9/2 - No School
9/3-6 - DIBELS
Benchmark Testing9/3-12 NWEA
Testing9/13 - No School
9/15 - No School
9/17 - School Board
Meeting at 7 PM9/20 - No School
9/27 - No School
Elementary Newsletter
September Important Dates
Welcome Back!
I hope your child(ren) has enjoyed being back at school. The teachers and staff worked hard to make sure this year is the best yet! As we start the school year, please know you can reach out to me with questions you may have about your child’s education. We are very fortunate to have teachers who care about their students and want to see them flourish academically and socially/emotionally.
DIBELS and NWEA Testing
Your child(ren) will be taking beginning of the year assessments. These assessments are given three times a year to help our staff ensure they are meeting their needs and that your child is showing growth. We ask for your help in reminding your child to try his/her best every time they take an assessment. If you have any questions, please let me know. ~Mrs. Kammer
School On Some Fridays
Please make sure to check the school calendar. There are three Fridays that school will be in session. These Fridays are September 6th, November 22nd, and January 17th. Please make sure your child(ren) is at school.
Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast and lunch are free this year. Your child(ren) is allowed to get seconds or an additional milk when bringing cash with him/her to school. The following prices apply…
Extra milk $0.50
Additional breakfast $2.00
Additional lunch entree $2.00
Important Information
Please make sure to call Mrs. Juarez before 9 AM if your child will not be at school.
Students can start entering the school at 7:45 AM.
Please call our secretary, Mrs. Juarez, before 3:00 PM if you have a message for your child. We have around 300 students and have to start messages early to get through all of them depending on the day. Please know we understand last minute emergencies.
Students will be dismissed and exit the building at the following times and locations…
5th/6th Graders - dismissed at 3:38 PM and will exit the front doors
3rd/4th Graders - dismissed at 3:39 PM and will exit the front doors
1st/2nd Graders - dismissed at 3:40 PM and will exit the library doors
Kindergarten - dismissed at 3:40 PM and will exit the kindergarten doors
L.E.A.R.N.E.R.S.
LEARNERS is a word we will be focusing on at Holyoke Elementary. LEARNERS stands for…
Learn from mistakes
Evaluate work
Ask questions and accept challenges
Receive and respond to feedback
Never give up!
Effort matters
Reach goals
State what we’re learning
For the month of September, we are focusing on “L” Learn from mistakes.
S.O.A.R.
We are The Dragons and we Soar to excellence! SOAR stands for…
Safety
Ownership
Achievement
Respect
For the month of September, we are focusing on “S” Safety.
Student Safety Before and After School
It is the goal of the city, police department, and the school that we have a great and safe start to the school year! We are providing you with information about the safest routes, rules, and helpful hints.
When walking or biking, please use the sidewalks.
Avoid alleys and parking lots.
Do not walk or ride in the middle of the street.
Travel in groups if possible, especially when crossing major intersections. This allows cars to not only see you, but make them stop on time.
When riding a bike, scooter, or skateboard, you are required to stop at stop signs just like a car.
Utilize the designated routes which are patrolled and shared with the public as streets to be watching for pedestrians and bikers.
Wear a bicycle helmet if you have one.
Always assume cars cannot see you and will not be stopping.
Drop off and pick up
Please use yellow zones for dropping kids off. Do NOT park in the yellow zones. If you want to walk your child to the front door of the school, please park in a parking spot and not the yellow zones.
After school, please make sure to pull over in a parking spot to pick up your child. We have staff helping fill in as a crossing guard, so please let them help your son or daughter cross the street.
Chromebooks and Chargers
We appreciate your help with your child’s education by providing school supplies at the beginning of the year. If your child is in 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th grade, it will be your child’s responsibility to charge his/her Chromebook for school the next day. Your child was given a Chromebook and a charger at the beginning of the school year. If the charger gets lost, you will be responsible for replacing it. It would be a big help if you could remind your child to plug in his/her Chromebook nightly. It is your responsibility to make sure your child has his/her headphones charged and ready for school daily.
10 Ways to Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem
Hug, kiss, and say, “I love you” to your child every day.
Give your child specific praise often. For example, instead of “good job” or “you’re great,” say, “I love it when you do your homework without asking me.”
Try to turn around negative thoughts your child has about him/herself. Teach positive self-talk, such as “I like who I am” and “I can do it!”
Talk with your child every day, and really listen. Show respect for his/her ideas and opinions.
Avoid put-downs, even as jokes. Kids take them seriously.
Assign your child chores and let him/her help you with tasks. Acknowledge your child’s hard work.
Encourage independence and problem solving. Allow your child to make choices, find solutions, and learn to accept consequences.
Teach your child to set goals. Pick a specific goal that’s realistic but will take effort. Then track and celebrate progress!
Don’t compare your children. “Your older brother was able to do this faster,” only discourages a child and causes resentment.
Encourage success, but assure your child that you love him/her unconditionally.
ILLNESS SYMPTOMS
Please do not send your child to school if one or more of the following symptoms exist.
Fever
Abdominal pain or severe cramping
Nausea and/or vomiting
Headache which won't subside
When the child has an allergic reaction
Whenever a rash is present that has not been treated by a physician. A note from the physician should accompany the student’s return to school.
Evidence of your child having a contagious disease. For example pink eye, strep-throat, measles or chickenpox
If a child is too sick to participate in outdoor recess then your child may be too sick to attend school and other arrangements should be made. Students will be required to participate in outdoor recess each day unless there is a doctor’s note stating otherwise.
A child should be fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication.
Attendance Matters!
Missing a day of school here and there may not seem like much, but absences add up!
When a student misses 2 days a month…
*They will miss 20 days a year.
*They will miss 30 hours of math over the school year.
*They will miss 60 hours of reading and writing over the school year.
*They will miss over 1 YEAR of school by graduation.
When a student misses 4 days a month…
They will miss 40 days a year.
They will miss 60 hours of math over the school year.
*They will miss 120 hours of reading and writing over the school year.
*They will miss over 2 YEARS of school by graduation.
School District Communication Survey
The Holyoke School Board, Administration, Teachers, and Staff often have exciting news or information they deem relevant and important to share with students, parents, and community members. The District is attempting to gather feedback from each of you to help determine the most effective ways to communicate with the Dragon Family. The desire is to have our message reach as many people as possible in the most effective manner.
Please use the link http://bit.ly/4fTMn0u or scan the barcode below.
