The Wildcat Chat
January 2022
Mission and Vision
Vision: Windy Hills will be a positive place where we respect each other while working together as a team to grow and learn.
Windy Hills Elementary
School Colors: Blue and Yellow
School Mascot: Wildcat
Approximate Enrollment: 265
Website: https://windyhills.kearneypublicschools.org/
Location: 4211 20th Avenue, Kearney, NE, USA
Phone: (308) 698-8220
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WindyHillsElementary
Twitter: @MyWindyHills
Upcoming Events
JANUARY
7-Future Bearcat Day
14-2nd Quarter Grade Cards go home
14-Kindergarten Field Trip
14-Windy Hills Spirit Day
14-Snack Sales (3rd grade provides snacks)
17-NO SCHOOL MLK Day
18-PTO Meeting 6:00 pm
Principally Speaking
Have you been trying to figure out a new year's resolution? If the answer to the question is yes, I have a great suggestion for you. How about setting plans to help your child experience greater school success in 2022? Here are some ideas to be sure your child is successful at Windy Hills.
1. Monitor your students' school work. One way to do this is to have them check in with you after school and share how their day went. A good opening question to help them communicate about this is to ask, " What did you learn in school today?" If you get a vague answer, follow-up by asking them about specific subjects such as: math, reading, or science. Another important way to monitor their work is to have them share any corrected school papers they brought home and discuss them together.
2. Make sure your child gets to school. The more students are in school, the higher their achievement. Children cannot learn if they are not in school. In addition, poor attendance causes students to get behind in their learning and catching up can be very difficult when they return. In fact, poor attendance is often the first step to students being unsuccessful at school.
3. Reward their efforts. Rewarding students for high grades is not as effective as rewarding them for their effort. Students are always trying and want to make you proud. Therefore, the best way to motivate further effort is to notice it, to praise it, and to reward it.
4. Be involved. How important is parent involvement in their children's education? Study after study shows that it may be the top factor leading to student success. At Windy Hills, we offer many opportunities to be involved in your student's education. Please join us whenever you can!
January is National Reading Month
Mrs. Bott's Spot
I love this list that was published several years ago as part of the "Healthy Communities, Healthy Youth" initiative. Here are some of my favorites:
*List to them
*Read aloud together
*Giggle together
*Tell them their feelings are ok
*Forget your worries sometimes and concentrate only on them
*Set boundaries that keep them safe
*Look in their eyes when you talk to them
*Praise more; criticize less
*Do what they like to do
*Love them, no matter what