Character Ed Survey, 6th Grade Camp Meeting and more...

Character Education Survey:
As you may know, we have been working to implement a new Character Education program this year through CharacterPlus.  Please take a few minutes to complete the survey.  Your feedback is important as we plan for next school year.  Thank you in advance!

http://charactersurvey.com/
Click on CharacterPLUS

School Id: 961064030

Password: Prt9640

Sixth Grade Camp Meeting:  

Please plan to attend an informational meeting about 6th grade camp on Tuesday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. in the gym at the Fifth Grade Center.  While this camp experience is several months away, it is an opportunity for you to hear about the activities students will be doing, and the opportunities this program presents.  During September, every student will get to spend three days and two nights at Camp Mihaska in Bourbon, MO.  Please plan to attend this informational meeting to learn more about this long-standing tradition and fantastic experience your child will have.  Students are welcome to attend, but it is not necessary as they will hear more about this when they come to LMS.

MAP Testing:

We will start testing on Monday.  Please make sure your child gets a good night sleep and gets to school on time.  Also please check to make sure they have a pair of inexpensive earbuds or headphones at school.  Over the year, many students have taken them home or they have been broken.  Students will need them for a listening portion of the test.  

Upcoming Events:

April 17-21 and April 24-25-- MAP Testing 

April 26-- Air and Water Field Trip to the Science Center 

April 27-- Earth and Fire Field Trip to the Science Center 

May 1-4-- Elementary Schools visit FGC

May 4-- Band Concert

May 5-- FGC Choir trip to Six Flags

May 8-11-- FGC visits to LMS

May 9-- Strings Concert

May 11-- Choir Concert

May 12-- FGC Talent Show 

May 18-- End of the Year Party hosted by LWPA

May 19-- Early Release Day (noon) and Last Day of School!

4th Quarter Update

Wow...this year is flying by!  Only one more quarter and your child will be a 6th grade student.  It has been a joy getting to know you and your children.  The last quarter is filled with many activities and events so please make sure you keep up on your team's weekly email as not to miss anything.

Several thank you notes to share...

• Thank you to everyone who donated to our Hoops for Heart campaign.  We raised an amazing $9,690!  Our students worked hard for a great cause.  And.. the Staff/Student basketball game and Jump Rope performance were very fun to watch.  
• Thank you to one of our families for donating money in order for each child to be able to get a book from the Book Fair.  Our Book Fair raised over $2200 for our librarian to put back into books for our students.  And thank you to our parents, Ms. Bezzant and Ms. Wareing and Ms. Penrose, our librarian, for putting on a great fair!
• Thank you to all of our parents who attended our spring Parent Teacher Conferences!  It's great to be partners with you as we help your children grow academically, socially and emotionally.  

NO SCHOOL TOMORROW:  There is no school for students tomorrow, Tuesday, April 4 due to an election day.  Staff will be at work in Professional Development opportunities all day.  We will be ready for your children to return on Wednesday, April 5.

MAP Testing:  MAP Testing is coming up quickly.  Fifth Grade has a lot of testing compared to other grades.  We are able to test each morning from 8:00-9:30 and then have a regular day.  Our testing dates are:  April 17-21 and April 24-25.  Please try to have your child at school on these mornings.  We will have make up testing but as you will see from the schedule, the rest of the year is very busy.  

Field Trips to the Science Center:  We will go to the Science Center on April 26 and 27 after MAP testing.  LWPA pays for this experience so there is no charge to you.  A permission slip is coming home soon.

Middle School Course Selection:  Ladue Middle School sent home enrollment information to you last week.  The form contains a lot of information so here are some notes to help. 

• Read through the form and verify the courses that your child is enrolled in is correct.  Your child's math placement is location at the bottom of the first page.  
• If you would like for your child to test for a different math class, please sign on the back of the first page and return to the FGC or directly to LMS.  
• The second sheet is your child's elective choices.  You do NOT need to sign and return this form.  If you need to make corrections, please contact Carol Stephens at LMS.  
• They are asking for these forms to be reviewed and returned, if necessary, by this Friday, April 7.  
• If all information is correct, you do not need to do anything!

Winter Break and more!

As first semester comes to a close, I want to send out warm wishes for a safe holiday break.  It's been a fast but fun semester with your children.  They are talented, intelligent and kind students.  Please take time over break to enjoy each other and spend some time making memories together!  Kids enjoy "things" but they also enjoy your time without the stress and pressures of work and school.   Happy Holidays!  

Updates:  
Lost and Found-- The Lost and Found will be donated after tomorrow.  It is all clean and ready to be claimed in our commons area.  Please encourage your child to stop by and claim anything they have lost.

Holiday Family Drive-- Thank you to all of you who contributed to our Holiday Family Drive.  It is so nice to be able to share and make all of our students holidays special!

