SLO Down Newsletter
NAVSTA ROTA / June 2021
Book Ideas for Recent High School Graduates
If you just graduated high school (or will be graduating soon), you probably have a lot of questions. You’re probably excited but also nervous about all of the unknowns. It’s hard to know what to expect because college will be so different than high school. Luckily there are a lot of great books out there that can give you tips, tricks, and information on college life. So, if you’re a student heading to college in the fall or someone looking to give a gift to a new high school graduate, there are a lot of great options to consider.
Below are a few books to consider. Not sure if one book will be better than the other for you or the student you are buying for? Check out the reviews and search inside the books to get a better idea about each book. Each book is linked to an affiliate link through Amazon. You will not pay extra if you purchase from the link; however, I will receive a small reimbursement if you purchase through the link.
The Freshman Survival Guide: Soulful Advice for Studying, Socializing, and Everything In Between
Authors: Nora Bradbury-Haehl and Bill McGarvey
More tips and tricks to help students navigate college.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and It’s All Small Stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things from Taking Over Your Life
Author: Richard Carlson
Many of us can let little things get to us. And, those little things can affect other parts of our life. This book tries to help the reader realize that the small things are not worth sweating over.
1001 Things Every College Student Needs to Know: Like Buying Your Books before Exams Start
Author: Harry Harrison
The author shares literally 1,001 things students should know while they are in college.
Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone: Advice Your Mom Would Give if She Thought You Were Listening
Author: Becky Blades
There are many things that you need to know before leaving home. This book tries to cover everything so you are prepared when you are on your own at college or in the workforce.
The College Bucket List: 101 Fun, Unforgettable and Maybe Even Life-Changing Things to do Before Graduation
Author: Kourtney Jason
There is so much more to college than the things you will learn in the classroom. College is also about your experiences. This books share 101 ideas to make memorable experiences outside the classroom.
Seuss-isms! A Guide to Life for Those Just Starting Out… and Those Already on Their Way
Author: Dr. Seuss
If you love Dr. Seuss, this book provides great advice in a way that only Dr. Seuss can.
By Jessica Valesco of JVL College Counseling
Rota DGF Middle High School Class of 2021
Rota Elementary & DGF MHS Summer Office Hours
o Rota Elementary
* Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Call Ahead for an Appointment DSN 727-4185 or CIV +34-956-82-4185.
o Rota DGF Middle High School
* Please email or call ahead to schedule a registration appointment. Email:
RotaHS.Registrar@eu.dodea.edu or call: DSN 727-4444 / 4181 /4183 or CIV +34-956-82-XXXX
Youth Center Drawings
Every Monday the contest starts again so the more days a youth attends each week the more chances they have to win. All entries from the previous week will be discarded after the prizes for that week are awarded.
Drawings will happen every Friday, June 18 and 25, July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 and Aug. 6, 13 and 20. Participants do not have to be present on Friday at 4:30 p.m. to win, they will be contacted if they are not in the building at that time.
The Youth Center is open for the summer Monday-Friday, noon-6:30 p.m. beginning June 11.
For more information, please call 956-82-2839/4625 (after noon) or DSN 727-2839/4625 (after noon
Summer Reading & Writing
Talking, listening, writing, art and reading are all connected! Learning to read is a combination of all of these factors. Each activity supports the other’s development. Children learn a great deal about the written language simply by talking and listening. Talking expands children’s conversational abilities, vocabulary and confidence. Reading and writing develop together. Children need opportunities to make connections between reading and the written word to support their overall literacy development. Writing experiences related to reading support children’s motivation to read, their reading skills and their comprehension.
Why Should We Encourage Children to Write?
Writing is a way to learn to read. The key word is MORE! When children write they:
- remember more and longer,
- understand more,
- discuss the book more easily,
- ask more questions and
- are more aware.
Creating their own text based on what they’ve read helps children make connections and find meaning in what they read and write.
What Do We Mean by Writing?
Writing is the process of putting thoughts and ideas on paper. In this case, the focus is on motivating a child to read what is written, instead of using writing to teach handwriting or grammar. This also helps expand the child’s understanding of the story. The mechanics of writing are not as important as the child’s process of thinking.
