Learning, Celebrating, and Remembering

Motivational Assembly

This first photo is from our Motivational Assembly that was held on October 14. Pictured is the Emerson Chorus singing "The Witch is Dead," with Jackie Hopper on the Piano, and Jade Beasley as the Witch. What you don't see is that Mrs. Cortes just emptied a bucket of magic feathers and sequins on the Witch's head.

Math Assessment

The math benchmark assessments may be just another test for the kids, but for us, it is a critical way to see if we are on target for making our growth. We desperately want more and more students to be Proficient or Advanced, so we look closely at the students' results, the classes' results as well as we look at each strand to determine what we did well and where we still need to focus more effort.

Remembering Mrs. Cole-Reagins
The next photo is a photo of Mrs. Cole Reagins, an Emerson teacher who passed away in 2007. She attended school at Emerson as a child and then returned to teach at Emerson for over 15 years. Mrs. Cole-Reagins was an inspiration to the Emerson staff. We learned to never give up on a child becuse of her professionalism and relentless love for learning. A reading grant has been established in her name through REEF in order to pass on Mrs. Cole-Reagins' love for reading.

The memorial garden in between room 2 and room 4 was dedicated after her passing, as a way to remember all of those who have tirelessly served the Emerson community.






Construction to Begin Soon!
This next photo is an artist's rendition of the new building. This picture is oriented as if you were standing in the lower field looking up towards the kindergarten playground. The grading equipment is set to arrive in a few short weeks. We will have 12 new permanent classrooms and a new library as a result of this project. A large portion of the lower field will be our new bus entry and staff parking. The front parking lot will be redesigned as a student drop-off point next year.


Red Ribbon Week
This week, the PTA is leading our participation in Red Ribbon Week. This is a week-long emphasis of fun activities reminds kids that having fun does not have to include dangerous or unhealthy activities. Please send canned food items to school with your child for our canned food drive this week. Also, on Friday we will hold our traditional costume parade that starts at 2 p.m.

Theme 2 Is About To Begin

The following post was written by Renee Hill and was posted on the RUSD Elementary Education Blog.

Our reading series is organized into sections called Themes. This week and next, grades 2 through 6 will begin the second of sixth themes for the year. Listed below are the stories in each theme. Click the links for suggested books that go along with the themes:
Grade 2: Nature Walk
1) Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night, 2) Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett, and 3) Around the Pond - Who's Been There?
Grade 3: Celebrating Traditions
1) The Keeping Quilt, 2) Anthony Reynoso - Born To Rope, 3) The Talking Cloth, and 4) Dancing Rainbows
Grade 4: American Stories
1) Tomas and the Library Lady, 2) Tanya's Reunion, 3) Boss of the Plains, and 4) A Very Important Day
Grade 5: Give It All You've Got
1) Michelle Kwan - Heart of a Champion, 2) La Bamba, 3) The Fear Place, and 4) Mae Jemison - Space Scientist
Grade 6: What Really Happened?
1) Amelia Earhart - First Lady of Flight, 2) The Girl Who Married the Moon, and 3) Dinosaur Ghosts

McCombs' Top 10 List for Flu Season

Last year during the first week of October, Emerson recorded 81 absences. Last week, we recorded 236 absences.

While I'm no Johnny Carson, here are my top 10 recommendations:

10. Make up an absence (or 3!) in Saturday School: October 24, 31, or November 7.
9. Email or call (memorize their extension!) your child's teacher to get make up work.
8. Instead of watching TV while recuperating, have your child read or watch the math videos (See the link on the right).
7. Consider getting a flu shot...we will be offering them to families later in the month.
6. Dress your child in layers for cold mornings and warm afternoons.
5. Teach your child to cough (or sneeze) into their arm. Hands can pass germs.
4. Discuss with them how touching their noses, eyes and mouths can get them sick.
3. Keep your children hydrated and ensure healthy meals (I recommend hot soup).
2. Stress the importance of frequent hand-washing (soap and warm water) with your child.
1. Keep children home (for at least 24 hours)when they have had a fever or have been vomiting.

Let's work together to prevent student illnesses!

