Sorry...not my house.

I've received many questions about if the Bagwell's light display is mine. Sorry to tell you, but that is not my house. I do know Mike Bagwell from church, but he is of no relation.  My husband's idea of Christmas lights is swapping out the lights on either side of the garage for a red and green one. So I can take no credit for the beautiful display Mike and his family put up each year for the communities enjoyment.
Here is a link to Mike Bagwell's display  if you don't have the opportunity to go check it out yourself.

Bagwell Christmas lights

Thank you to everyone who came out to Chick-fil-A last week. We raised around $275! When added to our money we have raised through Domino's Pizza nights we were able to go a head and purchase  listening centers for 8 classrooms!! Thank you to our Singing Sensations who were delightful throughout the evening. It was a great way to start the holiday season.

Today we were blessed with the beautiful sounds of Glendale's choir caroling in our hallways.
In this busy time, take the time to stop and just enjoy those around you.

Invention Convention & Kindergarten Feast

We have had a great day today at Field! This morning our 5th graders hosted an Invention Convention. Over the last couple of weeks students have identified a problem and then created an invention to meet the need. Their creativity and critical thinking skills were certainly highlighted in their final products.

This afternoon our Kindergartners had a feast where they made necklaces, tepees, turkeys,  and ate snacks. They were having a splendid time working through the different activities.

Thank you to all the parents and grandparents that helped make these events possible! I know your students love it when you can come and participate in their learning.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Random November Thoughts

Time is certainly going by fast this month! I have lots of random thoughts rolling around in my head today.

Over the last couple of weeks many of you have come in for parent/teacher conference. Thank you for spending this time connecting with your student's teacher and supporting them in their learning.

In the last couple of weeks I have been working with a group of 5th graders to plan our attendance celebrations for the year. The traveling trophy has started making its rounds to the class with the highest attendance for the week. The team also decided to celebrate the class with the highest attendance for the quarter. The class who wins for each quarter will get a special lunch celebration. Congratulations for Mrs. Brown's 4th grade class who won for first quarter with an average attendance of 97.9%. Several classes were close behind: Aho with 97.63%; Vann with 97.38%; Nasby with 97.24%; Goings with 97.04%.
Mrs. Brown's class will have a pizza party to celebrate.

This week have a couple of opportunities for you to get involved and be informed about IB. Thursday, November 17th from 4:00 - 5:00 we will begin a parent inquiry group. This study group will be exploring how students acquire a second language and ways we might expand our Spanish beyond the Spanish classroom. No reservations needed. Everyone is invited to come and learn with us. On Friday, November 18th we have Principal's Coffee. We have guests this month from the MYP program at Pipkin Middle School and Central High School. This will be a time of learning about the IB program past the elementary level. This is not just for parents of 5th graders and all parents are encouraged to attend and learn more about the future opportunities for their students.

Last, but certainly not least, thank you to everyone taking a part in the Days of Sharing. I encourage you to involve you student in the process as much as possible so they may gain that feeling of contributing to their community.

I hope your family is enjoying these beautiful fall days we have had this year.
Thanks again for your support of Field.
Dr. B

Site Council & Nerd Day

This has certainly been a busy week here at Field. The students (and staff...see pictures below) have had a great time being creative and dressing up for the different spirit days. I'm looking forward to Fall Festival on Friday evening and hope to see you there. This will be a great time to celebrate the end of first quarter and build community among our families.

Earlier this week we had our first Site Council meeting of the year. Thank you to those parents and staff that participated. You can find the complete minutes posted on the Site Council portion of our web page (http://sps.k12.mo.us/field/site_council.htm). One of our agenda items was a discussion about our needs... great and small.  While it was determined that all items were worthy of completion, there were a few highlighted as possible starting points. These items included: listening centers, risers for use with Smart boards in lower grade classrooms, additional computers for student use in classrooms, and funding for Spanish related field trips.  The complete list of needs is posted on the Site Council page on the Field website. After viewing the list, please let us know if there is a need you believe you can help us see through to a reality.

Thanks for reading!

Hola! We had a great day today at Field.

We were honored to host Paco and His Band today from Tlaquepaque, Mexico. They are here in Springfield this week through the Sister City Organization. Here are a few pictures from the assembly. Our 5th graders did a wonderful job singing a song for them to close the assembly. Have a great weekend!

Parent Survey Results & Attendance

Thank you to everyone who participated in our parent survey a couple of weeks ago. You provided us with good information to use as we move forward in the PYP evaluation process. Here are some of the comments shared by parents about Field:

"The students see themselves as global citizens and they have an active interest in how to make things better for people all over the world. Also, they are true inquirers and they love to ask questions and find answers."

"I've seen more parental involvement at Field Elementary than I have at any other school. It really feels like a community."

"My child is motivated to think on his own."

We also received some good feedback on areas for growth including communication about the PYP program with parents and community, continuity between grade levels, and concerns for the school's growing population and lack of space. All of these ideas will be enveloped into our Action Plan developed through the evaluation process.

