Eagle's Eye View
Parent Edition
Zarrow International School: One Child, Two Languages--Unlimited Possibilities.
Email: communications@zarrowpta.org
Website: http://zarrow.tulsaschools.org/
Location: 3613 South Hudson Avenue, Tulsa, OK, United States
Phone: (918) 746-9180
From the principal's desk/Desde el escritorio de la directora:
Greetings Zarrow families,
It's time to say farewell to October. It was a month full of exciting things. We received our state testing scores, went on fun adventures spending quality family time during fall break and came back just in time to celebrate red ribbon week with all kinds of fun like crazy sock day (and I saw some very crazy ones) and everyone's favorite: pajama day. I loved seeing all the neat pajamas. We have ended October with great news: We are very excited to welcome Mr. Pitts as our new PE teacher. He will be joining us as soon as TPS finishes all the onboarding/paperwork. I expect him to begin Monday, November 6th.
I would like to encourage you to make certain you have signed up for PT Avenue as this will be our main means of communication with Zarrow families this year. We had two communication go out this way last week: one about being prepared for colder weather and one about the fire truck excitement. If you did not receive these, please be sure to get your PT Avenue account set up!
As we welcome November I would like to take a few minutes to talk to you about the importance of attendance. Studies show that there is a direct correlation between high absences and lower academic performance. That should come as no surprise; obviously, if you are not in class you cannot receive the instruction necessary to succeed. Just as important as attendance, however, is being on time. Beginning your day in a positive way by having a healthy breakfast and arriving at school without feeling rushed or missing that important first part of the day also has a profound effect on academics. This is even more true for us here at Zarrow because not only are our children missing out on the content of the subjects being taught, they are also missing out on the very important language acquisition side of our immersion program. We have seen a concerning increase in tardiness and drop in attendance. In November we will begin our class contest for least amount of tardies and highest attendance. Be on the lookout for how that will work. Also, we will be posting data in the front hall to keep everyone aware of how we are doing. Please help our students be as successful as possible by making sure they are here, on time, and ready to join in the joy of learning each and every day. Below I leave you with the top 8 statics on attendance.
Thank you,
Denise Marquez
1. Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.
2. An estimated 5 million to 7.5 million U.S. students miss nearly a month of school each year.
3. Absenteeism and its ill effects start early. One in 10 kindergarten and first grade students are chronically absent. Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back.
4. By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
5. Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month and that’s known as chronic absence.
6. The academic impact of missing that much school is the same whether the absences are excused or unexcused.
7. Low-income students are four times more likely to be chronically absent than others often for reasons beyond their control, such as unstable housing, unreliable transportation and a lack of access to health care.
8. When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.
Saludos familias de Zarrow,
Es tiempo de decirle adiós a octubre. Fue un mes lleno de muchas cosas emocionantes. Recibimos los resultados de los exámenes del estado, tuvimos divertidas aventuras a la vez que tuvimos tiempo de calidad con la familia durante las vacaciones de otoño y regresamos justo a tiempo para celebrar la semana del listón rojo con toda clase de diversiones como ponernos los calcetines locos (pude ver algunos muy locos) y el favorito de todos: el día de ponerse pijamas. Me encanto ver algunas sus pijamas. ¡Terminamos octubre con una muy buena noticia: Estamos muy emocionados darle el bienvenido al señor Pitts como el nuevo maestro de educación física. Estará con nosotros en cuanto TPS acabe todos los trámites necesarios. Mi expectativa es tenerlo ya dando clases el lunes, 6 de noviembre.
Por favor asegúrense de tener su cuenta de PT Avenue ya que es la manera de comunicación que estaremos utilizando este año. Si no recibieron dos comunicados la semana pasada (uno de estar preparados para clima más fresco y otro de la visita de los bomberos) necesitan revisar sus cuentas de PT Avenue.
Mientras le damos la bienvenida a noviembre me gustaría tomar unos minutos para hablar de la importancia de la asistencia. Los estudios muestran que hay una fuerte relación entre tener muchas faltas y el bajo rendimiento académico. Esto no debe ser una sorpresa; obviamente, si no están en clase no pueden recibir la instrucción necesaria para ser exitosos. Igual de importante es llegar a tiempo. Empezar su día de una manera positiva con un desayuno saludable y llegando a la escuela sin sentirse apresurado o sin perderse la primera parte del día ya que también tiene un profundo efecto en su rendimiento académico. Esto es aún más importante para nosotros en Zarrow porque los niños no solo pierden el contenido de la materia que se está enseñando, también se pierden de la importante oportunidad de adquirir el idioma, lo cual es una parte muy importante de nuestro programa de inmersión. Hemos notado un aumento preocupante en llegar tarde y un incremento de las faltas a la escuela. En noviembre vamos a tener un concurso de grupos para que el grupo que tenga menos tardes y la mayor asistencia recibirá un premio. Este atento para ver los detalles. También, estaremos poniendo la información en el pasillo principal para dejarles saber cómo estamos haciendo. Por favor ayude a nuestros estudiantes a ser los más exitosos posibles al asegurarse que estén presentes, a tiempo, y listos para ser parte de la alegría de aprender todos los días. Abajo les muestro 8 de las estadísticas más interesantes en cuanto a la asistencia.
