PB15 March.pub - Makalapa Elementary School

Makalapa Elementary School
4435 Salt Lake Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii 96818
(808) 421-4110
http://www.makalapael.k12.hi.us/
March 2015
Picking up Your Child(ren)
Aer School
The safety of our children is always our top concern.
Cars that block our car lanes in our parking lot prevent school personnel,
school service and/or emergency vehicles from entering our parking lot
to conduct assigned school business. This traffic jam occurs daily near
the end of the school day when parents who arrive early are unable to
find an vacant automobile stall along the Salt Lake Blvd fence and park in
our car lanes to wait for children to dash out of their classes. Driving personnel and/or school service vehicles around the cars parked in our car
lanes creates an unsafe situa%on in our parking lot. Addi%onally, cars
parked in our car lanes require our children to walk/run across the parking lot dodging on-coming
cars.
Therefore please be informed that as of Monday, March 2, 2015, drivers who arrive to pick up their
children earlier than when the end-of-school-day bell rings must be parked in a marked stall facing
Salt Lake Blvd and/or in the visitor stalls. Therea-er, drivers who arrive early to pick up children will
not be allowed to enter the parking lot un%l the end-of-school-day bell rings at 2:00 pm on Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; and at 12:20 pm on Wednesdays.
It is recommended that parents start to arrive at school 5 minutes a-er the bell rings. That gives
your child(ren) %me to get to the bus shelter for safe pick up. We require children to wait at the
F-building pick up area for you to deter unsafe situa%ons in our parking lot.
Parents, we appreciate your efforts to plan your a-erschool pick-up accordingly to make our parking
lot a safe place for your children!
Help Wanted: Parking Lot Attendant
MTThF, 1:15-2:15 pm, W 11:35-12:35 pm. $8/hr.
Submit resume to SASA, Mely or call 421-4110, x-221 for more information.
NOTICE & REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATIONS
Individuals with a disability who wish to participate in a school event, are invited to contact the following personnel
to make arrangements for accessibility at least 10 working days prior to the event. Reasonable effort will be made
to accommodate your request. Ms. Carole Ichiyama, VP @ 421-4110 Ext. 224
Or you may call the school office at the following number:: 421-4110 Ext. 221 or 222
SCHOOL CALENDAR of EVENTS
MARCH 2015
2-6
Makalapa Elementary Spirit Week
2-6
Book Fair, Library
5
Grade 1 Feld trip to the Fred Ohrt Museum and Halawa Xeriscape Garden, 8:15-1:00pm.
16-20
23
23
25
25
26
Spring Break
School Community Council Public Forum, 3:00 pm, Library
PTA Meeting, 4:00 pm, Library
Parent-Child Bingo Night; PTA General Membership Meeting, 6-8 pm, Cafeteria
Papa John’s Pizza Night
HOLIDAY: Kuhio Day
27
30
Radford Complex Waiver Day, no school for children
Middle School Orientation, Gr 6 Field Trip to Aliamanu Middle School, 8:15-9:45 am
I am an ALL STAR at Makalapa!
The All-Star program is designed to recognize those students who are meeting classroom, playground, and cafeteria expectations. Please congratulate them when you
have a chance for doing a great job of meeting our school-wide expectations. Thank
you for supporting Makalapa’s Positive Behavior Support initiatives.
Congratulations to our March 2015 All Stars!
Gr K: Ayva-Ray Malepeai, Kaniela Paglinawan, Luke Wyatt, Jeremiah Dent
Gr 1: Skye-Marie Batungbacal, Tamatoa Gaoteote, Jennifer Nguyen, Lauren Maxwell
Gr 2: Derek Phan, Tajae Poole, Jeffrey Watson, Kyle Janer
Gr 3: Christopher Titus, Tyler Manlapit, Anthony Runyon, Brooke Robbins
Gr 4: Genevieve Herrick, Ashur Nigro, David Titus, Mikaylah Llaneza
Gr 5: Kyla Musso, Kevin Campos, DeVaughn Rice, Sarah Swendsen
Gr 6: Katelin Abad, Jake Espinoza, Taylor Seguerre, Joseph Crossman
Jr. Ram Award Recipients
1st Quarter (Missed from list in December Bulletin)
Danika Gabutan
Miranda Scott
Maya Llaneza
Zion Aupa’au
Miranda Scott
Kaulawena Saladino
Adam Clayton
Avlin Keamo
Xehlia Salanoa
Mikaela Arceo
Chloe Nicole Gore
Kiley-Rayne Kuoha
Gregory John Cachero
Victoria Rasquero
Faith Prouty
Taevin Manglona
Andrew Hoang
Emma Newton
Matthew Reiger
Kahmee Teshima
Leila Benavides
Delanie Tuumalo
Zachary Litwin
Jasmine Lea Medina
Tiffany Nunies
Jace Cervantes
Vijay Mounsena
Leon Rae Laigo
Makayla Sergent
2nd Quarter
Corbin Lutz
Bethany O’Lena
Kara Paragas
Brianna Grant
Brooke Robbins
Lily Carlson*
Dawson Calhoun
Jay-Jay Asuncion
Nicholas Lin
Thomas Meleisea
Marc Velasco
Taylor Seguerre
Kristina Tran
Christina Nguyen
Alana Kelley
Jaydalin Tucker
Makayla Clayton
Genevieve Herrick
Xevani Salanoa
Julianne Boado
Jia Wen Chen
Jomaree Pascua
Benedict Asuncion
Solomon Vuong
Marc Tolentino
KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!
