Character Counts!!! 

       We are using the Character Counts Curriculum this year.  Your child is on a Character Counts team, which is made of students in grade levels K-6.  They have already met several times.  They made a Team flag, attended the Stunt bike presentation, sang carols together, discussed Responsibility and are now working on Respect.  Mr. Woodley presents lesson regularly during PE and the classroom teachers reinforce lessons in the classroom and when our teams get together.  There are Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.   Students don’t learn alone.  They learn through collaborative efforts with teachers, peers, and support of their families. This learning involves an atmosphere and process where social and emotional factors influence outcomes.  Research in this area has found that pro-social behavior in the classroom is linked with positive intellectual outcomes (DiPerna and Elliot, 1999).  So take some time to discuss the Character Counts activities and the Six Pillars.

Trustworthiness:  Being honest, sincere, forthright, and candid.  Having integrity to discern what’s right and having the moral courage to act on it.  Keeping promises.  Being dependable and prepared.  Having loyalty to stand by, stick up for and protect one’s family, friends, workplace and country.

Respect:  Honoring the individual worth and dignity of others.  Showing courtesy and civility.  Honoring reasonable social standards and customs.  Living by the Golden Rule.  Accepting differences.  Judging on character and ability.  Respecting the autonomy of others.  Avoiding actual or threatened violence.

Responsibility:  Being accountable.  Exercising control.  Setting goals.  Choosing a positive attitude.  Doing one’s duty.  Being self-reliant.  Pursuing excellence.  Being proactive, persistent and reflective.  Setting a good example.  Being morally autonomous.

Fairness:  Understanding the processes and results of decision making through impartiality, through gathering of facts and hearing all sides.

Caring:  Being compassionate, kind, generous and sharing.

Citizenship:  Respecting the law.  Doing one’s share.  Pursuing the common good.  Protecting the environment. Respecting authority.  Honoring the principles of democracy.

          Character Counts provides a process for linking thinking, feeling and behavior to meet personal and social needs and to develop the skills necessary to become a productive, contributing member of society, which fits nicely with our Mission statement:  In partnership with parents and community, we will promote educational excellence in a positive environment to inspire lifelong learning and responsible citizenship.

Read, Read and Read Some More!  Take some time to enjoy a good book with your child.  No matter their age, read to them, read with them, read and discuss what you are reading, model for your child daily.  READ, READ, READ. Admire the book by noticing the cover, pictures and other features.  Who wrote it?  Who illustrated it?  To whom is it dedicated?   Take your time instead of flying through pages, turn them slowly to build anticipation.  What will happen next?  Can you guess?  Talk about it.  What did you and your child think of the story?  Did you agree?  You don’t have to agree.  Do you want to read another book about the same topic or maybe the same author?

         
When you read with your child, especially with excitement, you show how much fun reading can be.  That is a gift that can last a lifetime.

         
I have a list of books that you can add to your holiday letters to Santa.  I have organized them Pre School-6^th grade and included a short summary for you.

Ensuring Reading and Math Success Through "Well Checks" with AIMSweb Benchmarks

The Parents’ Guide to Student Success was developed in response to the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics. Created by teachers, parents, education experts, and others from across the country, the standards provide clear, consistent expectations for what students should be learning at each grade in order to be prepared for college and career. Pearl City Schools are using the Common Core Standards as a basis of our curriculum design, implementation of the Common Core Standards is in its early stages.

National PTA^® created the guides for grades K-8 and two for grades 9-12 (one for English language arts/literacy and one for mathematics).

The Guide includes:

      Key items that children should be learning in English language arts and mathematics in each grade, once the standards are fully implemented.

      Activities that parents can do at home to support their child's learning.

     Methods for helping parents build stronger relationships with their child's teacher.

     Tips for planning for college and career (high school only).

Ultimately, the aim is for the Guide to be a tool for parents to build relationships with their children's teachers once the standards are fully in place.

PTO News

All parents are encouraged to attend and participate in decision-making.  The PTO has been responsible for funding many activities and purchasing needed items for the classrooms.  Please plan to attend, volunteer, or help out sometime throughout the school year. 

Skyward Family Access

Pearl City Schools uses Skyward, a software program to manage student information.  Parent can go online and view current grades and assignments.  Parents can contact the Main Office to gain access to their child’s information.

Pearl City School Mission Statement

You will see Pearl City School’s Mission Statement posted in each elementary classroom.  The mission statement can also be found in the student handbook and the School Improvement Plan.  In partnership with parents and community, we will promote educational excellence in a positive environment to inspire life long learning and responsible citizenship.

School Handbook
The Elementary School Handbook will be handed out at registration to each family and is posted at pcwolves.net.  Please read it over carefully with your child return the last page signed saying that you have read and gone over rules and procedures with your children.  Please keep this handbook as a reference throughout the year.

School Improvement Plan

Each year, we evaluate test data and strengths and weaknesses of the school environment and set goals for the coming school year.  These are the goals set for this 2011-2012 school year;  

*Develop a balance of differentiated instruction using assessments and goals for each student using the RtI model. Implement AIMSweb, Auto Skill Academy of Reading and Math K-12.  Explore other assessments, interventions and documentation.

*Implement Common Core Standards from ISBE as our Curriculum Guide.

*Implement Character Counts!  as our Character Education.

*Evaluate behavior data and develop plans to teach good behavior in problem areas.

*Evaluate and develop Parent Involvement activities.

Homework Helper

Pearl City School will be offering Homework Helper for students in grades 4, 5, and 6 at no cost.  This program is available for students to get extra help on an academic subject, work on homework with a teacher present, or get caught up on missing assignments.  Students whose grades fall below a passing grade or who are missing assignments will be requested to attend Homework Helper.  Homework Helper will be staffed by one of the elementary teachers and be available on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays after school from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m.  If your child is having difficulty completing or needs assistance with homework, please consider Homework Helper.

Copyright © 2010 Pearl City C.U.S.D. #200

Chris Wallace
100 S. Summit     
Pearl City, Illinois 61062       
Phone - 815-443-2715   
Fax - 815-443-2237