Kindergarten Registration

Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 11, 2013 from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM for Kindergarten Registration!
This April, register at Byrd Elementary School. According to Virginia law, a child must be five years old on or before September 30 of the upcoming school year to enroll in Kindergarten.
Many parents ask: What do I need to enroll my child?
Please bring:
a certified birth certificate for the child
the child’s social security number
a completed School Entrance Health Form (obtain a form at your school)
proof of residency (driver’s license, electric bill, phone bill, etc.)

What immunizations does my child need to enter kindergarten?
Diphtheria, Tetanus, & Pertussis (DTaP or DTP)
Hepatitis B vaccine
Measles, Mumps, & Rubella (MMR) vaccine
Polio vaccine
Varicella (Chickenpox) vaccine
for information on required doses for immunizations, see the School Entrance Health Form
or visit:
School Immunizations

Last week second grade students practiced their friendship skills. We began by talking about different decisions students make each day (i. e. what they are going to wear, what to eat for meals, and how to behave on the bus). Next, we discussed how students decide to act around one another.

I used magnets to illustrate “attracting” and “repelling”. Students told me some behaviors that would “attract” friends and behaviors that would “repell” friends.

We read “Recess Queen” by Alexis O’neill and Laura Huliska-Beith, a story about two girls, “Mean Jean” and “Katie Sue”.  “Mean Jean” repells friends with her gruff and unfriendly behavior and “Katie Sue” attracts friends by asking others (even Mean Jean!) to join her in playing.

We played a bingo type game to practice thinking about what behaviors are attracting behaviors and repelling behaviors.

Fourth grades students immediately experienced discrimination as we watched Jane Elliott’s “Blue-eyed, Brown-eyed” experiment conducted with her third grade class in 1972. Jane Elliott designed the experiment to let kids see how it felt to be discriminated against based on a physical quality. BES students were fascinated to see how quickly the students in Mrs. Elliott’s class reacted to being told they were either “on-top"(blue-eyed students on day one and brown-eyed students on day two) or “ not as good” based on their eye color.
Our students witnessed discrimination as Jane Elliott’s students interacted with one another. Fourth graders expressed empathy for the students in the class.
“Dad, jackie and Me”, by Myron Uhlberg wrapped up our “barriers” lesson, letting students understand how people from all walks of life were discriminated against. The kids were surprised to hear that someone would be kept from playing a game because of the color of their skin.

This week the first graders and I explored mad and angry feelings. We thought it was funny when we made ourselves into “mad” creatures and walked around the media center. They sure were the happiest “mad” creatures I have ever seen!

Each student got a picture of a thermometer in a baggie with a slider. We talked about how different problems made us feel. The slider moved up the thermometer as the problems got bigger.

The students then put different pictures or little items in the baggie to remind them of all the tools they have to help themselves feel better when they are mad or sad. Pictures of a soccer ball (playing can help), dog and cat (our pets can be very comforting), friends (talking to friends or family), and listening to music can change how we feel. The students even made a miniature stuffed pillow in case they need something safe to punch. I think their favorite was picking out a colorful pom pom to remind them that sometimes giving a favorite stuffed animal a squeeze can be very calming.

Knowing what they are feeling and being able to talk about it is a big step toward being able to self-regulate.

As yet another school year begins, I am excited to be here at Byrd. The Byrd Staff has been working steadily to get their rooms and lessons ready.
We are happy to be back and to see all the students!

Parents, as the school year begins:

1. Contact your student’s teacher if you have questions or concerns about your student. Call for an appointment or email.

2. Emphasize to your child that you and the teachers work together as a team to help ensure his or her academic success.

3. Share information with teachers that may help them to better understand your child, his or her likes and dislikes, unusual home circumstances that may be causing stress, or if your child takes medication that might affect schoolwork.

4. Talk with your children about their classes. Get their assessment of how they are doing, strengths and weaknesses, amount of time actually spent on homework, and where they think they can do better.

5. If your child is having a problem in a particular subject area, do not wait until a regularly scheduled conference to address it. Educators say that the sooner you discuss your concerns with the teacher, the better for your child.

6.A regular routine at home can help students be at their best when they come to school. Meals, homework time and place and bedtime should all be part of that routine.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you or your student. You may contact me through the school office (556-5380) or email me ().