I don't read or speak Spanish. How do I help my child with his/her homework?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions in our building. Please do not worry! I do not expect any family to be able to speak Spanish.
1. The math homework is provided online in English. This is a way for your child to learn the English equivalents to all of the math vocabulary. The on-line site is in English and Spanish as well.
2. Before Spanish books are sent home, the kids read with me to find an appropriate level for each child. Based on how they read with me, they get a level of books. These should not need too much parental guidance. Your main job is to make sure that your child has time to read each night and to have your child read the books out loud to verify that he/she is actually reading them. Make sure to have them tell you about the book, but please do NOT have your child translate word for word. This is an incredibly difficult skill and will probably cause frustration in your child. If at anytime the books do not seem to be appropriate, please let me know and I will double check your child's level.
3. Sometimes the kids bring home things to "share" with family members. This is to brag about the things they have learned and to show you what they are doing at school. Most times these items should be signed and sent back once your child has shared them with you. This typically earns them a ticket.
Our schedule is really full and my child has too much homework. What do I do?
Contact me, please. If you believe that the homework coming home is too hard for your child, I need to know. If your child is spending more than about 15-20 minutes a night to complete his/her homework, it is too much! Until you contact me, I have no idea. I truly appreciate feedback in this area. I want to make sure that we are working as a team. I believe that kids can learn so much from playing indoor and outdoor games with family, spending time with family, and experiencing life. I do not want to overload families with homework. I work hard to make sure that no child is spending their childhood doing homework. If you find this happening in your house, do not hesitate to let me know so that I can help.
I would like to volunteer in the classroom. What do I do?
Email me, please. If you speak Spanish, we can have you help in our room during math, Spanish reading, or Spanish writing time. If you do not speak Spanish, we could still use your help. Starting in January, we begin English. We need some volunteers who are willing to come in a couple of times a month to read sight words with the kids. We also do reading groups. Our English reading groups are done once a week on a specific day, so these volunteers need to be available consistently each week. I try to have family members work with their children, but sometimes I keep them in my group or my mom's group to make sure that they are benefiting from teachers who have experience in teaching reading strategies. My mom is a retired teacher who volunteers for reading groups in our class. She taught first grade for many years and brings a ton of wonderful experience and knowledge to the class. We want to make sure that our kids who need the most building blocks of reading work with us to get the most trained guidance possible.
Are there other opportunities to volunteer at Ada Vista?
Yes! We need volunteers to help in the cafeteria, the library, and the volunteer work room. At times, the office could use some extra help as well. Throughout the year, we have many special events that the PTO is always looking for volunteers to help. Keep your eyes peeled for those opportunities.
Motivating my child to do homework at night is difficult at best and impossible some nights. What can I do?
Again, please contact me. We will see if adjusting homework, finding a rewards system, or something else will be better suited for your child.
My child is having a problem with another student and Janell is doing nothing about it!
Please believe that I probably know nothing about this. Sometimes things happen on the bus, at recess, or on the other side of the classroom and I have absolutely no idea that there is a problem. Many times the kids will come home and tell you about it, but haven't talked to me. First, please encourage your child to first talk to me. When he/she comes home, ask your child how things worked out. If this still seems to be a problem, please contact me. If something physically dangerous is happening, please contact me as soon as possible. My number one priority at school is to make sure that every child is safe, healthy, well cared for, and happy.
This is one of the most frequently asked questions in our building. Please do not worry! I do not expect any family to be able to speak Spanish.
1. The math homework is provided online in English. This is a way for your child to learn the English equivalents to all of the math vocabulary. The on-line site is in English and Spanish as well.
2. Before Spanish books are sent home, the kids read with me to find an appropriate level for each child. Based on how they read with me, they get a level of books. These should not need too much parental guidance. Your main job is to make sure that your child has time to read each night and to have your child read the books out loud to verify that he/she is actually reading them. Make sure to have them tell you about the book, but please do NOT have your child translate word for word. This is an incredibly difficult skill and will probably cause frustration in your child. If at anytime the books do not seem to be appropriate, please let me know and I will double check your child's level.
3. Sometimes the kids bring home things to "share" with family members. This is to brag about the things they have learned and to show you what they are doing at school. Most times these items should be signed and sent back once your child has shared them with you. This typically earns them a ticket.
Our schedule is really full and my child has too much homework. What do I do?
Contact me, please. If you believe that the homework coming home is too hard for your child, I need to know. If your child is spending more than about 15-20 minutes a night to complete his/her homework, it is too much! Until you contact me, I have no idea. I truly appreciate feedback in this area. I want to make sure that we are working as a team. I believe that kids can learn so much from playing indoor and outdoor games with family, spending time with family, and experiencing life. I do not want to overload families with homework. I work hard to make sure that no child is spending their childhood doing homework. If you find this happening in your house, do not hesitate to let me know so that I can help.
I would like to volunteer in the classroom. What do I do?
Email me, please. If you speak Spanish, we can have you help in our room during math, Spanish reading, or Spanish writing time. If you do not speak Spanish, we could still use your help. Starting in January, we begin English. We need some volunteers who are willing to come in a couple of times a month to read sight words with the kids. We also do reading groups. Our English reading groups are done once a week on a specific day, so these volunteers need to be available consistently each week. I try to have family members work with their children, but sometimes I keep them in my group or my mom's group to make sure that they are benefiting from teachers who have experience in teaching reading strategies. My mom is a retired teacher who volunteers for reading groups in our class. She taught first grade for many years and brings a ton of wonderful experience and knowledge to the class. We want to make sure that our kids who need the most building blocks of reading work with us to get the most trained guidance possible.
Are there other opportunities to volunteer at Ada Vista?
Yes! We need volunteers to help in the cafeteria, the library, and the volunteer work room. At times, the office could use some extra help as well. Throughout the year, we have many special events that the PTO is always looking for volunteers to help. Keep your eyes peeled for those opportunities.
Motivating my child to do homework at night is difficult at best and impossible some nights. What can I do?
Again, please contact me. We will see if adjusting homework, finding a rewards system, or something else will be better suited for your child.
My child is having a problem with another student and Janell is doing nothing about it!
Please believe that I probably know nothing about this. Sometimes things happen on the bus, at recess, or on the other side of the classroom and I have absolutely no idea that there is a problem. Many times the kids will come home and tell you about it, but haven't talked to me. First, please encourage your child to first talk to me. When he/she comes home, ask your child how things worked out. If this still seems to be a problem, please contact me. If something physically dangerous is happening, please contact me as soon as possible. My number one priority at school is to make sure that every child is safe, healthy, well cared for, and happy.
