25 Ways You Can Make a Difference

School Family:

Being involved in your children’s education can be as simple as asking them about their school day or as bold as volunteering once a week for lunchroom duty.

by Sharron Kahn Luttrell

Ask your child about school.Saying “Tell me something you learned today” shows your child that you’re interested in what happens in the classroom.
Read to your child.As your children get older, let them read to you.
Help your child with homework.If your child doesn’t need help, get in the habit of checking his answers.
Join your school’s parent group.Attend a meeting to find out what’s happening in school and how you can get involved.
Help out in your child’s classroom.Most teachers are grateful for an extra set of hands. They might need you for special projects, or to work one-on-one or with small groups of children on reading, math, or other subjects.
Take over some of your teacher’s photocopying.Commit to an hour or two a week of photocopying to free up your child’s teacher for classwork.
Prepare a presentation for your child’s classabout your hobby or your family’s ethnic or religious traditions.
Help decorate the classroomfor a class party.
Volunteer in the lunchroom or at recess.This is a great way to get to know your children’s schoolmates.
Help out in the school library.Librarians may need help cataloging books or straightening up after classes visit.
Help the art teachermount student artwork for display. Or volunteer to assist with projects during art class.
Serve as volunteer tech supportin the school media lab.
Paint scenery and build setsfor the school play.
Answer phones and greet visitorsin the school office.
Chaperonea field trip.
Take photographsfor the school yearbook or memory book.
Volunteer to head a club or teach an after-school enrichment class.Share your expertise—for example, photography, chess, or sewing doll clothes.
Speak at career day.
Help plan school eventssuch as dances, holiday productions, or special assemblies.
Work the concession standat sporting events.
Offer to contribute to or produce the school newsletter.
Work with school administrators to write grant proposals or seek other funding sources.
Judge a competitionsuch as a science fair or spelling bee.
Attend school board meetings.You’ll learn about issues affecting your district.
Vote in school elections.Learn about candidates for school board. Take your child to the polls on election day so he can see you exercise your civic responsibility.

Wayne County Regional Enhancement Education Millage Proposal

Nov6

School districts in Wayne County have placed a proposal on the November 8^th ballot to provide added funding for our schools. It is the “Regional Enhancement Millage Proposal.”

If approved by the entire county, the 2 mil proposal will generate approximately $6.2 million from Dearborn but the District will receive $7.8 million in additional funding for our schools. Money would go to local schools starting this year and the millage expires after six years. Continue reading →

Wayne County Regional Enhancement Education Millage Proposal

Nov6

School districts in Wayne County have placed a proposal on the November 8^th ballot to provide added funding for our schools. It is the “Regional Enhancement Millage Proposal.”

20 Questions To Ask Your Child About School

Oct13

20 Questions To Ask Your Child About School

Finding out how things are going in your child’s life sometimes takes a bit of strategizing. These tips and questions can help you get the conversation started.

by Patti Ghezzi

One day your child tells you everything, from the consistency of the macaroni and cheese in the cafeteria to the hard words on the spelling test to the funny conversation she had with her best friend.

The next day…poof.

Parent: “So, what’s going on at school?”

Child: “Nothing.”

For many parents, the information they receive about what’s happening at school ebbs and flows, especially once their kids hit 10 or 11 years of age. Even younger children may be reluctant sometimes to share the details of school life.

It doesn’t mean that something’s wrong or that you’re somehow missing a key piece of the parenting puzzle. It may simply be that your child is asserting independence and craving a little privacy. “No one tells parents this,” says Peter Sheras, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia who specializes in adolescent relationships, family relationships, and stress. “Parents feel they are not very good at parenting.”

Of course, that’s not the case. You might just need to tweak your approach. Don’t interrogate, Sheras says. Kids don’t want to be grilled. Be subtle; be patient. Learn to listen intently to the words your child does offer. Watch your child’s body language and demeanor. Avoid yes-or-no questions if possible, and be specific. Try escalating—starting with simple questions and gradually delving into more sensitive topics.

If all else fails, wait it out. Try again later with a different approach, such as choosing a different time of day to start a conversation or taking your child out for a burger before asking questions. In a place where she’s comfortable, she might feel more talkative.

Don’t start the conversation with “We need to have a talk,” Sheras says: “That’s when a child dives under the table.”