On February 12, 2015 Panda Express from Moanalua Shopping Center came
to grade 2 to do a Chinese New Year Presentation. We watched a video and
learned how to say Hello, Thank you, and Happy New Year in Mandarin. We
also learned how to write Chinese characters. The best part of the entire
presentation was when Tom-Tom came to see all of us. We each received
a fortune cookie, too!
JOIN US!
SCHOOL COMMUNITY COUNCIL
COUNCIL
PUBLIC FORUM
ACADEMIC PLAN FOR SCHOOL
SCHOOL YEAR 20152015-2016
MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2015
3:00 PM
MAKALAPA ELEMENTARY LIBRARY
School Community Council Meeting, 2/23/2015
Student Council Report by Kahmee, Kayla, Delanie, Julieanne
Spirit Week:
March 2-6 will be our Makalapa Spirit Week. Each day will have a different theme. Monday March
2nd will be Fashion disaster Day which is when you can dress up like you are having a bad day. Tuesday March 3rd is Be Yourself Day. You can wear something that expresses yourself. Wednesday,
March 4th will be Rainbow Day. Wear as many colors as you can. Thursday, March 5th is Twin Day
where you can get a partner and dress alike. Finally, Friday March 6th is Team/Sport Day which is
when you get a team shirt or jersey and come to school.
Grade 4/5 Big Island Trip:
March 10-12 is the 4th and 5th graders’ Big Island Trip. About 100 students will be going on a study
tour of Hawaii island. The students will be gone for three days and two nights.
Edmentum Testing:
Starting in the month of March students will be having Edmentum testing. Grades 4/5 and one class in
grade 6 will be testing on their brand new Chromebooks. We hope that all the students will do their
best.
Book Fair:
The book fair starts next week on Monday, March 2nd and goes until Friday, March 6th. Book Fair
hours are 8:00 am—3:00 pm. Afterschool, students need to be accompanied by an adult.
Sea-Perch:
On Saturday, February 21st, we had a robotics competition at the Coast Guard Station on Sand Island. Sea Perch
is an underwater robotics competition where you go through hoops and an obstacle course along with completing
three missions. There were 32 teams of elementary, middle and high schools that were competing. Makalapa
came in third place overall and third place for their video presentation. On behalf of the Robo-Rams Team, I
would like to thank Mr. Maeda, Mrs. Mihara and Ms. Sakata for working with us.
Dental Clinic Presentation:
Captain Torres from Tripler Dental Clinic came to talk to grades Kindergarten through Second about taking care
of their teeth. Captain Torres gave them some tips on how to properly brush their teeth and why it is important.
SCHOOL COMMUNITY COUNCIL
COUNCIL &
PTA MEETING SCHEDULE
SCHEDULE
We wish to extend an open invitation to all our parents to attend our monthly meetings. Your input is valuable and appreciated. We meet in the Main Office Conference Rooms. We try to adhere to the one hour time limit to provide our parents and staff with sufficient time for their evening responsibilities.. Our SCC meets at 3:00pm followed by our PTA meeting at 4:00 pm.. Our
meeting dates for school year 2014-2015 are as follows:
March 23, 2015 April 20, 2015 May 18, 2015
Please feel free to call Miki, our Parent Facilitator at 421-4110 for questions.
