November 2009


It continued to be a "Star-Filled" Celebration in the School Counseling Department during October!  The school counselors met with all grade levels and provided the following lessons:

Grade 5:  "Organizational Boot Camp:  The War on Disorganization" and "How Full Is Your Bucket?"
Grade 4:  "Making Good Decisions" and "How Full Is Your Bucket?"
Grade 3:   "Commuication Skills" 
Grade 2:   "How to be a Friend: Friendship Skills"
Grade 1:   "Student Work Habits:"
Kindergarten:  "Responsibility as a Student Worker" 

Overall, all of the lessons went well.  We are most impressed with the grade 4 and 5 students that have decided to carry on the "drops" in the bucket as a class initiative.  The students really enjoyed getting compliments from their classmates.  It is so exciting to hear the buzz around school.  We hope to "flood" the school with respect and kindness!

Grade Level Classroom Lessons:

During the month of November, we will be providing the following classroom lessons: 

Grade 5:  Conflict Strategies & Hugs & Kisses
Grade 4:  Popcorn Problem and  Organizational Boot Camp and Hugs & Kisses
Grade 3:  "Don't Laugh At Me!" and Organizational Boot Camp and  Hugs & Kisses
Grade 2:  Communication: "I'm All Ears!" & Hugs & Kisses
Grade 1:  Mistakes are part of learning and Healthy Habits and Hugs & Kisses
Grade K:  Tattlin' Madeline and Hugs & Kisses

Be sure to ask your child, "What did you talk and do in your class counseling lesson today?"

Small Groups:

We have also started our "Ambassadors for Change" and "Salvaging Sisterhood" groups for students in grades 5.

We are excited to share that we have two new programs starting at Marshall:

Marshall Peer Mentors:  This is a program in collaboration with the Reading Specialist and High School students that work with students on academic success.  The mentors meet with students once a week and work on academic vocabulary, reading stamina and fluency.

Marshall Peer Mediators:  This program was created to improve peer to peer relationships and has grade 4 and grade 5 students that provide mediation services to classmates.Students learn to help students workout student conflicts by reaching a mutually agreeable compromise between two or more parties in an attempt to avoid the need for disciplinary action; helping to keep many minor incidents from escalating over time into more serious incidents. Peer mediation proactively teaches students alternatives to relational aggression, bullying and/or violence. Peer mediation promotes effective communication skill development, problem solving skills and conflict resolution. 

The following picture shows our current Marshall Mentors from Forest Park High School:

It continues to be a TeRRiFiCC 2009-2010 school year!

Operation Turkey

Sponsored by SCA to benefit SERVE
November 16-19, 2009

Marshall SCA, students, staff, parents and community you did it!  Marshall SCA collected over 1047 food donations for SERVE.  You helped to bring a Happy Thanksgiving to our community’s neediest families! Your gift will enable SERVE to support the programs that give Thanksgiving baskets of non-perishable food items to more than 1,400 individuals and families. Operation Turkey also helps SERVE throughout the year as they provide supplemental foods to our areas’ neediest families.

Marshall's SCA THANKS YOU for your support and donations!
Way to be a TeRRiFiCC school!

 

MDA WEEK November 9-13, 2009

 Marshall SCA participated in a Service Learning Projects that promoted CARING

and CITIZENSHIP at school.  This year Marshall SCA sponsored Muscular Dystrophy Week in honor of our students that are directly impacted by this disease. The event served as an awareness campaign to share information about Muscular Dystrophy and to support our fellow students. 

Duchene Muscular Dystrophy is:

·  Definition - One of nine types of muscular dystrophy, a group of genetic, degenerative diseases primarily affecting voluntary muscles.

·  Cause - An absence of dystrophin, a protein that helps keep muscle cells intact.

·  Onset - Early childhood - about 2 to 6 years.

·  Symptoms - Generalized weakness and muscle wasting first affecting the muscles of the hips, pelvic area, thighs and shoulders. Calves are often enlarged.

·  Progression - DMD eventually affects all voluntary muscles, and the heart and breathing muscles. Survival is rare beyond the early 30s. A less severe variant is Becker muscular dystrophy.

 

The following is a list of the scheduled activities that were planned for the week of November 9-13, 2009:

                                                                                                                       

Monday, November 9, 2009 – K-Grade 2: “Flip Flop Book” and Grades 3-5 “MD Book”: Students were given coloring pages and/or books that talk about respecting differences and disabilities.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009- Grades K-5: “Switch Shoes for the Day”: Students were encouraged to wear their right shoe on their left foot and their left shoe on their right foot to gain awareness of the challenges that some students with disabilities experience every day.

Thursday, November 12, 2009- Grades K-5: “Hop Around School”: During Recess, students were encouraged to hop in their classroom for 1 to 3 minutes to honor those students that have Muscular Dystrophy.

Friday, November 13 2009- Grades K-5: “Green Day”: Students were encouraged to wear green to demonstrate their support of Marshall students that have MD or any disability.  
 

We had TeRRiFiCC participation!

A special THANK YOU to two TeRRiFiCC Parents, Mrs. Jurack and Mrs. Fitchett, for their support of MDA Week!  Their dedication to the success of MDA Week 2009 is greatly appreciated!


Mrs. Fitchett & Mrs. Jurack, Parent Volunteers

The following are pictures of the classes that had the most participation for their grade level for MDA week:

Kindergarten:  Mrs. Stamp's Class    Grade 1:  Mrs. Lawrence's Class


Grade 2:  Mrs. Proch's Class              Grade 3:  Mrs. Flynn's Class


Grade 4:  Mrs. Hoak's Class               Grade 5:  Mrs. Steinard's Class

Dear Marshall Elementary Families,

"Hi. My name is Joshua Jurack. I’m a 3^rd grader at Marshall Elementary. In 2006, I was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). DMD has made my muscles weak. It makes it hard for me to climb stairs or get up from the floor, and I tire easily.

 

I’m not the only one facing this disease. It affects lots of kids, and there are many other neuromuscular diseases affecting both kids and adults. That’s why the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and I need your help. Starting on November 9, 2009, Marshall students will kick off Muscular Dystrophy Week. This event serves as an awareness campaign to share information about Muscular Dystrophy and to show support for students with disabilities.

 

MDA is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people who have neuromuscular diseases. Through various fundraisers, MDA is able to fund scientific research, care for patients, provide wheelchairs and braces, and sponsor summer camps for kids like me.

 

Please participate in Muscular Dystrophy Week. Through your awareness and participation, you show support for students like me who have physical disabilities. With your help, we will find a treatment or even a cure for DMD and other neuromuscular diseases.

 

Thank you for supporting me and MDA."

Hugs & Kisses Assembly

On Monday, November 9, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. (Grades K-2) and at 2 pm  (Grades 3-5), Theatre IV will presented the play Hugs and Kisses to the kindergarten through fifth grade students of Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. The play addressed good touches, bad touches, and secret touches in a caring, age appropriate, sensitive format.

 

The play has won statewide acclaim and is shown in schools in every city and county in Virginia.

 

Theatre IV
www.theatreiv.org
Hugs and Kisses

Questions?

Call Jeanie Rule at Theatre IV 800.235.8687