Here are 20 questions that can help you get started.

“I know you were stressed out about that math test. How did it go?”
“I’m really proud of how well you’re doing in school. What are you studying these days that really interests you?”
“You seem to have some good teachers this year. Which one is your favorite?”
“If you could make up a teacher from scratch, a perfect teacher, what would he or she be like?”
“When I was your age, I really didn’t like social studies. I just didn’t see the point in studying how people in Russia lived or what kind of languages Native Americans spoke. What subject are you really not liking these days?”
“What’s your favorite time of day at school?”
“What do you think about your grades? How does your report card compare with what you were expecting?”
“We used to have the meanest boy in my class when I was your age. I still remember what a bully he was. Do you have anyone like that in your class?”
“I’ve been reading a lot in the news about kids picking on other kids. What about at your school? Is that happening?”

“I’m hearing a lot about bullying on the Internet. It sounds a little scary, but I really don’t know what it’s all about. Can you tell me about it?”
“I noticed a few new kids in your class. Which ones have you been able to get to know? What are they like?”
“I know it was hard for you when Kenny transferred to a different school. How’s it going without your best friend around?”
“Who did you sit with at lunch today?”
“I’m sorry you didn’t get invited to Sarah’s birthday party. I know you’re disappointed. How have things changed between you and Sarah now that you’re not in the same class?”
“I really like the way you choose such nice friends. What qualities do you look for in a friend?”
“I know you really like your new friend Caroline, but whenever I see her she’s being disrespectful to adults. Why don’t you tell me what I’m missing? What do you like about her that I’m not seeing?”
“I can tell it embarrasses you when I insist on meeting your friends’ parents before letting you go to their house, but it’s something I need to do as your mom. Is there a way I could do it that would make you feel more comfortable?”
“How’s it going with your activities and schoolwork? What would make it easier for you to manage your schedule and responsibilities?”
“I feel like I haven’t talked to you in ages. How about we go for a walk and catch up?”
“I’m sure I do things that embarrass you. What do I do that embarrasses you the most?”

Talking with your child should be an ongoing process. Keep the dialogue open, and be available so your child can find you when she feels like chatting.

One final piece of advice from Sheras: “Keep talking even when you think your kids aren’t listening,” he says. “Your children are listening whether they act like it or not.”

10 Ways To Help Your Child Successfully Return to School

Get Kids Talking About School

Help Your Child Handle School Bus Bullies

Increase Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence

Kindergarten From the Kids’ Point of View

Notice for AOL Email Accounts

Oct13

Dear Parents,

If you are an AOL email user, please be aware that you may not receive email notifications due to AOL policies. We are working to resolve this issue with AOL.

Thank you for your patience while we work with AOL to make sure you get classroom notifications from your teacher.

Sincerely,

Technology Department

Get Ready for Summer! Ideas for Teachers to Share with Families

Jun15

Get Ready for Summer! Ideas for Teachers to Share with Families

By: Reading Rockets

Ideas for summer learning fun

Check out Reading Rockets’ new summer website,Start with a Book. You’ll find a treasure trove of themed children’s books, parent–child activities, and other great resources for summer learning.

Offer recommendations for active learning experiences. Check with your local department of parks and recreation about camps and other activities. Find out what exhibits, events, or concerts are happening in your town over the summer. Create a directory or calendar of local summer learning fun to share with your students and their families. (Be sure to note any costs involved.)

Encourage parents to build reading and writing into everyday activities. Some ideas to pass along: (1) watching TV with the sound off and closed captioning on, (2) reading directions for how to play a new game, or (3) helping with meals by writing up a grocery list, finding things in the grocery store, and reading the recipe aloud for mom or dad during cooking time. More ideas at PBS Parents (in Spanish, too).

Summer trading cards. Kids can dive deeper into summer reading by exploring characters with the Trading Cards activity from ReadWriteThink, which provides students with the opportunity to expand their understanding of the reading by creating new storylines and characters. A nifty Trading Card interactive tool provides additional support.

Encourage writing. Give each of your students a stamped, addressed postcard so they can write to you about their summer adventures. Or recycle school notebooks and paper into summer journals or scrapbooks. Another way to engage young writers is to encourage your students to spend some time researching and writing community stories — not only does it build research and writing skills, but helps kids develop a deeper sense of place. And check out the pen pal project at Great Schools. Find more good summer writing ideas from Start with a Book: keep a nature journal, create a poetree, share a recipe, or keep a scrapbook of reviews of summer adventures.

