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Amir Salon, established 1994, proudly supporting Terraset since 2004.
Mention this ad and
for every Flower Petal Facial purchased, the Amir Salon will donate
$10 toward Terraset PTA's Natural Connections Fund for Outdoor
Education and for every Facial Gift Certificate purchased, we will
donate $20.
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The first quarter report cards are home
and we are all thinking about our kids performance in math, lanuguage
arts, science, social science, physical education, music, and art. A
quick look at the table of contents for this issue of
TouchPoint demonstrates the many opportunities for enrichment, in
all these subject areas, at Terraset. All you have to do is join in.
We'll see you there!
If there is information that you would like to see included in this publication, please send us your thoughts.
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| Math, in fact, does make a great difference in life |
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Based on an article by Arthur Michelson, first published 12/20/04 in the Los Angeles Times.
Math is not just about computing
quadratic equations, knowing geometric proofs or balancing a check
book. And it's not just about training Americans to become scientists.
It has implicit value. It is about discipline,
precision, thoroughness and meticulous analysis. It helps you see
patterns, develops your logic skills, teaches you to concentrate and to
separate truth from falsehood. These are abilities that distinguish
successful people.
Math helps you make wise financial decisions,
but also informs you so you can avoid false claims from advertisers,
politicians and others. It even helps you determine risk. Some
examples:
- If a fair coin is tossed and eight heads
come up in a row, most adults would gamble that the next toss would
come up tails. But a coin has no memory. There is always a 50-50
chance. See you at the casino?
- If you have no sense of big numbers, how
do you evaluate the consequences of how government spends your money.
Why should we worry? Let our kids deal with it...
- Enormous amounts of money are spent on
quack medicine. Many people will reject sound scientific studies on
drugs or nutrition if the results don't fit their preconceived notions,
yet they might leap to action after reading news stories on the results
of small, inconclusive or poorly run studies.
- After an airplane crash, studies show
that people are more likely to drive than take a plane despite the fact
that they are much more likely to be killed or injured while driving.
Planes are not more likely to crash because another recently did. In
fact, the most dangerous time to drive is probably right after a plane
crash because so many more people are on the road.
The precision of
math, like poetry, gets to the heart of things. It can increase our
awareness. Consider the Fibonacci series, in which each number is the
sum of the preceding two (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ...). Comparing each
successive pair yields a relationship known as the Golden Ratio, which
often shows up in nature and art. It's the mathematical underpinning of
what we consider beautiful. You'll find it in the design of the
Parthenon and the Mona Lisa, as well as in human proportion; for
instance, in the size of the hand compared to the forearm and the
forearm to the entire arm.
It is not possible to really understand
science and the scientific method without understanding math. A rainbow
is even more beautiful and amazing when we understand it. So is a
lightning bolt, an ant, or ourselves.
Math gives us a powerful tool to understand
our universe. I don't wish to overstate: Poetry, music, literature and
the fine and performing arts are always gateways to beauty. Nothing we
study is a waste. But the precision of math helps refine how we think
in a very special way.
How do we revitalize the learning of math? I
don't have the big answer. I teach middle school and try to find an
answer one child at a time. When I can get one to say, "Wow, that's
tight." I feel the joy of a small victory.
Arthur Michelson teaches at the Beechwood School in Menlo Park, California.
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| Don't Miss Math Night! |
 Family
Math Night is a big event for Terraset! The kids get to play math games
and the parents get to see first hand how their children tackle math
problems and how they interact with their teachers.
The whole event is made possible thanks to
the generosity of Outback Steakhouse, Herndon. They even make sure we
can all get there by making dinner available at 6pm. So, make your
reservation, take the night off, enjoy a great meal, and challenge
yourself with some of the problems our kids deal with every day at
school!
 Just to make sure there is something for everyone, the artwork submitted for the PTA Reflections Program
will also be on display. See the great work our kids completed and hear
the announcements of those identified as having outstanding
interpretations of the theme "Beauty is..." Every Reflections
participant will receive a participation ribbon and will be entered for
a draw to win a gift card.
Its all happening on Monday, November 16th!
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| Teacher's Tale: Leslie Sogandares |
Anyone who has been in the school will
probably have noticed Leslie Sogandares scurrying the halls. Or
perhaps you have been greeted by her as you pick up your child
from Lego Club on Thursday afternoons. Whatever the situation,
Leslie always looks upbeat when you see her.
