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October 2008 |
Greetings Harelson Parents:
When you receive this correspondence, the 1st quarter will be complete and it will be the first day of the 2nd quarter. I can’t believe how quickly the first quarter has come and gone.
Thank you to all of the parents who attended the parent teacher conferences. This is a very important part of your child’s education and as you know communication with parents and teachers is vital to help ensure academic success for your child. As I walk around the classrooms I continue to observe effective instruction and students are consistently engaged in their learning. I am so proud of our teachers and our students.
Harelson Academic Goals: This year we will be focusing our efforts again in the area of Literacy, specifically reading comprehension and writing. We also want to increase the number of students from meets to exceeds in the areas of reading and writing as measured by the AIMS test. The teachers have been analyzing data and looking very carefully at appropriate interventions for students in need. As parents, you can also assist your child by having a set time each evening for family or independent reading. Remember, the more a child reads, the better the child will get at reading.
Direct Giving Campaign: Our direct giving campaign is off to a wonderful start. At this time we have brought in over 14,500 dollars with 35% of the families participating. Remember every little bit helps and 100% of the proceeds go back to the school and your children. Thank you!
Classroom Disruptions: It has been brought to my attention and I have personally observed that classrooms are being interrupted frequently throughout each day. Remember, every time the office has to call into a classroom, it disrupts the classroom instruction and can be disruptive to the students. We are asking for your help in this matter. Please make sure that all transportation arrangements are communicated with your child the night before or the morning before they come to school. We also want to minimize parents bringing in forgotten items, like lunches, money, homework, instruments or backpacks. If we all work together, we can help with this situation.
Safety: Please do not drop your child off on Chapala Road. We have observed a number of parents dropping students off in unsafe areas. The safest place to drop off your child is at the parent drop-off area on Paseo Del Norte. If you choose to escort your child to campus you may park in the church parking lot across the street from the front of the school.
Speed Limit: The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is monitoring the crosswalk on Paseo Del Norte and Chapala and the speed limit on La Oesta, which is 25 MPH and on Paseo Del Norte, which is 35 MPH. Please be safe and smart!
Week Without Violence: The Week without Violence this year is during the week of October 20th-24th. Many classroom activities and fun-filled events are planned for the week. Some of the highlights include: the Peace Conference on Wednesday, October 22nd from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and the Unity Rally on Friday, October 24th from 9:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m. Please stop by and feel free to attend any of the functions. A special thank you goes out to Ann Jansen, our Behavioral Intervention Monitor for planning and organizing this huge event. Way to go Ann!!
Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) – Level Testing: The students in grades 3-6 have completed the MAP testing in the areas of Reading, Math and Language and second grade has completed the testing in Math and Reading. You should have received a parent report during the parent teacher conferences and if you have any questions about this report or your child’s RIT score, please contact your teacher. We will be using this data to help drive our instruction for the remainder of the year.
Let’s continue to have a positive and productive year.
Sincerely,
Andrew T. Heinemann
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