January 2013

Volume 1, Issue 5

Enos Elementary Newsletter

Individual Highlights:

I.S.A.T. Article 2

F.A.C.E. News 3

P.B.I.S. News 4-5

Nurse News 6

Lunch Menu 7

Muffins with Mom Flyer

Attached

Special Dates to Remember

January 2: Last Day of Winter Break! January 3: Classes Resume! January 3: Station Rotation January 14: Eagle Patrol Soars the City at 4:30 p.m. January 17: 7:15 a.m. Muffins with Mom January 21: No School! January 31: Mystery Celebration

Upcoming Dates

February 7: Family Night at 5:00 p.m. February 8: No School/SIP Day for teachers! February 11: No School/ Parent Teacher Conference for Targeted Students! February 12: No School in honor of Abraham Lincoln! February 18: Eagle Patrol Soars the City at 4:30 p.m. February 28: Mystery Celebration!

 

Instructional Focus: Enos students will show measurable growth in comprehending a variety of reading materials as measured by classroom, district and ISAT assessments.

Reading with comprehension!

Math News Deana Metzke

Hopefully you and your family had an opportunity to attend our Gingerbread Math and Reading Night. Our goal was to not only provide you with an opportunity to have fun with your children building a house, but to also give you some ideas and activities of things to do at home. For example, if you were able to attend the Math War room, you received a deck of cards to take home, so you can play the same game at home that you played at the event. You can even be creative with the cards and create your own math related games. If you were able to attend the Candy Cane measurement station, that is another station that could be adapted to activities at home. You can ask your child questions like, “How many inches long is the TV?” or “How many DVD cases would it take to go the length of the couch/your bed?” These types of questions help your child develop their estimating and measuring skills. At the estimation station, your child had the chance to make guesses as to how many treats were in the different jars. This is also something you can do at home, even with things like bags of chips. Have your child guess how many chips are in the bag and if you’re not ready to pour them all out, use the serving size information on the back to tell your child whether or not they are making good educated guesses. If your child is in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade, they even received a take home book that is math-related. This way we’ve combined reading and math to help your child succeed. Even if you were not able to attend Gingerbread Math and Reading Night, hopefully you will be able to use some of these ideas with your child at home to help develop and maintain their math skills.

Reading News Amanda Londrigan

Get Ready For ISAT

Have you ever wondered what you can do to get your child ready for ISAT? Well here is an idea! In this month’s newsletter, we have included a short nonfiction passage for your child to read and questions (similar to ones on ISAT) for your child to answer. Normally the ISAT passages are much longer and more difficult to read, but this should provide an opportunity for your child to become accustomed this type of questioning. There are many websites you can go to to help prepare your child for ISAT. metacat2.com/iltestlinks.html www.isbe.state.il.us/assessment/isat.htm iirc.niu.edu/Tests.aspx?sample

Shark Facts There are almost 400 different kinds of sharks. Each shark looks different, has a unique diet, and behaves differently. There are sharks in the four oceans of the world. Some sharks are longer than a school bus, while others are so small they can live in fish tanks. Sharks come in all kinds of colors. Most of the time, their skin color helps them blend in with their surroundings. But, some sharks that live in the deepest part of the ocean actually have parts that glow in the dark. Most sharks live in salt water, but some can live in fresh water. Sharks are actually a type of fish. There are some similarities as well as differences between sharks and typical fish. Shark skeletons are made of cartilage. Fish skeletons are made of bones. Cartilage is the bendy, tough substance in people’s ears and noses. Like other fish, sharks have gills that help them breathe. Unlike fish, people use lungs to get oxygen from the air. Fish get oxygen from the water using their gills. Water needs to move over the gills so the sharks can get enough oxygen. To keep the water moving, most sharks need to be swimming in water that has a very strong current. Sharks have a lot of teeth. Sharks have many rows of teeth, rather than just one row like people. The teeth from the outside row gradually fall out. Then teeth from the next row take their place. Some sharks will lose 30,000 teeth in a lifetime! Each species of shark has different kinds of teeth and they eat various kinds of food. Some sharks eat food as small as plankton. Other sharks eat animals as big as sea turtles. Most sharks do not eat very often. Some sharks will go weeks between meals. Sharks are at the top of ocean food chain. This position is very important. It keeps all of the other animal populations from growing out of control. This process helps ensure there is a diversity of life in the oceans. 1. The word unique means 2. Which type of writing is this passage? a. unclear a. persuasive b. ordinary b. biography c. old c. expository d. uncommon d. narrative 3. What is the author’s purpose for writing this passage? a. to convince b. to persuade c. to entertain d. to inform 4. Which of the following is a fact not an opinion? a. Shark skeletons are made of cartilage. b. Sharks are scary. c. Sharks are mean. d. Studying sharks is interesting. 5. Which human organ is most similar to a shark’s gill? a. heart b. lungs c. brain d. kidneys Answer Key – 1) d 2) c 3) d 4) a 5) b

Enos Elementary NEWSLETTER

F.A.C.E. Happy New Year!

