Mrs. McWhorter's Monthly Message

Address to the Fifth Grade Class of 2009

 

 

     Fifth Graders, you entered kindergarten 1078 days ago in August 2003.  As we have seen today at our awards ceremony, you have learned many things in your six years of elementary school.  You stand before us ready to embark on new beginnings, new adventures, and new learning.  Before you leave us, I want to take this opportunity to offer a few words of advice.

Many of you know Bill Gates III who is known as Trey to his family.  He is the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the wealthiest men in the world.  Additionally, he is one of the most generous philanthropists of our time, giving away millions of dollars in the fields of education and medical research.  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to supporting worthwhile endeavors.

Trey’s father, Bill Gates, Sr. has recently released a book entitled, Showing Up for Life.  In it he states that people often ask him how he raised a son like his.  What is the secret?     He claims that there was really nothing unusual about his family, but he shares some things that they found value in.  I want to share some of those things with you today because they are things we can all make connections with.  While doing them may not make you the richest person in the world, doing them will add value to your life and make you richer in other ways.

1.                            SHOW UP-  volunteer, serve, be attentive, know that you can be counted on, be prepared, step up, take initiative.

2.                            BE CURIOUS-  Daddy Gates talks about Trey’s love of learning, always reading, always asking questions, always thinking.  He loved to talk with successful people and learn from them.  How do things work?  Why does that happen?  How can I make it better?  He was not interested in just a few things but many, many things.

3.                            NEVER FORGET TO ASK, “IS IT RIGHT?”-  The challenge in life is to know the right thing and then do it.  Dr. Seuss says it best in his book, Oh the Places You’ll Go:  “You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.  Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re dark.  A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!  Do you dare to stay out?  Do you dare to go in?  How much can you lose?  How much can you win?   And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three quarters?  Or, maybe, not quite?  Or go around back and sneak in from behind?  Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind. You’ll get mixed up of course, as you already know.  You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.  So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.”

4.                            Bill Gates says, “THINK TALL”.  We say “DREAM BIG”.

Think about what you can become.  The sky’s the limit. Then go for it.  Shape your destiny much the way the potter shapes the clay:  read, exercise, eat right, get enough sleep, drink water, wear sunscreen, brush your teeth, floss your teeth.  Prepare to live your life:  hate violence, don’t do drugs, love what’s good, hate what’s evil.  Choose your friends carefully; find a hero; listen to your parents, your teachers, your mentors, your coaches.

           In conclusion, let me say that the greatest of your accomplishments are still before you.  Go forth and seek them, give flight to your dreams, take hold the reins of destiny, and live life to the fullest.  Remember all you have learned in this place and all of us who have cared about you.  Honor us by remembering us and don’t be a stranger.  Keep in touch.  Best wishes for continued success.

 

 

In the home stretch

Hello Readers,

We have some wonderful things coming up in these last few weeks of school that I would like for you to be aware of.

First of all, we are so proud of our boys and girls and their attentiveness to the CRCT.  They have really been working hard on doing their best!

On May 6th we will have our Half Price Book fair.  This is a wonderful opportunity to get ready for summer reading.  Student council will also be sponsoring a book swap so those gently used books can get a new home just in time for summer vacation.  Begin gathering those because we will start collecting May 11th. 

We will be hosting a blood drive for the American Red Cross from 2:00-7:00 in the media center.  Call the office for an appointment and thank you in advance for giving to this worthy cause!

Volunteers are needed for our Field Day coming up on Thursday, May 14th from 8:00-12:00. Call the office at 770.928.5573 to volunteer. It's great fun!

Looking forward to seeing everyone at school this month.  The last day of the 2008-09 school year is May 22nd.

Thanks for reading.

Lynn McWhorter

Making plans for next year already

Can you believe that this school year is almost over and we are in preparation for 2009-2010?   One of the most important things we do each year is class placement.  It is our desire to provide each child with excellent instruction in a safe, inviting, and engaging atmosphere. For this reason, we carefully consider that placement for each and every child.

 

My purpose for telling you that is to review our procedures for student placement.  Much time and effort is given to creating a heterogeneous blend of boys and girls with consideration for learning styles, academic and study habits. While our highly qualified teachers subscribe to consistent standards, they have a variety of methods.  To the best of our ability, we try to match teacher with student.   Current teachers, administrators, counselors, and specialists thoughtfully review each class list.  This is a lengthy process which is not really finalized until late in the summer because of registration of new students.

