Family Connection

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Dear Families,

One of the major goals of the Title I Program is to support the involvement of families with the schools. In addition, we hope to support families in supporting their children's learning at home. The Title I program will be providing these monthly newsletter with ideas and strategies to help families extend learning into the home.

Thank You,

Margaret Adams

Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning, and Student Success

Everett Public Schools

📝Please Complete Survey✍🏻

We are so grateful for the survey responses from families we have received thus far. Thank you to those who have already completed the anonymous survey. You will help us gather your feedback at the district and school levels as we strive towards making improvements for students, staff, and families.

If you have not filled out the survey yet, there is still time! The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete and will be open through Friday, December 20th. See the link for the survey: https://surveys.panoramaed.com/everettpublicschools/family/surveys

Translation of Survey: Please see the box in the upper left-hand corner and click the language to see a translated version of the survey.

Please then choose the school your child attends. If you have children in more than one school, please complete the survey for each school your children attend.

We are grateful for your time and support in completing the survey.

Thank you.

✍🏻Ways to Encourage Your Child to Write at Home 📝

Encouraging your child to read every day at home is so important in your child’s educational journey. Writing every day is just as important.

Your child may be reluctant to write at home. There are some creative and fun ways to get them writing so that it does not seem like a chore or one more thing to do. Have fun with your child writing at home and encourage them to use their imagination. While spelling and grammar are important, it is even more important to help your child realize that writing can be fun. Just let them write and focus on the ideas they have and not so much if everything is spelled correctly.

Here are several activities to try with your child to get them writing…

• Let your child write your grocery list for you before going to the store.

• Show your child a picture or a photograph and have them write a description about it.

• Have your child pretend to be a restaurant critic and write a review about a meal. Encourage them to write about all five senses - seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, hearing.

• Have your child create their own comic strip. They can write about an illustration they create and use their imagination.

• Write a letter or a card to a family member.

• Keep markers, crayons, and blank paper for your child. Sit down with your child, draw pictures, and write stories together.

• Have your child keep a journal and give them specific writing prompts such as…

• If you had $100, what would you buy and why?

• Would you rather be an alligator or an elephant? Explain why.

• If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

• Give your child five words and tell them to create a story. Ex: apple, car, zoo, monkey, baby

🍳Math at Home🥘

Even if we don't always realize it, math is incorporated into all parts of our lives. Families can use everyday opportunities to practice math at home with your child.

One way to practice math with your child is to cook or bake together. Here are some ideas for using cooking at home:

• When cooking or baking, talk to your child about how you are using math in the measurements, ratios, and conversions.
• You can ask young children questions about measuring ingredients, keeping track of time, and adding or subtracting recipe amounts.
• If you have older children or young teenagers, you can ask them questions about adjusting the recipe to make more or less of it. For example, if you have a recipe that makes 24 empanadas but you only need to make 8, how should you adjust the ingredient amounts?
• You can also practice math with food at the grocery store or restaurant. You can ask your child questions about totaling the amount you will spend or calculate discounts or tips.

💕What is Social Emotional Learning?💖

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) refers to the process through which children learn to

• Develop skills and knowledge to understand emotions.
• Set and achieve positive goals.
• Show empathy for others.
• Maintain positive relationships.
• Make responsible decisions.

These skills are essential for their overall development, helping them navigate challenges, build resilience, and succeed in school and life. By supporting social emotional learning, parents and guardians can play a key role in fostering a child's emotional well-being and social skills.

For more information, you can visit the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) website here.

📖Middle of the Year Assessments ➕➖

Starting December 9th, students in grades K-8 began taking their middle of year assessments! Students will be taking reading and math assessments to measure their growth from the beginning of the year and to determine where they are in their learning.

Why are these assessments important?

These assessments are important to help teachers and families find out what students know, what students are ready to learn, and how to make the best use of their learning time.

How can families help?

Families can support their child with these assessments by discussing why it is important to try their best. Students can practice healthy habits like getting a good night sleep. Encourage your child to have a positive mindset. This is an opportunity to show what they learned and that they can do it.

Everett Public Schools is proud of all the hard work students have been doing since the beginning of the school year and are excited to see how they have grown in their reading and math!

🌏What is ACCESS?🌎

The ACCESS test is an assessment or test for students who are learning English as a second language. It is an important opportunity for students to demonstrate their language development and growth across listening, speaking, reading and writing.

When will ACCESS occur?

The testing window for Everett Public Schools is January 6, 2024 to February 14, 2024. Students will receive their scores in June 2025. These scores will be used for English class placement in the 25-26 school year and help teachers to know how to support students to continue to develop their English and gain proficiency with the language. Click here for more information on the test!

How can families support their children?

Families play a vital role in helping your child feel confident and prepared for this test. Here are some practical ways to support your child at home:

• Create a quiet study environment. Provide a comfortable and quiet space for your child to focus on school assignments. You can minimize noise and distractions while using strategies such as a timer to maintain focus while working.
• Ensure your child is well rested before the testing day. A well-rested mind is essential for success on the test! Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep before testing days.
• Encourage reading at home. Reading in any language is a great way to build background knowledge, increase vocabulary and build literacy skills.
• Engage in conversations in any language about a student’s school day, hobbies or family activities. Encourage your child to provide as many details as possible.

📖Visit the Library Together as a Family 📖

The Everett Public Library has so much to offer your family. Library cards are free for children and adults who reside in Everett. See information on how to get a library card.

What can you do with a library card?

• A library card will give you access for free to books to borrow to use at home.
• Check out the calendar of events as well that include many free activities for children.
• You can access free ebooks and audiobooks using a free program called Overdrive.
• You can also get discounts and free passes to local museums.