USD 265 Goddard Public Schools
Oak Street Elementary School
501 N Oak | PO Box 188
Goddard, KS  67052
316-794-4200 | Fax:  316-794-44220
Grades K-4
Music | PE | Reading | Science

 

Retta Christy, Music Teacher

All the music classes at Oak Street are playing instruments, singing, and moving to the music.  The 3rd graders just finished a unit on playing the recorder.  The 4th graders, who are working on their May 12th (Monday) concert, have begun to plan choreography and work on solo parts outside of class.  We are singing several songs in parts and have learned about accompanying folk music on the autoharp.  Now we will be memorizing our words and notes.  They are a very talented group of singers.

Second graders are working with xylophones and percussion instruments to various rhythms around the world.  All students are working to identify the sounds of individual instruments, in the United States and various other countries.  Our music curriculum has a treasure of music from all over the world, including many languages.  Your children are very talented and interested in the many different timbres of the sounds.


Lacy Matzke, PE Teacher


 
Time is flying by!!  I can’t believe it’s almost time to fitness test again.  During the first week in April, the students will test their cardiovascular endurance by running the Pacer test.  The Pacer is a 20-meter shuttle run that is progressive in intensity – it’s easier at the beginning and gets harder towards the end.  The kids listen to a cd that tells them when to run.  

During the month of February, the kids enjoyed a unit on hockey, nutrition integration, jump rope, and they learned how to use the GeoMats that PTO purchased for the students in January. Ask your child about it!!
Field Day is coming up!  
It’s Friday, May 16th from 9:30-2:30 with lunch from 11:30 to 12:30. We are going to have lots of fun stations: flag tag, line soccer, capture the football, 50 yard dash, tug of war, noodle tag, water relay, parachute, cup stacking, and so much more!  You may come and watch your children at any time!  (Fliers were sent home last Friday.)  If you want to help on field day, email me at lmatzke@goddardusd.com.  Your kids would enjoy having you there!!  

Dan Funke, Science Teacher


Several educational opportunities await each of our 1st through 4th graders in science.  On April 11 or April 16,  4th grade students will be visiting the Hutchinson Salt Mines and will go nearly 600 feet below ground to tour the mines.  Students will be learning about the salt mining industry as well as information about rock formations and how rocks are formed.  Third grade students will be taking a science field trip to the Hutchinson Cosmosphere on May 14 to learn about the history of space travel.  All students in grades 1-4 will be going to the Sedgwick County Zoo Tuesday, May 6 to learn about animal habits and characteristics.  

Students in 4th grade are gearing up for the Kansas State Assessments for Science that they will take on April 30  and May 1.  Students have been reviewing the five steps of an investigation, the water cycle, earth’s temperature changes, and how rocks are formed.  Several study guide reviews will be sent home for students to practice before they take the test.  We wish success for every student.
Third grade students are starting their unit on rocks, minerals, and soil, and second grade students are starting their unit on weather.  During the month of April and May, students in 1st grade and the all day kindergarten classes will be doing experiments with plants and studying the root, stem and leaf structure of different plants.  What a great time for students to start their own small garden at home to learn more.

As parents make their summer vacation plans, I encourage them to discuss with their children the different land forms they see on their travels and have their children make collections of things they see as they travel.  Things like small rocks, pictures of different trees and land forms help build knowledge and gain insight into how nature changes our earth’s surface.

A special thanks goes out to the many parents and friends that helped out with Math and Science Day.  Without your support it would not have been a success for our students.  Thank you again.
 
Science Question Of The Month

Q - What is the meaning of the phrase. "It’s too cold to snow"?

A – The atmosphere must contain moisture to generate snow and very cold air contains very little moisture.  When the air temperature at ground level drops below about -10 degrees snowfall becomes unlikely in most places.

Mitzi Smith, Title I Reading Teacher
Diane Soza, Para
Jacqueline Robison, Para


Spring and summer months are quickly coming our way.  Supporting reading development over the summer months can be done in ways that tap into children’s own interests and imaginations.  Don’t forget to ENJOY reading activities with your child(ren) this summer.  I have listed 20 ways that you can involve reading, writing, and thinking.  

TWENTY FUN WAYS TO READ THIS SUMMER
  1. When kids are watching TV, engage the captioning feature (and reduce the volume) so students are encouraged to read the words on the TV screen.
  2. Read a poem.  Let your child guess what the next rhyming word will be.
  3. Visit a library.  Get a card for your child.  Check out some books.
  4. Read a story.  Make puppets out of small paper bags.  Put on a puppet show.
  5. Take a walk.  Look for signs of the season.  Talk and write about what you see.
  6. Find a cozy place to read a favorite story. Have your child retell the story.
  7. Let your child see YOU reading and writing. Write a long overdue note to a friend.
  8. Cut a comic strip apart. Have your child put it back together in the correct sequence.
  9. Choose a new recipe. Read it together and have fun making it.
  10. Have a treasure hunt. Leave picture or word clues to follow to reach the treasure.
  11. Read a new book or an old favorite to your child.
  12. Have your child write a note to a friend or relative. Be sure to mail it!
  13. Start reading a story and stop before the end. Ask your child to predict the ending.
  14. Start telling a familiar story. Have your child write a new ending.
  15. Swap books with family and friends so your kids have more books to read.
  16. Get library cards for your kids.  Take a weekly trip to the library to check out new books.
  17. Use sidewalk chalk or water and paintbrushes to practice math problems and writing.
  18. Each week have a family reading hour.  Everyone reads their favorite book.
  19. Set a reading goal for your child.  Record the books he/she reads each month.  Reward him/her for reaching his/her goal.
  20. Read tongue twisters together.  Have your child make up some of his/her own.