HomeLink Newsletter
December 2020
Message from Mr. Reeser
Winter Break Dates
NO School December 21st through January 1st
School Resumes Monday, January 4th
Thank You Barb!
A Note From Barb
Dear HomeLink Families;
A note to all of you to let you know I will be retiring this school year. My last day will be January 29th. I’ve worked for the Richland School District since 1995 and with HomeLink for the past 10 years. Although I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything HomeLink, I found this is the appropriate time to take a leap of faith into my next adventure.
I’ve so enjoyed getting to know many of you…parents and kiddo’s alike. I’m happy to have been part of your experience with our program in some form or fashion. I know these past months have been challenging at best for all of us…but you are all in good hands and will be for years to come.
Blessing to everyone!!
Consultants Corner
Gratitude
The quality of being thankful, readiness to show appreciation for and to return to kindness Oxford Languages
Why Teach Gratitude?
December is a great time to teach your student about gratitude. There have been many scientific studies that show the physical, social and psychological benefits of practicing gratitude. Here are a few of the reasons: increased happiness, decreased anxiety and depression, lower blood pressure and increased compassion. Great Good Science Center
How to Start?
The first step is to pause, look around, and really appreciate the good in your life. Think about the things you take for granted and be appreciative of them. Try this on a daily basis and soon this will be a natural part of your family’s life.
Keeping a Gratitude Journal
There are lots of fancy Gratitude Journals available today. The important thing is to start the habit with your kids and to model it for them. You might want to try it as a family for a while. Click here for some tips.Tips
Below are some simple gratitude journals that might help you get started.
Sunshine Gratitude Journal This one is excellent for older students
Grateful Jar - This journal is perfect for non-writers
Simple Gratitude Journal - This journal works for the doodler in your family
Simple Gratitude Journal - This journal works for the list keeper of the family
The Thankful Book - A cute picture book of things to be thankful for
Jar Link - This is to make a quart jar into a family gratitude jarParent Workshops
Auditory Processing
Date(s): Wednesday, December 9th; 2-4PM
Thursday, December 10th; 12-2PM
Instructor: Glenda Schlahta
Signup here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080c48ada928aafe3-auditory
Science: Start with the Fundamentals (the importance of teaching science in a comprehensive manner to elementary students)
Date(s): Friday, December 4th; 2-3PM
Monday, December 7th; 8-9AM
Instructor: Tamra Aichele
Signup here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080c48ada928aafe3-science1
Claims, Evidence, Reasoning in Science
Why teach CER? Why is it important?
Claims, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) is a scaffolded way of teaching the scientific process. We see CER used across all subjects, including science, math, language arts and history. CER is a method of argumentative writing, one of the three modes students should be learning to write in throughout their academic career. Students should be first introduced to CER through modeling and will need to practice connecting their hypothesis (argument) to strong proof, or evidence. Some students mistakenly believe the search engine, Google, is “proof”. Google is just a search engine to help us navigate our way to the articles and evidence we use to prove our hypothesis is true or false. It is also important to help students find ways to dig deeper into search engine results. For example, if a student is doing a CER on Egyptian mummification and a Wikipedia article is the first search engine suggestion, help guide the student to the citations at the end of the article. Those are where the “meat” of the evidence lies and those links often take them to the original sources helping support, or refute, the argument/hypothesis.
What are the steps in CER?
Here are two great resources: one is a checklist for students to use and empowers them to make sure they have a strong CER (it’s also helpful for parents in using it as a guide in teaching each of the steps). https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sH-fXCEzRuGJTsEOmojo9VlD2R0hJul7/view?usp=sharing
The second is a graphic organizer students may use to guide them through the CER process. There are hundreds of different graphic organizers on the internet and a simple search of “Claims Evidence Reasoning graphic organizer” will bring up dozens to choose from. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KtGLMBrhfZE6d6Qk91ke5si4zSQLgxZ8/view?usp=sharing
How do I know if a student has mastered CER?
In evaluating a student’s work with CER, it is important that it is first modeled 3 times, walking them through each of the steps (using the CER checklist linked in the previous question) with a subject they are currently working on. After modeling 3 times, a student should be able to meet 70% of the checklist independently. There are many great resources for teachers on the internet regarding implementing CER across various subjects. Here is one resource to help teachers learn how to use CER in the classroom: https://bit.ly/3jSpAnp
Yearbook Needs YOUR Help!
email images to micaela.leinonen@rsd.edu
Spirit Wear
We have exciting news to share!! We’ve been working with Tri-City Tees & Screen Printing to offer Homelink spirit wear! There are t-shirts, performance tees, hoodies, pullover jackets, jogger pants, shorts, hats, masks, and more! Lots of options for showing off your school spirit! If you place your order before December 5th, your items will be completed and delivered to your home before the holiday. Order soon for Christmas delivery!
Can’t order now? No worries.. this store will stay active the rest of the school year. :)
http://tricityteesstore.actiondesigneronline.com/ProductListing.aspx?Type=1834&Style=4032
Flash Alerts & Weather Related Info
Winter is just around the corner and that means the possibility of schools on a delay or being closed because of inclement winter weather.
The district aims to announce delays and cancellations as soon as possible but each weather event is different. Here is how you can learn whether your child's school is on a delayed schedule or closed for the day.
- www.rsd.edu and all school websites — a window will pop up on your screen whenever you visit one of our sites and there is a delay or closure in place.
- Social Media — The district posts delay and closure notices to its Facebook & Twitter accounts.
- Direct Emails & Texts — The district will send emails and texts to parents/guardians as soon as there is a delay or closure decision. Families can receive emails and text alerts by ensuring their contact information is updated in PowerSchool and that they have opted to receive those communications. Families should contact their child's school if they have further questions. Community members may sign up to receive email alerts about delays and closure.
- FlashAlert
- Media — Local television and radio stations frequently run delay and closure announcements
About HomeLink
Email: kathryn.kopsho@rsd.edu
Website: https://threerivershomelink.rsd.edu/
Location: 1710 Van Giesen Street, Richland, WA, USA
Phone: 509-967-6090
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threerivers.homelink.7