Off -Season Training

We had an outstanding year at Estes. If you don't believe me just go back and look at all the old posts on this blog. Just like a competitor  in any sport we can't be happy with where we are. We need to keep pushing ourselves to become the best in all that we do.
Whether you are a rookie, seasoned veteran or the champion at any sport or any other competition, you know when the season ends you still have to keep in tip-top shape. For people in sports that means working on your weaknesses while tuning up your strengths. For people in academics that means keeping your mind sharp and building more schema by challenging your brain by reading and working various puzzles.
The summer is a time to recharge your batteries and relax. There is no problem with doing that because I will also be taking some time off to rest my brain and body. Well, I don't need to rest the body. I need to push myself to get back into shape.
Trust me I totally understand getting a break because I just finished my fourth college degree back in March. To me the saying life long learner is not just a quote-it is a reality.
Here is what we can't do-We can't go all summer without working our brains or our body. We need to find a balance between enjoying summer and keeping our brains active. Am I saying that we need to read and do math problems all day? No, that is not what I am saying for your child to do. 30 minutes a day of reading is the minimum your child should do. Does that sound like a lot to ask? Well, we have 24 hours in a day. If you get 8 hours of sleep that means you still have the other 16 hours in the day to squeeze in 30 minutes.
There are many things to do in Owensboro that will work either your brain or your body and not cost you an arm or a leg. We have some wonderful nature trails at Yellow Creek Park, Panther Creek Park and Ben Hawes Park. These trails are a great way to get back with nature, work your body and learn a little science. Our public library is a great place to relax and read. The public library also has various activities going on throughout the summer months. We have three really good museums in the area that also have various activities going on this summer.
On the left side of the blog are many links that your child can explore that are education related. Your child should still know their passwords for each link.
Enjoy your summer, but remember that for the students of Estes to reach their full potential they need to continue to grow their brains.

Abracadabra!

Field day also included a magic show. The students had a blast watching a real magician do some amazing tricks. My favorite trick was when he pulled a hamburger and fries out of a menu. The hamburger was delicious!

Field Day

Field Day was another success. Thank you Mr. Magill and all of our volunteers for a wonderful day. Everyone had a great time!

Getting Ready for Next Year

Our third grade teachers along with Mrs. Daughtry and Mrs. Lovett are already thinking about next year. They wanted to create videos for new students to view to allow them to see how we do things around Estes. This is a great way to be practice and teach basic procedures to all of our new students. Thank you to our third grade students for being our future leaders and helping out all of our future Bulldogs!

Independence Bank

We would like to thank all the volunteers from Independence Bank for volunteering their time and their love of books with our Estes children. We are so thankful for all the volunteers that came out and read to our students. We look forward to continuing this great partnership with Independence Bank next year.

Work Hard Play Harder

The weather didn't cooperate with our KPREP Best Effort Party but the students still had fun. Instead of a day in the water the students had the chance to jump on inflatables for two hours! Work Hard-Play Hard! We are so proud of the effort our third and fourth grade students gave on the KPREP test. I can't wait until September to see our results. I have a feeling we will party some more when the results come back!

Flying High in Kindergarten

Kindergarten students took advantage of the nice weather to Sharpen their Saws. The students tried to see who could get their kites into the clouds.

KPREP UPDATE

We finished KPREP testing today and I would like to take the time to thank you parents for your help. Parents we could not do the things we do without your help. We had our best attendance days last week in both third and fourth grade! Thank you for getting your children to school and on time. Thank you for helping your child see the importance of a great education! Thank you for taking the time and looking over your child's homework. As I have stated on numerous time, it takes parents, students and teachers to make your child successful.
As a community we need to make sure we are growing students who can contribute and give back to our city, state, and world. If you have walked the halls of Estes and spent any time in our classrooms, you understand that we are not a last place school. We have some of the brightest, caring and loving staff in the world that work at Estes. As a community we need to take pride in our school and continue to push ourselves to be better- better teachers, better students, better parents, better fathers, better mothers, better brothers, better sisters, better sons, better daughters. We need to continue to better ourselves so that our future is better. Will it be easy? No, nothing in life is easy. If you send your children to Estes just know that we are going to love them and push them harder than they have ever been pushed. Also, know we are going to be pushed to give our very best. I will leave you with my famous three words- I LOVE YOU!

