Dear Families:
Although this is the January newsletter, it is
being sent to you in December. Therefore,
I will use this opportunity to wish you a very
happy holiday season!
I think these holidays will be a little less
spendy for most of us. Even if the
economy is not directly affecting you, there
is some fear about who is next! I was
thinking back to when I was a child and
holidays and gift giving were far less
extravagant. I remember that our favorite
toy was an empty refrigerator box. We
spent countless hours making believe.
Our box was a space ship, a cave hide-out,
and finally a toboggan! Our imagination
made the box precious, and we raced to
claim it for our own each day.
The point of this story is that children can
make their own fun from simple things like
paper, cardboard, crayons, paint....and the
attention of their loved ones.
I hope for your prosperity in the new year,
and an end to the anxiety that has gripped
us all. Stay warm and safe and healthy....
Sincerely,
Marjorie Abrams
Principal
*
Dates to Remember
December 22, 2008-January 2,
2009
NO SCHOOL
WINTER BREAK
January 5, 2009
SCHOOL STARTS
Monday, January 12, 2009
Site Council Meeting
5:00-6:30
Monday, January 19, 2009
NO SCHOOL
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Friday, January 23. 2009
NO SCHOOL
Monday, February 16, 2009
NO SCHOOL
Presidents Day
SNOW DAYS
Check the morning news
on WCCO channel 4 to see
if school is canceled
because of snow or cold.
Look for St. Paul Public
Schools.
Our students go outside
almost everyday. Please
make sure your child in
prepared for the weather.
MATH ACTIVITIES:
Kindergarten:
Count with your child. See how far they
can count by 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s.
Have them tell you the different shapes
they find in the house.
See if they can find any patterns in the
house.
First Grade:
Have your child create and tell you a
number story that goes with a given
number sentence, such as 4+2=6.
Create number stories that involve two or
more items. For example, “I want to buy a
doughnut for 45 cents and a juice box for
89 cents. How much money do I need?”
($1.34)
Second Grade:
Think of two 2-digit numbers and ask your
child to estimate the sum. For example 23
+ 26 = ? (Estimate is 20 + 50 = 70).
Think of a theme (such as animals,
shopping, or sports). Take turns making up
addition and subtraction stories related to
the theme. Share solutions and strategies.
Third Grade:
Ask questions that involve multiples of
equal groups. For example, say “Pencils
are packaged in boxes of 8. There are 3
boxes. How many pencils are there?”
Make a game of identifying and classifying
angles: acute (less than 90º), obtuse
(between 90º and 180º), right (90º),
straight (180º), and reflex
(between 180º and 360º) in everyday
things (buildings, bridges, ramps, and
furniture.
Fifth Grade:
Identify percents used in stores,
newspapers, and magazines. Help your
child find the sale price of an item that is
discounted by a percent. For example, a
$40 shirt discounted by 25% will cost $30.
Practice writing numbers as a fraction and
then a decimal. Try one-fourth (1/4, 0.25),
three-tenths (3/10, 0.3) and so on.
Sixth Grade:
Ask your child to find examples of right
angles (90º), acute angles (less than 90º),
and obtuse angles (between 90º and 180º).
Guide your child to look particularly at
bridge supports for a variety of angles.
While driving in the car together, direct
your child to look for congruent figures (two
or more figures with the same size and
shape). Windows in office buildings, circles
on stop lights, and so on, can all represent
congruent figures.
Write decimals for your child to read aloud,
such as 0.32 (thirty-two hundredths) or 0.9
(nine-tenths).
Write down two 4- or 5-digit numbers. Ask
your child to tell which is larger and explain
why. Try a few more and then switch roles.
Search for geometric figures with your
child. Identify figures by name, if possible,
and talk about their characteristics. For
example, a stop sign ia an octagon, with 8
sides and 8 angles. A brick is a rectangular
prism, where all faces are rectangles.
Fourth Grade:
SCIENCE ACTIVITIES:
First Grade: Air and Weather
Air by Keith Brandt
Air Is All Around You by Franklyn M.