As we begin 2013, there are three important resolutions parents can make. Be more positive, be more consistent and be more patient. Promise to be positive. Recognize good behavior and good attitude. This sounds so easy, but it can be difficult. Many of us were conditioned as youngsters to pay attention to the negative. Turn this around. Look for things your children say and do correctly. Promise to be positive. For most parents, being consistent is difficult. Consistency means follow through. Mean what you say and say what you mean. Children must see the cause and effect relationship between how they behave and what happens to them. Children must know what you expect from them and what they expect from you. Promise to have patience. Patience is a virtue that helps us to be more consistent and positive. Have patience for the time it takes to see change in yourself and your children. Individuals do not change behavior patterns quickly. Your child’s misbehavior will not change overnight. Hang in there and be persistent. Being positive, patient, and consistent is not easy. If you slip back to old habits do not criticize yourself. Start fresh tomorrow. Think of all the rewards that await you and your children in the future. Adapted from parenthood.com

Allison Green

Social Worker/Student Support Leader

Upcoming “Cool Tools” Week  18:    Forgiveness  January  7-­11  Week  19:    Attitude  January  14-­18  Week  20:    Courage  January  22-­25  Week  21:    Friendship  January  28-­February  1    

There have been many students who have had their “Blue Gotchas” drawn for “Out of the Blue”. “Blue Gotchas” are given when students are caught demonstrating or using the “Cool Tool” of the month. Please teach and reinforce the “Cool Tool” at home! If you notice your child with large stacks of Gotchas at home, please ask them how they earned that many at school!

December’s Referral Free Celebration 82% of the students at Enos were rewarded for excellent behavior the month of December. Students with zero office referrals participated in a celebration; which included: creating candy trees, singing holiday songs, and face painting. We are so proud of them!

Tips to Start the New Year on Track

When your child returns to school after break there are a few tips to help your child and family get “back in the swing of things”! 1. Clean out book bag and bring school appropriate items to school. 2. Restock school supplies, if needed. 3. Reestablish bedtime and morning routines. 4. Reset guidelines for T.V. time. 5. Reset reading and homework expectations. 6. Review behavior expectations at school.

Talking to your child about the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary: Tips for Parents

Information obtained from: http://www.nasponline.org/index.aspx • Reassure children that they are safe. Validate their feelings. Explain that all

feelings are okay when a tragedy occurs. Let children talk about their feelings, and assist them in expressing these feelings appropriately.

• Make time to talk. Let their questions be your guide as to how much information to provide.

• Keep your explanations developmentally appropriate. Elementary school students need brief explanations or information.

• Limit television viewing of these events. Developmentally inappropriate information can cause anxiety or confusion.

• Maintain a normal routine. Keeping to a regular schedule can be reassuring to promote physical health.

Nurse News Barbara Ratiiff, RN

Safe Toys and Gifts

While shoppers in the Springfield area might be focusing on finding a certain toy at this time of year, Prevent Blindness America urges caution when purchasing gifts, especially for small children.

The organization has declared December to be Safe Toys and Gifts Awareness Month.

According to the PBAʼs website, the group “encourages everyone to make conscientious purchasing decisions based on what is best for each individual child.” PBA is the oldest eye health and safety organization in the U.S.

PBA recommends inspecting all toy gifts to ensure there are no loose, small pieces, especially in toys intended for small children. The organization also advised against giving small children toys with small batteries, as the batteries could easily be ingested and swallowed, causing serious harm. It also urges consumers to avoid toys that shoot or include parts that fly off.

To ensure a gift is safe, shoppers have a number of resources available at the click of a mouse.

• Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan recently released the 2012 Safe Shopping Guide, which includes descriptions and photographs of recalled childrenʼs toys and products. Shoppers should consult the Guide to ascertain if any gifts have been recalled. While Illinois retailers are required to remove recalled products from store shelves and post recall notices, the items may still be available for sale second-hand, such as through a yard sale.

• Consumers can sign up for information on all recalled products at Recalls.gov. The Consumer Product Safety Commissionʼs website has a complete list of recalled products. Resource: Examiner.com, November 2011

We’re on the Web! See us at:

www.sps186.org