Kids blog! Arrange for a safe, closed community so that your students can blog over the summer. Edublogs and Kidblog offer teachers and students free blog space and appropriate security. Free, disposable e-mail accounts are available at Mailinator. Students can create an account there, use the address long enough to establish the blog and password, and then abandon it.

Be an active citizen. Kids who participate in community service activities gain not only new skills but self-confidence and self-esteem. Help them zoom into action! Resources fromZOOM can help them get the most out of helping others this summer.

Real world reading. Newsela builds nonfiction literacy and awareness of world events by providing access to hundreds of leveled news articles and Common Core–aligned quizzes, with new articles every day. The bloggers on The Uncommon Corps are enthusiastic champions of nonfiction literature for kids and young adults, and offer many ideas for integrating nonfiction into the Common Core classroom (or any classroom). For more book ideas to share with parents, check out the Orbis Pictus Award winners — outstanding nonfiction for children, presented by the National Council of Teachers of English. Share these tip sheets with parents (available in English and Spanish): Getting the Most Out of Nonfiction Reading Time and How to Read Nonfiction Text. And don’t forget to check out ourNonfiction for Kids section

Active bodies. Active minds. First Lady Michele Obama is leading the national Let’s Move initiative — with the goal of raising a healthier generation of children. Let’s Move Outsidehas lots of ideas to help kids get the 60 minutes of active play they need everyday.ilovelibraries has suggestions for staying fit and having fun that start at your local library. This year’s theme at the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP): On your mark, get set … read! At the CSLP website, you’ll find a bibliography of children’s books, DVDs, and more all about being active

Get into geocaching. Everyone loves a scavenger hunt! Get in on the latest outdoor craze with geocaching, where families search for hidden “caches” or containers using handheld GPS tools (or a GPS app on your smart phone). Try a variation on geocaching called earthcaching where you seek out and learn about unique geologic features. Find more details about geocaching plus links to geocaching websites in this article from the School Family website, Geocaching 101: Family Fun for All, in Every Season. Or follow one young family on their geocaching adventure: Geocaching with Kids: The Ultimate Treasure Hunt.

Watch a garden grow and build research, reading, and writing skills with this summer project from ReadWriteThink. Children are encouraged to write questions and observations in a summer garden journal. Or check out the Kids Gardening website for lots of great ideas and resources for family (and school) gardening.

Make cool things. “Dad, dad, dad, can we make a samurai sword?…” Dad Can Do is a wonderful site full of crafty ideas that bring fathers and kids together. Make a wizard’s wand, paper planes, spaceships, ex libris, and quirky things like an origami cowboy shirt (think Woody from “Toy Story”) — mostly from inexpensive or recycled materials.

Help parents plan ahead for fall. Work with the teachers a grade level above to develop a short list of what their new students have to look forward to when they return to school. For example, if rising third graders will be studying ancient cultures, suggest that parents check out educational TV, movies, or local museums that can provide valuable background information on that topic.

Ideas for summer reading fun

Make sure kids have something to read during the summer — put books into children’s hands. Register with First Book and gain access to award-winning new books for free and to deeply discounted new books and educational materials or find other national and local programs and organizations that can help.

Get your local public library to sign kids up for summer reading before school is out.Invite or ask your school librarian to coordinate a visit from the children’s librarian at the public library near the end of the school year. Ask them to talk about summer activities, educational videos, and audio books at the library and to distribute summer reading program materials.

Get to know your community public library better. Find out if your public library is part of the Collaborative Summer Library Program, a grassroots effort to provide high-quality summer reading programs for kids. The theme for 2016 is On your mark, get set … read!Colorín Colorado has tips for parents in English and in Spanish about visiting the local library. Or check out our top 9 reasons to rediscover your public library.

Let parents and kids know about the free summer reading incentive programs. At Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! program, find out how to Ignite a Summer of Reading.The Scholastic Be a Reading Superhero Summer Reading Challenge encourages kids to log the minutes they spend reading and map their accomplishments. Kids can participate in weekly challenges, earn digital rewards, and enter to win prizes. With the Barnes & Noble Imagination’s Destination challenge, your child can earn a free book after reading eight books (and parents receive a summer reading kit full of activities). With the TD Bank Summer Reading Program, kids read and keep track of 10 books and can get $10 added to their Young Saver account.

