Wildcat Weekly Update
February 12th-16th
We are looking forward to another great week of teaching and learning at Hereford Elementary! As a reminder, it is important that your scholar attend school daily when well and arrives on time. Scholars arriving after 8:00 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to be checked in. As a reminder, scholars will be dismissed at 11:30 on Friday, February 16 and school is closed on Monday, February 19 for President's Day.
Have a Great Week!
Principal Williams
Interrupt & Redirect Unwanted Behavior
Occasionally a child may forget to use the new, positive behavior. You will want to interrupt or redirect unwanted behaviors. A signal to interrupt the unwanted behavior may encourage a return to the wanted behavior.
Examples of Signals:
• Holding your hand up as a stop sign
• Forming a T with your hands for time out
• A chopping motion with one hand onto the opposite arm as a stop sign
• A gentle shake of the head indicating stop
If you are using the signal often, look at re-teaching the behavior or increasing the reinforcement (specific praise, stamps, stickers, etc.)
If the stop signal does not cause a return to the wanted behavior, you may want to have a short conversation with the child. The conversation could sound like this:
What are you doing?
Please stop.
What should you be doing?
What plan can you make for (whatever the correct behavior is)?
Do it.
Thank You!
Have a great week!
LaVonda Grant
Greetings, Hereford families.
Here is a resource that was provided by the State Department to assist in the communication between school and home regarding the AL Literacy Act and the ACAP test that our scholars will take this spring.
New Video Release: ACAP Summative Assessment for Families January 2024
This video has been produced through a collaborative effort involving the ARI and ALSDE Office of Student Assessment. Our aim is to provide families and communities valuable information and insight concerning the role of assessment in K-3 literacy instruction in Alabama.
The video provides answers to these FAQs:
What does the Alabama Literacy Act state about assessments? What is the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) Summative? How does the ACAP Summative connect to the 3rd grade paths to promotion? What information is provided on the ACAP Summative student report?
Support Children’s Understanding of Fractions at Home
with Activities on Dividing Objects
Start with an activity that involves equally sharing a set of objects among a group.
• Children can draw a picture or use physical objects such as pebbles, candies or blocks to show sharing among a group.
Follow with an activity that involves equally sharing a single, whole object.
• Children can draw a picture of a single object and mark divisions on their drawing or use an object that can be easily divided into pieces.
You can help children build on the strategies they already have for dividing objects, such as equally sharing a set of objects, to develop an understanding of basic fraction concepts.
This week, in honor of Black History month, I'd like to highlight the book Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story From the Underground Railroad. It is the story of a slave who mails himself to freedom.
Summary:
Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves' birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows up and marries, but he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market. Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse, he knows exactly what he must do: He will mail himself to the North. After an arduous journey in the crate, Henry finally has a birthday -- his first day of freedom.
The importance of parental involvement in education
Many parents mistakenly believe that their children’s education is entirely in the hands of teachers, but research solidly supports the case for parental involvement.
Research from the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education shares that “no matter their income or background, students with involved parents are more likely to have higher grades and test scores, attend school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior and adapt well to school.”
The National PTA reports that “the most accurate predictors of student achievement in school are not family income or social status, but the extent to which the family becomes involved in the child’s education at school.” It’s undeniable that parents who are active supporters of their children’s learning are giving their kids the best opportunity for educational success.
My Upcoming Meetings
Parent Focus Meeting
Topic – Reading Tips and Resources
When – Wednesday, February 14, 2024 – 9:00 A.M. or 12:30 P.M.
Where – Hereford Elementary Library
Parent Advisory Committee Meeting (PAC)
Topic- Ideas and Suggestions for Parent Involvement
When – Tuesday, February 20, 2024 – 1:00 PM
Where - Hereford Elementary Library
Hope to see you there!
Are there any topics you would like to see a Focus Meeting on? Please feel free to give me suggestions/feedback at ann.elkins@hsv-k12.org.
Thank you!
Ann Elkins
Hello Parents,
This week during our Guidance Lesson we are going to talk about “Our Bad Day”. scholars will understand the benefit of sharing how their day went at school with someone. Next, our scholars will explain how their favorite coping skills can improve their mood and outlook. And finally, our scholars will understand the importance of respecting others, even on our bad days, and gain insight into what they can and cannot control in their lives. Did You Know? For some students, this may be the first time they have learned about what they can and cannot control in their lives. Some students may even have a false belief about situations in their lives in which they thought they were responsible. They may also believe that they can’t control anything in their lives. This could be a great opportunity for you to remedy both of those extremes. I look forward to working with your child on these valuable lessons.
We are super excited about our annual Black History Month lessons in history and celebrations. All students are participating in our annual assembly on Thursday, February 22, and parents are asked to make certain that they also return with their children at 5:00 PM.
Black History Nugget:
Coretta Scott King (April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006) was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader and the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. from 1953 until his death. As an advocate for African-American equality, she was a leader for the civil rights movement in the 1960s. King was also a singer who often incorporated music into her civil rights work. King met her husband while attending graduate school in Boston. They both became increasingly active in the American civil rights movement.
King played a prominent role in the years after her husband's assassination in 1968, when she took on the leadership of the struggle for racial equality herself and became active in the Women's Movement. King founded the King Center, and sought to make his birthday a national holiday.
Upcoming Event: Parents, Family, and Friends, you are cordially invited to our annual Black History Month Program which will be held on Thursday, February 22, 2024, starting at 5:00 PM (Student Arrival Time). Save the date. We look forward to all our scholars participating in this wonderful event.
Have a great week!
J. Jewel Thorne
School Guidance Counselor
Kelli Eaton- Assistant Principal
Excellence is the Expectation as we Journey to Success!
Email: kelli.eaton@hsv-k12.org
Website: https://www.huntsvillecityschools.org/schools/sonnie-hereford-elementary
Phone: 256-428-7440
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sonnieherefordelementary
