Save the DATE!

Falcon Families,

On February 22nd (6:30-7:30pm), please join us for

Family

Night

We will have family opportunities for hands-on learning to showcase the integration of Science,

Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.

Copyright © 2018 The Parent Institute®, www.parent-institute.com

Serve your child a better dayFor years, studies have shown that eating a nutritious breakfast helps children con-centrate and perform better in class. Recently, researchers studying school children in Kansas found that kids who ate breakfast scored higher on stan-dardized tests. They also found that eating a low-sugar meal including whole grains posi-tively affected scores, while drinking fruit juice had a negative effect.

Get your child off to a good start. Make sure she eats a healthy breakfast each day.

Source: L.T. Ptomey, Ph.D. and others, “Breakfast Intake and Composition is Associated with Superior Academic Achievement in Elementary School Children,” Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Taylor & Francis.

Don’t stop reading to your child just because she has learned to read to her-self. Reading aloud together can continue to improve her literacy skills and be fun for both of you. To provide the best experience:• Do it every day. This shows

your child that reading is tooimportant to miss.

• Preview the book beforehand.Reading aloud is performing. Youwill do better if you’re familiarwith the material.

• Choose books you like. If youare excited about a book, odds areyour child will be, too. Considerbooks you enjoyed as a child.

• Emphasize the first line.Strive to grab your child’s atten-tion and make her want to listen.

• Add plenty of expression.Widen your eyes to show surprise.Use different voices for differentcharacters.

• Leave your child wantingmore. Stop each day’s reading ata point where she is eager to hearwhat will happen next.

Teachers need your helpTeachers know that parents are key partners in helping children learn. Here are three things teachers wish parents would do:

1. Be role models. Show your child whata positive attitude and enthusiasm forlearning look like.

2. Stay in touch. Respond to notes orvoicemails from the teacher. Ask howyour child is doing in class. Ask ques-tions if you don’t understand somethingyour child is learning.

3. Have fun. Enjoy good times together.

Source: R. Gillett, “19 things teachers say parents should do at home to help their kids succeed,” Business Insider, niswc.com/ideas.

It’s time to restore routinesHas your child’s bedtime begun to slip? Are mornings more rushed? Is her regular study time not quite so regular? January is a great time to get back into help-ful habits. Sleep and study routines make life easier—and help kids do better in school.

January 2018

Encourage mental math to strengthen problem-solving skillsYour child may be learning math in different ways than you did. The strategies taught today are designed to help students better understand the concepts behind the computa-tions. Doing mental math—working out problems in their heads—helps kids practice using these strategies to solve problems.

To help your child with mental math in the early grades:

• Start with the basics.Give your child a number and ask, “What do you get when you add 1to this number?” Then have him add 2 to his answer, then add 3 to thatanswer, and so on. Later you can ask him to take away 1, then 2, etc.

• Practice “skip counting”—counting by twos, threes, fives and tens.This helps your child add faster and lays a foundation for multiplication.

Later, as your child progresses:

• Work with money. Teach your child the values of coins. Understandingthat there are 100 cents in a dollar, and that a quarter is worth 25 cents(or 25 percent, or one-fourth of a dollar) helps him get comfortable witheasy combinations (75+25=100), fractions and percentages.

• Challenge your child to do quick calculations. “I have to figure outa tip. What is 20 percent of this bill? Can you divide the total by 10 andthen double your answer?”

Amplify the power of read-aloud time

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Torrance Unified School District

Copyright © 2018, The Parent Institute®, www.parent-institute.com

Three keys unlock discipline Are your discipline strategies teaching your child the right lessons? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a three-pronged approach to discipline:

1. Develop a loving supportive relation-ship with your child. A child who feels respected by his parents is more likely to cooperate at home and at school.

2. Use positive reinforcement. Praise your child for what he does right.

3. Never use physical punishment. Instead, use time outs (for a younger child) or take away a privilege temporarily.

Source: “Discipline,” American Academy of Pediatrics, niswc.com/3Dsteps.

Try practice tests two waysResearch shows that taking practice tests is one of the most effective ways to study. Not only do practice tests improve students’ recall, they can also reduce the negative effects of test anxiety. Practice tests can be:

• Cooperative. Consider allowing your child to invite classmates over to quiz one another. Or you can help her study with flash cards by calling out questions.

• Independent. Your child can look over textbooks and handouts and write her own test questions, then answer them.

