward to sharing my office with the readathon participate who’ll be selected to be Principal for a Day on November 20th and flipping pancakes for participants on November 9th. Keep up the great reading (all year!) and turn in your minutes for tickets through November 2nd!

Halloween Celebration
Our school’s celebration of Halloween will be Wednesday, October 31st. As you and your children plan for costumes, please keep in mind that our school is made up of students ages 4 – 11. Creative costumes are always welcome; super scary costumes should be saved for events outside of school. Students dress in their costumes for the afternoon parade; however, there may be few faculty members “in character” all day. ?? Our parade will begin at 2pm and class parties will follow. In case of rain we will not hold our parade.

Charity Newsies Projects and Thanksgiving Celebration
Student Council will launch our 73rd campaign of support for Charity Newsies during our Cub Gathering on November 2nd. Charity Newsies’ mission is to ensure that all children in Central Ohio have adequate clothing to attend school. I want to extend the invitation for ANY child to visit the Charity Newsies headquarters on Indianola Avenue with our Student Council November 1st; a flyer will go home next week about the opportunity. We’ll culminate our campaign with our Thanksgiving Town Meeting on Tuesday, November 20st at 10AM in the Cassingham Theater.

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PTO Read-a-Thon

READ A THON IS HERE!

Here is ALL you need to know for this easy, new fundraiser!

Read A Thon has TWO components

FUNdraising Component:
Register your kiddo(s) with their own online fundraising page. Share it with friends and family to boost donations. There are 5 levels of prizes based on pledge amounts. Those prizes are listed online AND in their PLEDGE PACKETS, going home this week!

Reading Component:
"Reading" time can be alone, parent reading to them, time at home AND time at school. The goal is just to get them READING!

At this time there isn't a way to say for example "$1 per minute". Flat donations are the way to go!

20 mins of reading = 1 raffle ticket

In their PLEDGE PACKETS each student has 15 tickets and a reading log. They should write their name on the tickets and when they read 20 mins, turn in to teacher. (The log is just to also keep track). The classroom that reads the most will win a popcorn and movie party! AND the teacher will draw a name from their raffle ticket jar for an additional prize of their choice (i.e. lunch with the teacher, etc)

First (of many) Prizes!

Every kiddo gets a monster lollipop when they register AND collect their first donation.

These will be given out over the next two weeks !

Check your kiddo(s) backpacks TODAY

PLEDGE PACKETS have been delivered to teachers and should come home in backpacks today (if they haven't already). Ask your child's teacher if you haven't gotten it yet. And let us know if you have further questions. csptoprez@gmail.com

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An ORANGE message from Mrs. Hecker, school counselor: Unity Day is Wednesday, October 24!

Unity Day, the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month, has been recognized in the United States since 2011. To participate in Unity Day, individuals, schools, communities, and businesses wear or display orange to show support for students who have been bullied.

We are wearing orange not to celebrate one day when we unite, but to symbolize that all year we are united!

It would be ideal to say that we are immune to bullying and although the incidents are low, they are a high priority for us. Every child needs to feel safe at school. It is why we spend an entire year on prevention. In our classroom guidance lessons, we teach skills such as empathy, compassion, assertiveness, emotional regulation and problem solving to name a few. These social skills are not only important in the prevention of bullying, but also in addressing the typical childhood conflicts. Children learn from prevention education as well as their own mistakes. We work with students in creating positive solutions to social conflict that will last with them as lifelong learners and know these lessons are just as valuable as our academics.

In addition to the comprehensive evidence based social skills curriculum, we use specific lessons to define bullying and our response to it. Your child is taught that bullying is repetitive, one-sided and using power in a hurtful way; which can include threatening, teasing, physical harm and social exclusion. Students learn and practice skills to recognize the bullying behavior, refuse the bullying behavior, show compassion to the child receiving the bullying behavior and reporting the bullying behavior. The power of the bystander is stressed in these lessons.