Last Day-- Tomorrow, Thursday December 22 is our last day before break.  It is also an Early Release Day so make sure you and your child know where they are going after school.  Students will return from winter break on Wednesday, January 4.

Staff and Student Competition-- We know this is a busy time of year for everyone so last year I moved away from the winter homeroom party and instead, as a school, we have a fun event.  Our LWPA and homeroom parents do a wonderful job of hosting parties for us on Halloween and again on Valentine's Day.  Tomorrow is our first staff and student competition.  Teams (students and staff on each team) will play against each other in volleyball games.  It will run from about 9:00-10:00 am. Parents are welcome to come watch if they want.   It's definitely a fun event for all!

Thanks to LWPA-- A huge thank you to our LWPA and all of our parents!  LWPA provided a holiday luncheon for our staff last week which was so yummy.  LWPA also collected money from all of you to provide wonderful Amazon gift cards to every staff member at FGC.  All of your support, time and contributions are so much appreciated by all of us.


A few upcoming events for 2nd semester with more details/flyers to come...SAVE THE DATES!

• Middle School Registration Night-- Incoming 6th grade parents informational night about registration on Wednesday, January 18 from 6:00-7:00 at LMS.  

• Annual Community Basketball Chili Supper at LHWHS--Plan to join us on Friday, January 27 anytime between 5-7 p.m. to support our community and high school at the ANNUAL COMMUNITY BASKETBALL CHILI SUPPER! $6.00 in advance (or $8.00 at the door) includes a chili and BBQ dinner as well as entrance to the Ladue Basketball games. We would love a great representation for FGC this year! Basketball games will be played into the evening hours after the dinner. We hope you will consider coming out to this fun event! Fliers are available via Peach Jar for advance reservations. Wear your Ladue Blue and White and plan to have a FUN time! 

• "CAN" Film Festival-- Family Movie Night sponsored by LWPA on Feb 10 from 6:30-8:30 at FGC.

Penny Wars...last day is tomorrow and Turkey Bowl time change

Penny Wars:  The students have been very excited about Penny Wars going on this week.  I believe there are several "strategies" being used to decide how to get their team to win!  Love seeing them so excited about it.  Last day of it is tomorrow.  The winning team (usually the least negative amount) will be announced next week!

Turkey Bowl:  Due to the high school football playoff game on Saturday, our FGC Turkey Bowl, sponsored by the high school STUCO has changed the start time from 12:00 noon to 11:00 am in order for students to be able to participate or watch both events.  It's supposed to be cold so dress warm.  Don't forget to bring canned goods to donate for the event!

Turkey Trot:  This is a new event for our students this year.  The PE coaches are hosting a Turkey Trot on Tuesday at 1:00 pm.  All students will get to participate in either running or walking the course located on the FGC campus.

Thanksgiving Vacation:  Don't forget students are off school next week, Wednesday-Friday, for Thanksgiving Break.

Grade Reports:  You should receive/have received an updated grade report for your child's mid quarter progress for Math, Science and ELA.  The end of the semester is right around the corner and we just want to keep you and your child aware of their grade as the semester comes to a close at Winter Break.  Please contact specific teachers if you have questions.

Ski Club Offer

Please see Ski Club offer from Mr. Biernbaum at Ladue Middle School.  Mr. Biernbaum runs the LMS Ski Club which your child will have an opportunity to participate in next year.  This year, he is offering a discounted price to our FGC students and families.  If interested, please follow the steps below. 

Hidden Valley Ski & Ride

2016/17 Discount Season Pass Offer

(For ANYONE!)

There are 2 options for purchasing a discounted 2017 Hidden Valley ski/snowboard pass.  For $129 you can purchase a pick a day pass that may be used one time per week from Monday through Thursday (not valid on Friday, Saturday or Sunday).  The other option is to purchase a Friday ONLY pass for $159.  This pass would allow you to ski/snowboard all Fridays Hidden Valley is open (only Fridays).  Both of the above passes do NOT include ski/board rental. For an additional $20 you can add rental to your pass for the entire season.  Hidden Valley plans to open mid December, and normally closes the first or second weekend in March depending on the weather.  There are no refunds for any reason with either of these discounted passes.

 If you are interested in purchasing a pass follow the directions below exactly as typed.

1.     Go to the Hidden Valley website at www.hiddenvalleyski.com 

2.     Click the plan and buy tab on the blue bar

3.     Select School Programs

4.     Click on the Ski Club Login image on the right (second picture down)

5.     On the log in screen – type in “ladue” for club name and “LADUE1” for password and click “login”

6.     Please read the information in the Club Messages box.

7.     Then select “Go Shopping”

8.     Under “Categories” select the box with “16/17 Ladue Club Passes” in it.

9.     Under the Products box select “Club Pass Friday” or “Club PassM - Th”

10.  Read information in “Product Description”

11.  Select “16/17 Club Pass Rental” if you will need to rent skis or a snowboard – this is only $20 for the entire season.

