CHARGE INT SUMMER! Healthy Kids Day® TORRANCE-SOUTH BAY YMCA Help your child beat summer drain and weight gain. On Saturday, April 29, the Y will

celebrate our 26th Annual Healthy Kids Day, our national initiative to improve the

health and well-being of kids. This is a free community event that is open to families

and kids of all ages — so bring a friend!

· Fun & active play · Educational activities · Healthy foods

· Performances · Music & games · Giveaways & more

WHEN: Saturday, April 29, 2017 TIME: 10:00am-2:00pm LOCATION: TORRANCE-SOUTH BAY YMCA 2900 W Sepulveda Boulevard Torrance, CA 90505

310 325 5885 www.ymcaLA.org/tsb COST: Free! Register at the Y on event day CONTACT: Isaac Gardner Healthy Lifestyles Director IsaacGardner@ymcaLA.org

310 602 4796

Join for FREE on Healthy Kids Day

weekend!

FREE

Healthy Kids Day t-shirt to 1st

400 kids!

TORRANCE-SOUTH BAY YMCA

2900 West Sepulveda Boulevard

Torrance, Ca 90505

www.ymcaLA.org/tsb 310.325.5885

Overnight Resident Camps

We offer two great week-long

summer resident camps in the

San Bernardino Mountains:

YMCA Camp Round Meadow for

3-6 graders on July 15-22 and

YMCA Camp Whittle for 5-12

grades on August 1-8. We also

have a High Sierra Teen Mam-

moth camp from July 23-28 for

grades 8-12th.

Yosemite Family Camp

Create family memories. June

30– July 5, we have

accommodations available at

Half Dome Village and Yosemite

Valley Lodge.

Summer Programs

All of our summer programs are

filled with chances for your child

to learn, grow and thrive! Arts

and crafts, stories, songs, skits,

field trips, friendships and

memories. With a wide variety of

programs, we have something to

offer everyone from ages 2 1/2

to 17 years old!

7

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June 26 – August 5, 2017

3 1 0 - 6 6 0 - 6 4 6 0 * www.ECCommunityEd.com

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S.A

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Celebrate Summer

Enrichment Classes For

Inquisitive & Creative Minds

2-week M-F sessions +Sizzling Summer

Saturdays!

Grades 1-12

The El Camino Community College District and the Office of Community Education have made every reasonable effort to determine that everything stated in this flyer is accurate. Classes, camps, workshops, academies and other programs are subject to change without notice by the administration of the El Camino College District and the Office of Community Education for reasons related to student enrollment, level of financial support, instructor availability, or for any other reason, at the discretion of the district and college. The El Camino Community College District is committed to providing equal opportunity in which no person is subjected to discrimination on the basis of national origin, religion, age, sex (including sexual harassment), race, color, gender, physical or mental disability, or retaliation.

Hermosa Beach City, Torrance Unified, Hawthorne School District and Redondo Beach Unified School District are not sponsoring, participating or recommending this program. Any involvement in this activity is at the discretion of the parent and student. This flyer is not printed at District expense. Information is provided as a community service.

3 1 0 - 6 6 0 - 6 4 6 0 * www.ECCommunityEd.com

1- 5Elementary

Grades 1-5 Featured ClassesWrite On! Writing Camp * Math Amazing * Soap Making * Candle Making

Musical Theatre * Mini-Olympics * Reading Workshop * Dance CampFitness Boot Camp * Piano * Science Explorations * Juicy Sentences * Cartooning

9-1 2High School

Grades 9-12 Featured ClassesDigital Photography * Veterinary Assistant (Basics 101) * S.A.T. Boot Camp

School of Rock: Guitar Camp * Writing the High School Essay * AlgebraGeometry * Math Tutoring * Vex Robotics

Grades 6-8 Featured ClassesGame Design * Veterinary Assistant (Basics 101) * Study Skills for Success * Chess

Pre-Algebra * Algebra * Volleyball * Piano * Cartooning & DrawingAcademic Writing * Common Core Standards * Woodturning * Coding

6-8Middle School

Grades 1-12 classes will be held on campus at:

16007 Crenshaw Blvd. Torrance, CA 90506

Kid’s College classes are not for K-12 or college credit. No grades assigned.Class grade levels reflect the grade level children will be entering in the fall.