Work Hard and Sharpen the Saw

 Our kindergarten students are shown here sharpening the saw. Even our youngest learners know that you must work hard to play hard. The future looks bright for these Estes students.

I Thought That Was For Shaving?

Mrs. Seaton's class is way too young to be shaving! They aren't too young to write their letters in shaving cream. This is a great activity to do at home, too. Parents not only does this help your child learn letter formations the shaving cream also cleans your table.

READ, READ and READ Some More

Mr. Murphy wanted to pass this along to all the students at Estes and their parents!

Avoid the Summer Reading Slide!

Make a COMMITMENT to your child’s continued learning!

Students who continue to read and practice their writing over the summer are more prepared to move forward in their learning when they return to school at the end of Summer…It’s THAT SIMPLE!

Be a CHAMPION for your child!

·    Give them time to read for fun this summer.

·    Take them to the Science or Art Museum.

·    Get them a library card and let them check out books that interest them.

·    Read with them or to them.

It's Our Time to Shine

The following message goes out to our Bulldog Nation:
It is time for Estes students to rise up, stand together and do their best on this week's KPREP test. It is no secret that Estes has been at the bottom of the standings the last few years. This year it is time to go from last place to first place. We are NOT a last place school and it is time for everyone in Owensboro to realize that! Last year we made tremendous growth on the KPREP test and we are primed this year to make even greater gains! Our students have worked extremely hard this year and we need the rest of the state to realize what our students are capable of doing. It is time to stop talking and start showing everyone what we are made of. Our students are developing a growth mindset and are showing amazing amounts of GRIT. We believe in your children and it is time for them to believe in themselves! Every child in our school has the potential to do great things in this world. We just need our students to dream, believe, work hard and achieve their dreams. To the nonbelievers out there, I say, " Step back and watch."
At Estes we are more than test scores, but this test is something that the state requires us to take. Since we are required to take the test, we need to give the test our best effort. The teachers at Estes have done a wonderful job of preparing your child for the KPREP test. Parents you all have done a great job of supporting your child this year. Parents we just need one more thing from you.
We asking for you to do the following things to help make sure your child gives his or her best effort:
1. Have your child come to school every day and be on time.
2. Make sure your child eats breakfast either at home or at school.
3. Make sure your child gets enough sleep each night.
4. Encourage your child to do his or her best.
5. Talk to your child about showing GRIT.
6. Try to reschedule any appointments your child might have this week.
If you can do those things, your child's teacher will take it from there.
Last week I gave you a hint of what our KPREP Rally is about. Here is a second hint to what our rally will be about-

Teacher Appreciation Week!

I would like to take time and thank the wonderful teachers at Estes for the outstanding work they do every day. Being a teacher is much more than delivering the curriculum to students in a comprehensible manner for them to understand. During a typical day a teacher could take on the duties of a doctor, nurse, psychologist, coach, lawyer, juror, chef, police officer, counselor, inventor, hair stylist, salesman, public relations coordinator, motivational speaker, a mom and dad to just name a few.
When you see a teacher out in public wearing an Estes t-shirt, it isn't because it was free (by the way teachers have to pay for their t-shirts) it is because they love their school and your children. You can spot Estes teachers doing many things that they don't want publicized. We have teachers buying Christmas gifts for students, tutoring students, taking students out to eat, going to their students' ballgames and buying food for students who are hungry. There are many more things that I could say, but I don't want to leave anything out.
Please take time and thank your child's teacher. They don't expect gifts. A simple note or a thank you would put a great big smile on the face of your child's teacher.
To all the wonderful teachers at Estes, this is for you!

March of Dimes and Estes

Estes was recognized as the #1 school at the March of Dimes walk!  Our school raised more money for MOD than any other school!  The community is starting to realize what we at Estes have always known- Estes students are the BEST! Way to go Bulldogs!

Mrs. White Teachers Art

 Mrs. White has been teaching art classes to all of our kindergarten students. Here are a few pics of Mrs. White with Mrs. Seaton's class.

Working Hard!

Mauricio in Mrs. Alley's class had a great time learning about tools. At Estes your children not only learn about the curriculum, but they also get to experience the curriculum. Mauricio's buddy Chase is shown here photo-bombing his picture.

#1 Grandma

Mrs. Blevins would like to give a shout-out to her first grade grandma. As you can tell from this picture, her grandma is loved by all of her students. The Estes children are so lucky to have grandmas that come to our school and work with them.