Accepting Scribbling, Spelling, Grammar and Handwriting
It is okay to accept a child’s scribbling and drawing of pictures as a form of writing; both encourage a child to think about what was read. When children are able to put their ideas into print, their spelling and handwriting should be accepted as is without being corrected or judged. Remember, it’s the ideas – the thinking – that’s important.
Writing is a way to help children read. Children want to read what they have written. This makes reading more meaningful and improves a child’s understanding. Encourage children to talk about what they have written.
Ideas for Writing
Writing becomes most meaningful when it has a purpose. The ideas below give children a purpose for writing.
- Letters
- Greeting cards
- Invitations
- Labels
- Lists
- Magic spells
- Menus
- Instructions
- Sentences
- Advertisements
- Songs
Relating these forms of writing to a story allows children to expand their understanding of the story. For example, after reading a story a child might make a list of characters, write a letter to one of the characters or create an advertisement to encourage others to read the story. Each of information from the story.
Write an Acrostic Poem
Let your creative juices flow and make writing fun! For instance, if you’ve read a book about family, like Tell Me a Story Mama by Angela Johnson, your child might do an acrostic poem. Write “family” vertically down the left-hand side of the paper and then think of a word that begins with each letter and is related to family.
Create a Book
Encourage children to write their own books. Books about family. Books about pets. Books about friends. Above is an example of a shape book – a mitten to accompany the book by the same name. The book is The Mitten by Jan Brett.
Shared Writing
Shared writing is one way to encourage children to write and then to read. Shared writing is an activity between the reading partner and the child. For beginning readers, it is difficult to get ideas into print. They have not mastered the mechanics of writing. Trying to print becomes laborious and not much fun.
So, the child can dictate to a friend or family member! This reading partner can do the writing while the child does the thinking and talking. This works with older kids, too. Taking dictation from an older child can be a powerful motivator. Imagine how a child feels when what he or she says is so important that someone writes it down.
Sit Side-by-Side, Explain, Talk, Write
Shared writing happens when the reading partner becomes the writing partner and writes what the child says. Sit beside the child so that the child can see what is being written. Explain to the child that you are going to write exactly what the child tells you to write.
Engage the child in conversation about his or her ideas before putting them down on paper. Have the child tell you what to write and write down exactly what the child says using the child’s grammar. Use clear, well-spaced, easily read print.
Encourage, Stop and Read, Read Again
Encourage the child to watch the writing take place. Stop occasionally to read aloud to the child what has been written while pointing to the words. The child might also read while pointing to the words. When finished, read aloud the finished product, again pointing to the words. Ask the child to read what he or she has written using your finger to point to the words.
Connecting Writing, Art and Reading
Connecting art with writing helps make it more fun! Some examples for the book Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat, include:
- Draw a picture of the things Gregory ate when he was a terrible eater. Under the picture, the child could write a word, a sentence or several sentences about what Gregory ate.
- Draw a picture of Gregory when he felt horrible. Write below the picture how he felt.
- Make something terrible from found objects and attach a label naming the thing.
- Create a small book with drawings of favorite foods and label the pictures.
Chyrsanthemum
Above is an example for the book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. The child has drawn a favorite flower and then dictated to the reading partner, “I like daffodils because they are my favorite flower to smell.”
Sources
Miltenberger, M., Phillips, R., Harper, S., Gamble, S., McNeil, K., Cottrill, S., and Wilkins, S. (March 2011) Reading Partner Guide, WVU Extension Service, Program Center for 4-H Youth, Literacy Team.
Summer Swimming
Summer Community Classes
Summer Library Program
Summer Bowling
Homeschool Meet & Greet Movie Day
June VaMos!
https://www.navymwrrota.com/magazine
DGF College Fair
Mark the Date…
DGF College Fair
October 13 @ 1330
Contact the School Liaison for Details & Volunteering
Back2School Health & Wellness Fair
Mark the Date…
Back2School Health & Wellness Fair
August 19 @ 1300-1600
More details to follow
College Readiness Workshop
Mark the Date…
College Readiness Workshop
September 16 @ TBD
More details to followIt's PCS Season Again
By calling the School Liaison, military parents can avoid pitfalls and timing mistakes that can
occur when moving from one duty station to another. Here are a few tips to make this PCS just a bit easier for your family:
teacher and administrator) in writing and provide an anticipated withdrawal date. If possible,
provide the name of the new school your child will be attending. Early notification may particularly important given that districts may close schools for COVID-19 related reasons.
school for registration purposes. Allow at least ten business days for this request to be processed.
