Dear Parents, April seemed to fly by and it looks as if May will be even busier!! As adults, we know we still have jobs to do even though the weather is tempting us to go outside and “play". Children, on the other hand are not quite so easily swayed to stay in their seats and focus on school and homework. As the days get longer, it gets harder and harder to help students stay committed to school. We have many things happening and you can play an important part in all of our activities. EFLS Power Off Week –April 30th – May 4th! Testing Grades 3 & 4 May 7th through May 11th Make-up testing the week of May 14th through May 18th! PLEASE DO NOT SEND CELL PHONES/WATCHES TO SCHOOL DURING TESTING, IF YOUR CHILD COMES TO SCHOOL WITH A CELL PHONE, THE TEACHER WILL COLLECT IT, PUT HIS/HER NAME ON IT AND WILL SEND IT TO THE OFFICE UNTIL TESTING IS DONE. THIS IS A RULE FROM THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION!!! May 4th – Buster Pep Rally May 7th – May 12th Believe it or not, the middle of the marking period is on May 11th, time to check in on the progress of your child. Please visit the Parent Portal to review your child’s progress report! Parents should not be picking up or parking in either of the Teacher Parking lots for pick-up, these areas are closed until after dismissal. Please follow the rules! I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who continue to work in the Courtyard. As the photos demonstrate this space just keeps getting better and better! If you have a half hour or an hour and you want to stop by and work, please just drop in; we have developed a “To Do” and we will give you something to do and are able to work around your schedule! Please consider volunteering to help us maintain this amazing space! If you arrive to school early (to get those special parking spaces) and would like to spend a half hour or so helping in the courtyard, that is an option, too! As we approach both Mother's Day and Father's Day, it is important to think of the non-commercial aspects of these holidays and find the time for family bonding experiences. What better way to share a life-long gift than reading to your children. "What we teach children to love and desire," goes an education adage, "will always outweigh what we teach them to do. May 16th – 4th Grade Family Life Parent Meeting 2 PM in the Media Center Field Day is scheduled for May 18th, the students are looking forward to this event and as always, we will have something new! Please help us to make sure that our grounds are pristine after this festive event! Rain date is Friday, June 1st! Second Grade Trip to Parker House and Sickles is May 21st with a rain date of May 23rd May 22nd – Kindergarten Walking Trip to the Little Silver Library and Sickles; Rain date, Tuesday, May 29th PTO Cultural Arts Assembly for 3rd and 4th Grades – Red Hawk Assembly at 2:00 PM May 24th - Blue Claws Game – the MP and PR Chorus will perform the Star Bangle Banner!! Come out and show your support and have a fun family night at a baseball game! May 24th – Parent Allergy Committee Meeting – Snack List Review May 24th – BOE Student Recognition! May 25th – Short Day for Students, Professional Day for Teachers May 28th – Schools Closed for Memorial Day May 29th – 4th Grade Trip to Manasquan Reservoir June 5th – Annual Green Luncheon June 6th – Parent Volunteer Luncheon in the PR Media Center June 7th – Our annual Festival of the Arts, plan to come to our Art Show, followed by our spring concert featuring the Chorus, Band and Orchestra! June 8th – Principal of the Day – Mr. Quinn Forbes June 8th - Extracurricular Picnic; Rain date Monday, June 11th June 20th – Short Day – 8th Grade Graduation June 21st – Short Day – Last Day of School 4th Grade Brunch and Clap Out Ceremony The Importance of Reading Aloud to Children A school's objective is to create lifetime readers—graduates who continue to read and educate themselves throughout their adult lives and yet many adults still struggle with reading. In 1983, the Commission on Reading, organized by the National Academy of Education and the National Institute of Education and funded under the U.S. Department of Education was created to look at how to help children learn to read. Among its findings, two simple declarations are still important to education today: "The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children." The Commission found conclusive evidence to support its use not only in the home but also in the classroom: "It is a practice that should continue throughout the grades." (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkinson, 1985 p. 23) Why it is so important for us to read to children; and why is reading aloud so effective?