If you would like to learn more about our social skills curriculum, bullying prevention or have any questions please feel free to contact: erica.hecker@bexleyschools.org.

If you or your child witness bullying, harassment, or discrimination please contact us or use this link to make a report. https://bexleyschools.formstack.com/forms/incident_report

For more information on bullying prevention:
https://www.stopbullying.gov/
http://www.pacer.org/bullying/

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Mathematical Olympiad

2018 – 2019

Are you a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader who enjoys problem-solving and challenging mathematical activities?

If so, then you may want to join your fellow mathematicians in Mathematical Olympiad!

** Practice and Contest Dates **

Tuesday, October 23

Tuesday, October 30

Tuesday, November 6

Tuesday, November 13

Tuesday, November 20

Tuesday, December 18

Tuesday, January 8

Tuesday, January 15

Tuesday, February 5

Tuesday, February 12

Tuesday, March 5

Friday, March 8

**All practices and contests will take place from 11:35 – 12:05 in Ms. Lombardi’s space – room 2209.

For more information about Mathematical Olympiad, please email julie.lombardi@bexleyschools.org

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Cub Reporter from Cassingham Grade Levels

Cassingham eCubReporter for September 30, 2018

At the end of each month, our eCubReporter will provide instructional updates and important dates for Cassingham Elementary families.

Quick notes from Ms. Hetzler:

Little victories of large importance to a child: "Boy 1" is a 1st grade student for whom arrival was a challenge, at arrival in August, tears often streamed down his cheeks as his big sister gave him hugs in his locker hallway, it was difficult for his feet to move him forward as he navigated the path to his class.

Over the past month, I've watched his arrival experience ease. His sister easily helps him to his locker and he's starting to ask Cassingham faculty to help him, if he's struggling with his book bag, jacket or lunch box. Boy1 is entering his class on time, with a smile on his face. Thank you Cassingham families for allowing our students to thrive in the hallways at arrival!

Afterschool plans for students: Please keep in mind that our faculty and I are unable to provide supervision for students after 3pm. Teachers and I engage in professional meetings and planning sessions from 3pm-4pm each day.Children who are on the playground without an adult supervising them after dismissal, will be instructed to head home or head to the office to call for an adult to pick them up.

One Book To Connect The World: Cassingham classes will join our entire school district in participating in The Global Read Aloud during October and November. Look for updates from your child’s teacher regarding their participation and join us as we read and talk about some good books! For additional information head to: https://theglobalreadaloud.com

Entering Cassingham before 7:45AM: Elementary chior practices for students in 4th and 5th grades begin at 7:45AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If a child must enter the school before 7:45, they will be asked to use the keypad at the main entrance. Students will be asked to enter their id/lunch number into the key pad, much like they do when purchasing a lunch.

Upcoming events:

Tuesday, October 2 Special Education PTO Meetings at 6:30 pm in The Community Room. Future Tuesday Meetings: November 8th, December 4th, February 5th, March 5th, April 2^nd
Monday, October 15^th, Jim Bisenius Bully-proofing Youth, 6:30pm-8PM, Cassingham LibraryDuring this PTO-sponsored program, Mr. Bisenius will present concrete tips and tools for you and your child to implement in response to oppressive social situations. The strategies are informed by the lessons Jim has learned in his private therapy practice with hundreds of children.
Wednesday, October 17^th – 6pm – Cassingham Complex – District-wide Art Show Opening and Community Presentation of our district’s strategic plan
Friday, October 19^th No School: end of the quarter record-keeping and teacher professional development.
Tuesday, October 23^rd 7:00-8:30PM, Schottenstein Theater, The State of School Safety and Security, Presentation and Question/Answer session. Click here for more information.
Student-Teacher-Parent Conferences are scheduled across October by each classroom teacher. Elementary schools are closed Friday, October 26^th for conferences. If you’ve not scheduled a conference, or need a reminder of your date, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher.
Halloween celebrations will be Wednesday, October 31^st. Our school parade begins at 2pm, classroom parties follow the parade. As you’re considering costume choices, please keep in mind our youngest students and save any overly creepy, scary or violent costumes elements for community trick or treating. We focus on the fun and leave the frightening elements at home. If you or your child have a question about a costume choice, please chat with your classroom teacher or Ms. Hetzler.

