Happy Holidays!

Wishing your family a happy holiday season.  I have sent many activities home with students for them to work on during our break.  Just a few reminders....

Book Bags:
After your child has read the books in their bag, please send them back and I will resend a new bag home with your child. These books can be read many times at home.  To become a better reader, we really need to pratice reading.

Fry words:
If you need a list of words, please let me know.  I have some wonderful booklets that all 1st graders are working on to earn a prize!  Keep working on those words. 

Please take the time to enjoy each other this during this holiday break.  Some of the best ways for students to learn is by playing games.  Some of my family's favorites....checkers, yahtzee, and scrabble.

Book Bags

On Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I sent home book bags with your child.  You may have your child read them to you as many times as they would like and then bring them back to school. I will resend new books home when those come back. 


When your child is reading to you, ask them questions about the story.  You want your child to connect to the story and activate any prior knowledge they have regarding the text they are reading. Remind them to use the reading strategies they have been learning in class to help identify and decode unknown words.  Hope you have a great weekend and continue reading!


Check out this great resource for fun books to
read.http://www.starfall.com/

Title I and ADSIS Math Night

Join us for Title I and ADSIS math night here at Sibley Elementary School.

When: Thursday, November 17, 2011
Time: 5:30-6:30
Where: Sibley School

Come for pizza at 5:30 and then attend the math standards meeting for your child's grade level. Learn end of the expectations, activities to do at home, and receive materials for your child. Hope you can join us!

Family READING Night!

All Title I families are invited to our reading success night at Halverson. Come and find out helpful tips to make reading fun and successful and highlight some school and community resources that are available to you. Hope you all can make it!

WHEN: October 27th, 2011 at 5:30
WHERE: Halverson Elementary School

What is Title:

The goal of Title I is to provide a high-quality education for every child. The Title I program provides extra help to students who need additional help in the areas of reading and math. Title I instruction is in addition to the regular classroom instruction.

You as parents influence your child’s education. You can boost your child’s achievement in school by taking an active role in Title I. Let your child see that education is important to you not just to them.

Being parents, you know your child better than anyone else does. Feel free to share information about your child’s likes and dislikes with me or your child’s classroom teacher.

Always share a love of learning with your child.

Set a good example for your child. Let them see you reading, writing letters, and making lists.

Make learning at home just as fun as it is at school. Work on building language, reading, and math skills. You can do this by playing games and reading signs when you are driving or shopping.

Limit your child’s television time and have your child read to you or you read to them. As you are reading together, stop and discuss what is happening in the story. Make predications about what might happen next.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to the 2011-2012 school year.  I am very excited to be working at Sibley Elementary School again this year.  I look forward to seeing all your smiling faces on Tuesday, September 6th.  I hope many of you will be at the Fall Picnic, on Thursday, September 1st from 5-7 pm.

                                               

June 2

We have enjoyed working with our students this school year. We were able to visit with the students during their picnics and get some great photos! We hope you enjoy your summer and spend some time with good books! Good luck to all of our students next year! We will miss you!

Some end of the year things

Book Bags
Your child has brought home a bag with books. These books came home in a clear plastic bag. We are looking to have all of the book bags back to school by May 27th. Please check at home for these book bags and have your child bring it back to Title One.

Friday, May 20th
Hats Off To Relay! Day. Students are invited to wear a hat for a donation to the Relay for Life (suggested donation is $.25 - $1.00). Millions of cancer patients around the world lose their hair during chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. Wearing caps and hats are their badge of courage as they battle this disease. Please join us as we honor their courage.

End of the year
The last day of Title One is May 27th. We have been working with our students these last couple of weeks to finish any additional standards they need to work on.
June 2nd
The last day of school, June 2nd, is now an early dismissal day and school will be dismissing at 12:05. This is in addition to the already scheduled early dismissal day next Tuesday, May 24th at 12:05.

Progress Reports and Questionnaire

Progress Reports:

On Thursday April 14th, your child's Title One progress report was sent home. We recently gave several assessments to determine their progress toward the end of the year goals. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. You may keep the progress report. Please send back the blue form with your signature. We can be reached at 379-5130 during school hours.