 

Parents may submit letters or e-mails to Mrs. Luscre or me  by Friday, April 24th.  Please do not include a request for a specific teacher.  A description of your child’s learning style and needs, an unusual family issue, or a special learning environment is all that will be needed and only if we are not already aware of them.  Please know that a letter is not necessary for your child to receive our attention.

 

Individual conferences with administration are not necessary.  With or without a letter, each Nicholson student will be placed with great care.  Your child’s success is our goal and we appreciate your partnership with us on that!

 

Thanks for reading and as usual if you have questions, please contact me.

 

Going Greener

Hello Readers:

You may know that our school has been awarded a "Green School" status because of our teacher's work to promote stewardship of natural resources.  Additionally, we recycle paper thanks to the work of our student council.  Cleaning materials are earth and people friendly and light bulbs are low energy. 

Now we have even more reasons to go greener through the reduction of paper usage.  As you may have read, Cobb Schools are taking aggressive steps to address shortfalls from recent state budget cuts.  Confronted with new additional cuts in state revenue Superintendent Sanderson has directed spending restrictions that will help the District weather the current austerity cuts of $15.8 million. 

 

At Nicholson we have determined that our use of paper must be reduced significantly.  Please visit our website at www.cobbk12.org/~nicholson for:

• Current events
• Teacher blogs
• General information about PTA and The Nicholson Foundation

 

Additionally,

• Any communication that requires paper will be given to the youngest or only children in the family.  
• We will continue to use the phone calls home and e-mail.

 

Our communication with you is very important,  and we appreciate your support as we make this transition. 

 

You can help by providing the requested information and returning it to your child’s teacher.  If you have additional questions or suggestions, please call or contact me at lynn.mcwhorter@cobbk12.org.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Lynn McWhorter

 

Thank you community!

Nicholson Families:

My sincere appreciation goes to you for making our Boosterthon Fun Run a big success.  The Boosterthon team made a positive impact on our campus as they inspired all of us to Dream Big.  We have added that to our all star standards as we recognize the importance of that in all aspects of our lives.  In addition to the character education, the dedication  of our students to get pledges was unsurpassed.  We were so happy to see many of you at the Fun Run where you experienced the enthusiasm first hand.  We appreciate all the positive comments from parents and students, and we thank you so much for helping our school in this way. Be diligent about collecting those pledges and let all your sponsors know how appreciative we are.  Stay tuned for the final amount raised and our plans for spending.

Thanks for reading,

Lynn McWhorter

Boosterthon Fun Run is Coming

Dear Readers:

We are in for an exciting time at Nicholson beginning on Tuesday, February 10th when the Boosterthon Pep Rally will raise the roof and send kids out into the community fired up and ready to raise pledges for running laps around the Fun Run track (1/16th of mile). All children are challenged to get 10 pledges for the laps they will be running. Our goal is $20,000 for interactive technology which would include smartboards, mounted LCD projectors, digital and movie cameras, ELMOS (projection equipment, etc. We know that having 21st century technology helps us connect with and engage 21st century kids.  It also helps teachers be efficient in their lesson preparation and use of time in classrooms.

The Boosterthon is interactive, community-based, and promotes three specific values:  Fitness, education, and character.  The Fun Run is for every student regardless of financial giving.  All students receive an All-Star T-Shirt, and we invite all parents to come to the Fun Run and share this great event with them.  February 19th: K, 1, 2 students will run from 9:00-10:15.  Grades 3,4,5 will run from 10:15-11:30. 

So....get fired up and let's have some fun while raising some funds for our great Nicholson Elementary School.

Thanks for reading.  See you soon.

Lynn McWhorter

These Things Really Work!

Dear Readers,

I want to personally thank you for your attendance at parent-teacher conferences.  We know that your child’s academic success is very important to you, and we hope that you received clear communication on his progress towards meeting the Georgia Performance Standards. We will be measuring that progress in April when the CRCT is administered to all students in grades one through five.  As you know, that is an achievement test required by the state of Georgia.

Student learning is the primary focus of our school.  Combine that with a mindset of continuous improvement for ourselves and our students and the attitude of excellence begins.   One of the ways we do that is by using strategies that produce achievement.  They really work because research proves it, and we do too!  Allow me to highlight those and hopefully you can find an application at home.

