___________________  MAPLE AVENUE MIDDLE SCHOOL  _______________________

515 Maple Avenue

Saratoga Springs, New York 12866

518-587-4551

 

Stuart F. Byrne

Principal

 

Robert Loggins

Gerald Leger

Rosemary Soltis

Roseann Jackling

Assistant Principal

Assistant Principal

Assistant Principal

Assistant Principal

Columbian Springs

Hathorn Springs

Excelsior Springs

Red Springs

 

October 15, 2004

 

 

Dear Parents/Guardians:

 

The school year is off to a good start.  Hopefully your child has adjusted well to his or her new teachers.

 

Enclosed you will find the first 5-week interim progress report.  Please be aware that 7th grade Health, 7th and 8th grade Art, and 8th grade Computer Explorations are alternating day courses.  Grades for these courses will be done on the 10-week report cards, and therefore interim comments may not be indicated at this time.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding this progress report, please contact your child’s team of teachers and/or Guidance Counselor.  The counselors and corresponding Houses are: Ms. Triolo, Columbian Springs; Ms. Dorlon, Hathorn Springs; Mr. Chandler, Excelsior Springs; and Mrs. Young, Red Springs.

 

We continue to have concerns with the pick up of students after school, both at the regular dismissal at 2:20 p.m. and again at the after-school dismissal at 3:15 p.m.  I am again asking you to follow the following procedure at both times to ensure the safety of all of our students.

 

When coming to school to pick up or drop off your child, I would ask that you please use the drop-off area located on the north side of the school.  Students should be dropped off or picked up at the curb of the drop-off area and not in the parking lot located directly across from the drop-off area.  If you cannot find a space along the curb in the drop-off area, then you can proceed directly to the parking lot located nearest to Route 9, Parking Lot C, and park there.  When utilizing this parking lot for dropping off or picking up a student, be sure the child understands to stay in the crosswalks provided when crossing at that location.  Thank you for your help and cooperation in following this procedure.

 

Picture retakes will occur on Friday, October 29th.  Students eligible are those who were absent and missed photos in September, or those who want pictures retaken because of a problem.  November 10th will be our yearly “emergency go home early” drill.  Students will be dismissed approximately 15 minutes early that day.  November 16th is a Superintendent’s Conference Day in the afternoon.  Students will be dismissed at 10:45 a.m. that day.

 

On the reverse of this letter you will find information regarding P.A.S.S., Parents Advocacy Student Support.  Your involvement in this committee is encouraged.  Also included is information regarding a Special Education Parents’ Support Group.

 

With each letter I send home during the school year, I try to include articles that I think would be of interest to you.  Enclosed please find several such articles for your perusal.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Stuart F. Byrne

Principal

 

SFB/jec

Enclosures

 

P.A.S.S.

Parents Advocacy Student Support

 

 

This year Maple Avenue Middle School is leading the way to increase parental involvement.  This involvement will happen in many ways to continue to bond the support for student success=student+parent+school.

 

P.A.S.S. was developed by the Education Development/Achievement Council to provide the following opportunities:

 

·         Help support parents in the learning process

·         Increase parents’ understanding of expectations and assessments

·         Bridge the knowledge gap

·         Increase parent opportunities to link with their child’s teacher

·         Parent resource centers at school

·         Educate parents on specific subject matters i.e. math

·         Increase access to school library media center for families

 

P.A.S.S. is your pass to increase involvement for student success.  You simply select some of the resources Maple Avenue Middle School is providing for you.

 

Parent Information Night – Tuesday, November 9, 2004 at 8:00 p.m. in the Cafeteria, immediately following the Kaleidoscope Concert

 

Your input, involvement and ideas are welcome and encouraged.  Please e-mail Pam Krison (Maple Avenue parent) at lsukrison@yahoo.com or send via the Main Office.

 

 

 

 


SPECIAL EDUCATION PARENTS’ SUPPORT GROUP

 

 

Join with other parents whose children are receiving special education services to share experiences, better understand the process, and become a more active participant in your child’s learning.  The next meeting will be on Thursday, November 4, 2004 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Story Activity Room at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.  For questions or for more information, please call Tisha Graham at 584-6619.

Parent-Teacher Communication: A Link to Student Success

Statistics tell us that students whose parents stay involved in their lives and keep communication lines with the school open will be more successful.

      Parents are often reluctant to contact their child’s teachers.  Indeed, as a parent, you may find yourself thinking, “They have so many students, they doesn’t have time to talk about Jimmy” or “I hate to bother them about this; it isn’t that big of a problem yet” or “Maybe they’ll just think I’m an overanxious parent.”  In any event, when you find yourself thinking along these lines, remember that both you and the teachers have the same goal: to help your child succeed in school—and eventually, in life.

      Here are some guidelines that may help you feel more confident when you contemplate calling your child’s teachers:

      Call the teachers at school.  Find out when they are available for phone calls.  If this is not possible, try before or after school, when the teachers are not directly responsible for student supervision.

