Bush Elementary Parent Newsletter
October, 2019
What a Great Month!
Upcoming Events
October 28th - Crazy Sock Day for Red Ribbon Week
October 29th - Wear Bright/Neon Colors for Red Ribbon Week
October 30th - Wear Western Gear for Red Ribbon Week
October 31st - Wear Workout Clothes for Red Ribbon Week
October 31st - Fall Parties
November 1st - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Earned Day OffNovember 4th - NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day
November 7th - Bush Picture Retakes
November 7th - Hornet Pride Role Model Assemblies
November 7th - 6:00 Bush STEAM Night
November 13th - 7:40-8:10 2nd Grade Breakfast Buddies
November 13th - 7:00 Fulton School Board Meeting at FHS
November 14th - 6:00 4th Grade Music Program
November 27-29 - NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break
Carbonated Beverages
As the weather gets colder....
An article for parents whose older children have cell phones...
15 apps parents should look out for on their kids' phones
Police around the country are reminding parents about potentially dangerous apps.
With several recent reports of arrests made after online predator and human trafficking stings, law enforcement officers around the country are reminding parents about potentially dangerous apps their kids could have access to.
The apps include well-known social media and dating apps like Snapchat, TikTok and WhatsApp, as well as location-based dating apps like MeetMe, Grindr and Skout.
- MeetMe: A dating social media app that connects people based on location. Users are encouraged to meet in person.
- WhatsApp: A messaging app that allows texts, video calls, photo sharing and voicemails with users worldwide.
- Bumble: Similar to Tinder, but requires women to make the first contact. Law enforcement says kids and teens can create fake accounts and falsify their age.
- Live.Me: A live-streaming app that uses geolocation to share videos. The sheriff's office said users can earn "coins" to "pay" minors for photos.
- Ask.FM: The sheriff's office said this app lets users ask anonymous questions and is known for cyberbullying.
- Grindr: A dating app geared toward the LGBTQ community based on user location.
- TikTok: A new app popular with kids lets users create and share short videos. Law enforcement said the app has "very limited privacy controls" and users can be exposed to cyberbullying and explicit content.
- Snapchat: One of the most popular social media apps in the world, Snapchat lets users take and share photos and videos. The app also lets people see your location.
- Holla: This self-proclaimed "addicting" video chat app lets users meet people in seconds. Law enforcement said users have seen racial slurs and explicit content.
- Calculator+: Police say this is one of several apps that are used to hide photos, videos, files and browser history.
- Skout: A location-based dating app that is supposed to prohibit people under 17 from sharing private photos. However, police say kids can easily create an account with a different age.
- Badoo: A dating and social media app where users can chat and share photos and videos based on location. Police say the app is supposed to be for adults only, but they've seen teens create accounts.
- Kik: Police say kids can bypass traditional text messaging features using this app. Kik "gives users unlimited access to anyone, anywhere, anytime," the sheriff's office said.
- Whisper: An anonymous social network that lets users share secrets with strangers. Police say it also shows users' location so people can meet up.
- Hot or Not: The app lets users rate profiles, check out people in their area and chat with strangers. Police say the goal of the app is to hook up.
Police said parents and teens should know two things:
1. Once a picture or video leaves your phone and is sent to someone else, it is out of your control.
2. Someone can use that picture or video against you.
Voit also recommends parents and teens check out the website Netsmartz for some guidelines to follow.
The Five Finger Rule for Reading Will Help Your Child Find a "Just-Right" Book
BY JESSICA MIGALA
OCT 01, 2019
Whether your child has already developed a love for reading or is still hesitant when it comes to picking out books, there is an easy way for them to choose a just-right book on their own. It’s called the Five Finger Rule!
Here’s how it works: Your child opens a book to the first page. They read the page and hold up one finger for every word they don’t know or can’t pronounce. The number of fingers they’re holding up by the end of the page tells them if the book is the right level:
- 0-1 fingers: It’s too easy.
- 2-3 fingers: It’s just right.
- 4-5 fingers: It’s too hard (or best read aloud with a buddy).
Two to three fingers is the sweet spot. If they’re holding up any more or less, that’s a clue that they should try to find another book if they’re reading independently. (On that note, here are 30+ great books for early readers to start with!)
There are a lot of good things about this method. For instance, it’s easy for kids to understand, it’s quick, and they can do it anywhere! But FYI, as with most things, it has its pros and cons. “This can be a tricky rule because it’s taking a complex concept — the development of reading — and oversimplifies it,” says Barbara Steckel, Ed.D, a professor of language and literacy at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass.
Vocabulary is only one element that defines the readability of a text, adds Steckel. Another important factor is that your child is reading a book that contains content matching their level of understanding and maturity (here are age-appropriate books for advanced readers).
For young kids, placement of words on the page and pictures that support the text also contribute to their comprehension, helping them decode unfamiliar words. That’s why the Branches books, for instance, are so great for early readers — they blend attributes of both picture books and chapter books to help kids make the leap to longer texts.
That said, it’s worth teaching your kids the Five Finger Rule, so they can use it when they need it. Steckel says this technique works particularly well for kids in late kindergarten through early second grade — say, when they’re in a reading group at school and tasked with independently selecting books. When they use the Five Finger Rule to find the right book, they won’t have to pull a teacher away from another group to ask for help. Plus, it supports their independence and reading confidence! (To further boost their reading skills, here are books teachers highly recommend you have at home.)
And of course, don’t let the rule make your child miss out on cool and interesting books they might have otherwise attempted to read. Steckel uses the example of a kid who absolutely loves baseball (they know all of the players, their stats, and the history of the teams) and they excitedly bring home a baseball book. It looks pretty tough and they have all five fingers up after the first page.
“Are you going to tell them not to read the book? No! Their motivation and desire to read the book will reduce its complexity,” says Steckel. Sometimes, too-big-for-them challenges help kids grow in ways that a more “appropriate” book would not. Plus, you can always read the book with them and help along the way.
Bottom line: File the Five Finger Rule under “cool tricks,” and encourage your child to use it when they need to pick out a book on their own. But also keep in mind that it’s a starting point — not a definite rule. Reading is reading (and awesome!) no matter what a book’s Five Finger Rule score is.