4th Grade Newsletter
May 24, 2018
Important Dates
May 25-Field Day
May 28-School Holiday
May 30-Bronco Press and Triathlon Awards
June 1-Last day of school/Reports cards go home/Early release at 12:00
Summer Reading!
Summer shouldn't mean taking a break from learning, especially reading. Studies show that most students experience a loss of reading skills over the summer months, but children who continue to read will gain skills.
Parents should remember that children need free time in the summer to relax and enjoy the pleasures of childhood. So summer reading should be fun. Following are a few tips to make reading enjoyable for your children this summer:
1. Read aloud together with your child every day.
Make it fun by reading outdoors on the front steps, patio, at the beach or park. Also, let your children read to you. For younger children, point out the relationship between words and sounds.
2. Set a good example!
Parents must be willing to model behavior for their children. Keep lots of reading material around the house. Turn off the TV and have each person read his or her book, including mom and dad.
3. Read the same book your child is reading and discuss it.
This is the way to develop habits of the mind and build capacity for thought and insight.
4. Let kids choose what they want to read, and don't turn your nose up at popular fiction. It will only discourage the reading habit.
5. Buy books on tape, especially for a child with a learning disability.
Listen to them in the car, or turn off the TV and have the family listen to them together.
6. Take your children to the library regularly.
Most libraries sponsor summer reading clubs with easy-to-reach goals for preschool and school-age children. Check the library calendar for special summer reading activities and events. Libraries also provide age appropriate lists for summer reading.
7. Subscribe, in your child's name, to magazines like Sports Illustrated for Kids, Highlights for Children, or National Geographic World.
Encourage older children to read the newspaper and current events magazines, to keep up the reading habit over the summer and develop vocabulary. Ask them what they think about what they've read, and listen to what they say.
8. Ease disappointment over summer separation from a favorite school friend by encouraging them to become pen pals.
Present both children with postcards or envelopes that are already addressed and stamped. If both children have access to the Internet, email is another option.
9. Make trips a way to encourage reading by reading aloud traffic signs, billboards, notices.
Show your children how to read a map, and once you are on the road, let them take turns being the navigator.
10. Encourage children to keep a summer scrapbook.
Tape in souvenirs of your family's summer activities picture postcards, ticket stubs, photos. Have your children write the captions and read them and read them aloud as you look at the book together.
Field Day
Sunscreen
Please apply sunscreen to your kids before school on Field Day. Do NOT send sprays of any kind (sunscreen or insect spray) to school.
Hydration
All students should have a water bottle on hand, while outside. Extra water will be provided in stations as well. Please tell your child to drink a half to two cups of water (equivalent of 4 or more kid size gulps) before leaving each and every station, even if they are not thirsty. Children who wait to drink until they feel thirsty, are usually already dehydrated.
Please remind your child to wear his/her new field day shirt.
The boys and girls need to wear athletic shoes. No flip flops allowed.
You may want to send a towel and a plastic bag for wet clothes.
Students may wear hats and sunglasses.
Parents will not be able to eat lunch with the children tomorrow because we will be eating in our classrooms and space is limited.
Proof of Registration
To be sure your child is placed on a class list, it is necessary for us to have a current/updated lease agreement for all students. Therefore, if your lease expires during the summer, or you provided only a utility bill, please provide the most recent copy of your lease agreement by August 3rd.
You may provide your lease agreement via any of the methods detailed below.
- Scan your lease agreement, attach the document to an email, and email it to poornima.poondi@pisd.edu.
- Fax your lease agreement to 469-752-0101.
- Bring your lease agreement to Renner Middle School at 5701 West Parker Road, Plano, TX, 75093 between July 25th and August 3rd.
New Student Registration
New student registration will take place at Renner Middle School.
If you know of anyone that is moving to Barksdale, and needs to enroll their child(ren) over the summer, please let them know that NEW student registration will be held at Renner Middle School in the library, July 25th and July 26th, from 9:00am -11:00am and 1:00pm -3:00pm.