Gracias,
Denise Marquez
1. Absentismo en el primer mes de la escuela puede predecir asistencia baja durante el año escolar. La mitad de los estudiantes que pierde 2-4 días en septiembre perderán casi un mes de escuela.
2. Se estima que de 5 a 7.5 millones de estudiantes en Estados Unidos pierden cerca de un mes de escuela cada año.
3. Los efectos del absentismo empiezan temprano. Uno de cada 10 niños de kínder y de primer grado tiene baja asistencia crónica. La asistencia baja puede influir en si su niño(a) lee hábilmente al final del tercer grado o lo reprueben.
4. Cuando están en el grado 6, la baja asistencia crónica llega a ser un indicador de que su estudiante no terminara la preparatoria.
5. La investigación muestra que el perder 10 por ciento de días en la escuela, o 18 días en para las mayoría de los distritos, afecta negativamente el rendimiento académico del estudiante. Esto son solo dos días al mes y a eso se le conoce como baja asistencia crónica.
6. El impacto académico de perder muchos días de escuela ya sean con excusa o no es el mismo.
7. Los estudiante de bajos ingresos son cuatro veces más probables de tener baja asistencia crónica que otros estudiantes a menudo por razones fuera de su control, como hogares inestables, trasportación poco confiable y falta de acceso a atención médica.
8. Cuando los estudiantes mejoran su asistencia, sus perspectivas académicas mejoran junto con la oportunidad de graduarse.
Counselor's Corner:
With the cold north wind today it felt as if November was already here, but I’ll just wait until tomorrow for the weather will have changed, for such is the norm for Oklahoma weather. November is also the month we focus on gratitude and being thankful. There are many studies showing the benefits of an attitude of gratitude and focusing on the positive aspects of life have proven to be good for your physical and mental health. Below is an excerpt of an article “In Praise of Gratitude”
Ways to cultivate gratitude
Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier, or thinking they can't feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice.
Here are some ways to cultivate gratitude on a regular basis.
Write a thank-you note. You can make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter expressing your enjoyment and appreciation of that person's impact on your life. Send it, or better yet, deliver and read it in person if possible. Make a habit of sending at least one gratitude letter a month. Once in a while, write one to yourself.
Thank someone mentally. No time to write? It may help just to think about someone who has done something nice for you, and mentally thank the individual.
Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down or share with a loved one thoughts about the gifts you've received each day.
Count your blessings. Pick a time every week to sit down and write about your blessings — reflecting on what went right or what you are grateful for. Sometimes it helps to pick a number — such as three to five things — that you will identify each week. As you write, be specific and think about the sensations you felt when something good happened to you.
Pray. People who are religious can use prayer to cultivate gratitude.
Meditate. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. Although people often focus on a word or phrase (such as "peace"), it is also possible to focus on what you're grateful for (the warmth of the sun, a pleasant sound, etc.).
Finally, I’d like to mention a food drive we will be having in November. Every year the Christian Ministries Alliance gives away hundreds of Thanksgiving and Christmas meals to needy families Tulsa. Paying forward and sharing with others is a great way to express gratitude. Watch for more details to come in the purple folders.
Alisa Lobaugh
Zarrow International School Counselor
Bibliography
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/in-praise-of-gratitude
From the PTA president:
Thank you all for signing up for the PTA. We finished our drive with 106% participation which is awesome. If you haven’t joined, you can continue to do so throughout the school year. Our next general meeting will be Tuesday, November 14th at 6:30. As always, childcare is provided for children 4 and up - please plan to attend.
The exchange program is in full swing with the Spanish students returning to Spain next week and our students arriving home on November 9th. We also have students in Costa Rica until November 12th and will receive their students here on the 15th. Thank you to all the host families, teachers and especially the 5th grade home ambassadors for being such gracious hosts to these children while they are here.
In other news, the teacher initiated Drive for Puerto Rico was highly successful - thank you to all who donated. I know our teachers were so appreciative of your willingness to help their families get some of their most basic needs met. Also, thank you to the Foundation board members for helping with donations of money to help pay shipping fees.
