Gator Gazette HUGH GREGG SCHOOL - WHERE WE PLEDGE TO LEARN TOGETHER EVERY DAY!

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1 Gator Gazette HUGH GREGG SCHOOL - WHERE WE PLEDGE TO LEARN TOGETHER EVERY DAY! VOLUME 13, ISSUE 5 JANUARY 2016 Happy New Year! We hope that everyone had a fabulous holiday season. We are looking forward to kicking this year off. On Sunday, January 17th the Gregg Gators have been invited to sing the National Anthem at the Jackals Hockey game. A flyer will be coming home to get tickets for this event. On Friday, February 5th we will be hosting our second movie night. It's free for everyone and we will be serving popcorn and water. Our Gregg Gator Chomp Stomp 5K has been rescheduled for June 5th. Mark your calendars and start your New Years off with some great training for this event. We look forward to seeing everyone at our events. Keep a look out in the green folders for many more fun activities sponsored by the PTA. Megan Ehrhart, President Dear Gregg School Families, Happy New Year! Principal s Post I hope that you enjoyed your Winter Break and time with family and friends. The next few months are what many refer to as prime learning time, where teachers and students can focus on setting learning goals for the remainder of the school year and strive to achieve each goal. It is very important that our students are present and on time for each school day. I know there are times when our students are sick or when things come up, but your child s presence at school is key to their continued success. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure our students are present and on time each day. As the principal of Gregg School, I am constantly questioning, What more can we do to support our students and families? Since August, I have been working closely with our school s ELA and Math inquiry team to plan a series of family FUN curriculum nights. We had to cancel the literacy event scheduled for October due to low interest but we are hopeful that the new winter dates will work for Continued on page 6 January dates to remember Character Trait: Empathy 1/5 PTA, 5:30pm in Library 1/11 MAP testing begins 1/17 Elmira Jackals Hockey 4:00pm 1/18 No School MLK 1/25 DIBELS Testing begins 1/26 Camp Read S more Family Fun Night 6-7:15

2 PAGE 2 20 Ways for Parents to Encourage Reading The following are some ways to turn a young reader's reluctance into enthusiasm: 1. Scout for things your children might like to read. Use their interests and hobbies as starting points. 2. Leave all sorts of reading materials including books, magazines, and colorful catalogs in conspicuous places around your home. 3. Notice what attracts your children's attention, even if they only look at the pictures. Then build on that interest; read a short selection aloud, or simply bring home more information on the same subject. 4. Let your children see you reading for pleasure in your spare time. 5. Take your children to the library regularly. Explore the children's section together. Ask a librarian to suggest books and magazines your children might enjoy. 6. Present reading as an activity with a purpose; a way to gather useful information for, say, making paper airplanes, identifying a doll or stamp in your child's collection, or planning a family trip. 7. Encourage older children to read to their younger brothers and sisters. Older children enjoy showing off their skills to an admiring audience. 8. Play games that are reading-related. Check your closet for spelling games played with letter tiles or dice, or board games that require players to read spaces, cards, and directions. 9. Perhaps over dinner, while you're running errands, or in another informal setting, share your reactions to things you read, and encourage your children to do likewise. 10. Set aside a regular time for reading in your family, independent of schoolwork, the 20 minutes before lights out, just after dinner, or whatever fits into your household schedule. As little as 10 minutes of free reading a day can help improve your child's skills and habits. 11. Read aloud to your child, especially a child who is discouraged by his or her own poor reading skills. The pleasure of listening to you read, rather than struggling alone, may restore your child's initial enthusiasm for books and reading. 12. Encourage your child to read aloud to you an exciting passage in a book, an interesting tidbit in the newspaper, or a joke in a joke book. When children read aloud, don't feel they have to get every word right. Even good readers skip or mispronounce words now and then. 13. On gift-giving occasions, give books and magazines based on your child's current interests. 14. Set aside a special place for children to keep their own books. 15. Introduce the bookmark. Remind your youngster that you don't have to finish a book in one sitting; you can stop after a few pages, or a chapter, and pick up where you left off at another time. Don't try to persuade your child to finish a book he or she doesn't like. Recommend putting the book aside and trying another. 16. Treat your children to an evening of laughter and entertainment featuring books! Many children (parents, too) regard reading as a serious activity. A joke book, a story told in riddles, or a funny passage read aloud can reveal another side of reading. 17. Extend your child's positive reading experiences. For example, if your youngster enjoyed a book about dinosaurs, follow up with a visit to a natural history museum. 18. Offer other special incentives to encourage your child's reading. Allow your youngster to stay up an extra 15 minutes to finish a chapter; promise to take your child to see a movie after he or she has finished the book on which it was based; relieve your child of a regular chore to free up time for reading. 19. Limit your children's TV viewing in an effort to make time for other activities, such as reading. But never use TV as a reward for reading, or a punishment for not reading. 20. Not all reading takes place between the covers of a book. What about menus, road signs, food labels, and sheet music? Take advantage of countless spur-of-the-moment opportunities for reading during the course of your family's busy day. Reprinted with the permission of Reading is Fundamental, Inc Reading Is Fundamental, Inc