Source: “Practice testing protects memory against stress,” TuftsNow, niswc.com/practicetests.

___1. Do you focus on your child when he’s talking to you? If you can’t, do you say, for example, “I’m driving now, but I’d like to hear about this when we get home”?

___2. Do you listen patiently? It can take kids a while to get across what they want to say.

___3. Do you avoid interrupting your child, and ask him not to interrupt you or others?

___4. Do you “listen” to your child’s behavior? It is a way he communicates his needs.

___5. Do you avoid jumping in with the right answer when your child is thinking?

How well are you doing?More yes answers mean you are teaching listening by example. For each no, try that idea.

Steer through tough timesStressful events—in the family or the world—can have a negative effect on kids. To provide stability and hope during stressful times:

• Stick to familiar routines. • Involve your child

in fun decisions. “We’re saving money. Instead of going to a movie, let’s stay here and play a game you love. What will it be?”

January 2018

Comparisons are deflating my child. How can I help?

Q: My third grader struggles a lot more in school than her older sister does. Now, my sweet little girl has started to call herself “the family loser.” How can I help her stop making comparisons and see herself as someone who can achieve?A: Your child has grown up watching her older sister. It’s understandable that she might use her sister’s perfor-mance as a benchmark for her own. But with your help, she can find ways to develop her own talents and see herself as the capable individual she is.

Self-esteem can have a direct impact on school performance. The best way to give your child’s self-esteem a boost is to discover some areas where she can be successful. Success in one area often leads to success in another.

Help your daughter:

• Choose activities that are different from her sister’s. If her sister plays soccer, perhaps your child would like to try scouting, or act in a play.

• Focus on the things she does well. Whether it is her knack for making friends or for organizing, remind her that her talents are important. Be clear that you are just as proud of her as you are of her sister.

Are you showing your child how to listen?The most important part of communication isn’t talking—it’s listening. The way you listen to your child teaches him how to listen to others. Are you helping your child develop listening skills? Answer yes or no below:

”If speaking is silver,

then listening is gold.”

—Anonymous

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.

Copyright © 2018, The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. P.O. Box 7474, Fairfax Station, VA 22039-7474

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Home&SchoolWorking Together for School Success CONNECTIONJanuary 2018

© 2017 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

Family time is a worthy invest-ment that can boost your child’s communication skills and self-esteem. As a result, she may learn more and behave bet-ter in school. Try these ideas for fitting in more time with your youngster.

Maximize minutesSharing simple, everyday

moments may lead to con-versations about school or friends. Ask your child to help you with dinner. She could make the salad while you peel potatoes. Or sing along with the radio when the two of you are in the car or listening to music at home.

Have “play dates”Join your youngster when she plays.

She might teach you the rules for Trouble or Mousetrap, or you could show her a card game you liked at her age. Or pre-tend with her—maybe she’ll be a veteri-narian and you’ll bring stuffed animals for checkups. Taking turns and role-playing build social skills she needs in school.

What’s the source?

Share these ideas for keeping track of sources when your youngster writes reports for school. He can jot each fact on the front of an index card and list the book’s title and author on the back. Or he could print out arti-cles and highlight information he plans to use. The URL will be right there at the bottom of the page.

Winter wearNot too cold, not too hot—your child will concentrate better in school if she’s comfortable. Encourage her to dress in layers so she can remove or add as needed. For example, she might wear a sweater over a T-shirt or a vest on top of a blouse.

Developing diligenceWhen your youngster gives a job his wholehearted effort, he’s being dili-gent. To demonstrate, suggest that he fold a few shirts before putting them in a drawer and then just throw in the rest. Ask him if he has done the job right. Point out that diligence will give him better results (unwrinkled shirts).

Worth quoting“Hold on to a true friend with both your hands.” Nigerian proverb

Q: Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?

A: At the bottom.

Together timeSHORT NOTES

JUST FOR FUN

Celebrate historyFor a child, even yesterday can seem like a long

time ago. Bring the past into the present for your youngster with these do-it-today activities.

● Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This civil rights leader helped to change the world. How can your family make a difference? Have each per-son draw a star on a sheet of paper, then cut it out and write one way to help others on each of the star’s points. Examples: “Make a meal for a sick neighbor.” “Play with a classmate who doesn’t have a lot of friends.”

