Upcoming Events

2012-2013 School Supply Order Forms Due May 10!

The PTO is offering this optional program as a convenience service for busy families. Order now to avoid the hassles during the rush in August. School supplies will be delivered to the school and will be available for pick up in August on Back to School Night in a neat and tidy package.

Return the form and your payment to your child's teacher by Thursday, May 10, 2012.

For questions, please contact Shawna Pritchard at 515-360-0419 or srpritchard@mchsi.com.

Click here to view and print the order form.

Delaware Students Discover the Five Regions of the USA

Fourth graders at Delaware have explored the five regions of the United States this year. They have traveled all the way from the rich historic scenery of the Northeast to the diverse landscape and climates of the West. In each region they have memorized each state's position on the map and capital city along with major landforms and bodies of water.

Another focus has been state research. Students have become "masters" of at least one state in each region through going deeper into the history, geographic size, population, crops, industry, and symbols. They have "packed suitcases" for trips, created travel brochures, developed power point presentations, and made a "state in a box".

As we wrap up the year, the goal is that all students know where all 50 states are on the map, major landforms and bodies of water in each region, how regions have changed over time, how the region is important to the rest of the nation, and discovering the heritage and culture of Native Americans from around the country. It has been a year diverse in learning and a fun adventure making our way around the nation!

Student Teacher Helps Students Learn

Room 9 at Delaware has a student teacher this semester. Mrs. Christina Cornia is a student at Grandview University in Des Moines. She is majoring in Elementary Education and will graduate this spring. Some of the things Mrs. Cornia is helping us learn how to do are: send an e-postcard, research and write a report, add two-digit numbers with re-grouping, identify and classify animals, and read with fluency and accuracy.

This has been a positive experience for our class. We are thankful for the opportunity to help a new teacher and we are benefiting from the energy, ideas, and talents she brings to us.

Students Engage in Storytelling

The fourth graders in Mrs. Houlette's class are focusing on the genre of "Pourquoi" tales. These stories help explain why something in nature is the way it appears today, and were often passed down through storytelling through many cultures including Native Americans.

We read pourquoi stories in our textbook as well as other literature books from the library. Some examples were "Why the Bear has a Short Tail," "How Birchbark Got its Marks," "Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky," "How the Milky Way Came to Be," and "Rabbit and the Moon." During the week small groups of students also practiced and performed Reader's Theatre scripts for the class, each focusing on a different pourquoi tale.

After reading and listening to many examples of pourquoi tales, students are working on their own versions of written pourquoi tales. Some examples of stories written by students include "Why the Turtle Has a Shell," "Why the Giraffe has a Long Neck," and "Why the Leopard has Spots." Using their creativity as well as their knowledge of the elements of a pourquoi tale, the students have designed some interesting tales to share!

Students Learn About Mammals

This week, students in Mrs. Woodley's class at Delaware Elementary participated in a student centered activity in which they needed to determine what a mammal is and what a mammal is not.

NEW: More Delaware PTO information will be posted on the Delaware PTO Information site. You can find this site by clicking here.