Mahaffey Happenings
January 2020
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Upcoming Dates:
January 6 NO SCHOOL! Holiday Break
January 7: Students return
January 16: Scotties on the MOVE- Wonderland at Pinewood Place 4:30-5:30(details below)
January 20: Martin Luther King Day-No School
January 22: Dads and Donuts (Hosted by WatchDOGS) Details/RSVP to follow
January 24: 5th Grade Intermediate Visits
January 27-31: The Great Kindness Challenge
Message From Mrs. Mason:
As we head into this perfect 2020 year, we are thrilled to announce that Mahaffey has been selected by Klein ISD and Education Elements as a Personalized Learning Campus! We will be part of the first cohort of schools working with the district and the Ed Elements consultants to strengthen and improve our ability to know each student by name, strength and need so we can personalize learning for all.
2020 stands for clear vision, and our goal is just that- a clear vision on what our students need to be the most successful and show their growth. We are eager to see what this new partnership with Ed Elements will bring to us so we can better serve every student.
This next semester will have many exciting events and activities for all! We are excited to bring back Boosterthon Fun Run, Hoe Down, Field Day, and more Scotties on the MOVE and Parent University credit activities/events!
Our non-academic related goals this semester are:
- to raise funds to add shade structures to our main playground areas for a more enjoyable and sun/skin healthy recess (Boosterthon will be our main fundraiser to support this! If you would like to directly donate to our shade structures, please see below for donation information!)
- to celebrate more parents who are taking invested steps to connect with our school/district and will qualify for Parent University graduation. *Remember, attendance at 5 PU events qualifies you for graduation!
As always, please let my team and I know if there is anything we can do to support you and your family.
Happy New Year!
Holly Mason, Principal
Tips From Our Math Specialist, Mrs. Highsmith:
Math Games for Reinforcing Skills
With so many games available at the store, it is hard to tell if they are educational or just play. Here are some game recommendations that sneak in math skills, but still are fun for the family!
Blokus Junior- Spatial relationships
Tiny Polka Dot- Counting
I Sea 10- Addition
Zeus on the Loose- Multiples of 10
Prime Climb- Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
Tips from Our Literacy Specialists, Ms. Schuh and Mrs. Rodriguez:
9 Creative Ways to read as a family- from Scholastic.com/parents
Carving out family reading time is easier than you think—and a great way for families to connect and have fun at the same time. Here's how to make it a habit:
Nourishing the Meal Time Have your kids read recipes aloud to you while you’re cooking dinner. From ingredient lists to cooking directions, this kind of family reading will help build vocabulary, fluency…and dessert!
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? While your family is eating together, discuss what your favorite characters would have for dinner – Harry Potter might like pumpkin juice and chocolate frogs while Geronomo Silton could crave some cheese! Incorporating characters of favorite stories into your eating routine is a delicious way to promote deep thinking about character traits and motivation.
Story Charades Choose a story your family knows well — like a well-read book or fairytale — and act out the beginning, middle, and end of the story. If you have more family than characters, a few could do the acting and the others can be the audience or be the narrator. This activity helps readers reexamine and understand story lines and details.
Who Am I? Choose one of your child’s favorite book characters, then describe his or her personality traits, problems, and physical descriptions until she guesses the character’s identity. This game is a fun way to pass time when you’re stuck in traffic or at a bus stop.
Book Nooks Create “book nooks” with your child. Book nooks are comfy places to sit and read. They should have good lighting and containers filled with sticky notes, colorful pens, pencils, and a small dictionary. Book nooks will motivate your children not only to read, but to select favorite parts with sticky notes, or look up words they don’t know.
Marking the Spot Making book marks together is a great, simple family reading activity. Just cut bookmark-sized cardboard from cereal or shoe boxes, then get crafty! Use brightly-colored markers to write titles, authors, and favorite quotes. Younger readers can draw or cut and paste pictures from old magazines.
Reach Out and Read Boost family reading by involving loved-ones who live far away. Using Skype or another video conferencing program, have your child share a book with relatives. Make sure the book is one that your reader has read a few times already; repetition is a fantastic way to enhance reading skills. Younger readers love to show-off their fluency, and oral reading builds confidence. Grandma will be pretty thrilled as well.