● Create a personal history museum. History isn’t just about others—your family has its own history, too! Let your child turn a box into a museum filled with items that remind family members of “historic” moments. He might include his T-ball award or a photograph of his little sister in a school play.♥

Plan aheadWith your child, list special activities

you both enjoy, such as going to a flea market, visiting a nature center, or watch-ing a basketball game. Put these on a cal-endar so you’ll plan on them. She’ll see that her company is important to you.

Tip: Silence or put away your phone to give your youngster your undivided attention while you chat or play.♥

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

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O U R P U R P O S E

Home & School CONNECTION® January 2018 • Page 2

This sparkly science experi-

ment will show your youngster how crystals form.

1. Save the shells from 4 eggs that you’ve cracked in half. Have your child rinse them and place into an empty egg carton.

2. Measure 1–2 cup boiling water into a mug. Your youngster should stir in about 1–4 cup salt, a little at a time, until it won’t dissolve anymore.

3. Let your child pour 1 tbsp. water into each shell and add a drop of food coloring.

4. Have her check the shells twice a day and record what she sees. Over several days, colorful crystals will form.

5. She could paint her crystals with clear nail polish to preserve them.

The science: As salt dissolves, the water molecules drive apart the salt molecules. When the water evaporates, the salt mol-

ecules go back together, forming a regular

geometric pattern called a crystal. Snowflakes and diamonds are real-world examples of crystals.♥

Make a crystal “garden”

Keys to collaboration

Here’s a skill that will come in handy when your child works with partners or groups: collaboration. He’ll need to exchange opinions and solve problems throughout his school career and in future jobs. Share these tips.

Think before answering. In a good discussion, each person builds on others’ responses. Practice by asking

a “Would you rather” question, such as “Would you rather fly like a bird or transport anywhere instantly?” Maybe you’ll say “teleporting” is better because you’d get home from work quickly. Your young-ster might reply, “I agree that teleporting would be faster, but I’d like to fly and look at the world below.”

Negotiate thoughtfully. Appoint your child “consensus builder” for one week. His job is to think of compromises. Say

one family member wants tacos for dinner and another wants pasta. Perhaps he’ll suggest a “taco-spaghetti bar” where you have tortillas and noodles, with toppings for both.♥

Encourage active playQ: My son used to get plenty of exercise by playing outside. Now that he’s older, he spends more time sitting around than running around. How can I get him moving?

A: You’re right to want your son to move more, since daily physical activity will keep him healthier.

Challenge your child to think of fun ways to be active, and sug-gest that he write each one on a separate index card. Examples: “Jump rope.” “Juggle balls.” “Play air guitar.” Every day, prompt him to pick a few cards and do what they say.

Encourage him to enjoy physical activity with other kids, too, by joining a sports team or taking a class like karate or gymnastics. You can also help by being active with him. Go outside for a game of catch, follow along with a work-out video, or play Ping-Pong at the community center.

Between these ideas—and recess and PE at school—your son can get the recom-mended hour or more of exercise per day.♥

Peer pressure: Stop and think

My daughter Chloe has a friend who dares her to do things that could lead to trouble. When the girls got a restroom pass from their teacher, this friend pres-sured her to sneak onto the playground. Chloe said it was hard to say no, and when she did, her friend called her a “scaredy-cat.”

I told Chloe I was proud of her for doing the right thing. Then I shared an idea to use if she faces peer pressure. She can picture a stop sign in her mind—that’s her cue to stop and think. If she wouldn’t want her teacher or me to see her saying yes, she should say no.

We also talked about how true friends will take “no” for an answer. I hope the “stop sign” strategy will help her handle tough situations in the future.♥

Q&

A

PARENTTO

PARENT

ACTIVITYCORNER

© 2017 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

Enero de 2018

®

Home&SchoolTrabajando juntos para el éxito escolar CONNECTION

El tiempo que pasan en familia es una rentable inversión que refuerza la capa-cidad de comunicación de su hija y su autoestima. Como consecuencia, quizá aprenda y se comporte mejor en la es-cuela. Ponga a prueba estas ideas para pasar más tiempo con su hija.

Aproveche al máximo los minutos

Compartir cotidianamente mo-mentos sencillos puede llevar a con-versaciones sobre la escuela o las amistades. Pídale a su hija que le ayude con la cena. Podría hacer la ensalada mientras usted pela papas. O bien canten con la radio mientras van juntas en el auto o escuchan música en casa.

