Husky Howler

The Weekly Newsletter of North Pole Elementary

Issue #37

Dear NPE Families,

There's so much to do these last couple of weeks! Green Up is going to happen this weekend too, I think. Thank you for continuing to remind your student(s) to keep working hard, not only academically, but also through kindness, good choices, good citizenship, and attendance! I mean it when I say, let's finish strong! We can do it.

Please join me in showing your support for our hardworking teachers and staff who make every day at NPE a great place to work, learn, and grow. May 6 - 10 is Staff Appreciation Week. Encourage your student(s) to participate in the daily fun and celebrations. (See flyer below). PTA is also requesting donations for the Staff Appreciation Luncheon on Friday, May10. CLICK HERE for the link to donate.

Field Day (May 10) needs more volunteers and materials. It's an all day event and we want it to be a blast for our students. Can you help us? Click the link if you can: volunteersignup.org/J993D

Sincerely,

Ms. Kang

Principal

NPE Parents and Guardians,

As we prepare for the upcoming End-of-Year school activities, such as Field Day, Choir Concert & Talent Show, and Water Day, we are excited to provide a memorable way to celebrate our students’ hard work and achievements.

We believe that participation in these activities provides an opportunity for fun and enjoyment for all participants. All year we have stressed the importance of safety, being kind and displaying respectful behavior, as well as following school rules and expectations by making good choices. This is nothing new to any of our students as we have reminded them and reinforced this message throughout the school year.

In order to continue to ensure the safety and success of the end of the year activities and events, we would like to inform you that participation will be earned by students demonstrating positive and responsible behavior.

For your child to be eligible to participate in these wonderful events, we ask that you support NPE by encouraging your student to:

• Practice safety at all times

• Make good choices

• Listen to all staff members and follow staff directions promptly

• Show respect and responsibility towards peers and adults

Thank you for your partnership with North Pole Elementary and supporting these valuable life skills.

Sincerely,

Ms. Kang

Principal

April 29 - May 10 Window: iReady Diagnostic for all K - 5 graders

May 6 - 10: Staff Appreciation Week

May 10: Super Fun Field Day! We need volunteers.

May 14: Spring Choir Concert & Talent Show @ 9:30 am - 10:30 am

May 14: Kindergarten Celebration @ 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

May 15: Early Dismissal @ 2:00 pm

May 16: 5th Grade Celebration - 12:00 pm

May 16: Early Dismissal @ 2:00 pm

May 17: Schoolwide Water Event

May 17: Last Day for Students, Early Dismissal @ 2:00 pm

May 18 - August 14: Summer Vacation (Remember to practice letters, letter sounds, sight words reading comprehension skills, writing stories, building characters, spelling, math facts, math equations, measuring, fractions. Have fun learning about science and getting outdoors, reading maps, and learning history. Get creative with art or learn to cook favorite treats and dishes. Plant a garden. Go to the park, go fishing and hiking. Enjoy this time with family and friends.)

Parent-Teacher conferences are coming up on February 19 and 20! Please make sure to be at your conference. We want you to be as involved as possible to meet with your student's teacher to discuss academic strengths and areas of need. It's also so important that you're aware of the data, observations, and assessment results to be informed to discuss possible retention for your child, should this apply.

The 5 important components to learning how to read are:

• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension

*PHONEMIC AWARENESS. Phonemic Awareness is the beginning and ending segments of words. Watch this video on tips you can practice this skill with your child!

READING ROCKETS: SYLLABLE GAMES Explore syllable games from Reading Rockets and watch students drum out syllables. When students become proficient, they can also play games where they mix up the syllables to make new words and learn to play with language. Students’ reading and spelling skills often improve when they receive instruction in counting syllables, because they’re better able to decode or spell unfamiliar words one syllable at a time.

*PHONICS: Phonics are the letters and sounds in our alphabet. This is where we teach short-vowel sounds (in VC and CVC words) before long vowel sounds (in CVVC and CVCe words). • We teach consonants and short vowels in combination so words can be generated as 16 early as possible. This week let's focus on PHONICS! Learn how you can MAP A WORD with your child!

DRIVE THRU BLENDING PRACTICE: when your child knows the letters and sounds, but then has to blend them together!

*FLUENCY: Reading fluency includes three observable and measurable skills: the ability to read accurately, to read at a rate that allows for adequate comprehension, and to read with expression. Watch the video on PARTNER READING!

*VOCABULARY: “All I know is what I have words for.” Ludwig Wittgenstein. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, vocabulary is defined as “All the words a person knows or uses.” And that is the challenge. Watch this VIDEO in how an expert teacher teaches vocabulary to Kindergartners!

*COMPREHENSION: Comprehension is the ability to derive meaning from text. Reading comprehension is an outcome of both our abilities to decode (phonics) and our ability to understand language. Good readers self-monitor their reading. They stop and ask themselves, “Does what I just read make sense?” This is how a teacher might use questioning techniques to test for comprehension VIDEO

Please review parent topics and info pertaining to students: Mission Statement, Building and Playground Hours, School Visitation Procedures, Student Pick-up/Drop-off Procedures, Retention and Acceleration, Counseling, Special Education Services, Absences, Parent Permissions in Powerschool, Fundraising, Valuable Possessions, Student Cell Phone Use, School Breakfast & Lunch, Dress Code, Recess, Field Trips, Library, School Communication, Child Custody, School Supplies, Classroom Parties, Bicycles, Skateboards, Scooters, etc., Bullying, Toileting, Allergies.

Follow North Pole Elementary's PTA for monthly meeting dates, events/activities they sponsor, when they need volunteers, when they have special guests and much more. Please join PTA!

The cost of everything has gone up, especially feeding our families. I encourage all families to fill out the Free & Reduced Meal application to see if you qualify. Kitchen Manager Miss Morgan can answer your questions.

Menus, Schoolcafe portal, free/reduced lunch applications, and other Nutrition services can be found at this link: https://www.k12northstar.org/Page/11226.

North Pole Elementary, in partnership with its parents and community, strives to cultivate students with a strong sense of community, kindness, and critical thinking; we seek to create literate, independent thinkers that will be effective citizens in American society.

Email: linda.kang@k12northstar.org
Website: https://www.k12northstar.org/northpoleE
Location: 250 Snowman Lane, North Pole, AK, USA
Phone: (907)488-2286
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northpoleelementary