September School Newsletter--Monday,  October 1, 2012 • Vol. 13--No. 076a • 7 of 16 •  Other Editions

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•  Studies show that a child may need as many as eighty repetitions to learn a skill.  Title I is here to do just that.  We are all about repetition and automaticity.  Keeping skill practice fun and interesting is our goal.  We are practicing phonics skills such as short and long vowels, consonant sounds, and beginning and ending sounds.  Our goal is to achieve reading fluency and comprehension.  It takes much creativity and planning to spark interest in a drill and practice environment but if you drop by and observe Title I you will see children who are motivated to move forward in learning.  Check out www.mrscutler.com and follow the links on the right for more pictures and information.
•  We are administering weekly 1-minute probes on each child kindergarten through third grade student.  This is a new kind of assessment for us.  It is called formative assessment, which means we are looking for what the students do not know yet and watching for growth in their learning.  Formative assessment is not new but to many it is unfamiliar.  We hope that it will give us more accurate information about learning so we may intervene early before the child experiences failure.  Practice makes perfect so read in the car and from afar.  Read in bed and in your head. Read at the table until you're able!
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Guidance - Eric Hamiel
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Our elementary guidance is off to a great start this year!  The elementary students are beginning the Character Counts program, which focuses on character development with students in the areas of Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.  September is Trustworthiness month, and our students are focusing on the importance of telling the truth and being a dependable person.  To aid the student's skill building, we are utilizing the Auto-B-Good Character Education curriculum, which is a character building series based off the Disney movie "Cars". 
•  In addition to character building skills, grades 3 - 5 will also start the Life Skills Training Curriculum.  The Life Skills Training Program utilizes a research based curriculum that uses a comprehensive approach to emphasize skills training methods that are proven to reduce tobacco, alcohol, drug use, and behavioral issues.  The upper elementary students will focus on Self-Esteem and goal setting throughout the upcoming month of October.
•  Our middle school students will focus on several areas of social skill and character building throughout the year.  The 6th, 7th, & 8th grade classes will utilize several curriculums that focus on Bullying & Misuse of Power, Cyber Bullying, Cyber Safety, Tobacco & Alcohol Awareness, Drug & Chemical Awareness, Conflict Resolution &

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