When is the best time for parents to start reading aloud to their children? According to Mem Fox, the author of Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to our Children Will Change Their Lives, forever, the answer is the day the baby is born. Experts say that children need to hear a thousand stories read aloud before they can learn to read for themselves. If you were to read aloud, just one story a day, your child would have heard over 1,000 stories prior to attending kindergarten. Now, you might be wondering how to know when to stop reading aloud to your children. Children benefit in many ways from read alouds even after they are able to read by themselves, so experts recommend that you should read to children as long as your kids will let you and it is our hope that this will continue into adolescence. Fostering and maintaining connections with our children happens when we are able to set aside time, on a daily basis to share important aspects of our day. Spending time together sharing stories and poems, during daily read alouds; can be one of the best ways for this to happen. It is through this individual and undivided time with our children that we send them the strongest message about how much they are valued. Shared reading experiences often open doors to meaningful conversations and help to build and reinforce strong family beliefs and values. Remember, whenever you are reading aloud to your children, read with as much expression as possible, so that your voice makes the story “come alive!” Reading aloud to your child can be one of your best parenting experiences! I hope that you and your child create many loving memories as you explore children's books together. Here are some tips on reading aloud from LiteracyConnections.com and Madame Esmé Don't wait until you think your child is "old enough" to be read to, start as soon as possible, why not today?. Love the book yourself before you read it to the children. Read it all through yourself before introducing it. Don't share a book you think is boring, because the kids can tell. There are too many wonderful books available, select one you both will enjoy. Choose a book that lends itself to reading out loud. Unless you are dramatically gifted, books with lots of dialogue are tricky. Also, books with lots of introspection are sometimes more fun to read alone. Save these for one-on-one recommendations. Be versatile in your approach. You read to them. Or, they read to you, in turns. Or, you read to them, but they all read along with their own copies. Or you read a page, they read a page. Or...what else? Make read aloud time special. Gather around. Turn off the lights, turn on a cozy lamp. Flop on pillows. Be comfortable, but intimate. Read aloud time is classroom family time. Make reading aloud a daily habit! It's a wonderful routine to help your child prepare for bedtime. Like all habits, this one may take a while to get established, but hang in there until it's a daily (or nightly) routine. Read with expression. Listen to yourself on a tape recorder. Can your presentation be improved with dramatic pauses? Louder or softer speech?Funny voices? Don't be shy. They won't remember that you sounded silly. They'll remember an interesting book. Don't over evaluate. The more you formally test and check, the more you kill the affective gain. Assess comprehension throughout with questioning and authentic assessments (journaling, art projects, etc.) Read aloud every day. You and your students both deserve it. Consider it your intellectual vitamin. Read from a novel, the newspaper, a poem, a diary, a play... Leave them asking for more. Leave them groaning at a cliffhanger. Laughing at a joke.Crying along.Then say, "more tomorrow."And then...deliver! Try to select an enjoyable core of books your child can choose from. Do they have bright, colorful pictures? Does the language flow in an enjoyable way as you read it, or does it sound unnatural and halting? Are the stories about topics your child might be interested in? Remember to keep it fun! Try to allow your child to select the books to be read. Yes, it's hard to read a book for the umpteenth time (we've been there!) but your child will gain a lot from these repeated readings--both emotionally and in preparation for his or her own reading development. Previewing books with your children is part of the fun! Look at the pictures and talk about them. As you chat about the pictures, you prepare your children to enjoy the book, and you can explain some words or names they will hear when you begin reading. Roar like a lion, squeak like a mouse, this is an experience that you can really "get into." You'll want to be physically close to your child as you share books together. One of the best parts about reading aloud is having your child sit on your lap, or snuggled up to you. An enjoyable alternative to reading aloud can be the stories that you tell yourself! Your children will enjoy the tall tales you make up, or the family stories that you remember. But be sure to read books or tell a story EVERY DAY! Continue reading aloud, long after your child starts to read by his/herself. Your children will probably want you to continue reading to them long after they are capable of doing it independently--because reading aloud isn't just about reading. It's a warm, loving experience that we hope that you'll continue for as long as your child desires. If you would like more information on reading aloud, I would highly recommend reading the following books and visiting the author’s websites:
The last twenty-five years of reading research confirms, students, who read the most, read the best, achieve the most, and stay in school the longest. I encourage you to take some advice from Mem Fox and “spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud.” We look forward to your continued participation in our classroom and school activities, as always, we look forward to you visiting our school. If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Happy reading! Sincerely, Pamela Albert Devine References Anderson, C. Hiebert, E., Scott, J. and Wilkinson, I. (1985) Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading, Champaign-Urbana, IL: Center for the Study of Reading. Fox, M. Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to our Children Will Change Their Lives. Trelese, J. (2001).The Read-Aloud Handbook. Retrieved May 5, 2007 from http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/default.html 3rd and 4th Grade Students participated in the Math Trial for the PARCC assessment on March 23rd from 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM. These trials enable our technology department to make sure that all of the infrastructure items that are needed are in place and working properly. The teachers have been involved in the 11th Annual March Madness Walk Off and we are pleased to announce that the winners for this year are: Ms. Strauss and Ethan Mak Girls on the Run will began on March 28th We are looking forward to having some of our girls participate in this after school running club. The club will meet every Monday and Friday! Spring Break will begin on March 30th - April 8th – Enjoy your time off! We will see you all back in school on Monday, April 9th! The Point Road Courtyard Work Dates will be held on April 10th, April 18th and April 23rd from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM. Please sign up online or call the office to let us know if you are interested