Enroll Now!310-660-6460 or ECCommunityEd.com

Grades 1-12 * June 26 - August 5, 2017

’

Early-Bird

Discount

Ends May 5th!

$10 OFF

most classes!

2016-17 Fern Library Fund

Donation Request

Darlene Crider, our recently retired librarian, invested many years into the Fern Library making it the #1 elementary

school library in the district. Our children, at Fern Elementary, have access to a wonderful creative space to call

“their” library. Thanks to the continued help of our new Volunteer Library Team, we have been able to keep the

library up and running since Mrs. Crider’s departure. The children have access to the library before school, during

recess, and at lunchtime; as well as during our children’s regular class schedules. The newly assembled Fern Library Team is comprised of Parents and Grandparents who spend precious hours with

each classroom. Their time spent includes: re-shelving, tidying up, checking books in & out, reading to the younger

grades, covering/repairing books and processing new books for circulation. Our library volunteers do not receive any

compensation other than the pure joy of working with your children. However, there remains continued costs

involved in the library upkeep which include purchase of new books, protective book covering materials, labels and

labeling printer’s ink, reams of paper for student bookmarks, paper for student notes and coloring activities, and

laminating material costs for student projects. Mrs. Crider also had a few ‘last requests’ for much needed

improvements such as library furniture that we would like to complete in her honor - our way of saying “thank you”

for the many years she dedicated to The Fern Avenue Elementary School Library. We need your generous help and support: Please join us in our efforts to continue to uphold our #1 library status

by financially supporting this important and valuable learning path for our children. A suggested donation of $20

per child will get us to our goal. If you can do more, please feel free to do so. All contributions, great or small are

very much appreciated! Also, please kindly consider asking family and friends to support this invaluable donation

drive that crucially impacts Fern elementary students. Thank you for supporting our children and our school. Your

donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed. If you have any questions, please contact Valerie Oliva at

fernavelibrary@gmail.com.

In order to excel in this goal we are offering a very special incentive: Students collecting $50 or more in donations will receive an invitation to a special ‘bookmark making art

party’ hosted by our wonderful Fern Elementary Library Volunteer Team. (Donations must be received by

March 31, 2017 to qualify for this special incentive.)

----------------------------------------------------Cut here--------------------------------------------------------

Fern’s Library Fund 2016-17 Donation Form Platinum Sponsor…...….$200.00 Gold Sponsor...…….$100.00 Silver Sponsor…...….$ 50.00

Sponsors will be recognized in the PTA Newsletter. Any and all amounts are valued and appreciated. Thank you in advance for your kind

generosity to the Fern Elementary Library Student Name: _________________________________________________Student Room #: ___________________________

Donor Name Phone Amount

PTA USE ONLY Date rec’d: ______________ Total Rec’d: ________________

No Cash will be accepted. Please make checks payable to: Fern PTA. Please remember to write “Fern Library Fund” along with Student

Name & Room Number in the memo section. Return to the school office or to your child’s teacher. Your company may offer a charitable

matching donation incentive; please inquire at your workplace at your Human Resources Department. Thank you again for your very kind,

gracious, and generous support!

Summer Soccer Camp 2017

La Romeria Park 19501

Inglewood Ave Torrance, 90503

Ages 5-12 yrs June 26- June 30

5-Day Session 9 am - 3 pm

Register Today!

Fern Elementary

Tuesdays 5/2/2017-6/6/2017 (6 weeks)

Grades TK/Kinder 1:55-2:40 Grades 1-5 3:15-4:00 (Grass near Play Structure)

Registration is Online only. We provide all equipment.