3 VOLUME 13, ISSUE 5 PAGE 3 Save the Dates!! Come join us for our Family FUN Learning Nights! Family Literacy Night- January 26, :00-7:15 Camp Read S more is back! Join us for an evening with cool reading activities and fun (including therapy dogs that love to be read to) and treats! Family Science Night- February 24, :00-7:15 Explore all the various areas that make science so awesome. Each year we plan new exhibits! Family Math Night- March 14, :00-7:15 It s March Mathness at Gregg School on National Pi Day!

4 PAGE 4 Bottles and Cans! Drop off your BOTTLES and CANS in the designated bin outside of Gregg School OR drop off your BOTTLES and CANS at Quick Stop Beverage, Park Avenue, Corning. No sorting or counting. Just let them know they re for the Gregg Gators!! Thanks for your support! Gregg School Students, & PTA Search for Hugh Gregg Elementary PTA and hit LIKE! Empathy We strive to understand and appreciate the feelings and actions of others. Clipping Box Tops from participating products is a quick and easy way to raise money for Gregg School! Keep collecting those Box tops! Thank you for your support!!

5 VOLUME 13, ISSUE 5 PAGE 5 Gator Student Council Members bell-ring as a community service in December. What about school breakfast on mornings with a 2-hour delay? YES, we serve from 10:00-10:20 am! Choose Up To Two (2) Items Below: -Muffin top -Breakfast bar -Yogurt All Breakfast Meals must include a juice, milk is optional. Anyone can join us for breakfast any day (breakfast is served 8:00-8:20 daily). Cost is $1.30 (reduced price is 25 ) New s about school closings During this season we are faced with ice and snow that may cause hazardous road conditions. If these conditions exist please: Listen to area radio or TV stations. If schools are closed, or their opening is delayed, an announcement will be made shortly after 5:30 a.m. Do not call the Superintendent of Schools or Director of Transportation. Telephone lines need to stay open in order to give or receive vital information. Do not call radio or TV stations. Watch or listen for announcements. It is essential that their telephone lines be kept open so school officials can contact them if necessary (or go to their websites where many will publish closings online). Know that the final decision on sending your child to school on a snowy, icy, or extremely cold morning is yours and would be treated as an excused absence. On some days schools may be open and the roads generally safe, but you may feel that conditions near your home are hazardous. Know that all activities, including community use of school facilities are cancelled for that day and evening when schools are closed. Visit us on the web to view a color version of this newsletter: schools.com/gregg/index.htm

6 PAGE PAGE 6 6 Principal s Post, continued from page 1 more families. See page 3 for an overview of what is planned for January, February and March. We hope your family can join us for some educational and fun times at school! Over the next few months, I look forward to seeing you at the Jackals Hockey game, Camp Read S More Family Fun Reading Night, our 3rd Annual Spelling Bee, Family Fun Science Night, and the Applebee s Pancake Breakfast. Your partnership with our school is essential to our success. Thank you for your continued support. Additionally, I am sure you recall that Gregg School will be having renovations and an addition to the building completed as a part of the district s elementary school facilities plan. Our Gregg School design team has begun the initial phase of planning, which is very exciting news for your child s school! Wishing you the best, Mrs. Ann Collins, Principal Gregg School does the Whip/Nae Nae at Pajama Day on December 22. Blizzard Bag Packing Day 2015

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8 PAGE PAGE 8 8 GREAT GREGG GATORS November/December