HUMPHRIES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER
March 2015
Melanie Mitchell, Principal
Benita Grant, Assistant Principal
Principal’s Message
Important Dates
Melanie Mitchell
We are now counting down to the end of the year. We have
only three months left: March, April and May. Therefore we cannot
afford to waste a single day!
This year the Georgia CRCT will be replaced by the Georgia Milestone. This test will test our students’ deeper knowledge,
asking our students why, as well as what. It will be administered
from April 15—April 24. Please refrain from scheduling doctor’s
appointments during testing. Students should be present each day of
testing by 7:30 in order eat breakfast. Our goal is 100% test participation and punctuality.
March 16 is a professional learning day, and our Spring
Break will be from April 6-10. The last day of school remains May
22.
On March 16, the South Atlanta Cluster parents and staff
will meet at 6:30. This is our opportunity to have input on the changes coming next year as we transition to a charter model.
Once again we have won the Cluster Attendance trophy!
Keep up the good work! Remember, we cannot teach your children
unless they are present. These last few weeks are so critical.
All parents, please complete the online Climate Surveys.
The link is http://apps.gadoe.org/schoolclimate/parents.nsf/
Survey.xsp
As a final reminder, please assist your child’s teachers by
making sure students are completing their homework. It is very necessary for students to practice what they have learned. We want
parents to help with reading directions and ensuring the lessons are
completed neatly. However, we ask that parents not complete the
assignments for the students. The teachers use homework responses
as another way to determine whether students are learning the concepts being taught in class.
Thank you very much for your attention to the details that
will enable our students to succeed!
2
Roadrunner Rally
Read Across America Day
5
Daylight Savings Time
Purim
10
PTA Meeting and Math
Night 5:30
13
End of Third Quarter
14
Pi Day
17
St. Patricks Day
29
Palm Sunday
20
Spring Equinox
26
Parents Day
27
Activity Day
Home of the
Roadrunners
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NEWSLETTER
First Grade News
Did you know that by the end of the year your
first grader should be able to read between 40-60
words per minute? In order for students to reach
this goal it is important that they practice sight
words, read nightly and discuss the events in the
text that was read. We have been working a lot
with words with silent e such as make, trade, bike,
and cute. At home search for words with silent e
in magazines, newspapers, commercials etc. In
mathematics, students are learning about the attributes of shapes. Use your cell phones to take
pictures of shapes around the house and neighborhood and talk about the name of the shapes as
well as attributes such as sides and corners. Students should also work to master basic addition
facts up to nine. Your continued support at home
is what helps your child grow!
Grade Four News
Greetings Parents! The fourth graders are working
very hard. The following are the skills we are covering:
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Reading Skill: Text features, text structures,
reading timelines
Language Arts: Prepositional phrases; narrative writing
Math: Reading , comparing decimals, Geometry and measurement
Social Studies : Challenges of a New Nation/
Westward Expansion
Science: Stars and the Solar System
Please, be sure that each student is reading for at
least 20 minutes daily and studying their multiplication facts.
Grade Five News
Second Grade News
The year is quickly winding down and your child's
daily attendance is very important. After the winter break, several units of study have changed.
Math will now be focusing on shapes and fractions and science will be focusing on motion. Students will also be adding text features and text
structure to their weekly learning goals in reading.
Please continue to make sure your child is completing his/her daily homework assignments.
Thanks in advance for all your cooperation.
We are four weeks away from Spring Break and
trying to make sure all fifth grade students are
well prepared for the Georgia Milestones Assessment. Your child should continue to practice reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies on Study Island. Study Island is
aligned with the Common Core standards that will
be assessed in April. We also have been practicing
on IReady. This program creates an individual
learning plan for your child to progress. It is important that your child practices each subject daily.
Thank you for your support and in making sure
your child is successful in his or her school year!
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NEWSLETTER
Enrichment News
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The Enrichment Team is excited as we continue to
work diligently with your child. In Music, students will be focusing on learning and playing various types of instruments, reading from a treble
clef, learning about the chords, and notation.
Grades 3, 4 and 5 will continue to identify primary
colors in Spanish as lessons interrelate with Art
classes. Art classes will continue to focus on identifying and creating patterns for 2nd grade, creating sunface artwork for the kindergartners, and
identifying proportion for the 3rd grade classes.
All grade levels in Physical Education class will
continue to learn how to maintain a healthenhancing level of physical fitness by participating
in fitness and health-related activities in their classes while fourth and fifth grades are concentrating
on the completion of the fitnessgram.