Wear comfortable clothing, tennis shoes/sneakers and bring water.

Space is limited! Reserve your spot today!

$90

SPRING SEASON 2017

Copyright © 2017, The Parent Institute®, www.parent-institute.com

Concentrate on directionsIt happens all the time: A child knows the answer to a test question but still gets it wrong. Maybe he underlined something he should have circled. Or he chose the true answer instead of the one that was not true. To help your child learn the importance of following the directions exactly: • Followarecipetogether. Discuss what

would happen if you followed the steps in a different order.

• Havehimwritestep-by-step directionsfor a task he knows how to do well. Follow them together. Was anything missing?

Source: G. Durham, Teaching Test-Taking Skills: Proven Techniques to Boost Your Students’ Scores, Rowman & Littlefield Education.

You care about your child’s education. But the weather is lovely and Grandma has been pleading for a visit. Would it really matter if you took your child out of school for a few days? After all, she’s only in first grade.

Actually, it does matter. Young children don’t have to miss much school before their learning suffers. In the early grades, students are mastering reading and basic math skills. Research has shown that these are the skills most affected when children miss school.

When she’s absent, your child misses activities that can’t be made up with extra homework—such as

a class discussion about a book or a science demonstration.

Your child will use the knowledge she is gaining now for the rest of her life. Being in school consistently is the only way she can develop the strong foundation she will need to support the rest of her learning. Source: A. Ginsburg and others, “Absences Add Up: How School Attendance Influences Student Success,” Attendance Works, niswc.com/absentee.

There’sstillplentyoftimetoconnecttotheschoolEven though summer is around the corner, it isn’t too late to get involved with school. Starting right now, you can:

• Keeptrackofdates of important tests and special class activities.

• Attendschoolfunctions.Get to know school staff and other families.

• Volunteer. Could you prepare items for a craft, chaperone a field trip or read to the class? Ask the teacher how you can help.

• Findoutwhatschooltasks the teacher would like you and your child to accomplish at home each day.

BrushuponthedresscodeAs the temperature rises, it’s a great time to review the school dress code with your child.

Talk together about ways appropriate clothes express self-respect and respect for others. Avoid morning arguments by posting the rules.

April 2017

Developyourchild’ssocialskillsforsuccessinschool—andlifeYour child needs more than academic skills to succeed in school. His social skills play a big part, too. Research shows that problems with social skills can interfere with learning. Your child will have an easier time in school if he is able to get along with his classmates.

To reinforce your child’s social skills:

• Setanexample.Children watch how parents interact with others. So, introduce yourself to new people. Get together with friends. Support people you care about. Let your child see you being a good friend.

• Readbooksaboutmakingandkeepingfriends. Ask the librarianto help you find some kids’ books about social interactions. After you read aloud, talk with your child about the story.

• Role-playwithyourchild. Help him practice what to say when meet-ing new people. “Hi, I’m Tom. Nice to meet you.” Act out situations that call for cooperation, sharing and kindness, too.

• Provideopportunitiestosocialize. Invite your child’s friends to play. Visit playgrounds. Sign your child up for kids’ programs at libraries, community centers and museums.

If you have concerns about your child’s social skills, talk with his teacher and work together on solutions.

Source: V. Vega, “Social and Emotional Learning Research Review,” Edutopia, niswc.com/socialskills.

Attendancecountsallyearlong

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Torrance Unified School District

Copyright © 2017, The Parent Institute®, www.parent-institute.com

Havefunwith‘quickwrites’Quick writes are a fun way to help children practice writing. To do a quick write with your child, ask an intriguing question. Then set a timer for five minutes, and both of you write down everything you can on the topic. When the timer beeps, share what you each wrote. Here are some topic ideas:

• Whatsuperpowerwould you like to have? How would you use it?

• Whatlawswouldyoumakeif you ran the country?

