WELCOME BACK!! Super Excited about the start of 2015. Let’s all work together to make this a great start to 2nd Semester!!
Student Spotlight
Alex
Student Spotlight
Brody
CYCLONE CHATTER 1/9/15
Did you make a New Year’s Resolution??? If not, check out some of the ideas on the last few pages!!
Kindergarten got back into the full swing of things. It's surprising how much we forget being gone for 2 weeks. And kind of nice to sleep in a couple extra days. But it didn't take long to catch up! We studied the letter Kk and made yummy kites to eat. We also made some New Year's resolutions so we could "start off on the right foot"! We are learning what halves are and how to use ordinal numbers. We also celebrated a couple of birthdays this week. Ayden turned 6 on the 8th and Abryelle turned 6 on the 11th. Happy Birthday! Thanks to everyone for all the nice gifts brought for Christmas and all the items that were sent for the baskets we put together for someone less fortunate over the holidays. We had so much stuff brought we were able to make 2 baskets!
First Grade have started 2015 off GREAT and are ready to learn new and exciting concepts. We are leaning Counting and Number Patterns to 100 in Math. It is awesome to work with BIG numbers. In Science, we are learning about Matter. We have started practicing Spelling List 3 words. In Language,we are learning to write name titles and book titles correctly.
The Second Graders - It was great to have everyone back from Christmas break and to dive head first into the third quarter. We began our new social studies unit on maps. We learned that all maps have similar elements; may key, compass rose, map scale, and title. We looked at a political map of Nebraska and found our capital, boarding states, different cities, and rivers. In math we learned how to round to the nearest 10 with a rhyme: "4 or less, let it rest. 5 or more raise the score." After practicing rounding to the nearest ten, the 2nd graders went shopping for priced items around the classroom. They used their skill of rounding to estimate the cost of two items. They loved shopping but wished they could have kept the items for themselves! ;) In language, we are learning about adjectives and how to put them into our writing to create wonderful word choice and voice! It has been a great, first week back!
Preschool News This Week: Brrr! The main goal for this week was to stay warm, which was appropriate for learning about winter! We read stories about animals in cold places. I also stresses to the preschoolers that in winter it is very important to wear the right clothes. Along the lines of staying healthy, I also stressed to the students how important it is that they wash their hands! Please remind/encourage them to wash often at home!
Next week: Beginning Monday, the preschoolers will have a week-long homework sheet in their folder. There are directions for each daily activity to practice letters. Please help your child complete this DAILY! It is better to do a little each day than to do the whole sheet at once. They return their homework sheet on the following MONDAY, for a treat! :)
Next week we will begin our 2 week dinosaur theme! Mrs. Shrader is looking for volunteers to donate sugar cookie dough (just the tube) and green sprinkles, for the preschoolers to make fossil cookies on Tuesday, January 20th. I need one tube and one jar of sprinkles per class. If you would like to donate, please let Mrs. Shrader know! Thank you!
Even though the temperatures were cold, the 3rd graders were on fire this week. They started working with patterns and how to find the rules. They also experienced them in a table format, which can be tricky to figure out sometimes. In social studies, they continue to learn about how the environment around them influences their culture. They discovered information about the cultures of the Native Americans and early European explorers. Lots of questions were asked and curiosity about the origins of their own culture arose. They are exploring different genres in reading. It was decided that they are going to keep track of all the different kinds of books they read to help them experience different writing styles. It looks like the 3rd graders are off to a red hot start for 2015.
The 4th graders adjusted well to being back from winter break, and they have managed to accomplish a lot even though there were even a couple of late starts and an early dismissal this week! *In Reading Mastery, they finished the folktale, Beauty and the Beast. Even though it was quite a bit different from the Disney movie, they were still able to see several similarities. The theme of not trusting appearances was recognized in this well-known story. After that, they read a poem about a spider and a fly, which involved learning some basic poetry terms. *The 4th graders have continued to work hard on their writing skills to get ready for their state writing test at the end of the month. They are working on writing personal narratives, especially in adding details and figurative language to make the writing more interesting to read. *In Nebraska history, they have been learning about Nebraska becoming an established "territory." This means, setting up a government with leaders, finding a capital, and improving communication and transportation so people will be interested in settling there. Ask a 4th grader about the 1st elected governor of the territory, as well as how the territory's capital was chosen! They are both interesting stories! *Math has continued with a fraction unit. The 4th graders have figured out how to find equivalent fractions by multiplying and dividing. Reducing fractions, they have discovered, takes a little more thought and effort, but they are making progress! *In science, we started a unit on electricity and magnetism. They have enjoyed some demonstrations with balloons and static electricity.
"Kendrick and Joe are trying to give the balloons a negative charge by rubbing them against their heads. However, this left the hairs on their hands standing up since their hair was left with a positive charge."
"Joe finds it entertaining that the balloon is attracted to him due to its charge."
What a way to start off the new year!! T-shirts bought with Box Tops Money!! Keep up the great work saving those Box Tops!!
