ARE's version of March Madness: a Final Five(?)...of important topics to learn about for this coming month!
This month I want to offer information on five topics; two events, two new procedures/programs, and one fantastic parent resource.
Save the Dates...This month is our annual Parents As Reading Partners month long program which is focused on having all students immerse themselves in reading with a parent or other adult partner. To read up a little on the benefits and importance of parents continuing to read with children at home - in addition to our work with them here at school - take a look at these quick reads from 'The Conversation', and from the New York Times.
To begin our program this year, this morning we held our PARP kickoff assembly (click to view the video) where we introduced our theme for this year; Telling Tales. The students were 'treated' to a visit by yours truly dressed up as Paul Bunyan to read a tall tale. Your child will bring home a PARP explanation and planning document so that you can get started as soon as you want planning out their project to work with you on this month. The month will end with a celebration of all projects on Literacy Night - Wednesday, March 27th - with guest professional storyteller, Jack E. Grace. Look for more information to come home soon on Literacy Night, but for now please take just a few moments this weekend to read the two page packet sent home this afternoon on green paper. PARP month, and Literacy Night are an amazing opportunity for you to join with us as a school in promoting the importance and enjoyment of parents and students reading together!
Lights, Camera, Action! The second event I would like to highlight is a simple night of family fun for just a dollar. If you would like an opportunity to get out of the house for an evening with your kids and join other Allen Road families and friends, we've got the night for you! On Friday evening March 15th, we have reserved the junior high auditorium for an Allen Road movie night. Admission is a $1.00 donation which goes straight to the junior high production crew who take care of the tech end of things for this night. It is a great auditorium for watching, a great price to get in, and a great chance to connect as a school community. Feel free to invite whomever you want - all are welcome - and there will be refreshments and other items sold in the lobby by the PTO. The move we have chosen to show for that evening is the 2016 version of 'The Jungle Book' - can't wait to see you there!
Peachy-keen (does anyone even say that anymore?) This past month you may have received communications from a new tool the district is using called Peachjar. In an effort to save on the cost of paper copies across the district and utilize technology more effectively, almost all flyers will now be submitted to Peachjar and if approved to go home, will be sent out electronically via this service. E-flyers will now be emailed directly to parents’ inboxes, as well as posted online for easy access. Paper flyers from outside organizations will no longer be distributed within the schools. You can now access any new flyers through email notifications sent, or by visiting the Allen Road Peachjar link to view all flyers already approved and posted. Paper flyers from outside organizations will no longer be distributed within the schools.
Shop til you Drop! This past month we brought back the school store and began selling small items to different grade levels each week. Each Friday, either our K-2nd or our 3rd and 4th grade students will have the opportunity to place an order that will be filled and delivered to classrooms by our PTO volunteers. Feel free to visit our PTO Facebook page to see a copy of the price/order form, or to check and see which grade level week it is. We hope the students enjoy the ability to buy some small, but fun items - feel free to view what we offer in the glass case in our front foyer!
It's a numbers game... If you are anything like...well...basically ALL of the parents that have come through Allen Road in the past, you are not completely in love with helping your child with their math work at home. But now there is help! If you are one of the many that sometimes struggles with what the parents role is in helping with math our students don't understand, and may be learning differently, NSCSD Math Coach John Wojcik has launched a Math Parent Resources web page. With great links to videos, state websites, and more, his page offers explanations, examples, and many resources designed to inform and equip parents when helping your child with math. Please take a moment or two to visit this page when you are able and let us know if there is anything else that we can offer to support you - as you support your child's learning!
So you can see that we are moving quickly from the crazy weather of winter, into the exciting season of spring. As we move through March we will then begin to think about state testing, spring report cards, our annual Race For Education, and much more - but UNTIL then, please take this month to spend some quality time around reading with your child. It is the key to success with everything else they will tackle in school - and in life. Your support and excitement around reading will be invaluable. Thanks for reading this far - and as always, please feel free to post any feedback, questions or comments. Below are also some links to information I want to make available every month through this blog. Have a great month!
Mr. Lunden
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