in helping spruce up this amazing space! Please consider volunteering to help us keep this amazing space is in tip top shape! Come see SCREENAGERS April 10 at RBR at 7pm. It's the documentary everyone is talking about and we're bringing you a screening, followed by a discussion with Mr. Platt and Jen Pierson. Students in grades 4-8 are invited to attend with their parent/guardian. Watch the trailer here:https://www.screenagersmovie.com/trailer/ The teachers, fresh off of their basketball victory, are looking forward to playing the rescheduled volleyball with the 4th grade students on Thursday, April 12th at 3:00 PM! The PTO Cultural Arts Committee has arranged for author and illustrator Annie Silvestro to visit Point Road on Friday, April 13th! We having been reading so many of her books and we are so excited Spring pictures will be taken on Monday, April 16th!! On April 18th the 2nd Grade students will be participating in their annual Dino Dig, courtesy of the PTO Cultural Arts committee, this is one of their favorite events of the school year! Be sure to ask them all about digging for fossils! We will be presenting our Annual Earth Day Grocery Bag program on Friday, April 20th at 2:15 PM. This year we are partnering with Girl Scout Troop # 395 and with the Energy Hog from the American Gas Company to deliver the importance of energy conversation as part of our on-going environmental lessons. Sickles Market donated 500 brown grocery bags which the students have decorated and we will be returning these bags to Sickles during this special assembly. Do not forget to visit Sickles Market to receive one of our decorated brown bags! Please wear blue or green to show you care about our environment! Some 2nd grade students will be completing the SAGES testing, the next part in the G&T identification process. Those dates are: 1st Day Testing – Day 3 – Monday, April 23rd 2nd Day Testing – Day 4 – Tuesday, April 24th 3rd Day Testing – Day 5 – Wednesday, April 25th Every April, on Poem in Your Pocket Day, people celebrate by selecting a poem, carrying it with them, and sharing it with others throughout the day at schools, bookstores, libraries, parks, workplaces, and on Twitter using the hashtag #pocketpoem. Poem in Your Pocket Day 2018 will be held on April 26th. On Friday, April 27th, the kindergarten students will be performing our Annual Arbor Day Program for their parents. Thanks to the generosity of the Little Silver Shade Tree Commission, each Point Road student will be bringing home tree seedlings to plant in their yards. Kindergarten parents please see your child’s folder for more details on this program. As adults, we know we still have jobs to do even though the weather is tempting us to go outside and “play". Children, on the other hand are not quite so easily swayed to stay in their seats and focus on school and homework. As the days get longer, it gets harder and harder to help students stay committed to school. According to Phyllis Wenig, spring fever may be a result of chemical changes in our brains. In the winter our brains increase the production of melatonin, which makes us sleepier and more docile. When the spring approaches, our brains decrease the production of melatonin, making us less depressed and less inclined toward rest. In other words -- we have more energy to expend. Since learning cannot be put on hold while our brains make this transition, we need to provide a balance of school work and fun. The last few months of school are very important and you, as a parent can play a crucial role in helping your child do his/her best. Here are some tips to help your children deal with "spring fever":
We look forward to your continued participation in our classroom and school activities, as always, we look forward to you visiting our school. If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Pamela Albert Devine I know we are all wondering what the weather will be like in March! Will this March come in like a lion or lamb? Even more importantly, will it go out like a lion or a lamb? This winter has been so unpredictable that I am sure that many of you are hoping for a lamb entrance and exit!! As we quickly approach the next month of school, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of a few important things! As a part of our ongoing work to afford parents open communication with the schools, we have added elements of social media to assist us with providing as much communication as possible. We have chosen to push news and information through various social media channels so that we can constantly update and remind students, parents and the wider community about all of the wonderful things that are happening in our schools. We share the latest news, announcements and events via the website, Facebook and Twitter. This enables us to provide you with real- time information, direct efficient messages and promote community outreach. We understand the power of social media and its impact on the greater community, and we want to use these channels to showcase the Little Silver schools. In some cases, social media websites are being used increasingly to fuel campaigns and complaints without necessarily having all of the facts or being able to see the whole picture. We strongly feel that the use of social media websites being used in this way is unacceptable and not in the best interests or safety of our students. Most recently the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida has increased everyone’s awareness of safety protocols in schools. Dr. Kossack outlined what we are able to share with the public and what, for security reasons, we are not able to share in her letter dated February 20, 2018. On February 22, 2018 members of the Little Silver Police Department, the Mayor and members of the Borough Council attended our regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting to discuss the subject of school safety. Although there is always room for improvement, the parents that attended this meeting left feeling more informed and confident in the safety protocols that we have in place and that we are all working very hard to make our schools as safe as possible. Some parents that were not in attendance and have not been as informed have surfaced this topic on a non-district sanctioned social media site. Respectfully we urge you to refrain from participating in discussions of this nature and we encourage you to bring any questions or concerns that you have, about any matter, to the administration so that that they can be addressed and not just “aired” in public with no resolution. We thank you for your cooperation with this matter. You are invited to our Scholastic Book Fair, a reading event packed with excitement for students and families, our kickoff was last Friday, February 23rd and we will be open until the end of the day on March 2nd in the multi-purpose room. Each class visits the fair during the school day—and you’re welcome to join your child’s class (or come any time during fair hours are 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM daily.) New Student Registration – will be held in the foyer of Point Road School on Thursday, March 1, 2018 and will be for any new kindergarten – fourth grade student as well as any regular education pre-school student that would like to participate in the lottery drawing to be held later this month. Please refer to the materials on our website to assist you with this process. http://www.littlesilverschools.org/entrance-requirements.html Please bring the following with you: 1. An original birth certificate or passport for proof of age MUST BE PRESENTED AT REGISTRATION. Board of Education Policy 5112 requires that a child must be 5 years of age on or before October 1st of the year a child enters kindergarten. 