South Fayette Elementary School
Building Report
October 2012
Third grade is having a wonderful school year thus far. Transitioning to third grade is always a
challenge, but once routines are established, it is "smooth sailing" from there. Third grade
students continue their work in the new reading series called JOURNEYS. This series offers many
components and allows many opportunities for differentiation in instruction. We have completed
our first unit in this series, which includes five stories and a unit test. We are currently working in
the second unit of the book. In math, students have mastered graph skills, and are currently
working diligently on place value and problem solving. Currently, some third grade students are
enjoying science, while others are participating in social studies. In social studies, students are
reviewing map skills and learning about all of the facets of communities. In science, students are
studying plant growth and development and rocks and minerals. Submitted by Third Grade Teacher,
Shari Vennero
The new library book order has arrived and everyone is anxious to get their hands on one of them!
For students who love graphic novels, there are new Baby Mouse books, Bone books and a set of new
graphic novels, Geronimo Stilton books. We have brand new Black Lagoon books by Author Mike
Thaler. When the fourth graders start the animal reports, they will find plenty of new animal
books with beautiful pictures and interesting information. If you love the Puppy Place series, you
will love the new Kitty Corner books as well as a new series about the Animal Rescue Team. If
nonfiction is your cup of tea, a brand new series of nonfiction dog breed books will soon hit the
shelves, along with new sports books, and more. There are new dragon-themed books by Chris
D‟Lacey, new mysteries by Martha Freeman, and new biographies galore. There is something for
every reader, at every level, and they are all coming to our library! What a time to read!
Submitted by Elementary/Intermediate Librarian, Kimberly Petrick
The second grade students are working on various topics in science and social studies. Some
students are having the opportunity to see how our government works. They are learning about how
elections work, how laws are created and passed, and what branches of government assist in making
decisions that impact our life on a daily basis. Other students are working on a unit in science
called „Changes‟. Students are learning how something can change from a solid to a liquid, from a
liquid to a solid, and from a solid to a liquid and then to a gas. These students are doing exciting
experiments and are expanding their minds, while problem solving and collaboratively working in
small groups. Some students are also working on the Solar System. They are using web sites like
www.enchantedlearning.com and www.kidsastronomy.com to find out what planets look like, how they
orbit the sun, and other interesting facts that they may use to create a technology project. The
students will be creating paper notebooks as well as PowerPoint slides on each of the planets to help
them understand how planets are alike and how they are different. Submitted by Second Grade
Teacher, Bobby Ruffolo
Colin Patrick, born to Patrick Oney on August 16, 2012
20 inches long
8 pounds, 15 ounces
First graders have been working hard in reading and language arts. They have been focusing on
short vowel sounds, learning about parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives. They have
also been exploring new stories from many different genres. The first graders have also been
introduced to addition and subtraction concepts thus far in our new enVision Math series. In
science, first graders continue to discover the world of weather through many hands-on, inquiry
based experiments. First graders did take a small break from their weather routines to celebrate
Johnny Appleseed Day. Many classrooms enjoyed a healthy snack of apples,
graphed their favorite kinds of apples, read about the life cycle of an apple
tree, and learned about the life of Johnny Appleseed. Students even
discovered a cool little trick of finding a “star in the apple.” Submitted by
First Grade Teacher, Karla Schooley
We are busy learning new things in Kindergarten! The children have been working hard to learn the
letters “Mm” and “Ss.” They have practiced writing these letters and learning the sounds they
make. We have also learned our sight words so far: “I”, “like”, “the”, & “and.” The first signs of
Show & Tell are in the air with the letters “M” & “S” - we even saw pictures of
“M”oms! In math, the students have taken their first official test in school
and it was multiple choice! Their teachers were very impressed with them.
They have reviewed recognizing and writing the numbers zero through five
and are now working on Topic 3 which reviews the numbers six through ten.
Many signs of autumn have arrived in kindergarten! The children have
decorated beautiful trees to celebrate the first day of autumn, and painted pumpkins that they
turned into jack-o-lanterns! Anticipation is brewing as the kindergarten classes await their first
school field trip to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. They will ride in a real trolley and even get to
pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch! The children and teachers alike are really enjoying learning
with their new SMART Boards! This technology makes learning come alive…THANK YOU PTA!!
Submitted by Kindergarten Teacher, Angela Simms
We are concluding our science unit on Electric Circuits in the next few weeks
and the students are having a blast. Recently, the students have applied their
knowledge of the parts of a household light bulb in the creation of a classroom
made filament replica. Students identified the function of a filament as the
source of the glow and heat within a light bulb. Currently, fourth grade is
learning about the importance of series and parallel circuits and the changes
that each type of circuit is characteristically known for. By the second week in
October, students will be extending their learning by constructing a flashlight
with a working switch. Submitted by Fourth Grade Teacher, Molly Kurnal
The elementary school celebrated Spirit Week from October 1-5.
Mrs. Gray says “Aloha”
with kindergartner,
Reagan McLaughlin, and
first grader, Isabella
Ethridge
My name is Jocelyn Main, and I am one of the new first grade teachers at South Fayette
Elementary. I hold a Bachelor‟s Degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education
from Penn State University. Previously, I taught full day kindergarten in the Ambridge Area School
District. I am currently working toward my Master‟s Degree in School Administration at California
University of Pennsylvania. My favorite hobbies are teaching Zumba, and trying new recipes! My
family still lives in the South Hills, and I enjoy being able to visit them often. I am looking forward
to an exciting school year with my first graders, and I‟m thrilled to join the fantastic team at
South Fayette Elementary School!
Ms. Main with her first grade class on Hawaiian Day
This year our parents once again went above and beyond and sold $66,043.25 in fundraising
merchandise and donated a cash total of $8,930.00! Seventy-two percent (72%) of the students
participated in this year‟s fundraiser! We had 23 classrooms sell over 200 units each!
Approximately $37,732.45 of net proceeds from this sale will help fund all the wonderful programs
and events the PTA offers all year long. The top classrooms, as well as the top three individual and
family sellers, are listed on the PTA website – www.sfepta.org. This fundraiser is a huge
undertaking and we would like to thank Jen Swider for chairing this committee and making it look
easy!
My name is Kara Miles, and I am the new nurse at the elementary school. I reside in Elizabeth
Township, and I am married with two children; a 16 year old son who is a
sophomore at Elizabeth Forward High School and an 11 year old daughter at
Elizabeth Forward Middle School. I have been a registered nurse for 18
years. I graduated from West Penn School of Nursing, and I have a Bachelor
of Science in Nursing from California University of PA. I was employed at
West Penn Hospital for 14 years, with 10 of those years spent working in the
emergency department. My School Nurse Certification is from Slippery Rock University. I have
been doing school nursing since 2006. I have spent the last two years at Woodland Hills School
District, and I am now happy to be a part of the South Fayette family!
Fall Fun on
the Farm
Thank you to Bill and Sue Sray of Providence Farms for inviting the primary school students and
parents to their cornfield on Old Oakdale Road. Many families enjoyed the beautiful weather on
Saturday, October 6 by visiting the farm and cutting corn stocks for their fall yard decoration.
The children had a great time, and most had never stepped foot in a cornfield. Experiences like
this are what create wonderful memories for children.
appreciative of Bill and Sue‟s hospitality.
The students and parents were so