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Edison Language Academy – Together Through Two Languages (310) 828-0335 www.edison.smmusd.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS School Smarts Academy begins this Thursday (9/10) for seven weeks. Learn about how school systems work and how parents can make a big difference by being effectively involved – as partners and advocates. Meetings are Thursday mornings from 8:15-9:45 am at Edison on: September 10, 17, 24 October 1, 8, 22, and 29. Contact Yoly Gutierrez at ext. 61312 or email her at ygutierrez@smmusd.org if you would like to grab one of the last spots. Volunteers Needed – Would you be interested in helping improve our campus recycling programs? Or help increase safety at pick up or drop off? Then we need you! Please contact either Principal Lori Orum (61-302) or Community Liaison Yoly Gutierrez (61-312). Volunteer Training –Attention new or renewing volunteers, there’s a second volunteer training Thursday evening September 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Edison library. If you don’t know if it’s time to re-apply, check with Yoly. Family Movie Night - Mark your calendars for the first 2015-2016 Family Movie Night on Friday, September 25th! Bring your own picnic dinner and blanket and enjoy a movie from 5:30-8:00 p.m. with your friends in the Edison Cafetorium. Movie will begin at 6pm. We will also have a book swap. Bring a used children’s book that you are ready to give away and trade it for another book! Popcorn and drinks will be sold. More details to come! PTA Association Meeting – Wed., September 16 is our first association meeting of the year. Come and hear about plans for the year, tell us your ideas about good topics for parent education or family events, and see how you’d like to help! PTA Members will also vote on the PTA budget, If you have not yet joined the PTA this year, please do so now. Supporting Early Reading: A Workshop for Parents of Second Graders – Join Spanish Reading Teacher John Ellis to learn strategies to support second grade readers on Tuesday morning September 15 at 8:30 am in the library.
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK: SEPTEMBER IS SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AWARENESS MONTH Why do schools make such a big deal about student attendance? Primarily because regular school attendance has a huge impact on student success. The potential negative effects on children of chronic absenteeism really are huge. Researchers who looked at the connection between absences in Kindergarten and First grade and the reading scores of children rd after 3 grade found that only 43% of children who have missed more than 9 st days each year in Kindergarten and 1 grade are reading on grade level after third grade. Only 41% of children who have missed 18 or more days in either rd K or 1 are fluent readers. And the number of fluent readers after 3 grade sinks to a staggering low of only 17% if children have missed 18 or more days in both years. Children who are not reading at grade level by grade 3 are far more likely to experience problems in high school and to drop out of school, so we all need to be pulling together to support early reading. The need for time in the classroom is even more critical in dual language programs, where all children are learning in two languages. High absenteeism not only affects reading, but also language acquisition. Excessive absences and tardies also affect the entire school community when teachers have to slow down instruction to help children who have been absent catch up with the class. Sometimes as parents we don’t realize how many absences our children have accumulated. That’s one of the reasons we’ll be sending you periodic letters if your child’s absences are passing into the danger zone. Please make every effort this year to have satisfactory attendance. Set a regular bedtime and lay out clothes and backpacks the night before. Avoid medical appointments and vacations when school is in session. Have a back-up plan for getting your child to school – for the full day -- if you have an appointment so your child doesn’t miss instructional time. Keep them home when they’re sick – but don’t let children stay home if they are not truly sick. And let us know if your child is resisting coming to school so that we can work together to reduce anxiety or solve a problem. We’ll be tracking and recognizing perfect attendance and on-time arrivals this year. Check the windows near cafecito for monthly updates and recognition. Here’s to a year of good attendance so all our students have the opportunity to learn and we build those academic foundations that will allow them to be successful each year!
More Holidays in September – Mon. 9/14 and Wed. 9/23 No School
Wednesday 9/9 ELAC Meeting 8:30 am Community Room
Wednesday, 9/9 Site Council 4:00 pm Community Room