• Woulditbegoodorbad if animals could talk? Why?

Source: L. Rief, 100 Quickwrites: Fast and Effective Freewriting Exercises that Build Students’ Confidence, Develop Their Fluency, and Bring Out the Writer in Every Student, Scholastic.

Helping Children Learn®

Published in English and Spanish, September through May.Publisher: L. Andrew McLaughlin.

Publisher Emeritus: John H. Wherry, Ed.D. Editor: Alison McLean.

Staff Editors: Rebecca Miyares & Erika Beasley. Production Manager: Sara Amon.

Translations Editor: Victoria Gaviola. Layout & Illustrations: Maher & Mignella, Cherry Hill, NJ.

Copyright © 2017, The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. P.O. Box 7474, Fairfax Station, VA 22039-7474

1-800-756-5525 • www.parent-institute.com • ISSN 1526-9264

ThinkaboutpointsofviewElementary school students are learning to analyze and see things from different points of view. To reinforce this skill:

• Haveyourchildsortsmall items—buttons, coins, toy cars—by size. Mix them up and have her sort them by color. This teaches her that things can be part of more than one group.

• Talkaboutpoints of view. What does your child think land looks like to a dolphin? Recognizing different points of view is an important reading and writing skill.

___1.Doyoureadaloud to your child, even if he can read by himself?

___2.Doyouencourage your child to try books in a series? If he likes one, he may be more motivated to try others.

___3.Doyoulook for books or magazines about the things that interest your child?

___4.Doyoulet your child read comic books or graphic novels if he wants to?

___5.Doyouset limits on recreational screen time?

Howwellareyoudoing?More yes answers mean you are finding ways to increase your child’s desire to read. For each no, try that idea from the quiz.

ExerciseboostsbrainpowerNot every child wants to play team sports—and that’s OK. There are other ways kids can get physical exercise each day. Encourage your child to:

• Goupanddownthe stairs many times.

• Takeabriskwalkwith you.

• Getmoving to his favorite music.

• Playtag with siblings or friends.

April 2017

Are you making reading appealing?Some kids would rather do almost anything than read. Luckily, there are things parents can do to encourage children to pick up a book. Are you doing all you can to help your child enjoy reading? Answer yes or no below:

}A parent’s job is not so

much to teach a child how

to read, but to make him

want to read.~ —Priscilla Vail

Istherea‘right’timetogivemychildacellphone?

Q:Myfourthgraderwantsacellphone.Alotofherfriendshavethem,andtherearetimeswhenI’dliketobeabletoreachher.HowcanItellifsheisreadyforaphone?WhatshouldIbethinkingaboutbeforeIgiveherone?A:You are the only one who can decide whether or not your child is ready to handle a phone. Is she generally responsible about taking care of her belongings? She will probably be able to keep track of a phone. Does she usually follow your rules? She’ll likely be able to abide by the limits you set on her phone use.

Before you give your child a phone, set up a parent-child contract that clearly outlines your cell phone rules. Your child should agree to:

• Followschoolrules about using cell phones.

• Puthomeworktime before phone time.

• Sticktothelimitsyouset on talking, texting and downloading apps. (Check into parental controls available from service providers.) Make sure your child understands what is unsafe or otherwise not allowed, such as sending inappropriate photos or saying mean things about other people.

• Acceptyourrighttolook at any messages she sends or receives, and to take the phone away if you find she has used it inappropriately.

If you decide to give your child a phone, be sure to monitor her account to ensure she uses it appropriately.

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Home&SchoolWorking Together for School Success CONNECTIONApril 2017

© 2017 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

Help your child feel proud of the skills she’s learning by giving her opportunities to use them out-side of school. You’ll boost her confidence—and she’ll see that reading, math, and science are useful in everyday life. Pose questions like these for her to answer.

How can we organize our cabinets?