2. 2 Proofs of Residency (acceptable proof: utility bill/receipt, tax bill/receipt, recent receipt, or contract of sale/rent). 3. Immunization Record At registration you will receive a physical form. The pre-school/kindergarten/new student physical examination must be given within 365 days of entering school. The exam must state what, if any, modifications are required for full participation in the school program. The form including updated immunizations must be completed and signed by your child’s physician and returned to Point Road School. It is not required that you bring your child with you to registration. Dr. Seuss Day is traditionally on March 2nd, this year some classrooms will be doing some special activities during this week and we will, of course be focusing on reading during our Annual Book Fair Week! Progress Reports will be available on the Genesis Parent Portal at the end of the day on Friday, March 2nd. This marks the mid-marking period point for the 3rd MP. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher. Please consider supporting the EFLS annual fundraiser which is being held on Friday, March 2nd! The proceeds will enable them to continue to support our schools. Please do not forget that Daylight Savings begins on March 11th, so please adjust your clocks so that the students can be in school on time on Monday, March 12th! March 15th LSBOE Student Recognition Evening at 7:00 PM in the MP Media Center to recognize our most recent Spelling Bee Winners March 15th March Madness Begins at Point Road - please encourage your child to check the brackets in the foyer to see which team will be advancing during this popular activity. 1st round: March 15-16 2nd round: March 22-23 Final 4: March 27 Championship: March 29th March 21st - Practice Test for Grades 3 & 4. This will enable us to check our infrastructure, computers and class groupings ONLY!!! This is NOT the actual assessment, that will take place in May! Thursday, March 22nd - The teachers, fresh off of their basketball victory, are looking forward to playing volleyball with the 4th grade students! March 28th - PTO Cultural Arts Assembly John Marshall Weather Tour for 3rd& 4th grades! March 30th Beginning of Spring Break!!! School re-opens on Monday, April 9th! April 16th Spring Photo Day April 19th 3rd Grade Violin Recitals April 20th PTO Cultural Arts Program for 2nd Grade Dino Dig! April 20th - Earth Day Program with Girl Scout Troop # 395 and Mr. Sickles at 2:15 PM in the big gym. Thank you for your continued cooperation! Please plan on participating in some or all of these activities, as always, we look forward to you visiting our school. If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely, Pamela Albert Devine Dear Parents, January has been a busy month at Point Road School and it looks as if we are off and running into February!! The weather this winter has been a bit unpredictable, will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow so will we get some winter snow or not? Time will tell! 4th Grade Champion: Sasha Perskie 4th Grade 2nd Place: Olivia Narang 4th Grade 3rd Place: Abigail Johnson 3rd Grade Champion: Eric Baeri 3rd Grade 2nd Place: Nate Van De Graff 3rd Grade 3rd Place: Zoe Maki We wish Sasha best of luck at Monmouth University! On Thursday, January 18th the 4th grade students played the staff in the annual Point Road School basketball game. Although the 4th graders played well, the staff won! The final score was 64-45! On Thursday, January 25th from 6:15 PM – 8:30 PM, our 11th Annual Family Fitness Night was held for 250 participants! Families were "put to the test" with activities that our students experience in physical education classes and participated in some of the newest activity trends in lifetime health and fitness! The 2nd Marking Period closed on Friday, January 26th and Report Cards were available on the Parent Portal on Thursday, February 1st. If you have any questions or concerns; please contact your child’s teacher. Conferences are scheduled for Thursday evening, February 8th. If you would like to request a conference with your child’s teacher, please send a note to the teacher with this request. Otherwise, these conferences are generated via teacher request. February 5th February 9th!!!! Monday, February 5th Crazy Hair or Hat Day! Showing Respect goes along with that! Show your crazy and wild style through your hair or hat! Be crazy today by making a new friend! Work, talk or play with someone you don't know that well! Tuesday, February 6th Beach and Buckets! Have a ball at the Beach, and fill a bucket! Filling someone's bucket is the same as making someone's day. While sporting your beach gear, think about how you could do something nice for someone else to fill their imaginary bucket and make them feel good about themselves! Wednesday, February 7th “Work it Out on Global Play Day!” Having a problem with a friend or do you know someone else who is having a problem? There’s no “I” in TEAM! While wearing your team/sports gear, try to create a plan to “work out” or solve that problem! Thursday, February 8th Unity Day and the Rap Off! Show Respect, affection and pride as you and your classmates show off your creativity, collaboration and “rapping” skills during our whole school RAP off! Students will wear whatever your class/grade level decides you need (or do not need) for your performance or Warrior gear. (Reminder: It’s also a Half Day and Evening Conferences.) Friday, February 9th Considerate and Comfy Day! It’s cool to wear pajamas to school, but it's even cooler to use manners! Make please, thank you and excuse me your words of the day while you are wearing your pajamas! February 1st Scivention Convention February 1st Report Cards available on the Parent Portal February 7th Global School Play Day "Point Road Rap Off" February 8th Point Road Respect Rap Off – Short Day!!! Parent Conferences – 7:00 – 9:00 February 9th Pajama Day and Final Collection Day – Out Reach Little Silver February 13th – 15th 2nd Grade Practice CogAT Test February 14th Happy 100th Day of School February 14th Valentine’s Day February 16th School Closed: Staff Professional Day February 21st, 22nd and 23rd CogAT Testing – Grade 2 February 23rd Book Lover’s Ball – Start of Book Fair Week February 24th Strategic Plan Renewal Day March 1st New Student Registration March 2nd Progress Reports March 11th Daylight Savings Time March 15th 2nd Grade Multicultural Day BOE Meeting – Student Recognition March 15th March Madness at Point Road School Begins March 20th – Spring Begins March 22nd 4th Grade/Staff Volleyball Game March 23rd 3rd and 4th Grade PTO Cultural Arts Program Stars to Go March 28th 3rd and 4th Grade PTO Cultural Arts Program Weather Assembly March 30th -April 8th Spring Break Spring Photos April 16th Learning to write well is one of the most challenging tasks for anyone, regardless of age. It takes time, practice, and lots of encouragement. Parents and teachers can help children develop their skills and, equally important, a love for words and writing. Reading and writing go hand in hand. Please continue reading for some ideas that can help your child become a better writer!