GLO Awards for Quarter 2
Zion Aupa’au
Chloe Nicole Gore
Leilah Randerson
Caleb Guntherberg
Alyssa Morrison
Alohi Hetrick
Vijay Mounsena
Gregory John Cachero
Andrew Richards
Leon Rae Laigo
Xander Aquino
Victoria Rasquero
Makayla Sergent
Chandon Lutz
Emily Tran
Isabella Burns
Saraia Ramirez
Christina Nguyen
Kevin Semon
Isaiah Branco
Taylor Latham
Rebekka Nguyen
Camerson Sustaire
Ashley Vongsvirates
Alycia Abordonado
Tyler Chelette
Sherie Domingo
Andrew Hoang
Caylen Maria Corpuz
Brooke Hancock
Kamryn Merryman
Emma New ton
Jade Bunch
Nicholas Lin
KeShunna White
Isaiah Ganir-Basilio
JulianaTabura
Thomas Meleisea
Julianne Boado
Kaulawena Saladino
Precious Heard
Leila Benavides
Jia Wen Chen
Shazaray Labaya-Akiu
Duke Tatom
Katelin Abad
Renee Do
Angeline Sarinas
Lylliana Slaton
Noah Barber
Adrienne Lininger
Jace Cervantes
Brynlee Lutz
Madison Soria
Sean Williams
Winifred Lin
Julika Cunningham
Emma Hall
Brianna Grant
Kailey Bair
Jediah Tabura
Mahala Cooper
Hailey-Marie Perez
Lester Pobre
Riana Nitta-Johnson
Brooke Robbins
Jasmine Lea Medina
Devan Bonifacio
Lily Carlson
Taevin Manglona
Sharlet Pau’ulu
Jaelyn Urbano
Ke’Asia White
Katie Bryce
Makayla Clayton
Jalen Hall
Jay-Jay Asuncion
Jared Diza
Jenae Iwatsu
Joshua Namnama
Romeo Simpson
Emily Cooper
Kalysa Ng
Chelsea Villanueva
Matthew Reiger
Victoria Hancock
Kyla Musso
Adam Clayton
Marc Velasco
Rodley Nelson
Joanna Bondoc
Charmaine Fagaragan
Donovan Saragosa
Christina Wallace
Elijah Bethard
Bianca Natalie Espejo
Taylor Seguerre
Hannah Surina
Aiden Bonifacio
Corbin Lutz
Ikena Eulitt-Frank
Bethany O’Lena
Gianna Villanueva
Kiley-Rayne Kuoha
Gabrielle Betts
Kara Paragas
Danika Gubatan
Miranda Scott
Parker Costa
Abigail Vuong
Caleb Seguerre
Londyn Mills
Jomaree Pascua
Faith Prouty
Calora James
Victoria Reznikov
Tatiana Bowers
Kristina Tran
Tyler Manlapit
Kaela Ruiz
Jirah Villanueva
Blaze Yamaguchi
Khamari Campbell
Elaina Doliboa
Trinity Heard
Serenity Beckford
Devin Gould
Mikaylah Llaneza
Xiomara Pimentel
Daniel Bice
Genevieve Herrick
Jayla Townsend
Camille Fernandez
Xevani Salanoa
Kawena Hetrick
Kahmee Teshima
Shoncin Revuelto
Jake Espinoza
AC Bryant IV
Dylan Branco
Titilua Gaoteote
Alara Sparks
Joseph Crossman
Timmy Diep
Jainea Layton
Delanie Tuumalo
Rodney Villanueva
Ayva-Ray Malepeai
Kenshin Martyak
Rafael-Julian Ulep
Cecilia Younger
Alexander Zuehlsdorf
Zachary Litwin
Shayston Maynes
Isaac Raigeluw
Shevelle Sala
Bebedict Asuncion
Aland Diep
Maya Llaneza
Nathaniel Norris
David Tran
Julian Arceo
Jaydalin Tucker
Dawson Calhoun
Kalani Dixon
Xehlia Salanoa
Messiah Heard
Jeremiah Driscoll
Tanya Perez
Kennedy Quenga
Solomon Vuong
Alana Kelley
Bliss Soogrim
Claire Chang
Piper Townsend
Rayli Hall
Ashur Nigro
Olivia Chang
Emily Huynh
Makiyah Isles
Karter Ng
Tiffany Nunies
Robert Richards
Hailey Tamayo
Marc Tolentino
John Joseph Asuncion
Our Mission
Makalapa is a school where our dedicated Staff inspires students to be college, career and
citizenship ready.
Spirit Week March 2-6 2015
By: Kawena Hetrick, Kyla Musso, Camilla Nguyen
Makalapa Elementary School will be having students participate in Spirit Week during the
week of March 2-6, 2015.
The five different themes are:
Be Yourself Day, Twin Day, Fashion Disaster Day, Rainbow Day, and Favorite Team Day.
The reason we’re having Spirit Week is to get kids excited about coming to school and doing their best on the SBAC test which stands for Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. If students are attending school, they are learning. We also want them to see that
while they are learning they can have fun.
The theme for each day is:
Tuesday - March 3, 2015
Be Yourself Day
Monday - March 2, 2015
Fashion Disaster Day
Dress like it is a bad hair/
clothing day.
Thursday - March 5, 2015
Twin Day
Find a friend and dress alike!
Express yourself by what
you wear
Wednesday - March 4 2015
Rainbow Day
How many colors can you
wear at once?
Friday - March 6, 2015
Favorite Team Day
Support your team!
Home&School
®
CONNECTION
Working Together for School Success
March 2015
Makalapa Elementary School
Principal Denise Arai
SHORT
NOTES
That’s a record!
