Primer June Newsletter
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thank you
This newsletter is packed with some great nuggets of information. I am passing along summer reading programs to keep up motivation to read this summer. I have also included some great articles for parents. As well as, some notes to consider as you plan for the upcoming school year. As you read this newsletter and reflect on the messages please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Mayor's Summer Reading Club
"The Mayor’s Summer Reading Club, is an eight-week program designed to keep kids’ skills sharp over the summer and encourage a love of reading for all ages.
You and your child/children can sign up for the eight week program at any one of the 29 Dallas Public Library locations, the Dallas Public Library’s Bookmobile or online.
To earn the weekly prize, children ages 0 to 18 must read (or be read to) at least 30 minutes each day.
All readers may report any reading material including books, e-books, audio books and magazines. Kids who read at least 30 minutes a day for eight weeks will qualify for the chance to win a grand prize!" Sign Up here
Read and Report your time each week and earn these great Prizes!
• Week 1 Free Book! Free snack from RaceTrac!
• Week 2 Ticket to see Flat Stanley at Dallas Children's Theater and card game!
• Week 3 Summer Reader yard sign, pass to the Meadows Museum and other goodies from SMU. Plus, a ticket voucher for Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus!
• Week 4 Free Book! Ticket voucher to visit LEGOLAND Discovery Center and SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium.
• Week 5 Ticket to a Texas Rangers baseball game and a set of tangrams!
• Week 6 Free meal at Chipotle Mexican Grill, a pass to the Nasher Sculpture Center, and a summer reading coloring page!
• Week 7 Pass to the Dallas Zoo and a Dallas Public Library pencil.
• Week 8 Free Book! And a certificate of completion.
Half Price Books
Barnes and Noble
Articles worth reading
Sign Up Genius
To best prepare, I would encourage you to create a Sign Up Genius account prior to August 24. I have included a video tutorial for those who would like to see how to use the site.Sign Up Genius tutorial
Volunteering at ESD
We have two categories for volunteers: basic and high contact. Basic volunteers complete activities with an ESD employee present such as library assistance, mystery readers and family games. High contact volunteers are those who have a great deal of interaction with ESD students and could be present with students without an ESD employee present. For those wanting to chaperone a field trip, you must be a high contact volunteer. The registration process takes approximately one hour, and will require the downloading and acceptance of ESD's Student Protection Policies, the upload of a digital picture of yourself (for an ID badge), 45 minutes of on-line training, and digitally-signing a wavier for a background check. Please click here to register as a High Contact Volunteer.
If you registered as a high contact volunteer last school year, your registration is good for two years.
Backpacks
Skills and Concepts
One of the reoccurring questions in my conferences is: "What is it exactly that my student should be able to do when they come to Primer in August?"
Well, wonder no more. Here is what I look for:
First and last name- Have your child write their first and last name. In this assessment, I specifically look for capital letters in the correct places. Often, I will find a stray capital letter in the middle of a child's name. Usually students have never been told that this way is incorrect. By now, they are conditioned that this is okay. If your child, has a random capital letter coach them through writing their name properly. Include different ways to practice such as with sidewalk chalk, painting, writing in the dirt or sand with a stick or with shaving cream on the table.
Concepts of Print- I strengthen a solid foundation by assessing foundations of print. You can see the exact questions I ask and you can also try it with your child. If I find any holes or misconceptions this is usually where I start my instruction. Visit Concepts of Print to learn more.
Numbers An end of the year goal for Primer students is to write their numbers to 120 properly. When students enter Primer this is one of the first assessments I do with them. It is common to find reversed numbers or transposed numbers ( 13 for 31). Again, coach students through any issues. It will take patience but every little bit helps.
Writing Sample- Have your child complete a writing sample writing about anything they want, without your help. In this task, I look for a variety of things. First, I look for an image and picture correlation. Does the writing support the picture and vice versa? Next, I am looking at letter formation, spaces between words, punctuation and capitalization.
Developmental milestones- Check with your family physician about developmental milestones for your child. Milestones for six-year-olds often include skills like tying your shoes, whistling, riding a bike, snapping and skipping. Again, ask your physician for a more precise list.
Phone number and address- During the first grading period I will ask your chid to verbally recite their home address and an agreed upon emergency phone number. You can get a head start by practicing over the summer.
Please do not feel overwhelmed with reading this list. Kids come to Primer to help them build a solid foundation. My goal with giving you this information is to communicate expectations.
Camp Wonderopolis 2015
ESD LS Library Hours
Camp Go Noodle
One of my favorite resources is GoNoodle.com. I use this free website of interactive videos to help students get the wiggles out, focus, dance, stretch, practice mindfulness, and much more!
This summer, GoNoodle is launching a free summer program called Camp GoNoodle that helps kids stay active, use their imaginations, and explore their world. Each week in July, there will be a set of adventures to complete, two Camp GoNoodle songs to learn, and a badge to earn!
Once you join (totally free), you’ll receive an email when the new weekly adventure has arrived. Your child can go to GoNoodle.com to check it out on their own, or you can do the adventures together as a family.
To join, go to GoNoodle.com, and sign up for a free parent account. If you already have a GoNoodle home account, all you need to do is look for your first Camp GoNoodle email on June 29.
Summer Reading
Imagination Soup Summer Reading - great visuals with this list.
Scholastic's Summer Reading List- use the key at the bottom for help reading through the list.
Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind from Melissa Taylor, a colleague.
