Our Valentine's Day party will be Thursday, February 14 from 2:30 to 3:30. Students are welcome to create a Valentine box for their goodies.  We will not have a contest but this is still a fun tradition if you have time.  I have sent home a list of student names so that students can use it for filling out their valentine cards.  If you would like to help out or send in supplies, we would really appreciate it.  You can find a link below for Volunteer Spot to sign up.  I'm looking for sugar cookies, icing, sprinkles or things to decorate the cookies, valentine candy, paper plates, juice boxes/pouches, and helpers.  Thank you! 
We have been focusing on using "voice" in our writing lately.  This includes writing from different perspectives, using emotions and feelings and writing dialogue as if the person were really talking.  Students have written several pieces while concentrating on the voice of the characters.  Below you will find our comic strips that we created with Mrs, Uckele's help in the computer lab.  Students were prompted to match the dialogue with the character and setting they chose.  Enjoy!
 
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Economics is the focus of our new social studies unit.  Students are learning by doing with our "token economy"  We have brainstormed a list of ways to earn a dollar (this is pretend money), like being in school on time, signing up for "help wanted" during inside recess, earning a "drop" in the bucket, etc.  We also created a list of reasons to have to pay a dollar like forgetting to turn in your homework or moving your clip to yellow.  Our money will be saved until the end of the month when we will have a classroom sale.  The pretend money can be spent on "needs" or "wants".  I will have things like glue, crayons, books, multiplication flash cards, etc. as things that we need in the classroom.  I'm asking for donations for the "wants" part of the sale.  Typically parents send in things like;  cans of soda, gel pens, bouncy balls, dollar store type toys or toys that your child no longer plays with, or candy.  Children that have saved or earned more money will have more money to spend at the sale. Supply and demand will play a big part in our sale.  Very popular items like a Taylor Swift poster may sell for $30 while a bouncy ball may sell for only $1. Our sale will be January 31. In about a week we will introduce the ideas of taxes and insurance.  Taxes have to be paid each week (a small percentage of their tokens) and insurance will be an option.  Those that buy insurance will be insured in the event of a "natural disaster".  Lastly, students may earn a "desk lottery ticket" if they are found to have a clean desk.  One lottery ticket will be drawn at the end of the month for a prize.  This unit always proves to be an exciting learning opportunity.  
Ask your child about: needs vs. wants, goods vs. services, natural resources, capital resources and human resources.


 
Get Your Yearbooks Now! Extended Deadline for the $15 price!

Jostens has granted us and extension on our $15 price until January 15th. That is Awesome! Our yearbooks are all color, 44 pages, filled will 100’s of pictures, and professionally printed by Jostens.  The pictures and pages are created by our own Yearbook Advisor and the 4th Grade Tech Squad.  This is NOT a fundraiser, our PTO provides this as a service and sells the books at cost.   

You can order in 2 ways:
1.  If you do not have a form you can send the order by filling out the front of an envelope with: student’s full name, grade, and teacher’s name.  You can drop it off at the office or have your student give to his/her teacher.  
WE DO NOT ACCEPT CASH.   Please send a check or money order.  
Make checks payable to: Willard East PTO.  In order to receive the $15 price you must send to order to school by January 14.  If you return after that date the price will be $17.

2.  If you want to pay with a credit card you MUST order online at  :
http://www.jostens.com/yearbooks/ybk_lp_main.html.  If you order online there is No Shipping charge and the books will be sent to Willard East with our regular order.  You can also get the link from the Computer Lab Website:  willardeastcomputerlab.weebly.com

You MUST order online if you want your child’s book personalized.  
Yearbooks will be on Sale for $17 after January 14th until March 3rd. They will handed out during school around the 2nd week of May.