Parent Perusals
May 28, 2019
A Note from Kimberly
Are you ready?
There are several things I really enjoy about summer. Number one is summer traffic! While I still work during the summer, it's amazing how smoother my commute is and the extra time I gain without all the traffic! I love it! Things slow down a little bit during the summer and I enjoy that the most with my girls (husband too!).
I'm sure you hear this a lot, but research is very clear about the learning loss that occurs in ALL kids over the summer (read more here). I most definitely want my girls to take a break from the hustle and bustle that the school year bring, but I also know that they do better when we have a routine and I'm currently working on our summer routine and including an emphasis on reading and some fun learning activities embedded throughout the summer. I'm going to disguise learning as fun! It also helps me to have resources already available to help me with my plan!
In this edition of Parent Perusals, I've included some summer ideas to help you kick off your summer plan! I've also included some events going on for families that have children with special needs to take advantage of! Make sure you take notice of the information about your child's STAAR report card! This is an important tool that can really give you insight into the STAAR assessment and what skills your child mastered and those skills that still need to be addressed.
Please take advantage of all the summer resources and parent guides I've collected and put together for you! Check them out here: https://www.esc20.net/page/se_pr.Summer
Are you looking for summer contracts & checklists? Make sure you check out the Getting Started: Summer Learning tab!
Looking for Summer Booklists, Reading Clubs, Reading Calendars? Make sure you check out the Reading Activities & Resources tab! And there is So Much More!
I will also be closing out my yearly ESC-20 Parent & Family Feedback survey at the end of this week. Please help me out by completing the survey and sharing with me what I can continue to do to help you support your child's learning at home and strengthen your home-school partnerships!
Enjoy the start of summer!
~Kimberly
Download this Postcard Below to Share with Others!
Coming Up: Charting the Course
It is encouraged that you bring your child with you to hear this information!
Saturday, June 1st at ESC-20 (1314 HInes Ave)
8th grade session, 9-11 SESSION ID# 59572
12th grade session, 12-2 SESSION ID# 59573
To register:
1. Go to txr20.esc2works.net
2. Enter the session ID# into the search box.
3. If you do not have a CONNECT20 account you will be prompted to create one.
Questions?
Contact Sam Gonzalez at 210-370-5467 or samuel.gonzalez@esc20.net
Download the flier below!
Make Sure You Take Advantage of Learning All You Can About Your Child's STAAR Report Card!
Understanding the STAAR Report Card
TEA has made this great resource available for families! Do you want to understand your child's STAAR report card better? What does it mean? How do I know if my child passed or failed? Check out these resources!
This parent portal provides parents with quick access to their student’s STAAR results, year-over-year growth information, individual student responses to actual test items, and even details like the student expectations covered by the items and wrong answer rationales.
Parents can access their child’s results using a unique access code, which can be found at the bottom of your child’s STAAR Report Card. Parents can also view the assessment questions, their child’s answers to the questions, and correct answers and rationales. Additionally, parents can view their child’s performance relative to the campus, district, and state.
Click the link below to understand the STAAR report card!
Download the Fliers Below!
Click the Image Above to Learn More & Nominate!
Expressive Therapeutic Rhythm Making
Free event! All ages welcome. Instruments provided. No previous musical experience required. Come connect with the community, bond with family and friends, ENERGIZE the mind and body, RELIEVE STRESS, and have FUN!
10:00-11:30 AM
Location: The Ecumenical Center For Education. Counseling. Health, 8310 Ewing Halsell Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229 (210-616-0885)
Printable flier: bit.ly/2GnMeTf
Benefits of Group Drumming
http://tamborhythms.synthasite.com/benefits-of-group-drumming.php
Kinetic Kids EXPO
Kinetic Kids EXPO is our annual equipment, service and resource fair where families can discover an extensive range of adaptive devices, accessories and support services for all families of children with special needs in the San Antonio area.
10 Basic Financial Steps for Special Needs Caregivers
As a caregiver of a dependent with special needs the single most important issue on your mind, regardless of the age of the dependent, is what will happen to my dependent after I’m gone. There are some needs that will always be present and they must be carefully considered and planned for appropriately.
This workshop addresses such critical issues as applying for government benefits for Social Security and Medicaid, creating a Special Needs Trusts, the importance of a Will and considering a Letter of Intent. Taking these 10 basic steps now can help insure the type of care and quality of life for a loved one’s well-being today and tomorrow.
MassMutual is hosting this FREE workshop on Tuesday, June 18th, 11:30 AM--12:30 AM (Brown Bag Lunch)
Location: Union Square I, 1st Floor Conference Room
10101 Reunion PL; SATX 78216
RSVP by June 14th: slcollins@financialguide.com, (210) 384-5385
TEA Section 504 Webinar
Summer Book Swap
Each child that wanted to participate could bring 1-3 books from home and the class went through some activities to exchange books. My daughter came home with 3 new books and was eager to read them all as fast as she could!
Read more about how you could organize a book swap HERE.
Get Moving & Have Fun with Your Kids!
This summer, we're making that easy for you! Sign up for our free Walk and Talk program and we'll give you a special summer mileage log, along with 26 conversation starter cards. Over the course of the summer you'll walk the distance of a marathon—26.2 miles—and get to know your kids a little better along the way!
I've already downloaded the conversation starters, they are great!
Download the free resources HERE.
Family Life is Important for Kid’s Mental Health and Adjustment
Summer brings on more family time. There are some great "nuggets" of research in this article that are reminders as parents the importance of family time and how it supports our child's well-being.
"When parents and kids spend time interacting and having fun together, the results are many and extremely valuable. From this experience over the years, children come to feel important and loved. They have the opportunity to adopt essential values from their parents. Parents have the chance to gain more in-depth knowledge about their children’s strengths and weaknesses, which enables them to provide sufficient support and proper guidance. During these times together, mainly when it’s one-on-one time, children feel free to express their thoughts and feelings. All of these experiences create a stronger parent-child bond, which leads to greater self-confidence, resilience, and self-reliance."
Read the full article HERE.
Taken from the Child Development Institute
Summer Days...Reading Ways by Boys Town
As spring approaches and the warmer temperatures, budding trees, and outdoor social activities of summer beckon, the allure of winter's isolated and reclusive hobbies fade. This is especially true for students who spend more than 1,200 hours between August and May focused on learning. For them, the end of the school year marks the beginning of an 8 to 10 week "brain break" from all things academia. While some may still choose reading as summer pastime, others will quickly forego it it in lieu of other, high-spirted amusement.
Let's not fool ourselves, setting aside time for recreation is important. Medical experts recommend that kids and adults get a minimum of 60 minutes of aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening activity each day. For students, however, increased physical movement that leads to lengthy departures from intellectual activity can take its toll.
For elementary and middle school students specifically, long recesses from learning can lead to lapses in reading skills. Research shows that routine reading and exposure to print leads to easier phonological processing, increased reading fluency, growth in reading vocabulary, and subsequently better comprehension.
While high expectations and calculated efforts by teachers at the beginning of the school year can help remediate the effects of summer deterioration, many things can be done prior to and during the summer months to reduce achievement gaps.
A great chart is provided that lists some strategies that both children and parents can use! Check it out HERE.
Consultant, Family Engagement, Education Service Center, Region 20
Email: kimberly.baumgardner@esc20.net
Website: www.esc20.net/parentresources
Location: 1314 Hines, San Antonio, TX, United States
Phone: 210-370-5431
Facebook: facebook.com/escregion20
Twitter: @ESCRegion20