 Compare and Contrast: Identifying similarities and differences is the #1 way to promote learning. 

Graphic Representation:  One of the best ways for children to learn and remember is by using some type of graphic organizer to record information or ideas. 

Non-verbal Representation: Using manipulatives, mental pictures, kinesthetic activity, making a model, drawing a picture.

Advanced Organizers:  Getting a preview such as looking at the pictures in the book, reading the table of contents or the headings in the chapter.

Summarizing:  This can be a written or verbal summary of material.

As we focus on learning, just know that your children are our most precious asset.  It is a privilege to work with them each day.   Preparing the next generation is an exciting task, and I am thankful to work with a staff and community that put a high priority on education.   I look forward to all that we will do this second semester, and I thank you for your loyalty to our school.

Your Principal,

Lynn McWhorter

Happy New Year

Hello Blog readers:

 

Can you believe that half the school year is behind us and it is time to wish everyone a “Happy New Year 2009”?  The beginning of a new year is the perfect time for reflections on the year gone by.  With half the school year behind us, we, as a staff, are reflecting on our accomplishments of the past 90 days with an acute focus on the goals that lie before us. 

 

Here are just a few of our New Year’s resolutions:

 

We resolve to continue responding to the needs of our students through frequent, authentic assessments and engaging instruction.

 

We resolve to apply the best research- based practices in our instructional approach.

 

We resolve to keep children at the center of all our decisions and make student learning the primary focus of our school.

 

We resolve to provide a safe environment where learners gain knowledge, confidence, and respect for people and property.

 

Our academic area of focus is mathematics.  Our school performance goal centers on implementation of the

Georgia

school standards.  At the mid-year we are examining benchmarks that will let us know if we are on target with our goals.

 

Within two weeks of making a resolution, 75% of all Americans have broken it.  We want to be among the 25% who keep ours. Having high expectations for our students and for ourselves will support our commitment to excellence.  Please join us in challenging your child to shine his brightest because that is what Nicholson stars do best.

 

Happy New Year and best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2009.

 

'tis the season

Hello Everyone:

Tis the season to be giving:  Thank you to everyone for your generosity.  Because of it, we have been able to help families at Thanksgiving through our canned food drive and now at Christmas through our star tree.

Tis the season to be celebrating:  You are invited to join us for our annual Holiday Sing-a-long at 1:30 on Friday, Dec. 19th.  It is a great way to kick off the winter break by having all our Nicholson family together.  I know that the boys and girls are looking forward to the classroom parties that the roomparents are planning.

Tis the season to be wearing your pjs:   On Friday, a $1.00 donation will allow students to wear their pajamas to school.  The donation goes to our Relay for Life team.  It's "FUN" raising at its best.  Don't forget that PJ wearing is fun during the holidays too but it won't cost you $1.00.

Tis the season to be relaxing:  Winter Break is Dec. 20- January 5th.  Students return, Tuesday, January 6th.  Enjoy your time away as we prepare to welcome 2009.

See you at school,

Lynn McWhorter

 

It's a Fabulous Fall at Nicholson

Hello Everyone,

Fall is one of my favorite seasons not just because of the brilliance of the leaves, the crisp air and amazingly blue sky, but because of traditions like college football,  fall carnival, movie night, and VIP days.  We hope you will join us on November 19^th (K, 2^nd, and 4^th) and on November 20^th (1^st, 3^rd, and 5^th) for our Thanksgiving Feast.  Look for the lunch schedule  coming home soon.    We love to see  families gathered around our tables enjoying good food and good times together.  Where else can you get a delicious meal for only $2.50 other than the Star Light Café?   As an extra service, our Lifetouch photographers will be here both days taking family and friend photos, just in time for holiday giving.  You can purchase one picture or many and I know you will enjoy having the memory of this special time.

We will honor our veterans on November 11^th at a special program at 1:00 pm in the gym.  Please plan to attend this 2^nd annual event so we can thank you for your service to our country.  Ms. Kneuer, our music teacher, will lead us in song and tribute to all our military branches.

Thanksgiving holidays are November 24-28^th and I sincerely hope that they are a time of relaxation and reflection. There are so many things for which to be thankful and our terrific school is at the top of my list.  It is a privilege to be your principal and to work with so many fine educators, children, and parents. 

I look forward to seeing you at school this month.

Sincerely,

Lynn McWhorter

Your Principal