Hutchings Herald 11/02/2018 

The Principal's Corner

Families,

Well this week I was given the news that Cecilia is going to be placed on an IRIP as part of the 3rd grade reading law that was passed back in 2016. I thought this was fantastic news because it means her school identified that she has trouble blending and decoding sounds as I knew pretty early on, Sarah took it the other way and was nervous. It is funny how the same information, presented the same way, with the same child can have two vastly different interpretations.

I looked at the IRIP (Individualized Reading Improvement Plan) from the standpoint of a principal, but I also have “insider information” that most people do not have access to. For example, I know in the “super-secret reading meetings” that our goal is always to help kids become better readers through any means possible and I know that the IRIP is a way to communicate those steps. I know that most educators view an IRIP as a positive tool to help connect home to school and that only though a team effort can kids truly grow. When I got the news I was fine with it, knowing that everyone was putting Cecilia’s needs first and that we have a plan to help her out with some skills she was lacking in.

Sarah was a bit more concerned because she has not really heard the term IRIP before and her background on knowledge on the topic has been through the news and what was communicated at conferences. Her first thought, which is completely natural was, is Cecilia going to be held back in 3rd grade.  I explained it to her truly what an IRIP means. There will be a bit more reading for us to do at home, we will have to play some decoding games and play some matching games where we match letters to sounds. The nervous energy disappeared. She asked me what else it meant and I said it means people are looking out for Ceciliao and making sure we address her reading needs early.

I share this story because soon our IRIP’s will be going out to our families and I feel it is important to let everyone know how I (and our Hutchings staff) view these IRIP’s. We hope they are tools that you find helpful when working with your child and their reading. We hope that you know that we keep the child’s best interest at heart and that we are confident through a solid home-school connection we can help all students with reading.

Will Cecilia be, as she puts it, THE BEST READER EVER! Maybe, maybe not. Will she learn how to read and continue to grow in a positive way that will help her long term? Absolutely. So as I sit down at night to read her some book about princesses and have her read me the book that comes home in her book bag I feel confident that the work being done at school and at home will be exactly what she needs.

                Please see the link here for more information about Early Literacy & 3rd Grade Reading Law http://howellschools.com/academics/elementary/readathome

 

MacGregor's Message:

Tuesday, November 6 - Election Day

Please remember that there is no school on Tuesday, November 6 for election day. We also ask that you, please remember to vote on that day. On your ballot will be the Howell Public Schools Securing Our Future Sinking Fund proposal. This is an expected no tax rate increase proposal that will provide the district with approximately 1.3 million dollars annually for ten years to fund upgrades to district security and perform major repairs to district buildings. To help educate voters on this proposal, the district has put together a short video, which you can view here. The district has also created a webpage to share details of the proposal which can be found at HowellSchools.com/SecuringOurFuture.

 

 

 

Early Childhood Programs Through the Livingston Educational Service Agency

The Livingston Educational Service Agency Early Childhood Programs currently has openings in its Head Start and Great Start Readiness Programs in Howell. These programs offer no-cost/ low-cost preschool to income eligible or children “at risk” who qualify under federal and state guidelines. Families meeting eligibility guidelines have access to learning opportunities, health and wellness, social and disability services, and other community resources.   Children of all abilities are encouraged to apply. To find out more information about applying and to see if you are eligible, call 517-548-2100 or go to www.LivingstonESA.org.

 

Counselor’s Corner:

What is Social-Emotional Learning?

It is an exciting time to be a student in Howell! Not only are classrooms committed to teaching academic and subject-area knowledge, but there is a district-wide trend of teaching social-emotional skills too! Social-emotional topics include, but are not limited to, fostering awareness of one’s own emotions, cultivating respect and care for others, establishing strong relationships, making ethical and responsible decisions, and handling adversity constructively. 

Classrooms use innovative techniques and interactive activities to teach these skills at school, but here are some easy strategies for practicing social-emotional skills at home!

Empathize and Allow Them to Feel: Avoid shaming or talking kids out of feeling mad, sad, or frustrated. These emotions are inevitable and normal. Our job in those moments is to share our calm and offer strategies to get through the discomfort as quickly as possible. Go online and find a feelings chart. Use it to talk about different feelings and appropriate responses. Work together as a team to solve problems and manage feelings.

Encourage a Growth Mindset: Kids need to know that our intelligence and skills aren’t fixed – they can change. They can get stronger or weaker depending on how much effort we are willing to apply. Just as a baby isn’t born talking but learns over time, they don’t know everything but can learn over time with work. Encourage kids to be resilient.

Share a Story in a New Way: Read a book to your child that shows characters who experience different emotions (e.g., sad, happy, scared, worried, confused, etc.).  Stop on a page where the character is showing the expression. Ask your child “What do you think he is feeling?” “Why is he feeling that way?” or “Look at her face, how can you tell that she is __?” Other questions could be “Have you ever felt___? What made you feel that way?” or “What will happen next?” or “What should he do?” Do not pause too long on one page and only continue the discussion as long as your child shows an interest.

Use “I-statements”: “I feel…when you...I would like…”. This is a safe way to communicate your needs without offending someone or further upsetting a situation. For younger kids, you can use “bug” and  “wish.” “It bugs me when...I wish you would…”.

Reflect and Debrief: When it’s not the heat of the moment, talk to your child about past experiences. What worked? What could be improved for next time? Make a plan and set them up for success.

For more insight or support, please reach out: [email protected]

Posted by mckimj On 02 November, 2018 at 4:54 PM