Kindergarten News

Kindergartners will spend the weeks before Thanksgiving break working on a new unit centered around How the World Works. We will focus our attention on TOYS and learn to use our five senses to draw, read, write, and measure like scientists. Our time in the library with Ms. Kuder will be spent doing research on the attributes of our toys to write a What Is It? book. Mr. Pinciotti will teach us how to use shapes to draw our toys in art. Mr. Manchester will help us to discover how instruments make sound, and we will make our own maracas to play musical pieces in music. We will take a field trip to the Columbus Symphony Orchestra on November 14.

In math, we will work on Numbers to Ten: Dots to Ten, Numbers to Ten, Five and Some More, and Composing and Decomposing Shapes in October. In November, we begin Bikes and Bugs: Double, Add & Subtract: Bicycle Doubles, Adding & Subtracting Ones, Add, Subtract & Double It!, and Put Them in Order.

1^st Grade News

In first grade, students have been learning "Who We Are". Students have kicked off the year setting up classroom communities and focusing on being good friends. Our summative assessment requires students to create a diagram of a good friend. This allows students to personalize traits that are important to them. We have lots to look forward to in our next unit, "How We Organize Ourselves." Students will be taking a walking field trip throughout the Bexley community on Thursday, October 18. This is all in preparation for presenting our own created communities, called Bexlandia, to the entire Cassingham Community at the December 7^th Cub Gathering!

2^nd Grade News

It's time to get healthy in second grade! Through exploring our unit of inquiry: Who We Are, second graders are learning how personal choices impact our health and environment. The students have investigated nutrition, safety, hygiene and disease prevention. We've even downward dogged our way to better balance with Lisa Evan, our resident yogi, and group yoga sessions! Special thanks to the PTO for funding our yoga experience!

3^rd Grade News

Greetings Cassingham Families! Grade three is moving through our most recent unit of inquiry: How We Organize Ourselves focused on aspects of local government organization and how communities organize themselves for the common good of its citizens.

To enrich our experiences, third graders participated in a mock city council hearing with our very own Mayor Kessler. Mr. Kessler encouraged 3^rd graders to take action by communicating their thoughts and ideas to Bexley City Council.

We followed up with another eye-opening experience visiting the Bishop Griffin community center. The center helps folks in need of housing, clothing, food and employment. Last month, this local organization provided about 15,000 meals for local individuals and families in need in our community.

Third graders will reflect upon these experiences and will keep you posted regarding the action steps they inspired. Stay tuned!

4th Grade News

4th graders are focusing their questioning minds on How the World Works; a study of land forms, weathering, and erosion will be supplemented by a visit to the Ohio State Geological Museum on October 11th. We also have been learning about the Branches of Government, culminating with a visit from Mayor Kessler.

Additionally, we’ve been studying the ways Tall Tales have explained events, phenomena and behaviors. Students are creating their own Tall Tales, which will include elements of figurative language and land forms. And finally, we are focusing on how multiplication and measurement work through multiplicative strategies, deep thinking, linear measurement, volume and capacity.

5th Grade News

As the summative assessment for our Who We Are unit of inquiry, students created and shared a visual presentation about a health and wellness topic or a European explorer that they connected to and wanted to inquire about from our learning. 5th graders are doing a great job as Cub Cadets this year, leading the way as role models for the Cassingham community. They have been giving one on one attention to our new Kindergarten students at lunch, recess, and in the classroom. We are proud of our busy students for balancing all the commitments they have made to safety patrol, choir, theater, CCN, and student council. It's going to be an exciting year with these 5th graders leading Cassingham!