Sincerely, Pamela Albert Devine Let's Write! One of the most important parts of knowing how to write well is to feel comfortable doing it. The magic in writing comes from the ideas you have. Let ideas flow, as they would if you weretalking. The beauty of the written word is that you can always go back and make changes: rearrange the ideas, correct the spelling, add new ideas, and take out ideas that don't fit. The important thing is for all of us to work together to make writing an important part of our daily life. The Wee Deliver program, the official Point Road Post Office has been very active this year! We are very excited about how much the students are writing! Encourage your child to write letters at home that can be mailed either at our post office or downtown at the Little Silver Post Office. Writing connects families and friends. Writing preserves memories. Writing helps solve problems. Writing helps children take a stand. Writing helps children learn responsibility. Writing should go public. Writing inspires creativity all year round. Writing improves reading. Reading improves writing. Writing improves with teacher and parent help. In addition to letter writing activities, as a parent, here are some other things you can do to foster a love of writing: Praise children's writing efforts and respond to the message rather than to the grammar or spelling. Prominently display children's writing and demonstrate that you enjoy and value children's writing.
Resources: National Center for the Study of Writing and Literacy and the Helping Your Child seriesof books for parents. For more information, please contact the National Library of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC20208, telephone 1-800-424-1616. National Writing Project http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/resources/help_write.csp http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/doc/resources/write_together.csp http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/nwp/ten-ideas.html Help a Child Write a Story http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/tips-howtos/help-child-write-story-a-30593.html How to Help Your Child Become a Better Writer http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/howtohelpenglish January 2018 Dear Parents, Happy New Year! What a pleasure it is to welcome you back to Point Road School following our winter recess. I hope that you and your family had a wonderful holiday season and a healthy, restful, and fun-filled winter vacation. As we celebrate the season and reflect on the past year, I would like to take a moment to thank all of the people who help to make Little Silver such a great place for students. The entire staff from teachers to custodians, cafeteria workers, secretaries, aides, counselors, therapists, parents, bus drivers, the PTO, EFLS and the Little Silver Police all working together to make our school a wonderful, nurturing, and safe environment for students. As we think about resolutions for the New Year, it is important to think about the safety of our students and how we can best assist our students to become the best that they can be. We look to this New Year with optimism and excitement. As we work to continually improve the academic program for all students, so too we strive to make our school a safer and more inspiring place in which to learn. We will continue to review the safety measures that we have in place and we ask your cooperation, please do not hold open the door for someone or knock on the door and ask a student to let you in. The staff and students have been instructed not to open the doors for anyone. We have been practicing the different types of emergency drills and in addition to our monthly fire drill, we will be conducting an active shooter drill during the month of January so that your child will know what to do in the event of this type of an emergency and will be scheduling other drills throughout the remainder of the school year. We once again thank you for your continued cooperation with the drop off area and remind you that it is imperative that students exit on the passenger side of the car only! If you are having door issues, please park on Lippincott and allow your children to cross at the crossing guard. THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY PARENT VEHICLES “STANDING” IN THE TEACHERS’ LOT OFF OF SEVEN BRIDGES OR IN THE TEACHERS’ PARKING LOT BY THE PLAYGROUND!!! As the weather gets colder, please remember that we have a “No Idling” policy during pick-up times, please help us to keep our air healthy for the students! For those of you that attended our Winter Concert on December 7th, you heard for yourself how wonderful our chorus sounded. It was great to see the gymnasium full, especially during such a busy time of the year. Again, thank you to Mrs. Baptist for her hard work. A very special thank you to our students who are so dedicated and performed so well. We would also like to thank the parents who donated poinsettias and transformed our gymnasium into a winter wonderland. Last, but not least for transporting the students to all rehearsals and to the tree lighting! We hope that you will find time to read the first edition of our newspaper for the year. Mrs. Richards worked with the students to produce an amazing first edition. If you have not seen a copy, please check the website: PRS Virtual Backpack The Annual Point Road Spelling Bee will be held on Friday, January 8th and will begin promptly on 1:00 PM in the gym. Well, it looks like winter has arrived with snow and very cold temperatures. Please remember, when it snows, to shovel your sidewalks so that our walking students will be able to arrive safely at school. This is especially important along Lippincott because of student drop offs. Please remember that the school day begins promptly at 8:05. Any student that has not arrived by 