      Make clear communication your goal when contacting a teacher.  Don’t be accusatory, but state clearly what problems are occurring with your child.  Remember that the story you hear from your child may be colored by personal prejudices.  Keeping an open mind, with the success of your child as your foremost goal, will make your conference with the teacher successful.

      Parents and teachers must work as a team for the success of students, so don’t hesitate to call!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Understanding Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

      Children who are intrinsically motivated are more successful learners than children who are extrinsically motivated.  As an educator or parent, you probably know this, but it’s also important to understand why it’s true—in other words, how motivation works.

      “Intrinsic motivation is when the task itself is the reward,” explains Julie Crotty, consultant for Classroom Instructional Strategies and School Improvement with Area Education Agency 7 in Iowa.  She gives the example of a child who reads because he or she loves to read.  “When there’s a big gap between the task and the reward—for instance, getting a candy bar for doing a math worksheet—that’s extrinsic motivation.”

      The problem with extrinsic motivation—the behaviorist approach to learning—is that it interferes with the natural learning system of the brain.  “Our brains are equipped with mechanisms that reward us with chemicals—feel-good chemicals, natural opiates,” says Crotty.  “When we engage in activities that are good for us [or demonstrate our abilities, or show how well we’ve learned something], we’re rewarded with a rush or a good feeling.  Introduce something from the outside, in terms of an extrinsic reward, and it messes up what’s naturally going on inside.”  It prevents that feel-good rush.

      Extrinsic rewards aren’t limited to concrete items like stickers and candies.  The wrong kind of verbal feedback qualifies too.  As Crotty explains, you must keep feedback free of judgment by eliminating “I” statements.  Instead of saying “I’m proud of you,” say, “You must be really proud of....”  In this way, you encourage children to consider how they feel when they engage in certain activities or accomplish certain tasks.  If they feel good, they’ll be intrinsically motivated to repeat these activities or tasks and to tackle new and more challenging ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soft Drinks Cause Nutritional Deficiencies

        The U.S. Department of Agriculture shows American students are guzzling soda pop at high rates.  According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, teenagers are now drinking twice as much pop as they are milk.  This should be a concern to parents, as children are missing out on vital nutrients.

        Concerned that children are not getting the right nutrients due to excessive drinking of soda, members of Congress are discussing removing pop machines from public schools.

        Children who overeat and drink too many sodas are at risk of cancer during their adult years.  In February 1998, the British Medical Journal reported that an increase of 250 calories in a child’s typical diet can increase the risk of cancer by 20 percent. 

        Often, parents give children diet soda to limit sugar intake, but few are aware of the dangers of aspartame found in diet pop.  The Food and Drug Administration has found 92 different health side effects from aspartame, including brain tumors, birth defects, emotional disorders, and seizures. 

        The Journal of the American Dietetic Association states that flavored milk is actually a healthy choice for children.  Flavored milk contains nine essential nutrients that are contained in regular milk: calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin B12, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, and niacin.

 

Know Your Child's Learning Style

        By understanding how your child learns, you can help develop the homework style that is most beneficial for him or her.  Education experts say most children are strongest in one of these main styles: visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. 

        Visual learners learn best when they can picture something in their minds.  They absorb more from reading a book themselves than from having it read to them.  Help them learn by using flash cards for spelling and math.  Post a map of the United States with the state capitals highlighted, or make a timeline of important dates so students can actually see this information.

        Auditory learners learn best by listening and responding verbally.  Have them repeat spelling words aloud, and record their reading assignments and vocabulary lists so they can review them on tape.

        Kinesthetic learners learn best by handling and touching things.  They are movement-oriented and have trouble keeping still.  Have them read aloud while standing up or act out events from history.  You can also have them draw diagrams about things worth remembering.

 

                —Adapted from The Confident Learner, by Marjorie R. Simic, Melinda McClain, and Michael Shermis.

 

Training Children in Quality Thinking

      Do you want to know the key to rearing responsible children?  Teach your children how to think, not always what to think.  Telling children what to think keeps them dependent upon you for answers to life’s questions and makes them vulnerable to the opinions of others.  But training children in quality thinking gives them the tools to make their own wise decisions.

      Ask factual questions.  When your child brings an issue to you, resist the temptation to give an immediate answer.  Rather, help the child come to a conclusion by asking relevant questions.  For example, should Billy spend his savings on a new skateboard or a new computer game?  Ask Billy factual questions to help him make his own decision.  “Why do you want to replace your old skateboard?”  “How much will each item cost?”  “What additional equipment would you need to use the skateboard or the game?”

      Brainstorm pros and cons.  Brainstorming the pros and cons of an issue also promotes quality thinking.  Ask questions that evaluate possible actions based upon the relevant facts.  “What are the good and bad things that could happen if you spend your savings on the skateboard?  On the computer game?”  “For which item would you be more willing to wait?”

      Decide.  Help your child recognize the time to make a decision.  For instance, you might say, “Based on what we’ve discussed, Billy, what do you think you should do?”

      Quality thinking becomes more valuable as children move toward their teen years.  Learning to ask questions, brainstorm solutions, and make decisions teaches children how to think and gives them the tools to make wise personal decisions.

 

Articles from Cut & Paste, November 2004