“Cítense” para jugarÚnase a su hija cuando juegue. Podría

enseñarle a usted las normas de Trouble o de Mousetrap o usted podría enseñarle a ella un juego de naipes que le gustaba cuando usted tenía la edad de su hija. O bien jueguen a ser diferentes cosas: ella po-dría ser la veterinaria y usted le trae ani-males de peluche para un examen médico. Al turnarse y representar distintos papeles

¿Cuál es la fuente?

Comparta con su hijo estas ideas para controlar las fuentes que usa cuando escribe trabajos para el colegio. Puede anotar cada dato en el anverso de una ficha de cartulina y escribir el título del libro y del autor o el sitio web en el re-verso. También podría imprimir artícu-los y resaltar la información que piensa incluir para así tener el URL a la vista en la parte inferior de la página.

Ropa invernalNi demasiado frío, ni demasiado caliente: su hija se concentrará mejor en la escuela si está cómoda. Anímela a que se vista en capas para que se quite o se ponga ropa según lo necesite. Por ejemplo, podría ponerse un suéter encima de una camise-ta o un chaleco sobre una blusa.

Desarrollar la diligenciaCuando su hijo se esfuerza al máximo con una tarea, está siendo diligente. Para demostrarle el concepto, sugiérale que doble unas cuantas camisas antes de meterlas en el cajón y que luego meta de cualquier forma el resto. Pregúntele si ha hecho bien el trabajo. Indíquele que la diligencia le dará mejores resulta-dos (camisas sin arrugas).

Vale la pena citar“Agárrate a un amigo verdadero con tus dos manos”. Proverbio nigeriano

P: ¿Dónde se firmó la Declaración de Independencia?

R: A pie de página.

Tiempo juntos

SIMPLEMENTE CÓMICO

Celebren la historiaA los niños les parece que ayer ocurrió hace mucho

tiempo. Haga presente el pasado para su hijo con estas actividades de ahora mismo.

● Celebren el Día de Martin Luther King Jr. Este líder de los derechos civiles ayudó a cambiar el mundo. ¿Cómo puede su familia hacer cambios positi-vos? Que cada persona dibuje una estrella en un folio, luego recorten la estrella y escriban una manera de ayudar a los demás en cada una de las cinco puntas de la estrella. Ejemplos: “Hacer una comida para un vecino enfermo”. “Entablar amistad con un compañero de clase que no tiene muchos amigos”.

● Creen un museo de historia personal. La historia no trata sólo sobre otras personas: ¡también tiene historia su familia! Que su hijo convierta una caja en un museo lleno de objetos que les recuerden los momentos “históricos” a los miembros de su familia. Podría incluir su trofeo de T-ball o una foto de su hermanita en la obra de teatro de la escuela.♥

NOTAS BREVES

desarrollará las habilidades sociales que necesita en la escuela.

Planeen con tiempoHaga con su hija una lista de activida-

des que les gusten, por ejemplo ir al mer-cado de la pulga, visitar un centro de la naturaleza o ver baloncesto. Póngalas en su calendario para incluirlas en sus planes. Su hija verá lo importante que es para usted su compañía.

Consejo: Silencie o retire el teléfono para prestar a su hija toda su atención mientras charlan o juegan.♥

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

© 2017 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

Home & School CONNECTION® Enero de 2018 • Página 2

Proporcionar a los padres ideas prácticas que promuevan el éxito escolar, la participación de los

padres y un mejor entendimiento entre padres e hijos.

Resources for Educators, una filial de CCH Incorporated

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ISSN 1540-563X

N U E S T R A F I N A L I D A D

Este animado experimento de ciencias le enseñará a su hija cómo se forman los cristales.

1. Reserven las cáscaras de 4 huevos que hayan cascado por la mitad. Dígale a su hija que lave las cáscaras y las coloque en un cartón de huevos vacío.

2. Pongan 1–2 taza de agua hirviendo en un tazón. Su hija tiene que disolver 1–4 de taza de sal, poco a poco, hasta que no pueda disolver más.

3. Dígale a su hija que mida 1 cucharada de agua salada y la ponga en cada media cás-cara y que añada una gota de colorante alimentario.

4. Dígale que observe las cáscaras dos veces al día y que anote lo que ve. Al cabo de varios días se habrán formado cristales de colores.

