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Wildcat News- February 2016 of 23

Walker Wildcat News February 2016 Edition

Hilda Walker Intermediate School

19900 S. 80th Avenue

Tinley Park, IL 60487

www.summithill.org PHONE (815)464.2285 // FAX (815) 464.2160

PRINCIPAL’S PAGE – Ms. Goebel

Dear Parents & Students:

Where did the first month of the year go? If this is any indication of

how fast the rest of our school year will go, then hold tight! We

have second quarter report cards behind us and with those you

should have also reviewed winter STAR benchmark results for

reading and math. If you have questions or concerns, please feel

free to contact your child’s teacher or me.

In other assessment news, our sixth graders will be completing In-

View testing during the week of February 8th and our PARCC test

will be scheduled to begin April 5th for both our 5th and 6th graders.

The PARCC test will assess reading and math and will look a bit

different than last year. This year PARCC will only be conducted

once, combining last year’s two rounds into one. There will be

three ELA sessions/four math sessions for 5th grade and three ELA

sessions/three math sessions for 6th grade. Testing sessions will

range in length from about sixty-110 minutes. As you may recall,

PARCC testing has replaced ISAT and is a state-mandated test. If

you have any questions about PARCC, please let us know.

If you are able, please support SHEF’s new Battle Ball fundraising

event that will be held on Sunday, March 20th. This will be a fun

time for all age levels, and buying a ticket will help raise funds for

our education foundation. SHEF has been responsible for giving

back hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants that enrich the

academic environment of all our 161 schools. They are a

wonderful group of people who volunteer their time to benefit our

students- please consider joining SHEF and supporting their

outstanding efforts!

Upcoming Events

February 8-11

In-View Testing

February 11

PAWmart (during Lunch)

February 12

LW Area School Institute

Day/No School

February 13

IGSMA Solo/Ensemble

Contest @Walker

February 14

Happy Valentine’s Day

February 15

No School/Presidents’ Day

February 18

HWSCO Open Gym 4-6pm

February 22-26

HWSCO Book Fair (during

your student’s library time)

http://www.summithill.org/


We want to continue to foster a positive and productive learning

environment for our students. If you have any questions or

concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Kindly,

Ms. Laura C. Goebel, Principal

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S PAGE – Mr. Hantson

Dear Parents & Students,

Time continues to fly as we have entered the second half of the

year here at Walker. It is amazing to think of all that has been

accomplished by our students and staff thus far and know that

there is so much more to come! We have already had great

success in our athletic programs, outstanding turn outs for our

activities, and solid representation in the District Spelling Bee. Our

accolades don’t seem to end!

Last month the district held a Social Media presentation and it was

full of valuable information to keep your child(ren) safe when

utilizing Social Media. A couple of key things that can be done to

protect your child are creating ground rules and expectations for

use, adjusting their privacy settings to the strictest level, and most

importantly monitoring their posts and pictures. These are just a few

things that can be done but if questions or concerns ever arise do

not hesitate to contact me.

As we move forward into the second half we will have a grand

production put on by our Drama Club of the play the Lion King. The

coordinators and students have put in an enormous amount of time

and effort already so this is sure to be a hit. We will also celebrate

the graduation of our 5th grade students from the D.A.R.E. program.

Officer Adamski has been working with our students all year and it

will be a wonderful experience to celebrate their success in the

program.

It’s going to be a great second half of the year! Thanks for all you

do.

Mr. Don Hantson, Assistant Principal

Progress Reports/

Report Cards

Quarter Three: 2/19, 4/8

Quarter Four: 5/2, Last

day of school

*Check PowerSchool

weekly for updated

student grades as well as

teacher websites at

www.summithill.org

A Good Idea…….

Some students need to call

home from time to time: A

good idea would be to jot

down parent’s cell phone

numbers and work numbers

on a note card. The card

can be placed in a small

zipper area of your student’s

back pack and will be

readily available to them

when needed.

http://www.summithill.org/


IMPORTANT NEWS…

Remember if you need to contact any of our staff, please email

them using the first letter in their first name and full last name

[email protected]

PBIS

Our kick off assembly definitely started our Walker Wildcats on the

right foot this year. We were also lucky enough to have Katie Quick

visit our school on January 15th. We sang along to some hits and were

able to hear her story. We learned a lot about following your dreams

and achieving goals.

