S E P T.

2 015

Rockport Elem. News

Dates to
Remember
P I C T U R E DAY
School picture day is coming
up next week on September
23rd
WALK TO SCHOOL
October 7th will be our walk
to school day. We will meet at
the courthouse starting at
7:15am
M AY E S FA R M
October 15th 1st Grade will
be taking a trip to Mayes
Farm
FA L L B R E A K
Fall Break is Oct. 16th.
Classes resume on October
20th
PTO HAPPENINGS
Next PTO meeting is October
6th. 5k fun run/walk is
October 2nd @ the Rockport
City park @ 7:30pm

1ST GRADE READING TIPS

Tips for parents of First Graders:
Give your child lots of
opportunities to read
aloud. Inspire your
young reader to practice
every day! The tips below
offer some fun ways you can
your child become a happy
confident reader. Try a new tip
week. See what works best for
child.

Remind your child to look closely at

the first letter or letters of the word.
*Pick books that are at the right
level. Help your child pick books that
are not too difficult. The aim is to give
your child lots of successful reading
experiences.

*Play word games. Have your child

help
sound out the word as you change it
and
from mat to fat to sat to sag to sap;
each
and from sap to sip.
your
*I read to you, you read to me. Take
turns reading aloud at bedtime. Kids
*Dont leave home without it. Bring
enjoy this special time with their
along a book or magazine any
parents.
time your child has to wait,
such as at a doctors office. *Gently correct your young reader.
When your
child makes a
Always try to fit in reading!
mistake,
gently point out
*Once is not enough. Encourage
the letters he
or
she
your child to reread favorite books
overlooked or
r
e
a
d
and poems. Rereading helps kids read
i n c o r r e c t ly.
Many beginning
more quickly and accurately.
readers will
guess wildly at a
*Dig deeper into the story. Ask your word based on its first letter.
child questions about the story youve
*Write, write, write! Ask your child
just read. Say something
to help you write out the grocery list,
like, Why do you think
a thank you note to Grandma, or to
Clifford did that?
keep a journal of special things that
*Take control of television.
happen at home. When writing,
Its difficult for reading to
encourage your child to use the letter
compete with TV and video games. and sound patterns he or she is
Encourage reading as a free-time learning at school.
activity.
*Be patient. When your child is F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t
trying to sound out an unfamiliar www.ReadingRockets.org.
word, give him or her time to do so.

KINDERGARTEN READING TIPS

Play with letters, words, and sounds! Having fun with language helps your child
learn to crack the code of reading. The tips below offer some fun ways you can help
your child become a happy and confident reader.

At Rockport, our
school community has
a commitment to:

Talk to your child. Ask your child to talk about his day at school.
Encourage him to explain something they did, or a game he played during recess.
Say silly tongue twisters. Sing songs, read rhyming books, and say silly tongue
twisters. These help kids become sensitive to the sounds in words.
Read it and experience it. Connect what your child reads with what happens in
life. If reading a book about animals, relate it to your last trip to the zoo.
Use your childs name. Point out the link between letters and sounds.
Say, John, the word jump begins with the same sound as your
John, jump. And they both begin with the same letter,
J.

n a m e .

Play with puppets. Play language games with

puppets. Have the puppet say, My name is Mark. I
like words that rhyme with my name. Does park
rhyme with Mark? Does ball rhyme with Mark ?

Follow us
on Twitter

Trace and say letters. Have your child use a

finger to trace a letter while saying the letter's
sound. Do this on paper, in sand, or on a plate of
sugar.

@Principal_Meyer

Read it again and again. Go ahead and read your childs favorite book for the
100th time! As you read, pause and ask your child about what is going on in the
book.

