For starters...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KARL on TUESDAY!!!!! :) :) :) :)
The rest of the school is doing MAP testing this week so the students will have an altered schedule on Tuesday & Wednesday and will spend the majority of the day with me. We will be watching "HOP" on Tuesday & hard boiling eggs on Wednesday as well as dying them! Be sure to check your child's backpack on Wed. to get their eggs out so they don't get buried and rot! ugh!! We do NOT have school on Friday, April 6th (the district is celebrating my birthday--ha ha ha!) so there will be no swimming or cooking this week.
You should have received a permission slip in your child's folder today regarding the 8th grade field trip to Six Flags on May 18th. This is a big deal among all the 8th graders and a right of passage to those graduating middle school! DO NOT panic if your child has never been or is not a fan of the rides at the park. There will be three of us, Mr. Davis, Mr. Bayless & myself attending with the kids and those that wish to ride the big rides will ride with me (I will ride anything :)) and those not wanting to will be able to do other activities (games, train, etc.). We will stay as a group throughout the day and everyone will have the opportunity to do what they want while there. If you wish to attend as well, you can meet us there as we cannot have parents ride the buses for liability issues but you will have to purchase a ticket separately. Please read the permission slip carefully and if you need financial assistance please let me know. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly ASAP as the school needs the payment and a final count fairly soon in order to secure enough transportation and tickets.
Prom Update: Mike Straatmann informed me that the Limo donation is NOT going to happen as the guy that was willing to donate the ride has a paying gig that night. We need to discuss what we want to do. The kids are very disappointed about this but I explained how expensive it would be so I think they understand. Please comment on any other ideas for transportation as we need to make a decision sooner rather than later. Suzanne Miramonti & I have been looking for decorations as the Parent Group bins in the book store do not have anything that would be suitable for our theme. An anonymous donation of $100 has been used towards the purchase of some decorations and other items for the night.
Academics: In math, the kids will be continuing to work on computation problems and reviewing money skills through the end of the school year. In reading, we are continuing in our reading groups reading novels. We will be starting spelling lists/tests again this week so look for your child's list to come home. Having them write them 3x every night will help them to learn their spellings. We are also doing a Mythology unit. The kids have been learning about various myths and mythological creatures. Each child has chosen a creature to do a poster on. They are wrapping up the illustrations and research and will need to complete a large poster over the facts they have learned about their creature at home with your support/guidance. A rubric, fact/information sheet about their creature & instructions will be coming home next week to assist you in supporting your child complete this poster at home. We are continuing to journal at school and work on keyboarding skills in writing. The students write a new paragraph each week over various topics and their writing overall has shown vast improvement!! Please remember to have your child read for at LEAST 20 minutes every night. Build this into their bedtime routine and have them read every night before bed. Overall, there has been some decline in their skills and decoding of unfamiliar words so nightly practice will help to keep their skills up. I know that as we are in the last quarter of the school year, the student's naturally start slowing down as they are starting to anticipate the end of the year however, there is still much to be taught and learned over the next 9 weeks! I would appreciate all the encouragement & support that you can provide to both your child and myself by continuing to hold high expectations for their school studies and homework. Responsibility for their work and its quality/completion is such a crucial life skill that never goes away and continuing to hold them accountable reinforces this skill as well as preparing them for the next step towards adulthood and future employment. Not to strike fear or panic, but in just two school years, they will begin employment through the work program at the high school and age out of Special School District's programs at 21. Between now and then we need to model, provide opportunities, encourage, push and support these crucial life and gainful employment skills in order to prepare them for adulthood and independence. On that note, if you have not already contacted and been assigned a Regional Center case worker please do so now as they will be critical in assisting you & your child in all areas of their lives once they reach 21. Having them begin to get to know you & your child now will help them to assist you & your child in all areas of their adult life.
Please comment regarding your suggestions on how we should handle the transportation to the Prom. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns or comments. Enjoy your three day weekend and Easter holiday with your families!
Anna