8:05 is considered tardy. Please leave your house a few minutes early so that your child arrives at school in a calm state ready to begin his/her day.Also, it is important to remember that most absences, according to the New Jersey Department of Education are listed as unexcused absences some counting towards truancy and others not counting towards truancy. In addition, if you are allowing your child to play on the playground after school, you must be present to supervise as you would do in the evening or on a weekend. Students should NOT be playing on the playground UNSUPERVISED! Also, please remember that ALL school playground rules should be enforced at ALL times. Perhaps a little more time spent reading as a family, a little less time running from here to there or maybe just time spent playing in the snow; whatever it is that your family resolves to do in 2018, know that we at Point Road School are also resolved to make the New Year one that will enable your children to be happy about attending school and to show continued progress in all academic and social areas. As the weather once again gets colder, we have been reminding students that we will still be going outside for physical education and recess. It is important for your child to come to school dressed to spend 30– 50 minutes outside (gym classes are 50 minutes in length). Coats, hats, and gloves should become standard for the next few months. As a result of additional clothing being worn to school, our Lost and Found was over-flowing and has been bagged and stored. Please LABEL all of your child’s clothing so that it is easier for us to help find their owners. We currently have 603 people that have liked the Little Silver Schools Facebook page and 372 Twitter followers. We are working very hard to keep you informed of all school activities, etc. If you have not yet visited and “liked” our page, please add this to your list of New Year’s Resolutions! In addition, I hope that you will continue to visit the school website from time to time to enjoy the news and photos of our ongoing activities. As always, thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely, Pamela Albert Devine Pamela Albert Devine Dear Parents, I am not sure how we managed to get to December already, but here we are!! As we all know, December is a packed month with lots of things to celebrate!! We would like to thank you for all of your generous donations during the month of November for the Bag Brigade collection for the Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski II Fund, which will send our donations overseas to United States troops! Your kindness will go a long way in helping us send some cheer to our troops over seas! If you were unable to join us for the Kindness Brigade, it is really an experience that will last forever and something you might want to put on your calendars for next year! We hope you are planning on joining the Point Road Chorus at the Little Silver Tree Lighting on Sunday, December 3rd at 4:00 PM! We are hoping that this will be a way for you get into the holiday spirit! We also invite you to join us for our Annual Winter Concert on Thursday, December 7th at 7:00 PM in the gym! Please plan on joining us at the PTO Barnes and Noble Book Fair on Friday, December 8th! We will have many guest readers, students, teachers, principals and more! Some of the Markham Place musical ensembles will also be playing. Come out for some fun, holiday shopping and give your support to the PTO! All proceeds will be donated to the Media Centers in both schools. The weather sure has been hard to predict, one day it is almost 70 degrees and the next day 30 degrees! Needless to say, the students are having a difficult time knowing how to dress. It is important for your child to come to school dressed to spend 30-60 minutes outside. Coats, hats, and gloves should become standard for the next few months. PLEASE put your child’s name on these items, our Lost and Found keeps growing!When you are at Point Road, please feel free to look around and see if you can spot anything that looks familiar. We continue to practice different drills so that the students will feel secure that they know what to do in the event of an emergency. As part of our School Safety Plan, we have completed the traditional fire drill, we have done an alternate route fire drill, a severe weather drill, an evacuation drill and a bomb scare. As the year continues, we will have a lockdown drill, a whole school fire drill from the gym, and, a building containment drill additional intruder drills as well as a full school evacuation to St. John’s. The children should be able explain the different types of drills that we are doing as well as the purpose for the different types of drills. Our main goal is the safety of all of our students. Progress reports will be available on Friday, December 15th, please be sure to access the Parent Portal to view this mid- marking period report. https://parents.genesisedu.com/littlesilver/parents?gohome=true The teachers are eagerly awaiting the Annual PTO Holiday Cookie exchange scheduled for December 15th! This is just one of the many wonderful activities sponsored by the PTO. Our last day of school will be on Friday, December 22nd, it will be a SHORT day of school. Our school motto for our winter!!! Time to play in the snow and have some fun! School re-opens on Tuesday, January 2nd! We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the parent organizations and individual parents that continually work so hard to support all of the many components of our educational program.Please plan on joining us during one or more of the exciting events we have planned or just stop after school or on the weekend for a swing on the playground! Sincerely, Pamela Albert Devine On behalf of the Point Road Staff, we wish you a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season!