Leslie is a General Education Instructional Assistant (IA) at
Terraset, supporting all the teachers of grades 1-6.
Specifically, Leslie assists students with reading in grades
1 and 2, while helping students with math in grades 2-6. She also floats
in the middle of the days, assisting where she is needed. She
became an IA after working with the Kindergarteners through the PALS
reading program. The children were so enthusiastic about learning
that Leslie wanted to become more involved. She also fell in love
with the staff at Terraset, saying, "They are just the best in the
world!"
However, the job does have its challenges, the biggest one being simply
getting from one end of the school to another in a timely
fashion. Frequently, Mrs. Sogandares works until the end of one
hour and then will need to be on the other side of the school at the
beginning of the next hour. To set a good example to the
students, she must do this hurrying with "walking feet". Because
kids are always watching, she sometimes hears "Mrs. Sogandares, you
need to slow down in the hallways!" which she thinks is pretty
funny!
While all jobs have their challenges, they have their highlights,
too. Leslie loves when she is helping a student with a challenge
and then that student suddenly "gets it" and they light up and exclaim
"I can do this now!" She says that nothing can compare to
that!
Leslie plays more than one role in the school. As a parent, she
is very active in the PTA... indeed she coordinates all the after
school programs. Not only does she coordinate these programs, she and
her husband run the hugely popular Lego Club. She explains that it
was her son, then in first grade, who first had the idea. He
was an avid Lego builder and told his dad how cool it would be to have
a Lego Club at Terraset. While most Lego clubs are structured around
robotics or competitions, the club at Terraset is a little
different. Leslie and her husband wanted a club that focused on
the children being creative and having fun with their
building. With a generous grant from the PTA and Target, they were
able to buy 10,000 legos to get started and the club has been going
strong ever since! Leslie says that, although this is very
different from her job as an IA, it is one of the best things she
does at the school.
Outside of school, Leslie enjoys walking
the beautiful network of trails and lakes Reston offers. She also
enjoys reading.... but not novels. She is passionate about
reading the news and peruses several newspapers every day. When
she is not at Terraset, she also teaches communications at a local
university, so she gets more reading time in as she reads student
papers.
Whether it is helping students with math and reading as a General Ed IA
at Terraset, keeping Lego Club going, or teaching at the university,
Leslie is busy! But her upbeat personality always brings energy
into all her roles at Terraset Elementary.
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| GRACE Art Corner: Paul Klee (1879 - 1940) |
This month, the PTA will present the Paul Klee GRACE Art portfolio in your child's class.
Paul Klee was born
in 1879 near Bern, Switzerland. His parents loved art and music
and encouraged him in both. When he was seventeen, Klee could not
decide whether to ba a poet, a musicain, or an artist. He
eventually became all three!
Some people say his pictures are visual poems.
In 1906 Klee moved to Munich, Germany to study at the Bauhaus. He later taught art classes there.
 Klee's
work does not belong to one art form. He painted dreams
(Surrealism), feelings (Expressionism) and shapes (Cubism). He was
very influenced by children's painting and many of his paintings depict
a childlike fantasy world. He kept all his childhood paintings because
he admired the fresh approach of children.
Klee's early work
was mainly done in black and white (pencil or ink). Later he
visited North Africa and was inspired by the colours in Tunisia and
Egypt. During his travels in North Africa, he began painting
the pyramids, Egyptian writing, masks, mosaics, mazes and puzzles.
Klee was also fascinated with growth and change in nature. He drew
leaves, water movement and blood circulating in the body. He was
also interested in the theatre. Many of Klee's paintings show the
curtain, spotlights, the stage, marionettes, shadow puppets and
masks.
Klee liked to experiment with different techniques such as watercolour
on cardboard and chalk on cloth. Critics consider Klee an exciting
painter to look at. He has created his own childlike fantasy world.
There are always new things to see and feel in his paintings if you let
yourself take a journey through klee's Magical world.
He died in Switzerland in 1940, aged 60, of Scelroderma - a connective tissue disease.
Your children will
explore Klee's approach to painting by creating works using markers,
tissue paper, and water to blend colors creating "accidental"
representations of their drawings.
