TIGER TIMES

February News 2024 -"The World's Greatest Elementary School"

Principal Points

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we enter March here are a few important reminders...

Safety in our parking lot is very important to us. Most families follow the parking lot rules; however we still have some families that are speeding, attempting to pass one another, and showing up late to pick up. Please do not speed or pass the vehicle in front of you. Please be on time to pick up your child!

Dojo is the best form of communication between families and our staff. Please feel free to communicate with any of our staff members through the Dojo app. Parents, if your phone number or address has changed please reach out to our office to let us know so we can make changes in our system.

Playground construction has started and will continue throughout the remainder of this school year. Please remind your students to stay off the grounds that are under constuction to ensure safety. Other construction projects such as the building of our new gym, restructuring the front office, removal of all carpet and installation of tile as well as a fresh paint job for the entire interior will start immediately after the last day of school.

Sincerely,

Brandon C. Cox

Principal

Taft Tips

Character Strength of the Week (February 26): Bravery -I take on challenges and speak up for what is right.

Next time you watch a movie with your family, name three characters with the character strength of bravery. What made them brave?

When celebrating your child’s accomplishments, instead of saying ‘great job’ or ‘good job’, try replacing it with the word brave. “It was brave of you to try a new food.” “It was brave of you to speak in front of your class.”

Encourage family members to set an intention to accomplish a goal that makes them a little nervous.

Character Strength of the Week: (March 4): Mindfulness- I am present and fully engage in the moment.

Discuss with your family how to listen to each other’s conversation without thinking about what they are going to say next. It is a great exercise with friends too!

Take a walk and notice five (5) things with four (4) of your senses. Practice being silent while walking.

I Hear... birds chirping, dogs barking, sirens, cars.

I See... a tight parallel parking job, cool rocks or public art, squirrels scurrying.

I Smell... food being prepped, snow coming, gas from a car.

I Feel... gravel under my shoes, bumpy bark on a tree.

Mindfulness doesn’t mean you have to be happy all of the time. Take a moment to be true to your present emotion. Talk with your child(ren) about their present emotions and yours. Each person can share why he/she may be feeling a certain way.

Character Strength of the Week:(March 11): Fairness- I believe everyone should have the same opportunities.

It’s important to have a conversation with your child(ren) about the strength of fairness. Take a moment to share with your child(ren) a time when you realized you treated someone unfairly.

It can be hard to understand that fair does not mean the exact same or equal.

Next time there is a “sibling spat” in your home and you hear “THAT’S NOT FAIR!”, explain the concept later at a calmer moment.

Everyone has felt they have been treated unfairly. Ask your child(ren) to share when they were treated unfairly. See if they can come up with an idea that would have been a fair solution.

Character Strength of the Week: (MARCH 18) Forgiveness- I believe that everyone deserves a second chance.

Role model an example of forgiveness when someone cuts you off or takes your parking spot.

Help turn the song lyric “Let It Go” into a life lesson for your kid(s). Ask your child(ren) to think of a person they are angry with...and “let it go” with a big exhale of forgiveness and kindness.

Practice forgiveness by replacing the memory of a negative thought of someone with a positive thought of that same person.

How did that make you feel?

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March 14th

1/2 Day of School

Dismissal is at 12:20

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Kindergarten Round Up

March 14th @ 1:00 p.m.

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No School Spring Break

No School March 25 - 29th

School Resumes April 1st

NWEA and M-Step Preparation

Parents/ Guardians,

As we move into the testing season for both NWEA and M-STEP, here are some important things to remember:

1. Learn to Stay Focused:

Make sure your child knows what they’ll need to stay focused. If they need a drink of water, tell them to get it. If they need a snack, let them have it. They need to be comfortable so they can stay focused on the task at hand.

“Staying focused is a big deal. If they are looking around the room, it doesn’t measure what they know."

2. Read the Questions First:

Preparing for a test is not an overnight deal and reading skills are important. Students need to be able to read in order to follow directions and understand what is being asked in these tests (especially on story problems).One suggestion is for students to preview the questions before they read the informational paragraph. That way, students know what to look for in the reading portion and can better find the detail that will help answer the questions.

3. Key Words in Directions:

Coach your kids to pay close attention to directions. One really handy tip is to underline key words. That way, their eyes can quickly go back to that core information as they puzzle through the questions that follow.

4. Get to Know Procedures and Terms:

Make sure your student is familiar with testing procedures – such as fill in the blank or multiple choice. Go over test terminology too, such as the difference between synonyms and antonyms and “greater than” or “less than.”

5. Encourage your Child to "Do Their Best":

Of course, the age-old advice to get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast still stands, but they should be doing that every day. In addition, as the kids are leaving for school the morning of the test, parents need to keep a really positive attitude. This test is just a snapshot of how a child is doing on that particular day. Encourage your children to do their best. It’s only one test. If parents can get that idea across, it may help the kids relax.

Most importantly, please remind your child that we do not expect them to know every answer to every question. We do however expect them to put forth their best effort.

Thank you for your continued support. Please contact the school with any questions that you may have.