Elkins Update
A Newsletter to Keep Parents Informed
Journey to Excellence
* We hope this newsletter helps to keep you informed of things going on at Elkins and answer any questions you may have. Feel free to call the office with any questions or email administration (Kori Werth kwerth@ems-isd.net & Bobby Jackson bjackson@ems-isd.net) if you have questions or concerns you need addressed. Our door is always open, and we want to work with partners to help your children be successful!
Did You Know?
- Kids can lose up to 3 months of educational ground over the summer months.
- Research indicates over 2 months of reading progress (roughly 20% of the school year's gain) can be lost over a 3 month summer.
- Teachers spend about a month reviewing prior learning at the beginning of the school year to recover lost skills.
- There is a cumulative effect to this regression when it occurs year after year. The result is a widening gap in educational skills.
- This doesn't have to happen....
What Can Families Do to Keep Children Reading During the Summer?
As children's first and most important teachers, families have a major role to play in motivating children to read during the summer months. There are many strategies families might use to encourage summertime reading:
Combine Activities with Books:
Summer leaves a lot of time for kids to enjoy activities, such as going to the park, seeing a movie, or going to the beach. Why not also encourage them to read a book about the activity? If you're going to a baseball game, suggest that your child read a book about a favorite player beforehand.
Visit the Library:
If your child doesn't have a library card, summer is a great time to sign up for one. In addition to a wide selection of books to borrow, many libraries have fun, child-friendly summer reading programs. Visit the link below with information about library locations and services.
http://fortworthtexas.gov/Library/
Talk it Up:
Talking with your kids about what you have read also lets them know that reading is an important part of your life as well. Tell them why you liked a book, what you learned from it, or how it helped you- soon they might start doing the same.
Help Kids Find Time to Read:
Summer camp, music lessons, baseball games, and videos are all fun things kids like to do during the summer. However, by the end of the day, children may be too tired to pick up a book. When planning summer activities with children, remember to leave some time in their schedules for reading. Some convenient times may be before bedtime or over breakfast.
Relax the Rules for Summer:
During the school year, children often have busy schedules and have required reading for class. Summer is a time when children can read what, when and how they please. Don't set a daily minute requirement or determine the number of pages they should read. Instead, make sure they pick up books for fun and help find ways for them to choose to read on their own. You may even want to make bedtime a little later if you find that your child cant' put down a good book.
Have Plenty of Reading Material Around:
Storybooks aren't the only think that kids can read for fun. Be sure to have newspapers, magazines, and informational material on hand that might spark the interest of a young reader.
Read Aloud with Kids:
Take your children to see a local storyteller or be one yourself. The summer months leave extra time for enthusiastic read-alouds with children, no matter what their age. Don't forget to improvise different voices or wear a silly hat to make the story that much more interesting.
STAAR Results
Please be aware that the 2017-18 STAAR results will be electronically communicated to parents this year.
Parents of 5th grade students should have already received an email with the unique access code to the TEA website to view your child's math/reading results.
3rd/4th results as well as 5th grade Science will arrive during the third week of June. Electronic communication via email will also be communicated to you with the results from your child's testing.
Paper copies of Confidential Student Reports can be provided upon request.
Online Registration is now OPEN!
Student registration for 2018-19 opens April 30
The annual online student registration portal has undergone some restructuring this year to simplify and streamline the process for our families in preparation for the 2018-2019 school year. Due to these adjustments, EMS ISD is pleased to announce that ALL students - current, new, and former students who are returning to EMS ISD - can now register earlier than in previous years. Online registration for ALL students opens April 30!
All current, new, and former students who are returning must register for the 2018-19 school year online. Current and former students will be asked to update required forms and information while new students will complete the full registration packet. Please do not attempt to register or complete new enrollment before April 30; the current processes open online right now are for the current school year only. Visit our RegistrationOpens a New Window. section for more information and registration links.
Opening the registration window earlier for all students benefits both families and district staff. Families will be able to take care of this process before leaving for summer vacations and will not need to set aside time in July as in years past to complete the online forms. For district staff, having registration earlier aids in staffing projections for teachers and support staff, and allows us to recruit top-quality educators from larger pools of candidates.
In addition to the registration portal, information is being updated regularly on our Back to School InformationOpens a New Window. section. Be sure to visit the site for all the need-to-know details including your school attendance zone and feeder system, school supply lists, immunization requirements, and more.
School News
- Registration is now open! Please register your student online, so we have an accurate count of who will be here next year!
- Spring is here, and that means testing season has arrived. On state testing days, we ask that visitors refrain from coming to campus. We will have another round of STAAR testing on May 14th, 15th, & 16th. Thank you for your assistance, and we will keep you posted if any other dates are added due to makeup testing, etc.
- May 11th is K-1 Field Day during the morning! We will also have a STAAR Pep Rally that afternoon!
- May 23rd is Elkins Career Day! We are excited to welcome volunteers from our community who will come share their career field with our students.
- May 24th is 2-5 Field Day!
- We will not have school on Friday, May 25th or Monday, May 28th! Enjoy your 4 day weekend!
- Elkins Remind is a way we use to communicate important events, send reminders, and communicate to our families. If you have not signed up, please follow this link in order to sign up. We send important reminders such as picture day, special events, early releases, etc.! This is a great way to stay connected!
Dates to Remember
Friday, May 4th:
Moms with Muffins @ 7:10 am
Thursday, May 10th:
KG & 1st Grade Performance/PTA Meeting
Friday, May 11th:
KG & 1st Grade Field Day
May 14th-16th:
STAAR Testing: Campus Closed to Visitors
Friday, May 18th:
Clubs Today!
Tuesday, May 22nd:
NRH2O trip/concert for Hoofbeats
Wednesday, May 23rd:
Career Day
Thursday, May 24th:
2nd-5th Field Day
Friday, May 25th:
Bad Weather Day (No School)
Monday, May 28th:
No School- Memorial Day
Tuesday, May 29th:
5th Grade Awards: 8:00 AM
4th Grade Awards: 9:00 AM
3rd Grade Awards: 10:00 AM
Talent Show: 12:00-1:30
Wednesday, May 30th:
KG Awards: 8:00 AM
1st Grade Awards: 9:00 AM
2nd Grade Awards: 10:00 AM
Thursday, May 31st:
Last Day of School & Early Release at 11:40