Your youngster may enjoy giving your kitchen cabinets a makeover. Suggest that she draw a “blueprint” for organizing dishes, pots and pans, canned goods, and other items. Review it together, and try some of her ideas—perhaps arranging spices in alphabetical order or stacking plates by size.

What will we do this weekend?Let your child plan a fun outing for

your family. She could start by checking the weather forecast. Then, encourage her to read newspaper listings and com-munity websites to find activities, such as an arts and crafts fair, a free concert, or a minor-league baseball game. She’ll need

Keep up attendance

Good attendance matters all year. Show your youngster that going to school every day is job number one. If you plan to visit relatives or take a vacation this summer, check the school calendar to make sure your trip won’t overlap with the end of this school year or the beginning of the next one.

Siblings as roommates Have more than one child? Consider letting them share a room—even if they don’t need to. Sharing space can help siblings bond and teach them about cooperation and respect. Plus, youngsters may be comforted and find it easier to fall asleep with some-one else in the room.

Build observation skills Boost your child’s powers of observa-tion during your next walk. Together, gaze at a scene (say, a playground) closely for 1 minute to observe as many details as possible. Then, turn around and take turns asking each other specific questions, like “How many swings are there?” or “What color is the slide?”

Worth quoting“It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” Confucius

Q: What do clouds wear in their hair?

A: Rainbows.

Bring learning home SHORT NOTES

JUST FOR FUN

Develop good money senseNow is the time to help your youngster manage

money wisely—before he gets his first job or has bills to pay. Try these kid-friendly ideas:

● Have regular conversations about money. You might say, “Chicken is on sale this week—we’ll save money if we buy extra to freeze,” or “I want new curtains, but our car will need tires soon, and I need to save for them.”

● Suggest that your child give a stuffed animal a pretend allowance and write a budget for how to manage it. Explain that it should include savings and put needs before wants (so his stuffed monkey might buy bananas to eat or a tree to live in before purchasing one more ball to play with). Tip: If possible, give your young-ster a small weekly allowance to work on real-life budgeting.♥

to read for details like times, locations, and prices before she presents her idea.

Where should we keep the bread?

Ask your youngster to conduct a sci-ence experiment to discover how to keep your bread fresh and mold-free the lon-gest. She could use what she’s learning in science class to set identical slices of wrapped bread on the counter, in the pan-try, and in the refrigerator. What does she find? She’ll be excited when you use her results to decide where to store bread.♥

Torrance Unified School DistrictBen Egan, Director - State & Federal Projects

© 2017 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

To provide busy parents with practical ideas that promote school success, parent involvement,

and more effective parenting.

Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630800-394-5052 • rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com

www.rfeonline.com

ISSN 1540-5621

O U R P U R P O S E

Home & School CONNECTION® April 2017 • Page 2

Q: My child believes everything in TV commercials. How can I help him understand what’s accurate

and what’s exaggerated?

A: Try this eye-opening activity. Let your son take photos around your home. Half should make your house look good, and the other half not so good. For example, he could snap a shot of a freshly vacuumed room with the bed made and one of an overflowing trash can and a dirty wall.

Now, look through the pictures. Have him imagine he is “selling” your house by showing only the flattering pictures. Is he giving the full story?

Explain that this is how commercials work, too—advertisers want to show their products in the best light. Together, watch commercials, and talk about the “other”

side that you’re not seeing. You could also read

product reviews to get a more complete picture. Your son will learn to think critically about information he sees and hears.♥

Believe it—or not?

Practicing patience In today’s world, youngsters often have

instant access to information, songs, and movies. As a result, they might not learn patience. Encourage your child to get better at waiting patiently with these tips.

Set an example. Let your youngster see you waiting calmly during challeng-ing situations. In a traffic jam, you could say, “It looks like we’ll be sitting here for a while. Would you read your story to me?”