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Cub Reporter from the Cassingham Specialists

Cassingham Cub Reporter for September 23, 2018

News from The Theater Department

101 Dalmatian Kids will be presented this week by the Bexley Theatre Arts Department. Performances are scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Sept 27-29 at 7pm and a Saturday matinee is also planned for Sept. 29 at 2pm. Based on the classic animated film, Disney's 101 Dalmatians KIDS features a high-spirited score and lovable characters. This show is 30 minutes and does not have an intermission, so it is perfect for children of all ages. Tickets can be purchased at Tickets – Bexley Theatre Parents or at the door. Cost is $10 for adults and $8 for kids. Golden Buckeye card holders, Lions Pride Pass holders and Bexley staff and immediate family get in for free. Visithttp://www.bexleytheatrearts.com/18.19.php for more information.

News from The Art Room

Art studies during August and September have shared a common theme across all grade levels: IDENTITY.

1^st grade has been observing and discussing ways in which we are similar and different between our peers in class as we draw self-portraits.
2^nd graders are looking at James Rizzi, Pop Artsist, and discussing how artists will paint, draw or create artwork based on things they love or care about. James loves New York City and we can see his passion for that city in most of his art.
In 3 grade, the students are thinking about what they want to be when they grow up and creating a self-portrait based on our passions. We are also talking about storytelling and symbol making.
4^th graders are working on creating a piece of art based on symbols that define who they are. They were challenged to think of things that fall into three identity categories: School, Home and Personal.
5^TH graders are creating a graffiti tag that expresses who they are. They also took a test to better understand who they are (patterns of coordination) which we will use throughout the year.

IMPORTANT DATES and Info:

Cassingham Cardboard Challenge: Saturday, September 29^th (9-noon) Come and create artwork using tape and cardboard with your whole family on the Cassingham playground.
All District Art Show: Wednesday, October 17^th along with The District’s Strategic Plan Roll Out Event A select few pieces of art showcased from all three elementary buildings, middle school and high school. More information to come.
Cassingham Notes and Brushes: Music and Art share a Facebook group that you can follow, to see what your children are doing in our spaces. Mr. Manchester and I post notes, updates, pictures of student work, and videos of performances.
Artsonia: Cassingham has its own online art gallery that displays student work. Permission slips to join Artsonia have been sent home, if you did not get one and want to sign up your child(ren) please contact Mr. Pinciotti.-Ben Pinciotti

News from the Library

Another amazing year has started in the Cassingham Library! A big change came about this year when a full-time librarian for Cassingham was approved. This means that I can focus solely on the needs of Cassingham students, and Mrs. Reigler can focus on meeting the needs of the middle school students and staff. We still share the space, computers, and the catalog resources.

All students come every week to listen to stories, find ways to make meaningful connections to literature, and to check-out more books for pleasure or for learning. We are seeking parent volunteers to help with activities and book check-out during library times, so if you are interested in helping, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher to let them know.

I am working this year with the other specialists and some of the teachers on an initiative called Agents of Change. It is designed to help students explore their own interests, skills, and creativity. Each month there is a theme that loosely ties together our work. During August and September, we are exploring Self-Awareness, Identity, and Empathy. In the library, I am focusing on the question: How can books inspire me to learn about things I want to change?

Jeanette Kuder, Information Integration Specialist, Cassingham Library ,Bexley City Schools, Jeanette.Kuder@bexleyschools.org

News from Literacy Support

Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed some great books with your family over the summer. If you are looking for more ways to supplement literacy at home, give Lexia Core 5 a try. Please see the below instructions for accessing Lexia Core 5 through your student's Clever account.

