Text Box:                                                     Keep the Book Fair Going!!!  Like all PTA activities, the Book Fair is totally run by volunteers.  The next Book Fair is March 2-6, 2009, and we need daytime volunteers to help us keep the Book Fair going.  WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU!  If you have any flexibility during the day (even if it's for only one hour), please send an e-mail to acmcghee@verizon.net or dkndc@msn.com to volunteer.  Thank you, Amelia McGhee/DeBora King, Book Fair Co-Chairs                              CyberSafety        www.myLunchMoney.com        Bus Riding Rules

Text Box: Counselor’s Corner – by Mrs. I. Text Box: SEEKING INFORMATION! For African American History month, I am seeking information, stories, etc. (short, brief) from our staff and community about a family member(s) or friend, to read over the morning announcements. For example, Mrs. Kilgore is providing me with a short blurb about specific accomplishments her mother (86 years young!) had in her lifetime. I am very interested in acknowledging our own "family heritage" throughout the month to try to get away from always speaking of famous sports and entertainment figures…this goes in line with making student learning more relevant….  Please write a short blurb and send it to me either by email or in with your child! Thanks for the help! Ms. Berner Text Box: Principal’s Penguin Post  Believe, Achieve and Succeed!  As part of African American History month, students were provided a special water bottle today.  (To ensure that your child does not lose his or her bottle, it is advised that you label the bottom with his or her name….thanks!)  Throughout the remainder of the year, we will be emphasizing the Believe, Achieve and Succeed slogan. As we attempt to reach 212°, please encourage your child to believe in him/herself; set reasonable goals that he or she can achieve; and then sit back and watch them succeed!  Also, as we continue to celebrate African American History month, we would like to invite you to our first Black History Night on Thursday evening, February 26th.   Staff and students, along with the PTA, are sponsoring the event as a culmination to the end of the month’s activities and a kick-off to the spring book fair.  We are pulling together the agenda now with more details coming next week, so please put this important school event on your calendar and plan on attending a wonderful evening of celebration!  Finally, please check out the showcase in our front foyer.  It is has been filled with many African American heritage items by parent, Mrs. Tracy Chavous. A big thank you goes to Mrs. Chavous for organizing this for students, staff and guests to review and admire! Yesterday, Monday February 9th, we began our Pennies for Peace campaign.  Pennies for Peace is part of a larger charity which builds schools, especially for girls, in Afghanistan and Pakistan and runs women's health and work programs.  $600 pays a teacher's salary for one year!  Maybe with our efforts, we can add a few teachers to their workforce.  You can learn more about these charities at www.penniesforpeace.org (children's) or www.ikat.org (adult).  Adults can learn more about this charity by reading Three Cups of Tea, which is a New York Times bestseller and a great book about the power of education.  Check out the bulletin board outside of the Media Center to learn more. Students are invited to bring in any spare change or cash donations and drop them off in front of the media center any morning on their way in to school.  On Friday, February 13th we will have our Valentine's Dance for Page students who are accompanied by parents.  This is a free event and snacks will be for sale by the SGA.  Please bring small change donations for our Pennies of Peace campaign!  See you there! Finally, parents, PLEASE make sure your child comes to school on time and with their homework EACH DAY!  Thank you for helping your child learn responsibility!!  Quote of the Week:  212° Believe, Achieve, and Succeed: “When you believe in yourself and work hard to achieve, your future shines bright and you will succeed!”

