Shirley Hills Elementary News
At Shirley Hills Elementary, Learning is Required!
September 2023
Important Information!
Annual Title I Meeting
Open House
2023 Georgia Scavenger Hunt to the Sea
Georgia Scavenger Hunt to the Sea
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The Reading Corner
Back to School for Parents!
When the back-to-school bell starts ringing, parents often hear and read school-related terms that are unfamiliar to them. Below are three terms and descriptions related to reading instruction that may help give you a better understanding of what’s happening in your child’s classroom and what it all means for your young learner.
Screening: Benjamin Franklin famously said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In the classroom, this quote translates to the use of reading screening for all kids. Screenings usually take place within the first few weeks of school. Rather than waiting for kids to fail at school, screenings give teachers a chance to identify kids who are at risk of having difficulty. Scores on screenings help teachers identify kids who may need extra help through small group or one-on-one instruction. For example, most kindergarten screenings include measures of alphabet and letter-sound knowledge.
Differentiated reading instruction: A teacher who provides differentiated reading instruction is one who meets the instructional needs of all the students in the class by planning different
instruction based on the results of an assessment she’s given. For example, while all the students in the class may be working to develop their fluency skills, kids may be working with different books, and some may still be working on their sight words. Some students may be working in pairs, others working one-on-one with the teacher.
Leveled text: Many teachers use leveled texts in their classrooms. Most of the books used in elementary classrooms are leveled, or placed in a certain category, based on certain criteria such as number of words and sentence length. There are several common leveling systems; some use letters to indicate levels and others use numbers. The levels correspond to different grade level materials. For example, if a school is using a Guided Reading leveling system, levels E-I typically refer to books written at a first-grade level. If your school uses leveled texts, ask your teacher what leveling system they use.
As a parent, it can be tough to keep up with the language of schools. These three terms are just a few of the many reading-related words you’ll hear this year. We encourage parents to work closely with teachers and ask lots of questions. You’ll be glad you did!
For more resources, visit our Back to School sections:
www.ReadingRockets.org/calendar/backtoschool
www.ColorinColorado.org/calendar/backtoschool
www.LDOnline.org/calendar/backtoschool
Helpful information about learning brought to you by Reading Rockets, Colorin Colorado, and LD Online
¡El regreso a clases para los padres!
Cuando la campana de regreso a clases suena, los padres suelen escuchar y leer términos escolares que no les son familiares. He aquí tres términos, y su respectiva descripción, relacionados con la enseñanza de la lectura que pueden ayudarles a entender mejor lo que se lleva a cabo en el aula de su hijo y lo que esto significa para su pequeño alumno.
Pruebas (screening): Benjamín Franklin es famoso por su frase: “una onza de prevención vale una libra de tratamiento”. En el aula, esta cita se traduce al uso de pruebas de lectura aplicadas a todos los niños. Por lo general, las pruebas se realizan durante las primeras semanas de clases. En lugar de esperar a ver el fracaso escolar del niño, las pruebas le dan al maestro la oportunidad de identificar a aquéllos que
corren el riesgo de tener dificultades. El puntaje de las pruebas le ayudará al maestro a identificar a los niños que pueden necesitar de ayuda adicional, ya sea que requirieran que se les enseñe en grupos pequeños o con atención individualizada. Por ejemplo, la mayoría de las pruebas para los niños de preescolar incluyen la medición de su conocimiento del alfabeto y del sonido de las letras.
Instrucción diferenciada de la lectura: Un profesor que imparte instrucción de la lectura en forma diferenciada es alguien que atiende las necesidades educacionales de todos los alumnos de la clase planificando una instrucción diferente conforme a los resultados de una evaluación. Por ejemplo, si bien todos los alumnos de la clase pudieran estar trabajando en el desarrollo de las destrezas de fluidez, algunos niños estarían trabajando con diferentes libros, mientras que otros trabajan la visualización de las palabras. Algunos alumnos pueden trabajar en parejas, mientras que otros, individualmente con el maestro.