Branley
Experiment with Air by Bryan Murphy
Gilberto and the Wind by Marie Hall Ets
Wind by Susan Canizares
Wind by Ron Bacon
The Wind by Monique Felix
Colorful Kites by Beth Dvergsten Stevens
The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park
Willy Whyner, Cloud Designer by Michael
and
Esther Lustig
The Cloud Book by Tomie de Paola
Simple Weather Experiments with
Everyday
Materials by
Muriel Mandell
Weather Words and What They Mean
by Gail Gibbons
Second Grade: Forest Plants
From Acorn To Oak Tree by Jan Kottke
From Maple Trees to Maple Syrup
by
Kristin Thoennes
Keller
The Gift Of The Tree by Alvin Tresselt,
Henri Sorenson
A Log’s Life by Wendy Pfeffer
A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry
Third Grade: Physics of Sound
Rubber Band Banjos and Java Jive Bass
by Alex Sabbeth
Sound Science by Etta Kaner
The Magic School Bus in the Haunted
Museum (A Book About Sound) Joanna
Cole
Sounds All Around by Wendy Pfeffer
The Listening Walk by Paul Showers
Sound by Lisa Trumbauer 1997
A World of Sound by Nancy Leber &
Robin
Bromley
Thunder Cake by Patricia Palacco
Fifth Grade: Science Exploration
Mistakes That Worked by Charlotte Foltz
Inventions and Great Ideas (Know-it-Alls)
by Dorothea DePrisco
Nature Got There First Inventions Inspired
by
Nature by Phil Gates
Nature Did It First by Susan Ring
Great Experiments with Light by Phyllis
Fiarotta
and Noel
Fiarotta
The Wonder of Light by Jan Adkins
Light by Melvin Berger
Inventor’s Workshop by Alan McCormack
Young Ben Franklin by Laurence Santrey
Sixth Grade: Mixtures and
Solutions
Magic Science by Jim Wiese
Horrible Harry and the Green Slime by
Suzy Kline The World of Matter by Ron
Cole
Mad Professor by Mark Frauenfelder
Chemical Chaos by Nick Arnold
Marvels of Science (50 Fascinating 5
Minute
Reads) by
Kendall Haven
Fizz, Bubble & Flash! Element
Explorations ...
by Anita Brandolini
Fourth Grade: Magnets &
Electricity
STUDENT WORK:
Batteries, Bulbs, And Wire by: David
Glover
Benjamin Franklin's Adventures With
Electricity
by: Beverly Birch, Robin Bell
Corfield
Charged Up: The Story of Electricity
by: Jacqui Bailey
Circuits, Shocks, and Lightning: The
Science of Electricity by: Celeste A.
Writing Standard:
Analyze and revise standard writing to
create a more engaging beginning.
Peters
Discovering Electricity by: Rae Bains
Fourth Grade engaging 1st sentences.
Ocean Trip
By Phounsith
The moment I got there, the
ocean smelled like salty
pretzels.
My Yard
By Txee
When it was a hot summer day
we would go ride our bikes.
Fishing
By Hue Chi
If you are going
fishing you will need
some very slimy, dirty,
worms, one wooden or
metal boat, some pointy
hooks, a long or sort
fishing rod.
My Dad Said, “Let’s Go
Fishing”
By Mario
“Let’s go fishing” I
said to my brother
“lets go fishing” he
said.
My cousins
By Hong chai
I see the leaves are
falling like snow.
I Go Fishing With My Dad
By Sheng
I was tired and wanted to sleep
but we started to go to the river
and I was not tired.
The First Three Days At
Hancock School
By Ku Shel
I went to the first day
of school and the
clean, crisp, white
snow was falling and my
skin was getting cold.
I play Basketball
By Cowboy
My friend and I we talk
about how we will go to
the lake.
My Mom’s Kitchen
By Pajtshiab
I walked down the
bright sunlight
hallway.
The Haunted House
By: A’Reaonnia
On a dark cold night,
the night before
Halloween my sister and
me went to our friend’s
house, Jerome.
PARENT PAGE(S):
Teach your child how to take
responsibility for
assignments
He shows you the paper he's
planning to hand in tomorrow.
It's filled with misspelled
words and unclear writing. What
is your role here? Do you let
your child take responsibility
for the paper and turn it in as
is? Or do you clean it up
before it goes to the teacher?
Here are some dos and don'ts on
how you can help with writing
assignments. Do:
* Help your child
brainstorm about what to write.
* Encourage your child to
write a rough draft.
* Answer questions about
how to spell words. Write them
down so he can copy them, or
help him sound them out.
* Let your child find
errors. Say, "I see a place in
the first three lines where a
sentence should end. Can you
find it and fix it?"
* Praise your child for
using interesting words. Say,
"I love that you say the snow
creaked under his shoes."
* Encourage your child to
write a neat final copy.
Here's what not to do:
* Don't choose a topic for
your child.
* Don't do all of the
proofreading for your child.
* Don't write or type your
child's paper, no matter how
messy you may think it is.
* Don't be afraid to tell
your child there are some
things you can't help with.
Say, "Josh, I don't think Ms.
Jones wants to see what I think
about this subject. She wants
to know what you think."
Reprinted with permission from the
December 2008 issue of Parents make the
difference!® (Elementary School Edition)
newsletter. Copyright © 2008 The Parent
Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc.
Source: Harvey S. Wiener, Any Child Can
Write, ISBN: 0-195-15316-2 (Oxford
University Press, 1-800-445-9714,
www.oup.com/us).
Help your child learn to
admit mistakes and make
amends
What are the three hardest
words to say? They may be, "I
was wrong." But helping
children learn to own up to the
things they have done wrong is
a way to help them develop into
mature adults. Here are some
tips:
* Think about why your
child might not admit she's
wrong. Is she afraid to tell
the truth? Does she want to
blame someone else?