Text Box: Valentine's Day dance Friday 7pm No School Monday 2/16

 

 

 

 

Text Box: EDITOR’S NOTE The Ice Page is distributed every Tuesday. Deadline: Thursday at 3:00 PM   Anyone can submit items: teachers, staff, parents, students, etc.  To have an item included: Leave typewritten info in The Ice Page mailbox in the school office OR send by e-mail to: Robert.Paulsen@verizon.net And acmcghee@verizon.net    Editors: Rob Paulsen, (301) 351-7139 Amelia Mcghee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: Testing News for 2009 from Mrs. Bridgwater and Mrs. Mroczka!  We are very excited to share with you that W. T. Page has been selected to represent schools across our state and nation by participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).  NAEP is given by the U.S. Department of Education and tells us what American students know and can do in key subject areas.  It is the only ongoing nationally representative assessment that provides this valuable information.  NAEP has been given in schools for nearly 40 years.  You may have taken the assessment yourself when you were in school.  The results are published in a report called The Nation’s Report Card which provides reliable student achievement information to educators, parents, and other citizens.  In our school, the NAEP assessment will be given to the fourth graders on Thursday, February 26, 2009 in reading, mathematics, or science.  In addition to subject area questions, students will be asked some background questions such as how often they use computers and what types of classes they take.  Mrs. Mroczka has been working very closely with the NAEP representative in preparation for February 26th.  We are very excited to be participating in this assessment.  There is no need to study in preparation for NAEP.  The format is very similar to MSA which the students took last year in third grade.  All we ask is that parents encourage their children’s best efforts and to have them get plenty of rest the night before the assessment and a good breakfast the morning of.    If you would like to have additional information about NAEP, please visit the web site at:http://nces.gov/nationsreportcard.   Finally here is what everyone has been waiting for the testing dates for 2009!  Please mark your calendars now so that all students will be healthy and present on their respective testing dates. Text Box: 2009 TESTING SCHEDULE  February 26th:                NAEP for 4th Grade March 16th and 17th:      Reading MSA for 3rd and 4th Grade March 18th and 19th:      Reading MSA for 5th Grade March 20th and 23rd:      Math MSA for 3rd and 4th Grade March 24th and 25th:      Math MSA for 5th Grade April 27th – May 1st:      TN/2 for 2nd Grade May 4th – 8th:                Science MSA for 5th Grade (specific date to be determined)  Text Box: Important Dates Events Valentine Dance                   Friday, February 13 No School – Presidents’ Day    Monday, February 16 African American History Night   Thursday, February 26: Spring Book Fair                        March 2-6 Kindergarten Orientation            April 24 Staff Appreciation Week           May 4-8

 

Text Box: Friendship Value for February – Our value for this month is Citizenship.  Please spend some time talking with your children about the different ways you can be a good citizen in school and outside of school. Classroom Guidance Update – I enjoyed spending several visits working on careers with our 4th graders.  I will be finishing up this week and hope your child will share his/her career booklet and First Resume with you. I continue to work with our kindergartners weekly.  We have been covering several topics such as anger management, reporting not tattling, expressing appropriate feelings, etc.  I enjoy having them come to my office each week.  I have Mrs. Welch and Ms. Barrett’s classes on Thursday and Mrs. Dean’s class on Friday.  Remember to ask your children what we do each week.  I try to make sure they have something to practice on their own either in school or at home. I will now be working with our 2nd graders on careers.  Second grade parents - look forward to hearing about this from your students. I continue to have problem solving lunches with several groups of students. These groups are flexible in terms of including many different students and some of the groups have specific students each week.   The lunch group time is a really beneficial time for the students to learn strategies in order to help solve problems on their own.  In addition, we spend time discussing when it is necessary to ask for adult help.  Often, students get the chance to resolve problems between themselves during lunches which is always helpful. Text Box: Homework Hotline Returns!  For 23 years now, the Montgomery County Public Schools Instructional Television (MCPS-ITV) program Homework Hotline Live! (HHL) has provided homework help to thousands of students.  HHL offers one-on-one homework help in most academic subjects from kindergarten to 12th grade.  MCPS teachers take calls from students live on-the-air and assist them with homework problems.  HHL, will resume its season this Tuesday, January 6, 2009 from 5:00 to 6:00pm on Comcast Ch. 33, Verizon Ch. 35, and RCN Ch.