Please read the reverse side to find out the fun and educational activities the Red Ribbon Committee has planned for next week.  Monday we will start with  wearing caps or hats and end the week, by  wearing red to demonstrate our school pride.   Remember that students will not wear costumes to school Friday and there will be no Halloween parties during the instructional day.We hope that you have reviewed your child’s report card and if you need to conference with the teachers you have made the time to plan a conference.  The Report Card envelops should be returned to the teacher. We appreciate your support in your child’s education and partnership in their future.

Curriculum Corner: Writing Tips for Parents

In helping your child to learn to write well, your goal is to make writing easier and more enjoyable.

Provide a place. It's important for a child to have a good place to write--a desk or table with a smooth, flat surface and good lighting.

Have the materials. Provide plenty of paper--lined and unlined--and things to write with, including pencils, pens, and crayons.

Allow time. Help your child spend time thinking about a writing project or exercise. Good writers do a great deal of thinking. Your child may dawdle, sharpen a pencil, get papers ready, or look up the spelling of a word. Be patient--your child may be thinking.

Respond. Do respond to the ideas your child expresses verbally or in writing. Make it clear that you are interested in the true function of writing which is to convey ideas. This means focusing on "what" the child has written, not "how" it was written. It's usually wise to ignore minor errors, particularly at the stage when your child is just getting ideas together.

Don't you write it! Don't write a paper for your child that will be turned in as his/her work. Never rewrite a child's work. Meeting a writing deadline, taking responsibility for the finished product, and feeling ownership of it are important parts of writing well.

Praise. Take a positive approach and say something   good about your child's writing. Is it accurate? Descriptive? Thoughtful? Interesting? Does it say something?                                                                                         

Sonya Carter - Parklane’s Literacy Coach