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Dear Parents,
First of all, thank you for all of your help with the Valentine Parties. All three of our parties this year were a great success and the children loved them. Also, thank you for your participation at Parent Teacher Conferences. It is only through our joint efforts that we can assist your child to reach their full academic potential.

Dental Screening:  We would like to thank Dr. Rusty Coad for providing dental screenings for our children on February 29th. Hopefully, this screening may have caught some abnormalities with children who may need further dental work. Also, thank you to Linda McClure, our school nurse, for coordinating with Dr. Coad and planning our schedule for the day.

State Assessments:  The State Assessments for the 3rd and 4th graders will be on the following dates:  Reading – March 3-10, Math – March 31-April 8 and Science for 4th grade only – April 14-18. Unless the children are ill, we would appreciate appointments not being scheduled on those dates so they may be in attendance. Your help with making sure the students get adequate sleep the night before and breakfast that morning would be greatly appreciated.

Finally, as I often like to do, I would like to share an educational tip from The Parent Institute. These are classroom strategies to improve behavior at home.

• Divide big tasks into parts. The child can check off the parts as they do them and not be so overwhelmed. This is great for homework completion.
• Avoid abrupt transitions. To help them switch activities, set a timer. Explain how many minutes they have before the next task.
• Make the mundane fun. Examples: “How many books can you clean up in 20 seconds?” “Can you finish picking up your toys by the time the song is over?”
• Try silent signals instead of verbal commands. A gentle touch on the shoulder can have a calming effect. Making eye contact can get the child’s attention.
• Provide meaningful things for your child to do. Keep interesting books and art supplies handy to keep them occupied.
• Post a schedule for daily activities. Your child will know what to do and when to do it. They will feel more independent and you can compliment them on their self-discipline.

Sincerely,
Ruth Wood, Principal