Coordinator Jodie Price,

Rockport Elementary is along with the schools
proud to announce it is a wellness council, will
(new) recipient of the lead this effort.
HEROES initiative grant.
Rockport Elementary HEROES supports the
will receive funding for c o o r d i n a t e d s c h o o l
three school years to health model set forth
develop a healthy school by the Center for Disease
culture through policy, Control and Prevention.
systems,
a n d Focuses include physical
environmental change. e d u c a t i o n , n u t r i t i o n
Principal Aaron Meyer s e r v i c e s , h e a l t h
and
W e l l n e s s promotions for staff,

HOMEWORK
HELP
Getting started is one.
Some kids like to come
home and jump right
in. Others like to relax
a n d p l a y fi r s t . I f
possible, try each way
for a week and decide

which works better for

your child and the
family schedule then
choose the routine that
makes the most sense
for you and your child.
Staying motivated is
another challenge.

family and community

involvement, and
health education.
Research shows the
programs and policies
are
having
a
preventative impact
on childhood obesity.
HEROES is an
initiative of the
We l b o r n B a p t i s t
Foundation.

Kids sometimes get

restless
doing
homework. Try
changing locations. Let
them do reading at the
kitchen table and then
science on the porch
and math on the couch.

achievement
Developing positive
relationships by practicing
mutual respect
Celebrating the diversity of
learning styles and
cultures
Providing a safe
environment Where each
child, each day, is a
success!

@RockportElem

Play sound games. Practice blending sounds into words. Ask Can you guess
what this word is? m - o - p. Hold each sound longer than normal.

HEROES GRANT

Increased academic

WALK TO SCHOOL
WALK TO SCHOOL DAY IS COMING
UP ON OCT. THE 7TH
MEET AT THE
COURTHOUSE AT
7:15AM
W E A R C O M F O RTA B L E
SHOES
ST U D E N TS CA N R I D E
BIKES AS WELL
PARENTS ARE WELCOME
TO WALK WITH US AS
WELL

A planned break with a

snack can also give
him a second wind.
I hope this helps
reduce homework time
stress. As always if
homework is a big
stressor, reach out to

the childs teacher for

help and suggestions.
WE ARE HERE TO
HELP and we thank
you for allowing us to
educate your child!

4th Grade Received a grant for The Walking

Classroom and will be participating in this
throughout the school year. We are so excited to
be a part of this program!

Active Learning!
Award-winning educational program enjoyed by
thousands of students nationwide

Program is used in all types of educational settings

Students listen to kid-friendly podcasts while walking

they walk, listen, and learn!

Each child gets a WalkKit audio device preloaded

with a school-years worth of educational podcasts

Each podcast begins with a brief health literacy

message

Teachers Guide is full of lesson plans and

comprehension quizzes to help synthesize content

Complimentary online training and professional

development is available for educators

Lending Libraries allow students to walk, listen, and

learn at home with their families

Thank you for creating a fun and engaging

curriculum that doesnt waste time or take extra
effort. Thank you for aligning to my standards.
Thank you for integrating science and
social studies topics. Just thank you.
Candice, 5th grade teacher, North Carolina

Demonstrated
Results







Differentiates instruction
Increases physical activity
Builds core content knowledge
Engages different learning styles
Broadens class participation
Develops health awareness and
healthy habits

Evidence-Based
Research shows exercise helps:






Fight obesity
Improve attention and concentration
Engage different learning styles
Close the achievement gap

See TWC
in action
here

w w w. Th e Wa l k i n g Cl a s s ro o m . o rg | 9 1 9 - 2 4 0 - 7 8 7 7
a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization

TRY TO BE A
RAINBOW IN
SOMEONES CLOUD MAYA ANGELOU

1ST AND
KINDERGARTEN
WORKING HARD
The first years of
elementary school represent
tremendous opportunity but also bring
with them a certain amount of stress.
That sentence could describe the
experience for both parents and students.
I am proud that at Rockport Elementary
School you can walk into classrooms throughout the day and
see students working hard and having fun. Thank you parents for all your
support and thank you students for all your hard work.

4.

Rockport Elem.

ROCKPORT PARENTS
Find us on Twitter and Facebook

https://twitter.com/RockportElem
Like Rockport Elementary on Facebook

200 S. 6th St. Rockport

Indiana 47635, T 812-649-2201,
aaron.meyer@sspencer.k12.in.us