5. Puede pintar sus cristales con esmalte de uñas transparente para conservarlos.

La ciencia: Al disolverse la sal, las molé-culas del agua separan las moléculas de la

sal. Cuando el agua se evapo-ra las moléculas de sal

vuelven a juntarse for-mando un patrón geométrico regular llamada cristal. Los copos de nieve y los diamantes son ejem-plos de cristales.♥

Hagan un “jardín de cristal”

Las claves de la colaboración

He aquí una habilidad que le será útil a su hijo cuando trabaje con compañeros o gru-pos: la colaboración. Necesitará intercam-biar opiniones y resolver problemas a lo largo de sus estudios y en sus futuros tra-bajos. Comparta con él estas estrategias.

Pensar antes de contestar. En una buena discusión, cada persona añade algo a las respuestas de otras personas. Practiquen en casa iniciando sus preguntas con un “Preferirías”, por ejemplo:

“¿Preferirías volar como un pájaro o transportarte instantáneamente a cual-quier lugar?” Usted podría contestar que el “teletransporte” es mejor por-que así llegaría antes al trabajo. Su hijo podría replicar: “El teletrans-porte sería más rápido, pero a mí me gustaría volar y ver el mundo desde arriba”.

Negociar con consideración. Nombre a su hijo “creador de con-senso” durante una semana. Su tra-

bajo es sugerir acuerdos. Digamos que uno de ustedes quiere tacos de cena

y otro quiere pasta. Su hijo podría sugerir un “bar de espaguetis y tacos” en el que habrá tortillas para tacos y espaguetis, con condi-mentos para ambos.♥

Fomenten los juegos activosP: Mi hijo solía hacer mucho ejercicio jugando al aire libre. Pero ahora que es mayor pasa más tiempo sentado que co-rriendo. ¿Qué puedo hacer para que se mueva?

R: Hace bien en querer que su hijo se mueva más pues la activi-dad física diaria lo ayudará a estar más sano.

Rete a su hijo a que piense en formas de estar activo y sugiérale que es-criba cada una en una ficha de cartulina. Ejemplos: “Saltar a la cuerda”. “Hacer malabarismos con pelotas”. “Tocar una guitarra aérea”. Dígale cada día que elija unas cuantas fichas y que haga lo que ponga en ellas.

Anímelo también a que disfrute de la actividad física con otros niños uniéndose a un equipo de deporte o tomando una clase como karate o gimnasia. También le ayudará si usted participa en las actividades. Salgan a jugar al balón, sigan un vídeo de ejercicios en el cuarto de estar o jueguen ping-pong en el centro comunitario.

Entre estas ideas—y el recreo y la educación física en la escuela—su hijo puede sacar la recomendada hora diaria de ejercicio.♥

Presión de los compa-ñeros: Para y piensa

Mi hija Chloe tiene una amiga que la reta a que haga cosas que las pueden meter en problemas. Cuando la maestra les dio un pase para ir al baño, la amiga la presio-nó para que se escaparan al patio de jue-gos. Chloe dijo que le costó mucho trabajo negarse y que cuando lo hizo su amiga la llamó “cobardica”.

Le dije a Chloe que yo estaba orgullosa de ella por haber hecho lo correc-to. Luego le di una idea que puede usar si se siente presiona-da por sus com-pañeros. Puede imaginarse una señal de stop, ésa es la señal de parar y pensar. Debe decir que no si no le gustaría que su maestra o yo la viéramos diciendo que sí.

También hablamos de que las verdade-ras amistades aceptarán el “no” como res-puesta. Espero que la “señal de stop” la ayude a lidiar con situaciones difíciles en el futuro.♥

P&

R

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Step 3: Click on icon to enroll. Click on "Create an Account" link in the pop-up box.

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Classes Start

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Winter STEM Enrichment at Fern

Dates:Tuesdays for 6 weeks

Jan 30, Feb 6, 13, 20, 27,

Mar 6

Time: 3:15 - 4:15 PM

Grades: 1st-5th

Price: $102.00

3, 2, 1 . . . BLASTOFF!Aerospace Engineering for Grades 1-5

Get ready to have a BLAST while exploring the world of aerospace

engineering! Use the Engineering Design Process each week to

design, create, test, and refine a variety of flying machines.

Construct a shock absorbing system designed to protect two

marshmallow astronauts in a lunar vehicle, create their own air-

powered rockets, design a propeller plane that actually takes flight,

and more! Bring each lesson’s build and continue the engineering

fun at home.

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