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TRANSCRIPT
April, 2017
The Parent Post /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Fun Summer Facts!
¤ The first national spelling bee was held in the summer of 1825
¤ The first ancient Olympic games took place in the summer of
776 B.C. in Greece; only men who spoke Greek were allowed
to participate
¤ Mosquitos have been on earth for more than 30 million years
¤ July is National Ice Cream month
¤ The first women’s swimsuit was created in the 1800s
¤ Roman general Marc Antony named the month of July after
Julius Caesar, dictator of the Roman Republic
¤ The summer solstice is the first day of summer and the longest
day of the year. The date varies between June 20 and June 22
each year - due to the Earth’s rotation not exactly reflecting our
calendar year
The Home and School Connection
There is tremendous benefit for children when parents help them bridge
their two most important worlds- home and school.
As a parent, you are the major provider of your child’s education from
birth through adolescence. You guide the development of their character
and mental health, and help form the foundation from which your child
will develop lifelong attitudes and interests. Because your child identifies
strongly with you, your attitudes, values, and innermost feelings are
contagious- they become embedded in your child’s mind at the deepest
levels. Your home is the primary environment in which your child’s
potential and personality will take shape. A positive, open atmosphere at
home will support what goes on in the classroom and will also instill the
desire to learn. Through your love and encouragement your child will
become motivated first to please you, and then to please themselves.
This leads to self-confidence, curiosity, the enjoyment of mastering new
skills, and other healthy attitudes, all of which contribute to successful
learning.
While it is true that all of the facts, skills, and concepts your child learns
at school are influenced by what you do at home, your child’s education
is equally impacted by the relationships a parent forms with teachers.
Building an effective relationship between a parent and a teacher
involves mutual respect for each other, the ability to listen, and lots of
communication. It is very helpful to begin each new school year
assuming that your child’s teachers, school, and overall experience will
be good and happy. Even if you had a negative school experience as a
child, the best way to help your child is to be positive, get involved, and
trust the teachers. Your child will get the message: “School is important
and I want you to engage fully.” www.scholastic. com
“Educating the mind
without educating
the heart is no
education at all.” Aristotle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SPRING CALENDAR
May 2 No School - City Election
May 17 Last day of school
May 18 No School
May 19 Grade card day
and Graduation
Best Bedtime Story Read-Alouds
Prepare your child for a good night’s sleep with these nighttime
favorites
Hush by Minfong Ho
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen
The Night Parade by Lily Roscoe
Good Night, I Love You by Caroline Jayne Church
Long Night Moon by Cynthia Rylant
I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak
Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson
Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton
Shhhh by Kevin Henkes
Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming
Sleep Tight, Little Mouse by Mary Morgan
Time for Bed by Mem Fox
Fun Summer Reading for High School Students
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Ethan Frome by Edith Warton
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Into Thin Air by John Krakauer
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Looking for Alaska by John Green
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
www.fastweb.com
Jovani and Lashauna are both hardworking
Fairview-Marguerite Elementary students.
Fairview student Jean Carlos enjoyed activities
at the Pumpkin Patch with Ms. Chance’s class.
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It’s a fact: Some children can’t seem to get enough of screen time.
Whether it is smartphones, tablets, PCs or TV, some kids crave
electronic entertainment. For most parents the battle to control the
amount of time their kids spend glued to their devices is exhausting
and often unsuccessful. Screen time is a relatively new issue for
parents. Technology is always changing and growing which means it
is nearly impossible for most parents to understand every aspect of
the digital world, simply because it evolves so quickly. We hear plenty
of reports that technology is bad for kids, but rarely see reports about
the good it does.
There are many ways that screen time can be part of family time. It
can be engaging, inspiring, and even social for the whole family.
There is currently a huge amount of research into the benefits of
families having joint media time. Those benefits include a whole
range of skills that you would probably never suspect. Working with
these electronic devices has been shown to increase language
developments, improve bonding, expand play opportunities away from
the screen, and prevent the “video zombie effect”. You know the one-
when your child becomes so mesmerized by the screen that they
become oblivious to everything else, particularly mom or dad telling
them it is time to go to bed or eat dinner, or feed the dog. The most
recent research, which came out last year, found that the mere
presence of a parent while kids engaged with electronic media had a
beneficial effect. This effect was present even when parents weren’t
actively asking the children about what they were doing- simply being
in close proximity was enough to provide the benefits. Aside from this
research, there are other simpler benefits resulting from sharing the
experience of electronic media. It has been noted that playing games,
watching TV and generally interacting with kids in the electronic realm
brings you into their environment. This helps protect them from the
seedy side of the digital world, not only because you are physically
there with them, but also because by experiencing the online world
together your children will know that you understand their world,
speak their language, and can help them if they do get into strife.