Social Security cards, and school records (report cards, standardized test results, etc). DO
NOT PACK THIS FOLDER! Be sure to set this folder aside in a safe place so that you
have it available upon arrival at your next duty station. If you have a child who is gifted or
receiving special education services, it is important that ALL educational documents such
evaluations and IEPs be kept in a separate file. The Special Care Organization Record
(SCOR) available at www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil is a great organizational tool.
live! This is especially critical for high school students who may be impacted by changing
graduation requirements, scheduling differences, availability and/or eligibility for extracurricular activities. Ask the SLO for help! Researching schools in advance will help you
understand how the ‘receiving’ district is operating under existing
COVID protocols. The more you know the better.
Find Transition Programs – Programs, like Anchored4Life, can help your child(ren) make new friends and have a smooth transition in the new school’s community. Youth Sponsorship services offered by Child and Youth Programs (CYP) and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America Teen Programs are both excellent ways for your military child to make important community and social connections prior to and immediately after arrival.
NAVSTA SLO — +34-958-82-2425
MCEC June 2021 Webinar Series
The Military Child Education Coalition® announces a series of Parent Education Webinars for military connected parents and professionals who work in support of military-connected children.
These webinars are open to all interested participants and offer research based information and ideas for participants. Mark your calendars and register for the webinar that fits your needs. Once you’ve registered, you will be able to view the live webinar or watch a recorded presentation after the recording is processed.
Attached is a list of June's webinars.
Federal Student Aid
Tutoring Resources
Tutor.com
1. Go to: https://military.tutor.com/home
2. Review eligibility requirements
3. If eligible, create or sign into your free Tutor.com account
4. Click on "Connect with a Tutor"
5. Courses include: math PreK - College, sciences, English, English Language Learners, Social Studies, Social Sciences, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Business, Computer Literacy, Test Prep, Nursing/Allied Health, Study Skills, Life Skills and More
6. Bilingual Spanish-speaking tutors are available for some math, science and social studies subjects
Khan Academy
1. Go to: https://www.khanacademy.org/
2. Click on Learner to open an account
3. Courses include: math PreK - HS, college level math, test prep, science, computing, arts & humanities, economics, reading, language arts and life skills
* Navy endorsement is not implied
Preschool Services for Children with Disabilities
Child Find for children three to five years of age is an ongoing outreach program that locates and identifies children who may have developmental delays or educational disabilities and need special services. If you have concerns regarding your child's development please contact 727- 4185 or 727-4435.
SCHOOL REGISTRATION
DoDEA Online Registration for Students (DORS)
The DoDEA Online Registration for Students (DORS) is currently available for families registering in schools serviced by Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). DORS reduces manual forms and makes it easy for parents to register their child for school.
For complete information about the registration process, including eligibility and enrollment please go to https://www.dodea.edu/registration-process.cfm
NEW STUDENTS
- click here https://dodea-registration.hosted.src-solutions.com/
New students registering for enrollment are required to provide verification of the following:
- Date of Birth
- Dependent Status
- Active Duty Status of Military Sponsor or Employment Status of Civilian Sponsor
- Status of Defense Contractor Sponsor and Central Billing Letter
- Status of non-DoD sponsor (other Federal Agencies)
Spanish School Registration
For information about registering or re-registration with Spanish schools, please contact the School Liaison Officer at 727-2425 or email SLORota@eu.navy.mil.
Spanish Schools workshop will be offered on August 13, 2021.
School Liaison Office
School Liaison Officer – Areas of Support
1. Communication Connections
2. PCSing Support
3. Deployment Support
4. Special Needs Support
5. Home School Support
6. Volunteer Coordination / Partners In Education (PIE)
7. Post-Secondary Preparations
Email: SLORota@eu.navy.mil
Website: https://www.navymwrrota.com/programs/a8fe4fcd-189f-4539-995d-596b3922fbb8
Location: NAVSTA Rota, Building 41
Phone: +34-956-82-2425
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RotaMWR/