Meredith Hill Messenger
Volume 6, Issue 5	http://www.fwps.org		January 2001

Dear Parents,

Our newsletter has a new look! At the suggestion of several groups of people, the newsletter will usually be one page and will be distributed on the first and third Thursdays of the month. At the same time, our newsletter will be e-mailed to families that indicated on their emergency cards that this would be a good way to get messages to them. Please let the office know if you would like to begin getting the newsletter by e-mail. Finally, our newsletter will also be on the Meredith Hill web site at www.fwps.org/Meredith and will be updated with each new issue. We would enjoy hearing your thoughts about the changes!

Christie Brown, Principal

WASL Information Night

Third and fourth grade parents are invited on January 9th from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. to learn more about the Washington Assessment of Student Learning test that fourth grade students take in the spring. You will have time to look through sample test questions, hear how curriculum and the test fit together,
Mark Your Calendar

JANUARY
9 - Reading Training Mtg. 6:30-7:30 p.m.
9 - WASL Information Mtg. 7:30-8:30 p.m.
11 - Steel Drum/Honor Choir Concert
7:00 p.m.
12 - Site Leadership Team Mtg. 7:45 a.m.
15 - NO SCHOOL - M.L. King, Jr. Day
18 - P.T.A. Ident-A-Kid Program
19 - 2nd Cup of Coffee with the Principal
10:00-11:00 a.m.
25 - Band/Orchestra Concert 7:00 p.m.

PARENT WORKSHOP

A Meredith Hill Parent Workshop, "What Parents Can Do at Home to Help Students With Reading", will be held on Tuesday, January 9th from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Meredith Hill Library. Children are invited. They will be in the gym enjoying stories read by Meredith Hill Staff. Please note this is the same workshop that was offered in November. This event is sponsored by the Meredith Hill Learning Assistance Program.

When Bad Weather Hits!

In case of snow or ice, school may be delayed or canceled. A snow and ice bulletin came home this fall advising parents of what to do when bad weather hits. It is not unusual for us to receive hundreds of calls on a snowy morning. We do not have enough staff or equipment to handle such a volume. On bad weather days, please assist us by tuning in to one of the many radio/television stations listed on that bulletin to find out the status of school.

School closures and late arrivals are announced on the following stations:

Television: KOMO TV Channel 4
KING TV Channel 5
KIRO TV Channel 7
KSTW Channel 11

Radio: KIRO 710 AM
KOMO 1000 AM
KVI 580 AM
KING 1090 AM
KLSY 92.5 FM
KUBE 93.3 FM

Scooters

Students who are interested in riding their scooters to school need to be aware that the rules are the same as bike rules. If students are riding scooters, they need to wear helmets and they need to register the scooter at the office. Scooters should be folded up before entering the building and left in the coat closet until school ends. Scooters are not allowed on school buses.

Nurture, Support Your
Child's Reading Habits

Even children who can read on their own need parents' gentle support to reach their full potential as readers.

Foremost, children need your praise and encouragement. It's good to note their progress.

Also be sure to:
· Provide easy-to-read books that your child can read alone.
· Get your child her own library card. Go to the library regularly.
· Notice what your child is interested in. Then find books and magazines about those things.
· Talk about books - the ones you read together and the ones your child reads on her own.
· Take time to listen to your child read aloud.
· Suggest your child read to a younger neighbor, brother or sister.
· Keep reading aloud to your child. Read material that will challenge your child's thinking and build vocabulary.
· Help your child find time for reading. Make sure she's not overly scheduled.
· Go places and do new things. More background knowledge gives children a basis for understanding what they read.
· Encourage writing. Ask your child to add to your shopping list, take messages, make her own cards and write letters.

Source: Read Me a Story: Reading Checkup Guide, American Academy of Pediatrics, http://www.aap.org/family/readmeastory.htm