Port Barre Elementary School

Valentine Candy Grams are on sale for $1.00. You can treat your child, grandchild, friend, or staff member to a special Valentine's day candy gram. You may write a special message on the back of the card. Order forms went home with students on Monday. Candy Grams will be delivered on Valentine's Day, February 14. Please send in money for your candy grams tomorrow. Thank you for your continued support.

Be a cheerleader for your child Research says that students are better able to tackle challenging school assignments when their families act like cheerleaders rather than drill sergeants. Cheerleaders never let their children put themselves down. They consistently say things like, "Sure, this is hard, but you've done work this hard before. You can do it!" And their children begin to believe the message and rise to the challenge. https://tpitip.com/?15bL17376

A lot of learning can happen in just a few minutes In as little as five minutes a day, you can help your child learn. You can ask a question to stimulate creative thinking (What if the sun came up at night?). Or, ask your child to express an opinion and back it up with reasons (What is your favorite book? Why?). You can tell a story full of information about the real world, or simply say "I love you." Children need to feel loved to take the risks necessary to learn. https://tpitip.com/?15bJ17376

❤️ Valentine’s Day Dress-Up Announcement! ❤️ Students are invited to celebrate Valentine’s Day by wearing a Valentine’s-themed or red/pink shirt on Friday, February 14, 2025, for free with regular school uniform bottoms! 👖 Want to wear jeans? You can for just $1.00, unless you’ve already paid for the year. Let’s spread the love and school spirit! ❤️🎉 #ValentinesDay #SchoolSpirit

Wednesday, February 12, is an Early Dismissal Day for staff professional development. Bus riders will begin boarding at 11:50 am and car riders will follow once buses leave campus around 12:05 pm. All students should be picked up before 12:30 pm to allow for staff to attend professional development. We appreciate your understanding. Please note there is no after school program on Wednesday due to early dismissal. All students will need to get on the bus or be picked up through the car rider line on Wednesday.

Valentine Candy Grams will go on sale for $1 each starting tomorrow. Order forms will go home with students today - Monday, February 10. The candy gram will be delivered to the students on Friday, February 14.

Please check out this week's newsletter for important information. https://secure.smore.com/n/1csn0 Read more about: - Valentine Candy Grams order forms will go home today and will go on sale starting tomorrow for $1.00. - Early dismissal on Wednesday February 12, 2025. - Shout out to 3rd grade for reaching the attendance goal for February 3-7. Our school attendance goal is to maintain a 95% attendance rate. We did not meet our school wide goal. Please help us reach our goal by ensuring your child attends school daily.

Plan to spend some time outside together Spending time outdoors as a family can build muscles and strengthen relationships. And nature offers many opportunities to build your child's observation skills. Even in cold weather you and your child may be able to bundle up for a hike in a nearby park. Notice all the things that you can't see when the leaves are on the trees. You can even set up a birdfeeder together and chart the different kinds of birds you see. https://tpitip.com/?15bK17376

Alert the school if you suspect bullying Research shows that bullying affects learning. If you suspect your child is being bullied, contact the school right away. Talk with your child’s teacher. Ask if the teacher has noticed signs of bullying. How does your child get along with others in the class? What might make your child a target for a bully? What will the teacher do to prevent bullying? Work with school staff on a plan to address the bullying. Then, set a date to follow up on how the plan is working. https://tpitip.com/?15bI17376

Book series get kids excited about reading For enthusiastic readers, books are like potato chips. They can't read just one. One effective way to spark a craving for more reading is to encourage your child to read books that are part of a series. After reading one, your student will be familiar with the characters, and can find out what happens after the first book ends! Ask the teacher or a librarian for ideas about series books your child might enjoy. https://tpitip.com/?15bH17376

Chores at home strengthen school skills Doing chores at home teaches children responsibility and self-confidence, traits that benefit them in school. If your child isn't used to helping around the house, start with a few easy-to-accomplish tasks. Instead of saying "clean your room," for example, you might say, "You pick up the things on the floor. I'll hang up the clothes." Make it clear that what your child is doing makes a valuable contribution to your family. https://tpitip.com/?15bG17376

Congratulations to this week's Positive Office Referrals!

Respond to the 'gimmes' with values and expectations When product marketing has your child saying "gimme," remember that experts say kids who have been given too much don't learn to deal with disappointment. They are also more prone to anxiety and depression. Instead of granting your child’s every wish, explain your values and reasons for setting limits. Offer fewer things and more of your time. Then, use expectations, not bribes, to motivate your child to work hard in school. https://tpitip.com/?15bF17376

Help your child avoid disruptive tantrums Elementary school students aren't too young to feel stress. And when they don't have the skills to cope with that stress, they often resort to toddler-style outbursts. Try to figure out what triggers your child's tantrums, and avoid those situations whenever possible. To help your child manage stress, practice calming techniques together, like deep breathing while counting to 10, or saying, "I can work through this." https://tpitip.com/?15bE17376

1st, 2nd, 3rd graders participating in a healthy heart lesson with Eat Move Grow.

A huge thanks to Kim Ortego for this donation. We are Enjoying our new swing!!

SLP families, The Good News publication is linked below. Thanks for your continued support! Great things are happening here. Let's spread The Good News! READ HERE: https://5il.co/36zei

Practice scientific thinking at home Scientists know that asking the right questions leads to learning. To practice the "scientific method" at home, have your child think of a question (What happens to plants if it stops raining?). Next, read about the topic together and have your child make a guess about the answer. Then, help your child figure out how to test if the guess is right (grow two identical plants, but water only one). Your student should write down what happens and report to you on the results. https://tpitip.com/?15bD17376

Problems get solved when families and teachers work together If you have a concern or issue with your child's teacher, the first person to discuss it with is the teacher. Ask to set up a conference, in person or online. If the issue concerns a grade, have the papers in question with you when you meet. If it's something your child has told you about, ask your child to give you specific details so you can discuss them with the teacher. Chances are, you and the teacher can work out a plan to resolve the issue. You'll also show your child that teamwork solves problems. https://tpitip.com/?15bC17376

Please check out this week's newsletter for important information. https://secure.smore.com/n/261ct Read more about: - Our school attendance goal is to maintain a 95% attendance rate. 👏 Shoutout to 4th grade for reaching the attendance goal the week of Jan. 27-31!💪 We did not meet our school wide goal. Please help us reach our goal by ensuring your child attends school daily. - Friday, Feb. 7 - 7 Kids Ice cream truck will be on campus - Valentine Candy Grams will go on sale the week of Feb. 11. Order forms will go home with students on Feb. 10.