Centerfield Sentinel

From the Principals Desk

By Cathy Barnard, Interim Principal

April 2013

Hello, Centerfield Elementary Parents, Can you believe that your children will be home on Summer Break for 76 days? Their first day at home for Summer Break will be Wednesday, May 29, 2013 and their first day back to school, in the new school year, will be on Tuesday, August 13, 2013. Would you like ideas to make sure their summers are spent full of engaging activities that will increase their academic performance once they return to school? These Activities listed below are parent resources that are full of fun things to do with your children in grades K5, while increasing their reading and thinking abilities. We have several parent resources in Oldham County for the summer months. The first one I would like to recommend is the Summer Library Program. You can contact the Oldham County Public Libraries through the first two websites below: *www.oldhampl.org *Online 21st Century Technology: www.oldham.com/libraries.asp *Other valuable resources can be found at www.scholastic.org : The Scholastic programs provide learning opportunities for students and ideas for making learning fun in the summertime. Students can do the activities on their own, but there are activities designed to be completed with different types of groups. Family Reading Time can increase student reading ability with as little as 30 minutes a day spent reading with your children. Make the most of your childs summer time at home with you, his/her first teacher, and watch the new school year begin on an amazing journey that you started this summer. www.readingrockets.org Reading Rockets offers a wealth of reading strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn how to read and read better. Our reading resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in helping struggling readers build fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. www.starfall.com The Starfall program is free public service programs to teach children to read with phonics. Our systematic phonics approach, in conjunction with phonemic awareness practice, is perfect for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, special education, homeschool, and English language development www.pbs.org/parents Additionally, KET and PBS are partners in an initiative called "Ready to Learn" that incorporates "engaging television and other electronic programs, exciting games, playful Web sites, and easy-to-use learning resources for kids, parents, caregivers, and teachersall with the goal of helping children ages 2 to 8 get ready to read http://www.guysread.com/ Guys read has entire lists of authors' books that would appeal to different ages of boys, which I think would be really helpful to parents Compiled by Bethany Blake LMS/STC and Cathy Barnard Interim Principal

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By Carrie Sweeney, PTA President Happy spring and greetings from the PTA! I hope that everyone had a rejuvenating spring break! Thanks to everyone that came to the farewell reception for Mrs. Morgan. If you werent there, the PTA presented Mrs. Morgan with a tuned wind chime that she can relax to during her retirement. Also that evening we presented the slate of PTA officers for the 2013-2014 school year. Thank you to everyone who volunteered for a position. Congratulations to Eric Phillips who is our new SBDM parent representative! Keep your eyes open for information coming home soon about our spring staff appreciation luncheon.

PTA News

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and energy. Unfortunately children learn early on that others Quickly are often evaluating their work. There is Spring, Please Come no need for parents to add to the undercurrent of pressure that already exists. Be sure to stay away from false praise. Children areRingo very perceptive and pick up on a parents By Holly attempt at pretending. Students know their weaknesses and strengths so dont tell them they are a great mathematician if he or she struggles with math concepts. Focus on strengths; dont patronize. According to the calendar, the first day of spring arrived on March 20. We have had small Children want to feel accepted for who they are, not because they meet academic expectations or glimpses of the good weather, and I know we are all hopeful it will be here to stay very soon. behave perfectly. Your careful choice of words helps children discover who they are and develop Spring provides the opportunity to get outside, enjoy the weather, and play. But most their sense of identity and self-worth. importantly, it gives families a new topic of conversation. This months literacy tips will be centered on talking and listening to your child. Did more you know that according to ourmotivate new state standards your children are learning effective For reading on how our words children and create self-worth: th communication skills? In classrooms kindergarten to 5 grade, teachers Choice Words: How our Language Affects Childrens Learning, Peter Johnston focus on how to appropriately speak to communicate thoughts Mind Set: The New Psychology of Successour , Carol Dweck clearly and how to be good listeners and ask good questions. This spring you can support your childs learning in the areas of speaking and listening with the following suggestions. Enjoy! Send child outside to play or go with him/her. Talk about what you see, what hear, and how Thisweek in your Science we will be studying animals, including dinosaurs and pets, as well you as astronomy. Children will be required to complete an in-depth science report on the animal of their choice next differently things look now that the plants are blooming again. Ask questions and let yourby child Wednesday morning. Our trip to the zoo on Thursday may inspire some creative choices! answer. Have him/her describe things. Remember to look at the world through the eyes of your
We will child. also work geometry problems in Math homework. Social Studies, we will read a book Whaton may be seemingly ordinary to adults is new In and exciting to children. about the culture of the Inuit people, who used to be called Eskimos.

Have a picnic outside instead of at the dinner table. Talk about the day and ask your child lots of open-ended questions. By doing this, youre opening the door to conversation and steering away from yes/no answers. Also model good listening skills while your child shares, and help younger children with this skill. Dinner conversation is also a great time to help children learn how to take turns. Teach them that when someone shares about their day, its polite to ask questions and keep a circular conversation where we focus on someone else for a bit. Then, when you switch focus to another family member, the questions will be directed to a new person. This helps children learn conversational skills so that conversation flows and isnt made up of disjointed comments all about me. Turn off all media in the car. As the weather turns warmer, typically bleak landscapes outside will begin to burst with color. What a wonderful conversation starter!