Conferences

We had very successful Parent Teacher Conferences this fall.
We saw many parents and children come to conferences this year and I know that all the teachers were happy to see all of you. As I reviewed the attendance sheets we had almost all of our students’ parents attend. We had 98% of of our students’ parents attend. The research shows that when parents are involved in their child’s education, children are more likely to have a very successful attitude, and achieve at a higher level. We also noticed that the special teachers (Art, PE, and Music) had many parents stop by to talk about the programs.  Our hope is that many of our parents keep in contact with their child’s teacher throughout the school year. All of the teachers have email addresses and would welcome any and all questions concerning their children. Again it was great to see all of our parents, if you did not get a chance to stop in, please don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your child’s teacher.

Technology

This past summer the Cherokee School District purchased many technology hardware and software items to use in the classrooms. Our teachers have been working during the Staff Development time and after school to learn how to implement this new technology into their classrooms. Many of our teachers have “Promethean Boards”. A Promethean Board is an interactive board that allows students to write on, applies many math and reading skills, and is engaging our students in the learning. The teacher prepares the lesson ahead of time and is able to watch students as they work on the board.
We also purchased 25 IPads for the teachers to check out and have students work independently in specific programs to enhance areas of study. Recently the first grade students were able to take the ipads out and take pictures of the butterflies that they hatched in their rooms. These pictures were then sent to the local paper.
The students and teachers are manipulating this new technology in a variety of ways and it is exciting to see.

Parent Teacher Conferences

It has been a busy start to the year and it is hard to believe one quarter is gone already. This next week we will be starting Parent Teacher Conferences. We end the quarter on Friday Oct. 14^th. I wanted to remind you of the dates and times of Parent Teacher Conferences. These conferences will be held on Thursday, Oct. 20^th from 5:00-8:30 at the Roosevelt Elementary. I realize that some parents have requested an early time, so just make sure you look at your child’s notes to ensure you have the right date and time. We will hold another conference date on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011 from 5:00 to 8:30 at the Roosevelt Elementary building.

This is an excellent time to learn more about your child’s learning style, about how they are growing socially, and about the areas in their academic world.  Please don’t hesitate to inform your child’s teachers of your concerns and expectations for your child.

We will have babysitting available for those children 5 years old and younger in the gym. The Babysitters are Silver Cord students from the Washington High School their earn points toward their Silver Cords.Please make sure you are on time and that if you need to see the Art teacher, PE teacher, or Music Teacher that you let us know and we will do our best to get you together.

As always it is a pleasure to see all parents during this time. We look forward to seeing you.

Columbus Day, Fire Prevention

This week we acknowledge Columbus Day and Fire Prevention Week.
Some of our classroom activities may include information about Christopher Columbus as our nation observes this day. So ask your child if they learned anything about Christopher Columbus when they get home.

We will have a presentation from our local Fire Department. The Fire Department Team will be coming to the Roosevelt Building for a short assembly for students K-4 the morning of Monday, Oct. 10th. During this assembly they speak to the students about how to leave a fire safely, how important it is for families to have ways to get out of their homes and a plan of where to meet their families if they have to leave their home in case of a fire. They also talk to the students about reporting a fire. One of the “cool” things that the kids like is when the firemen show the students what the firemen wear if they have to go into a fire. The main reason that the Firemen show the students all of the safety equipment is to help students feel comfortable and safe if they were ever in a fire. They also remind the students of what to do if their clothes ever catch on fire, “Stop, Drop, and Roll”.

After the assembly the students in K-3 will go as classes on a Fire Truck Ride. This is probably the highlight of the day for many students.

The Cherokee Fire Department will be performing their annual “Operation Edith” on Wed. Oct. 12th around the city of Cherokee.