Mark your Calendars!

**February 11^th, next Tuesday at 9:00am in the lunchroom—4^th graders will perform some percussion music.  Please have your child dress nicely for the program.

**Progress reports will come home Wednesday, February 12^th.

**Next Friday is Valentine’s Day, February 14^th. Students can bring cards and decorated mail box is optional. If your child does not bring a box, I will provide a bag he/she can decorate.

**School will be closed on February 17^th for E-Day Learning.  Many students have already turned in their completed assignments.  Once your child completes the required assignments for that day, please send it in to me.  I am keeping track of who has completed the tasks.  These will be for a grade.  I have already hear so many fun stories of what families have done together to complete these projects.

**Our yearbook staff has requested the following:

FOURTH GRADERS ONLY!!!!!!!

We need baby pictures by FEB 21st for the yearbook!!!!!! Due to the tedious and time consuming task of layouts, late submissions will be at the discretion of the yearbook staff and school administration and may or may not appear in yearbook.  Anyone who wants their child's baby picture (4th grade only) featured in the yearbook, should submit a baby picture to the e-share website according to the guidelines that were sent in an email a few days ago. No actual pictures sent to school will be accepted. Thanks!!!

**Here are some ideas for dressing up like one of the famous people from the Revolution era. Directions went home, let me know if they did not make it to you, and I’ll email you a copy. First of all, please don’t go out and spend a small fortune.  Just use things from home.  Ask friends of students who have already been through SSC 4^th grade.  Visit the local thrift store or garage sale.  Please don’t feel like you have to do all of these.  They are simply suggestions.

Boys:  Dad’s jacket, shoes with buckles made from construction paper and foil, A vest, Pants tucked into long white socks (baseball and football pants, or sweatpants work great!), Dad’s white shirt, or better yet mom’s ruffled front, white blouse, White wig with pony tail-cotton balls and/or sheet of cotton glued to a shower cap.  Tie the ponytail with a ribbon or bow, Tricorn hat-3 pieces of black construction paper attached into a triangle

Girls: Apron, shawl, carry a parasol, Mom’s long skirt or dress, lace collar and cuffs (use handkerchiefs, cloth napkins or tissue attached with pins), mom cap (handkerchief, cloth napkin or piece of material cut into a circle.  Put slits around the edge and thread with a piece of ribbon)

**Yearbook Photos-Now is the time to begin submitting your photos to be used in the yearbook.  Have you been on a field trip, at a class party, etc.? We need all class parties, field trips class activities, lunchroom etc.  Attached to this email is an information sheet with all the instructions you will need to submit your photos.  The deadline to submit photos is Friday, February 14^th.  Also, if you are interested in working on the yearbook next year, please contact Holly Church.  Holly’s contact information can be found on the bottom of the instruction sheet (jchurch@bham.rr.com)

**In the classroom we are continuing to work on our multiplication, division, subtraction, and addition strategies.  We will begin learning more about fractions next week.  In social studies we have declared our independence from Great Britain and are now learning about America’s experience of writing a Constitution and creating our Branches of Government.  We hope to go to American Village on March 31^st for our next field trip.  More information will follow once the paperwork has been completed.

**Family Fun Fair-Mark your calendars for Friday, April 25, 2014 for the SSCE Family Fun Fair.  Each class will be responsible for a booth and volunteers to man the booth from 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM.  Booth details to follow at a later date.  The class will also be responsible for securing a sponsor for their class.  There are two sponsor levels, Silver and Gold.  Silver level sponsors include anyone donating $200-$399.  Gold level sponsors include anyone donating $400 and above.  Each sponsorship level will get their names on the Family Fun Fair T-Shirt and on the school website.  We will accept cash, checks made payable to South Shades Crest and gift cards.  An electronic sponsorship form will be sent soon for you to send to your parents.  Please remember this is SSCE biggest fundraiser of the school year. This year’s goal is $25,000!

**Cell Phones and Box Tops-Please send in used cell phones and ink cartridges.  For the month of January and February there will be a competition between the classes to see who can bring in the most box tops.  We take Campbell’s and Tyson Chicken Project A+ labels. Thank you to all who have sent them in so far!

**Thank you so much for all you do to support your child.  I love each and every student I have appreciated the stories they share with me.  Learning with your child is truly exciting!