M A R C H

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Strattonville News

The

-Ways to stay connected1. Websites: computer OR smartphone

www.strattonville.org
This site is all about our magnet theme. There is a Meet the Staff page that has photos and interesting information about our staff. There is also a forum for questions and topics for discussion.

Whats New
Hello to all our Strattonville families. Can you believe the month of March is upon us? Time sure flies when you are having fun; and let me tell you, we are having FUN at Strattonville! Coming off a very successful Micro-Night, we recently hosted our second Bring Your Parent to Work Day and it was a great success! On February 27th we had over 40 parents and family members come to work with their Strattonville student. All those that came were entered into a raffle for a FREE family pack of tickets to the PTAs end-of-the-year carnival. There will be 10 winning families, so if you didnt get to attend the first parent to work day, you can still be entered if you come to our next scheduled day, March 27th. Since it IS March, do you know what that means for all of us within the friendly confines of Strattonville? All 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students are taking the ISATs, or Illinois Standard Achievement Tests. After the tests, we will be having Parent/Teacher Conference on the 14th & 15ththen Spring Break! Speaking of the ISAT tests, did you know they are a series of tests, which take this first full week of March? Students are tested on reading, math, writing, and science. Students and teachers have been diligently preparing for these tests.

2. Twitter follow us at strattonville@twitter 3. No Internet or smartphone NO PROBLEM: stop in, chat, and pick up the latest news J

Save the date:

March 4-13
3 ,4 ,5 grade
rd th th

March 14 & 15
Parent-Teacher Conferences: day of school on the 14th &

March 18-22
NO SCHOOL Spring Break

March 29
NO SCHOOL Spring Holiday

ISAT TESTING

Whats New Continued:

Just this last Friday we had a school-wide assembly and talked with the students about strategies they could use to be as successful on the ISATs as possible. Taking your time, going back and checking answers, and staying relaxed were suggestions that were made. There are a few things you can do to help them do their best. Make sure your student(s) get to bed early so they are well rested. If you can, make sure your student gets a good breakfast each day, either at home or here at school. You can also talk to them about trying their best and staying relaxed. Sometimes students get anxious and nervous about the tests. This apprehension or test anxiety can have a negative impact on both the student(s) and their test outcomes. In other great news, 125 NOOKs will be purchased from our local Barnes & Noble!!! A NOOK is an eReader or tablet. They are something similar to the iPad or Kindle Fire. We will be able to furnish every Strattonville classroom with a set of 5 and our library with a set of 10! Students will be able to access hundreds of interactive, high interest, fiction and non-fiction eBooks with these tablets. This is just another example of Strattonville working to provide unique, progressive educational opportunities, which are preparing our students for success in the 21st Century. ~Ask Me About~ In MicroSociety Ask me about my job and role in my venture. Ask me about the Market Dayshow am I planning to spend my earnings? Ask me if I am planning to save any of my money. The Leader in Me Habit #6 SynergizeAsk me what it means, what is the hand signal for it, and how it will make me a better leader. Ask me about the first 5 habits weve learned: 1. Be Proactive 2. Begin With the End in Mind 3. Put First Things First 4. Think Win-Win 5. Seek First to Understand, Then Understood

Community Partners
One of the major goals in the Federal Magnet Grant that Stratton received is creating sustainable community partnerships. Currently we have three major contributors working with Strattonville students and staff. WILL-Illinois Public Media, which can be heard on AM 580 or FM 90.9, has been working with our students in the 21st Digital Media Center. Champaign-Urbana Schools Foundation and The I.D.E.A. Store have been working to help us organize and run the Strattonville Warehouse (where ventures get their supplies), and Sailfin Pet Shop has been working with the students in Scales & Tales Reptile Zoo. If you get a chance, tune in, or stop by and thank them for their commitment to our project and enhancing our students learning experiences. Another great opportunity some of our students are taking advantage of is working with students from the University of Illinois Business Council. Strattonville managers, assistant managers, and bookkeepers met periodically with the Business Council students last semester. These groups have resumed their meetings. During these meetings Strattonville students are learning about business ethics, marketing, teamwork, and the importance of leadership. Our students are getting an opportunity to reflect on and share about strategies, which are working and/or need improvement in their ventures and agencies. We are constantly looking for opportunities to have experts come into the building and share their passion and knowledge with our students. If you are someone with an expertise and knowledge that you would like to share, please contact us. We want our students to leave Strattonville knowing more about what opportunities are available in the real world. The more they are exposed to, the better choices they can make in the future when considering how they would like to contribute to society. If you know of an expert in a particular field to invite to talk with our students, please contact us J 2