Brown School Buzz
February 8, 2023
Dear Brown School Families,
All of the unpredictable and ever changing weather we've been having reminds me of the unpredictable and ever changing messages and information we receive every day. Whether it’s the weather, the latest miracle diet, the newest piece of exercise equipment that will “change our lives forever”, or the latest and greatest program in education to assure your child’s school success, we have all learned to be a bit skeptical. However, there are a few things we know for sure:
-Paying attention to our diet and exercise will always get us healthier.
-Regular reading and math practice increases learning and achievement.
-The development of early reading and math skills is a strong indicator for long term school success.
As we enter the month of February, I would ask you to consider the following:
In the beginning of the year, we ask parents to support their child’s learning efforts in whatever way they can, and most parents begin the year with a bang! There’s a new teacher, a new grade, a new classroom, new friends, and homework is an adventure! We’re signing homework folders, we’re reading at night, we’re practicing math, we’re asking about their learning and wondering about projects, parties, and Open House. And just when we’re starting to get into a routine, and feeling like “this will be the year we get finally get organized", life happens. There are soccer sign ups, and basketball games, hockey, dance, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, karate, football, hockey, birthdays, holidays, family struggles, financial woes, work issues, family illness, colds, flu, Covid, car problems, and the list goes on.... And we think, “something’s gotta give.” Before we know it, we are out of the routine, yelling about homework, and asking our children before they fly out the door if they completed their nightly reading assignment.
So at this time, I am asking you to consider a resolution to….Read to or with your child something everyday and make math talk and problem solving part of your day.
Whether you are on your way to a game or practice, making dinner, on the treadmill, driving to scouts or going to get take out, make learning with your child part of your time together. Remember that reading isn't limited to books. Reading the cereal box, a jokes, and road signs, are all REALLY great ways to reinforce reading. Looking up song lyrics, reading game directions, texting, following recipes, and asking your child to put names and addresses into your phone for you are other ways to reinforce the importance of literacy skills. Here’s another idea, switch the television’s caption mode to the “ON” position. You would be surprised at how much of the text they will read! Make it practical, make it fun, and make it part of what you do-and how you live.
Cooking and baking are great, but 10 minutes of guess the "number-high/lower" while you’re cooking dinner is much easier and more practical. Estimate the number of miles to go or the amount of time a trip will take. Order from a take out menu, add up the bill, estimate the groceries in the cart to the nearest dollar, play with coins, and for our PK and Kindergarteners, count by 1s, by 5s, by 10s. And above all, the most important thing you can do to support a child's learning development is to have conversations. Not only will this help you in the later years (when they would rather not talk at all), but it adds to their background knowledge and builds vocabulary.
We recognize that childhood should be a healthy balance of family, school, and play. We also believe learning and thinking and creating independence can take place during all of these. We want our children to be well rounded, independent problem solvers. When life gets crazy, and “something’s gotta give”, please consider letting something else go. Early learning and development is critical. And remember, reinforcing learning development doesn't need to be complicated or perfect, it just has to be do-able and engaging.
If your “beginning of the year spark” has dimmed to a small flicker, please consider “starting anew". Our school year has 180 days. Today is our 96th day of school. We have officially past the half way mark in our year. I promise you, the second half will fly….let’s make it count.
Have you registered for the Heart Health Challenge?
Click on the HEART to see how we are doing with our Heart Health Challenge!
Bus Passes and Access
Recently we have had a couple of inquiries regarding accessing the bus, so we though we'd take this opportunity to clarify. All students who ride the bus must be registered to ride. Unfortunately, because seating is limited and for safety reasons, students who are not registered regular riders cannot ride the bus with a friend for play dates. We acknowledge that students who are not regular bus riders may have been able to ride occasionally in the past to go to a friend's house. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused, and thank you for your understanding.
Concert Time for grade 1-3!
We are looking forward to our first celebration of the arts at the Brown School!
February is Black History Month and MPS is celebrating!
February 6-10 is School Counseling Week!
Ms. Allison Eaton (School Counselor), Ms. Meg Burns (School Psychologist), Ms. Kara Elmer (School Counselor), Ms. Isabel Perlman (School Psychologist Intern)
Lucretia and Joseph Brown School
Email: maxfield.mary@marbleheadschools.org
Website: marbleheadschools.org
Location: 40-42 Baldwin Road, Marblehead, MA, USA
Phone: 781-639-3112