Port Barre Elementary School

Set the standard for respectful behavior Self-control and respectful behavior among students make school a pleasant and productive learning environment. To teach these behaviors at home, work with your child to set clear rules and consequences. Talk together about school rules, too, and let your student know that you support them. Then, model the behavior you want to see from your child. https://tpitip.com/?15aN17376

Bus 564, Kelly Gillen, will not run tomorrow AFTERNOON, Tuesday, Jan 14th. Please make the necessary arrangements to pick up your child through the car rider line. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Check out this week's newsletter for important information. https://secure.smore.com/n/9sdbv Read more about: - Attendance matters. It is important that your child attends school daily for the entire school day. Tardy bell rings at 7:50 am and school dismisses at 3:00 pm. - Please check with your child to see if they have their student ID. School IDs are required. Students are charged $1 for a temporary ID daily or $5 for a replacement ID. - We kindly ask all car riders to please be respectful of others' property while waiting in the car rider line.

Strive for balance in your child's schedule Children need a balanced mix of schoolwork, outside activities, family time and free time. Don't worry about trying to cram every possible enrichment activity into this year. Instead, let your student explore one or two activities in depth. Children also need free time to play, read and explore ideas on their own, and family time to build supportive relationships. https://tpitip.com/?15aM17376

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! 🎉