Garfield Elementary School
325 Plymouth Street NW
Olympia WA 98502
(360) 596-6900
http://garfield.osd.wednet.edu
Bob Hodges
Principal
_______________________________________________________________________________
Greetings from your Garfield School Family!
Of course, we want to help our students learn as much as they possibly can – especially as they
move through the grades and begin to have more homework and out of class projects. But if
you’re like me, you’ve struggled with knowing exactly how to help and how much help to give.
How much assistance is reasonable? What kinds of suggestions or help are acceptable? What do
you do if he or she doesn’t understand the assignment, even after asking you for guidance? (And,
if you’re at all like me, your secret desire is to hire a saint/tutor to help with all math and writing
assignments!)
Here are some tips on providing Effective and Appropriate Help With Homework.
Don’t do it for them. Don’t ever do your children’s homework or school projects for them. They
won’t learn if you do the work.
Guidance is great. Help your children understand assignments by talking with them about the
concepts. Let’s say your child is having trouble with basic division. Dump out a stack of pennies
or paper clips, count the total, and, together, divide them into groups of five, six, or seven. Help
your children learn how to think through the process.
Be encouraging. It can be frustrating to try to master new concepts and complete school projects.
Give your children encouragement and understanding as they work things through.
Expand their brains. One great way parents can help their children with school projects is by
asking them to go beyond their original ideas. Ask them to think out a number of different ways
they could approach the assignment.
Finally, know when to call for help. If your child is consistently having trouble with a specific
concept, even after you’ve helped explain it to him or her, it’s time to let the teacher know. In
addition to learning the concept, your child will learn something even more important: that it’s
smart to ask for help when you don’t understand something.
Please know you are welcome here – your Garfield School Family wants and needs your help and
ideas!
Bob Hodges
Garfield Principal
EXPECTATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES
Two words – expectations and consequences - can elicit eye-rolls and sighs from our
students, yet their significance and value in teaching life-long skills cannot be over-rated.
By holding children to certain expectations, we are implicitly teaching them the values
that underlie them. Making homework a priority over social interests, we communicate
the value of responsibility. They can choose to meet the expectation and enjoy the
benefits (approval, good grades, increased responsibility and freedom) or not meet the
expectation and accept the consequences (disapproval, lower grades, reduced
responsibility and freedom.)
As a reminder, posted in one of our fifth grade classrooms is the following statement:
“Play now, pay later - Pay now, play later”
Ways to maximize the value of expectations:
 Talk with children about the value of the expectation -why you believe it is
important
 Be specific in the expectations- give examples of how the expectations apply to
relevant aspects of their lives
 Encourage them to give their input into the expectation and consider modifying it
based on their viewpoint
Younger children may not understand the inherent value in meeting expectations. As they
mature, they will come to understand the meaning of the expectations and will internalize
and follow them because they accept the values as their own. Consequences can be
emotional (if you lie, we will be disappointed in you) or explicit (if you’re mean to your
sister, you’ll lose the privilege of playing together for a time.) Consequences that are not
entertaining or take away something that is desired are usually effective. Knowing your
children best, you can put yourself in their shoes and come up with effective
consequences. Allow them the opportunity to earn back with improved behavior what
was taken from them. Having that opportunity instills a sense of ownership of their
actions, having the power to meet the expectations and reap its benefit. Helping children
find the positive consequences within themselves is key to helping them build their own
expectations. By pointing out the good feelings and connecting them with the good deed
helps children make that connection.
We are human, and some days there is just not enough time or energy to follow through.
It’s OK; over time, consistency sends the message that expectations are important and
consequences will follow.
Excerpt from:
“Kids & Culture Alert!: Expect a Lot of Your Children”
Jim Taylor
Linda Carbonneau
Counselor
Garfield Site Council Minutes - November 4, 2008
School Supplies: Next year, the supplies lists will include sources available to assist with
supplies, and Bob advised he also has a fund that can be used for purchasing supplies.
Vision Statement: Consultants will be working with our group over the next couple
months to work on the Garfield Vision statement. Jim handed out a document
summarizing some of the information pertaining to OSD Strategic plan, Garfield Mission
and Co-creating a vision statement listing from Bob. Who is the Audience of Garfield’s
Vision? Adults - with it being kid-centered.
