Positive Behavior Support (PBS)

Thanks to Mrs. Barrett (our fantastic guidance counselor) and the PBS Committee, we have a new positive behavior logo this year! We are working to get new matrices up all over the school to be sure the students and parents know about our positive behavior support plan.
P – Positive Attitude

A – Act Responsibly

W – Work Together

S – Show Respect
We are practicing PBS all over the school – in the classroom, cafeteria, playground, bathroom, and on the school buses. Parents, please remind your children each day to display that positive behavior and work to earn a “Pawsome Attitude” sticker.

New School Year FAQs

I know that everyone has had a fantastic summer, and now it is time to begin thinking about the upcoming school year. Please read below for the answers to several questions that the WOES office is asked frequently during the summer:o)
Q: Where can I find copies of my child’s classroom supply list?
A: Suggested supply lists are linked to the home page of our school website, and copies are also available at Wal Mart and in the White Oak Elementary School office.

Q: When can I learn the name of my child’s teacher?
A: We have Meet the Teacher night on August 23, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. You can learn the name of your child’s teacher and visit the classroom at that time.

Q: How can I find out the bus my child will ride, as well as the pick-up and drop-off times?
A: If your child rode the bus last year, the bus number, pick-up, and drop-off times should be the same at the beginning of this year. If you have a student new to WOES or a student who is riding the bus for the first time, you can find out bus information at Meet the Teacher night on August 23, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Q: What time does school start and end each day?
A: The first bell rings at 7:55 a.m., and the tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m. In the afternoons, K-2 students are dismissed at 2:50, and 3-5 students are dismissed at 2:55. The buses leave the lot at 3:00 p.m.

Q: I recently moved to the White Oak Elementary School district, and I need to register my children. What do I need?
A: You can stop by WOES during the summer Monday – Thursday, 8:00 – 4:00 to get a registration packet to fill out and return. You need a certified birth certificate for us to copy, your child’s immunization record, and a copy of a utility bill for proof of residence.

If you have other questions, please visit the White Oak Elementary School website or call us anytime.
We look forward to seeing you on August 23 for Meet the Teacher night and August 25 for the first day of school.

A+ Stars Revised

I hope you are all having a fantastic summer so far! I would like to encourage all third, fourth, and fifth grade students and their parents to check out the revised A+ Stars Qualifications on my website. We have increased our expectations for members of our A+ Stars Club, and I know you all can meet the challenge. The best part is that if you achieve A+ Stars 3 out of 4 quarters, you will be rewarded with a really fun trip to MacDaddy’s on June 7, 2011. Remember to try your best throughout the school year, and you will make A+ Stars. It is possible for all of you to complete your homework and classwork, attend school regularly and on time, and follow school rules. I look forward to sharing lots of fun with you at each A+ Stars event.

How Important is School Attendance?

As you are enjoying your summer, please think ahead about your child’s school attendance during the 2010-2011 school year. Will that 10-day vacation in February have a negative effect on your child’s education? Do all of those early checkouts and tardies cause your child to get behind? Poor attendance can truly cause your child to struggle academically.
The attendance rate is important because students are more likely to succeed in academics when they attend school consistently. It’s difficult for the teacher and the class to build their skills and progress if a large number of students are frequently absent. In addition to falling behind in academics, students who are not in school on a regular basis are more likely to get into trouble with the law and cause problems in their communities.
A 2008 study conducted by the Rodel Community Scholars at Arizona State University that tracked students from kindergarten through high school found that dropout patterns were linked with poor attendance, beginning in kindergarten. Gregory Hickman, director of the Rodel Community Scholars program and former director of the Arizona Dropout Initiative, notes they discovered that as early as kindergarten, behavioral differences are apparent between those who go on to graduate and those who drop out, with dropouts missing an average of 124 days by eighth grade.
School budgets suffer when students don’t attend. In North Carolina, school budgets are based on the average daily attendance at a school. If many students enrolled at a school fail to consistently attend, the school has less money to pay for essential classroom needs.

Bus Behavior

The Best Behaved Bus award will continue in January, 2010. I will be looking for positive student behavior on the bus videos and talking to drivers about student behavior on their buses. Students should work hard to follow all bus rules so that their bus can win the award and be recognized throughout the month. The students also win a special treat if their bus wins.

Students should remember to be Respectful by being kind to others, respecting personal space and property, helping others, and talking quietly on the bus.

Students should remember to be Responsible by following all rules, keeping belongings closed and with them at all times, waiting for the driver’s signal to cross, staying seated, and entering and exiting the bus appropriately.

Keep Your Brain Active with Summer Reading

White Oak parents, I know as you are home with your children this summer, you are thinking about how you can keep their brains active and maintain the reading skills they have learned in school so far. Please be sure that your child reads every day, and while he/she is reading, engage the…

5 Active Reading Strategies

1. Question
2. Visualize
3. Predict
4. Connect
5. Respond

If your child uses these active reading strategies regularly, he/she will comprehend what is read and be ahead of the crowd when returning to school on August 25. While reading with your child, ask the following questions and help him/her think about the five strategies. Eventually your child will learn how to use the active reading strategies while reading silently.

1. Question what you read…

Why do the characters act as they do?

Who tells the story?

What causes events to happen?

When does the action peak or climax?

     2. Visualize

Create a picture in your mind. What do you see based on the details in the story?

Make use of similes and metaphors to help you visualize.

      3. Predict

What do you think will happen in the story? Why?

      4. Connect

Text to Self – Bring your own experiences to the story.

Text to Text – Make connections with other literature, movies, etc.

Text to Real World – This reminds me of…

      5. Respond

What does the story say to you?

What is the mood of the story?

What is the theme (big picture) of the story?

What are the conflicts in the story?

What symbols are in the story?

 

Have a fantastic summer, and keep reading!