1. Welcome to
Central Elementary
School
Go Eagles!!!
2013-2014

2. Notes From Mrs. Mizell
On behalf of the teachers and staff of the Central Elementary School (CES), I would like
to welcome you to school. The 2013-14 academic year’s beginning has proven to be an exciting
and productive year. To those who are new to Central, we hope that you will quickly feel at
home and become involved in the activities of our school through the PTA and your child’s
classroom.
As I continue as principal at Central Elementary, I will work diligently with parents and
faculty to foster an atmosphere that promotes a learning community that is child centered.
Working as a team we will move forward in our mission to create a warm, caring, disciplined,
and challenging environment in which all students can learn and reach their highest potential
becoming responsible members of society.
Although we strongly believe in academic excellence, we also feel that learning must
be fun and rewarding for each child. By working together, students, parents/guardians, and
staff can make Central Elementary School an exciting and enjoyable place to learn: Reading &
Writing Celebrations, Family Nights, quarterly Friday Fitness, and weekly Rise & Shine
assemblies. Research states that parents being involved in your child’s school, students reading
at home and at school are the three actions that help your child succeed the most.
Central is in partnership with UAFS as a Professional Development School. Pre-service
teachers’ classes are held on Central’s campus providing various teaching and learning
experiences for the future teachers. I am blessed to work with the Central staff, families, and
community. If you have any concerns, questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
Reaching New Heights-Soaring to Excellence
Sincerely,
Cindy Mizell

4. Central Elementary 2013-2014 Goals
Arkansas Comprehensive School Improvement Plan
Priority 1: Literacy
Goal: All students will improve their performance in writing abilities in the area of
content and style and in answering open-response questions in literary and content
reading passages.
Priority 2: Mathematics
Goal: all students will improve their mathematics performance in answering multiple
choice question and open response questions in numbers and operations and
measurement.
Priority 3: Wellness
Goal: Students participating in the BMI screening show a need to improve their
physical activity and nutrition in order to develop lifelong health habits and to live a
healthy lifestyle.
Priority 4: English Language Learners
Goal: By developing high-quality language instruction programs the school will
enable English Language Learner students to speak, read, write, and comprehend in
the English language, develop high levels of academic attainment in English, meet
the same challenging AR State academic content and student academic achievement
standards as all students are expected to meet, and to enter all-English instruction
settings.
Within the Priorities we add Parental Involvement

6. Non-Nutritional Days
• September 27th
• October 31st
• November 22nd
• December 20th
• January 29th
• February 13th
• March 21st
• April 17th
• May 23rd

7. PTA Dates
November
• 5th—PTA Santa Pictures @ 8:00am
• 7th—PTA Duck Dynasty Night
• 14th—Skate Night
• 25th-29th – Thanksgiving Break
December
• 12th – Winter Carnival

8. From the Counselor……
Our school will be
participating in a toy
drive for the CASA
Christmas party for
foster children. Please
send a small toy (dollar
or less) with your
students to be used as
a prize for games they
will be playing at their
party.
Word of the Month
Initiative
An eagerness to do something; acting on your own ideas
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I would just like to
challenge everyone
to take a minute
each day and
encourage your child
to think of
something they are
thankful for.
Amanda Ming - Counselor

9. Kindergarten News
Dates to Remember:
November
November
November
November
November
7-PTA Duck Dynasty Night
14- Skate Night
18- Progress Reports
20- Kindergarten Snack Feast
25-29- Thanksgiving Break!
December 12-Winter Festival
December 20- Non-Nutritional Day
December 23-Jan 3- Christmas Break
Reading- Readers Use Super Powers to Read Everything
Becoming a Class of Reading Teachers
Writing-Writing for Readers
How-To Books: Writing to Teach Others
Math- What Comes Next?
Measuring & Counting
Science/Social Studies- Motion & Force, Pilgrims & Indians,
Magnets, Thanksgiving, Penguins, Christmas

10. What are we studying??
Reading: Reading Non-Fiction Books
Math: : Solving Story Problems
Writing: Non-Fiction Writing….All About Books.

11. What’s Happening in
nd Grade???
2
Reading
For November and December we are
studying our Characters in our fiction books.
Writing
This month we are studying Realistic Fiction.
Math
Our focus in math this month is
Number Stings and Word Problems.
Science/Social Studies
We will be learning about
Changes Throughout History.
Dates to Remember:
November 25th thru 29th - No School:
Thanksgiving Break

12. Reading:
We have started a new unit for reading…we are studying Historical Fiction
with a focus on Colonial Life.
Writing:
We are starting Persuasive Writing this month.
Math:
Area and Parameter is our focus in our third unit!!
We will also be learning different strategies to help us add and subtract!
Science:
We are learning all about the Solar System!

13. th
4
Grade Happenings
Reading- We are beginning a unit of study on Historical Fiction Book Clubs and
Informational reading. Students will be reading all kinds of books about immigration.
Writing-
We have finished our personal and persuasive essays, we are not working on
writing literary essays.
Science- We have finished studying the digestive system and the circulatory system and
we are now starting All About Matter.
Math-
Students are now studying size, shape, and symmetry. We have been working
with power polygons to learn how to create different angles. Please keep working on
multiplication facts!!!

14. 5th Grade
Math – “Prisms & Pyramids”
In this unit we will be learning how to find the volume of boxes using cubic
units.
Science- We are studying light and color and learning how we see light
(color). We will also be studying force and motion this month, concentrating
on simple machines.
Reader’s Workshop – “Learning Through Reading”
We will be using all we know about nonfiction reading and research to learn
about the American Revolution.
Writer’s Workshop – “Bringing History to Life”
We will be learning the foundations of research report writing. Students will
learn to use research skills to deepen their knowledge of the American
Revolution.
Social Studies – American Revolution

15. Reading Recovery
at Central Elementary, Van Buren School District
Reading is important because…
Strong reading and writing
skills are essential for
success in school and later
life. Although most children
learn to read in their
classroom programs, a few
children have great difficulty
learning to read and write.
Reading Recovery can help!
Contact your local
Reading Recovery
professional
Reading Recovery Teacher
Bonnie Duff
Central Elementary
Van Buren, AR 72921
479-474-7059
bonnie.duff@vbsd.us
Scientific evidence reviewed by the U.S. Department of
Education's What Works Clearinghouse confirms that
Reading Recovery is effective.
University Training Center
University of Arkansas
Little Rock, AR
Center For Literacy

16. 25 Years of Excellence in North America
•Nearly 2 million American first graders have had Reading Recovery
lessons.
•75% reached grade-level standard at the end of their lessons.
•All children make progress, but a few do not reach grade-level
standard.
• Information from Reading Recovery lessons helps schools and parents
plan future evaluation and services.
Reading Recovery works because…
•highly trained teachers
work intensively, with
individual children each
school day.
•lessons are planned to
build on the knowledge
and strengths of
each child.
To find out more about
Reading Recovery visit our website at
Families can help by…
•being sure your child's school
attendance is as regular as
possible.
•listening to your child read books
sent home by the Reading
Recovery teacher.
•returning the books each day so
the teacher can send home
new books.
•making reading time positive,
short, and enjoyable.
www.readingrecovery.org

17. Drop off and
Pick up
• Bus drop off and
pick up will be
located behind the
building on North
22nd Street.
• Car drop off and
pick up will now be
located in the front
of Central
Elementary School
on North 24th
Street.