Principal's Blog November 2017 Dear Parents, Point Road School has been very busy during the month of October, and it looks as if November will be another busy month! There are many exciting things happening during the month of November. We have the Wizards game, Celebrating Different Learners’ Day, report cards, the Bag Brigade, conferences and many November classroom activities. For more photos from our Halloween Parade, please check our Facebook page! Please do not forget that we will be collecting extra Halloween candy!! We are looking for candy that is not wrapped for Halloween, since we will be donating this candy to Holiday Express to be given out during the holidays. Time for “fall back!” Remember to set your clocks back on November 5th!!! Please remember that schools will be OPEN on November 7th, Election Day!! Schools will be closed on November 9th and 10th for the NJEA Teachers’ Convention. Help us celebrate Our America Re-cycles Day on November 15th! Have you remembered to sign up for November conferences? Please see the sign up section on the Point Road website, if you have not! The Outreach Little Silver Committee of the PTO will be conducting a Basket Brigade culminating on Friday, November 17th from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM in the Point Road Gym. Conferences are on November 17th, 20th and 21st !!Report cards will also be available on the Parent Portal beginning on November 16th! The weather has been really tricky lately, 70 degrees on one day and 40 on the next! Eventually we do think that the weather will get colder and remain that way! We have been reminding students that we will still be going outside for physical education and recess. It is important for your child to come to school dressed to spend 30-55 minutes outside. Coats, hats, and gloves should become standard for the next few months. In addition, our Lost and Found is growing! Please take some time during conferences to review the items that have not been claimed. We have many large and small items in our collection! Please remember if you label your child’s clothing, it makes it much easier for our Keepers of the Lost and Found to return the item to your child. As we approach this month, I find myself revisiting the importance of parent involvement in the life of a student. Research has repeatedly shown that children learn best when the significant adults in their lives – parents, teachers, and other family and community members –work together to encourage and support them. High student achievement and self-esteem are closely related to positive parental participation in education.Parents are their children's first and most important teachers. You, as a parent, have important knowledge about your child's likes, dislikes, needs, and problems that the school may not be aware of. You may also have ideas for improving your child's school. Often parents ask, "Why should I need to be involved in school?"There are many benefits when parents are involved in their child's education, including:
The New Jersey Student Learning Standards are intended for all students. This includes students who are college-bound or career-bound, gifted and talented, those whose native language is not English, students with disabilities, and students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Insistence on the core curriculum means that every student will be involved in experiences addressing all of the expectations set forth in all nine content areas. A core curriculum does not mean that all students will be enrolled in the same courses. Different groups of students should address the standards at different levels of depth and should complete the core curriculum according to different timetables. Depending on their interests, abilities, and career plans, many students will and should development knowledge and skills that go beyond the specific indicators on the Student Learning Standards. Nevertheless, all students should complete all elements of the core curriculum. There are many ways that parents can get involved in their child's education. How can I help my child? Continue to talk to your child about what they are learning. Talk to the teachers regularly about your child and how he or she is doing. Ask your child's teacher for suggestions on how to support school work at home. Make school important – you can reinforce the importance of school if you:
You can help your child be successful at school if you:
Homework is part of your child's work.You should be supportive of this process, but it is not your responsibility to complete the assignments. Here are some homework suggestions:
Conferences are another time where teachers and parents can work together to make students more successful. All children learn in different ways. They have their own individual personalities and their own work habits. Working together, you and the teacher can help your child have a successful school year. During conference time, teachers are prepared to discuss your child's progress; they have work samples to discuss with you and suggestions for what you can do to help your child continue to be successful. It is also important for you, as a parent, to come to the conference prepared. Here are some suggestions for you to consider before you attend your parent-teacher conference:
Be sure to ask the teacher for specific suggestions on ways to help your child do better. This is the most important part of the meeting, and it will become your action plan. If the teacher says something you do not quite understand, ask for further explanation. It is a good idea to end the conference by summing up decisions you have made together. Following the conference, immediately begin the action plan you and the teacher worked out together. Discuss the plan with your child. Make sure he or she knows that you and the teacher care. To see if the action plan is working, watch your child's behavior and check your child's class work and homework. Stay in regular touch with the teacher to discuss the progress your child is making. Meeting with your child's teacher should help build strong parent-teacher partnerships, which are needed if you and your child's teacher are to reach your common goal of helping your child get the best education possible. Thank you for your continued support! Wishing you an awesome November! Sincerely, Pamela Albert Devine Resources
Fields, S. 15 Ways to Get Involved in Your Child’s Education. Retrieved October 28, 2017 from http://www.metrofamilymagazine.com/February-2013/15-Ways-to-Get-Involved-in-Your-Childs-Education/ Michigan Medicine. Getting Involved in Your Child’s Education Retrieved October 28, 2017 from http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/educate.htm U. S Department of Education. Involvement in My Child’s Education. Retrieved October 28, 2017 from https://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/edpicks.jhtml Dear Parents, I hope that you have had the opportunity to review the Student Code of Conduct and the Parent/Student Handbook, we are very excited about the additions that were made during the summer. You probably noticed the sections on responsible behaviors within the school community. The staff felt there was a need for a consistent system of monitoring student behavior and developed the lists for the various locations in Point Road School. When a child has not made a responsible choice, he/she is asked some guided questions. These questions are geared to help the student identify the inappropriate behavior, the problem it caused, the responsible choice that could have been made, and to create a plan for correcting this behavior. If the behavior continues and the child is sent to my office, I further assist the child in developing a plan to modify the inappropriate behavior. The teacher or I will contact you so that you know what is happening in school and how we plan to remedy the situation. Families can reinforce this system at home by asking children to check if