2nd Grade Learns About Stranger Danger
On April 16 Captain Healy from the Washington Police Department visited our second grade classes to remind kids of the danger with strangers. Captain Healy gave students tips about staying safe when at stores and parks and even when they are home alone. Many of the kids asked good questions about what to do in different situations.
Friends For Animals visits Griffith
Griffith students had a special guest Wednesday morning during the morning assembly. Gary Mattes from Friends for Animals visited to educate about pet care, pet safety, and the importance of spaying and neutering. Gary brought with him two of his personal rescue dogs. Toto is a 3 legged Schnauzer that had been in a car accident. Maggie is a Shih-Tzu that was rescued from a breeder. They traveled around to the classrooms answering questions and spreading awareness of the overpopulation of animals in our local animal shelter. Gary hopes his presence at Griffith will help make children more aware of the care and needs of their pets. For further information on adoptions you may contact Gary Mattes or the local animal shelter.
Getting Ready For ISTEP
Round two of ISTEP testing begins April 26 and students have been treated to some motivational and fun entertainment during morning assembly this week. Monday featured "Crawdad", who brought his favorite letter, I, and gave kids hints about preparing for testing. He suggested getting a good night's sleep and eating a healthy breakfast each morning. On Tuesday Griffith cheered along with the Grizzly 6th Grade Cheerleaders. Wednesday brought us a skit from a group of 6th Graders about working hard on the ISTEP test.
Griffith Math Bowl is Number One
Griffith Elementary brought home the First Place Medal in the annual Math Bowl competition.
Jump Rope For Heart
Jump Rope for Heart raises money for the American Heart Association. Griffith students participate by collecting donations and spending time during PE jumping rope. Students also exercised in an obstacle course set up as the heart with blood traveling through the circulatory system. In addition there was a contest for teachers to get a pie in their face. Participants this year were Mr. Skomp, Mrs. Gray, Mrs. Jordan, Mrs. McDonald, Mrs. Cornelius, and Mr. Myers. The students had a lot of fun raising money and awareness for this worthwhile cause.
Mrs. Jordan...4th place
Mr. Skomp...1st place
Mrs. Gray...3rd place
Mr. Myers...2nd place
Griffith Has Talent!
K-2 Winners
Alyssa Davison - Kindergarten (Singing)
Jacob, Solomon, Sophie Davis
and Chance Killion - 1, 2, 4 (Drums)
Jackson and Jerica McCracken - 2 & 6 Abbott and Costello Math Skit
Jacob, Solomon, Sophie Davis
and Chance Killion - 1, 2, 4 (Drums)
Jackson and Jerica McCracken - 2 & 6 Abbott and Costello Math Skit
Grades 3-4 Winners
Jennifer Johns - 4 (Dance)
Jalisa Morgan - 4 (Singing)
Siera Mahan - 4 (Dance)
Jalisa Morgan - 4 (Singing)
Siera Mahan - 4 (Dance)
Grades 5-6 Winners
Maisie Aldrich & Jaylin Schaller - 5 (Dowel Rods)
Diana Chavez - 6 (Dance)
Alexa Rayman - 5 (Dance)
Diana Chavez - 6 (Dance)
Alexa Rayman - 5 (Dance)
Overall Winners
Madison Igleheart, Taylor Killion, and Shyla Sama - 6 (Dance/Gymnastics)
The annual Griffith Talent Show was held on Thursday April 16. There were 26 acts and 75 students participating with a variety or acts. All participants received a medal, certificate, and were treated to a pizza party. There was a surprise finale during the daytime performance that caught the students off guard. The Grizzly Bunch was a group of 16 teachers that choreographed a dance to the Brady Bunch's song "It's A Sunshine Day". It was such a hit that the audience begged for an encore!
State Champions Visit Griffith
The 2010 State Champions Washington High School Boys Basketball Team visited Griffith on Friday April 16 to display the State Trophy. The team was introduced by Coach Gene Miiller. He also mentioned former Griffith students Adam Lane, Sam Gines, Ethan Hunsinger, and Cullen Arnold. The team was presented with gift bags, cheers, and high-fives from the students. What a treat to have such great role models visit!
