A Time to Look Back
Now is a time traditionally look back on the school year and reflect on the months that have passed and to look anew at the months ahead. With one half the school year completed, it is good to take full measure of student progress, a measure by the way different from those that appear on report cards and progress reports.
Have the goals set in September for January been reached? Can a student effectively use the knowledge and skills that have been covered in different settings, with varied materials, and individually or in groups?
Is there good recall of information and have established behavioral patterns been maintained? Is there a high level of enthusiasm or have the fires of September turned to the embers of February?
It is important to know all of this because if social/emotional development and academic growth are not where they need to be, there is plenty of time left in the school year to make adjustments. In most instances, with just a small change in approach, teachers are able to help a student successfully achieve both the maturational and academic goals for a development program or grade level.
If we do not take time to evaluate progress, however, we run the risk of missing invaluable opportunities to help students grow. No one wants a year to end without complete success at all levels, so let’s take the “time to look back” now when there is plenty of time for adjustment.
Reprinted from an article by Dr. Osborne Abbey, former head of NLC Education Dept, Feb. 2006
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For over a decade, the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care, or NAP SACC program, has worked with early care and education programs to set preschool children on a lifelong path to healthy eating and activity. Our school has been awarded a grant through Mecklenburg County Health Services as a participant in the NAP SACC grant.
NAP SACC was created in 2002 by a team of child obesity researchers at UNC Chapel Hill in association with colleagues in the Nutrition Services branch at the North Carolina Division of Public Health. Conversations with early care and education providers, families, and experts in child health and education guided NAP SACC’s early development. The team brought these perspectives together with current research and national standards to develop a set of best practices—the most important actions child care programs could take to shape children’s healthy eating and physical activity habits.
The grant has provided our staff with over 10 hours of hands on training related to healthy eating habits and focusing on increasing gross motor skills inside and outside the classroom. We have used the knowledge gained to improve our dietary program at Chesterbrook Academy, made our teachers more aware of their influence on the students in their classrooms, and to support children who have dietary needs such as allergies, strong likes or dislikes and make purchasing decisions to promote the gross motor skills outside on the playground.
School pictures will be March 3 and 4th at the school. We will photograph classrooms infant through Intermediate A (Ms. Jennifer and Ms. Mitzi) classrooms on the 3rd and we will photograph classrooms Intermediate B (Ms. Babette and Ms. Merissa) through Prek (Ms. Moses and Ms. Jennifer) on March 4th.
In addition to individual pictures class pictures will be taken in all classrooms on the 3rd and 4th. Our graduating students will have photos taken on March 4th in their cap/gown that we provide. All photos taken will return in approximately 4 weeks for you to review and purchase.
A background preference sheet and more details will be passed out at the school on or before March 1st.
Thank you for supporting the school during our current and upcoming programs that extend beyond the school. We were able to make purchases recently from the funds raised during the Little Caesar Pizza Sales, Yankee Candles, and Popcorn sales. You may have seen the many boxes of art materials, books, shelving, and tricycles that lined the hallway! We have a few more opportunities to support the school in the next few months. We don’t want any family to feel they have to go door to door and don’t encourage that at all. If each family made one purchase during our ancillary activity we would easily reach the goals set by the school.
Fun Days for March
March 1 – Share a Smile Day
March 2nd – Dr. Seuss Day
March 3rd – National Anthem Day
March 13th – Good Samaritan Day
March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day
March 18th – Johnny Appleseed Day
March 20th – First Day of Spring
March 25th – Good Friday
March 29th – Pickle Day
March 31st – Tate Day
March News
A Time to Look Back
Now is a time traditionally look back on the school year and reflect on the months that have passed and to look anew at the months ahead. With one half the school year completed, it is good to take full measure of student progress, a measure by the way different from those that appear on report cards and progress reports.
Have the goals set in September for January been reached? Can a student effectively use the knowledge and skills that have been covered in different settings, with varied materials, and individually or in groups?
Is there good recall of information and have established behavioral patterns been maintained? Is there a high level of enthusiasm or have the fires of September turned to the embers of February?
It is important to know all of this because if social/emotional development and academic growth are not where they need to be, there is plenty of time left in the school year to make adjustments. In most instances, with just a small change in approach, teachers are able to help a student successfully achieve both the maturational and academic goals for a development program or grade level.
If we do not take time to evaluate progress, however, we run the risk of missing invaluable opportunities to help students grow. No one wants a year to end without complete success at all levels, so let’s take the “time to look back” now when there is plenty of time for adjustment.
Reprinted from an article by Dr. Osborne Abbey, former head of NLC Education Dept, Feb. 2006
________________________________________________________________________
NAP SACC was created in 2002 by a team of child obesity researchers at UNC Chapel Hill in association with colleagues in the Nutrition Services branch at the North Carolina Division of Public Health. Conversations with early care and education providers, families, and experts in child health and education guided NAP SACC’s early development. The team brought these perspectives together with current research and national standards to develop a set of best practices—the most important actions child care programs could take to shape children’s healthy eating and physical activity habits.
The grant has provided our staff with over 10 hours of hands on training related to healthy eating habits and focusing on increasing gross motor skills inside and outside the classroom. We have used the knowledge gained to improve our dietary program at Chesterbrook Academy, made our teachers more aware of their influence on the students in their classrooms, and to support children who have dietary needs such as allergies, strong likes or dislikes and make purchasing decisions to promote the gross motor skills outside on the playground.
In addition to individual pictures class pictures will be taken in all classrooms on the 3rd and 4th. Our graduating students will have photos taken on March 4th in their cap/gown that we provide. All photos taken will return in approximately 4 weeks for you to review and purchase.
A background preference sheet and more details will be passed out at the school on or before March 1st.
Thank you for supporting the school during our current and upcoming programs that extend beyond the school. We were able to make purchases recently from the funds raised during the Little Caesar Pizza Sales, Yankee Candles, and Popcorn sales. You may have seen the many boxes of art materials, books, shelving, and tricycles that lined the hallway! We have a few more opportunities to support the school in the next few months. We don’t want any family to feel they have to go door to door and don’t encourage that at all. If each family made one purchase during our ancillary activity we would easily reach the goals set by the school.
Fun Days for March
March 1 – Share a Smile Day
March 2nd – Dr. Seuss Day
March 3rd – National Anthem Day
March 13th – Good Samaritan Day
March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day
March 18th – Johnny Appleseed Day
March 20th – First Day of Spring
March 25th – Good Friday
March 29th – Pickle Day
March 31st – Tate Day