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| PTA Assemblies Program Starts |
Each year the PTA funds and coordinates a
series of assemblies for the kids. Designed to provide exciting
enrichment opportunities each year, the program is a series of age
appropriate, educational experiences, offered through the creative
arts! Our assemblies program usually includes a variety of plays,
music, story telling, and writing workshops from local and national
educationally focused groups and idividuals.
This year we are launching our program on
Friday, November 14th with Spencer "Spinny" Johnson. This
upbeat, dynamic program features fun and amazing basketball skills
while teaching the importance of education, respect, goal setting,
determination and perseverance. Spinny focuses on self confidence, hard
work and staying away from drugs.
Spinny Johnson will make two presentations, one at 9:30am to grades K-3, the next at 10:30am to grades 4-6.
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| Coats for Kids Donates New Coats to Needy FCPS Students |
 As
fall gives way to winter, many Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)
students find themselves bracing against the cold temperatures without
a warm winter coat. In many cases, families lack the financial
resources to purchase coats for their children. Thanks to the
generosity of Coats for Kids, a local nonprofit organization, several
hundred FCPS students will be warmer this winter.
The FCPS Homeless Liaison office recently received a donation of 600
coats that will be distributed to students in local schools by school
social workers. This is the second year FCPS students have
benefited from a Coats for Kids donation.
Coats for Kids provides new children's coats to community organizations
that agree to distribute the coats to children in need. Since its
founding in 2004, Coats for Kids has donated more than 20,000 coats to
children. More information about the organization, including
options for making a donation, is available online at www.Coats-for-Kids.org.
The FCPS Homeless Liaison office serves families who are homeless or
nearly homeless throughout Fairfax County. Last year, the office
counted 1,906 homeless students. To date, FCPS has 1,056 homeless
children identified in schools.
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| How to Communicate with Your Child's Teachers |
Communication between parents and teachers
is often critical to our children's school success. Parent's values and
beliefs differ as do teacher's styles and philosophies. The first step
is to establish effective communication channels.
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| FY2011 Budget |
 Fairfax
County Public Schools anticipates having to face a budget deficit of
$100 to $200 million for FY 2011 (next school year).
During the FY 2010 budget cycle (current
school year), FCPS closed a budget deficit of $200 million. If
the school system has to make additional cuts for the FY 2011 budget,
it will be the third consecutive year that the FCPS budget has been
cut.
FCPS has prepared a FY 2011 fiscal forecast (PDF document) that
provides information on potential revenue shortfalls and deficits for
the next budget year. This information was presented at a joint
work session of the Fairfax County School Board and the Fairfax County
Board of Supervisors on September 29.
Citizens are invited to help school leaders determine the priorities
for the next budget year. In partnership with Fairfax County
government, FCPS is holding a series of budget community dialogues (PDF
document) throughout the county, and invites all citizens to attend and
join in the budget discussions and has just announced three additional community dialogue sessions on the FY 2011 budget due to public demand.
These discussions create considerable
concern for parents as they consider how the proposed cuts may impact
their child. The PTA will follow up with information on various groups
that are working to preserve some of the programs and services that are
under threat. in the meantime, if you have concerns that you wish to
share, please contact us with your thoughts and questions.
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| The Tank is Full! |
If you have visited the school recently or been following the Nature Club Blog,
you know about our new fish tank. But you may not know one of the
influential figures behind getting the Trout in the Classroom (TIC)
program into our school.
George Paine, grandfather to John (2nd grade) and Julia (kindergarten)
Thomas, contacted the school early in 2009 to offer this unique
opportunity. He is secretary, Fish-with-a-Member chair, raffle
organizer, newsletter co-editor and a few other things with the
Northern Virginia Chapter of Trout Unlimited ( www.nvatu.org) and they wanted to extend the reach of the TIC program. 
TIC was essentially created to make young people aware of the
environmental issues that have cost brook trout much of their habitat
in Eastern states. "50 years ago there were brook trout in Reston
streams!" says Paine. "It also serves to interest young people in
fishing, particularly fly fishing for trout. The excitement of fishing
inspires them to learn about how trout live and what they need to
thrive." and George, pictured here with his grandson
John, knows a lot about that!
