The Sunday Message
Announcements, Resources, Celebrations 12/31/18
WELCOME BACK!! HOPE YOUR HOLIDAY WAS A GOOD ONE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING TRACKS 1, 2, & 3 THIS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019
WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER.
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World Read Aloud Day-Friday, Feb. 1, 2018
Dear Parents,
Pleasant Union will be participating in World Read Aloud Day on February 1, 2019. Because Track 3 will be out on the official day, they will be celebrating on Tuesday, February 19. Every year, on World Read Aloud Day, people all around the globe read aloud together and share stories to advocate for literacy as a human right that belongs to all people.
This year’s theme is “Read Aloud. Change the World.” Because we are a WCPSS Global Pilot School and our school wide focus this January will be on Quality Education, we have decided to partner with a needy sister school in Belize. Find out more here: http://holycrossbelize.org/.
Pleasant Union’s own, Peggy Freer, had a part in building the school and has plans to visit on February 1, 2019. We are holding a school wide collection for supplies that she will personally deliver! We will track her trip and communicate with the students through photos, videos and skype sessions, as they receive the supplies we’ve collected. What a wonderful way to change the world!
We are collecting items from January 8-22. We have a school wide request for flash drives, as there is an urgent need. Please deliver supplies to your child’s classroom or the front office.
Kindergarten
Small toys and prizes
Glitter
1st Grade
Pocket folders
White Out tape
2nd Grade
Pens (red, black, blue)
Markers
Permanent (wide tip) markers
3rd Grade
Glue sticks
Rulers
4th Grade
Will Write Company Letters (in class)
New Flash Drives (No info on drive)
5th Grade
Will Write Company Letters (in class)
New Flash Drives (No info on drive)
*Whole School
New Flash Drives (No info on drive)
Thank you, in advance, for helping us make a positive impact on our global community!
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Good Attendance = Student Success in School
Dear Parent/Guardian:
As you may recall I posted an article last month regarding the importance of good attendance. Now that we are starting a new semester I want to reiterate the importance of good attendance so will run my post one more month since Track 1 was out when I posted the article last month and to remind all tracks of the importance of planning trips during your track out so that other than important appointments that students are in school with a strong attendance record.
Our goal this year is to ensure that every student attends school regularly. Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and in life. We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. But, we also know that when students miss too much school— regardless of the reason – it can cause them to fall behind academically. Your child is less likely to succeed if he or she is chronically absent—which means missing 18 or more days over the course of an entire school year. Research shows:
- Children chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.
- By 6th grade, chronic absence is a proven early warning sign for students at risk for dropping out of school.
- By 9th grade good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8th grade test scores.
Absences can add up quickly. A child is chronically absent if he or she misses just two days every month!!
Clearly going to school regularly matters!
We don’t want your child to fall behind in school and get discouraged. Please ensure that your child attends school every day and arrives on time. Here are a few practical tips to help support regular attendance:
- Make sure your children keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine.
- Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
- Ensure your children go to school every day unless they are truly sick.
- Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.
- Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your children feel anxious about going to school.
- Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your child to school.
Let us know how we can best support you and your children so that they can show up for school on time every day. We want your child to be successful in school! Below are some articles that support good attendance and success in school. If you have any questions or need more information please contact your child’s school.
- School success goes hand in hand with being in school every day!
- Research related to attendance in elementary schools
Sincerely,
Kevin Biles, Principal
Pleasant Union Instructional Staff
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ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 2-4, 2018
January Staff Appreciation Lunch: The next staff appreciation luncheon will be hosted by 2nd Grade parents on January 18th (Tracks 1&3) and February 15th (Tracks 2&4). Please make your child's donation to their teachers lunch by accessing the following link: http://pueschool.corecommerce.com/staff-appreciation-monetary-donation/. Please copy and paste the link into a new window if you are having problems getting it to work.
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Mark Your Calendar
Wednesday, January 2
- Track 1, 2, & 3 students return to class
Monday, Jan. 7
- New K-Registration Day in Media Center
Tuesday, Jan. 8
- 8:00 LEGO Club, Grades 3-5
Wednesday, January 9
- 8:00 LEGO Club, Grades K-2
- New Student Open House/Tours
- 9:45-11:00
- 6:15-7:15
Thursday, Jan. 10
- 7:45 All Certified Staff Tech PD
Friday, Jan. 11
- Report Cards Go Home Tracks 1, 2, 3
- 12:30-3:30 Intervention Team Planning
Tuesday, Jan. 15
- PTA Board Meeting
Monday, Jan. 21
- MLK Jr. Holiday
Thursday, Jan. 24
- 8:00 Global & MTAC Committee Meetings
Friday, Jan. 25
- Track 3 Track Out
Monday, Jan. 28
- Track 4 Tracks In
Friday, Feb. 1
- World Read Aloud Day
- 9:30 Donna Washington-Storyteller