Tips to Make Summer Reading Happen
1. CHOICE: Let your kids choose the books that they read.
2. BOUNTY: Fill your house with lots of books. More books = more chances for your children to find a fantastic, amazing, very good book that they can’t put down.
3. LIBRARY: Use your library. Let your kids go WILD and check out lots of books!
4. TIME: Kids need opportunities for reading. So, make sure they’re not filling all their time with TV, video games, and iPad time.
5. TECHNOLOGY: Don’t forget about audiobooks, Kindles, iPads, and Nook reading. Those count, too.
6. READABILITY: Make sure your child is reading books that he or she can actually comprehend. When choosing a book, use the 5 finger test to decide if it’s a just right book. During and after reading, ask your child to tell you a little bit about the story. If you haven’t read the story, read the back and ask questions pertaining to that summary. Make sure your child is understanding what he reads — and that he KNOWS IF HE DOESN’T.
Book Buzz
Books for students- Summaries from Goodreads
You Are (Not) Small
The simple text of Anna Kang and bold illustrations of New Yorkercartoonist Christopher Weyant tell an original and very funny story about size -- it all depends on who's standing next to you.
I Don't Want to Be A Frog
Stick and Stone
Author Beth Ferry makes a memorable debut with a warm, rhyming text that includes a subtle anti-bullying message even the youngest reader will understand. New York Times bestselling illustrator Tom Lichtenheld imbues Stick and Stone with energy, emotion, and personality to spare.
In this funny story about kindness and friendship, Stick and Stone join George and Martha, Frog and Toad, and Elephant and Piggie, as some of the best friend duos in children’s literature
Books for parents- Summaries from Goodreads
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character
The story we usually tell about childhood and success is the one about intelligence: Success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool admissions to SATs.
But in "How Children Succeed," Paul Tough argues for a very different understanding of what makes a successful child. Drawing on groundbreaking research in neuroscience, economics, and psychology, Tough shows that the qualities that matter most have less to do with IQ and more to do with character: skills like grit, curiosity, conscientiousness, and optimism.
"How Children Succeed" introduces us to a new generation of scientists and educators who are radically changing our understanding of how children develop character, how they learn to think, and how they overcome adversity. It tells the personal stories of young people struggling to stay on the right side of the line between success and failure. And it argues for a new way of thinking about how best to steer an individual child – or a whole generation of children – toward a successful future.
This provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readers; it will also change our understanding of childhood itself.
Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs
In Mind in the Making, Ellen Galinsky has grouped this research into seven critical areas that children need most: (1) focus and self control; (2) perspective taking; (3) communicating; (4) making connections; (5) critical thinking; (6) taking on challenges; and (7) self-directed, engaged learning. For each of these skills, Galinsky shows parents what the studies have proven, and she provides numerous concrete things that parents can do—starting today—to strengthen these skills in their children. These aren't the kinds of skills that children just pick up; these skills have to be fostered. They are the skills that give children the ability to focus on their goals so that they can learn more easily and communicate what they've learned. These are the skills that prepare children for the pressures of modern life, skills that they will draw on now and for years to come.
Mind in the Making is a truly groundbreaking book, one that teaches parents how to give children the most important tools they will need. Already acclaimed by such thought leaders as T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., David A. Hamburg, M.D., Adele Faber, and Judy Woodruff, Mind in the Making is destined to become a classic in the literature of parenting.
10 Mindful Minutes
-Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence
Across the country, the revolutionary MindUP program, which was developed under the auspices of the Hawn Foundation, established by Goldie Hawn, is teaching children vital social and emotional skills. By understanding how their brains work, children discover where their emotions come from and become more self-aware. They learn to appreciate the sensory aspects of their lives and to value the positive effects of mindfulness, compassion, and kindness. This, in turn, empowers them to manage and reduce their own stress-and helps them be happy.
Those who have seen the remarkable effects of this program have been eager to learn how to implement it in their own homes and use its practices for themselves, too. Now, for the first time, its secrets are being shared with all parents and children in 10 Mindful Minutes.
A note from Mrs. Hogan: This fall will be my fourth year attending the Momentous Institute conference called "Changing the Odds." This conference focuses on social and emotional health. My first year I learned about Mind Up and implemented the program shortly after attending the conference. Each year the line up of speakers at conference is truly phenomenal. This year's line up is no different. Keynote speakers include Daniel Pink and Sir Ken Robinson. At The Episcopal School of Dallas we focus on educating the whole child: academically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.
Read Alouds- Summaries from Goodreads
The Camping Trip that Changed America
Akimbo and the Elephants (series)
In Akimbo and the Elephants, ivory poachers are killing grown elephants for their tusks and leaving the calves to die. When the authorities fail to turn up new leads, Akimbo sets out to save the elephants by posing as a hunter himself
Ivan: the remarkable true story of the shopping mall gorgilla
Captured as a baby, Ivan was brought to a Tacoma, Washington, mall to attract shoppers. Gradually, public pressure built until a better way of life for Ivan was found at Zoo Atlanta. From the Congo to America, and from a local business attraction to a national symbol of animal welfare, Ivan the Shopping Mall Gorilla traveled an astonishing distance in miles and in impact.
This is his true story and includes photographs of Ivan in the back matter.
Save the Dates
- Monday, August 24 Orientation
- Tuesday, August 25 First day of school
- Thursday, September 3 Back to School Night 4:30-6:30
- Monday, September 7 Labor Day No School