Kid Karaoke Download songs and their lyrics for a family karaoke night. Seeing words and singing them at the same time is a fun way to develop vocabulary…and practice your Elvis impersonations!
Family Reading Web pages Using simple and free online programs, create a family reading Web page. Include sections for each family member’s book reviews, favorite book lists, “authors I’d like to lunch with” lists, pictures of famous authors, links to local libraries, kid-safe fan pages, and reading games.
Scotties on the MOVE:
Some Ways to Support Mahaffey:
General Financial Donations Directly to Mahaffey!
-Mahaffey Elementary is always accepting help in the form of money donations. General donations can be sent to Tawny Benoit (tbenoit1@kleinisd.net)Financial Secretary for Mahaffey. If you would like to make an online donation, she can assist you in the process. Cash or check is also accepted. We are a 501(c)(3) organization and can provide you with information to complete on your taxes for claim.
*If you are a business owner, we would LOVE to partner with you!!
Contact Tawny Benoit for ways you can support
Please also connect with our PTO President Tiffany Bumbaugh at tbumbaugh@live.com
-By joining PTO you are not required to physically and formally volunteer, although we would love to have you help in one or more of the MANY ways you can volunteer. You are putting forth fiscal help as well and partnering with our primary community organization that helps bring resources into our school that we might not be able to have otherwise.
Become a WatchDOG Dad Volunteer!
-We love having positive, male role models working with our students and setting great examples in your dedication to education. WatchDOGS can sign up to spend either all day Thursday or Friday here on our campus experiencing many fun activities and helping us make a difference. Contact mahaffey.watchdogs@gmail.com
Attend Our Events:
-Any time we host an event, try your best to attend. This shows your student that school is an important and welcoming place. Studies have shown, increased attendance at extracurricular and other after school events increase student success and positively influence the home-school connection.
Transportation/Attendance Reminders:
Dismissal Notices:
If your child will be going home a different way, please let the FRONT OFFICE and your child's TEACHER know right away. Telling the teacher is wonderful, but sometimes they can't check voicemail or email until it is after school-so your best option is always the main front office.
We ask that you have the call made by 2:30pm. If messages are not cleared or given in time, please know the teachers are trained to send kids home their regular way unless told otherwise by administration. We CANNOT take a child's word for it when it comes to leaving school safely.
Walker/Car Rider reminder:
While we know the line can sometimes be long, please be sure you are not sending your child home a walker but parking in front of the school to bypass our lines. It has been reported that many cars are doing so and obstructing traffic and safety for our students. We ask that you please follow our dismissal procedures, and be courteous of our neighborhood traffic.
Parent University
Parent University – Parent University encourages the active participation of families in schools by offering multiple opportunities to engage in sessions related to Academics, Health & Wellness, and Personal Growth & Development. Mahaffey Elementary will sponsor several events this year through our “Scotties on the M.O.V.E. Program” as part of Parent University along with events offered through the district. In order to earn the distinction as a Parent University Graduate, attendance is required at 5 or more events throughout the year. Please use the link below to sign up if you would like to be part of this great family engagement program. We look forward to working with you to support your student’s success here at Mahaffey!
Parent University Sign Up Link
Parent University Calendar of Events Link
Nurtured Heart Parent University 4 Week Course Links – English, Spanish
Clinic Information
Emergency Contact Information is REQUIRED for the nurses office. It is imperative that we be able to contact guardians in the event of your child being sick or in an emergency.
If your child has a temp of 100.0 or higher please keep them home until they are fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing (Tylenol, Motrin) medication.
Mahaffey Core Values
We believe that our sole purpose is to ensure that all kids leave us with a continued promise in fulfilling their purpose in life. We feel that to accomplish this, students must be given foundational pillars that guide us all in to well-rounded individuals who are capable of anything. When we say we are PLAID, we mean we are/have:
Positive Purpose
Learners Leading
Aspiring Academics
Innovative Ideas
Dedicated Discipline