Battle of the Books Winners
On February 23, 2010 several area elementary schools participated in Battle of the Books which is sponsored by The Carnegie Public Library and the local chapter of Tri Kappa. The Griffith Book Bears won the Battle with a score of 78 points. Second place tied and was right behind them with a score of 74; these teams were Veale Reading Gods and Washington Catholic fifth grade.
There were 12 books that the teams needed to read and Griffith Book Bears, Cortney Wolfe and Alex Garcia read all 12 books to help their team. Cortney Wolfe was captain. The winning team got to choose a book to donate to their school library; they also were able to autograph it. The Griffith Book Bears chose A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban to autograph and donate to the Griffith library.
There were 12 books that the teams needed to read and Griffith Book Bears, Cortney Wolfe and Alex Garcia read all 12 books to help their team. Cortney Wolfe was captain. The winning team got to choose a book to donate to their school library; they also were able to autograph it. The Griffith Book Bears chose A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban to autograph and donate to the Griffith library.
Accelerated Hatchet Winners
Students attending Washington Community Elementary Schools participate in an Accelerated Hatchet reading program. All students have reading goals set and practice reading books and take quizzes on them. Once a goal is met their name is entered in a drawing. A student from each school is drawn out to help at each of this year's home boys basketball games at the Hatchet House. They are given a T-shirt, pizza, and drink. The students are announced at the start of the game and hand the game ball to the referee at tip off. During the game the students provide drinks and towels to the refrees as they sit courtside and enjoy the game up close. Congratulations to all Accelerated Hatchet winners!
Annual Snowfall Contest
Each year the Student Council has a snowfall contest. All students participate to see who can guess the first 1" of snow that will fall. This year we had Kindergartener, Layton Mandabach, as our winner. He won a goodie bag from the school store. Congratulations Layton!
Amazing Feats of Strength
Griffith enjoyed a special presentation Friday afternoon from the Generation Next Power Force. Their message is clear and direct:Students can have success in life by academic achievement, self-awareness, making the right choices, setting goals, resisting peer pressure, knowing the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Their assemblies are memorable because of their unique program style. It’s difficult to gain the attention of students without making an amazing first impression. John Jacobs’ Next Generation Power Force solves this problem by using feats of strength and their massive size to seize your students’ attention and hold it throughout the program. Some of these feats include: ripping 3 license plates in half, bending and twisting steel rods of up to an inch in diameter between their teeth, blowing up hot water bottles with nothing but sheer lung power, and rolling up frying pans into the shape of burritos.
Winter Party Fun
Mrs. Wildman's 4th Grade made edible Christmas trees.
Motivation Productions presents
"FRIENDS"
"FRIENDS"
This show is about friendship and how important relationships are in your life. It focuses on three main areas of developing and keeping "good company".
By combining real life stories, content specific "hit" music and entertaining "box office" movie clips, on three giant screens, your students will be mesmerized and moved. One of the "real life stories" is about a boy who has a large birth mark on his face and instead of feeling sorry for himself, he writes a book called "Buddy Booby's Birthmark" that has helped thousands of other children learn the lesson of acceptance. This is a heart warming story of what true friends really look like.
- How you can BE a friend
- How you CHOOSE your friends
- How you can LOSE your friends
By combining real life stories, content specific "hit" music and entertaining "box office" movie clips, on three giant screens, your students will be mesmerized and moved. One of the "real life stories" is about a boy who has a large birth mark on his face and instead of feeling sorry for himself, he writes a book called "Buddy Booby's Birthmark" that has helped thousands of other children learn the lesson of acceptance. This is a heart warming story of what true friends really look like.
Happy Birthday, Indiana!
December 11th was Indiana's birthday! Our 4th graders celebrated by making edible maps of Indiana. They nibbled graham crackers to make the shape of the state, covered it with icing, used chocolate chips to mark cities, and blue sour straws to label major rivers. It was a fun, and yummy, treat for all!
