ALBERTVILLE PRIMARY SCHOOL
FEBRUARY 2024-KINDERGARTEN NEWSLETTER
Technology Tips from Your Elementary School Mental Health Staff
What children do in their free time greatly impacts their lives, both now and in the future. Whether your children are fixated on TV or video games, it is likely they spend many hours a week tuned into music, movies, computer games, or TV. While their main goal is to be entertained, they are also soaking up messages that these shows and games deliver. Below is information about the effects of electronic media on children, and what you can do to lessen the negative impact. Please consider the following tips:
- Watch with them. When your child watches TV, watch too. When something you find offensive presents itself, speak up.
- Turn it off. Limit the time your son/daughter watches TV, plays video games, etc. Read a book or play a game together instead. Find a balance between technology, movement, family time, etc.
- Keep it out of their bedrooms. Research shows that children who have electronic media in their bedrooms spend more time tuned into it & less time working on activities that build their minds, bodies, & social skills.
- Use the rating systems. There are helpful rating systems on all TV shows, CD’s, and video games. Be aware of the ratings and strictly limit your child to those you feel are appropriate. (NAESP Report)
From your Elementary Mental Health Staff
IMPORTANT DATES
February 1: Kindergarten Registration for 2024-2025 School Year Opens (Online) (*Please note: your current kindergarten student is automatically enrolled in 1st grade for next year.)
February 5: School Board Meeting @ 6PM
February 7: Global School Day of Play
February 13: POPs (Parents of Primaries) Meeting @ 6PM in Media Center
February 20: School Board Meeting @ 6PM
February 29: Wear PINK for the Character Strong Trait of Perseverance
PROCEDURES for DETERMINING CLOSINGS and SCHOOL DELAYS
The superintendent and transportation personnel will begin checking National Weather Service reports, radar and road conditions around 4:00 a.m. The superintendent and transportation personnel will consult with city snow removal crews and other school districts for updates on road conditions and safety. School closings and delays will be based upon the following:
· Current weather conditions and future forecast including temperatures and wind chill conditions
· Timing of the start and end of a storm and of other weather conditions such as fog and ice
· Ability of road crews to plow and maintain roads and apply chemicals in conditions that improve road surfaces
· Ability of district grounds staff and contracted services to remove snow in parking lots
Notifications:
Families should always assume schools are open and in session, unless they hear or see differently from an official source. Websites will only indicate when schools are closed or delayed; not when they remain open. If schools will be using a 2-hour late start or canceling altogether, the District will notify parents starting at approximately 5:30 a.m. on the day of the late start or cancellation. On occasion, decisions may be communicated the night before the late start or cancellation. Parents will be notified using the following tools:
Phone/Voice messages
Text messages
Email messages
District website posting
The district will notify local media outlets – WCCO, KSTP, KARE, and KMSP (Fox 9) – but cannot guarantee how or when the media will report the information we provide them. Additional information can be found on the district website.
Global School Day of Play - February 7
On Wednesday, February 7, Albertville Primary students will be given time for free play without the use of screens or structured games as we participate in the Global School Day of Play. The idea is to let children explore their creativity, problem-solving skills, and social interactions in an unstructured yet supervised environment. The benefits for students participating in the Global School Day of Play include promoting social interaction, inspiring creativity, utilizing their imagination, and having fun! Ask your child what he or she did at school during the Global Day of Play.