Finally, the fall book fair is November 6-10:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0445abad28aafa7-fall1 with Grandparent’s Night the evening of the 10th: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/20f0d4aa5af22aaff2-grandparents
Only classrooms with volunteers will be open for grandparents to see so please considering signing up.
Please remember to log all of your volunteer hours whether at home, at school or coaching our kids’ soccer teams, etc. You can do this on pt-avenue or by sending an email with your name, child’s name, teacher and hours to zisvolunteerhours@yahoo.com
Have a great month!
Stacey
Coming Attractions:
November 3 – Art to Remember orders due
November 6- 10 – Fall Book Fair
November 10 – Noche de abuelos/Grandparents’ Night
November 13 – Kendra Scott Gives Back party, Utica Square 5:00 - 7:00
November 14 – PTA General Meeting, ZIS cafeteria 6:30
November 21 – Reflections entries are due at the school
November 22 – 24 – No School, Thanksgiving Break
November 28 – Dinner Club, On the Border-41st Street location
Feliz Cumpleaños!
11.3 Raquel Astacio
11.13 Fatima Guzman
11.29 Cody Harper
Reminders:
Reflections Art submissions are due Tuesday, Nov 21. Details available at PT-Avenue and questions can be submitted to Maegen Nair at maegennair@cox.net
The 2017 fall directory is now ready for viewing! Please log in to your PT-Avenue.com account to view it. (https://www.pt-avenue.com/documents.asp?f=Directory) Please do not provide this link in ANY social media sites or share with anyone outside our Zarrow family. We have password protected it so that it will not be visible to anyone other than our school. Password: PTA2017
Log your volunteer hours! You can do this on pt-avenue or by sending an email with your name, child’s name, teacher and hours to zisvolunteerhours@yahoo.com We are having a great year so far as we strive to have an adult for each student in our school volunteering in some capacity or another. If you cannot be at the school to volunteer, please talk with your Home Room Parent for ideas and suggestions of ways you can volunteer from home.
Teachers available for tutoring:
Fatima Guzman
918-855 2877
Spanish, Reading, Writing; 1st-5th grade
Tuesday - Friday 3:30-5:00 PM
Nuria Primo
918-746-9180
Spanish, Language arts (reading, writing, spelling, word study…… ) Math, Science-social studies projects.
Tuesday-Friday 7:30-8:15 & Tuesday-Friday 3:30-5:00 PM
Anyi Yicel Mosquera
918-289-3631
Spanish and Social Studies
Wednesday-Friday 4:00-5:30
Carrie Torres
918-746-9180
Math
Tuesday-Thursday 3:50-5:00 Available after fall break
Santiago Benitez
918-933-8976 (only texts)
Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art (kinder-4th)
Tuesday & Thursday 3:45-4:45 PM
Maricel Santiago
918-951-9648
All grades in Spanish
Friday 3:45 to 4:45PM
Nadia Najera
918-746-9180
Spanish, K-5
Wednesdays & Fridays 3:50-5:00
Yada Astrid Villalobos Coreas
918-740-3504
astridcoreas260593@hotmail.com
Math 1st-3rd
Thursday & Friday, 3:45-5:00
Luz Rey
786-630-3270
All subjects in Spanish, grades K-3
Monday, Wednesday & Friday 3:45-4:45
Monica Bocalandro
918.896.3207
All Grades - Spanish and All subjects
Wednesday and Friday 3:45-4:45
María Laguardia
can be reached via What'sApp at +34 665 50 35 47
Spanish: reading, writing. Kinder -2nd grade
Tuesday - Friday 7:30-8:15 & Tuesday- Friday 3:45 - 5:30 PM
María Vazquez
can be reached via What'sApp at +34 667 48 52 18
subjects teaching : Spanish and first, second, and third grade mathematics
Monday-Thursday
PTAvenue
The Zarrow PTA is excited about our new communications and information sharing resource, PT-Avenue. This cloud-based communication platform will allow us to have an online directory, available to all members, share files from meetings, easy access to purple folder flyers, and even have an online store!
It's important that we have all families and staff in the PT-Avenue system. If you haven't already, please hop online and fill out your information for the directory! Visit www.pt-avenue.com/login.asp, type in our organization code: ZISPTA and make your family's profile.
We have some helpful instructions available too:
PT-Avenue Login https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1XjnySDhgDVbldPNHI0VmVPcms
PT-Avenue Registration https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1XjnySDhgDVWno1OUVvZ2NpWHc
As with any new system, please be patient as we move forward with this process. We are excited to be utilizing PT-avenue and all it can offer our school.
Questions? Please email communications@zarrowpta.org