12.  Click on “add to cart” then click “check out”.

13.  If you have purchased one of these discounted passes in the past, under existing club members type in your first and last name and select Find Club Member.  If you have never purchased a pass then select Create New Club Member button.

14.  Fill out all personal information and select save.

15.  Fill out payment information.

16.  Click “Check Out”

IMPORTANT:  After paying for your pass, you will need to print the Club Liability Release waiver.  This is located under the plan and buy tab, then under the school programs.  The waiver is at the bottom of that page.  The pass holder will need to take a picture ID and the completed Hidden Valley Club Liability Release form the first time they go to ski or snowboard.  Once arriving at Hidden Valley, the individual will need to go into the office to get his/her picture taken in order for the season pass to be processed.

If you have any questions, you can email Mark Biernbaum at mbiernbaum@ladueschools.net

The last day to purchase a discounted pass is November 30 (no exceptions).

Early Release Day, Red Ribbon Week, Halloween and more!

Lots of fun things going on at the FGC!  Read about all of them...

Ongoing and Upcoming Events:

Early Release Day and No School this week--  This Thursday, October 27, is an early release day.  Students are released at 12:00.  Make sure you and your child know where they are to go after school.  And NO SCHOOL on Friday, October 28 due to conference compensation day.

Parent Teacher Conferences--  There is still time to sign up if you haven't already.  Parent Teacher Conferences are being held again this Thursday, October 27 from 1:00 to 6:00 pm.  Contact Dana Jeffries in the office at 983-5540 to schedule a time.   Thanks to all the parents who came last week to hear about your child's progress and partner with us in their learning!   I know the conferences are very different than the elementary schools but in order for our teachers to see almost 90 parents on their team, this is the only way to manage it within the time constraints.  Thank you also to the LWPA for providing a wonderful dinner for our staff!

Red Ribbon Week--  Today kicked off Red Ribbon Week.  We love it when our students participate. The rest of the days are listed below.  Tomorrow is also "Mix it up at lunch" day.  The students will sit at different tables and have conversation starters to help facilitate conversations.

• Monday, October 24: Red Ribbon Spirit Day (Wear Red)
• Tuesday, October 25: Don’t Get Mixed Up in Drugs (Wear Mismatched Clothing of Different Colors/Seasons, etc.).
• Wednesday, October 26: Be on a Drug Free Team (Wear Your Favorite Sports Team Shirt/Jersey)
• Thursday, October 27: Dream of a Drug Free World (Pajama Day*)

*School Appropriate Footwear Please

• Friday, October 28: No School (Conference Compensation Day)
• Monday, October 31: Say “Boo” to Drugs (Wear a School Appropriate Costume or Halloween Themed Shirt**)

**School Appropriate Costumes Only (No weapons, masks, or fake blood permitted)

Halloween-- Halloween is on a Monday but this doesn't stop us from having a great time!  If you are able, please join us in the gym for our Halloween parade starting at 12:30 sharp.  There will be a quick surprise for our parents and then we will parade outside past our LECC friends and back inside for the homeroom parties.  LWPA is providing the snack.  Our parties will be over by 1:45 so parents can make it the elementary parties if needed.  Students can wear their costumes all day or change (quickly) into them after lunch.  School appropriate on the costumes, please.  If there's a question, either ask or choose something else.  Masks can be worn during the parade and in the homeroom party but not before.


Socktober-- Dragon Council is sponsoring a sock drive for the homeless shelter.  Please consider sending in some new socks to donate.  They are collecting through November 4!



Funds for the Fifth-- Our fundraiser is fast approaching!  Make sure you have purchased your ticket.  It's an event you won't want to miss.  Plus...all the proceeds come back to benefit your children!  Items that have been purchased in the past with the Funds for the Fifth donation:  Cart of Macbook Airs,  Cart of iPads, all the picnic tables in the front courtyard, recess equipment, various teacher grants, etc...and we have only had 3 years of these fundraisers so far!


Lost and Found-- We now have three tables full of Lost and Found.  When you are at school for conferences or Halloween, please stop by and see if any of the items are yours.

After School Help Sessions-- This is for students who need help with a subject.  Flyers came home last week and was attached to the email sent today.  Sign up is online.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0e4da4af2aa0f49-afterschool

Past and Memorable Events: 

Cardinals "Doin' It Right" Assembly-- We were selected as a "Doin' It Right" school by the St. Louis Cardinals.  Last week, we were honored to have an assembly with Mr. Mike Claiborne, Sports Broadcaster, and of course, Fredbird!  This assembly, focusing on staying in school, participating in sports and saying no to drugs kicked off our Red Ribbon Week.

