Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Calendar of Events 2009-2010

Calendar of Events 2009-2010
(These dates are always subject to change. Please check the most recent PTA newsletter and/or school website for updates)

August
Hearing and Vision Screenings – To be Scheduled
6 6:30 ABC Back to School Night
21 2:30 A/B Room Parent Tea
27 6:30 D Track Back to School Night - This is a change
31 A&B Reflections Assembly

September
11 C/D track Room Parent Tea
14 C&D Reflections Kick-off Assembly
14 – 18 Green Ribbon Week
17 A&C 2nd/3rd Grades Bike Rodeo
24 A&C Fall Pictures

October
8 B&D 2nd/3rd Grades Bike Rodeo
16 A&B Reflections Due
19 C&D Red Ribbon Kick-off Assembly
19 – 30 Red Ribbon Week
21 – 22 C&D Parent Teacher Conferences & Book Fair
22 B&D Fall Pictures
26 A&B Red Ribbon Kick-off
Assembly

November
4 – 5 A& B Parent Teacher Conferences & Book Fair
6 C&D Reflections Due
20 AM Kindergarten ABD Grandparents Program

December
2 PTA Meeting/Program
8 ACD Reflections Assembly
18 PM Kindergarten ACD Grandparents Program

January
PTA Fundraiser this month - Tentative

February
PTA Meeting & Founders Day Program – Date to be Scheduled
17 – 18 A&B Parent Teacher Conferences & Book Fair

March
Boys Maturation – Date to be Announced
17 – 18 C&D Parent Teacher Conferences & Book Fair
25 C&D Spring Pictures
25 Girls Maturation

April
22 A&B Spring Pictures
23 Kindergarten Orientation
26 – 30 ABC Tracks Teacher Appreciation

May
7 AM Kindergarten ABC Parent Program
17 –21 D Track Teacher Appreciation

June
4 PM Kindergarten ACD Parent Program
10 A Track Field Day

July
1 BCD Field Day

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Ten Ideas Parents Can Use to Improve the Quality of Shared Literacy Experiences

Anna Wylie, our school literacy facilitator, shared these ten ideas with our faculty about how to read with your children at home. Happy Reading!

1. Get your children to talk! Children learn by talking and asking questions. Encourage your children to talk about what you are reading. One way to get them to talk is to have them guess what will happen next in the story.

2. Help your children understand the story. Sometimes children don't understand what is happening in a book. Check regularly to see whether your children understand the story. If they do not, try to explain what is happening in your own words.

3. Praise your children. Children love to be told nice things by their parents. Let your children know that you are proud of them when they ask a good question, say something interesting about a book, or read well.

4. Relate the book to your life. Use the book as a jumping-off point to tell your children something interesting about your life or an event the book reminds you of that really happened. Ask your children to relate the book to their lives as well.

5. Ask your children good questions during storybook reading. Questions that will help your children the most are those that require them to talk a lot to answer. Why and how questions are especially useful, such as "Why do you think the Pokey Puppy was sad?" and "How else could the prince have found Cinderella?"

6. Wait for answers. After you ask a question, give your children time to answer. Most children need time to think of good answers to good questions.

7. With younger children, point to words when you read. Pointing to words when you read to young children will help them learn what the words are, that we read left, to right, and that we turn pages only after we have finished reading all the words on a page. These ideas will help young children learn to read.

8. With older children, take turns reading. Your children may find reading aloud to be difficult. Support your children's efforts by taking turns when reading.

9. Choose books carefully. Many books are enjoyable, but to help your children the most it is important to choose books that are not too easy and not too difficult. If you are not sure about the difficulty level of certain books, librarians can help.

10. Have fun! Above all, try to keep the book sharing experience enjoyable! As long as you and your children are having fun together with books, you will be helping them in a great many ways.