I am very pleased to announce that Howard has again raised more than we ever have in the 13 years we’ve been participating in the JRFH program!!   This year the Howard students raised an outstanding amount of $4690,00.  The money they raised will go to the American Heart Association to help fund research to fight heart disease and stroke.  I want to thank all of the donators for their help this year to get our school to this donation amount!!!

Thank you,

Frank Haliburda

Howard P.E. Teacher

The 3rd-5th grade classes will be continuing with floor hockey this week and next.  If the weather permits it, the 4th and 5th grades will also be going outside this week to run the 1 mile run for the presidential physical fitness test.  The kindergarten-2nd classes will be starting my softball unit this week.

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

I’m sorry to announce that it’s time for us to wrap up chess club for the season.  I hope everyone had fun and enjoyed learning the game of chess!  Chess club will finish the season with a pizza party to celebrate our season on Friday, May 6^th from 3:35 to 4:15 p.m. in the cafeteria.  During the pizza party, the students will play chess games and I will hand out awards.  Parents will need to arrange to have their child picked as soon as the party is finished.

Thank you,

Frank Haliburda

Chess Club Coach

The 4th and 5th graders will be assessed and graded on curl-ups for the 4th marking period physical fitness test.  The test will be a timed (1 minute) test and it is used to measure abdominal strength.  The standards are listed below:

# of curl-ups in 1 min./Grade

4th grade girls

<17  =  4

18 – 23  =  3

24 – 28  =  2

29+  =  1

4th grade boys

<19  =  4

20 – 25  =  3

26 – 30  =  2

31+  =  1

5th grade girls

<19  =  4

20 – 24  =  3

25 – 30  =  2

31+  =  1

5th grade boys

<24  =  4

25 – 29  =  3

30 – 35  =  2

36+  =  1

The 1st – 3rd graders will learn about the personal/social skill compassion throughout the 4th marking period.  I will constantly remind the students using the poster on the gym will about the different ways that they should use compassion.

The 4th and 5th graders will learn about the personal/social skill constructive competition throughout the 4th marking period.  I will constantly remind the students using the poster on the gym will about the different ways that they should use construction competition.  I will have both grades write in their journals about constructive competition and the different way to use it.  They will also write sentences in their journals about how they have had constructive competition in their own life.

These personal/social skills will be used as a main part of the students grade for sportsmanship on their report card.

The Kindergarten-2nd graders will be assessed on skipping for the locomotor skill and the overhand throw for the object control skill.  Next, the 3rd graders will be assessed on catching a fly ball for the object control skill.  The 4th and 5th graders will both assessed on curl-ups for the physical fitness skill.  Finally, the 4th graders will be assessed on the overhand throw and the 5th graders will be graded on batting for the object control skill.

All classes will be learning a personal/social skill for this marking period. This will be part of their sportsmanship grade. The Kindergarten-3rd grades will learn about compassion and the 4th and 5th graders will learn and write in their journals about constructive competition.

I will be starting floor hockey with all of my 3rd-5th grade classes this week.  The unit will last for three weeks.  My Kindergarten-2nd grade classes will be playing a variety of games that will help them to practice and improve their performance with skipping.  This will be the locomotor skill that will be assessed this making period for those grades.

This week every class will be practicing jump roping during the JRFH event/stations.  The classes will be doing this during each of their P.E. classes for the week.  My hope is the students have fun while jumping rope for a great cause!

I will continue to have all of my classes practice a variety of jump roping skills this week.  They will use all of the skills they learned this week during the event/station days next week.  The event/station days next week will be fun and tiring at the same time!  The students will have the opportunity to go to the drinking fountain anytime during the event/stations.  They can also take a rest, as needed at their station.