Suggest that your
youngster start a notebook of personal records to keep track of her
accomplishments. For instance,
maybe she did five pull-ups in PE
or got 100 on her spelling test two
weeks in a row. Challenge her to beat
her own records, and she’ll learn to
set and work toward goals.
Backpack safety
To avoid straining his back, encourage your child to bend his knees (not
his waist) when he picks up his backpack. Also, the weight of his backpack should be less than 15 percent
of his body weight. Hint: Have him
pack items so the weight is evenly
distributed.
Celebrate spring
Spring begins March 20. As a family,
plan a mini celebration to ring in the
new season. Your youngster could
make invitations (“Meet in the living
room on Friday after dinner”) and
check out library books of spring crafts
to do together. You might bake cookies
or cupcakes that family members can
decorate with flowers or raindrops.
Worth quoting
“Use the talents you possess, for the
woods would be a very silent place
if no birds sang except the best.”
Henry van Dyke
JUST FOR FUN
Respect at home, respect
at school
A child who treats people
with respect at home is more
likely to be respectful in
school. These tips can
help your youngster
learn what respect is and
inspire him to show it.
Define
Explain that respect
includes valuing others’
needs and wishes, showing
consideration for people,
being tolerant of differences,
and using good manners. Then, have
your youngster write his own recipe for
respect. Example: “Mix together –41 cup
caring, –41 cup good manners, –41 cup selfcontrol, and –41 cup tolerance. Makes as
many servings as you need — and stays
good forever!”
Spot
“I spy…respect.” Together, look and
listen for people showing respect. Your
child may notice students listening quietly
as the media specialist reads a book or
classmates speaking politely to each other.
Have him name someone he respects at
school, like a teacher or classmate—why
does he respect that person? Also, as he
reads or watches movies, he could be on
the lookout for characters he thinks are
worthy of respect.
Show
Can your youngster think of instances
where he was or wasn’t respectful this
week? Encourage him to come up with
three ways he will behave respectfully
at home and at school next week. For
example, he could ask his sister before
touching her guitar or wait patiently for
smaller kids who need more time to
cross the playground monkey bars.♥
Test-week success
How can you help your youngster stay focused yet relaxed
during standardized test week? Share these strategies:
Dad: Really?
What is it?
● Suggest that she pack a “test kit” the night before
each day of testing. She should put in everything that
she’ll need, such as sharpened pencils, a calculator, a
water bottle, and a snack. Tip: Make sure she gets 10–11
hours of sleep so she’ll be alert.
Tyler: Zero
● Let your child plan enjoyable activities for after school. She may not have home-
Tyler: I can tell you the score of
tonight’s big game before it starts.
to zero!
© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
work during test week, so she could use that time to unwind by playing board
games, reading comic books, or visiting a park.♥
Home & School CONNECTION
March 2015 • Page 2
®
When I grow up…
someday. Or if she’d like
to be a fashion designer,
the measurement unit
she’s doing in math can
help her measure fabric correctly.
Help your youngster see the connection
between what she’s learning in school and the
future career she dreams of with these ideas.
Think about jobs. How could your child use
reading, math, or science in a future career?
Ask her to name a job she might enjoy and
match it with a skill she learned in class. For
example, reading with expression will come
in handy if she becomes a TV news anchor
ACTIVITY
CORNER
Put salad on the map
What does your child’s dinner salad
have to do with geography? Make one
together, and he can find out.
1. Ask your
youngster to
write a shopping list for
salad ingredients.
2. At the grocery
store, have him
read stickers to learn
where each ingredient
comes from (tomatoes from Mexico,
cucumbers from California). Can he
find anything grown in your area?
3. At home, encourage him to look at a
world map and locate the state or country
where each ingredient was grown. He
could sketch each food on a sticky note
and place it where it belongs on a globe,
an atlas, or a map.
4. Let your child help you wash the
vegetables, slice them, and toss with his
favorite dressing. Now it’s time to eat!
Idea: Next time, let him make and
map a fruit salad.♥
O U R
P U R P O S E
To provide busy parents with practical ideas
that promote school success, parent involvement,
and more effective parenting.
Resources for Educators,
a division of CCH Incorporated
128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630
540-636-4280 • rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com
www.rfeonline.com
ISSN 1540-5621
© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
Talk to workers.
Let your youngster
interview people about
their jobs. Maybe your
neighbor is an electrician or your sister is an
orthopedist. Encourage
her to ask how they use
school subjects at work.
She may discover that electricians read manuals and diagrams
and that orthopedists need science to understand patients’
bones and to diagnose and treat injuries.♥
Q Keeping track of papers
&
My son’s room is a mess— which wasn’t a big
A Q:
problem until he started losing schoolwork and
getting frustrated when he couldn’t find things. How
can I help?
A: The good news is that even if your son’s room is
cluttered, he won’t lose papers if he keeps them in
his backpack.