Why Recommend a Computer?

First of all, we won't make a dime off of it.

"So, why is the Principal recommending that we buy a computer?" Well the answer is really nothing new:

• It is a great learning tool
• Kids will spend more time learning
• Instruction can be focused better for kids' needs

Here is the new part: the price is so cheap and what it can do is amazing! With the cost of home computing and an internet connection so low, shouldn't every student have one?

So far this year we have had 323 Emerson students (out of 505 students in 2nd -6th grade) pass an AR test. Many of these have been taken at home. Most classes are using and accessing the math website for both classroom instruction and homework.

For years, I've heard kids return back from Winter Recess talking about the gaming systems they received. Most of those systems are built for one thing- gaming. A computer can play games too, but when it is time to learn, homework is at their fingertips.

These little HP 1101 Mini-Notebooks are small, but they can make a huge difference in how enthusiastically your child approaches homework. Here is the link: http://campushp.com/store/index.asp or call 1-800-638-0286 ext. 689. We will have one on the counter at Emerson for you to try out in a few days. Emerson is also purchasing 20 computers for check out from the libray to qualifying families.

Emerson is preparing to announce a series of technology workshops for parents. Watch for more details!

Supporting Learning Is Parent Involvement

“Parent involvement” means different things to parents in different circumstances. Schools tend to think that if a parent is “involved” that they show up for every function, they support every fundraiser, they serve on the PTA, and they help make copies for their teacher every week. This definition is too narrow.

The 23rd District PTA recently quoted Ken Young, the Riverside County Superintendent, as saying that an even deeper problem than the economy is the “growing lack of parental involvement in and support of the education of their children. That is our real number one problem.”

I'm not sure that I agree with this (even though he signs my paycheck), but at the same time I know that increasing involvement is a big part of the answer. How can a parent in each of these situations be actively involved at Emerson?
A single parent who works two jobs
Grandparents who thought they were finished raising kids
Spanish (or other language)-speaking parents who may not fully understand our school system
Divorced parents who are struggling with custody issues
Two-parent household, who commute and arrive home late every night

After talking with Sandy Ramirez, Emerson’s PTA President, I began to think about how even small, daily and seemingly insignificant actions can add up. She stated, “It is easy to be involved. It does not have to be over-taxing. It can be fun, easy and rewarding.” Take small steps every day to support learning.

If all a parent can do is to make sure that their child has eaten breakfast and arrives to school on time, then that may really be all that the parent can do that day. Emerson accepts and appreciates all levels of involvement. But oftentimes more can be added. Scheduling a routine time and place to review homework with your child is a rewarding way to connect with both your child and with the school. If your child knows how important school is to you it is much more important than how many school activities you attend.

What can be done to support (and increase) parent involvement? Please share your ideas by clicking on the word "comment" below.

Parents Multiply Effort!

"How can I help my child with math homework?" This is a common question, even from parents who have a math background.

Today at Emerson, over 140 parents from several schools attended a specialized training designed to help them understand elementary school mathematics, how we teach it, how students learn it and how parents can best assist their children. Fourteen sessions were held in Spanish and fourteen sessions held in English; one for every grade level from kindergarten through sixth grade.

As I walked through the rooms I heard several facts about EnVision math:

• Every 5-7 days there is a new Topic.
  
• Each grade level has four Benchmark tests every year.


• The daily Visual Learning Bridge video can be viewed at home.


• If a child forgets their homework, a parent can access it and print it out at home.


• Teachers can assign homework (games, practice or review) on the pearsonsuccessnet.com website. When students log in at home they can see their assignments.


• The Home-School Connection page for every Topic (5-7 days) helps parents support classroom instruction at home.


• The entire program is available on-line in a variety of languages including Spanish.


• After a Topic Assessment, the teachers carefully analyze data about student performance that they use to adjust their instruction.


• Children are assigned homework that is leveled to their needs (Reteaching, Practice, or Enrichment) by teachers who use "quick checks" to decide which students need which homework.

Many thanks to the all of the RUSD staff (especially Jodi, Louie and Dawn) who made this event a success! For additional information visit the RUSD Math Website.