UPCOMING EVENTS

Feb. 18-22 Mid-Winter Break

Feb. 19 Please VOTE

Mar. 14 Waiver Day –

No School

Apr. 7-11 Spring Break

June 10-13 5^th Grade Camp

5^th GRADE CAMP

Chinook’s fifth graders will be leaving for Camp Auburn on June 10 and returning on June 13. This is an important experience; one in which we would like all students to participate. The fee for food, lodging, and transportation is $165 per student.

We must collect $165 from each student, so they may go to camp. Students can, however, raise money to defray some of the cost. In past years, some of our fifth graders have earned their entire fee with fundraisers.

We will be having some fundraising opportunities soon…..please watch for information coming home with your fifth grader.

Please remember: We do not have funds to send students to camp. Parents will need to pay the full amount, or a partial amount if their child participates in fundraisers.

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Yes, our family has read the Chinook Newsletter. Please enter us in the drawing for a book to add to our home library.

Child’s Name

Teacher’s Name

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The winner of the January drawing was

Sophie Smith from Mrs. Mann’s class.

Congratulations Sophie!

COLD & FLU SEASON HAS ARRIVED!

Now that the cold and flu season is here, we would like to reflect on the importance of keeping your child healthy so they can attend school on a regular basis. School days missed affect your child’s learning and their ability to keep up with the rest of the class.

Check with your child before school to see how they are feeling. If your child is vomiting, has diarrhea, is running a fever, has an unknown rash, a headache that won’t stop, or is coughing so hard to interrupt the class, please do not send them to school. You may also want to check your child’s backpack to see if he/she has a letter regarding an illness in his/her class.

WASH THOSE HANDS! J

CHINOOK FOOD DRIVE

….. A HUGE SUCCESS!!!

Thank you to our families and staff for your generous donations of food and cash for the Auburn Food Bank.

We received over 3000 food items and $500 in cash.

CAMP AUBURN

PARENT ORIENTATION

MEETING

As spring is rapidly approaching, so is Camp Auburn! Camp Auburn is one of the most unique outdoor learning opportunities that an elementary student will ever experience. In an effort to provide parents and their fifth grade children a comprehensive overview of the Camp Auburn learning experience, the camp directors are inviting you to a Camp Auburn Parent Orientation meeting on Wednesday, April 2, in the Performing Art Center at Auburn Senior High School. The orientation will begin at 7:00 p.m. and should last approximately 90 minutes. We are strongly encouraging all parents with fifth grade children to attend this presentation. We will try to have a nurse present, so you will be able to address any questions you have regarding medication. A presentation has been developed and it will help parents to envision what a wonderful learning experience Camp Auburn will be for your child. We look forward to meeting and sharing our program with you! If you have questions regarding the orientation, please contact Lenny Holloman, Chinook Principal at (253) 931-4980, or Rob Swaim at (253) 931-4903.

SUBSTITUTES NEEDED

Our school district is in need of substitutes for many of our positions. We need teaching substitutes, substitutes for our office staff, our para-educators, our custodial staff, our bus drivers, etc.

If you are looking for a flexible part-time job, this may be what you are looking for. Please contact our HR department for further information, (253) 931-4916.

LEVY / BOND ISSUE – PLEASE VOTE MARCH 11

Are you interested in attending a levy informational meeting? These meetings generally take about an hour. Mr. Holloman and another administrator from the Auburn School District will attend meetings to answer any questions that you may have regarding the levies. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Debbie Strand at 253-931-4980.

COUNSELORS’ CORNER

25 WAYS PARENTS CAN BUILD RESPONSIBILITY IN CHILDREN (The Parent Institute).

1. Make sure your child learns that actions have consequences.

Use logical consequences, let them see the results of their actions.

2. Talk about how all choices have consequences.

“I chose to do my homework, so I got an A on my math test”

“I chose to get up late, so I missed breakfast to make the bus”

3. Don’t make it easy to forget.

If your child has forgotten homework, don’t drive it to school for them.

4. Consider giving your child an allowance.

Learning to manage money is an important skill and responsibility.

5. Your child can learn many things from planting a garden.

Something as simple as beans can teach a lot of care and responsibility.

6. Help your child see that he has a responsibility to the community at large.

Donating to a food bank, or recycling to help our environment.

7. Be a model of responsibility yourself.

Volunteer at school, attend a PTSA meeting, or donate to a charity.

8. A trip to the grocery store can help your child understand money.

Make a list, and after you have bought the essentials, count your money you have left, and the child can decide on a couple of treats for the family with the money left over. Helps teach decision making.

9. Promises, they say, are meant to be broken, but this is false.

When people don’t do the things they’ve promised, the consequences can be serious. If we don’t water plants or feed a pet, they will die.

10. Let your child make choices.

Let them decide between 2 vegetables to make for dinner.

11. Try a token economy.

They can earn buttons in a jar for every job they do on their own eg. brush teeth.