Due Time for a Cure-- Our 'Due Time for a Cure campaign finished last week with a "Wear Pink" day.  Our Art teacher, Emily Taylor along with her Art Club Leaders and other volunteers helped silk screen t-shirts and bandanas to sell to the FGC students and LMS students.  The money raised will go to Siteman Cancer Center.  Can't wait to see how much we raised this year.  Thanks to all of you who purchased a t-shirt or items for a great cause.

 

Early Release Day, Red Ribbon Week, Halloween and more!

Lots of fun things going on at the FGC!  Read about all of them...

Ongoing and Upcoming Events:

Early Release Day and No School this week--  This Thursday, October 27, is an early release day.  Students are released at 12:00.  Make sure you and your child know where they are to go after school.  And NO SCHOOL on Friday, October 28 due to conference compensation day.

Parent Teacher Conferences--  There is still time to sign up if you haven't already.  Parent Teacher Conferences are being held again this Thursday, October 27 from 1:00 to 6:00 pm.  Contact Dana Jeffries in the office at 983-5540 to schedule a time.   Thanks to all the parents who came last week to hear about your child's progress and partner with us in their learning!   I know the conferences are very different than the elementary schools but in order for our teachers to see almost 90 student parents on their team, this is the only way to manage it within the time constraints.  Thank you also to the LWPA for providing a wonderful dinner for our staff!

Red Ribbon Week--  Today kicked off Red Ribbon Week.  We love it when our students participate. The rest of the days are listed below.  Tomorrow is also "Mix it up at lunch" day.  The students will sit at different tables and have conversation starters to help facilitate conversations.

• Monday, October 24: Red Ribbon Spirit Day (Wear Red)
• Tuesday, October 25: Don’t Get Mixed Up in Drugs (Wear Mismatched Clothing of Different Colors/Seasons, etc.).
• Wednesday, October 26: Be on a Drug Free Team (Wear Your Favorite Sports Team Shirt/Jersey)
• Thursday, October 27: Dream of a Drug Free World (Pajama Day*)

*School Appropriate Footwear Please

• Friday, October 28: No School (Conference Compensation Day)
• Monday, October 31: Say “Boo” to Drugs (Wear a School Appropriate Costume or Halloween Themed Shirt**)

**School Appropriate Costumes Only (No weapons, masks, or fake blood permitted)

Halloween-- Halloween is on a Monday but this doesn't stop us from having a great time!  If you are able, please join us in the gym for our Halloween parade starting at 12:30 sharp.  There will be a quick surprise for our parents and then we will parade outside past our LECC friends and back inside for the homeroom parties.  LWPA is providing the snack.  Our parties will be over by 1:45 so parents can make it the elementary parties if needed.  Students can wear their costumes all day or change (quickly) into them after lunch.  School appropriate on the costumes, please.  If there's a question, either ask or choose something else.  Masks can be worn during the parade and in the homeroom party but not before.


Socktober-- Dragon Council is sponsoring a sock drive for the homeless shelter.  Please consider sending in some new socks to donate.  They are collecting through November 4!



Funds for the Fifth-- Our fundraiser is fast approaching!  Make sure you have purchased your ticket.  It's an event you won't want to miss.  Plus...all the proceeds come back to benefit your children!  Items that have been purchased in the past with the Funds for the Fifth donation:  Cart of Macbook Airs,  Cart of iPads, all the picnic tables in the front courtyard, recess equipment, various teacher grants, etc...and we have only had 3 years of these fundraisers so far!


Lost and Found-- We now have three tables full of Lost and Found.  When you are at school for conferences or Halloween, please stop by and see if any of the items are yours.

After School Help Sessions-- This is for students who need help with a subject.  Flyers came home last week and was attached to the email sent today.  Sign up is online.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0e4da4af2aa0f49-afterschool

Past and Memorable Events: 

Cardinals "Doin' It Right" Assembly-- We were selected as a "Doin' It Right" school by the St. Louis Cardinals.  Last week, we were honored to have an assembly with Mr. Mike Claiborne, Sports Broadcaster, and of course, Fredbird!  This assembly, focusing on staying in school, participating in sports and saying no to drugs kicked off our Red Ribbon Week.

Due Time for a Cure-- Our 'Due Time for a Cure campaign finished last week with a "Wear Pink" day.  Our Art teacher, Emily Taylor along with her Art Club Leaders and other volunteers helped silk screen t-shirts and bandanas to sell to the FGC students and LMS students.  The money raised will go to Siteman Cancer Center.  Can't wait to see how much we raised this year.  Thanks to all of you who purchased a t-shirt or items for a great cause.