The Patrick Henry Post

This week, we celebrated one of the most decadent holidays of the year - Valentine's Day - with every form of indulgence imaginable! Classrooms had parties, students exchanged valentines cards, and even staff received special treats to show how much they are loved. Take a look below for some highlights from our day of love celebrations.

· Literacy Focus – It’s All About Winning

o We are focusing on sight words, in order to understand the sounds that letters make when combined to make sight words.

o We host a weekly sight word Bingo Game that rivals any game in Vegas. The air of competition is intense. (It is one of the most effective reading/learning motivators to date. The goal for Bingo includes socialization, and the process of learning, sounding out, and maintaining word construction.

o For my struggling readers, I make take-home sight word anchor charts for home. They put them on their bedroom walls/doors as a reminder to study. This chart also shows parents the level their children fall under in literacy. (I make sure I highlight the grade level on the chart)

o My students understand that when they learn sight words, reading becomes easier, and comprehension excels.

o I have a group of “football boys” in 1st, who are competing to win a “G.O.A.T. compression sleeve. The girls who accomplish this wins an “Elephant and Piggie” book.

o I work with students on letter identification, writing (letter formation), and spelling as well.

o I have a new crop of Noveliers (chapter book readers) this year. They come to Reader’s Row to sit on bean bags, and read.

Students in lower grades are making great strides in reading. They love to see themselves grow, and are happy to tell anyone that they love to read.

My Goal: Promote the Love of Reading

February is one of our favorite months for so many reasons... Love is in the air❤️, Black History is all around us✊, and the "Literacy Lounge" is now open for all to enjoy!! Although my reading groups are 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders, I have created a space where students of all grades, ages and skills can enjoy learning and working together. We have new books, educational games, and literacy activities - thanks to the Donors Choose Organization. My reading group students are making so much progress. In addition to reading, phonics (sounding out), grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension (deeper understanding), we have also been analyzing articles about African American Heroes. Students are currently working on research projects to honor those from our past and present, who have made great contributions to society. I am so proud of our scholars for all their hard work, best of all they are really proud of themselves!

While Ms. Byson and Ms. Evans provide an incredible amount of resources to our students during the school day, there are many ways families can help their children at home with their reading growth. Take a look below for some of our suggested activities that will help your child grow into a successful reader.

1. Read at home, every single night. It sounds simple, and it is! But the more students read, the more they will increase their vocabulary and their reading comprehension. It is important to give children the chance to read a wide variety of books and to choose the books that are the most interesting to them so they enjoy reading.
2. Read to your child and let your child read to you. Children need to read aloud to practice their skills, but they also need to hear familiar voices read to them. Reading to your child before bedtime is an excellent way to make sure your child is relaxed and ready for bed and they also get a double dose of books at the same time!
3. Make reading fun. A few creative ways to make sure your child enjoys reading: Let your child choose their own books; read together as a family; start a reading competition where you track how many books or pages each child reads; set a goal for the whole family to read a certain number of minutes together in order to "earn" a fun reward like a special dinner or activity; go read at different places (house, park, library); read books that you loved when you were a child; be theatrical with your reading and act it out with funny voices and actions.
4. Visit the Central Public Library. This is one of the most beautiful buildings in all of St. Louis, and it is less than 1 mile from Patrick Henry! They have an incredible Children's section, Young Adult section, and even a media lab with specialized technology that is free and open to the public. This place provides a great and free way to spend your weekends! Click here for the Central Public Library's Website, or visit in person at 1301 Olive Street, 63103.

On Friday, February 17th, all SLPS schools will be closed. Staff will be in Professional Development throughout the day so there is no school for students.

On Monday, February 20th, all SLPS schools and offices will be closed in honor of Presidents' Day.

All families are invited to an IN-PERSON event on Friday, February 24th to celebrate Black History Month. This event will take place in the afternoon from 1:00-2:30pm in the Patrick Henry gym. Students will perform dances, songs, and skits during the performance, and we encourage all family members to attend!

Please contact your child's teacher to schedule your conference for the following days/times:

• Monday, March 13th, 3:15-5:15pm
• Tuesday, March 14th, 3:15-5:15pm
• Wednesday, March 15th, 3:15-5:15pm
• Thursday, March 16th, 3:15-3:45pm

There will be no school on Friday, March 17th. All SLPS schools will be closed.

All SLPS schools will be closed for Spring Break on March 20th - March 24th. School will reopen on Monday, March 27th.

All 2nd-5th graders will go on a walking field trip to the Gateway Arch. Students will not only get a tour of the new grounds and museum, but they will also travel all the way to the top of the Arch for a view of our beautiful city! Students will end the day with a Riverboat Cruise and they even get a free lunch while they are on the Mighty Mississippi. Parents! Please make sure you turn in your child's field trip permission slip and get your child to school on time so they do not miss out on this opportunity!