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The Tiger’s Growl December 11, 2006 sackt@usd377.org Vol. 14 ACCMS
Principal’s Corner There is so much information, talk, written material, and research on reading in today’s world of making improvements in school. It can be overwhelming for educators and I would imagine that some parents don’t even want to wade through all of it. There are several “common sense” approaches to helping your child with reading, even at the Middle School level. I cannot emphasize enough that reading and talking about what was read helps everyone become a better reader. Ask your child questions about their reading. “Tell me about your book. What is the main character like? Do you know anyone like that? Compare this book to the one you read last month. Which do you like better and why? If you had to recommend this book, what would you say to your friends? Tell me about your favorite part of the book. If you were going to make this book into a movie, which movie star would play the main character and why?” These are just a few of the thousands of questions that parents can ask children about their reading, even if you have never read the book. The bottom line is that you get involved in the reading process. Silent reading is important, but when kids reflect on, and share their reading, the brain processes the information in a deeper manner. In a New York Times article, “What It Takes to Make a Student,” education journalist Paul Tough writes about another critical aspect of reading and children acquiring the language needed to be successful in the world. Just talking with your kids is an important means to helping your child learn new vocabulary words, discuss concepts that may be unclear, and provide an opportunity to reflect on a multitude of topics important to the family. The research stated that children who were good readers had parents that spoke to them (not “at” them) an average of 487 words or phrases per hour. Students who had difficulty in reading had only heard an average of 178 words or phrases per hour from their parents. By the time children are 3 years of age, students who go on to be good readers and students have heard about 500,000 encouragements and about 80,000 discouragements from adults in their lives. The statistics are nearly opposite from children who struggle in school. They have heard only an average of 75,000 encouragements and nearly 200,000 discouragements by 3 years of age. I know that time is precious and we are all busy, but helping your child by discussing a reading selection, talking to her or him a lot, and giving encouragement can go along way to help your child be successful in school and life. (The New York Times; “What It Takes to Make a Student” by Paul Tough; Nov. 26, 2006)
Attitude Determines Your Altitude Henry Ford is credited with saying, “Whether you think you can or not, you are right.” Having a positive attitude is so difficult, yet so important to the success each of us can enjoy. I notice that Middle School students, who are struggling to find themselves in the scheme of things, tend to “get down on themselves” all too easily. Our job as parents, caring adults, and educators requires that we help children develop a positive attitude. We all know that no one will be a “winner” all the time. Actually, failures can be the best learning experiences if we reflect on what happened and what can be changed in the future. I would be interested in hearing how you help your child develop a positive attitude. Please email me, call, write a note, or come by the school in you are willing to share. Our thinking guides who we are striving to become. If our thoughts are negative, we will tend to be a pessimistic person. If our thinking is positive, our outlook leans more toward an optimistic viewpoint. “The Little Train That Could” has a great message for all of us. Go back and read it to your kids again. Happy thinking!
CYBERBULLYING Some people will say that bullying may just “be a part of life for Middle Schoolers”, but it doesn’t have to be and has taken a serious turn downward thanks to technology and the Internet. Cyberbullying is a relatively new form of bullying that is not picked up by many parents, especially since some parents are not computer savvy, or don’t check what their children are accessing. Three sites that I know of, which may be of interest to parents, are bebo.com; myspace.com, and youtube.com. These sites are set up to show pictures, provide information, and even show video footage to the entire world. They are relatively easy to access, and are inexpensive (or free) to download digital images. I would strongly suggest that you sit down with your child and go through the history of their computer use, as well as viewing some of the sites they frequent. I am not a computer whiz, but we can find people in the district who can help you if needed. Technology is a great tool for aiding learning, but as with anything else, can be misused if not monitored. We need to teach our children the appropriate ways to send and access information through the Internet, especially since this is the manner in which much of their communication will occur today and into the future. If you know of other sites such as those listed above, please let the school know so we can share with other parents.
IMPORTANT DATES
EXEMPLARY SCORES Before the Christmas concert, we want to highlight the students who earned the top scores on last year’s State Reading and Math Assessments. The following students will be given certificates for their exemplary performance: Colby Acheson, Brooke Allen, Kasee Armstrong, Haylea August, Katherine Barnes, Kinson Billings, Scott Birkinsha, McKenzie Buttron, Jared Corpstein, Hannah Corpstein, Brandallyn Crail, Allison Crump, Walker Duty, Sydney Enzbrenner, Tannah Ernzen, Darren Falk, Michael Forbes, Brooke Fowler, Caitlyn Gentry, Brittany Gerety, Emily Gerety, Megan Gilliland, Austen Hall, Austin Hamilton, Kristina Hewitt, Jared Hoffman, Connor Hulett, Derek Hulett, Ramsey Hundley, Riley Hundley, Bridgett Kelly, Nicholas Kramer, Gary Lawrence, Paige Lundin, Morgan Martin, Ryan Martin, Lisa Mead, Andrew Miller, Austen Miller, Caleb Miller, Matthew Miller, Melissa Miller, Johnathan Noll, Samantha Noll, Zane O’Brien, Quentan Reichart, Katrina Reiss, Samuel Reiss, Presley Rodecap, Mitchell Rork, Wyatt Scoggins, Kelsi Sheeley, Brooke Smith, Jacob Sowers, Nicholas Spilman, Shyann Stepp, Corby Swendson, Jodi Swendson, Jenna Thompson, Samuel Tull, Megan Vanderweide, Daylen Vessar, Elizabeth Wagner, Emily Warriner, Kiley Warriner, Aaron Weber and Kelsey Weber. CONGRATULATIONS, we are proud of you. |
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