He should take homework assignments out of his
s finbag when he’s ready to work on them and put them right back in after he’
hand it
him
have
sign,
to
you
for
slip
sion
permis
a
or
ished. If he has a graded test
ked.
overloo
get
may
it
where
pile
a
in
it
directly to you instead of putting
needs
You could also help your son develop a system for organizing work that he
.
subject
each
for
—one
folders
file
or
trays
plastic
to keep. He might use stacked
to
ready
be
may
just
he
papers,
find
to
is
it
easier
Once he sees how much
tackle the rest of his room so it’s organized, too!♥
A co-parenting team
If you’re divorced, you may worry
about how the situation will affect your
child’s schoolwork. Youngsters tend to
adjust better if they see their parents
working as a team, so try these suggestions for building a good co-parenting
relationship:
● Find a way to communicate about
your child’s schooling. For example, some parents feel email
works best. Tip: Mention your
conversations to your youngster. (“I told your dad about
your citizenship award.
We’re both proud of you!”)
● Attend school events. Your child will
probably want to hang out with both of
you during a math night or an art fair.
Focus on her, and avoid bringing up difficult subjects (finances, custody).
● Be sure to both look over report cards
and other important papers that come
home. You might
make a copy for the
other parent or ask
if the school will
send home duplicates. Try to agree
on a plan for handling grades.♥
March 2015
Read-aloud favorites
■ Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows
in the Bronx (Jonah Winter)
This picture-book biography describes the life of
the first Latin American
woman on the U.S.
Supreme Court. As a little
girl, Sonia Sotomayor faced poverty
and illness, but she worked hard in
school and had a loving, supportive
family. Written in both English and
Spanish on each page.
■ Hide and Sheep (Andrea Beaty)
In this silly counting book, a farmer
is trying to round
up his uncooperative sheep.
They’ve escaped
into town and
are doing goofy things like posing in
an art museum or going to the beach.
How will the farmer ever find all of
his sneaky sheep?
■ Subway Story (Julia Sarcone-Roach)
Jessie, a cheerful blue subway car, is
proud of her job carrying people to
work and school. When she “retires,”
she gets another cool job—she is
sunk into the ocean to become
an artificial reef for sea creatures.
Includes an author’s note with information about how old subway cars
are recycled into reefs.
■ The Farmer and the Clown
(Marla Frazee)
In this wordless picture book, a baby
clown falls off a circus train and is
rescued by a farmer. Using the beautiful pictures and his
own imagination, your
child can tell the
story that he sees as
he turns the pages.
© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
Makalapa Elementary School
Be a critical reader
“I wonder what that character is
thinking.” “Hmm, how did the author
pick the setting for this story?” Critical
readers think about things like this
when they read. These activities
can help your youngster practice
reading critically at home.
Hold imaginary conversations
If Peter Rabbit could chat with
Curious George, what would he say?
What would a conversation between
Miss Frizzle and Encyclopedia Brown
sound like? Read two books with your
child. Then, each of you should pick a
character to be, and carry on a conversation. Idea: Suggest that your youngster
use what he knows about the characters
(Peter and George tend to get into trouble) to predict what they’ll discuss (ways
to stay out of trouble).
Switch the setting
Encourage your youngster to think
about how a book’s plot and setting are
related. Read a story to him, and have
him draw a picture of a new setting for it.
Maybe he’ll draw Encyclopedia Brown
solving a mystery in a desert or on a
cruise ship instead of in the town of
Idaville. Idea: Ask him to retell the story
to you using the new location. He will see
how changing the setting affects the story.
Know the author
Let your child get several books by
the same author. As you read them
together, talk about what they have in
common. (“The main character in all of
her books is an animal.”) What can your
youngster guess about the author based
on her books? For example, she probably likes animals, and maybe she has
pets or has lived on a farm. Idea: Look
up an author online or read the “About
the Author” section in a book to learn
about her life.♥
Our family dictionary
w From A to Z, this homemade dictionary celebrates family members’ personalities and
favorite things — and lets your child work on
writing definitions.
Help her think of a word for each letter of the
alphabet that has something to do with your family (active, spaghetti, zoo).
Together, come up with a unique definition for each word. Then, help her write it
on an index card (or write it for her), and let her illustrate it. Example: “Spaghetti:
Our family’s favorite food.”
She might do a few each day. When her dictionary is complete, she should
check that the cards are in ABC order. Then, hole-punch the top left corner of
each one, and connect them with a binder ring or yarn.♥
March 2015 • Page 2
Planning to write
possible. Visualizing
what will happen can
make writing easier.
And working out the
details first may lead
to more descriptive
characters, settings,
and plots.
Getting ready to write can be as important
as writing! Encourage your youngster to
think first with these ideas.
