“I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more luck I have.” – Thomas Jefferson
With March comes greener things (Happy St. Patrick’s Day!) and signs that spring might be approaching. The hormone serotonin is like the spring for our mind and body…it brings feelings of happiness and well-being and can help stabilize our mood. So how do we boost serotonin levels in our body? Here are some tips:
-Get out and get some sunshine (along with it comes Vitamin D).
-Reduce your sugar intake.
-Increase your intake of salmon, nuts, seed, eggs, spinach, soy products and poultry.
-Be pro-active in your positive thinking.
-Increase your physical exercise.
-Try meditation and massage.
What does it mean if my kid’s school is using “Common Core-aligned” technology?
In the world of educational technology products (learning apps and games, websites, online curricula, e-textbooks), being aligned with Common Core is a big selling point. The Common Core State Standards are a set of learning guidelines for what kids should know and be able to do in math and English language arts at each grade level. If your state has signed on to the Common Core and your kid’s school is integrating technology, then it’s not surprising that the tech they choose is labeled as “Common Core-aligned.” “Alignment” simply means that the learning goals in the technology reflect the goals in the standards. For example, a tablet app that has young kids count objects and write answers using the numbers one through 20 is aligned to one of the kindergarten standards for counting. However, it’s important to note that just because a company claims its product is aligned with Common Core, it doesn’t mean it actually is or that it’s the best tool for the job. Typically, schools and districts with technology programs have technology directors or instructional technologists on staff who evaluate products and help teachers choose which tech tools are best for the classroom. Common Sense offers a resource called Graphite that can help you find great Common Core-aligned tools.
Parent Teacher Conferences were held on Wednesday, February 24th and Thursday, February 25th. It was great to celebrate, discuss, and plan for the academic achievement for our students. If you were unable to attend your Parent Teacher Conference please contact your student’s teacher ASAP.
VIRTUAL Book Fair dates: FEB 22 – MAR 7
Visit https://www.scholastic.com/bf/graniteelementary for more information.
We look forward to seeing you and your family at our Book Fair!
Calendar items:
March 4 Spring pictures
March 8 Third quarter learning option will begin
March 10 9am PTA meeting
March 15 4:15pm SCC meeting
