Killian Cougar Chronicle

Killian Elementary November—December 2009 A National Blue Ribbon School Jason Gass , Principal A California Distinguished School Glendy Marin , Learning Director

Thanksgiving Food Drive Principal’s Message

This year, our Student Council I can’t believe the holidays are already upon us. It seems as though the organized a food school year just started. I want to take this opportunity to wish all of the drive for our wonderful Killian families a happy holiday season and the best of luck in families in need the New Year. I am thankful to be the Principal at such a superb school. this Thanksgiving Killian has a tradition of excellence that is pervasive in everything we do. Holiday season. We strive to provide the best education possible for our students because Thank you Killian families for generously quite frankly, that is what we would want for our own children. It is an contributing to our canned food drive. honor to be involved in a school that takes such pride in creating an environment where children are challenged to be the best that they can be. Please continue to provide support to your children and remember to treat them as though they are the person you want them to become. Have a fantastic winter break and I look forward to seeing all students back at school on January 4 th .

District Open Enrollment Announcement CALENDAR CHOICE for 20102010----20112011 December 4 Student of the Month Assemblies - Grades K-2 The Rowland Unified School District is now accepting forms for open December 9 Winter Band Concert enrollment within the district for the 2010—2011 school year. This applies only to the open enrollment for schools within the district. 6:00pm, RHS

December 11 Student of the Month & Honor November 2, 2009 Application form available for pick up at all Roll Assemblies - Grades 3-6 schools and Pupil Services Office. December 14-January 1 Winter Break January 22,2010 Last day to turn in the form to Pupil Services January 4 School Resumes Office. Form must be turned in no later than 4:00 pm on this date. NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE January 5 Morning Break Club, 9:15am ACCEPTED. Rowland Elementary March 19, 2010 Parents will be notified by mail of their “ Choice ” January 6 KSCA Meeting, 2:55pm results. January 18 Martin Luther King, Jr Day April 23, 2010 Parents must have completed and turned in all NO SCHOOL the required paperwork for registration at the school of choice or have contacted the school of January 22 CHOICE Applications due choice by this date or they forfeit their choice. January 29 Literacy Day

Killian School’s common vision is: Commitment to excellence for all and by all students and staff, through our dedication to provide a strong support system for students; provide a rigorous instructional program delivered with high expectations for academic achievement; provide parent training and encourage parent participation.

What’s Happening in Second and Third Grade?!

Check out what these young learners are doing at Killian

Third Grade Second Grade The third grade Second grade has been working very hard this fall. We are students in Mrs. teaching every minute of every day. Most recently in writing, Carreon, Mrs. Childs. we have been focusing on the five parts of the Friendly Letter Mrs. Sena, and Mrs and their location along with writing a letter including detail Cocos/Clark’s classes and information. In mid-November, all second grade enjoyed a day at the students will take a district writing test on a friendly letter. We La Brea Tar pits and are looking forward to having many students be successful on the Page Museum on this writing test. November 5th. The Also, in language arts we have finished our Silly Stories theme. children learned We continue to work on our comprehension of the stories about the Ice Age and the extinction of prehistoric animals in along with grammar and phonics skill of each story. As part the Los Angeles area during this period. of our word work, we are learning about homophones, Back in the classroom students have been studying about antonyms, compound words, multiple meaning words and animals in science, as well as learning about geography; synonyms. Currently we are reading stories about nature. specifically about community. In mathematics, we have been Some of these stories are non-fiction and require the students studying multiplication and a variety of strategies to solve to pull out the main idea and details instead of retelling the word problems. Additionally, students have been preparing for plot with the problem and solution. the writing and reading As part of our math curriculum second grade is comprehension tests that will working on JiJi math through the Mind Institute. be administered before Students work at their own pace through games Winter break. The third grade starting at the pictorial level of understanding team in conjunction with the up to and including the representational level. In our new Celebrating Traditions unit in math curriculum several classes are working on recognizing reading planned special and adding coins, as well as finding different ways to make activities for the students to the same amount in change. enjoy the days before Thanksgiving vacation.

A Special Thank You to Killian’s Community Partners

Acapulco Restaurant Design Plus Signs Pizza Hut Applebee’s Restaurant Elephant Bar Restaurant Rainforest Café Benihanas Restaurant Fresh & Easy Red Mango Black Angus Restaurant Hometown Buffet Red Robin Restaurant Thank You for your Boomers Hot Dog on a Stick Sam’s Club California Arborist IHOP Speed Zone contributions to Chick-fil-A In N Out T.G.I. Fridays Chili’s Restaurant Jamba Juice Target Killian Elementary! Claim Jumper Joe’s Crab Shack Topline Services Costco Millie’s Restaurant Washington Mutual Dennys Restuarant Mimi’s Café

Page 2 Wild About Learning!

Fresh and Easy Fundraiser Help Your Elementary Schooler

Thanks to all your efforts that night and help, Develop an Achievement Attitude our school raised a total of $272.07.

Attitudes are like mental pictures. Basketball players who can Family Science Night picture themselves scoring a basket can usually do just that. Students who have a positive picture of themselves being Thank You KCSA for “Family Science Night” !!! Students and successful in the classroom are more likely to achieve. families enjoyed all the different As a parent, you have the ability to help your child create positive science displays. There was so much to pictures and positive thoughts about what she can do. Here are learn about: bubbles, electricity, some ways you can help your child create an attitude insects, dinosaurs, rain forest animals, of achievement: and the dessert. A special thanks to Picture success in school. Help your child create a Mrs. Rosa Leong and Ms. Ocean Wallin mental picture of success. "I want you to see yourself for their help in organizing such an getting an A on that book report." exciting event.

