Parent Primary Press!
October 2016
Assistant Principal-Joni Mohr
Counselor-Kim White
School Nurse-Stephanie Reeves
Administrative Secretary-Gertrude Booth
Attendance Clerk-Claudia Henson
Receptionist-Annmarie Sandberg
Phone-972-932-3513
Fax- 972-932-2758
What's Happening?!
We are off to a fantastic start! We have settled into our routines and are moving full speed ahead. The year is moving fast, as it always does! Students are working hard to become efficient readers, writers and mathematicians. The Monday Primary team works closely to support the growth of our students academically as well as socially and emotionally. Family is essential in making this team complete. We realize life is hectic and often there is not a lot of time to practice school work at home. When time is short, the most important thing you can do for your child is to read with them. Ask questions as you read the story together. Who is the main character? Where is the setting of the story? What was the problem? How was the problem solved? This is an invaluable piece to the puzzle. We appreciate all of your support at home and thank you so much for sharing your children with us!
Kathy Allen
Three Reasons to Read with Your Child
- Reading exposes your child to rich language and diverse content. Book language uses a larger vocabulary and more complex grammatical structures than the short, one-way communication we tend to use in feeding and caring for our children. Books allow parents to expand the language environment as they become their children’s first and most important teachers. They help parents to immerse their children in rich and varied language. Books of narrative fiction spark children’s imagination as they entertain and inform them about their emotions. Books of informational non-fiction answer questions, providing concepts and knowledge that are the cornerstones of science and math. Both types are important and all of their benefits can be realized with books in any language. Parents should feel empowered to read aloud in Spanish, Chinese, or whatever their native language.
- Reading with your children helps prepare their minds to succeed in school. The benefits of shared reading know no age limits. Babies are soothed by their parents’ voices; school children reading to parents can show their new accomplishments or seek their parents’ help. Books for toddlers can help children get ready to learn to read. Books that provide nursery rhymes, songs and verse help children learn to appreciate the sounds within words. Children are used to listening to language for its meaning, but reading demands that they also pay attention to the sounds of language. Hearing words in terms of syllables, consonants and vowels encourages phoneme awareness, which is the first step towards reading phonetically. Nursery rhymes and songs leap from the page when parents remember them from their own childhood and make them a part of family life. When said in English or Spanish, traditional nursery rhymes and songs help attune children to what the alphabet is all about.
- Reading with your child can enrich family ties and intimacy. Its virtues are strongest when parents read ‘dialogically’ by taking the book as an opportunity to enjoy a conversation. Reading together is family time; it is fun time, cuddle time, a time to share your passions, perspective, and your values but also a time to listen. It creates a time for children to express themselves as well as an opportunity for parents to show their willingness to listen. When we build a conversation around a book we encourage our children to communicate with us.
Attendance Matters!
Encouraging regular school attendance is one of the most powerful ways you can prepare your child for success—both in school and in life. When you make school attendance a priority, you help your child get better grades, develop healthy life habits, avoid dangerous behavior and have a better chance of graduating from high school.
When students are absent for fewer days, their grades and reading skills often improve—even among those students who are struggling in school. Students who attend school regularly also feel more connected to their community, develop important social skills and friendships, and are significantly more likely to graduate from high school, setting them up for a strong future.
But when kids are absent for an average of just two days of school per month—even when the absences are excused– it can have a negative impact. These absences can affect kids as early as Kindergarten.
For example, young elementary school students who miss an average of just two school days per month often have difficulty keeping up with their peers academically and tend to fall behind in reading. But when students are able to read on grade level by the end of third grade, which is when kids transition from learning to read to reading to learn, they are three to four times more likely to graduate high school and attend college, post-graduate, or professional development classes than their peers who struggle with reading.Being late to school and leaving early can also impact learning. Over the years the demands on teachers and students have increased. Educators are required to teach more content at a deeper level. Teachers have become masters at making every moment count, but they need every moment!
As a parent, you can prepare your child for a lifetime of success by making school attendance a priority.
Family Movie Night
Family Movie Night is always great fun for teachers and parents as well as students. Bring your sleeping bags, pillows and comfy clothes and join us for Monday Primary's Family Movie Night! Keep an eye out for reminders coming home with your child.
Where: Monday Primary Gym
When: October 18th from 6:00-8:00
Admission is free and there will be concessions for purchase.
Important Dates
October 13-Fundraiser Kick-Off
October 18-Family Movie NightOctober 21-All classes to P.E., Wear Tennis Shoes
October 24-28-Red Ribbon Week
October 26-Report Cards
October 28-Picture Retakes
November 1-Fundraiser Ends
November 15-Second Grade Thanksgiving Lunch
November 16-First Grade Thanksgiving Lunch
November 21-24-Thanksgiving Break
November 29-Second Grade Pictures with Santa
November 30-First Grade Pictures with Santa
December 9-First Grade Music Program
December 12-Teacher Planning Day
December 16-Early Dismissal