3/4th and 5/6th Grade Boys Youth BB Practice Dates for January!!
January-
Saturday – 10th @ Clearwater 9:00-10:30
Saturday – 17th @ Orchard 9:00-10:30 3/4th and 5/6th Grade Girls Youth BB Practice Dates for January!!
January
Saturday – 10th @ CLEARWATER 10:30-12:00
Saturday – 10th @ Orchard 10:30-12:00
Game Dates Are:
Jan 11th –Girls 5/6th Orchard and 3/4th Girls @ Neligh
Boys - Clearwater
Jan 18th – 3/4th Girlsth Building 38 across from St. Mary’s School and
5/6th Girls O’Neill Pub
Boys – West Holt
Ten Terrific 2015 New Year's Resolutions for Kids FAMILY & PARENTING, BUSINESS & FINANCE, TOP TEN ON LONG ISLAND, HEALTH & WELLNESS, SEASONAL & CURRENT EVENTS By Kelly Tenny Published: December 31 2014
Adults aren't the only ones who make New Year's resolutions! Photo by: Chrissi Nerantzi via Free Images New Year’s resolutions aren’t just for adults, they’re for kids too! If you’d like to make some positive changes in your life, or if you are a parent who would like to encourage their children to make positive changes in their life, making resolutions for 2015 is a great place to start! While an adult’s New Year’s resolution list may include things like quitting smoking and losing weight, a child’s resolutions can be to work harder at school and help out more at home! Check out these totally terrific New Year’s resolutions made for kids! I Will Not Partake In Bullying. If you see someone being bullied do not encourage the bullies or watch along with everyone else. Tell the bullies to stop or go and inform an adult of what’s going on. I Will Learn Something New. Learning is fun and learning something new is a great way to build up skills and meet new friends with similar interests and hobbies. There are tons of things you can learn! Enroll in piano lessons, go out for a sport, or take a foreign language class at your local library! I Will Brush My Teeth Twice A Day. Dental hygiene is important! Take care of your teeth by making sure you brush them at least 2 times a day, once when you wake up and once before bed. I Will Clean Up & Put My Toys Away. This upcoming year make a resolution to clean up after yourself more and give mom and dad a much deserved break. I Will Adopt A Greener Lifestyle. Instead of leaving the TV on when you’re not watching or leaving lights on all over the house, turn things off or unplug them when you’re not using them. You’ll help your parents save on the electric bills and help the environment. I Will Eat More Fruits & Vegetables. You only get one body so it’s your job to take care of it! Make sure you nourish your body and get the important vitamins and nutrients available in fruits and vegetables.
I Will Help Out In My Community. Lending a hand and volunteering in the community or through a charity is a great way to give back and help others who are struggling. Make a point this year to sacrifice some of your time to make another’s life that much brighter. I Will Start Saving Money. Start building up a savings by putting away money in a special spot or by asking mom or dad to take you to go open up a savings account at a nearby bank. I Will Make Time For Homework. Homework can be a drag but it’s important to do it and make time for it because not doing it will affect your grades, how well you retain the information you learned that day, and get you in trouble if you do not complete it. I Will Show Those I Love Appreciation. Whether it’s a quick please and thank you to mom and dad, or giving Grandma a call on the telephone more often, find ways to show those that you love that you care and appreciate them.
Top 5 New Year’s Resolutions for Parents in 2015
Posted on December 30, 2014 by Preferred Medical Group • 0 Comments By Michelle DeRamus, Ph.D. At the start of a New Year, many have extensively planned rigid weight-loss diets, to spontaneously eradicate unhealthy habits, to achieve personal greatness or to conquer the world in 2015. The sky is the limit. While intentions may be pure, inevitably many of the difficult benchmarks set on January 1st are long forgotten by February. Parents, particularly, tend to make unrealistic resolutions centered on their children. They may be planning to never argue with their children in the coming year, to give their children everything they ask for, or to push them beyond their comfort zones to make straight A’s, to get onto all of the sports teams, or to get into an Ivy League school. Again, these may be great goals to strive for, but may prove to be unattainable in the long run. Parents and children may end up feeling high pressure and a sense of failure when they don’t measure up to the proverbial bar. Instead, I encourage both children and adults to take a step back and reflect on all aspects of their lives during 2014 to determine the areas that they would most like to improve upon or change. Then, create realistic shorter-term goals to be carried out throughout the year. An important factor is finding accountability for meeting these short-term goals through a spouse, a friend or a co-worker. In my office, I sometimes hear from parents who want to develop an entirely different approach for parenting their children but simply don’t know what or how to change. Because many look upon the New Year as a clean slate and a chance to start fresh, I have devised a list of my “Top 5 Parenting Resolutions for 2015.” You won’t become Super Mom or Dad overnight, but committing to LEARN throughout the year may help you to develop a more positive and open relationship with your child(ren) gradually.