Stress the importance of effort. If your child is struggling, say, Fall Fundraiser "When you studied hard last week, you got your spelling words right. You can do it." The KCSA fundraiser was a huge success. We earned Give the positive behavior you see a name. "I was so proud when about $32,000 of which Killian will receive approximately you were kind to the new boy in class today." 45%. Students who sold items which totaled $200 or more were awarded a limo lunch to Hometown Buffet Reprinted with permission from the November 2009 issue of Parents make the difference! ® accompanied by their proud school Principal, Mr. Gass. (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2009 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: John R. Ban, Parents Assuring Student Success: Achievement Made Easy by Learning Together , ISBN: 1-879-63972-6 (National Educational Service, www.nesonline.com).

Make School Attendance Teach Your Child to Solve Math a Major Priority Word Problems in Four Steps

Sometimes, the reason kids can't find the answer to With school vacation coming up, you may be planning to a math word problem is that they can't figure out take your child out of school for an extra day or two. You'll the question. Have your child follow these steps: just ask the teacher for advance homework. Missing a few days won't really matter, will it? Read the question. Suppose the word problem says Actually, those few days of absence can matter a lot. Think "John has nine marbles. Joe has 11. If Joe gives about the things your child may be missing that can't be John three marbles, how many marbles will John have?" Write made up with homework. down exactly what question the problem asks: "How many The class discussion about the book they are reading can't marbles will John have?" be captured in homework. Neither can the science Look for key information. Every word problem will include facts-- demonstration or the group project for John has nine marbles and Joe has 11. Joe gives John three history. In some subjects, like math, marbles. Write these facts down. missing even a few days is a problem Rewrite the question as a math problem. In this case, nine marbles because learning builds on what plus three marbles equals how many marbles? students already know. Solve the problem. Once the word problem is rewritten as a math Extra homework will not make up for the things your child problem, your child should be able to find the answer. "John has misses when she's out of school. So instead of taking your 12 marbles." child out of school, make an extra effort to improve her attendance this month. Reprinted with permission from the November 2009 issue of Parents make the difference! ® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2009 The Parent Reprinted with permission from the December 2008 issue of Parents make the Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Ronald J. Dietel, Get Smart! Nine Sure Ways to difference! ® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2008 The Parent Help Your Child Succeed in School , ISBN: 0-787-98334-9 (Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint, Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Jennifer Railsback, "Increasing Attendance: www.wiley.com). Strategies from Research and Practice" (Northwest Regional Education Laboratory, www.nwrel.org/request/2004june/warm.html ).

Wild About Learning! Volume 8, Issue 2 Page 3

October’s Student of the Month

KINDERGARTEN Benberyl Korompis Leslie Estrada Sharon Kim Eric Cao Shane Kuhlman John Leano Chanmee Lee Alexis Chandler Bernardo Ligsay III Alvin Pan Natalie Lopez Owen Chau Vicky Wang Sadat Roya Seyedi- Enrique Maldonado Aleena Cruz Rezvani Lesley Mares Ethan Le SECOND GRADE William Xue Jr Renee Najem Bella Lee Ashley Chen Sadat Leila Seyedi- Daniel Martinez Chase Kito FOURTH GRADE Rezvani Nina Puckett Katie Lee Soloman Chen Tony Puckett III Jenna Padilla Anaya Hernandez SIXTH GRADE Amber Wang Jacob Romo Ashlea Howard Alina Castro Jessica Susanto Chloe Leong Sarah Chang FIRST GRADE Anissa Vallejo Tristan Maglunog Kyle Couch Anthony Acuna Tammy Yi Alejandra Zapata Joo Yeong Jeon Dominic Alvarado THIRD GRADE Trisha Mae Zuniga Serena Nguyen Cameron Aranda Jamie Bustos Zane Perez Rachel Chan Justin Chen FIFTH GRADE Ethan Chin Tiffany Cheung Christian Garcia Tim Deng Gillean De Castro Paul Simoun Granadozin

Killian Elementary School 19100 Killian Avenue Rowland Heights, CA 91748 Phone: (626) 964-6409 Fax: (626) 965-7729

Governing Board Gloria Burt Robert F. Hidalgo RUSD Mission Gilbert G. Garcia, Ph.D. The mission of the Rowland Unified School District, the Heidi Gallegos progressive international community united in learning, is to Judy Nieh empower students so that each actualizes his or her unique

potential and responsibly contributes to a global society, Maria G. Ott, Ph.D. through a system distinguished by rigorous academics, Superintendent innovative use of technology, creative exploration, and Look us up at: nurturing learning experiences.

http://killian.rowland.k12.ca.us

The Rowland Unified School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic group identification, ancestry, religion, age, marital status, gender, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, and political belief or affiliation in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities including adult and vocational education. Inquires related to this statement should be forwarded as follows: Students—contact Title IX co-chairs– Director of Pupil services or Director of Special Projects, (626) 965-2541; Employees –contact Assistant Superintendent of Personnel, (626) 854-8336.