Attendance Incentive: Attendance and tardiness is causing a challenge for some
learning blocks, and when a child is consistently tardy or absent over a few consecutive
days, they really miss a large block of instruction. Parents are always contacted when
kids are absent (if they do not initiate the call), a letter is sent after a certain # of tardies,
phone calls to parent for tardiness varies (dependent on teacher). There is a concern
about whether we are doing enough to encourage attendance and punctuality.
Our magnificent custodian, Sandi Arnuco, is retiring!
Bagpipers played at our Veterans Day Assembly
Veterans in our Honor section
Students from Pat de Sam Lazaro's and Michael Stine's class did a bit more than Trick or
Treating on Halloween night. Along with their bags for loot, they also carried some
bright orange boxes as they collected donations for Trick or Treat for UNICEF. This
yearly event raises funds for the United Nations Children's Fund, which supports
programs around the world that help children. The two classes together raised over $300,
which will help fund things like vaccinations, clean water, emergency blankets, and
school supplies.
PTA NEWS October
Pick Up a Snowman Today - Holiday Spirit Program
Lots of Garfield families in need have signed up for our holiday spirit program. You have the
opportunity for the Garfield community to make sure the holidays are a special time for all kids.
Requested gift items are identified on snowman cutouts located on the bulletin board across from
the office. Please consider picking one out the next time you’re at school – or make a donation to
the Garfield PTA Holiday Spirit Program and we’ll do the shopping for you!
Your Holiday Shopping Can Mean Big Bucks for Garfield!
About 96 people have signed up for Safeway’s Escrip program and designated Garfield as their
beneficiary – you can, too! It’s quick, it’s easy and the sooner you do it the more money you can
generate for Garfield (at no cost to yourself). Sign up by registering your Safeway club card online and Safeway will donate a percentage of your purchases to Garfield. This promotion does not
impact any of your other Safeway cardholder benefits. Go to:
https://secure.escrip.com/jsp/supporter/registration/step1.jsp, select Garfield as the group you
want to support, enter your Safeway club card number (hint: find the number on your card or on a
receipt), and Safeway will give money to Garfield!
Final Numbers in for Fall Fundraiser
The final numbers for the fall fundraiser are in, and the news is great! Thanks to all who
purchased items and helped the Garfield PTA net $5,085 that will be used to benefit our great
Garfield kids!
Carrie Clark Music Assembly
November’s PTA-sponsored music assembly featured Seattle singer, piano player, and guitarist
Carrie Clark who performed a variety of pop, rock and blues music and inspired our kids to
appreciate the arts.
PTA Approves Gifts to the School
At its November meeting, the Garfield PTA approved the purchase of the following gifts to
Garfield valued at approximately $1,800: rubberized bowling ball sets for P.E. and MORE
classes, fifty flag belts for tag games at recess, three additional walkie-talkies to improve safety
and communication, three high quality pencil sharpeners to make sure all those classroom pencils
are in good operating condition, and one yakker-tracker for the cafeteria (a device that looks like
a stoplight that helps kids realize when their noise level is too high).
Costume Ball Was a Blast!
Thanks to all the PTA supporters that made the costume ball so much fun, especially Sharon
Hernandez who chaired the event! The PTA raised almost $700 at the event which will help
support all the enrichment activities PTA sponsors during the year as well as our gifts to the
school.
PTA Will Vote on Standing Rules in January
The PTA's Standing Rules will be considered and voted on at the PTA's January 5, 2009 meeting.
Contact Carol O'Sullivan (357-7687) if you would like to review a copy.
Student Learning Behavior Targets in Garfield Classrooms –
Common Expectations and Language
1. BE AN ACTIVE LISTENER
What student looks like –
a) voice off
b) hands empty
c) eyes on speaker
d) attentive body language
How adults support –
a) wait for compliance before beginning presentation
b) teach, model and practice
c) use natural consequences to reinforce
Calendar of Events December 2008
December 1
December 4
December 5
December 12
December 18
December 22-Jan 2
January 5
6:30
6:30
12:52
6:30
PTA Meeting
PTA Children’s Store/Santa/Bingo
Early Release – No Kindergarten
Holiday Sing
Vision and Hearing Screening
Winter Break – No School
School Resumes
Have you ever wondered what lurks below the surface of the Budd Inlet? Visit the Puget
Sound Aquarium in the Garfield office. There you will find sea urchins, sea stars, crabs,
anemone, and even a creature called a dog winkle. If you have any questions about the
aquarium or the Puget Sound, you can ask Deek the decorator crab. Just fill out a
question card and watch for his reply on the answer board.