As you all know, attendance at school is vital to a child's success in school. So many valuable learning experiences occur during the day that can not be replicated at home. Here are our classrooms with top attendance from the beginning of the year through mid 1st Quarter:
1. Fisher - 98.63%
2.  Aho - 98.31%
3.  Brown - 98.07%
4. Goings - 98.01%

The SPS goal for attendance is 95%. Please help your child reach their full potential through being at school everyday.

Thank you Volunteers!!

This week has been an emotional week starting with the remembrance of 9/11. Thinking about how quickly life can change reminds me to cherish and make the most of every moment with those around you. This is something I witness everyday in our classrooms as students are engaged in their learning and creating action plans.  I have also been impressed with the level of parent engagement here at Field. It is awesome! In the last two weeks I have seen countless volunteers for field trips, 3rd grade Rock-a-palooza,  reading with students, assisting teachers with clerical tasks, Watch Dog Dads, building shelves, painting stripes, and....(I almost hate to name specifics because the list is endless!). On top of what is already going on,  I had a conversation today with a parent who is passionate about expanding parent volunteers for reading/math  skills and after school club opportunities for our students. There are many positive possibilities before us and I'm honored to lead and facilitate the journey a head.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the parent survey. Please know we do utilize this information and it is valuable feedback. We appreciate your time and thoughts.

This last week we had our first Domino's Pizza Night. I have not heard the numbers yet, but I will report back to you when i do. We will have one night each month (2nd Tuesday) and we receive $1.00 from each pizza sold. All of the money raised will be going toward acquiring and updating technology needs in the classroom.

My final thoughts today revolve around birthday celebrations. As you think about celebrating your child's birthday at school,  please be open-minded in thinking about celebrations or treats that are non-food related. With non-food treats you don't have to worry about excluding children with allergies or the wellness policy. I would like to challenge you and your child to think of a unique non-food treat to celebrate at school this year. If you need suggestions please ask your student's teacher.
Thanks for reading!

Thanks for a smooth start!

We have been back in class for a week and everything is moving right a long!  In many ways it does not even seem like the first week of school. Students have slid back into routines and picked up their learning where they left off. Hopefully September will bring some cooler weather!!

On September 16th we will have our first Principal's Coffee at 9:15 am. Topics for the first Coffee include sharing about PYP (What is PYP and how is it different from other schools?) and getting your feedback on the topics you would like discussed at future Principal's Coffees. My vision is for this time together is to create an opportunity for dialogue and information sharing between school and families. I believe this will be valuable time for the Field Communuity as we move forward.

I hope your student has had a wonderful start to school!

Ready...Set...Go!!

A week from today students will be swarming the hallways again. I love the excitement of new beginnings and the looking forward to the positive possibilities ahead.

Meet the Teacher is on August 24th from 7:30 Am - 9:00 AM. This is a come and go event. You and your child will have the opportunity to meet their teacher for the year and get familiar with their new classroom.

The first day of school is August 25th! We will see you bright and early that morning. Students are released to classrooms at 8:35. Throughout the year good attendance is important. So much goes on at school every day that can not be duplicated and every minute counts. We will have special celebrations throughout the year to celebrate Perfect Attendance (on time everyday and here all day long). You won't want one tardy to keep your child out of the celebration!

Throughout the year many of you will want to volunteer in classrooms and on field trips. In order to serve in this capacity, you must complete the Volunteer Registration and Background check forms yearly. We will have the available in the office for you to complete. This process is in place for the safety and security of our students and staff and we appreciate your understanding. We value your support of our students and willingness to assist in creating learning opportunities.

This summer has also brought an additional change in staff. Patti Cline has taken another position with Food Services and won't be returning to Field this fall. We wish her the very best in her new position. I'm pleased to announce that Becky Garling will be taking over this positions as a part time classroom aide in Ms. Kennedy's room and part time aide for our building. This does leave a void for a lunchroom position. If you know of anyone who might be interested in interviewing for our lunchroom aide, please have them contact me.

Enjoy your last week of summer and I look forward to meeting all of you next week!

Welcome Back

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer!
First, I would like to thank the Field community for a wonderful welcome. Your smiles and words of encouragement are helping make this a smooth transition.

Here are some dates of upcoming events:

I'm sure many of you are wondering about class assignments for this school year. We hope to have class lists posted for grades 1-5 on the afternoon of August 12th and kindergarten posted on the afternoon of August 17th. Lists will be posted on the windows and on the Field web site.

Meet the teacher will be August 24th from 7:30 - 9:00 AM.

First Day of School is August 25th. Our school day hours have changed slightly. Our new hours are 8:50 - 3:35. Doors open at 8:20 and students are dismissed to classes at 8:35.  Unless you student is enrolled in Prime Time, they should not arrive before 8:20 because there is no supervision.

We do have 3 early release days this year that are not noted on the district calendar. We will dismiss at 1:35 on November 1, March 6, and May 1.

I'm excited about the new school year and look forward getting to know you and your students.
With the Children in Mind,
Janell Bagwell - Principal, Field Elementary