Howard School News
1611 N. York Street Principal: Martha Burch
Dearborn, Michigan 48128 Secretary: Pam Chroniewicz
(313) 827-6350 February 2015
February Dates to Remember:
5 4th and 5th Grade Winter Concert
2pm/7pm for parents in Gym
9 Talent Show 2:00
11 Late Start
12 Mrs. Martin 5th grade art Field Trip
PTA meeting 3:00 Media Center
16-20 No School
23 5th grade camp meeting
Media Center 6:00p.m.
26 4th grade trip to Dearborn Symphony
Running Fit Assembly 1:30
Founders Day Dinner 6:00 Byblos
Principal’s Note:
I love the month of February because it means January is over, and baseball is around the corner! We have had a busy few weeks around here! Some of the highlights include:
· NWEA testing
· Spirit Week!
· Snow Days!
· Morning book buddies began
· 3rd graders met the Governor
· Report cards went home
· PTA sponsored Friday night basketball
Howard is really a happy place; an academic utopiaJ. Thank you for all you do to make this learning community a great one. We have very few behavior issues, which is a testament to the hard work you do at home.
A couple of reminders:
NEVER DROP YOUR STUDENT OFF IN THE STREET!!!!
We have seen an increase in tardies. This causes a great deal of stress to students. We understand that we all have a late start from time to time, but we are seeing some students consistently arrive late. Please make sure your student is here at 8:35! If there is an issue with which I can assist, please let me know.
يرجى عدم الطلب من أولادكم النزول في وسط الشارع لأن ذلك يشكل خطرا على سلامتهم.
عدد الطلاب المتأخرين على الدوام المدرسي في إزدياد.نرجو إيصال أولادكم في الوقت المحدد يوميا وذلك قبل 8:35 صباحا.
I thought this article from the New York Times was very interesting, and worth sharing. Let me know what you think:
What does it take to raise a compassionate, moral child? asks Adam Grant (Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania) in this New York Times article. Researchers have found that worldwide, this is parents’ number one priority – instilling caring is more important to them than their children’s achievement. But how much difference do parents make in this area? Are some children born good-natured and others mean-spirited? Studies of twins suggest that between one-quarter and one-half of people’s propensity to be kind is inherited – which means that parents and the environment account for up to three-quarters. Drawing on the psychological research, Grant has these suggestions for adults working with children:
• Praise is more effective than rewards. If we want to reinforce caring, “Rewards run the risk of leading children to be kind only when a carrot is offered, whereas praise communicates that sharing is intrinsically worthwhile for its own sake,” says Grant. • With children around 8 years old, praise character, not actions. Say, for example, “You’re a very nice and helpful person,” which leads children to internalize being helpful as part of their identity. However, this approach doesn’t work with younger children, who haven’t formed a stable sense of self, and with children 10 and older, there’s no difference in whether they’re praised for character or actions.
• Nouns work better than verbs. It’s better to encourage a child to “be a helper” than “to help,” and it’s better to say, “Please don’t be a cheater” than “Please don’t cheat.” Grant explains: “When our actions become a reflection of our character, we lean more heavily toward the moral and generous choices. Over time it can become part of us.”
• With bad behavior, say you’re disappointed. “Expressing disappointment, explaining why the behavior was wrong, how it affected others, and how they can rectify the situation,” says Grant, “enables children to develop standards for judging their actions, feelings Marshall Memo 533 April 21, 2014 3 of empathy and responsibility for others, and a sense of moral identity, which are conducive to becoming a helpful person. The beauty of expressing disappointment is that it communicates disapproval of the bad behavior, coupled with high expectations and the potential for improvement: ‘You’re a good person, even if you did a bad thing, and I know you can do better.’
• Model caring and generous behavior. Studies have shown that children pay more attention to what adults do than what they preach. “Children learn generosity not by listening to what their role models say, but by observing what they do,” says Grant. [There’s an interesting contrast between these findings and Carol Dweck’s research and advocacy on praising children for working hard and being strategic rather than for being “smart” – praising actions rather than innate qualities. It seems there is a difference between the way researchers think about the development of moral character versus intelligence. – From The Marshall Memo “Raising a Moral Child” by Adam Grant in The New York Times, April 13, 2014
PTA NEWS
Our “Coffee with The Principal” was a great success! Look for another evening meeting in March or April. The PTA is in the process of ordering document cameras (also known as “Elmos”) for each classroom.
A Note From PTA Reflections
Thank you to the more than 70 Howard students who participated in the PTA Reflections program this year. All the entries did a great job with the theme “The world would be a better place if…” The students shared their ideas on how to treat the environment better, animals better and each other better. Well done! Nine Howard students advanced to the district level. The visual arts winners were Juliana Zaghir (K-Mohamed), Alexendra Slanec (5-Dearth), Madison Wasik (5-Alberston), Jinan Khanafer (5-Dearth). The film winner was Ali Al-Hanooti (4-Phillips). The literature winners were Deema Al-Hanooti (1-Korte), Georgia Betty (5-Albertson), Luke Dolbert (5-Dearth) and Heather Ferris (5-Martin). Honorable mention goes to Danielle Harajli (5-Dearth) and Ali Aljabar (5-Albertson) in the literature category. Special congratulations go to Ali Al-Hanooti and Deema Al-Hanooti who won at the district level and are now going on to the state competition! A district wide recognition event will be held in May that all the participants and their families will be invited to.
On The Horizon for March:
· March is Reading Month
· Literacy Night; Book Fair
· Roller Skating night
· 2nd/3rd grade Concert
· Spring Picture Day
· Parent Teacher Conferences
Around Town:
Motown Winter Blast; Campus Martius February 6-8.