Dear AEEC Families,

Happy New Year!! As we ring in the New Year, it is an exciting time to reflect on our accomplishments and set goals for the remainder of the year. One of our schoolwide goals this year is to increase the volume, stamina, and mastery of students’ oral reading fluency skills. The students and teachers have put forth tremendous effort during the first semester to meet this goal. Teachers will participate in professional development on January 6th, work in vertical teams, collaborate with grade levels, participate in coaching cycles, and so much more. The evidence of growth is seen in the student's reading. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a child’s face light up as they read a story. I can’t wait to see their reading skills continue to improve throughout the second semester!

We have so many exciting opportunities happening in the new year. Please see the events listed under important dates so that you don’t miss a thing. I would like to point out one special event, AEEC’s Multicultural Fair. It will be held on February 6, 2025, from 5:15-6:45pm. This event highlights AEEC families from around the world. We will unite and explore our unique cultures and history. Bringing communities together will enhance our knowledge of cultural differences, customs, and traditions. It is our hope and mission to educate and unite various international communities.

We invite you to participate in this event by creating a display to share about your family's culture and/or by bringing your family to explore the displays. Each participant will have a table to showcase their family history and country of origin. Participants are encouraged to wear your traditional dress, share food, clothing, music, crafts, and more. We would love to have as many countries represented as possible.

The Book Fair will be open during the Multicultural Fair. Stop by the Media Center and purchase a book. Food trucks will also be at this event; therefore, grab a bite to eat before heading home. This will be a great opportunity to fellowship with one another.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Lammons

Let’s make learning at home fun! The more fun children have while learning, the more they learn. Here are some “Together Time” activities (as I like to call them) that you may enjoy at home.

· Give your children a chance to read words, pictures, or imitate reading to you from magazines, books, and newspapers. Designate a special place for books, newspapers, and magazines.

· Make a "booklet" with your children by helping them cut out magazine pictures and paste them on paper. Pick categories like a "house book" or "animal book." Use other suggestions from your children. Write a story to go with it!

· Establish “Bedtime Stories” and read a book when tucking your child in.

· After you've finished reading, ask your children to tell you all they remember about the story.

· Encourage your children to make up and tell stories or repeat a story you have read.

· Give mealtime a math infusion. Do your kids like to help out in the kitchen? Meal prep is the perfect time to get children counting, measuring, estimating, comparing, and recognizing shapes. Ask your child to measure and count cups of ingredients, count how many plates and utensils are needed for the whole family, and figure out who has more or less peas or French fries. So many learning opportunities!

· Create a dedicated writing center. To make writing/prewriting activities inviting to young children, designate a table or area as your home’s “writing center.” Fill it with open-ended materials that invite exploration, creativity, and experimentation. Offer kids blank paper in different colors, a small dry erase board, markers, crayons, pencils, scissors, glue sticks, hole punches, and envelopes. Kids who have a variety of materials on hand will be more likely to initiate self-directed writing projects.

Enjoy your “Together Time” and have fun learning!!

Marlee Clifton, NBCT

Instructional Coach

Welcome back to a new year! The first two semesters have flown by and we are looking forward to finishing out the 2024-2025 school year with a bang! I hope that you and your family had some much needed time together to celebrate each other and relax.

I would like to share with you a link that will give you recommendations for a variety of literacy apps. The link will have recommendations by topic: phonics, comprehension, social skills, etc. Please click on the topic of your choice to check out all of the literacy apps that are recommended to help your child improve in that particular area. Please let me know if you have any questions! Happy January!

Link: https://www.readingrockets.org/literacyapps

Always Choose Kindness, Dr. Dorman

January: A New Year, New Goals!

Happy New Year, AEEC families! As we kick off 2025, our students will be focusing on setting and achieving goals throughout the month of January. This is a wonderful time to encourage your child to think about personal and academic goals they want to reach this year. In addition to goal setting, we’ll be introducing our new word of the month: INITIATIVE.

Students will learn the importance of taking action, being proactive, and showing leadership in their own learning. We’re excited to see how our students grow and take charge of their goals in the weeks ahead!

Brittany Handley, School Counselor

We hope everyone enjoyed the Holiday Break and did a lot of reading! We will be busy reviewing library book care, discussing the genres, solving Breakout EDU puzzles and building with VEX Go kits this month. Here are a few friendly reminders regarding library books. Library books may be checked out for a two-week period if needed. We encourage your student to use flex media if they need another library book before their regularly scheduled class time. Please remember to keep library books away from food and drinks and watch out for those water bottles in the backpacks. We are looking forward to our Scholastic Spring Book Fair February 2nd through 6th!

