Washington Wolverines Issue #8 may 2017

May Flowers will soon be here and so will the end of the school year. It feels like we just started!

There are a lot of things going on during this last month of school. Be sure to check your child’s back-

pack nightly to keep current with events happening, so you or your child will not miss out. Also, please

help your child stay focused on school; it’s not over until it’s over, and we have a lot of learning left to do!

We encourage each of you to help your child(ren) maintain their academic level over the summer. IXL

Math is a web based license for home and school for each student at Washington School—it is paid for

through the summer; students should know their password. There are links on our school website where your child can go for additional practice to

help keep their learning fresh. The Alfred Dickey Library downtown has great books, movies, and

programs to promote reading. Consider signing up—we know that the more students read the more

vocabulary they know and the greater their compre-hension skills. Reading as a family is a great sum-mer activity!!

Mrs. Clemens

Helping Drew

A story about

overcoming

Bullying.

Last day of ‘After School’ program is Wednesday, May 24

Summer 2017 Program Begins Monday, June

******************************* Our Last Day of School

is Thursday, May 25!!!

Elementary schools dismiss at 12:50pm

JHS Graduation is

Sunday, May 28

Remember

The doors to the school open at 7:45 am

If your child arrives before this time there is

NO Supervision on the playground

Breakfast is not served until 8:00 am

Arranged through

Musical Guests

JMS Jazz Band

Maddie Tanata was our Kin-

dergarten ‘Keep ND Clean’

coloring contest winner!!

PTO Spaghetti Dinner

UPCOMING EVENTS

May

1-5 — Teacher Appreciation Week

8 — 5th grade tours JMS

JHS Vocal Jazz (1:00)

9 — TAG Open House (5-6 in the gym)

10 — Marketplace for Kids (grades 4-5)

14 — Mother’s Day

16 — Planetarium Trip (1st and 2nd)

17 — School-wide Annual Review (3:15)

18 — Kindergarten Picnic at Klaus Park

19 — 4th grade Field Trip to Bismarck

Kindergarten Graduation (1:45)

22 — 5th grade Field Trip to Valley City

23 — Washington Field Day (tentative)

25 — Recognition Rally (9:15)

Last Day of School-12:50 Dismis-

sal

June

5-28 Remedial Summer School at Lou-

is L’Amour

M-Th, 8-12 OR 1-5 June 5-July 28 MOST Summer Program at Washington

A big THANK YOU

to all who supported the effort to raise funds for PE Equipment for Washington Elementary School, whether it was through ticket sales, purchases,

donations, or working at the event!!

We will meet once more this month (TBA) to begin planning for Back to School Night in August. Thanks to all who have joined in the planning and participation this past school year.

Please consider joining PTO—it’s a great way to be involved in your child’s education!!

MAY Birthdays

5/2 AnnaLee D

5/5 Annalisa M

5/8 Levi S

5/11 Elizabeth K—Milan M

5/14 Veda P

5/22 Sarita S

5/27 Alexa S

5/29 Casyn & Kiannah M—Kaleb Hayes

Tips for a Successful Summer!

Make a schedule. Our sessions are often more successful when our children have a visual to help them transition from one activity to the next. You can do this as well by writing out a list of the daily “to do’s,” or a visual sched-ule with photos or cartoons of the daily activities. You may want to have your child cross off each completed item, or move the picture icon from a “to do” to “all done” side of the schedule.

Decide how much time you are comfortable with your child having electronics and put it on the schedule. If you feel like 30 minutes is appropriate for iPad time then write it out so there are clear expectations on the schedule (e.g. “Computer games—20 minutes”). Since our students often respond well to structure, a clear beginning and end time for these preferred activities can make the transition smoother. A timer that your child can hear, or even a visual timer (available as an app on a phone or tablet) could be a good way to signal the change in activi-ty. Additionally, you can use can e activities as reinforcers by placing them on the schedule directly after a less-preferred activity (i.e. “first clean-up then iPad”).

Incorporate things your child can do independently onto the schedule. If you’re child loves to play legos or look at comics, then put this on the schedule as well (also set a timer). Breaks and vacation days are a great opportunity for children to build up these independent leisure skills, so that they can keep themselves engaged with these activities for increased durations.

Get outside! Whether it’s a walk to the park, a lawn game, or even helping out with chores—some fresh air will do everyone good, and it’s a great way to break up the day. Going for a walk is a great way to practice safety skills in the community (stopping and waiting, crossing the street, etc.), and the children can practice social interac-tions as well. If there is a preferred community outing that your child really likes (the park, a certain store), again, use this as a reinforcer by placing it directly after a more difficult task on their schedule.

Arts and Crafts. There are plenty of websites nowadays that can help you to derive some activities out of what you have in your house. Make a collage out of magazine clippings or make homemade play doh! There are tons of different sensory activities you can explore using household ingredients, such as slime, gak, moon sand, and much more! Use this as an opportunity to practice the fine motor skills your child has learned in school. Addi-tionally, you may discover your children really enjoy the sensory input from the different materials.

http://rcsconsultingne.com/tips-for-a-successful-summer/