At Highcroft, we help learners grow in a safe, caring community where ALL are valued and supported to become leaders.

December

• Dec 21, 2019 - Jan 5, 2020: Winter Break

January

• 6: School Resumes
• 9: 5th Grade Parent Orientation Evening at Central Middle, 6:30 pm/7:00 pm
• 15: Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 pm, 471 N. Woods Mill Road
• 16: 5th Grade Students to Central Middle, 9:15 am - 11:45 am
• 16: All Read, 3:25 pm - 3:45 pm
• 20: No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• 21: Kindergarten Registration, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
• 21: 5th Grade West Middle Evening Program, 6:30 SSD, 7:00 General, 8:00 MOSAICS
• 23: PSO Meeting, 7:00 pm
• 28: Chorus Concert, 6:30 pm, MPR
• 29: Late Start, School begins at 11:05 am

Greetings,

What an amazing first half of the school year we have had. We were recognized as a Green Ribbon School and submitted our application to be named a school of character. Our Let's All Play playground committee realized the efforts of their hard work with the completion of our playground addition. We have engaged in exciting learning experiences and had fun participating in various social events. With all that has occurred, there is still so much more to come in the new year.

Whatever your plans over the next two weeks, Melissa and I wish for you peace, joy, and the love and comfort of family and friends!

In partnership,

Cartelia Lucas

Principal

clucas@parkwayschools.net

Ms. Yelton, Reading Intervention Specialist

This month’s topic: getting your child to read over winter break (and enjoy it)

Scholastic published an excellent article last year by Christie Burnett about making reading fun when students are out of school during the winter. We know it is vital for them to keep their reading muscles “warmed up” during weekends and breaks from school (see the link below for the full article).

Here are seven tips Ms. Burnett suggests:

1. Try a reading challenge. First, make sure you have fun, just right books your child can read relatively independently. Have a household contest for each family member to read 20 minutes every day. You could ask everyone to read a certain number of pages a day, too. (A typical rate equivalent to 20 minutes is about 20-25 pages for a 5th grader.) Ms. Yelton tips: Adults can read to children under 6 years old to count for their minutes/pages. Keep a chart on the refrigerator to keep track of everyone’s minutes/pages. Plan a fun family outing as a reward after you meet your goal.

2. Hook kids with a book set. Ms. Burnett’s daughter suggests Wings of Fire (all about dragons for kids in third to sixth grade)! Ms. Yelton tip: Go to the library to check out books of all kinds or trade/borrow books with friends!

3. Share similar titles. For students who have already found a book or book series they love, search for a “‘read-alike’ —those are books that explore the same genre, or a similar subject or storyline.” There are examples on the Scholastic website provided at the end of this article.

4. Find other books or series by an author your child already enjoys. If your child loves Rachel Renee Russell’s Dork Diaries series, he or she might also enjoy The Misadventures of Max Crumbly: Locker Hero, the first book in the Misadventures of Max Crumbly series.

5. Don’t forget non-fiction! If your child is a scientist, naturalist, historian, or geographer, explore books that cover those topics. Another forgotten gem is the Guinness World Records book collection.

6. Take reading on the road. “Audiobooks offer a novel way to re-visit a much-loved title or to try something new.” Scholastic provides an “age-by-age guide to the best audiobooks for kids” to get you started. Ms. Yelton tip: Keep a bag or bin of books your children love in the car for road trips large and small.

7. Finally, make time to read together as a family. “Kids of all ages love it when their parents read aloud to them. Start out by choosing a book the whole family will enjoy, and then commit to making time each day to slow down, snuggle together and enjoy the closeness of reading together.”

https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/8-tips-getting-your-kids-to-read-over-winter-break.html

Mrs. Stilts, Librarian

Did you know that you can search for books from the Highcroft Library at home with your student? Of course they can search the catalog here at school and in the library, but sometimes it is helpful (and fun) to search for books with your child from the comfort of home. Simply go to the Highcroft Library webpage and select “find a book” from the left-hand menu. While on the webpage, be sure to also explore the other great resources.

When we return to school on January 6th, students will have library classes as scheduled. In all grade levels we are focusing on understanding how the library is organized and how that relates to call numbers. We will continue to explore the excitement of the Dewey Decimal System.

In addition to library navigation skills, we will embark on an engineering design unit. In varying ways, all grade levels will delve into what it means to think and design like an engineer. Students will be presented with different challenges tied to literature. We will practice design thinking by imagining what’s possible, making a plan, designing, testing, and make changes - just like real engineers!

Enjoy this holiday season with your little ones and happy reading!

With appreciation,

Danielle Stilts

@DanielleStilts

dstilts@parkwayschools.net