“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.” ~ Dr. Seuss

-Mrs. Sartain, Media Specialist

Hope your family had a peaceful & restful break & Happy New Year! New Year, but same rules apply related to ACS Medication Guidelines ( ACS Parent Student Handbook page 55). Please do not send medication of any kind with your student to school. Contact the nurse for assistance, clarification, or questions! Please double check to ensure your student has a weather appropriate change of clothes in their backpack!

Refer to ACS Policy ( page 55 ) and thank you for helping keep everyone safe & healthy kicking off this next 9 weeks!

• Sick Day and Acute Illness Guidelines School nurses monitor for symptoms of communicable, and/or infectious health conditions. When symptoms exist, your child may not attend school. If symptoms occur in school, you will be contacted and you must pick your child up from school. Please ensure your contact information is correct and updated as needed. If your child is diagnosed with an infectious illness or has symptoms of an infectious condition at home, you must keep your child home from school. * The following guidelines must be adhered to:
• Fever: Oral temperature of 100.0 degrees or higher Cannot attend school until fever free twenty-four (24) hours without fever-reducing medication.
• Vomiting: Cannot attend school if the following exist: o One (1) episode of vomiting + the presence of another symptom (fever, diarrhea, etc.); or o Two (2) or more episodes of vomiting within a twenty-four-hour (24) period, even if no other symptoms exist.
• Diarrhea: Cannot attend school if the following exist: o One (1) episode of diarrhea + the presence of another symptom (vomiting, fever, etc.); or o Three (3) or more episodes of diarrhea in a twenty-four-hour (24) period, even if no other symptoms exist.
• “Pink Eye”: Should remain home for twenty-four (24) hours after the first dose of prescribed medication is administered.
• Chicken Pox: Cannot attend school until all blisters have formed scabs.
• Strep Throat: Cannot attend school until twenty-four (24) hours after prescribed medical treatment is administered and fever free.
• “Flu” or Flu-like symptoms: Cannot attend until fever free twenty-four (24) hours without fever-reducing medication. You should inform the school nurse if your child has a confirmed diagnosis.
• Impetigo: Cannot attend school until twenty-four (24) hours after prescribed medical treatment has started.
• Ringworm: Cannot attend school until medical treatment has started.
• MRSA: “Staph infection”: Cannot attend school until prescribed medical treatment is started, fever is absent, and the affected area is covered and without copious amounts of drainage present.*You must submit proof of treatment or a statement of clearance from the health department or medical provider if proof is requested by the school nurse.

-Happy New Year!

Nurse Haley

Music:

This month in Music we are distinguishing between beat vs. rhythm and having fun reading rhythms using body percussion and classroom instruments. 2nd grade has also added crescendo, decrescendo, and the half and whole notes to their repertoire. We are discovering all the different instruments of the orchestra, and we LOVE using puppets to make music! Our favorite January music book is Snowy Day, and two of our favorite cold-weather songs are “Sweater” and “Skating” – we love to sing and move using paper plate skates we create!

Mrs. Schiller | Music Teacher

Art:

Happy New Year, young artists! I hope you had a restful and inspiring winter break. As we dive into 2025, we will explore new materials, techniques, and ideas in art. I’m excited to announce our Annual Library Art Show, which will be taking place this month at the Auburn Public Library! Featured artists will receive a certificate with more information. If you haven’t purchased a yearbook, you can do so here: https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/1409010/Auburn-Early-Education-Center/2025-Yearbook/2024062504204746055/CATALOG_SHOP/

Mrs. Kuhlman | Art Teacher

Happy New Year from AEEC PTO! We hope you all had a wonderful winter break. PTO is excited about the 2025 school year and all that we have planned!

We will continue to have Dad's at Drop Off on Pep Rally Friday's through the remainder of the school year! If you have a dad, grandfather, or father figure who would like to help open car doors or greet bus riders please sign up on the link below.

Mark Your Calendars! Our next Restaurant Spirit Day will be January 23rd at Mikata! Please stop by for lunch or dinner and a percentage of all sales will come back to AEEC!

Thank you for your support!

Mary Lawrence Gibson

AEEC PTO

December 20 - January 6: Winter Break

January 7: Students Return/3rd Nine Weeks Begin

January 13: Checklists Go Home

January 20: Martin Luther King Holiday, No School

January 22: 100th Day of School

January 23: AEEC School Spirit Night at Mikata

January 30: First Grade Author Visit - Lori Nichols

February 3 - February 7: Book Fair

February 6: Multicultural Fair 5:15-6:45pm

Website: https://www.auburnschools.org/Domain/8
Location: 721 East University Drive, Auburn, AL, USA
Phone: (334)887-4950
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Auburn-Early-Education-Center-117469374979695/