PBIS Popcorn day was on the 18th of January, and in February Nacho

Day will be on the 25th. The next PawMart will be on Feburary 11th.

Video Club

The 5th and 6th grade video club is hard at work recording footage.

The students have started the voice over process of their videos.

Recently video club was able to record a variety of assemblies such

as the Walker Way Game Show and guest speaker Katie Quick.

Computer Club

With only a few more meeting dates set, Computer Club has been

busy tacking the Code of Honor. These programs have been great

introduction to the world of Computer Science. The tasks have

challenged the students to create and see their creation come to

life.

Track

The Walker Track Team will soon be starting!! Be on the lookout for

permission forms in the month of February. Track is a great

opportunity for athletes of any sport or anyone that has never

participated in an organized sport. Challenge yourself and join the

Hilda Walker Track Team!

Ms. Goebel hopes to join in on a few practices! Be there to

challenge her!

Important

Announcement

SCO Treat Day, Febraury 4

(McDonald’s Vanilla Ice

Cream)

PBIS Nacho Day February 25

SCO Hot Lunch, February

26th (McDonald’s Pancakes -

three pancakes, optional

sausage patty, apple slices,

Oreo cookie)

In the Community Board of Education Meeting

@AC February 10 and

February 24

SHEF

Congratulations to the

following students for winning

the PBIS raffle: 5th Grade Pizza

and Bowling winner - Hamza

Shukair, winners for the free

Subway sandwich coupon are-

Christina Martino, Connor

Bird,Jack Roberts, Fatera

Hammad and Makenzie

Ramos. 6th Grade winner for

the Pizza and Bowling - Zoey

Arroyo and the winners for the

free Subway sandwich coupon

- Bri Meehan, Brianna Glecier,

Ryan Martin,Cara McLaughin

and Anthony Dugandzic.

mailto:[email protected]


From the Nurse’s Desk…

CAFFEINE AND YOUTH

There is no nutritional need for caffeine, and yet it is the most popular drug in the world. People consume

caffeine daily in mochas, coffee, tea, soda and chocolate, and more and more youth are picking up the

bad habit, earlier.

Caffeine can work as an appetite suppressant for youths or replace nutrient-dense foods when consumed

instead of beverages like milk. The effects of the caffeine stay with us for at least six hours, and caffeine is

addictive. If a person's body gets used to large amounts of caffeine, then a reduction in caffeine intake

can cause headaches, fatigue, and even muscle pain.

Excess caffeine also increases acid in the stomach, which can lead to reflux/heartburn, gastritis and even

ulcers, if paired with a poor diet. Caffeine is also a diuretic -- it can cause someone to become

dehydrated -- which is why a person might feel tired, have muscle soreness, etc. In the long run, caffeine

does the opposite of what people want it to do. Drinking plenty of water or non-caffeinated liquids (such

as milk or juice) can help you feel less fatigued and help you maintain your energy throughout the day.

Caffeine can also contribute to anxiety, dizziness and insomnia.

Be aware of the caffeine content in some popular drinks and food:

Cup of coffee = 115 mg

Mountain Dew = 55 mg

Iced tea = 70 mg

One ounce of dark chocolate = 20 mg

Instead of caffeinated drinks, choose healthier alternatives, such as juice or smoothies. Even flavored

waters, which have no real nutritional value beyond being water, are better alternatives to caffeinated

drinks.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

To: All of you

From: Hilda Walker Intermediate


Safety Patrol

Many people prefer to remain indoors in the winter, especially when there is bad weather.

Remaining indoors is no guarantee that you are safe. We explored suggestions from the internet

to put together a list of suggestions on How to Make Your House Safe in the Winter!

By Patrick Irace and Jake Krstulovich

Here are some suggestions families should do for being warmer and safer in the winter.

Install weather stripping, insulation, and storm windows.

Insulate water lines that run along exterior walls, and if you can’t insulate in extremely cold

weather let water slowly drip all night.

Clean out gutters and repair roof leaks.

Stock food that needs no cooking or refrigeration and water in clean containers.

Always make sure your cell phone is fully charged.

Keep an up-to-date emergency kit which includes extra batteries.

Keep a first–aid kit and extra medicine, if possible.

