PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Dear Parents of Prospective Kindergarten Students,
What an exciting time in the life of your child-the beginning of his/her school career! As a parent of an incoming kindergartner, we warmly welcome you to our Wass Family. We are excited about having the opportunity to work with you and your child and to develop a relationship that will last for many years to come.
Kindergarten Information Night is a parents-only event and will be held on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 in the Wass LGI Room from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend Kindergarten Information Night in order to become better acquainted with school staff, programs and procedures. Please arrive promptly at 6:30 p.m.
In August, we will conduct a Kindergarten Meet and Greet which upcoming kindergarten students will be invited to attend with a parent. This is an evening event which will take place on Wednesday, August 30 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. By hosting a Meet and Greet closer to the first day of school, we believe this is more developmentally appropriate for your child and helps to diminish any fears that he or she may have about starting school. The Meet and Greet will create an eagerness to attend kindergarten by providing time to explore the classroom, the building, and meet the teacher as well as a few new friends. We have some great activities planned for your child on August 30th.
We look forward to meeting you when you come to our Kindergarten Information Night.
DROP EVERYTHING AND READ
Students throughout the month of March listen for music in the school and promptly (D.E.A.R.) Drop Everything And enjoy Reading a good book. The LOVE of reading for enjoyment has been electric. While we emphasize reading for fun all year, we certainly see this passion come alive during March Is Reading Month.
ANTI-BULLYING & DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP IN MEDIA
Students in grades 3-5 learned about anti-bullying and digital citizenship by creating comic strips on their iPads using the app Comix Strip in media with Mrs. Rzepka this week. They were asked to include three characters – a bully, victim, and bystanders. They were able to identify each member by creating a situation and discussing strategies on how to prevent bullying in our community and school. The lessons for our upper elementary students deepen their knowledge of how to identify and respond to situations if they arise.
LARSON M.S. MUSIC CONCERT
We had a wonderful assembly this morning. The Larson Middle Schooil band, orchestra, and choir performed a concert for our Wolf Pack. It was outstanding. It's especially fun to see our former students return and show their progression with instrumental and vocal music.
GIVE YOUR CHILD PRACTICE MAKING DECISIONS
The best way to learn how to make good decisions is by making lots of them. So give your child as many opportunities as you can to make choices.
Young children can decide which healthy items to pack in their lunch, for example. Older children can make decisions about more significant things.
Of course, you must still set the boundaries. Your child can decide whether to do her science or her social studies homework first, but she can’t decide to watch TV before she starts her homework.
Gradually give your child more freedom to make decisions. Keep in mind that children don’t always connect outcomes with the choices they have made, so help your child think about the consequences of her decisions.
If she makes a poor decision, sit down and talk about what worked and what didn’t. Ask, “What would you do differently next time?” The next time she has to make a decision, she will be able to draw on what she learned.
Reprinted with permission from the April 2017 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2017 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.
MARCH TSD TECH TALK
ENCOURAGEMENT IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN PRAISE
Most parents praise their children with phrases like “Great job!” and “That looks amazing!” But experts agree that encouragement has a bigger effect than praise on a child’s motivation. So what is the difference between the two?
Praise:
- Discusses results. “Great job on the science quiz! You got an A!”
- Uses opinion words such as good, great, terrific and wonderful.
- Is typically given when your child has performed as you had hoped she would.
Encouragement:
- Notices effort and progress. “Look at that project! I can tell you’ve spent a lot of time on it! It must feel good to know you worked so hard!”
- Uses descriptive words. “You picked up your room without being asked. Look at that clean floor and organized desk!”
- Can be given regardless of your child’s performance. “That didn’t work out the way you planned, did it? I can tell you’re disappointed, but I know you’ll try again next week. What do you think you might do differently next time?”
The big difference is that words of praise lead your child to rely on your assessment of her accomplishments, while words of encouragement lead her to form her own positive assessment of herself. Encouragement makes motivation soar!
Reprinted with permission from the April 2017 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2017 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.
HALLWAY MURAL
The hallway mural in the kindergarten / gym hallway is officially complete. It looks great! I encourage any parent to stop in after school hours to see what the culture of our school looks like through our students' perspectives.
SPRING CONFERENCES
Spring Parent/Teacher Child Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, March 30 from 1:00-4:00 and 5:30-8:30 p.m. Spring conferences differ from fall conferences in that only one afternoon and evening are allotted for teachers to meet with parents. Therefore, conference times are limited and will not be scheduled for every child in grades 1-5, however all kindergarten parents will have conferences. Specific instructions have been emailed to kindergarten parents. Teachers in grades 1-5 have sent home an email if a conference is needed or not. Students will have a half-day of school on March 30.
MORNING VIDEO ANNOUNCEMENTS
WASS WEEKLY
Wass Weekly Link for March 13-18
Have a great weekend! #BeWassKind #wassreaders
Mr. Matt Jansen - Principal - Wass Elementary