Unfortunately, kids often do not tell their parents if they experience
cyber-bullying or other online issues and one reason is that they think
parents won’t understand or that the slightest bit of trouble will get
them banned from the online world altogether. By being part of that
world with them you create a bond that gives your child an extra
element of protection in that digital world. Even better, spending time
with your kids while you both engage with the electronic world can be
fun for you both. What better reason do you need than that?
www.kidspot.com
Java-to-Go coffee service was
implemented by Mrs. Evans and
Mrs. Bakely at West High so that
students could gain experience in
a work-related environment.
Marisela and Allen
refine their
work-related skills
as they prepare
and deliver their
product.
West High student Garrett and Mr. Holder
promote the “R” word – RESPECT !
Ubaldo, Marisela, and Bobby…
learn inventory processing
work with money
practice following directions
improve social skills
as they carry out their job duties.
Travis demonstrates proper form in
Weight Training with Coach Salansky.
Congratulations to Dr. Anne Nelson
Retiring Special Services Supervisor
Dr. Anne Nelson has served Hamblen County as Special Services
Supervisor for the past eleven years. She began her career as an educator
in Union County, Tennessee at Horace Maynard High School as a special
education resource teacher. During those first years, she taught English,
science, and mathematics. She also coached the girls’ basketball team.
Her next assignment was at Morristown East High School teaching
resource English, as well as sponsoring the Beta Club and cheerleaders. After several years at East High
she was offered a position at Sevier County High School where she taught English and mathematics in the
resource program. She chaired committees for the school as they sought accreditation from SACS (Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools). In addition, she organized professional development activities for the
faculty. Eventually, she became a consultative teacher with duties including chairing all IEP team meetings,
coordinating assessments with school psychologists, and coaching regular education teachers in the delivery
and instruction to students with disabilities. By this time, she had enrolled in classes at East Tennessee State
University to complete her doctorate degree. One of her classes required practicum hours in various school
districts. As she worked with Dr. Brenda Dean to arrange the practicum hours in Hamblen County Schools,
Dr. Dean suggested that she consider applying for the Supervisor of Special Services here in Hamblen
County. For eleven years now she has worked in our district to improve and facilitate special services for all
students with disabilities. She has provided guidance and support to special education teachers and teaching
assistants in our eighteen schools. Each school year she coordinates providers of related services to ensure
that all students receive therapies needed, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical
therapy. She works with school psychologists and counselors providing students with emotional/behavioral
support. She has worked diligently to improve work based learning, graduation rates, transition services, and
vocational rehabilitation opportunities. Dr. Nelson also supervises school nurses in our district and supports
them as they care for students while they are at school.
For Dr. Nelson the most challenging aspect of her supervisory position has been leaving the safety and
autonomy of the classroom. At the district level there is no “me”; it is “we” when moving forward. However,
the supervisor is the responsible party when things go bad. Dr. Nelson’s most rewarding aspect is the
graduation rates for students with disabilities. Over the past eleven years, the percentage of students with
disabilities receiving regular education diplomas has increased from 35% to 70%. She credits talented
personnel in the Special Services department and says without their support, guidance, and growth the
programming to create the vision for students with disabilities in Hamblen County would never have been
accomplished.
As she retires Dr. Nelson would like to be remembered as a good teacher and says the teaching aspect of
her career was colorful, rich, and rewarding. She thoroughly enjoyed designing engaging lessons for all types
of disabilities. She always felt as if she was learning new concepts with the students.
The best advice for Dr. Nelson’s successor is to take time to really listen to others. She says you cannot
be an effective leader without the consideration of those you work with on a daily basis. Once you have
invested the time with others, then you are able to implement your vision.
Retirement plans for Dr. Nelson include raising German Shepherd puppies and cultivating beehives along
with sewing, artwork, and gardening. We are most grateful for her years of dedication as a special educator
and wish her a long and fulfilling retirement.
School Calendar
2017 - 2018
August 3 Student registration
August 7 First full day of school
September 4 Labor Day holiday
October 16-20 Fall Break
November 22-24 Thanksgiving holidays
December 20 11:15 dismissal
December 21-Jan 2 Winter break
January 3 Return to school
January 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday
March 26-30 Spring break
May 1 County Primary Election holiday
May 16 Last full day of school
May 18 Grade card day & Graduation
At a Special Olympics track meet, a young girl had just won
the 50-yard dash and was jumping up and down all excited !
She yelled out to her parents, “Look! I won, I won!” Her
parents instantly burst into tears.
The young girl proudly stood there as a medal was placed
around her neck. Then she ran over to her parents, who were
crying now even more than they were before. The three of
them hugged for a long time as both parents continued to cry.
A Special Olympics official became concerned
and went over to the parents and said,
“Excuse me, is everything okay?” Through her
tears, the mother said, “Yes, everything is
okay…. in fact, it is wonderful… we just
heard our daughter speak for the very first
time!” www.wordpress.com
Andy participated
in the
Jump Rope for Heart
event at
Fairview
Nevaeh’s smile
brightens up
her classroom
at Fairview.
Ms. Chance at Fairview submitted this
great picture of student Joshua
exploring the Pumpkin Patch.