Explorer Newsletter Antelope Hills Elementary

Antelope Hills Elementary
Explorer Newsletter
Preston Fairchild, Principal
36105 Murrieta Oaks Avenue
Murrieta, CA 92562
Coming Events
November
Francie Zarate, Assistant Principal
(951) 445-4110
www.murrieta.k12.ca.us/antelope
Antelope Hills Elementary
November 2014
Character Counts Corner
11
Veteran’s Day
No School
12-14
5th Grade Sci Camp
17-21
Scholastic Book Fair
24-28
Thanksgiving Break
School Office Hours
7:45-3:45
Report an Absence
Call 445-4110
Press 1
Respect. This word seems to pop up all over the place. People tell us that we need
to respect our elders, our teachers, and even nature. People have even sung songs about it.
We tell our kids to treat others the way that they want to be treated. You know, the Golden Rule.
I remember as a teacher dreading having to take a day off work. While that sounds
strange, it was the truth. I knew that when I returned the following day, the note that would
be sitting on my desk would probably have a list of kid’s names on it that had been disrespectful towards the substitute that day. Then, I would have to leave my happy place and
become the mean ogre and discipline those naughty kids. However, I also knew that there
would be a few kid’s names listed on that note who were helpful and tried to make the substitute’s day a little brighter. Those students usually got rewarded for being respectful to an
adult, regardless if it was their “real” teacher or not.
After a few years of teaching, I realized that some kids would pick and choose when
they were respectful and when they weren’t. It also convinced me that the development of
good character is just as important as sharpening those math and reading skills. All the adults
in kid’s lives need to help them develop those good character traits. Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship make up the six pillars of character
that we should expect from our kids each day. We know that they are still “in training,” but
the expectations are still there.
So tonight, after asking your son or daughter what they have for homework, ask
them what they did today to help strengthen their character. Spend a few extra minutes
discussing the importance of showing good character each and every day and how by doing
so, they will be respecting themselves in the process. Challenge them to be a better person
than the day before, and you know what?........They’ll do it.
Remember….No matter where or when….Character Counts!
Character Counts
Color For November
Yellow
PTA News
We have our general association meeting Friday, November 7th right after flag ceremonies.
All PTA members invited.
Scholastic Book Fair
November 17th-21st
Library
All book purchases earn books for our classrooms and library.
Book fair will be open before school Monday-Friday and after school Monday-Thursday.
Page 2
Antelope Hills Elementary
Explorer Safety
Please make sure that safety is your top priority when crossing streets and dropping off and picking
up kids. Our own Murrieta Police traffic support, Officer Stickelman, has included the following:
If possible, adjust your morning routine to leave 5 minutes earlier to allow for traffic flow
(especially on rainy days)
Respect and follow the crossing guards instructions (they are out there to keep our kids safe)
Be patient and respectful with each other (remember, our kids are watching us and learning
from our examples)
Be an EXPLORER parent:
be safE
be an eXample
bePatient
Leave early
be pOlite
be Respectful
keep Eyes open for small children
Reduce speed
Mindset
“Don’t let
Failure be
an ending.
Make it a
beginning”
By now some of your children
may be coming home talking
about what it means to have a
growth mindset rather than a
fixed mindset. You may be
asking what they mean by that.
“Simply put, mindsets are beliefs individuals hold about their
most basic qualities and abilities. In a Growth Mindset,
people believe they can develop their brain, abilities and
talents. This view creates a
love for learning, a drive for
growth and resilience that is
essential for great accomplishments. People with a Fixed
Mindset believe that basic qualities such as intelligence and
abilities are fixed, and can’t be
developed. They also believe
that talent alone creates success and see effort as a sign of
weakness rather than as an
effective strategy needed to
reach one’s full potential.” (Mindset Works Inc.)
We at Antelope are working
hard to support our students
to have a growth mindset when
approaching difficult tasks. If
you are wondering what you
can do at home to support a
growth mindset, here are some
ideas: Send messages that support effort such as, ”I like the
way you approached that problem.” or “Good job to hang in
there and find a different strategy that did work.” are ways to
praise students while supporting perseverance. Stay tuned
for more info on Growth
mindset to come!
Free Homework Help
Harvey Mudd Homework Hotline
Sun-Thur 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
1-877-827-5462
The Homework Hotline offers free, over-the-phone tutoring in math and science for students in grades 4-12. There is no charge to use the service, and
Antelope Hills Elementary
Math Workshop For Parents
A math workshop for parents will be held on December 2nd from 6:00-7:30 at
the Title I Professional Development Room at Alta Murrieta Elementary.
Topics Include:
Mindset
Developing an understanding of the new math materials
Think Central
If you are interested, you must RSVP to Mr. Fairchild at
[email protected]
Spots are limited!
Student and School Safety
Sprigeo is a new online bullying reporting system that
allows students to report bullying incidents and school safety threats. This
gives students another medium for communicating with school administration when bullying or school safety incidents occur. All information sent through the Sprigeo system goes directly to school administrators through a secure online connection. For more
information, please visit:
www.murrieta.k12.ca.us/antelope
Kindness Challenge
We would like to see how many kind things our Antelope Hills’ families
can do to help out others in need. Make a plan with your family to spend
time giving back in some small way and then watch and see how the power
of kindness can change a community.
Page 3
Antelope Hills Elementary
Student Meals
Student Meal Prices:
Breakfast Full Pay….. $1.50
Lunch
Full Pay ..….$2.50
..
Milk or Juice - $.50
Reduced price…….$.30
Reduced price…….$.40
Bottled Water - $.75
Free and reduced lunch applications are to be completed online at:
www.fma.murrieta.k12.ca.us
Parents can make payments to lunch accounts at www.myschoolbucks.com
Every Friday Afterschool!
PARENT WORKSHOP
Go Math & Think Central
Presenters: Char Gollogly, Executive Director of Elementary Education and Mary
Sousounis, Instructional Math Coach
December 2nd
All Parent Math Workshops will be held at Alta Murrieta Elementary School in
the Title I Professional Development Room from 6:00 – 7:30. Due to limited
space, Parent Reservations are required. Further workshops will be held at individual school sites.
Topics will include:
Mindset
Developing an understanding of new math standards
Think Central (digital resource) and what to expect from homework
Reserve a spot by contacting Mr. Fairchild at [email protected]
*Childcare will be provided, but parent must reserve a childcare spot when he/she reserves
a spot at the math workshop.