Deweys Diary

Draper Elementary PTA Newsletter

Vol. 10 No. 8

April 2015

The Emperors New Clothes to be Performed Thursday
April
2

610
16
14
17
20
21-23
23
24
28-30

May
1
4-8
8
14
15
20
22
25
28

School Musical: The Emperors

New Clothes, 7 p.m.
Spring Recess No School
District Film Festival
PTA meeting, 9 a.m.
Kindergarten Orientation, 3:30
p.m.
SAGE end-of-year testing begins
Fitness Testing
Draper Elementary Film Festival,
6:30 p.m.
Early Out Day, 1:35 p.m.
Fitness Testing

Walk/Bike to School Day

Teacher Appreciation Week
BYU Dance Kinnect Day
Dads & Donuts, 8 a.m.
Last day to turn in Box Tops
Mix-it-Up Lunch Retro Recess
No School Report Card Prep
Day for teachers
Memorial Day No School
Third Grade Program, 2 p.m.

Stay Connected
Website: draper.canyonsdistrict.org
Facebook: draperelementary
Twitter: @DraperDragons
Blog: http://draperelementary.blogspot.com

Please plan to join us for an evening of music and fun as our

Draper Elementary Choir performs its spring musical, The
Emperors New Clothes on Thursday, April 2, at 7 p.m. in the
Gym. Our choir has been rehearsing since January for this
performance. The musical is the story of an Emperor who
decides he can only gain confidence by dressing in the finest
attire, so he commands his Royal Clothesmaker to fashion him
in the most royal wardrobe. Taking advantage of the
Emperors uncertainty and immaturity, a
Swindler promises to make magic clothes
that are invisible to fools for a large and
hefty price. He eventually learns some
important lessons about outward
appearance. The choir is directed by Ms.
Pixton, Mrs. Fenton and Mrs. Ellingson.
Mrs. Haggerty accompanies the choir.

New Art Program Coming Next Year

Draper Elementary is excited to announce it is becoming a

Beverly Taylor Sorenson Foundation school. We will be part of
a district-wide grant to access certified art teachers to teach
our weekly Specials classes. While we are very sad to see
Artyology go, we are grateful for this opportunity to have
highly qualified teachers teaching standards-aligned art
lessons. A special thank you to Anna Andrews who has
provided are Art Through the Ages (now called Artyology) the
past 10 years. It was my profound privilege to be part of your
childrens education, enthusiasm and creativity, she said.

Bike Safety

A few parents have expressed concerns about the many

students riding bicycles and motorized bikes to school and
getting in the way of traffic. They are also concerned the
students are not wearing helmets. Please help keep our
students safe by reminding your children about the
importance of bicycle safety and helmet-wearing to protect
our students in case of an accident.

Teacher Appreciation Week

For those of you parents who like to plan ahead, Teacher

Appreciation Week is scheduled for May 4-8. The PTA will
honor teachers throughout that week.

From the Principal

How I love spring! Its so nice to have
daylight last longer, to hear birds chirping,
and see spring flowers popping up! In April
and May we have multiple opportunities for
involvement and participation at our school.
Art and music education is very dear to my
heart. Research shows that students
involved in these activities tend to have
higher rates of success in academics and
behavior. We just recently learned about the
Expressionism period in our Artyology
lesson. Thank you to Anna Andrews, Angela
Hanks, and the volunteers and Specials
aides that help make these art lessons
possible! (See related story on new art
program next year.) Our spring musical, The
Emperors New Clothes, will be presented on
Thursday, April 2, at 7 p.m. We also have
several students participating in the District
Film Festival on April 16 and our school Film
Festival on April 23.
In May, all third-, fourth- and fifth-grade
students will begin taking Utahs Student
Assessment of Growth and Excellence
(SAGE) testing. Please make sure you child
is on time to school, has plenty of sleep,
and eats a healthy breakfast. All of our
students and teachers have learned and
worked diligently this school year. We want
our students to be able to show what they
know.
Literacy and math are often our most talked
about subjects, but I want to emphasize
that at Draper, your child is receiving an
excellent Science and Social Studies
education. Teachers are actively working
with students to think scientifically and to
understand our community and world as
responsible citizens. Teachers expertly
integrate science and social studies topics
into all aspects of the curriculum, and our
students participate in labs and field trips
for hands-on learning of these topics.
The next two months promise to be a
continuation of rich learning experiences for
our students, including programs and field
trips. Thank you so much for being actively
involved in your childs education. Together
we are helping our students achieve their
potential.
Mrs. Piper Riddle, Principal

Early-Out Fridays Coming Back Next Year

We will have a new schedule next school year! The Canyons

Board of Education has approved a new schedule for all
elementary schools in the district. The schedule brings back
early-out Fridays and gives teachers uninterrupted
collaboration and planning time so we can better meet student
needs and prepare students for college and careers.

Stuffed Animal Donations

Wednesday, April 1, is the deadline for gently used and clean

stuffed animals and blankets. Students can drop their
donations off at the main office. Their donations will be given
to Primary Childrens Hospital.

Walking School Bus Contest

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is celebrating

a Spring Walk 'n Win until April 30. Use the app and every
time you and/or your child walks or rides a bike to and from
school you are entered to win prizes donated from sponsors.
Prizes include an overnight stay and breakfast for parents at
the Blue Boar Inn in Midway, bikes, scooters, and helmets for
students, and breakfast with the Utah Jazz Bear for the
winning WSB group along with $500 for their school/PTA's
safe walking and biking programs. Visit this link for more
information: www.udot.utah.gov/snap/parent, and click on
Spring Walk.

Literacy Week a Big Success

Our students set a goal in March during Literacy Week to read

more than 75,000 minutes. The students surpassed the
school goal by reading more than 100,000 minutes! Teachers
performed a Lip Sync contest as a reward for a great week of
reading by our Draper Dragons.

PTA Presidents Message

It is almost time for Spring Break

to spend quality time with our
friends and family. It is nice to
have a week to get refreshed and
ready to finish out the rest of the
school year. It seems time has so
quickly come to the last quarter of
the school year. I am so grateful
to great teachers and staff who continually work hard to help
our children reach their full potential!
Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who help in the
school, assist in Mix-it-Up Lunch, Artyology, Dads & Donuts,
Literacy Week, and all the other events PTA offers. Without
volunteers, we would not be able to have such great
programs. I am thrilled to rub shoulders with the best, most
involved parents I have ever met!
Watch for a parent survey coming up in the next month or
so. Your input is valued and appreciated.
Have a wonderful time off, and see you soon to continue
"Changing the world one child at a time."
JoAnna Meyer, 2014-15 PTA President
draperelementarypta@gmail.com