Perkins School News
March Parent Newsletter
Perkins School Families,
March is already here, and we are hopefully turning the corner and on the way to spring with some warmer weather soon to come. Hopefully you were able to take some time to relax and refresh over the break in February and spend some quality time with family and friends.
Please check the dates in the newsletter for events coming up in March. I hope you will be able to join us for our assembly and attend the book fair during reading week.
As always, thank you to all of our families for everything you do in supporting our students and teachers at Perkins School!
Best Regards,
Sue Achille ~ Principal
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney
From the Nurse
Lead by example…. when our children see us on our tablets, cell phones, watching television, we send the message that these are important things in our lives.
Our children are very interested in the use of electronic devices. They see everyone around them using them.
We need to set down our devices and lead by example!
Here are some tips from the Cleveland Clinic.
*Remove the TV from the bedroom. Screen time at bedtime has been shown to influence sleep patterns and lead to less sleep and increased behavior problems.
*Ban electronics from the dinner table. Make meal time and electronics-free zone – no TV, no smart phone, no tablet on the table. Eating with screens on makes you more likely to consume more calories and less likely to have a conversation with your child. Take the time to find out what happened in your child’s day instead of reading posts about what’s happening in other people’s lives.
*Put limitations on screen time. Limit as much screen time as possible – ideally no more than one hour a day. The more our children use electronics, the less physical activity they do. Fight the boredom by making a list of things to do to keep the kids occupied.
*Set aside playtime. Show your child he or she is more important than the screen and do things the old- fashioned way. Play with your kids, and let their imaginations run wild. Take them to the park, a museum or help them build a fort in the living room.
*Get interactive with your children. There are times when screens are okay, but if you’re going to use electronics, use them together as a family in an interactive way.
Make a resolution to unplug as much as possible. By doing so, you’ll not only create more memories with your children, you’ll also help improve your family’s well-being.
Every child should have spare clothes available to them in school. If you sent shorts in the fall, might want to send pants in now since the weather is colder.
Also – if you child is going to be absent, for whatever reason, please call Mrs. Bouwens at 332-3312 or send her an emaillaura.bouwens@newarkcsd.org If you call or the nurse calls you please make sure you follow this up with an absence note to be filed. If you email it can be printed and filed.
SHOUT OUT to the greeters, Mrs. McDonald and Mrs. Jandreau, for creating a welcoming first impression of our school and ensuring the safety of our students every day. We appreciate how conscientious and diligent you in carrying out your job. You are true champions!
Reading at Home Can Make a Huge Difference
Research shows that reading at home is highly beneficial for children. The benefits include improved listening skills, spelling, reading comprehension and vocabulary. Some tips for reading to your child at home include:
· Choose books that are at an appropriate reading level for your child. Use the five-finger rule. Open the book to any page and ask your child to read. Put up a finger every time your child does not know a word. If you have put up more than five fingers before the end of the page, this book is too hard for your child. You can also check with your child’s teacher to pick out books that are at the appropriate level.
· Choose books that match your child’s likes and interests.
Here are some tips for integrating reading into daily family activities:
· Read bedtime stories.
· Play a board game.
· Visit the local library.
· Read a recipe and cook something yummy together.
· Create a comfy reading space in your home.
· Put your child in charge of reading the grocery list at the store.
Keep plenty of reading materials in your home like books, magazines, newspapers and comic books. Children enjoy having a variety of reading materials. Most important, make reading a regular part of your day with your child. As always, if you need more ideas about reading at home with your child, check with your child’s teacher. Happy reading!
Things Happening this Month....
- Report Cards go Home
- Reading Week
- Book Fair
- Book Fair
- Book Fair
- Book Fair 5:30-7 At Perkins School
- PTA Meeting 6:00
- Half Day of School
- Monthly Assembly 1:00
- Math and Movement Night 6-7
- Ice Cream with Principal
- No School
Family Project - Sponsored by the Perkins School Family and Community Engagement Team
Measurement is a math skill and a life skill, and your child is learning to measure at school. You can reinforce their learning by measuring the length of objects at home. Students can measure objects in your home (fork, remote control, couch, desk, book, etc.) using non-standard units of measure. Some ideas for non-standard units of measure, include paperclips, new crayons, post it notes, tooth picks, and Q-tips. It would be interesting to see how many paperclips you would need to measure the length of a fork.
Tip: Whichever unit of measure you decide to use, be sure that all the units are the same size. For example, you do not want to use new and old crayons to measure, because their length/size will vary.
To extend the learning, put multiple objects in order by length
from shortest to longest or from longest to shortest.
Please email pictures of your family working on this project, so we can post them on our website.
Email:fceperkins@newarkcsd.org
Staff Spotlight
Penny Knapp TA
Mrs. Knapp grew up here in Newark. Her Mom taught here at Perkins for 30 years, her sister at Kelley School for 30 years, so it was no surprise Penny went back to school for a year to get her T.A. certification. Penny worked at Roosevelt Children’s Center for 2 years, then joined us in the year 1999-2000 as a 1.1 in special education. After that year she was in the UPK program for 12 years. The past 3 years she has been a T.A. for the AIS Math program here at Perkins School.
Before joining us at Perkins School, Penny raised sheep, goats, chickens and lamas. She hopes to return to raising animals in her retirement someday.
Penny has 2 daughters. Kiley, who graduated from SUNY Brockport and is now a Service coordinator for Person Centered Services. Eilish went to Wayne Tech and Career Center, passed her state boards and is now a licensed cosmetologist and runs her own business and works at Ulta.
Penny’s spare time is spent enjoying her kids and her 4 dogs.
Favorite food-Mexican
Drink-Coffee
Color-Turquoise
Dessert-Peanut Butter Pie
Season-Summer
Staff Spotlight
Beth James Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. James knew from the time she was very young that she wanted to be a teacher, especially a Kindergarten teacher. She comes from a family of teachers who were amazing role models for her. Her Mother, Grandmother, and Aunts have all inspired her to teach. She also has fond memories of her Kindergarten teacher, who also played a role in her desire to teach young children. Mrs. James loves to see the growth and progress in her students that she teaches and she loves coming to work each day!
Mrs. James earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Elementary Education from St. John Fisher College and went on to SUNY Brockport where she earned her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. Mrs. James was hired by the Newark school district as a second grade teacher here at Perkins. She taught second grade for four years and kindergarten for the past thirteen years. She has been a kindergarten co- teacher for three of those years. She really enjoys teaching in the collaborative setting and enjoys planning and teaching with her partner, Miss Schilstra.
Mrs. James resides here in Newark with her family. Her husband runs a small business, which has allowed him to have a flexible schedule for their children’s busy schedules. Her daughter, Alyssa, is twenty years old and is working on her Bachelors Degree in social work at Slippery Rock University in PA. She is very independent and self motivated. She accomplishes anything she puts her mind to! Her son, Aaron, is three years old and attends Roosevelt Children’s Center. He loves tractors, cars, trucks, and tools! Mrs. James loves taking long walks/jogs, spending lots of time with her close friends and family, and traveling with her family.
Some of Mrs. James Favorites
Food: Italian
Color: Blue
Sports Teams: Buffalo Bills and Newark Reds
Dessert: Anything Chocolate
Season: Summer
Favorite Place to vacation: Outer Banks, NC
Perkins Elementary School
Email: Susan.Achille@newarkcsd.org
Website: Newarkcsd.org
Location: 439 W Maple Ave, Newark, NY, USA
Phone: 315-332-3315
Twitter: @Newark_PS