 Welcome to Whitney Elementary |
Character Trait for June is... Friendliness
Friendliness is taking an interest in other people, being warm and courteous. When you are friendly, you happily share things you have.
A Word from Mrs. Hawkins: THANK YOU, Parents and Community Members! As we look forward to summer and begin to wind down the school year, we want to thank our parents and community volunteers for their support. Whitney parents, family members, and community volunteers are awesome! Thank you for listening to students read, for reading TO students, for helping students learn basic math facts, for making sure students do extra reading at home and at school, and for insisting students do and return their homework. Thank you for taking time to attend Parent Nights, grade-level programs, and classroom celebrations for students earning awards. We couldn't do picture days or go on field trips without adult support. Thank you for signing up for Safeway eScrip on your Safeway discount card in order to add money to the Boosters' bank account when you shop there. We are grateful to our Parent Boosters! Under the outstanding leadership of Pam Merillat, Nancy Default, Rosie Rifa, Julie McGregor, and Jennifer Williams, the Booster group has raised money to pay for field trips, to buy computers and rewards for learning, and to sponsor special events like the Band and Orchestra Winter Concert. Members have made the fund-raising fun, rewarding classrooms with donut and pizza parties and individuals with fabulous prizes. We appreciate all the many extras Boosters do for us, like being here to serve cocoa and cookies in the fall and ice cream in the spring to students who earn the rewards. Thank you for enriching students' lives with the all-school dance, Holiday Shop, the service club party, free books, and books from the used book sale. Boosters will fund our All-school Family Picnic--the last party of the school year on June 8 at 5:30 p.m. Please everyone, plan to attend and enjoy good food and games. We are saying good-bye to the following retiring staff members: teachers Judy Dorsett and Nancy Summet, and head cook Bonnie Clayton. They have given many years of quality service to students. Judy and Nancy are inspirational teacher leaders, especially in learning to use new technology, writing grants to purchase equipment and helping their colleagues learn to use document cameras, response systems, and mimio boards in presenting lessons. Besides managing our kitchen, Bonnie welcomes students as kitchen helpers, and serves great food with a smile for everyone. We want these ladies to know they will be missed, and we wish them well. The Whitney staff joins me in hoping you have a safe and enjoyable summer. Please remember to have students read, write, and practice their math skills. In the fall school begins on Monday, August 30. See you then! Food Service Department You need to apply for Free or Reduced Price Meals each school year. Applications for 2010-11 school year will be mailed to homes and available in the Food Services Office located at 104 N 4th Avenue after August 1st. If you have any questions, please call 573-7053. The balance in your student's account (+or-) will be rolled over to the 2010-11 school year. All negative balances must be paid in full before a student can receive their report card. Character Trait for April is... PATIENCE Patience is quiet hope and expectation based on trust that in the end, everything will be all right. Patience means waiting.
A Word From Mrs. Hawkins: April: State Testing Is Approaching Quickly This spring students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will be taking the state test in mid-May, a bit later in the spring than in the past. No longer called the WASL, the state test has been modified to be shorter, and it has been renamed the Measurement of Student Progress (MSP). Students across the state will take the MSP on the same days. You may want to keep this marked for further reference: May 12 - Reading, Grades 3-8 May 13 - Math, Grades 3-8 May 18 & 20 - Writing, Grades 4, 7 May 18 - Science, Grades 5, 8
Regular attendance is very important as teachers are preparing students for success on the tests. Every day in class students need to make their best efforts to learn, and they should ask questions when they need more help from teachers. Parents and family members can help students learn addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts because knowing these facts gives students confidence in themselves and allows them to solve problems faster with greater accuracy. Please Help Us With Student Clothing The weather is changing and parents and guardians may be purchasing new spring and summer clothing. Please remember that our dress code asks that students dress modestly so they do not disrupt the learning process--no spaghetti straps or short shirts and shorts. Please check your child's clothing before he/she comes to school. Have your child raise his/her hands up over the head to ensure that the middle part of the body remains covered even when the arms are raised--bare bottoms and mid-sections are very disruptive. We want to be sure you know that students may not wear clothing with the South Pole label because of its association with a gang. Students must wear shoes to school. For reasons of safety, no flip flops are allowed. Shoes should be appropriate for PE class and recess. Thank you for helping us keep students focused and safe by making sure your child's clothing meets the dress code requirements. Keeping Students Safe Some students are arriving on school grounds before supervision is available. Students may not arrive before 8:15 a.m.. We value our Whitney students; please help keep them safe.
VOLUNTEERS
If you are planning to chaperone on a field trip with your student's classroom, you must complete a volunteer form, return it in person to the school office and show picture ID. You can pick up a form in the office. Please complete the form at least 10 days prior to the field trip to allow for processing of the paperwork. A new form is required each school year.
March: Is Your Child Too Tired? The bottom line is that as many as 80% of children don't get enough sleep. Look at all the temptations to stay up late--television, Internet attractions, computer games, good books, extra time with parents, and many after-school activities. Behavioral problems or trouble at school may be a warning sign that your child is not getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep limits a child's ability to learn and make good choices. Please look at the chart below for what to watch for and what to do.
Ages 3-5
Ages 6-8
Ages 9-12 "Sometimes, kids are even misdiagnosed with an emotional or medical condition when the real cause is not enough sleep," says Will Wilkoff, MD, author of Is My Child Overtired? Specialists in children's sleep believe that many kids who are diagnosed with learning disabilities may actually be suffering from serious but undetected sleep deprivation. Could your child have a sleep disorder? Maybe, if he/she...
|
There's no substitute for paying attention! Diane Sawyer |
 |
Character Trait for May is...
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
