Fair Oaks Elementary
January 2016
MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL
Happy New Year! Welcome back to school! I hope that all of you had a relaxing winter break with
your family and friends and your children are ready to get back to school!
January is a time for us to focus on our goals for completing the school year. Please take time to talk
with your child(ren) about their report card. What areas are they doing well in and what areas need
more study time? Many families joined us to look at student’s Leadership Notebooks in November.
We will be inviting you to see progress again in February. Ask your child what they have in their
Leadership Notebook and why it’s important to set goals. Please plan to join us as we celebrate the
progress they have made.
Please make time every night for homework and reading. Completing classwork and homework is
an expectation every day in every grade. Homework Detention will continue for students in 3rd,
4th, and 5th grade who do not complete their homework. If your child is struggling with any part
of school, please talk to the teacher or come by to speak to one of our counselors. We want all of
our students to be successful every day!
Sincerely,
Cindy Szwec
Principal
Jennifer Ridgway
Asst. Principal
Martin Luther King Day in United States Monday, January 18, 2016
Martin Luther King Day is a relatively new federal holiday and there are few long standing traditions. It is seen as
a day to promote equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their background. Some educational establishments
mark the day by teaching their pupils or students about the work of Martin Luther King and the struggle against
racial segregation and racism. In recent years, federal legislation has encouraged Americans to give some of their time on
this day as volunteers in citizen action groups.
Martin Luther King Day, also known as Martin Luther King’s
birthday and Martin Luther King Jr Day, is combined with
other days in different states. For example, it is combined
with Civil Rights Day in Arizona and New Hampshire, while
it is observed together with Human Rights Day in Idaho. It is
also a day that is combined with Robert E. Lee’s birthday in
some states.
FAIR OAKS ELEMENTARY JANUARY 2016
When you should keep your child home from school

If they have a fever. This means a temperature at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. “With a fever at this level,
even if your child doesn’t have additional symptoms, he or she is probably battling an infection,” says one pediatrician.

If they have vomited two or more times. A single episode of vomiting could be brought on by any number of things—nerves or too
much bouncing around—so wait until it happens twice before you worry.

If they have diarrhea. If this is occurring you’re likely dealing with a virus, meaning you should keep your children at home and make
sure they drink lots of water.

They are coughing or having any sort of breathing trouble. Coughing spreads infection. And a cough that keeps your children up at
night means they’ll be too tired to learn the next day.

They have a rash that is spreading. Check with your doctor to determine whether the rash is contagious before sending your children
to school.

They signs of an eye infection, such redness, discharge, or itching. A condition such as “pink eye” can be very contagious among
young children.
Support regular attendance
Save Boxtops and labels!
He woke up late and there’s no way he’s getting the
bus. You’ve got to get to work and don’t have enough
time to drive him. Would it really matter if he just
missed one day of school?
The answer is YES! Attendance makes a big difference. Children who attend school regularly achieve
at higher rates than students who are chronically absent. So get your child to school every day!
Source: “School Attendance,
the Impact of Behavior on
Grades, and School Failure,”
Bureau of Educational Research.
How can parents improve children’s reading skills?
Q: My fifth grader says he hates reading. He reads exactly what the teacher requires, but not another word. He also
reads very slowly, sounding out each word. What can I do to get him to read more often—and more easily?
A: You have noticed an important connection. Your son can improve his fluency—the ability to read smoothly and
quickly—by reading more often. Here are some ways to encourage him to spend a little more time reading:
• Talk with his teacher or a librarian. Ask about high-interest books for kids his age.
• Try a book in a series. Once he’s hooked, your child may read all of them.
• Give him a subscription to a magazine. If he likes sports, consider Sports Illustrated for
Kids. If he likes the outdoors, try Ranger Rick.
• Take turns reading a book aloud. You read a page or two and then have him read.
• Check out graphic novels for young readers. They often have captivating story lines.
• Make weekly trips to the library.
Finally, don’t worry if he doesn’t read “good” books. A kid who reads comic books is still
reading—and improving his reading skills. That extra reading will pay off at homework
time!
PAGE 3
VOLUMEN 1 ISSUE 4
The PE Place. PE Coachs
Brrr…. Winter is almost
For more information about the below activities, check out:
upon us and it is important
students dress appropriately
every day. Students stay inside for recess if it is raining,
the temperature is unreasonable or there is a significant
wind-chill factor. When illness occurs, please return students to school only when
they are ready for a full day
of class...fully recovered.
http://fairoakspe.weebly.com/
Wellness for Life
“Being healthy is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”
That means we need to keep our healthy habits
not just for today, but for our entire lives. Creating
healthy habits today will help set healthy habits
later on in life. There are many activities you can
learn now that will help you stay active for the rest
of your life. They include swimming, bowling,
hiking, walking, biking and many more.
Here are a few good habits:
Select fruits and vegetables.
Play actively for 30-60 minutes a
day.
Avoid excess sugar and fat.
Reduce television and media time.
Keep H2O the way to go.
LOST AND FOUND
If your child has lost an
item at school have them
check the lost and found in
the cafeteria. If items are
not claimed by the end of
each month they will be
taken to Goodwill. Make
sure you stop in and take
a look ~ Thank you!
Helping Your Child Succeed in School
As a parent, you have a special interest in your child's education. As you become more involved, here are some basic tips that you
may use at home:

