Grant Gazette
April 2021
Dear Families,
Dear Families:
As we push home for these final weeks of school, I'd like to thank everyone who has made this year as great as it has been. Last year at this time, we were not able to have in-person school and it made us realize just how much affect a child's teacher has on his education.
We are so thankful that we've been able to have in-person school this year. I have to admit, in the fall, I really wondered if we would make it this far. I'm so glad that we did!
Attendance is vitally important to your child's education. I realize that this has been a crazy year for parents (and teachers) because every time you hear a child cough, you think, "Is it COVID-19?"
However, your children NEED to be in school so they can maximize their learning potential! We want them here every day because we know how important every day is and how much they miss when they are gone.
So remember, if your child has a fever or has thrown up overnight, keep them home. But if they are complaining of a stomach ache or headache, please send them to school--especially if they've missed more than 10 days already. If the symptoms get worse, our health office will call and provide updates for you.
Have a wonderful April!
Mr. Berryman
Masks!
As you are doing spring cleaning around your house, see if you can find any extra masks around your home. Wash them and send them with your child to school so he or she always has an extra mask or two in the backpack.
"Testing Season" is upon us!
As you can see below in "Upcoming Events", all of our students will have some sort of spring assessment in both reading and math this spring. These are "snapshots" of what your child has learned throughout the year and teachers use the results to plan their instruction throughout the year.
Here are a few tips about how to help your child be successful on test day:
Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep and eats a healthy breakfast
Many teachers report that students who don't do well on tests haven't gotten enough sleep, and haven't eaten breakfast on the morning of the test. Doing both of these things will ensure that your child is working at full capacity.
Make sure your child is prepared
Some schools may supply the tools your child needs for the test, such as pencils, an eraser, paper, and a calculator. Others may require the students to bring those materials themselves. Check with your child's teacher to see if you need to provide your child with any of these materials. Also, check to see whether you child will be able to make up the test if she is sick on test day.
Remain positive
Staying calm will help your child stay calm. If she gets nervous about the test or is likely to experience anxiety during the test, help her practice some relaxation techniques that she can try once she's taking the test.
In addition to these strategies, there are a number of ways that you can maximize your child's learning capabilities throughout the school year, which can lead to confident test-taking. Some of these strategies include:
- Helping your child develop good study habits, thinking skills, and a positive attitude towards education from an early age
- Ensuring that your child has good attendance at school
- Staying in communication with your child's teacher
- Encouraging your child to read as much as possible, and to increase her vocabulary - even reading magazines, newspapers, and comic books regularly will help improve her reading skills
- Looking for educational games and programs that engage your child
- Helping your child learn how to follow directions carefully.
Finally, remember that standardized tests and grading systems are not perfect; each format has its own limitations. As you help your child do her best on the tests she takes and in all of her schoolwork, also remind her that testing is just one part of her education. With your support and involvement, she will be well on her way to her own bright future.
Upcoming Events
April 2-5 NO SCHOOL!
April 6 PTO Meeting--5:30pm
April 20 3rd Grade Language Arts State Test
April 20 4th Grade Language Arts State Test
April 22 3rd Grade Math State Test
April 22 4th Grade Math State Test
April 23 NO SCHOOL for students; Teacher Professional Development Day
April 27 2nd Grade Language Arts Test
April 28 Kindergarten Round up
April 29 2nd Grade Math test
May 3 1st Grade Math and Language Arts tests
May 5 Kindergarten Math test
May 6 Kindergarten Language Arts test
Summer School Invitations
Many of you have received invitations to summer school (it was on a yellow piece of paper and was sent home with 76 students on March 30. We need those papers back, whether your child will attend summer school or not. This allows us to know how many children are coming to summer school and then allows us to offer the opportunity to more students.
If you have more questions about summer school, please call us at school at 644-2455.
3td Grade Heroes Project
Save the Date (if you can!)
Also, our 4th grade students will participate in the NPS 4th grade track meet on Friday, May 14. This even will also take place at Johnny Carson Field and parents are welcome, but must stay in the bleachers.
Look for more information about these two events coming soon.
Counselor's Corner
Counselor Corner for April newsletter:
Spring is here and our thoughts are beginning to turn toward the end of the school year, and summer! I hope that you all take advantage of the wonderful public library we have here in Norfolk, and their fun summer reading program While you are there checking out books, be sure to look for some of these wonderful kids' books which support good mental health in our children by teaching them more about emotions and social skills!
Lists of books from a local counselor, which support good mental health -
Picture books: https://heidigoehmann.com/blog/mental-health-picture-books
Middle readers: https://heidigoehmann.com/blog/mental-health-middle-readers
Also, anything by Sue Graves, Bryan Smith, William Mulcahy, Laurie Wright, Julia Cook, or Cherie Meiners! Some of these fun books are used in my lessons during the school year, and kids LOVE them!
I would love to hear about your favorites, and work them into my lessons next year! Be sure to send me an email with the title!
2021-2022 Kindergarten Roundup
We will be hosting Kindergarten roundup on Wednesday, April 28. We host two sessions for next year's Kindergarten class--one from 9-11 AM and the other from 1-3 PM. If you have any questions, please give Mrs. Roenfeldt a call at 644-2544. Thanks!
Grant Elementary School
Email: troyberryman@npsne.org
Website: https://www.norfolkpublicschools.org/schools/grant-elementary/
Location: 1106 Phillip Avenue, Norfolk, NE, USA
Phone: (402) 644-2544
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PTOGrantElementary/
Twitter: @GrantElemNPS