The Whitney Reporter
Mr. Stacho's Newsletter - March 24, 2017
A Message From Mr. Stacho:
Next week is SPRING BREAK! I hope all our students and their families enjoy some quality time together and enjoy the break from school.
When we return from break, all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will be taking the Ohio test in Reading. Our students will be testing on the mornings of Wednesday, April 5th and Thursday, April 6th. The next set of testing dates for Math (grades 3-5), Social Studies (grade 4) and Science (grade 5) will be May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
Please avoid any unnecessary absences during testing and make sure your child is ON TIME. Students that arrive to school after a test has begun are not allowed to enter the classroom and will have to take the test on a make-up day.
Standardized tests are a federal mandate. Standardized testing has become a fact of life for our nation’s students. The following are some points of interest to help parents and students increase success and decrease stress:
· Know the Test – By this point in the year, the tests that your child will take should be very familiar to your child. One positive aspect of the testing is that the format of the test and the questioning is of no surprise because the State of Ohio makes available practice tests and previous tests. Click here to access materials from the Ohio Department of Education’s website. Once at the ODE website, simply type in "practice tests" in the search box and it will take you to practice tests. I encourage you to visit the ODE websites and look at some of the practice tests with your child. This familiarity can only help.
· Encourage – As testing approaches, the focus should be to encourage your child to do their best without pressure. Pressure tactics tend to produce negative results. This is the time to build your child up and to cheer them along! To that end, with the support of PTA we will be providing some incentives for the children throughout testing days. Whitney students are encouraged to be "Test Taking Superstars!” During testing days, ask your child about their day and the “rewards” they’ve received.
· Health – Sleep and eat! These two ingredients are essential for a child to perform their best on the test. Students should eat a quality breakfast the day of a test. Foods that are high in fat and sugar should be avoided. Most children need more sleep. Children between the ages of 5 and 12 are in need of 10-11 hours of sleep a night! Sleepy children experience difficulty focusing on tasks. Remember that quality test preparation includes good eating and sleeping habits.
· Coach – Remind your children of good test taking characteristics.
o Pay Attention: Good test takers pay attention to oral and written directions and follow them exactly.
o Time is on Your Side: Take your time! Students are given ample time to complete the test. Time is rarely a factor yet there are many students who speed through the test. Successful test takers take a deliberate and methodical approach to completing a test.
o Check Your Work: Students should make sure that answers are complete and that there are no questions that were unintentionally overlooked/skipped.
o Skip and Come Back: Teach your child to own the test instead of the test owning them. Some students tend to get bogged down by one question that stumps them. Students should avoid brooding over one question for too long. Tell them it is alright to skip a question and to come back to it at the end. Sometimes that elapsed time provides a new perspective.
I am confident that the hard work of our staff and students will show during testing days.
Arrival and Dismissal - Carpool loop.
1) Parents - please stay in your cars. School age children should be able to independently open the car door, seat themselves, and buckle their seat belts. When parents in the carpool lane park their cars and get out to open doors for the children it slows down the process and creates a hazard when others try to pull around a parked car.
2) Please pull all the way forward in the carpool lane. We should be able to load about 6 cars at a time at the curb when everyone pulls up.
3) Please do NOT park in the middle of the carpool loop.
4) Please review with your child that they are to wait on the sidewalk and only get into your car when it is stopped at the curb.
*If you need to add your child to the "pick up" list, we request that you send a note in to the teacher and call the office. This allows us the time necessary to be sure that all necessary staff are aware of the student's change in dismissal routine. We simply can't take a child's word for it that they are a "pick up" and can't make phone calls home at the last minute during dismissal to confirm a change in routine. Please remember we have over 400 students who are being dismissed and this takes some time to coordinate each day to be sure students arrive home safely.
We appreciate your cooperation and patience during our dismissal. We continue to work on improving these procedures to provide for a safe and swift exit for all.
Next Year's 6th Grade Camp Information
It's time to sign up for your 6th grade camp experience. Don't delay... register today! Paperwork and deposit to hold your spot is due April 14, 2017. Camp dates are September 8-10, 2017. This is not a school sponsored event. Please direct all questions to sixthgradecamp@gmail.com. See the attached flyer for more information or visit the camp website Here
Here is the flyer for your reference.
Kids Fest Flyer
It's Tribe Time!
Love and Logic Workshops for Parents
FREE CLASS OFFERED TO STUDENTS. CHECK IT OUT!
Please click here to view the flyer from Sylvan about a free class offered at Whitney.
Help us to plan for next year:
If you are planning to move or withdraw your child from Whitney Elementary School for any reason, please let us know immediately. There are some papers that need to be filled out and we also need to know in creating class lists for next year. Additionally, if you know of a neighbor or friend who might be enrolling their student at Whitney for next school year, please ask them to contact the school office for details about enrolling. The more information we have and the sooner we get it, the better prepared we are to plan for next year. Thanks a bunch.
SUMMER SCHOOL
Elementary Grades 2-3
WHEN: June 12th – 30th Monday-Friday 9:00am-11:30am
WHERE: Strongsville HS Media Center
By invitation only (no cost)
Letters will be sent home in the coming weeks.
PTA CARNIVAL - We NEED volunteers - Please read below.
Attention Whitney Families! The forever fun Whitney Carnival Night is coming up on Friday April 7th from 5:30- 8:00 p.m. The PTA needs many volunteers to make this night a success. Please go to http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094FACA922A4FC1-whitney to volunteer for what you like. This is a student favorite at Whitney where we have many games, face, nail, and hair painting, carnival food, and more. All students MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult. It is fun for the whole family! We will be sending home pre-sale ticket forms with the students in the next few weeks. Thank you!
DOWNLOAD THE NEW STRONGSVILLE CITY SCHOOLS MOBILE APP
Strongsville City Schools is excited to introduce our new app for both iPhone and Android smartphones! Stay connected while you’re on the go with this FREE mobile app that will bring you the latest news, information, and events happening in our District. The app delivers real time school news to your smartphone for fast, up-to-date access. The app features include the ability to check your student’s grades, get schedules for our athletic teams, view the lunch menus, and see photos from school events. Search “Strongsville” in the iTunes App Store® or Google Play® to download this free app.