November News and Views

2013 NOVEMBER NEWS and VIEWS

Gobble, Gobble…….We hope you are gearing up for the hunting and holiday season!

As we get ready for the seasonal happenings, we have many educational things happening here at Johnson Creek Elementary. We would like to thank all the parents who attended our Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 14th. We had over 96% of our parents in attendance! Thank you for supporting our efforts and making learning a priority for your child.

CALENDAR of UPCOMING EVENTS

Week of Nov.4th-15th WKCE Testing for Grades 3rd - 5th

November 6th End of Quarter

November 8th EARLY RELEASE-Students dismissed at 11:30- No PM 4K and EC

- No lunch served

- POPS behavior rewards party

November 11th Veteran Day Program 8:30 in our gym

November 18th-26th Penny Wars to raise money for the Children’s Hospital Cancer Ward

( Our Holiday Service Learning Project)

November 27th-30th NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving Vacation

December 10th Christmas Program K - 2 6:30 - 7:00PM

3 - 5 7:30 - 8:00PM

VETERAN’S DAY CELEBRATION

JC Elementary is planning a special Veteran’s Day Celebration on Monday, November 11th, at 8:30 AM. Under the direction of Juanita Edington, Elementary Music teacher, Jill Sireno, 1st Grade teacher and Mary Kate Everly, 4K Teacher. We are inviting veterans related to students in our building to join in this celebration. We hope everyone can join in for this tribute to all of the men and women who have served our country. Please return your form with your service information to Mrs. Edington by November 6th so we can include you in the program. We hope you will join us in the worthy tribute to our local armed forces representatives.

Elementary School General Music Winter Concerts

Please mark your calendar for December 10th

6:30-7:00 - Kindergarten through 2nd graders

7:30-8:00 - 3rd through 5th graders

(Contact Mrs. Edington with questions on the December 12th concert.)

WKCE Testing

The Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE) will be given to our Third, Fourth, Fifth Grade Grade students in November. The testing window for our school will be the weeks of November 4th - 15th. Parents can help students prepare for the state assessment with some simple steps.

General Preparation

Encourage students to answer all test questions.

Remind students to listen to, and to read, all directions.

Remind students to tackle the test one question at a time, rather than thinking of the entire test.

When possible, it is beneficial to establish a daily routine – for meals, homework, chores, bedtime and family time.

Encourage students to participate in practice sessions.

Ensure students get a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast before taking a test.

Provide students with a study area at home.

Offer praise and encouragement for achievement and improvement.

Encourage students to practice good study habits and to set aside time every day for homework.

Reading Test Preparation

Read to students and encourage them to read to you.

Encourage students to read the newspaper, magazines and recreational books.

Discuss with your children what they are reading.

Mathematics Test Preparation

Play games that involve numbers and/or computation.

Encourage students to make connections between their everyday lives and what they are learning in math class.

Encourage the use of math every day through measuring for recipes, adding prices at the store, creating a budget, explaining graphs & charts in reading materials, and taking measurements while working on home projects or sewing.

Science Test Preparation

Encourage participation in science competitions, fairs and other activities.

Share your enthusiasm for, and interest in, science.

Explore nature centers, zoos and science museums.

Language Arts Test Preparation

Play word games and encourage expansion of vocabulary.

Encourage your student to write letters or keep a journal.

Social Studies Test Preparation

Encourage discussion around current events and how they affect human rights, governments and geography.

Make comparisons to similar events.

Please have your child get plenty of sleep and eat a healthy breakfast (even when we are not testing!). We will continue to supply snack items and have relief breaks between sections. As staff is practicing test taking now, we hope to diminish test anxiety for this stressful time. Thank you for all your efforts in supporting your child during this time!

THANK YOU- FRIENDS OF OUR SCHOOL FOR A GREAT FALL FESTIVAL! The students loved the crafts, games and treats!

Do Your Homework on Helping Kids with Theirs

When you have school-aged children, homework is a fact of life. But it doesn't have to be unpleasant. Do your part to help your child get the most from his or her homework with this advice:

Show your interest. Ask children about their homework assignments. Talk about why they're important and what the child can learn from them. You need to show that homework is important and worthwhile.

Establish a routine. Set aside regular time for homework--right after dinner, perhaps. This helps the child get into the habit of beginning on time.

Eliminate distractions. Turn off the TV and radio, and provide adequate space where your child can work without being bothered by siblings, parents making dinner, etc.

Help your child prioritize. Time management is essential. Your child should keep a notebook or log all of his or her assignments so none are forgotten. Advise children to identify which assignments will be most difficult and time-consuming so they can start on those when they're fresh.

Offer help--within limits. Don't do their homework for them. If they get stuck, ask questions and guide them through the difficulties so they're doing the work themselves. Otherwise they won't learn the subject--or responsibility for doing their own work.

Praise their efforts. Getting the right answer is important, but so is supporting the process. Praise them for working hard and not giving up when they're tired or frustrated.

Give them a break. Let children take short breaks if they start to get too frustrated with a particular assignment. You don't want a complete meltdown over an arithmetic problem.

Work with the teacher. Stay in contact with your children's teachers so you know what their expectations are--for the child and for you as a parent.

Soft Drinks Cause Nutritional Deficiencies

· The U.S. Department of Agriculture shows American students are guzzling soda pop at high rates. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, teenagers are now drinking twice as much pop as they are milk. This should be a concern to parents, as children are missing out on vital nutrients.

· Concerned that children are not getting the right nutrients due to excessive drinking of soda, members of Congress are discussing removing pop machines from public schools.

· Children who overeat and drink too many sodas are at risk of cancer during their adult years. In February 1998, the British Medical Journal reported that an increase of 250 calories in a child’s typical diet can increase the risk of cancer by 20 percent.

· Often, parents give children diet soda to limit sugar intake, but few are aware of the dangers of aspartame found in diet pop. The Food and Drug Administration has found 92 different health side effects from aspartame, including brain tumors, birth defects, emotional disorders, and seizures.

· The Journal of the American Dietetic Association states that flavored milk is actually a healthy choice for children. Flavored milk contains nine essential nutrients that are contained in regular milk: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin B12, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, and niacin.

Parent-Teacher Communication: A Link to Student Success

Statistics tell us that students whose parents stay involved in their lives and keep communication lines with the school open will be more successful.

Parents are often reluctant to contact their child’s teacher. Indeed, as a parent, you may find yourself thinking, “He has so many students, he doesn’t have time to talk about Jimmy” or “I hate to bother him about this; it isn’t that big of a problem yet, or ….Maybe he’ll just think I’m an over-anxious parent”. In any event, when you find yourself thinking along these lines, remember that both you and the teacher have the same goal: to help your child succeed in school and eventually, in life.

Here are some guidelines that may help you feel more confident when you contemplate calling your child’s teacher:

Unless it is a serious emergency, call the teacher at school, not at home. Find out when he or she is available for phone calls. If this is not possible, try before or after school, when the teacher is not directly responsible for student supervision.

Make clear communication your goal when contacting a teacher. Don’t be accusatory, but state clearly what problems are occurring with your child. Remember that the story you hear from your child may be colored by personal prejudices. Keeping an open mind, with the success of your child as your foremost goal, will make your conference with the teacher successful.

Parents and teachers must work as a team for the success of students, so don’t hesitate to call!

We are very excited about all the learning opportunities we have going on at Johnson Creek Elementary. We hope you will visit our building and see the great things students are doing.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Kris Blakeley

Elementary Principal/Director of Pupil Services