(L)isten – really listen – to your child(ren). Families are busy and constantly rushing from work to school to extracurricular activities. Sure, parents want to spend more one-on-one time with their children, but many believe there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Long-term resolution: Commit to giving your child your undivided attention for a period of time every single day. Short-term steps: Make sure that you allocate a realistic amount of time for each child. As little as five minutes each day can go a long way. This time can be spent at the dinner table, playing a game together or during bath time. It can be in the morning, in the afternoon or at night. The when and where don’t matter so much as the fact that you are making it a habit to talk with your child and to listen to the things that they think are important, worrisome or exciting. You are teaching them that what they have to say is valuable. In turn, by taking the time to listen to your child, your child may also be more likely to listen to you. (E)stablish consistency. When you’re busy trying everything and nothing seems to be working, frustration can build for parents and children. Long-term resolution: Decide on a comprehensive parenting strategy and discipline style and implement it throughout your day-to-day interactions with your child. Make sure that other key people in the child’s life are on the same page with this strategy, such as your partner or the child’s grandparents. Short-term steps: If you feel that you don’t have a solid approach for adopting an overarching parenting strategy, break it down. Choose one new technique to test. You could select a discipline strategy to implement, such as time out, taking away privileges, or positive reinforcement. You may also create a sticker chart to track rewards for good behavior. Stick with whatever strategy that you choose for at least two weeks so that you will see if it works well for you and your child. Research shows that it takes a full 30 days for a new habit to stick. If the strategy that you chose seems to be ineffective after the trial period, try something else for two weeks. Eventually, you will discover the strategies that you believe will work toward your long term resolution.
(A)djust your expectations. No, your five-year-old won’t be able to write that college level essay. And, your teenage daughter (believe it or not) probably won’t want to come home right after school to do her homework. It’s normal. Long-term resolution: Discover age-appropriate “norms” that may help you to understand your child better. Correlate your expectations for their behavior with their stage of development. Become familiar with your child’s personal strengths and weaknesses. Short-term steps: (Pick any of the following options): Observe your child’s class at school and see what the other children are doing. Are they following directions properly? Do they know how to sit in their seats quietly, or are many children up and running around? If you are not typically around other children, you may not know what is “normal” and what’s not. Read an article or book, if you are an avid reader, on the stages of child development . Subscribe to websites like babycenter.com or healthychildren.org, which will provide you with periodic updates on child development stages. Ask your friends or your parents what their children were doing at certain ages to get a better handle on whether your child seems to be doing things at a similar pace as other children. They may also be willing to share ideas for rewards and punishments that worked for their family in a particular stage Take an hour and watch your child at play without trying to direct his/her play. See what your child is naturally drawn to and where he/she excels. On the other hand, you may observe areas of weakness and learn where you can support your child. Seek counsel from a psychologist if you are struggling to set age-appropriate goals and expectations. Your child’s teacher can also be a great source of information about age-appropriate goals. (R)emember to follow through. A classic example is when Mom says, “Clean your room or Santa won’t come to see you this year.” What really happens? The child doesn’t clean his/her room out of defiance, but Santa comes anyway with lots of toys for the child. The child has just learned that he/she doesn’t have to clean up because the threatened consequences were not implemented. Long-term resolution: Follow the age-old saying “Say what you mean, and mean what you say.” This goes for both positive and negative interactions with children. Follow through on threats for punishment as well as promises of rewards. Short-term steps:
Take it one day at a time. When you wake up in the morning, decide to be mindful of what you say that day, including any promises or threats that you make to your children. When children see that you follow through, they are more likely to trust what you say and to listen to you more often. When parents don’t follow through on what they say, kids may eventually learn to tune their parents out. (N)otice the good. Families often come to my office because they need help dealing with a difficult problem or situation. Sometimes parents spend too much time and energy telling their child over and over again about all of the negative behaviors that need to be changed. However, research shows that positive energy is better for the relationship in general and may go a lot further in helping a child to overcome a difficult situation. Long-term resolution: Improve your relationship with your child while simultaneously building up your child’s self-confidence and self-esteem. Short-term steps: Acknowledge one good thing that your child does every day. Mix it up by praising them privately and in front of others, such as extended family or friends. Acknowledgement for positive behaviors each day can make the behaviors more likely to happen again and will boost your child’s confidence that he/she can make good choices in the process. Parents, as the New Year rolls in, don’t forget to LEARN. These parenting recommendations require dedication and commitment, far beyond January 1st. Know that it’s OK to break these up into even smaller steps, such as committing to following one letter of LEARN each month. And, as with any New Year’s resolution, please recognize that it’s OK to mess up, and that inevitably you probably will mess up at some point. Treat each new day as a fresh start, and try again. As an added bonus, you will be modeling goal-setting for your children throughout the year. Encourage them to set their own New Year’s resolutions. It’s OK to think outside the box and get creative here. You can help them to break bigger resolutions down into smaller, more manageable goals, so that you may LEARN together. I wish your family a safe and Happy New Year. Dr. Michelle DeRamus is a child psychologist at Phoenix City Children’s