Talk. Talking through her ideas will help
your child organize her thoughts. Listen as
she explains, and ask questions to guide
her. For example, “What will happen
next?” Tip: Offer advice when she wants it,
but avoid criticizing her ideas or telling her
what to write.
Diagram. Have your
youngster create a
graphic organizer. She
could make a story
map, with her title in a
bubble in the middle of
her paper. Then, she can draw lines to smaller bubbles all
around the large one and sketch or write a plot event in each
one. Or she might divide a sheet of paper into four boxes
labeled “Characters,” “Setting,” “Problem,” and “Solution”
and fill them in.♥
Draw. Suggest that she draw and color a
picture of her ideas with as many details as
Letters good
enough to eat
Your child can eat his way to letter
recognition with this tasty treat.
Together, mix up dough for your
favorite biscuit, bread, or cookie recipe.
Let your youngster roll small pieces of
the dough into
long, thin,
snake-like
pieces. Show
him how to
form the
pieces into
the shapes of
letters. He probably will want to start
with the letters in his
name. Then, bake the
dough according to the recipe.
When the letters cool, he could move
them around to form words —and then
eat his words! Can your child tell you
the names of the letters he made? What
about their sounds?♥
O U R
P U R P O S E
To provide busy parents with practical ways
to promote their children’s reading, writing,
and language skills.
Resources for Educators,
a division of CCH Incorporated
128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630
540-636-4280 • rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com
www.rfeonline.com
ISSN 1540-5648
© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
Read the directions
Whether your youngster is taking a test or
putting together a toy, reading the instructions
can help her do a better job. Share these tips.
1. Read carefully. Encourage her to read the
instructions all the way to the end. She’ll get an
overview of what she has to do.
e,
2. Take it step by step. Your child could circle key words like subtract, underlin
she
if
help
for
ask
r
her—o
d
or discard. She should reread any part that confuse
needs it.
she
3. Refer back. If your youngster is doing a school assignment, suggest that
she
glance back at the instructions as she works. If she’s putting up a play tent,
.♥
might reread each step before she does it and check it off when it’s finished
Choosing books I can read
●
Q How can I tell if the
books my son picks at the library are at
the right reading level for him?
A “Just right” books — ones that aren’t
●
too easy or too hard — help your son
stretch his reading ability. These are
books in which he can easily read
about 95 percent of the words,
leaving him with just a few
to figure out.
Don’t worry, there’s
no need to get out your
calculator. Simply listen
to him read, and if he
seems comfortable and
struggles only occasionally, the book
is probably at what teachers call his
“instructional level.” This is the level
that teaches him new words without
making him frustrated or confused.
After he reads a just-right book a few
times, it may even become an easy one!
It’s good for your son to
pick out easy and hard
books, too. Easy books are
relaxing and enjoyable.
And reading hard ones
aloud to him will expose
him to bigger words and
more complex plots.♥
March 2015
Makalapa Elementary School
Book
Picks
■ The Actual & Truthful
Adventures of Becky
Thatcher (Jessica Lawson)
In this twist on Mark Twain’s
The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer, 11-year-old
Becky Thatcher wants
to win a bet against
Tom and Huck Finn.
But when things go wrong, her plan
gets a woman accused of grave robbing.
Becky knows she can fix the mess if
only Tom will quit spying on her!
■ The One and Only Ivan
(Katherine Applegate)
Ivan the gorilla is content living and
painting in his glassed-in habitat—
until a baby elephant named Ruby is
mistreated. To save
her, Ivan uses his
art to make people
care. This fictional
tale was inspired
by a real gorilla’s story. (Also available
in Spanish.)
■ Shooting Kabul (N. H. Senzai)
In the chaos of fleeing to the United
States from Afghanistan, 12-year-old
Fadi loses his little sister, and she gets
left behind. Filled with guilt, Fadi
vows to return to find her. Now, he
must win a photography contest to
pay for the trip.
■ 10 Plants that Shook the World
(Gillian Richardson)
How much trouble can a simple plant
cause? Plenty. This book gets to the
roots of 10 plants that started wars,
changed medicine, and altered history.
Fun facts, history, and
anecdotes illustrate the
way something as small
as a plant can change
the world.
© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
Building background
knowledge
Experience is a great teacher.
Every time your child is exposed
to something new, he adds to his
knowledge bank — and that helps
him relate to what he reads and discover new things to write about.
Errands
Think of everyday errands as
chances to learn. For example,
at a farmer’s market, have your
youngster talk to a beekeeper and
find out how to get honey from a
beehive. Or at a furniture store, he
could see what an armoire or a Queen
Anne table looks like. Later, if these
things are mentioned in a book, he’ll have
first-hand experience.
Tours
Exploring interesting “settings” around
town will help your child understand
book settings and give him a variety of
places to use in his stories. See if you may
go backstage at the local theater before or
after a dress rehearsal, or stop by a historic
home that is open to the public.