they are demonstrating responsible or O.K. behavior. Often by having clear choices we can remove ourselves from the constant cycle of punishment and rewards enabling your child to become more independent. Your assistance in working with your child to be an active participant in his/her learning is also strongly encouraged! Learning is not passive, one needs to be actively involved! As a result of our work in this area, we have developed a school motto, pledge and are currently working on the development of a school song. Please reinforce the following at home: Point Road Students are kind, considerate, and caring because they are: RESPECTFUL of themselves and others; RESPONSIBLE citizens; and come to school ready to learn… What is right is right even if no one is doing it. What is wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. To be respectful, to be responsible and to be ready to learn…… Respect Week: The Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying law designates the week beginning the first Monday in October of each year as a “Week of Respect” in New Jersey. School districts are directed to observe the week by providing age-appropriate instruction focusing on preventing harassment, intimidation, or bullying. This year our students will participate in various activities, such as: Classroom discussion of the “key words” in our School Rules and learning how to make connections as to what respect in our school community looks and sounds like. Classroom lessons with the School Counselor. Classes will illustrate one of our rules on a poster which will be displayed in the front hallway. On Wednesday, October 4th we will celebrate “Sock It to Bullying Day” with the staff and students being - encouraged to wear mismatched socks to show their individuality and creativity and acceptance of one another On Friday, October 6th, Unity Day, all staff and students are encouraged to wear blue and white. Wednesday, October 5th!! The PTO Cultural Arts Committee will be presenting our first program of the year, Mystery of the Character Surprise on Friday, October 6th in which students will learn about how making good choices should be their guide to being responsible and will provide students with strategies to differentiate between telling an adult about something that needs to be reported versus tattling. Schools will be closed on Monday, October 9th for our staff professional development day. On October 11th we are pleased to have the Little Silver Fire Chief and members of the LS Fire Department visiting Point Road School to help us celebrate Fire Prevention Week. Our fire safety assemblies have taken on a whole new look with the arrival of the fire truck and educational materials! Friday, October 13th – 4th Grade students versus the 4th Grade Staff! Rain Date, Friday, October 27th! For the 2017-2018 school year, all public school districts are required to designate the third week in October as School Violence Awareness Week, which is October 16-20 this year. During this week, schools should provide an opportunity for students, parents and school district or charter school and law enforcement staff to discuss methods for keeping schools safe from violence; consider school safety and security plans; and learn how to recognize students in need of help.
The Little Silver Police, in conjunction with EZ-Ride, the LSPTO and the Little Silver School District will be hosting a Bicycle Rodeo on the blacktop by the playground on Monday, October 23rd from 3:00 – 4:30 PM. Children will learn about bicycle safety and parents will be able to register their family bicycles. A permission slip is required, so please stay tuned for more information via Code Red and the Virtual Backpack!
Before Halloween the Little Silver Police Department will return to Point Road School to teach the students about safe ways to trick or treat! Our annual Halloween parade will be held on Tuesday, October 31st at 2:15 PM, we look forward to seeing all of you as we parade around in our finest Halloween costumes! Point Road School is dedicated to educating and nurturing all students in reaching their fullest potential. Children come to school at different stages of development and make progress at different rates. They grow and develop through a series of developmental stages while gaining social, emotional, academic, and physical abilities. Children cannot be hurried through these stages. Parents and teachers must work together to provide experiences at home and at school which support and encourage this process. Our report cards reflect the developmental stages of children. Each child is on a personal journey, which cannot be measured with a traditional grading system or compared to other students. We are, however, defining the expectations for student learning by indicating whether your student is making progress toward the standards set by the state that all students are expected to achieve. Our third and fourth grade students receive letter grades as follows: A+ 98-100 A 95-97 A- 92-94 B+ 89-91 B 86-88 B- 83-85 C+ 80-82 C 77-79 C- 74-76 D+ 71-73 D 68-70 D- 65-67 U 64 and below If you have any questions or concerns, please see your child’s teacher for clarification of how we are grading your child’s progress. It is our goal to create opportunities for students to become responsible citizens – well equipped for the future! We currently have 578 people that have liked the Little Silver Schools Facebook page and 348 Twitter followers. We are working very hard to keep you informed of all school activities, etc. If you have not yet visited and “liked” our page, please add this to your list of things to do! In addition, I hope that you will continue to visit the school website from time to time to enjoy the news and photos of our ongoing activities. The parent tab is always a good place to start when you are looking for something! The Virtual Backpack is where you will find the latest notices etc. As always, thank you for your continued support. Sincerely,
Pamela Albert Devine Dear Parents and Families: It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Point Road Elementary School. As your child's principal, I look forward to working with you during the 2017-2018 school year. It is an honor to be the principal of Point Road School and to have the opportunity to work with such wonderful students and their families. Our school is a wonderful place where teachers, students, and parents work together to create an environment where children love to learn. It is our goal to reflect a child-centered philosophy in everything we do. I am confident, as we continue to move forward, that you will be pleased with our efforts in addressing the needs of your child. Wednesday, September 6th New Student Orientation 3:00 PM
Thursday, September 7th First Day of School 8:00 AM Thursday, September 14th Back to School Night Band,Orchestra, Chorus Parents 6:00 PM G&T Parent Meeting 6:00 PM ALL Parents 7:00 PM Saturday, September 16th Love4Lily Field behind MP 2:00 PM We encourage you to come and be a part of all of these fabulous things at Point Road School, parental involvement is not only welcomed, it is essential to the success of our school! Join the PTO or the Little Silver Education Foundation, volunteer in the library or assist with bookbinding! Your participation in your child’s educational experience has a tremendous impact. Please check the school website frequently to keep informed of our many activities, for notices in the Virtual Backpack, for photos of our accomplishments as well as potential parent involvement opportunities in our school. http://www.littlesilverschools.org/point-road-school.html Thank you very much for being part of such an amazing community and for your continued interest and support of your child's educational experience at Point Road School. I look forward to working with you during the 2017-2018 school year. Warmest Regards, Pamela Albert Devine, Ph.D. |
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