Encourage your child to read. It's the single most important thing that you can do to help your child succeed in school. Read
with your child right from the start, and make sure there are lots of reading materials in the house.

Talk with your child. Talking and listening are major components of children's school success. By having many opportunities
to use and hear spoken language, children are given a tremendous advantage, picking up the language skills they will need
to do well in school.

Monitor homework, and how much time children spend watching television, playing video games, and using the Internet.
Help your child get organized and provide a quiet place in the home for him or her to study. Limit the amount of time your
child spends watching television, surfing the Internet, and playing video games. Help your child learn to properly and effectively use the Internet.

Encourage your child to be responsible and work independently. Make it clear to your child that
he or she has to take responsibility for actions both at home and at school.

Encourage active learning. Listen to your child's ideas and respond to them. Active learning also
can take place when your child plays sports, acts in a school play, plays a musical instrument, or
visits museums and bookstores.
Fair Oaks Elementary
407 Barber Road
Marietta, GA.30060
Phone: 678-594-8080
Fax: 678-594-8082
www.cobbk12.org/~fairoaks
/
Involve your child in setting consequences for misbehavior
No matter how carefully you set your rules, some of them will get broken. Your child might play video games before he starts his homework. He may forget to do his chores. And when your child breaks the rules, there need to
be consequences. What would happen if your child helped decide what those consequences should be? First, you
might find that you can avoid disciplining in anger —which is never a good idea. Instead of grounding your child
for life (and let’s face it, both you and your child know that’s not going to happen), you might involve him.
“James, I’ve really never seen anyone who broke every flower in the garden while running to catch a fly ball. What
do you think I should do?” James will say, “I don’t know.” Kids always start with “I don’t know.” But gradually
he’ll figure out that either he names a consequence or you will. So he might offer to clean up the mess and help
buy some new flowers by earning extra money. Another benefit is that James is more likely to follow through. A
child who chooses his consequence is less likely to feel it’s unfair and more likely to do what he agreed to do.
Source: R. Guarendi, Discipline That Lasts a Lifetime,
Math Tips for Parents: Beyond 1, 2, 3, 4…
Encourage creative problem-solving. Problem-solving is the basis of good mathematical thinking, and the problems don’t have to involve numbers.
 “How many different ways are there to walk to school?”
 “What’s another way to arrange the furniture in this room?”
 “How many different ways can I measure flour to get half a cup?”
Try to come up with more than one solution for everyday problems.
Choose gifts that develop problem-solving skills. Blocks, building sets, geometric tile sets,
puzzles, board games, weather stations, maps, puzzle books, calculators, strategy
games, scales, and origami are just a few of the gifts that will give your child pleasure and
knowledge at the same time.
Get Involved at School
Talk to teachers. Teachers have materials that you can copy and ideas that you can use at home. They
also have access to books, kits, and professional organizations that can enlarge both your own at-home math lessons and the math program at your school.
Volunteer in your child’s class. By being in the classroom during math, you can see how concepts are
taught and follow through with the lessons at home. This has two advantages. First, it reinforces the classroom
lessons. Secondly, you are more at ease with math and with the concepts your child is learning.
For more information:
Helping your Child with Math from the US Department of Education:
Mathforum.org
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Parent Resource Center
You are your child’s best teacher and we support you in
your efforts to help your child receive a quality education.
We will keep parents informed about important information, parenting tips, websites and other resources.
Fair Oaks wants to partner with you to provide all students
with a positive and enriching education experience.
The Parent Resource Center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00
p.m.