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.