Go to www.bexleyschools.org
Hover on the tab "find it fast" and click on "Parent & Student Portal"
Click on the first choice under students, "Clever Log-in"
type in Cassingham Elementary School (if you get an error message "uh-oh" click go to portal)
Click log in
Log in: firstname.lastname then ask student to use their district password or contact classroom teacher for password

Happy Reading! - Katie Langolf

News from The Music Room:

I am so excited to be at Cassingham Elementary teaching general music this year! It has been a tremendous start to the year. Students have spent the first few weeks of school delving into units ranging from Native Americans to African-American Stepping to Elements of Music. We’ve sung, played xylophones, drums, steel pans, and body percussion.

I am using Class Dojo to connect with parents and students this year. About once a week, I will be posting videos and pictures of what we are doing in music class. This gives you a great way to see your child’s progress through the year as well as have a first-hand view of what is going on in music class. Your child probably received a sign-up sheet with a code on it. If your child did not receive the sheet or the sheet is lost, no worries. You can e-mail me at bill.manchester@bexleyschools.org and I can send you a sign-up code. You can also register at www.classdojo.comand search for the school, class, and student.

For fourth and fifth graders, rehearsals for Vivace: The Chorus at Cassingham Elementary are well underway. It is not too late to sign up, however. If your child is still interesting in participating, have them sign-up at www.tinyurl.com/cassinghamvivace. Our first performance will be an in-school performance on Tuesday, October 23. Rehearsals are either before school or during lunch/recess on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Finally, major events in music and art classes will also be posted on the Facebook page, Cassingham Notes and Brushes. This will be a one-stop shop for information about music and art across the school building.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to educate your children, Bill Manchester

News from Physical Education

It has been a great start to school in the gym this school year. It has been a pleasure to meet all the new students and welcome back all the returning students. This Fall we will continue to work on playing fairly and treating our classmates with respect in physical education and on the playground. We have gone over the playground rules, so we can be safe at recess and take care of our playground equipment, so it stays in good working condition. Some special thanks go out to the PTO for purchasing equipment that the students can use to play with at recess.

In physical education we are working on the following activities:

Kg- We are working on following directions, locomotor movements and throwing and catching.

1st/ 2nd - We are working on warming up each class and learning how to do planks and push-ups each class.

3rd/ 4th- We are working on a proper warm-up each class to get ready to be active for 35 min of physical education. We are working on individual skills each class to be able to participate in group games.

5th- We are working on following directions and treating our classmates with respect when we are participating in class.

– Jeff Landis

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A Message from Mrs. Hecker, Cassingham’s School Counselor

Dear Families,

The elementary school years set the foundation for developing the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary for children to become healthy, competent and confident learners. Elementary school counselors have an impact on these years by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program and collaborating with school staff, parents and the community to create a safe and respectful learning environment. By providing education, prevention, early identification and intervention, elementary school counselors help their students achieve academic success, develop an understanding of career opportunities and develop social/emotional skills in response to issues they face.

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Cassingham Reminders for September 17-21

No School on September 19

Fall Tailgate on September 21, 5-7 PM

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Cardboard Challenge

3rd Annual Cassingham Community Cardboard Challenge

Saturday, September 29, 2018

9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Cassingham Playground

Participants must come with a parent or guardian.

This event will be cancelled in the case of rain.

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Cassingham Elementary Curriculum Night

Please join us on Thursday, August 30 for Curriculum Night. The schedule for this adults only event is:

Grades K-2^nd- 6:30-7:15 (K in Library, 1^st & 2^nd in teacher’s classrooms)
Visit the Specialists 7:00-7:45
Grades 3^rd-5^th 7:30-8:15 (in common meeting spaces – 3^rd theater, 4^th library, 5^th 2303)

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Cassingham Elementary

250 S. Cassingham Rd.

Bexley, Ohio 43209

Phone 614.237.4266

Jeannine Hetzler, Principal (2150)

Mary Poczik, Secretary (2149)

Erica Hecker, Counselor (2140)

David Schottner, Teacher Leader (2302)

Joann Spain, Katie Talbott, & Amy Poling, School Nurses (3147)

Juli Carvi, Cafeteria (4104)