JANUARY 6, 2006

 

IMPORTANT CALENDAR DATES

 

January 9            2nd quarter report cards released

January 10            MSA After school tutoring 3:45-5:45 p.m.

January 11            MSA After school tutoring 3:45-5:45 p.m.

January 12            MSA After school tutoring 3:45-5:45 p.m.

January 16            Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observed Schools and Offices Closed

January 17            Market Day orders due to school

MSA After school tutoring 3:45-5:45 p.m.

January 18            Market Day orders due on Internet before noon

MSA After school tutoring 3:45-5:45 p.m.

January 19            MSA After school tutoring 3:45-5:45 p.m.

January 20            PBES Progress Reports go home

January 24            MSA After school tutoring 3:45-5:45 p.m.

                        Market Day order pick-up 6:30-7:30 p.m.

January 25            MSA After school tutoring 3:45-5:45 p.m.

January 26            MSA After school tutoring 3:45-5:45 p.m.

 

CHANGE IN 2005-2006 CALENDAR

            In response to changes at the state level in the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) make-up dates, the parent/teacher conference day scheduled for Monday, March 27, has been changed to Friday, March 31st.  Students will attend school on Monday, March 27th and will have Friday, March 31st off so that parent teacher conferences can take place.

STATEWIDE ESSAY CONTEST FOR FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS

            The Maryland Municipal League (MML) and the Maryland Mayor’s Association (MMA) is inviting fourth grade students to participate in an “If I Were Mayor, I Would…” statewide contest.

            The essay contest is open to fourth grade students enrolled during this current school year.  The contest allows students an opportunity to creatively use their cognitive and grade-specific language arts skills as well as civics and social studies knowledge to address problems as Mayor of a city.  For more information contact your child’s teacher.

 

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE PERTAINING TO PROMOTION AND RETENTION

Promotion and retention will be considered annually in terms of the best placement of an individual student according to Prince George’s County Policy.  Promotion is effected when the student has demonstrated appropriate levels of achievement and would benefit from the curriculum designed for the next grade level.

Retention is considered when the student has not demonstrated appropriate levels of achievement, in response to interventions based upon his/her needs, and would benefit from additional experiences with the curriculum at the same grade level.  When retention is determined to be the appropriate course of action, at least one conference will be held with parents or guardians, prior to the retention.  If the parent and school personnel cannot reach an agreement relative to the retention, the principal will make the final decision.

 

MATH

Students should be able to apply rules they have learned in other tested topics to solve word problems. The four parts of this topic — problem solving, reasoning, communicating, and connecting — are interrelated. A good problem solver will make connections to past learning, try out various kinds of reasoning, and communicate his strategies for finding an answer to a problem.

Patterns exist everywhere in our world. Find patterns in architecture, art, and clothing, and ask your child to draw the patterns that he or she sees. For example, your child might recognize a complicated pattern in a brick wall. Drawing the pattern will help your child to observe and understand the relationships among the shapes that make up the pattern.

 

 

 

READING

Your child probably loves to talk about her favorite things, such as sports, foods, or games. How did your child learn to play baseball or to make a sandwich? Most likely, someone showed her the necessary steps and explained the process, step-by-step. How-to guides do the same thing. In writing her own how-to guide, your child will need to focus on presenting and ordering facts clearly and logically. These skills are critical for understanding anything that she reads.

Decide on the subject of the guide. Will your child teach a friend to play her favorite game or to make a sandwich? How would she explain this activity to someone who has never tried it before? What materials or equipment are needed for this task? What is the first step? What comes next? What is the last step? It might be helpful to call attention to words that show the reader how to move from one step to another, for example then, next, or finally.

Encourage your child to make a list of the steps (an outline) before she begins to write out each one. Once she has a rough draft, point out to her the places where she can work in sequence words (particularly if she has a lot of and then... and then... and then...). Once the guide is finished, help your child find someone who can use it!

 

HOWARD B. OWENS SCIENCE CENTER

Howard B. Owens Science Center located at 9601 Greenbelt Road, Lanham, holds programs on the second Friday of each month unless otherwise indicated.  Doors open at 7:15 p.m. and programs begin at 7:30 p.m.  Call 301-918-8750 during school hours to confirm program topic.  Cost is $4.00 per adult and $2.00 for students or seniors.  This month’s program is on January 13th and the topic is:  The Planets

These “wanderers” hold fascination over us, from the simple beauty of watching them “dance” in the night sky to the intense beauty magnified through advanced photography.  How can we put this fascination into words?  Do we even need to?  Come for an evening of enjoying the planets aesthetically – through music, visuals, and poetry.  We’ll prepare you for future discoveries, as our show date corresponds with the launch window for the New Horizons mission to Pluto!

 

COLLEGE PARK ARTS EXCHANGE

The College Park Arts Exchange is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, funded in part by the City of College Park, a grant from the Prince George’s Arts Council, PGAC Super Circle, and the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission, along with a grant by Target Corporation.   Listed are the activities planned for January.


AHA! For Kids: GYMKANA
Sunday, January 8, 2006, 3:00 pm, at Old Parish House
Fun and Fitness for Kids--come roll, tumble, bounce and learn cool gymnastic tricks with Scott Welsh, coach of the University of Maryland Gymkana troupe. Remember to come dressed to move-- wear comfortable clothes and sneakers. Registration is appreciated.  


YOUTH CHOIR CONCERT
Thursday, January 12, 8:00 pm, at Berwyn Presbyterian Church
(6301 Greenbelt Road, Berwyn Heights, MD)
A Concert for Community, Friends and Family -- 30 young voices proudly sing out at the culmination of the Youth Choir’s fall semester, under the direction of Dr. Philip Silvey from the University of Maryland. The youth choir will perform historical art music and folk song in four languages from around the globe.  They will sing works from Germany, Canada, Brazil, Africa, and the United States.


YOUTH CHOIR AT MLK CELEBRATION
Saturday, January 14, 3:00-5:00 pm
at the Clarice Smith Center, University of Maryland
The Youth choir will take par! t in celebrating our civil rights hero, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Please check our website for details as the event nears: www.cpae.org)


ARTS DROP-IN
Sunday, January 22, 2:00 pm, at Old Parish House  
Winter Wonderland! Make winter-themed dioramas using sticks, glue, glitter, cotton balls and other items.  Arts drop-in instructor Aaron Springer leads an imaginative and creative free-form arts afternoon that children and parents will enjoy. This free program is ideal for children ages 3-8; all children must be accompanied by an adult.

If you have any questions, you can e-mail CPAE at info@cpae.org or call 301-927-3013.  For a more extensive calendar of events, please check the website at www.cpae.org.