“Celebration of Freedom”, a play performed by
our student body will be held on TUESDAY,
MARCH 3rd at 1:00p.m.in the multi-purpose
building. You will hear songs, listen to recitations,
and enjoy dance performances about the African
American culture. Hope to see you there!
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Media Center News
Books for Women’s History
Month
March is Women’s History month. This
month highlights women’s contributions to history and contemporary life. Here are some books
about strong girls and women (both fiction and
non-fiction) to share:
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Beard, Darleen. Operation Clean Sweep.
Beatty, Patricia Bonanza Girl
Borden, Louise Fly High! The Story of Bessie
Coleman
Brown, Monica My name is Celia : the life of
Celia Cruz
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Chinn-Lee, Cynthia. Amelia to Zora: Twenty Six
women who changed the world
Christensen, Bonnie. The Daring Nellie Bly :
America's Star Reporter
Corey, Shana Mermaid Queen: The Spectacular
True Story Of Annette Kellerman, Who Swam
Her Way To Fame, Fortune & Swimsuit History!
Dickinson, Emily. Poetry for Young People.
Freedman, Russell The voice that Challenged a
Nation: Marian Anderson and the struggle for
equal rights
Fritz, Jean Harriet Beecher Stowe and the Beecher Preachers
George, Jean Craighead. Julie of the Wolves.
Henkes, Kevin. Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse
Hensen, Heather. That Book Woman
Hoose, Phillip Claudette Colvin : Twice Toward
Justice
Hopkinson, Deborah. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Jablonski, Carla Esther Dyson : Web Guru
Kelly, Jaqueline The Evolution of Calpurnia
Tate
Lasky, Kathyrn. Vision of beauty : the story of
Sarah Breedlove Walker
Lasky, Kathyrn. A voice of her own : the story of
Phillis Wheatley, slave poet
McCully, Emily Marvelous Mattie: how Margaret E. Knight became an inventor
Murphy, Jim Desperate Journeys
Pinkney, Andrea. Let it Shine: Stories of Black
Women Freedom Fighters
Phelps, Ethel. Tatterhood and other Tales
Polacco, Patricia. Keeping Quilt
Rappaport, Doreen. Eleanor, Quiet No More
Schroeder, Alan. Minty: A Story of Young Harriett Tubman
Silverman, Erica. Liberty's Voice: The Story of
Emma
Lazarus
Winter, Jeanette. Wangari's trees of peace : a
true story from Africa
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Helping Your Child Through
Testing
are detailed in his IEP or 504 plan. If he doesn't have one but needs
some assistance, make sure you've communicated with his teacher
about his needs.
(Submitted by Dr. Biggings-Horton, our School Counselor
Tip #6: Set a reasonable bedtime and stick to it. Tired children
have difficulty focusing and are easily flustered by challenges.
It may be your child taking all the tests, but you're the one who
needs to help him through it. Here are some test taking tips for
parents to help you get your child ready.
10 Test Taking Tips
Tip #7: Make sure your child has enough time to wake up fully
before he has to go to school. Just as rest is important, so is having
enough time to get his brain engaged and in gear.
Tip #1: Make attendance a priority, especially on days that you
know standardized testing will be administered or there is a test in
the classroom.
Tip #8: Provide a high-protein, healthy, low-sugar breakfast for
your child. Kids learn better on full stomachs, but if their stomachs
are full of sugary, heavy foods that will make them sleepy or
slightly queasy, it's not much better than an empty stomach.
Tip #2: Make a note of test days on the calendar -- from spelling
quizzes to big high-stakes tests. That way both you and your child
know what's coming and will be prepared.
Tip #9: Talk to your child about how the test went, what he did
well and what he would have done differently. Think of it as a
mini-debriefing or brainstorming session.
Tip #3: Look over your child's homework daily and check for understanding. Seek help or tutoring if your child struggles.
Tip #10: Go over the test with your child when he gets it back or
when you receive the scores. Together you can look at any mistakes he made and correct them so he knows the information for
the next test.
Tip #4: Avoid pressuring your child and provide him with encouragement. Few children want to fail, and most will try their hardest
to do well.
Source: From Amanda Morin, former Contributing Writer
About.co
Tip #5: Confirm that your child will be receiving any predetermined accommodations during tests. These accommodations
Recipe submitted by Lauren Ladov, our Captain Planet Volunteer