* Think about how you can
change your behavior if your
child is afraid of your
reaction. Stay calm even if you
have to give yourself a "time
out" before dealing with the
situation.
* Help her put herself in
someone else's shoes. "How do
you think your sister felt when
you took her doll away?" This
is called empathy, and it is a
behavior kids have to work to
develop.
* Help your child think
about a way to make amends. If
she sent a mean email about
someone in her class, she needs
to send another one saying she
made the story up.
* Remember that apologies
don't mean a lot if your
child's behavior doesn't
change.
Reprinted with permission from the December 2008 issue
of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School
Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2008 The Parent
Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Naomi
Drew, The Kids' Guide to Working Out Conflicts, ISBN:
1-575-42150-X (Free Spirit Publishing, 1-800-735-7323,
www.freespirit.com).
*
Teach respect by listening to
your child
you're following these
guidelines:
Sometimes the best way to get
your child to behave
respectfully is by doing
something very simple. Just
listen to him.
__1. Do you make several key
rules that help life run
smoothly? The list should be
short so your child doesn't get
confused.
Suppose your child is arguing
about having to do chores. It's
an argument you've had before.
So far, saying, "Just do the
chores" hasn't worked.
So set aside time to talk and
listen to your child. Your goal
is to come away with an
understanding of what the
argument is really about.
__2. Do you follow routines
that help your child cooperate?
If things are done the same way
daily, they're easier to
remember.
__3. Do you explain rules
simply? Be clear and specific.
"Say please and thank you" is
better than "Be polite."
Suppose your child says, "I
really need time right after
school to relax before I start
doing homework or chores."
That's probably something you
can live with. You can give
your child a chance to decide
when to do things, but not
whether to do them.
__4. Do you always enforce
rules? Bending rules confuses
kids about what's expected.
When you take the time to
understand your child, he'll be
more likely to cooperate. You
remain in control, but you have
demonstrated respect--and are
more likely to receive it as
well.
How well are you doing?
Reprinted with permission from the January 2009 issue
of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School
Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2009 The Parent
Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Michael P.
Nichols, Stop Arguing with Your Kids: How to Win the
Battle of Wills by Making Your Children Feel Heard,
ISBN: 1-5938-5003-4 (The Guilford Press, 1-800-3657006, www.guilford.com).
Is your discipline style
firm, fair & consistent?
Discipline works best when it's
firm, fair and consistent.
Answer yes or no to the
questions below to see if
__5. Do you adjust rules when
your child is ready? As she
matures, show pride and
confidence in her new
abilities.
Each yes answer means your
style of discipline is
effective. For each no answer,
try that idea from the quiz.
Reprinted with permission from the
December 2008 issue of Parents make the
difference!® (Early Childhood Edition)
newsletter. Copyright © 2008 The Parent
Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc.
Research shows that children's
physical fitness leads to many
benefits. Regular activity is
linked to higher self-esteem
and attentiveness in school. It
also lowers the chance of
health problems such as type 2
diabetes. To motivate your
child to get--and stay--active:
Notes from Nurse Lee…..
Is Your Child Too Sick To Go To
School?
The following information can help you
make that decision:

If your child has a fever of 100
degrees or more, the child should stay
home for 24
hours after the temperature returns to
normal (98.6 degrees)

If your child has vomited or had
diarrhea, the child should stay home until
24
hours after the last episode.

If your child has a rash that may be
caused by a disease or if the cause is
unknown, check with your family physician
before sending the student to school.
Please report all absences. If your child
has missed three or more consecutive
days due to illness a doctor’s note is
needed to excuse those absences.
If you have further questions, feel free
to call the school nurse
at (651) 293-8715 ext. 1004.
Regular exercise is
connected to school success
for children
* Set the tone. Instead of
saying, "It's time to
exercise," plan an activity
your child will like. If she
loves basketball, for example,
have her meet some friends at
the court to play.
* Limit screen time. When
your child watches TV or plays
video games, encourage her to
take active breaks. Remember
that TV, computer and video
game use should not exceed two
hours a day.
* Offer suggestions. When
your child has a friend over,
play games that involve
movement, such as tag, soccer
and jumping rope. Indoors, try
games such as "Simon Says" and
"Red Light, Green Light."
* Plan family outings.
Perhaps you have a tradition of
going for a walk on Sunday
afternoons. Or maybe you'd like
to do something new, such as
swimming at an indoor pool or
snowshoeing. Whatever activity
you choose, get your family
moving together.
* Be creative. You can find
lots of ways to sneak in
exercise. During chore time,
play music or race to finish a
job. While doing errands, park
away from a store and walk. Or
stop at a playground on the way
home.
* Set an example. You don't
have to hit the gym every day,
but if your child sees you
staying fit (stretching,
biking, walking with a
neighbor, enjoying a sport,
etc.), you'll be a good role
model.