TIC is a conservation-oriented environmental education program for
elementary, middle, and high school students. Throughout the
school year, students and teachers:
- Raise trout from eggs to fry;
- Monitor tank water quality;
- Engage in stream habitat study;
- Learn to appreciate water resources;
- Begin to foster a conservation ethic, and;
- Grow to understand ecosystems.
Most programs end the year by releasing their trout in a state-approved stream near the school or within a nearby watershed.
During the year each teacher tailors the program to fit his or her
curricular needs. Therefore, each program is unique. TIC has
interdisciplinary applications in science, social studies, mathematics,
language arts, fine arts, and physical education.
TIC programs have been in place all across the country for more
than 20 years, and are the result of numerous collaborations between
teachers, volunteers, government agencies, and local organizations
like Trout Unlimited. The programs were designed specifically for
teachers who wanted to incorporate more environmental education into
their curriculum.
While the immediate goal of Trout in the Classroom is to increase
student knowledge of water quality and coldwater conservation, its
long-term goal is to reconnect an increasingly urbanized population of
youth to the system of streams, rivers, and watersheds that sustain
them. Successful programs have helped:
- connect students to their local environments and their local watersheds;
- teach about watershed health and water quality, and;
- get kids to care about fish and the environment.
In Virginia, the program is in its third
year, and there are aquariums in approximately 55 classrooms throughout
the state, ranging from elementary school through high school.
Some schools are raising brown trout and some are raising brook trout,
all from eggs provided by hatcheries run by the Virginia Department of
Game and Inland Fisheries. New programs this year have started in
Buena Vista, Waynesboro, Aldi, Winchester and other towns.
The tanks and associated support equipment were ready and waiting at
four public and private schools as well as one home school in Northern
Virginia. Eager students and teachers were standing by at
Terraset Elementary, South Lakes High School, Lorien Wood School, John
Adams Elementary School in Arlington, and the home school to transition
the eggs into their tanks. Mr Paine pointed out that "the program has
instant appeal with kids, introducing them to a range of environmental
issues such as stormwater runoff and acid rain."
On October 8, 2009, George delivered 227 native Brook Trout eggs to Terraset under the Trout in the Classroom ( www.troutintheclassroom.org)
program. A female brook trout can lay between 100-400 eggs depending on
size and age with survival rates varying tremendously due to a range of
problems such as fungi. Clean, dechlorinated water is the best
insurance against losses. Tank temperature and chemistry are also
very important. Feeding is less important than you would think and
overfeeding can be a problem as it generates nitrogen. The Nature Club
kids are monitoring all these conditions and are excitedly observing as
the eggs have hatched and the tiny fish have started to grow.
The local programs were funded by three sources: the Northern Virginia
Chapter of Trout Unlimited, a Wetlands Studies and Solutions, Inc.
www.wetlandstudies.com grant, and Lorien Wood School.
Special credit goes to the dedicated Trout Unlimited volunteers, Duane
Murphy, Karen Sizelove, William Heresniak, Richard Landreth and Mark
Zimmerman who spend hundreds of hours sharing their expertise with each
other and orchestrating the program. The Reston program would not be
possible without the donation by Mike Rolband, President of Wetland
Studies and Solutions.
"Teachers and Nature Club volunteers who do the meticulous work of
preparing and maintaining the tanks are qualified for sainthood" says
Paine. The leaders at Terraset are PTA volunteers Dianne Rose and Kim
Lowther.
The Northern Virginia chapter of Trout Unlimited, a non-profit
conservation organization, is also seeking volunteers to assist with
this rapidly expanding program. The Reston Nature Center will
also start a tank in the coming months. Funds are available under
the Wetlands grant for one additional Reston school, preferably an
intermediate or elementary school in order to diversify the program.
 Getting
this program in to Terraset was a real family affair. Heather Thomas
alerted her father, George Paine, to Dianne Rose's dedication to nature
programs for children. Her own children, John and Julia (pictured with
her Geroge) have both fished many times with their grandfather for
bass and rainbow trout so she was confident the program would be a hit.
Then Linda Paine, George's wife, "babysat" the brook trout eggs in an
ice chest over the Blue Ridge--native home of the brook trout--from New
Market, Virginia. "Fish are inherently fun and enlightening for
kids" says Paine. "They have more innate curiosity than I had
anticipated when I volunteered for this program." |
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