Help kids build math and science skills over the summer. Share our Literacy in the Sciences series with families. Each one-page tip sheet (in English and Spanish) suggests easy hands-on activities as well as fiction and nonfiction books to extend the learning. In this section you’ll also find links to great science websites for kids, blogs about children’s science books, and links to PBS KIDS science programs and activities.

Encourage parents to start a neighborhood book club with other families this summer. It’s a great way to keep the summer learning social and low-key. Warmer weather can inspire some not-so-run-of-the-mill meeting places, too: a tent or picnic blanket in the backyard. If the book club catches on, it’s something to continue throughout the school year. PBS Parents has a wonderful collection of tips on how to start a club and encourage great discussions. Our special education blogger, June Behrmann, shares ideas (and title selections) for starting your own mother-daughter “accessible ” book club using print alternatives.

Suggest to parents that they set up a summer listening program which encourages their children to listen to written language. Research shows that some children with learning disabilities profit from reading the text and listening to it at the same time.

Why You Should Get Involved in Your Child’s Activities, Hobbies, and School

May25

Why You Should Get Involved in Your Child’s Activities, Hobbies, and School

by Pam Myers, BSEd | on May 3, 2016 | in Activities for Kids, Dad’s Corner, Mom’s Corner, Parenting

It’s probably no secret that children who have involved parents are more happy, healthy, and well-adjusted and excel at their educational and extracurricular pursuits. It can increase their cognitive development, keeps them motivated, strengthens the parent-child relationship, and has a direct positive influence on their overall academic achievement. In turn, it can also help parents achieve a positive outlook on their parenting, increase their own self confidence and self esteem, and will most likely feel more satisfied with their child’s educational experience at school.

But where do you get involved? With today’s busy schedules between home, work, and school, it may feel that the average family has very little quality time to offer. However, different options and levels of commitment are available to fit every parent’s availability, and with some careful planning and dedication, you can make it a positive experience for both yourself and your child.

First of all, discover what your child is most passionate about. Maybe you’ve thought about volunteering for the school bake sale to raise money, but your child is actually more actively involved in her local Girl Scouts troop. If that’s the case, then get together with the other Girl Scout parents and see what you can contribute to help the troop. Maybe you could organize a bake sale to benefit their next summer outing.

It’s also important to consider what skills, talents and abilities you can bring to the table. Maybe your child’s school is in desperate need of your help organizing a fundraiser, but your skills in sewing and designing might better serve the school if you were to help in making the costumes for the school play. Remember, you want this to be a positive experience for both of you, and if your child senses that you’re not happy with what you’ve chosen to become involved in, then they likely will not be happy as well.

But the bottom line is get involved and stay involved. Children of involved parents are less likely to get into mischief, have emotional problems, or have problems in school. You benefit by connecting with and staying connected to your child. It’s a win-win situation for you both.

Suggested Resources for You

Taking Charge of Your Child’s Education: A guide to becoming the primary influence in your child’s life Do you want to give your child the best start in life possible? Do you want to get more involved in their educational process? Would you like to become the primary influence in your child’s life? Make no mistake, this is not a pamphlet full of fluff, instead it is full of helpful information, tools, and resources! As you read through this book, you’ll find “taking action” areas at the end of the chapters. I really wanted to include some tangible things that will help give ideas of how you can purposefully enrich your relationship with your child and your family. Taking Charge of Your Child’s Education is really all about building and maintaining strong relationships within your family unit. As well as preparing, guiding, and encouraging your children throughout their youth and into adulthood. The real lessons that will influence your child start right there in your own home. This book is a must read for any parent dedicated to giving their child the best future possible.

Try Something New for Families: 100 Fun & Creative Ways to Spend Time Together Get your family excited for some quality time together! Tired of hearing how bored your family is? Running out of ideas for new activities? With 100 ways to shake things up, this book will challenge you to get outside of your usual activities, discover new interests, and grow together as a family. This book works as a keepsake to remind you of all your fun, new experiences. Each page has a suggestion for an activity for you to try together, a place to record your completion date, and a couple of questions to help you remember the highlights of the activity. There’s something for every family; no matter the age range, budget, or interests. So get out there, keep your minds open, and try something new!