Take my advice
Events
At fairs and festivals, your youngster
will discover other cultures that he
might read or write about. Watch your
newspaper for upcoming events where
he can hear music, see arts and crafts,
and sample food.
Books, videos, and podcasts
Whatever your child is curious about,
encourage him to learn more. If he likes
skateboarding, for instance, he could
read novels and nonfiction about the
sport, watch a documentary about skateboarders, or listen to an interview of a
local skate park manager.
What’s the best way to pack a suitcase? How could
you tell if your cat is secretly a superhero? Appoint
your youngster as your family’s advice columnist, and
send her serious or silly questions so she can give her
opinion — and practice writing.
Have her get a box for advice seekers to deposit
questions in. As she replies, she should keep in
mind who she’s writing to (her “audience”).
For her little sister, she’d use simple language.
(“If you don’t see your cat for a while, that may be a sign
he’s outside being Superkitty.”) To tell an adult how to pack a suitcase, she would write clear instructions. (“Step one: Fold or tightly roll each article
of clothing.”)
Reading Connection
March 2015 • Page 2
INTERMEDIATE EDITION
She’ll have to read carefully
to decide what to include.
Read and create
Creative activities can encourage your child
to think more deeply about the books she
reads—and make reading more enjoyable.
Spark her imagination with ideas like these.
Build models. Let your
child use household
materials to make 3-D
creations that match a
book. If she’s reading
about space exploration,
she might create a rocket
with tissue tubes and aluminum foil and gather
information from the book
to label each part. Or for a
tale about sea animals, she
could sculpt creatures out of
clay. Have her dig for details in the text and examine the illustrations so she can make accurate models.
Design graffiti boards. Have your
youngster decorate poster boards
with drawings and words related to a
book. For example, if she’s reading a
mystery, she could draw a part of the setting, write clues from the story on a giant
question mark, and fill the margins of the
poster with her favorite quotes from the book.
Fun Synonym or
with
Words antonym?
This tic-tac-toe–style game
lets your youngster build vocabulary by
playing with synonyms and antonyms.
1. Have your child draw a 5 x 5 grid
on paper.
2. Each person chooses a different color
crayon.
3. Select any word from a print or online
thesaurus (say, luminous).
4. Your youngster flips a coin—if it’s
heads he must
say a synonym, or a
word that
means the same
thing (gleaming, radiant).
For tails, he would give an antonym, or
opposite (dull, dim).
5. He should check his answer in a
thesaurus. If he’s right, he colors in
a square.
6. Then, it’s his turn to give you a word.
The winner is the first person to
claim five boxes in a row —up and
down, across, or diagonally.
O U R
P U R P O S E
To provide busy parents with practical ways
to promote their children’s reading, writing,
and language skills.
Resources for Educators,
a division of CCH Incorporated
128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630
540-636-4280 • rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com
www.rfeonline.com
ISSN 1540-5583
© 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
Q &A Tips for writing dialogue
●
Q My son is learning to add
dialogue to his stories. What advice can
I give him?
●
A It’s fun to make characters “talk.”
And writing dialogue will help your son develop a
plot and show how his characters respond to situations.
Suggest that he think about who the character is, what the situation is, and what
his tone would be. For instance, a child would speak more formally to a teacher
(“Good morning, how are you?”) than to a friend (“Hey, what’s up?”).
When he finishes his story, he should read it aloud. Does the dialogue sound realistic—like something a person would actually say? He may realize he should change
“You cannot go in there” to “You can’t go in there,” since people often use contractions when they speak.
Tip: Paying attention to dialogue in books, plays, and movies is a great way for
your youngster to learn how different characters speak.
Parent It begins with one book
2
My daughter Riley had
she asked the librarian for similar books.
Parent trouble
finding books she
The librarian recommended a few and
liked. One day, her friend recommended a
series to her—Redwall by Brian Jacques.
Since the girls have the same taste in
clothes and music, I told Riley there
was a good chance they’d enjoy
the same books, too.
We checked out the first
Redwall book from the
library. Riley read it
pretty quickly and, as I
hoped, she wanted to read
the rest of the series. Then,
also gave Riley this easy suggestion:
Google the title of a book you like, and
add the phrase “read-alike.”
Now, Riley is halfway through
another series — Bruce Coville’s Rod
Allbright and the Galactic Patrol
collection —and has recommended it to her
friend. I’m glad book
recommendations have
become a two-way
street for them!