Keep cat litter or sand for icy walkways. Don’t forget a shovel or snow or regular.

Protect your family from carbon monoxide by installing a detector. Leave your home

immediately if the detector sounds, and call 911.

Keep grills, camp stoves, and generators out of the house, basement, and garage.

Purchase a good generator, but locate the generator at least 20 feet from the house.

This winter has been nice, but if we have a bad winter like we have had the last two years these

suggestions will help you stay warmer and safer, especially during bad storms. Next month the

safety awareness team will write about what clothes to wear in the winter, especially if you are

going sledding or ice skating. Stay Warm and Be Safe!

Happy

Valentine’s

Day!


Team Ohio State University Mrs. Amy Bednarz, Mr. Michael Doody, Mrs. Colleen Maranto, & Mrs. Nicole Rafa

TEAM OHIO STATE CELEBRATES STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

WELCOME 2016

Our students enjoyed their winter break and are looking forward to the second half of the school

year. In math we are learning to multiply and divide with decimals. Each class is working with

problem solving activities that apply these skills. The students have completed shopping projects,

graphing activities, and science investigation in an effort to be involved with real life application of

these skills. Students in Mrs. Maranto’s class surveyed their friends about what they did over their

winter break. Then used charts and graphs to interpret and share their data.

Jack Vlamakis and Kayan Finzel share their graphs with their class.

OSU STUDENTS ARE BUSY AS BEES LEARNING ABOUT FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE!!

Team OSU students are learning about figurative language in their Language Arts classes. The

students are working with similes, metaphors, and idioms with a focus on identifying and interpreting

figurative language when reading. To accomplish this, students in Mrs. Maranto’s homeroom

performed plays that used figurative language to add a funny twist to the plot. Pictured below are

students from Mrs. Maranto’s homeroom performing their skits.


Pictured are: Tamryn Smart & Olivia Nightingale performing for their class.

Pictured are: Amanda Martineck & Emily Ashmus posing after their performance.

FUN WITH FORCE

In January each homeroom studied Force. The children learned about the types of force, how to

measure force, and the scientific definition of work. The children learned that simple machines

make work easier. To develop an understanding of how we use simple and compound machines

in our daily life, the children explore the Simple Machines Tool Shed and House on Edheads.com.

Pictured below are Preston Wallace, Teddy Boundas, and Shayan Attallah from Mrs. Maranto’s

homeroom as they work on this assignment.


Spelling Bee Homeroom Representative

We are proud of our Spelling Bee homeroom winners for representing our team in the Walker 5th

grade Spelling Bee. Pictured above: Kayan Finzel, Martin Thompson, Brain Rascop, and L’Ree

Wilson.


News from Team Alabama

Mrs. Chikerotis, Mrs. Gallagher, Mr. Klosak,

Mrs. Milazzo, and Mrs. Pelkowski

Science

Team Alabama is starting to wrap up “Motion.” Students learned about what factors affect motion

and what the laws of motion are. Students worked on a project where they viewed a few clips from

“Toy Story 2” and had to identify one of Newton’s Laws and explain how it related. Students did a

fantastic job on this!

(Students from Mrs. Milazzo’s Class)

Upcoming in Science: We will now be moving into body systems, focusing how the body systems

work together to make living things function. We will begin with learning how all living things are

made up of cells. We will identify the parts of a plant and animal cell and learn about their job

functions. Students will also be able to compare and contrast the two cells and distinguish the basic

structure and functions of the cells. Students will get to participate in creating a hands on model of

the two cells with materials from home that represent each organelle.

Social Studies

What are the key causes of the American Revolution? This will be the question that students should

be able to answer once we have completed chapter 8. Some students on Team Alabama will have

the opportunity to work in small groups, watch video clips, and use technology to dive deep into

the American Revolution. We are focusing on topics like The Stamp Act, The Sugar Act, The

Townshend Acts, The Boston Massacre, The Boston Tea Party, The Intolerable Acts and the First

Continental Congress, along with the Battles of Lexington and Concord.


TEAM ISU Mrs. Boudreau, Mrs. Cramer, Mrs. Davault, Mrs. Schaefer, Mrs. Stokoski, Mrs. Zitkus

Team ISU is excited to be back to school after our break! We started our time together with a PBIS

assembly to remind us how we should behave in school. The students had fun playing various

Minute-to-Win-It games and answering PBIS questions in a game show format. Unfortunately our

team didn’t earn the most points, but we sure did try our best and we are proud of our efforts!

We were also excited to have the opportunity to hear from Katie Quick for our 2nd Quarter

Celebration. Katie is a singer and songwriter who had more to share with us than just her songs. She

encouraged us to live life to the fullest, chase our dreams and never give up on our goals. The

students and staff enjoyed singing along with her when the opportunity arose.

Follow Katie on Instagram and Facebook.

Team ISU teachers are shocked that another quarter is gone already! Where is the time going? We

would like to encourage you to please continue to check your child’s classwork and homework on

a daily basis, sign their assignment notebooks, and check their grades online as they are updated

frequently. We are going to be preparing them for sixth grade more and more as we journey

through the year, so all your continued support is greatly appreciated.


Notre Dame Team

Mrs. Sajewich’s/Mrs. Mc Farland Reading/Language Arts Classes

In ELA, students are reading the novel, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. We will be connecting

this novel to the non-fiction texts, “The Hero’s Journey” and “The Elements of Mythology”. We are

also finding connections with the Greek myths. Students will be collaborating with each other to

work on finding the gist of text, annotating, and citing text evidence to support their responses.

Students will continue to work on Greek and Latin roots to help develop a higher level of vocabulary.

In Summit ELA, students are reading the novel, The Giver. We have been discussing utopian and

dystopian societies in relationship to the novel and making connections to other novels and movies.

We will be writing a persuasive paper based on the novel.

Ms. Mittelstadt’s Math

In Summit Math, the students have been working on writing and solving algebraic equations. They

have also been working on writing and solving inequalities. Along with the inequalities, the students

will be working on models with algebra tiles and graphing on a number line.

In math, the students have been working on ratios. They have learned how to solve ratio problems

using tape diagrams, equivalent ratios, ratio tables, and double number lines. Next, we will be

starting Module 7 which focuses on proportions. The students have also started multiplication time

tests in order to practice their math facts. The students will receive a grade each month for their

progress.

Mrs. Dermody’s Social Studies

Students have started learning about Ancient Greece. They studied how geography influenced

where people settled and what they did. The students also learned about Greece’s different

governments and compared the two best known city-states, Sparta and Athens. They learned that

Sparta focused on military skills to control people they conquered, while Athens was more interested

in building a democracy.


Mrs. Dempsey’s Science Class

In Science, the students are currently working on the rock cycle and how scientists classify rock as

either sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic. We will be completing some activities that go along

with this topic prior to moving on to the geologic time periods and fossil records. Once we have

finished those topics, the students will learn about plate tectonics and how movement under the

Earth’s crust causes natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanoes. Continue to review

vocabulary and material with students throughout the chapter as they prepare for assessments.


Team University of Michigan

Mrs. Anita Becker, Mrs. Tracy Decesare, Ms. Marianne Hourihan, Mrs. Dawn Krueger,

Mrs. Jen Medendorp & Mrs. Tucker

Mrs. Becker and Ms. Hourihan’s Reading and Language Arts Classes

In Reading students are reading the novel Lightning Thief. Students continued to practice how to

align two texts and explain the relationship between the texts. Triad groups have been making

connections between the key elements of mythology and the current novel. Students also took the

STAR Winter Assessment Test in the month of January. Students should be reading independently

each night. Mrs. Becker’s students have a nonfiction book report packet due at the end of January.

This assignment was assigned before winter break.

In Language Arts, the classes finished a unit on verbs. Students will be transitioning to Pronouns and

Argumentative writing. Students will continue to study Greek and Latin prefixes and work on Daily

Oral Language skills.

Mrs. DeCesare’s Math Classes

This month students are continuing to work on ratios and rates by applying them to graphs and

proportions. They have already learned how to find rates by using tape diagrams, ratio tables, and

now proportions will be introduced. The students will then use the proportions to convert within and

between the measurement systems.


Mrs. Medendorp’s Science Classes

Students in science are continuing to explore topics in Earth Science. Students are currently

investigating plate tectonics and how the constant movement of these plates continue to impact

our planet. Students will be learning about a scientist that first proposed the theory of Continental

Drift – Alfred Wegener. This scientist’s controversial theory did not gain acceptance until decades

after his death, but his research and theories were a crucial first step towards understanding the

complex geologic processes that shape our planet. Students will take a closer look at the different

motions of tectonic plates and learn how plates move to form mountain ranges and deep ocean

trenches. Students will also explore the different geologic forces at work to provide some possible

explanations for how these enormous tectonic plates move.

Mrs. Krueger’s Social Studies Classes

We recently started our unit study on Ancient Greece. The first section covered the importance of

geography and how the people of Greece relied on the seas. In Section 2, we discussed the two

city-states of Athens and Sparta. We will continue to analyze how the two city-states are very

different from each other. After learning about the two, students will debate which city-state is the

best! From there, we will focus on Athens and how it blossomed under the Athenian general named

Pericles. We will close our unit study with the culture of Ancient Greece including poetry, fables, art,

and architecture.

Team Michigan Student of the Month: January

Emma Valleyfield, Isabella Miranda, Evan Willingham, Zoey Arroyo, and Jamie Eggert.


Team University of Illinois

Mrs. Lauren Driscoll, Mrs. Leah Fischer, Mrs. Kelly Higgins, Mrs. Tammy Johnson, & Mrs. Julie Nance

Mrs. Driscoll—Social Studies

We recently began our study of Ancient Greece. Students have learned about Greece’s

geography and the earliest people to inhabit Greece. Students have also learned about Greek

city-states, known as polis, and what makes a Greek citizen. They will be learning a lot about two of

the most well-known Greek city-states, Athens and Sparta, as well as Troy, the site of the Trojan War.

Students will go on an archaeological dig and uncover information about these ancient cities

through the artifacts that they discover. Students will also create a flag and motto for Athens or

Sparta. In the end, they will have to choose; would they rather be an Athenian or a Spartan?

Mrs. Nance—Math

This month, students on Team U of I are wrapping up Module 6: Ratios and Rates. They have learned

how to represent ratios and rates using a variety of tools, including tape diagrams, rate tables, and

double number lines. In our next module, students will be using ratios and rates to make tables and

graphs that represent real-world situations. They will also be setting up proportions to solve problems.

The module concludes with students converting within measurement systems. Students are sharing

different methods on how to solve for unit rate.

Mrs. Johnson—ELA

Students are reading the novel, The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. While reading The Lightning

Thief, students will build upon the close reading practices and skills that students have developed

and practiced in chapters 1-8. We will apply and refine their ability to synthesize text based details

to make inferences about themes, characters, and author’s craft as they explore the Greek myths

that are alluded to throughout the novel.

In English, we will start working on verbs after we complete our texting and driving essay. Students

will: identify action verbs, tell whether an action is visible or invisible, identify verb phrases, distinguish

between main verbs and helping verbs, identify objects in sentences and identify being and linking

verbs.


Mrs. Fischer—Science

This month in Science, the students will be learning about fossils. Fossils have allowed us to calculate

how old Earth really is! Can you believe our Earth is 4.6 BILLION years old?! We will also begin learning

about plate tectonics. In learning about plate tectonics, we will study inside the Earth. Our Earth is

constantly changing. It never stays the same.

Mrs. Higgins—ELA

Students are continuing to read the exciting novel Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief by Rick

Riordan. We are currently analyzing the informational text “The Hero’s Journey” as to how it aligns

with the experiences of our main character Percy Jackson. Students have been working together

to find evidence from both texts to identify and explain the connection Percy Jackson has with the

archetype of a hero.

Students will research the 12 Olympians and create a movie poster to display their information.

Students will become an expert on one Olympian while learning about the sphere of control and

symbol of all other Olympians. Posters will be shown to their peers during group presentations.

Students will be reading a non-fiction book of their choice. This can include an informational book

including a biography, autobiography, or other informational text. After independently reading

their book, students will choose from projects such as a PowerPoint presentation, ABC book, or

informational brochure. Students will then be presenting their reports to the class.

Picture: Students Breanna Pechota, Nina Maduzia, and Dana Hakim working together in their triad

to write a short response analyzing two texts.


Mrs. Johnson’s class is getting in the Valentine’s spirit! Left to right: Ryan Zych, Emma Werner, Adithya Arjun,

Kemi Omoniyi, Brigid Costello, Jake Grimm, Warren Gelushia


P.E. Team

This past month in Walker PE our students have learned the fundamental skills of Badminton.

Badminton is a great game for people of all ages and skill levels. Badminton can be played

competitively or just for fun at a home cookout with friends or family. We have taught the students

the importance of a good serve and how it can set your team up to score quickly. After mastering

the serve we then extended upon the unit by introducing the clear shot, the drop shot, and the

smash. All of these shots, when used correctly, can be a great way to keep your opponents guessing

and moving back and forth on the court. We ended our badminton unit with a badminton

extravaganza. The students started with a partner of their choice and compete all class period long

against random opponents. While that was going on inside of the gym, just down the hall were

students working hard on all units in the fitness room. The focus of the fitness room this week was a

stability ball core workout. Students got to exercise utilizing a stability ball in a variety of ways. They

were able to do so with great concentration and some good music. Lastly this month our students

learned what it is to be Hilda Walker F.I.T.T. We taught our students how to customize workout plans

for themselves using the FITT principle - Frequency, Intensity, Time, & Type. Ask your student how this

exercise concept works, and they can help set you up a program. In the upcoming month we will

be teaching your student a variety of dances and volleyball skills.

Stay FITT!

-Hilda Walker PE Staff


November Art News

Mrs. McCarthy-Weglewski

Art to Remember

Our school, in conjunction with Art to Remember, is offering a program that reproduces your

child’s personal artwork onto a variety of colorful products. Some include: magnets, key chains,

quilt blocks, beverage insulators, matted prints, wall calendars, bookmarks, ceramic mugs, sports

towels, mouse pads, heart ceramic ornaments, journals, art sketchbooks, placemats, CD cases,

stainless steel travel mugs, pillows, teddy bears with T-shirts, tote bags, ceramic tiles, aprons, and T-

shirts.

Your child will create artwork following the art class curriculum. Order forms will go out in March.

You will have the opportunity to purchase a variety of products featuring your child’s artwork. You

are under no obligation to purchase. However, we believe you will be excited by these unique

personal keepsakes and a portion of the proceeds is donated to the Hilda Walker Art Program.

They make great gifts for family and friends. We are excited to share this unique art program to

promote your child’s art!

Walker Art Club

Art Club will meets on Thursdays for 5th Grade or on Tuesdays for 6th in either the Science Lab or the

Art Room. Please listen to announcements at school on the day of art club for the materials that

you will need to bring to class that day. We will be experimenting with different materials and

techniques each time we meet so that you can experience the various aspects that the art has to

offer.

Art Club is after school until 3:55 PM. Students can arrange for a ride with parents in the front of

the school. Thank you in advance for your help in this matter.

5th Grade Art Club will meet on Thursdays this year from December 3rd-February 8th.

6th Grade Art Club will meet on Tuesdays this year from December 1st- February 16th.


Technology Times

Word(s) of the Week- tab, crop, format, accuracy, browser, graphic, link, URL

and resources

5th Grade Technology

In technology class,

the 5th grade students

are learning all about

Power Point. Some

classes are working on

slides related to the

planets, others are

creating presentations

about the American

Revolution, and other

groups are working on

body systems. Lessons

involve learning such

tasks as, transitions,

slide layout,

animations, and more!

We will also be having

Mrs. Linke and Ms. Pall

into the lab to discuss

bullying and

cyberbullying.

6th Grade Technology

6th graders have been

learning about the

dangers of

cyberbullying! During

class, Mrs. Linke and Ms.

Pall came into the lab

to talk to the students

about cyberbullying

and how to stay safe

online. Coming up next,

the students will be

working on formatting

papers and citing

sources for

bibliographies, as well

as discussing how to tell

if a website is a credible

source!

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCPHEk9nPiMgCFUuAkgodp7EBUw&url=http://msroziertech.weebly.com/&psig=AFQjCNGrPpsB4_0iPJiZXDpLQ06wL-UeZA&ust=1442941844055968


Reading Strategy of the Month

Ms. O’Dell and Mrs. Stupay, Reading Specialists

Rereading

There are many things which will help your reader develop fluency. Encourage your child to reread

several pieces of text that he or she feels comfortable with. Each time he or she rereads the piece,

the reading will become more comfortable and make your reader more sure of himself or herself.

These “warm-up” pieces of text will make your reader feel good and confident about his reading.

Math Strategy of the Month

Jennifer Matos, Math Interventionist

“We said goodbye to Mr. Cronin as he began a new path teaching in Rio de Janeiro.” We

welcome Mrs. Matos.

Remembering the order in which to solve a math problem can hinder some students when they are

doing their work. Many students can recall the lyrics to a song if you ask them, but if you were to

ask them the order of operations they may or may not be able to tell you the order. One way

teachers make remembering important things is by using memory devices called mnemonics. The

most famous one is used for order of operations which is PEMDAS or Please (parentheses) Excuse

(exponents) My (multiply) Dear (divide) Aunt (add) Sally (subtract). Another memory device that is

used when using long division is Does (divide) McDonald's (multiply) Sell (Subtract) Burgers (bring

down). These simple, yet witty and easy to remember, mnemonics really help students remember

the order in which they need to solve a problem. problem.


PPS Team – Mrs. Linke, Mrs. Rybczynski and Ms. Collins

EXPECT RESPECT … Be respectful, Be Responsible, & Be Safe, The Walker Way!

Anti-Bullying Program

This month, our counselor, social workers and tech teacher teamed up to teach students about

cyberbullying and how to be safe when using the internet and social media.

Cyberbullying is the use of digital communication tools to intimidate, threaten and damage

reputations. Some examples include:

Sending mean emails or texts to others to intimidate or threaten.

Posting mean things, or making rude comments about someone on media: i.e Instagram,

Facebook, etc.

Repeatedly texting someone to the point of harassment

Starting rumors or gossiping about someone online, ruining their character or reputation.

Stealing someone’s password and logging into someone else’s account

Taking a photo or video of someone else and posting it online without their permission

(knowing it may be embarrassing).

Cyberbullying differs from regular bullying in a number of ways. It:

Often spreads faster than in-person bullying because of instant online communication.

Has a wider audience because it can easily be sent to a potentially unlimited amount of

people.

Follows children home from school so they can’t get away from it. All of this can undermine

your child’s sense of security. They don’t feel safe at school – because cyberbullies are

frequently classmates and other peers – and they don’t feel safe at home because the

bullying is happening 24/7 online.

Here are some specific ways you can help if your child is a victim of cyberbullying:

Consider saving the evidence –Take screenshots and print out any messages. If there is an

investigation, the investigators may want to see proof of what was posted.

Block cyberbullies – Tell your child not to respond to the messages and take advantage of

website features that allow you to block any user who is bothering you.


Set up new accounts - This includes email, social media sites and cell phone numbers. Make

sure they only give the new information to friends they trust.

Report it to the website or app where the cyberbullying is taking place - You might also be

able to report unwanted text messages to your cell phone provider and block certain

numbers.

Here’s what you can do to help prevent your child from posting inappropriate information online:

Establish expectations for online behavior –

Let them know exactly what you think is unacceptable and what websites and apps they can

use, how long they can use them, who they talk to, what they post, and more.

Set consequences for inappropriate posts - Remind them that they can also face

consequences at school and with the law.

Talk about appropriate usernames - This is especially true for younger children who play in

virtual worlds or any children who play games online. Usernames shouldn’t contain offensive

language or violate the game’s rules.

Review comments and pictures - Check out what they’re posting and ask them to take down

anything inappropriate.

Talk about what their friends are posting - Sometimes what your children’s friends post can

reflect poorly on them, too, so look at their friends’ posts and discuss them if needed.

Here’s how you can help your child stay safe online:

Talk to them about personal information that they should not share online. This includes their

passwords, home address, home/cell phone number and e-mail address.

Check privacy settings - You should help kids set up their accounts and check their privacy

settings often to make sure they’re using the settings that offer the most protection.

Help them create strong passwords and tell them not to share them with anyone but you -

Passwords should be at least 8 characters long. Try using silly words or phrases that are easy to

remember. Never use personal information in a password and change them often.

Talk about friend’s lists - NetSmartz recommends that children only add friends they know

offline, but this may change as they get older. Talk to them about the types of friends you’re

OK with them adding.

*Sources taken from NetSmartz.org and the Attorney’s General Office Task Force

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