One of the things that teachers are working on with your child is stamina. Stamina is defined as the ability to sustain a prolonged physical or mental effort. In the classroom your child is being taught that stamina is a necessary part of learning. The ability to read, write, or do math for an extended period of time without teacher assistance is a gradual process. You can help your child at home with their academic stamina by incorporating some easy routines into your daily schedule. Set aside 10-15 minutes that are dedicated to purely academic activities for the whole house. Turn off all the screens and devices and have every member of the family be working on math, writing a letter, or reading a book or magazine. This simple act will do wonders for academic stamina and it just might increase family quality time, as well!
2015 has gotten off to a great start here at Powers Ferry. We welcomed back our teachers and students the first week of January and immediately got back to the work of school and learning! We held our first academic themed night of the calendar year on January 15th. Our academic coaches and technology integration teacher held sessions designed to make parents an active participant in their child's learning. If you missed it or want to get further information, please contact our coaches at [email protected] or [email protected].
Many of us make resolutions at the beginning of the new year and I challenge you to resolve to ask questions about what your child is learning, but more importantly ask about what you can do to support the classroom instruction at home! With the holidays fast approaching, our already fast-paced lives become even more hectic! I encourage everyone to find time to take a moment to hit the pause button and reflect on all the things that we have in our lives to be thankful for; our families, our health, our freedoms.
I was reminded today about how our own "busy-ness" sometimes gets in the way of what is truly our business, children. I was having a conversation with a co-worker and while she was trying to inform me of some events that were going on, I was busy multitasking (reading an email, skimming a Title I report) and not giving her my full attention. She called me out on it and that event stuck with me the rest of the day. What if I had given her my full attention? What if I stopped everything that I was doing and looked her in the eyes and actively listened to her questions? That few minutes of my time could have determined the rest of her day.
Keep that in mind as you engage with your children. When you see them after school do you ask them what they learned? Not only do you ask them, but do you listen to their answers and ask follow up questions? Turn the TV off, put the cell phone away and dedicate 15 solid minutes of dialogue between you and your child. I think you will see that it can lead to dramatic positive changes in your daily routine! Parent/teacher conferences concluded last week. I hope you were able to make it to your child's conference and left with valuable information about his/her performance in the classroom and how you can support at home. Our teachers encourage and invite you to be involved throughout the year. With 24 hours notice, you can schedule a conference at any point of the year to discuss any areas of concern.
A special thank you for everyone who helped support, volunteered at, or attended our annual fall festival this past Saturday. The kids had so much fun and we enjoyed seeing our families! Families-
As the weather changes in the coming weeks, I encourage you to speak with your children about ways to stay healthy. First, and foremost, stress the importance of frequent hand-washing throughout the day. Keeping hands and fingers away from eyes, ears and mouth is a good practice. Demonstrate covering one's cough and using tissues to blow noses. These simple practices will go a long way in ensuring that we have a safe and healthy school! I received some exciting news over fall break! Powers Ferry has been recognized by the Georgia Department of Education as a "Highest Progress" school! Only the TOP 10% of all Title I schools in the entire state of Georgia can be categorized as highest progress. This honor would not be possible without the hard work, commitment and dedication of the faculty and staff of Powers Ferry. I am extremely proud of this accomplishment. We will continue striving to provide the best educational experience for each student that walks into our schoolhouse!
|