Discover strategies. What does “wait a minute” or “wait 5 minutes” look like? Look at your watch, and have each

family member raise his hand when he thinks 1 minute has gone by. They should raise their hands again when they think it’s been 5 minutes. Repeat the activity, but this time, ask each per-son to do something

he enjoys like read-ing or drawing. Does

the time seem to go faster? Your child will learn that staying occupied will help him be patient.♥

Make a personalized game What’s more fun than fam-

ily game night? Playing a game your child designed herself! Consider these suggestions.

1. Family-opoly. Have your youngster create a personalized Monopoly game. She might name properties after people, places, or things that are important to your family (say, her grandparents’ native country or her brother’s college mascot). After she makes the board and property cards, use Monopoly money and game pieces to play her version.

2. Trivia, Family Edition. Encourage family members to write questions about your family on index cards, with the answers on the backs. Examples: “What break-fast dish is Dad famous for?” or “How did we celebrate Mom’s 40th birthday?” Stack the cards with the answers facing down. Your child draws one and reads the question aloud. The first person to answer correctly keeps the card and asks the next question. When all cards have been used, the player with the most wins.♥

Write a winning argument

My daughter Lucy has been asking for a cat for months. So when she told me that she was learning to write “argu-ments” in school, I asked her to write me a letter arguing why we should get a cat.

A few days later, Lucy handed me her letter. She had stated her claim—“Having a pet helps kids become responsible.” She even gathered evidence. She talked to three friends and wrote about how they care for their animals.

Finally, she considered my side, say-ing she knew I was worried I’d end up doing all the work. So she proposed a rule: She would have to feed the cat and scoop out its litter box before going out to play.

Lucy’s letter worked, and we’re going to the animal shelter this weekend to adopt her cat. Now she sees that writing a good argument can pay off!♥

Q&

A

PARENTTO

PARENTACTIVITYCORNER

New opportunities for Falcons to SOAR at Fern! Fern Elementary is a PBIS school! We have taken a positive step forward in developing school-wide expectations for behavior for our students. Our SOAR model (PBIS system=Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) focuses on the positive behaviors exhibited by our students rather than the negative behaviors. Staff members may provide a student a SOAR purple slip to acknowledge his/her positive academic and character behaviors across the campus; Scholarly, On time, Accountable, Respectful/Responsible. A school-wide behavior policy shapes and encourages a positive school culture. Through a consistent PBIS implementation we expect to see the following results:

ü improved academic achievement, ü increased school engagement and participation, ü reduced negative behaviors and, ü increased adult focus on positive student behaviors.

Our students have positively responded to the launch of our school wide behavior expectations, so we have updated our system to reflect the growing number of Falcon achievers! Students now have three ways to “cash in” their SOAR purple slips.

1) Our fabulous PTA members will continue to host the Fern Student Store in front of the school on the last Wednesday of the month. Each SOAR purple slip has a value of 25 cents at the store.

2) New – the SOAR café. Students can place their SOAR slips in grade level buckets in the cafeteria. A raffle drawing will be held at the first Falcon Monday Morning Assembly each month and six SOAR slips will be drawn from each bucket. The winners will eat their lunch at the special SOAR café table on the stage with a staff member(s).

3) New – the SOAR Store. Once a month, students can purchase a pencil, eraser, or stickers from the store during lunch. One SOAR slip will be needed to purchase one item. Each month, the date will be announced at the Falcon Monday Morning Assembly.

We look forward to recognizing and celebrating Fern students!

Fern’s PBIS Team

Jessica Garcia (4th grade teacher) Lauren Haro (RtI teacher) Debbie Mabry (principal) Linda Olmos (TK teacher)

Kelly Steinfeld (PBIS Lead Coach and Learning Center teacher)

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Our school library is looking for volunteers during class hours and lunch recess.

If you are able to give your time one day a week or more please email

Traci Dominguez: fernptapres@gmail.com

If we do not have enough volunteers to staff the library, it may end up being closed certain days and

times of the week.

* All volunteers must be cleared through the office and TUSD*