Questionnaire:
The purpose of our program is to provide a safe and positive envirnoment for students who need additional support in reading and math. In a small group setting, your child is working on reading and/or math skills that are appropriate for their grade level.

To help us better serve the needs of your child, we have sent home a questionnaire. Please fill it out and have your child return it to us. Thank you!

MCA testing

MCA Reading and Math Tests

During the next weeks students will be taking the

Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments known as the MCAs.

Reading Tests: Thursday, April 14^th & Friday, April 15th

Math Tests: Mrs. Berg and Mrs. Bracker : Wednesday, April 27th and Thursday, April 28th

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT EVERY STUDENT IS HERE ON THE DAY OF THE TEST!

Looking for some ways to help your child be prepared?

Here are some ways you can help:

• Encourage your child to work hard everyday
• Start the day off right the morning of each test:
1. Get a good night’s sleep
2. Eat a nutritious breakfast
3. Keep a positive attitude
• Help your child to arrive on time at school
• Ask your child how the test went each testing date

Title One Math Night

Title One math students in grades K-3 are invited to Sibley for math night on April 7th.

Invitations will be sent home to families the week of March 21-25.

K-1:

5:00-5:30 – Dinner Served (Have dinner with your family in the Sibley cafeteria.)

5:30-6:30 – Parent Class (Parents will learn about math standards for their child's grade.)

2-3:

6:00-6:30 – Dinner Served (Have dinner with your family in the Sibley cafeteria.)

6:30-7:30 – Parent Class (Parents will learn about math standards for their child's grade.)

We will have daycare available for children 1-12 years of age.

We will also have an interpreter.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

Title One Book Bags

Title 1 teachers have been sending home book bags for your child to read at home.  The books in these bags are books at their guided reading levels, so the students should be able to read these to you with little or no help.  After they have been read, bring them back and we will send new books home.  Happy Reading!

Sibley Title One MAth Night

Save the Date!

Sibley Math Night is on Thursday, April 7th from 5:00-7:30.
More information to come.

Reading Strategies

Reading Strategies
Try something
Look at the pictures
Make the first sound
Go back and read it again (hmmm)
Chunk it- look for parts you know
Does that make sense?
Does that look right?
Does that sound right?


Encourage your child to
Read with expression
Watch phrasing- punctuation
Read fluently
Enjoy reading


Comprehension Ideas
Name characters/ setting
Retell story in own words
Sequence events in the story
Identify the main idea
Make connections to own life

Reading Tips

Would your child rather clean up his room than pick up a book?

1. Make reading as realxing and low key as you can.

2. Read aloud some funny or interesting parts of your favorite book.

3. Draw your child in with a riddle book for kids, a passage from
    Sports Illustrated, or a newspaper story.

4. If your kid likes a movie, see if it's based on a book, the bring home the book.

5. For kids who have lost the motivation to read, use material that's interesting to them.

MAKE READING FUN!

Ice Cream For Books

Who:  Title I Students and Family When:  Thurs, Feb 17th 6:00-7:30 p.m. Where:  Halverson Elementary 707 10th Street What:  v Ice Cream Treats v BINGO for books v Storyteller v Reading Projects v Drawings for books v Book Swap         1.  Bring in as many “gently used” books.            2.  Get a coupon for each book.         3.  Use the coupons to “buy” new “used" books.          4.  Take your books home and enjoy reading them!                          When your done reading them, save them to swap at the next book swap!

Upcoming Parent Involvement Nights

Ice Cream for Books: February 17th at Halverson Elementary

Math Night: April 7th at Sibley Elementary

There will be more information to come!

Winter Projects

2nd and 3rd grade students wrote winter stories for their snowmen to hold. They are hanging in the hallway on display.

Our Kindergarten students wrote their names on circles and made snowmen!

Reading at Home

January 2011 Home and School Connection

Love to Read!!

1. Create a reading friendly home.
Keep something to read in every room. You might put a basket of your childs favorite books in the living room, or bedroom.

2. Be a reading family.
Regular reading at home will help your child read school materials more easily. Set aside a time each day to read to your child and for him/ her to read on their own.

3. Match books to your child.
Familiar topics and likable characters can motivate your child to read. Ask a librarian or bookseller for suggestions.