Port Barre Elementary School

Provide practice in making personal choices Your child wants to wear a certain type of shirt because "everyone" else is. That's peer influence at work. Later on, peer pressure can make children try riskier behaviors. To build resistance to negative peer pressure, let your student practice making choices, such as what to wear, or what extracurricular activity to participate in. Just make sure all the options you offer are acceptable. Experience boosts children's confidence in their ability to make the right decisions for themselves. https://tpitip.com/?15aL17376

Boost thinking skills by reading with your child When families read together, students become better readers and thinkers. Choose books you and your child will enjoy (they can be a little harder than your student could read alone). Then, take turns reading sentences or paragraphs. To encourage deeper thinking about the text, pause often to ask about the story, the setting and the pictures, and whether the book reminds your child of anything. https://tpitip.com/?15aK17376

Compliment actions and effort more than intelligence The way you use praise can affect the way your child faces challenges in school and in life. Look for reasons to compliment your student often, but make sure that the praise is deserved. You can lose your child's trust by over-praising. When offering praise, be specific about what your child did right. "I'm proud that you stuck with that tough math problem," is better than "You're so smart." https://tpitip.com/?15aJ17376

After school tutoring for today, Thursday, January 9, 2025 will be CANCELED due to this afternoon/evening's weather forecast notes rainy and cold conditions. For the safety and security of our students, we will NOT have 21st CCLC or Learning Beyond the Bell this afternoon.

Pull the plug on power struggles By the time children are in the upper elementary grades, they have learned to reason. So, when you set rules, it's appropriate for you to explain the reasons for them. To avoid power struggles, respond to any argument from your child by repeating your reasoning. Then, look for ways to say "yes." For example, replace "No, you can't watch a video" with "Yes, you may watch for half an hour when you have finished your schoolwork." https://tpitip.com/?15aI17376

Ask your child to teach you technology skills Young people are great at picking up the latest technology. And it reinforces their skills when they teach them to others. So, when you are working on the computer or using a new app, ask your child to help you (even if you know what you're doing). Watch closely. If your child does something clever, ask, "Can you show me how you do that?" Your child will gain confidence and you may learn some useful skills. https://tpitip.com/?15aH17376

PBE reminder: 2nd Nine Weeks Open House (K-4th grade) will be held this afternoon, January 7, 2025 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm beginning in the cafeteria. Report cards and mid year testing information will be given out at this time. Due to open house being held, there will be no after school tutoring on Tuesday afternoon.

Make conversation the main dish at family meals It may not always be easy to get your family together for a meal, but research shows it's worth the effort. Mealtime conversation can improve your child's vocabulary and social skills, and strengthen your family ties. Strive to eat at least one meal as a family each day. Turn off screen devices and talk about everyone's day. Ask questions to draw your child into the conversation. https://tpitip.com/?15aG17376

Increase sleep hours to improve learning Studies show that getting even one more hour of sleep per night can help children be more alert in school and remember material with greater accuracy. To make sure that your child gets at least nine to 12 hours of sleep, provide plenty of exercise, and avoid serving caffeinated beverages. Then, create a soothing bedtime routine that includes reading together and talking about something positive from the day. https://tpitip.com/?15aF17376

Please see this week's newsletter for important information. https://secure.smore.com/n/1xraz Students return to school on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. We look forward to welcoming our students back on Tuesday morning.

Spreading kindness empowers your child Children aren't always kind to one another. They pick on others or say mean things behind people's backs. But your child doesn't have to accept unkindness as the norm. Talk together about ways to respond if a classmate is being treated unkindly. Then, challenge your child to do at least one nice thing for a classmate each week. Explain that your child has the power to make a difference. https://tpitip.com/?15aE17376

Challenge your child to solve a letter puzzle An interesting puzzle is "brain food." To feed your child's thinking and writing skills, play a letter puzzle game. Give your child these seven letters: A, C, I, L, O, P and V. The goal is to make as many words as possible from them. Award one point for each one-letter word, two for a two-letter word, and so on. Give a younger child easier letters and two of one letter, such as S, S, A, I, T, O and N. https://tpitip.com/?15aD17376

Important information: Students return to school on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. 2nd Nine Weeks Open House will be held on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm beginning in the cafeteria. Report cards and mid year testing information will be given out at this time. Due to open house being held, there will be no after school tutoring on Tuesday afternoon.

You and the teacher are on the same side: your child's If a teacher requests a meeting with you because your child is struggling with something in school, don't panic. You and the teacher are on the same side: You both want the best for your child. Keep an open mind when you meet. Your child may behave differently at home than at school, so share information the teacher should know about your child. Then together, decide on next steps for handling the situation. https://tpitip.com/?15aC17376

Five steps can help your child prevent procrastination In order to succeed in school, students must complete schoolwork in a timely manner. If your child tends to put things off, use this five-step process for preventing procrastination. Teach your child to: 1. Select just one thing to do. 2. Set a timer for 20 minutes. 3. Focus on that one task while the timer ticks. 4. Limit breaks. (Get that drink of water before setting the timer.) 5. Plan a small reward for completing the task. https://tpitip.com/?15aB17376

🎉 Happy New Year to all of our PBES families! 🎉

Set goals now for success in the new year The start of a new calendar year is a great time to help your child set new school goals. Talk together about what went well in the fall and what your child would like to improve in the rest of the year. Then, have your child write down some realistic goals. They might include things like: filing school papers and notes on Fridays, saying hi to new people each week, mastering multiplication facts and reading for 20 minutes each day. https://tpitip.com/?15aA17376

Turn a walk into a fun way to learn Sometimes the best way for a child to learn about the world is to get out in it. Try taking a "Stop, Look and Listen Walk" together. Walk for 100 steps, then stop for 30 seconds and make a record of everything you see and hear. Or take a "Question Walk," and think of questions together about what you see (Why don't pine trees lose their needles?). Help your child find the answers when you get home. https://tpitip.com/?14lV17376

Enrich a museum visit by giving your child a preview A visit to a museum is a great way to keep children learning when they aren't in school. Just talking about the exhibits can get kids excited about new information and ideas. Check out the website of a museum near you together. Talk about what you see. Then, plan to visit the museum as a family. Your child will enjoy finding the things you discussed. Museums bring lessons to life. https://tpitip.com/?14lU17376

A little friendly competition full of laughter. Mrs. Hadley's class enjoyed our Christmas party with games, food, and family. ❤️