June 2007

Principal News

Dear Families,

The close of another school year! Wow! The always asked question…”Where has time gone?” On behalf of the staff and myself thank you for your ongoing support of our staff and student programs during the 2006-07 school year. Working together has made us stronger and more effective in dealing with our young people.

As summer vacation begins, the staff and I are mindful of the fact that the best educators among us are the parents of the students we teach. Even though the school year is over, that doesn’t mean learning stops. I encourage all our K-8 students and families explore the summer reading programs available at our Whitman County Library branches in both Endicott and St. John.

The national organization, “Teaching Tolerance” offers the following reading tips for parents: More information can be found on the following website: www.tolerance.org.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Engaging Students with Summer Reading

Not sure how to get your children to turn off the television or video game and pick up a book? Teaching Tolerance offers some tips on how to engage young readers:

· Model that you love books and value their importance by reading yourself.

· Talk openly about the storyline of the book you’re reading and the characters (fictional or real-life) that are in your book. Show excitement. Predict what you think might happen next.

· Ask questions of your children about the characters in their own books. What do they think might happen next? Why? Who is your child’s favorite character and why? Who is most like or unlike them in their book?

· Don’t nag about reading.

· Don’t bribe children with anything other than the sheer joy of starting, finishing and losing themselves in a fantastic story.

· Read the same book that your children read and discuss it with them.

· Make going to the library or bookstore a special treat.

· Ask family members make a game out of who can read the most books.

· Many schools have a Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) time where for 15-minutes the entire school stops and reads together. Why not have 15-minutes where the entire family celebrates the importance of reading daily too?

· Revisit and re-read classic children’s books from your childhood with your own children.

Finally, our very best wishes to each of our families for a safe and adventure filled summer break!