MAKALAPA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MARCH 2015 BREAKFAST
MONDAY
Date: 2
Chilled Applesauce
B/B Pancake on a Stick
W/G Toast
Cranberries, Milk
Date 9
Cranberries
W/G Mini Pancakes
Turkey Sausage Links
Apple Juice, Milk
Date: 16
SPRING
BREAK
Date: 23
Tropical Pineapple
W/G Bagel
w/ Cream Cheese
TUESDAY
(3)
Date: 3
Tropical Pineapple
Steamed Rice
Southern Style Pork Links
Grape Juice, Milk
(4)
Date: 10
Tropical Pineapple
WEDNESDAY
Date: 4
Mixed Fruit
Orange Juice, Milk
Date: 11
Chilled Peaches
Scrambled Eggs
W/G Toast
Orange Juice, Milk
Date: 18
XXXXXXXXXX
(1)
Date: 24
Orange Wedges
Pepperoni Pizza Stick
W/G Toast (Adults Only)
Date: 5
Oranges Wedges
Pepperoni Pizza Stick
W/G Toast (Adults Only)
Steamed Rice
Breakfast Chicken Patty
Grape Juice, Milk
(5)
Date: 17
THURSDAY
Steamed Rice
Turkey Links
Grape Juice, Milk
Date: 12
Orange Wedges
Raisin Bagel w/ Cream Cheese
Pork Sausage Patty
Grape Juice, Milk
Date: 19
XXXXXXXXXX
Date: 25
FRIDAY
Date: 6
Chilled Peaches
Yogurt
W/G Cinnamon Toast
Apple Juice, Milk
Date: 13
Mixed Fruit
Steamed Rice
Portuguese Sausage
Apple Juice, Milk
Date: 20
XXXXXXXXXX
Date: 26
XXXXXXXXXX
Date: 27
Mixed Fruit
Steamed Rice
Southern Pork Links
PRINCE JONAH KUHIO
DAY
RADFORD COMPLEX
WAIVER DAY
NO SCHOOL
Cranberries, Milk
Date: 30
Diced Pears
Apple Juice, Milk
Date: 31
Tropical Pineapple
W/G Pancakes
w/ Syrup
W/G Muffin
Breakfast Chicken Patty
Apple Juice, Milk
Grape Juice, Milk
Grape Juice, Milk
Date:
NO SCHOOL
Date:
Menus are subject to change without notice
All Meals Include a Choice of Half-Pint 1% or Skim Milk
"THIS INSTITUTION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER"
Date:
MAKALAPA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MARCH 2015 LUNCH
MONDAY
Date: 2
Beef Stew
Steamed Rice
Mixed Fruit
W/G Biscuit
Milk
Date 9
Golden Chicken Tenders
w/ BBQ Sauce on Cabbage
Steamed Rice
Seasoned Broccoli & Carrots
Chilled Applesauce
Milk
Date: 16
SPRING
BREAK
Date: 23
Ocean Treasure Nuggets
Steamed Rice
Rainbow Salad
Baked Beans
Tropical Pineapple
Milk
Date: 30
Brd. Chicken Patty
on W/G Bun
Oven Fries
TUESDAY
(3)
Date: 3
BBQ Pork Patty
on W/G Bun
Baked Beans
Seasoned Corn
Diced Pears
Milk
(4)
Date: 10
Soft Shell Taco
w/ Lettuce, Tomato & Cheese
Potato Rounds
Chilled Peaches
Milk
(5)
Date: 17
XXXXXXXXXX
(1)
Date: 24
Nachos w/ Beef & Beans
Garden Salad
Fruit Juice
W/G Cornbread
Milk
Date: 31
Italian Spaghetti
w/ Meat Sauce
Spinach & Romaiin Salad
Garden Salad w/ Baby Carrots
Tropical Pineapple
Orange Wedges
W/G French Roll
Milk
Milk
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Date: 4
Chicken & Pasta
w/ Broccoli
Garden Salad
Baby Carrots
Orange Wedges
Milk
Date: 11
Sausage & Chese Pizza
Garden Salad
Baby Carrots
Diced Pears
Milk
Date: 5
Date: 18
Date: 19
XXXXXXXXXX
Sloppy Joe
on W/G Bun
Oven Fries
Spinach & Romain Salad
Apple Wedges
Milk
Date: 12
W/G Corn Dog
Potato Smileys
Baked Beans
Orange Wedges
Milk
FRIDAY
Date: 6
BBQ Chicken on Cabbage
Steamed Rice
Seasoned Broccoli & Carrots
Tropical Pineapple
Biscuit
Milk
Date: 13
Kalua Pork w/Cabbage
Steamed Rice
Lomi Tomato Salad
Tropical Pineapple
W/G Sweet Roll
Milk
Date: 20
XXXXXXXXXX
Date: 25
Date: 26
Cheeseburger on W/G Bun
Potato Rounds
PRINCE JONAH KUHIO
Garden Salad
DAY
Baby Carrots
Apple Wedges
NO SCHOOL
Milk
Date:
Date:
Menus are subject to change without notice
All Meals Include a Choice of Half-Pint 1% or Skim Milk
"THIS INSTITUTION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER"
XXXXXXXXXX
Date: 27
RADFORD COMPLEX
WAIVER DAY
NO SCHOOL
Date: