leap day
Monday is February 29th -- a date that only comes around once every four years. What will you do with an extra day? Will you celebrate the fact that spring is coming soon? In fact, just 18 days until we "spring forward" with clocks and gain daylight hours. However, you want to look at it, we wish you good health and happiness as February winds down.
planning for the 2016-2017 school year
Kindergarten and new student registration has been open and is ongoing. Kindergarten Orientation will take place Tuesday, April 12th, at 6:00 pm in the Copeland cafeteria. Families are encouraged to come together. Parents will hear general information from current teachers, Mrs. Poelking, Mrs. Beckman, and the CFA (Cougie spirit wear will be sold!). Students will be invited to visit with teachers and staff members to see a kindergarten room and enjoy a short story time. Parents will remain in the cafeteria.
All kindergarten classes will be full-day classes next year. Class sections are based on student enrollment. Please encourage any new families to Copeland to register as soon as possible.
Many factors go into administrative decisions for class sections: number of students, needs of students, practical space issues, etc... Ideal class sizes in Kindergarten through third grade are 23 or less students. Ideal class sizes in fourth and fifth grade are 26 or less.
Registration for students entering first through fifth grades will be open soon. Registration for families new to Libertyville is open now and can be accessed on the Copeland and D70 web pages under the "Home" and "New Student Registration" links.
All kindergarten classes will be full-day classes next year. Class sections are based on student enrollment. Please encourage any new families to Copeland to register as soon as possible.
Many factors go into administrative decisions for class sections: number of students, needs of students, practical space issues, etc... Ideal class sizes in Kindergarten through third grade are 23 or less students. Ideal class sizes in fourth and fifth grade are 26 or less.
Registration for students entering first through fifth grades will be open soon. Registration for families new to Libertyville is open now and can be accessed on the Copeland and D70 web pages under the "Home" and "New Student Registration" links.
parent input for placement
Student placement with teachers is a delicate process that involves dialogue with teachers with the goal of creating balanced classrooms. Teachers use academic, social/ emotional, and other factors to optimize student groupings. This is a complex process that involves a great deal of confidential information. Parent requests for teacher placement cannot be accepted and should not be submitted, as we would not be able to consistently grant numerous requests. If a parent believes he/she has information beyond what is known by teachers that would be important for us to consider for placement related to either academic or social/emotional factors, a form will be available in the school office. Parent input forms are available for pick up in the school office. Completed forms need to be returned to the school office by Friday, April 22nd.
construction update
At a meeting this week, the Village Board approved D70's request for a variance to begin construction. At this point, companies are putting together bids for a plan that includes a new gym, four new classrooms, and interior renovations to return the library to its original location and equitable kindergarten classrooms. New bathrooms and water fountains with water bottle filling stations are also in the plans. Here is a link to the Copeland webpage where plans are posted:
http://www.d70schools.org/schoolsites/?school_id=3
The D70 Board of Education will review a recommended proposal after the opening of the bids at a special Board meeting. Following a Board vote, the Building Construction Committee, including teachers and CFA Executive Board parents, will meet to address issues related to start of construction and review plans. Construction updates will continue to be communicated at regular CFA meetings as well as in future Paw Prints.
http://www.d70schools.org/schoolsites/?school_id=3
The D70 Board of Education will review a recommended proposal after the opening of the bids at a special Board meeting. Following a Board vote, the Building Construction Committee, including teachers and CFA Executive Board parents, will meet to address issues related to start of construction and review plans. Construction updates will continue to be communicated at regular CFA meetings as well as in future Paw Prints.
end of second semester
The second semester ends next week (can you believe how time flies!). Friday, March 4th is EARLY RELEASE day (1:15 dismissal) in order to give teachers time to work on progress reports. Report cards go home with students on Wednesday, March 9th.
Box top contest
The collection of Box Tops earns money for our CFA. Our contest has now ended, and we are excited to announce that Miss Weaver's kindergarten class collected the most Box Tops (782). As a school, we collected 9,940 Box Tops that will be sent in. Profits from this collection will go to the CFA. Miss Weaver's kindergarten students will enjoy a party to celebrate their generosity. Thank you, Mrs. Carroll, for organizing the contest and helping the CFA raise money.
speech and language news: a friendly february "hello" from mrs. davey and mrs. chickey
This school year has been a busy one so far, and we have been having loads of fun working on speech and language skills! As always, speech and language skills are the most important avenue through which students learn. As children grow and learn, they develop and refine their speech and language skills. We can help our children improve their language skills on an ongoing basis at home in all of our daily activities. We all know that one activity that is very helpful is the process of reading
with our children. Talking about what we have read and asking questions are helpful strategies for improving a child’s language skills.
The process of reviewing material that has been read can focus on several language skill areas. Some ideas for you:
As your child gets older, try the following:
We often refer to these reading-related activities as “shared reading.” Many books that our elementary school children read are packed with potential for shared reading activities. Does you child enjoy the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney? The first book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, is loaded with idioms (about 40!) Idioms are groups of words, or sayings, whose meaning is other than what it appears if defined literally. For example, if someone says, “When it hit me that he was giving me the cold shoulder, I knew that I needed to break the ice with a friendly greeting.” How well does your child understand idioms? In this case, was someone hit? Was his shoulder chilly? Was ice being broken?
Now that spring is just around the corner, if you are getting spring fever and itching to enjoy some warm weather, sink your teeth into a good book while soaking up the sun over spring break!
with our children. Talking about what we have read and asking questions are helpful strategies for improving a child’s language skills.
The process of reviewing material that has been read can focus on several language skill areas. Some ideas for you:
- Review the main idea or plot.
- Put events in sequence.
- Ask questions regarding details and comprehension of the material. Review vocabulary.
- Talk about the main characters, topics, or setting.
- Review the beginning, middle, and end of stories.
As your child gets older, try the following:
- Review story plots and problems.
- Retell and summarize material.
- Make inferences and draw conclusions.
- Predict.
- Compare (tell how things are the same) and contrast (tell how things are different.)
- Review multiple meanings of words.
- Find and review idioms and figurative language.
We often refer to these reading-related activities as “shared reading.” Many books that our elementary school children read are packed with potential for shared reading activities. Does you child enjoy the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney? The first book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, is loaded with idioms (about 40!) Idioms are groups of words, or sayings, whose meaning is other than what it appears if defined literally. For example, if someone says, “When it hit me that he was giving me the cold shoulder, I knew that I needed to break the ice with a friendly greeting.” How well does your child understand idioms? In this case, was someone hit? Was his shoulder chilly? Was ice being broken?
Now that spring is just around the corner, if you are getting spring fever and itching to enjoy some warm weather, sink your teeth into a good book while soaking up the sun over spring break!