The Dolphin Newsletter
Home of the Extraordinary Dolphins: March 06
Principal's Pride
Hello Parents!
March is already here! It is hard to believe that March has arrived. As we prepare for Spring and things spring-like, I want to recognize and applaud our parents for going above and beyond. This month, we had the pleasure of naming our Volunteer-of-the-Year, Mr. David Hartwell. It is because of our students, parents, and exceptional school staff, we make impossible things real! Thank you, students, staff, PTA, and parents who continue to do great things at Randolph.
This year Students in grades 3 through 5 will take an end-of-grade assessment in English Language Arts and mathematics while students in grades 5 are also assessed in science and social studies. Even as students are showing growth and mastery, students must still make the grade and reach end-of-year goals.
Please continue to support our efforts at home. It is very important for home to mirror school efforts. Here are few ways you can help us level-up. Our goal is to move all of our students up by one level or more. Proficiency indicated by a level 3 or higher is our goal for all students.
At-home connections:
· Please listen to your child read-aloud each night
· Encourage students to take reading quizzes to assess their comprehension
· Practice writing constructive responses across all content areas
· Practice reading informational text and discussing the text
· Provide authentic learning experiences and discuss them
Please take a moment to watch the video clip on the upcoming assessment for students in grades 3rd-5th.
Let's Talk Testing!
Testing: Georgia Milestones Administration
Randolph will be host a Georgia Milestones Parent Meeting during the evening of Monday, March 13, 2017 at 6:00pm.
The meeting will highlight the following:
Features of the Georgia Milestone Assessment System
Test preparation
Test Administration Dates
Q & A Session
We look forward to sharing this valuable information with all of you, and hope you will join us. Thank you.
Randolph Elementary School Test Administration Dates
Thursday, April 13 ELA Section 3 Writing 3rd, 4th and 5th
Monday, April 17 ELA Sections I & 2 4th and 5th
Tuesday, April 18 ELA Sections 1 & 2 3
Wednesday, April 19 Math Sections 1 & 2 4th and 5th
Thursday, April 20 Math Sections 1 & 2 3rd
April 21st Make-up
April 24 Science Sections 1 & 2 5th grade only
April 25 Social Studies Sections 1 & 2 5th grade only
For more information or support, please contact: Victoria Grubbs, Assistant Principal.
Visit the Curriculum Corner
Test-Taking Tips for Elementary Students
Test are important because they help the teacher evaluate a student's needs and progress, the student gauge his or her own level of mastery, and the parent monitor his or her child's progress.
Tips to give your child about taking tests:
- Relax. Just do the best you can.
- Your first choice is usually correct. Don't change an answer unless you have a good reason to do so.
- Be aware of key words such as "all," "now," "always," "never," "only," "exactly,"
- In multiple-choice question, don't skip the longest answer. It should be considered, since test writers want to be sure the correct answer is accurate-they may add lots of details to insure accuracy.
- Watch for negative words like "not," "no," "never."
- Look for information in some of the questions. This information may help you answer other questions.
I look forward to serving all of your curriculum needs. If you need additional support, please feel free to reach out to me, 470-254-6520.
The Counseling Connection
March Character Word of the Month:
Courage is “overcoming fear so I can do what is right.”
Courage begins by knowing what is good, true, and right. This gives you confidence that you are heading in the right direction.
Another way to build courage is to think through what you should do in specific situations. For example, what should you do if you wake up and hear a smoke alarm in your home? What should you do if a stranger asks you to get into his car? What should you do if you see someone being teased or bullied?
Thinking ahead will help you overcome fear and make better choices when you face strange, difficult, or frightening situations. When you know something is good and true, stand up with courage instead of hiding in fear. You never know how your boldness and bravery will inspire others to stand up for what is true, right, and just.
DISCUSSION STARTERS:
- Why is courage important?
- Who can you talk to when you feel afraid?
- Share an example of someone who showed courage in a story of movie.
- Imagine your friends are picking on someone new at school. What could you say or do?
- Know the truth.
- Get help when I am afraid.
- Do what is right.
- Be willing to stand alone.
- Help those who are bullied or abused.
