JWL's Tiger Tid-Bits
October 2018
It's Fall, Y'all!
Thank you for your support of your students and our campus. We are collecting Box Tops. Here is the Box Top website: https://www.boxtops4education.com/about.
By being able to raise funds is important for our campus so that we are able to purchase special items for students. This includes goal rewards for grade levels and campus celebrations in general.
HOW BOX TOPS WORKS:
BUY: Find Box Tops on hundreds of products >
CLIP: Clip Box Tops from each package.
SEND: Send the Box Tops to school in a baggie or on a collection sheet >
EARN: Box Tops are each worth 10¢ for your school.
Remember, at J.W. Long each student excels in every subject every day by displaying Tiger PRIDE!
Respect for others
Integrity
Determination &
Enthusiasm!
We need 83 more parent portals to be complete!
Goals & Focus
Growth Mindset
The growth mindset has been a topic in education for the past few years. In short,
- Students with a growth mindset believe that intelligence can be developed. These students focus on learning over just looking smart, see effort as the key to success, and thrive in the face of a challenge.
- Students with a fixed mindset believe that people are born with a certain amount of intelligence, and they can’t do much to change that. These students focus on looking smart over learning, see effort as a sign of low ability, and wilt in the face of a challenge.
- Students with a growth mindset do better in school.
As parents, we have the opportunity to help our students understand how effort is valued and determination helps us be successful. Our opportunities are not limited to what we're born with alone.
This month let's really look at what fixed and growth mindsets are and how they impact learning. Here is a website for parents (English & Spanish) that helps explain and provide research behind how a growth mindset helps students excel academically.
In November, we'll look at "Topic 2: How Parents Can Instill a Growth Mindset" from this same website.
Literacy at Home
This article was taken from this Scholastic website.
How to Create an Environment for Reading at Home
-
Make sure that you know your child’s reading level and provide them with books that are on or just above their level. Scholastic’s Book Wizard is the perfect tool to aid you in the quest for books appropriate to your child’s reading level. The Book Wizard can be accessed on Scholastic’s website or downloaded as an app for use on smartphones or tablets.
-
Read aloud to your child. This models fluency, accuracy, and expression so they can learn to read like you do. Make sure that when you are reading you get into character. Use voices for different characters and make sure to have fun with rhyming or pattern books.
-
Listen to your child read aloud. By listening to their reading you can help them learn to self-correct errors and use decoding strategies to sound out unfamiliar words. It is also great practice for your children to hear themselves read in order to work on their fluency.
-
Have plenty of books available for your child to choose and read. Go to the library frequently. Take advantage of the Scholastic Reading Club when flyers come home. Ordering through your child’s classroom also earns points for your child’s teacher to get even more books for their classroom library.
Attendance
DID YOU KNOW?
Starting in kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
Missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) can make it harder to learn to read.
Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks.
Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up. Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Start building this habit so they learn right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Good attendance will help children do well in high school, college, and at work.
Help Your Child Succeed in School:
- Build the Habit of Good Attendance
Early School success goes hand in hand with good attendance!
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Set a regular bed time and morning routine.
Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
Don’t let your child stay home unless she is truly sick. Keep in
mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.
If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to
teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on
how to make her feel comfortable and excited about learning.
Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something
comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or
another parent.
Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school
is in session.
When Do Absences Become a Problem?
CHRONIC ABSENCE: 18 or more days
WARNING SIGNS: 10 to 17 days
SATISFACTORY: 9 or fewer absences
Note:
These numbers assume a 180-day school year.
Morning Car Drop Offs
Thank you to the parents that have been following our instructions and waiting as expected.
Dress Code
Students are to wear collared, single color shirts with black, navy, or khaki pants, shorts (if weather appropriate), or skirts.
For cooler days or classrooms, hoodies or sweaters are allowed that are also solid or single colored, Terrell Tiger spirit wear, or military.
For cold weather, outer wear can be any style, but it cannot be worn in the building. Students may wear it until arrive in the classroom where they will be asked to put it in their lockers or on the backs of their chairs.