12. As your children grow older, they should receive a little more freedom.

Each year around their birthday, sit down and decide what they may earn.

13. Talk with your child about moral choices.

Why they shouldn’t cheat on a test. Why they shouldn’t steal.

14. Let your child make some choices about homework.

Where to do it (kitchen or bedroom). When to do it (after school or after dinner).

15. Get things ready for school the night before.

Have a specific spot to put things for school the next day.

16. Use a “head to toe” checklist.

“My hat’s on, my coat’s on, and my homework’s in my backpack.”

17. Write down a checklist.

Post a checklist to make sure everything gets to school.

18. Buy your child an alarm clock.

They can’t tackle this responsibility.

19. Try getting ready for school to a certain musical CD.

After they get up, put a CD on, and by the end they need to be out the door. They will be able to pace themselves to the time.

20. Schedule a family meeting to discuss responsibilities.

There’s a lot of work to keep a household going, discuss jobs each has.

21. Try the “no nag” method about chores.

Use a big chart to monitor chores, cross off each week.

22. Make yours an equal opportunity household.

Teach boys to cook, and girls to use tools.

23. Don’t redo chores.

Redoing a chore a child has done hurts their self-worth.

24. Teach your child to prepare some healthful snacks.

Look through a cookbook for easy and healthy snacks.

25. Try the “black hole” method.

Tired of picking up clothes, toys, etc? If things are not picked up in the appropriate time, put them in a locked closet until the child earns it back.

This Booklet and others can be found in our PARENT RESOURCE CENTER at Chinook.

Thanks,

Carey Hawkins and Lorie Patrick

CREATING A READING ENVIRONMENT AT HOME

Family involvement is essential to any child's success as a reader. Research has shown that by talking, singing, and reading to children, parents are turning on brain cells that are essential for a healthy child. Parents can build reading skills by interacting with their children. By encouraging babies and young children to communicate, parents are laying the foundation for later reading success.

Parents and other family members need to be involved in children's reading throughout their school years. Schools recognize the importance of parent involvement in students progress and are increasingly encouraging parents to play a more active role.

Below are a few simple things that parents can do to create a healthy reading environment.

Make Reading Materials Available
To create a healthy reading environment, start with a good supply of reading materials -- newspapers, magazines, books, catalogs. It doesn't matter if they're owned or borrowed, new or used. What's important is that reading materials are a natural part of your home and everyday life. Set aside a spot in your home for a family library. You don't need much space; a corner of a room with a bookshelf, comfortable furniture, and adequate lighting will do. In choosing materials, remember that variety counts. Instead of focusing on the number of books, keep in mind the interests of each family member. A small collection of books thoughtfully gathered over time is better than a large collection that goes largely unread. Paperback and hardcover books, a dictionary, an atlas, songbooks, magazines for parents and kids, newspapers, and catalogs all have a place. Make sure your library includes something for everyone at every reading level.

Make books inviting to everyone. Sturdy bookcases, built-in shelves, and open magazine racks are ideal, but an orange crate works too. Be sure to put reading material for youngest readers on the lowest shelves.

Be Reading Role Models
As much as they may deny it, most children want to be like their parents. Their lifelong habits start to form at the earliest ages, often by mimicking older members of the family. If they see you reading daily, both for function and for pleasure, they will more likely become avid readers themselves. If children see parents visiting libraries and checking out books, giving and receiving books as gifts, borrowing and loaning books to friends, they will know their parents place a high value on reading.

Read Aloud to Children
Reading to children, even for a few minutes each day, prepares them to read and encourages a positive attitude toward reading. Children who are read to at home learn to read more easily, have a higher vocabulary, and are more likely to develop a love for reading than those who are not read to on a regular basis. Simply put, this cannot be done too early or too often.

Encourage Personal Libraries
Children often want their own place to keep books that have special meaning for them. By encouraging children to set aside their personal favorites, you are helping them express their affection and respect for books. Here are some tips for helping children set up collections:

Find a special place for books. If your child's room doesn't have a bookshelf or bookcase, use a box, basket, or other sturdy container. Plastic stacking cubes work well.

As often as possible, let your children choose the books they want to add to their collection. A book-buying trip to a yard sale or bookstore is a fun Saturday activity.

Take your children to the library regularly. Even a child with a well-stocked bookshelf needs a fresh supply of books. Encourage children to treat library books with the same care they show their own. Give your children books or magazine subscriptions as gifts. For babies and young toddlers, choose sturdy books that will survive rough handling. Board books, for example, have thick pages that can be turned easily and wiped clean.

Limit Television, Computers, and Video Games
For generations education experts have been sounding the alarm about the harmful effects of too much television. The rise in popularity of the Internet and computer and video games only adds to the amount of distractions pulling children away from more literate pursuits. While excellent educational programs and software exist much of it specifically produced to aid. Literacy consumption of electronic media must be kept in check by parents. Limit children's television and computer use to make time for other activities, such as reading. Try not to use television and computers as rewards for reading (or denying them as punishment for not).