February Dolphins of the Month
February Character Word of the Month: Citizenship – Obeying the rules and working to make your community a better place. Pre-K Bacon – Chandler Stephens Prather – Megan Wilbourn Kindergarten First Second Hagans – Gabriella Carey Naidoo – London Scott Ross – Kennedy Cloud Thornton – Ryan Baldwin Evans – Brooklyn Lynum Johnson – Delaney Speed Moody – Zyon Green Cowan – Journi Welton Ellis – Kaylee Howell Jones – Noah Foreman Medlock – Makiyah Hunter Third Fourth Fifth Brown – Khamari Jenkins Grant/ Small – Fallon Edwards Jamison – Trinity Beckman Paschal – Tristan Scott-Bryant Pitts – Rachel Lee Gotel – Jakob Simmons Solomon/ Nixon – Justin Carter Wlliams – Carnell Lee Griffith- Johnson – DeAndre Brown Knight – Kenyon Breckenridge Reid – Aidan Dunker Nash – Taraji James
Discipline Dynamics
March : Tips for Behavior Management
Positive Peer Reports: Changing Negative Behaviors by Rewarding Students Compliments: http://www.interventioncentral.org/behavioral-interventions/schoolwide-classroommgmt/positive-peer-reports-changing-negative-behaviors-
Schoolwide Classroom Management (Supporting PBIS)
Some students thrive on peer attention-and will do whatever they must in order to get it. These students may even attempt intentionally to irritate their classmates to be noticed. When students bother others to get attention, though, they often find themselves socially isolated and without friends. In addition, teachers may discover that they must surrender valuable instructional time to mediate conflicts that were triggered by students seeking negative peer attention.
Positive Peer Reporting is a clever class wide intervention strategy that was designed to address the socially rejected child who disrupts the class by seeking negative attention. Classmates earn points toward rewards for praising the problem student. The intervention appears to work because it gives the rejected student an incentive to act appropriately for positive attention and encourages other students to note the target student's good behaviors rather than simply focusing on negative actions.
Another useful side effect of positive peer reporting is that it gives all children in the classroom a chance to praise others-a useful skill for them to master! The Positive Peer Reporting strategy presented here is adapted from Ervin, Miller, & Friman (1996).
App: Noise Control in the Classroom
ALL Students Can Shine:
School-wide Behavioral Initiatives
S.W.I.M
S = Show Respect
W = Work Hard
I = Include Kindness
M = Make Responsible Choices
S.W.I.M Reminders
Sometimes we need a reminder to follow the rules and make better choices. In this instance, teachers and staff will give your student a citation referred to as, “S.W.I.M reminder.
Dolphin Dollar Store: Reward System
We love to reward students for extraordinary dolphin behavior! Your student can earn as many Dolphin Dollars as they want. At a designated time of the month, Ms. Scott, guidance counselor will open the Dolphin Dollar Store that is filled with all kinds of prizes. Purchases can be made with Dolphin $$ only.
Patrice Givens, RTI Coordinator/Administrative Assistant
mailto:givensP1@fultonschools.orgMedia Matters
Spring is in the air and it's book fair time once again! The Scholastic Book Fair will be in our media center for a limited time this spring semester. The fair will begin Friday, March 17th through Wednesday, March 22nd. A call for volunteers will be coming soon!
Also many thanks and great gratitude to all of our volunteers who read to our Dynamic Dolphins on Dr. Seuss National Read In Day, Thursday, March 2nd, 2017!!!
Keep READING!!!
Parent Connections
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
at 11:30am-12:30am
College and Career Readiness
(What does that look like for an elementary school?)
Bring your lunch or enjoy a light lunch that will be provided. College wear Wednesdays, transitioning from elementary to middle school and high school. What does it all mean for my student(s)?
Join us for this informative session at our next Parent University seminar on Wednesday, March 29, 2017. All are welcome to attend.
Video recordings and handouts of prior seminars are uploaded on Randolph’s Parent University webpage.
SAVE THE DATE
Volunteer/Partner Appreciation Celebration
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
8:00AM
Invitations will be sent home in April.
Parent Liaison: Sandra Mack
To Register as a Volunteer:
http://www.fultonschools.org/en/divisions/sup/comm/Pages/partnersvolunteers.aspx
Wellness Corner
Spring is Around the Corner...Are You Ready?
We have experienced a relatively warm winter season with plenty of moisture — perfect conditions for trees to begin to release spring pollen. Pollen counts have already hit the high range several days in late January and February. Do you know your specific allergic triggers? Were your allergy and/or asthma symptoms well controlled last season? Don't suffer through another Atlanta pollen season! —