Textos por niveles: Muchos maestros utilizan textos graduados por niveles en sus aulas. La mayoría de los libros utilizados en la primaria están graduados por nivel, o están clasificados por categorías determinadas, de acuerdo a ciertos criterios tales como por el número de palabras o la longitud de las oraciones. Hay varios sistemas comunes de graduación; algunos usan letras para indicar el nivel y hay otros que usan los números. Los niveles corresponden a los diferentes niveles de los materiales del grado escolar. Por ejemplo, si una escuela utiliza un sistema de lectura guiada por niveles, los niveles E a I normalmente se refieren a libros escritos para el primer grado. Si su escuela utiliza textos graduados por niveles, pídanle al maestro que les informe cuál es el tipo de sistema que emplea.
En su calidad de padres, les puede resultar difícil mantenerse actualizados con el lenguaje utilizado en las escuelas. Los tres términos anteriores son algunas de las tantas palabras relacionadas con la lectura que escucharán este año. Exhortamos a los padres a trabajar estrechamente con los maestros y a que les hagan muchas preguntas. ¡Se alegrarán de haberlo hecho!
Para obtener más información, lea nuestros artículos sobre empezando o regresando a la escuela:
www.ColorinColorado.org/articulo/26523
www.ColorinColorado.org/articulo/16646
Información práctica sobre el aprendizaje, cortesía de Reading Rockets, Colorín Colorado y LD Online
Online Learning Resources
Community Resources
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English application: https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/wp-content/uploads/ACP-Application-Form-English.pdf
Spanish instructions: https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/wp-content/uploads/lifeline/images/ACP-Household-Worksheet-Spanish.pdf
Spanish application: https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/wp-content/uploads/ACP-Application-Form-Spanish.pdf
Free Internet for Students: Project 10Millon | T-Mobile
Shirley Hills Elementary PBIS Mission Statement:
Our mission is to provide a positive and fair environment where teachers can teach, and students can learn by encouraging behaviors that are responsible, respectful, and safe by all students.
Shirley Hills School-Wide Expectations for students are:
BE SAFE
BE RESPONSIBLE
BE RESPECTFUL
BE CARING
*** BE MINDFUL
These expectations, along with the appropriate positive behaviors, are displayed in different areas of the school as reminders for students. Students will receive on-going instruction from staff on our school-wide expectations in all areas of our school. The classroom, restroom, cafeteria, hallways, bus, computer lab, media center, playground and assemblies are all settings where students will be expected to act in a respectful, responsible and safe manner.
Students can earn DOJO points daily for having positive behaviors. Students who earn 168 points or more the first nine weeks, will attend the good behavior celebration. If you have any questions concerning DOJO points, please reach out to your child's teacher.
Click on the first chart below to see the SHES Behavior Matrix. This chart is located all throughout the school as a reminder to students and faculty of positive behaviors.
Click on the second chart below to see the office referrals by grade level for the whole 2022-2023 school year.
Shirley Hills Behavior Matrix
2022-2023 Office Referral Chart
- August 21 - 25 -iReady - Kindergarten - 5th Grade
- August 24 - Olympia Skate Night- 5pm - 7pm
- August 28 - School Council Meeting- 5pm - 6pm
- August 28 - Math Fluency - 1st - 2nd Grade
COMING UP IN SEPTEMBER
- September 4- Labor Day Holiday
- September 6 - 8- PBIS Spirit Week
- September 11- PTO Meeting and Bingo @ 6:30pm
- September 12- Interview with a Grandparent- Pre-K-2nd Grade- 9:15am-10:15am
- September 13- Interview with a Grandparent-3rd-5th Grade and Sibling Day-9:15am-10:15am
- September 14- Title I Meeting @ 5:30pm
- September 14- Open House @ 6:00pm
- September 15- Hats for Hope
- September 19- Help A Child Smile Dental Program
- September 30- SHES PTO Yard Sale
Disclaimer: Due to unforeseen circumstances dates and times are subject to change.