Get your own Free Home Page
by L. E. Hawthorne
Late March, 1997
The Spring season finds us entering the last quarter of the school year. It is critically important at this time that parents of any students still experiencing academic difficulties contact teachers and discuss options and the best course of action for the children. Parents should be hearing about children not progressing well enough to move to the next grade level, if applicable.
Congratulations to Brittany Smith, a first grade student in Mrs. Roach�s class, who has been chosen to represent our school at the Illinois Principal�s Association Recognition Breakfast at SIU-Edwardsville on March 18, 1997. First grade students were recommended by their teachers based on leadership qualities, academics, and being good school citizens. She and Mr. Hawthorne attended the program.
We have received results from the kindergarten district assessments in mathematics completed in February, 1997. Two tests were given. On the first, 78% of the students met the established standard, and 53% exceeded expectations. On the second, 90% met expectations, and 78% exceeded.
Cheers to Mrs. Becky Kennedy, Mrs. Mary Ann Landreth and their committee for the fine work they did in having another successful Fine Arts Day on March 14, 1997. The children loved it!
The grade level meeting topic for March was �Home Safety.� A Disney video was used to provide useful information to students on topics such as emergency numbers, fire safety, safe snacks, telephone use and how to answer the door when parents are away.
by N. Spina
Late March, 1997
On behalf of the staff and children at Eunice Smith School, I would like to thank all of the parents who help make education exciting for us through the special activities and events you organize. Thank you for the countless hours and your continued support of our efforts.
As you are aware, Eunice Smith will be involved in an external Quality Review visit the week of April 14-18. A group of individuals from across the state will observe the teaching and learning processes at our school. They will conduct classroom visits, as well as interviews with students, staff, and parents. They will also view student work samples. We invite all of you to take part in this valuable experience as we �tell our story� and share all of the opportunities and happenings at Eunice Smith. A family dinner is scheduled on April 17, 1997 at 6:00 p.m. Please mark your calendars and make plans to attend the dinner and speak to the review team members.
Congratulations go to Sara Accord and the fifth graders who won the District Spelling Bee on March 6. A job WELL DONE!
We would also like to congratulate Ashley Conners who received recognition at the Illinois Principal Association breakfast on March 18, for outstanding qualities in the areas of acedemics and citizenship.
The �Raging Readers� program is underway and we would like to encourage all students to get involved. Please take a few minutes each evening to make sure your child is reading!
Final Thought: The best way to teach children to read is by reading yourself every single day.
by L. E. Hawthorne
Early March, 1997
We hope that the changing weather patterns will soon stabilize, and that we will have no more significant weather problems. We are now half way through the third quarter of school, and mid-quarter progress reports were sent home on February 27. Please pay particular attention to any areas of concern that were shared by teachers and make contact with them as needed.
We have been working hard on our School Improvement Plan. Our school is due to be visited and reviewed by the State during next school year, 1997-98. We have developed a draft copy of our mission statement, and from that, we have developed goals and objectives. We will be sharing this information with parent club leaders in the near future for feedback and involvement.
Parent Club funds, combined with district resources, have enabled us to purchase three new computers and tables that will be combined as a mobile learning center. This equipment will be made available for instructional purposes both in classrooms and in the computer lab. We also have now wired the computer lab to increase the electrical outlets and provide keyed cutoff switches for safety and protection of the equipment. Our vision in this regard is that we will, by next school year, have the entire building wired to network each classroom and the offices and to provide internet access.
I have recently shown the students at all grade levels video presentations entitled "Sparky's ABC's of Fire Safety," and "Learn Gun Safety With Eddie Eagle." Both tapes are age and grade appropriate and carry timely safety messages. Ask your child about the videos to see what information they have retained. Officer Friendly, from the Alton Police Department, visited on February 18 & 19, 1997 for his second series of presentations on child safety.
We have received feedback from our first local assessments at second grade for this school year. The testing was done in November of 1996. The results revealed that 95% of our students achieved the "met expectations" rating. We are off to a great start!
Second grade students recently participated in Math-a-Thon to raise funds for St. Jude1s Children1s hospital. We salute their great effort in raising $1,535.93 for this charity. This is one activity that helps students get involved in their community
Kindergarten students took the Metropolitan Readiness Test during the week of February 17, 1997. The test is designed as an accurate predictor of their academic readiness for the first grade.
We would like to again express our appreciation to Corridor III Parent1s Club for all their help and support. Parent volunteers work diligently each day on various projects. We ask all parents to please join in and support their efforts.
by N. Spina
Early March, 1997
The students at Eunice Smith School are busy READING! We have completed the Bookworm - "Pages." Students received a piece of the bookworm after successfully completing an Accelerated Reader test. The bookworm begins in the front foyer and wiggles through the halls of the entire building. Students are encouraged to continue reading as results will continue to be charted for each classroom.
Other exciting developments at Eunice Smith include the purchase of new computers for classroom use. We will have a MAC computer in each classroom very shortly. We will also have access to the Internet as the building has been approved for the wiring to begin.
THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP!
Tips for Reading and Writing
Final Thought: A word of encouragement can renew exhausted strength.
Get your own Free Home Page