For more information regarding the dress code please refer to the Student Code of Conduct and Handbook link located here on our TISD website.
Volunteering
Our campus is open to our families; we invite you to come and join us for various events and celebrations throughout the year. We have many opportunities for our families to get involved at our campus. Volunteer opportunities include, but are not limited to: reading and working with students, supporting the office by completing tasks such as making copies and laminating class projects, and monitoring and participating in school events including, but not limited to lunch/recess, field trips, and PTO. Visit www.terrellisd.org/volunteer to learn more about becoming a volunteer. You may also find our campus calendar by visiting http://www.terrellisd.org/calendar-long.
**Parents, I want to clarify, to apply for a volunteer badge it does NOT cost for the initial background check. I understand there is a fee amount listed on the background check; however, that is not for the initial check.
Stay connected with Remind
In efforts to keep you well informed, I invite you to join our communication outlets. You can text the code @jwlongelem to the number 81010 to subscribe to our campus Remind thread. This is how I as the principal communicate directly with parents to give updates, reminders, and special notices. (These messages can be translated to your language of choice through the Remind app. Click here to access the app.) Speaking of sharing, if you like to tweet on Twitter, follow us look for our tag #TigerPride to see the amazing things happening across Terrell ISD.
PTO Membership & Support
Our meetings are held the second Thursday of each month at 6pm.
October PTO Meeting
Thursday, Oct 11, 2018, 06:00 PM
J W Long Elementary School, Creekside Drive, Terrell, TX, USA
Transportation
Bus: GoldStar Transit
If you need to address bus transportation changes, please contact the campus at 972-563-1448; we will contact Gold Star with the given changes.
Car Pick Up
Please refer to the map posted below regarding which lane to drop off & pick up your students.
Walkers, Bikers, & Day Care
No parents are to walk up to the doors of the building. Walkers will be escorted to their respective areas by staff members. Students may only be walkers if they live in the adjacent neighborhoods (Creekside Estates or Town North), and we have a written note from parent giving permission for student to walk to specific address (their home) in these neighborhoods.
Day Care
If your student rides a day care van, please write a note to your student's teacher with the full name of the day care facility.
Transportation Changes
Also know that all names of people you grant permission to pick up your child(ren) from school need to be listed in our student database. Please be sure you've updated this information to expedite the pick up process in the office.
Thanks!
Child Nutrition
- Student meal accounts: Parents will need their student's ID number to set up their Lunch Money Now account. Please call the Terrell ISD School Nutrition Department at 972-563-7504 for help with this process. To access menus or complete a meal application, please go to http://www.terrellisd.org/school-nutrition.
Lunch Visits
- We encourage parents and guardians to join their student for lunch from time to time. Due to limited space and for the safety of our students, parents/guardians are to eat with ONLY their child at the reserved visitor tables on the stage. Thank you for your support and understanding.
- Also note that occasional lunch drop offs are understood as students may forget their lunch from time to time. If dropping off a lunch for your student please do so before their scheduled lunch time. If your child does not have a lunch at their scheduled lunch time, we will have them get a lunch through the cafeteria line. Lunch time is an extremely busy time in the front office; when lunches are dropped off, a contact is made to the teacher's classroom. The teacher is to have the student retrieve his/her lunch on the way to the cafeteria. You may also contact your child's teacher via Remind message to confirm the child has received their lunch.
School Uniforms
- Any solid color polo or button-down collared shirt are allowed. Large logos are not permitted.
- Bottoms must be khaki, navy, or black. Bottoms include pants, skorts, capris, knee length skirts or shorts are allowed. Jogger style, skinny fit, and cargo style pants/shorts are not allowed.
- On PE days, students need to wear closed toed shoes, preferably tennis shoes.
Spirit Wear on Fridays
Contact Us
Email: melissa.nichols@terrellisd.org
Website: http://www.terrellisd.org/jwlelementaryschool
Location: 300 Creekside Drive, Terrell, TX, United States
Phone: 972-563-1448
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrellisd/
Twitter: @TerrellISD