More On This Topic:

About Pam Myers, BSEd

Pam Myers received a BsEd in Education and her teaching credential from USC and was a 6th grade teacher for 13 years for the Ocean View School District in Huntington Beach, CA. She and Dr Bob met at USC and were married in 1971. Pam is the proud mother of two grown children, Lauren, who is a Special Education teacher in the La Habra School District and a son, Greg, who is a TV and Film editor. She retired from the public schools to raise her family and has continued to work with children and families through various activities including serving as a PTA president, working with OC Philharmonic Association to bring music education to children and is serving in the youth ministry at her church. Pam and Bob worked as a team on his radio shows and she provided management support in his private practice. Painting and live theater are her passions as well as the protection of children and animals.

Helping Parents

Apr11

This article assists parents in many aspects of positive parenting.

https://www.greatschools.org/gk/cue-cards/?l=I0&utm_source=newsletter_041016&utm_medium=email&utm_content=topstory&utm_campaign=Cue_Cards

Reach More Learners

Jan25

Reach More Learners

Automatically Decoding Words/ Impact of Memory and Language

In order to become effective at reading words, students must develop their decoding skills to a seemingly ‘automatic’ level. Readers must be able to recognize words quickly and accurately. In truth, when we read we continue to employ the steps of decoding, but we do so in such a manner that it appears almost effortless, or automatic. Automaticity is crucial to building reading skills because students who are able to automatically decode words are free to think about the meaning of the words they are reading. Thus, skilled word decoding is a building block for reading comprehension.

Being able to read words rapidly with high or near perfect accuracy, or automatization, depends upon developing effective decoding skills as well as building a sight word vocabulary.

Here are some strategies to help students develop their ability to decode words automatically.

Helpful Hints

Focus on the automatization of sound-letter associations. Incorporate times throughout the day for reinforcing phonological awareness, working on word attack strategies, etc..

Teach students how to create words by blending chunks of letters together. Begin by showing students how to combine individual letters into chunks (e.g., /f/… /at/ makes /fat/). Have students who are skilled at chunking individual letters practice combining consonant blends with letter chunks (e.g., /fl/… /at/ makes /flat/), and combining consonant blends with vowel combinations (e.g. /fl/… /ee/… /t / makes /fleet/).
Build students’ familiarity with the six kinds of syllables to help automatize segmenting and decoding skills:
- (VC = Vowel/Consonant): Closed syllables where a consonant (or consonants) follow a vowel, (e.g., fun, sad).
- (VCE = Vowel/Consonant/Silent E): Syllables where a consonant is between a vowel and a silent e (e.g., ice, hope).
- (CV = Consonant/Vowel, or V = Vowel): Open syllables where one vowel is at the end (e.g., si in silent, e in event).
- (VV = Vowel/Vowel): Dipthong syllables where two vowels combine to make one sound (e.g., boat, sail).
- (CLE = Consonant/L/E): Syllables where a consonant plus the letter l is followed by a final e (e.g., simple, bubble).
- (VR = Vowel/R): R-Combination syllables where a vowel is combined with the letter r (e.g. art, term).
As students’ word analysis and syllabication skills develop, encourage them to focus upon roots, prefixes, and suffixes of words, e.g., decoding sadness in ‘one step’ by breaking it down into sad (root)+ ness (suffix).
Encourage students to perceive chunks of letters within a word when reading, i.e., several letters together at once, rather than one letter at a time, for example, seeing the letters th as a unit, or the syllable ing as a unit, when reading the word thing.
Give students opportunities to build their vocabularies. For example, do pre-reading activities in which students share what they know about a topic, thus activating their vocabulary related to the topic. Immerse students in reading materials to expose them to as much text as possible (Read, Read, Read!).
Provide opportunities for students to develop reading fluency, the ability to read at a smooth and rapid pace. Encourage students to reread books they’ve read previously that are “easy” for them; have students read along with a book-on-tape or read along with you, etc.
Focus on building students’ ability to recognize sight words, words that are taught as whole units because they are quite common, have unusual spellings, or cannot be sounded out, e.g. have, said, the, of, etc. Provide reinforcement by having students practice sight words in isolation (e.g., using flash card drills), and in context (circling sight words in their reading).