Thank you for your continued support.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Loveland.

• PARENTS/GUARDIANS:     If you are donating bats and balls, please have an adult drop them off at school.  Please do not sent bats or balls in with children at any time.  All other donations can be sent in with students.

For further information regarding “The Field Of Dreams”, please contact Karen Jones at 748-9570.

We would appreciate the involvement of all the Reeds Road families and friends to either participate or attend this magical evening. ‘Booths’ will be set-up to display various cultural items (clothing, artwork, hand crafts, etc.) along with a craft of the culture to be made by participants. Do you have a special dance, music or other presentation you’d like to share? Maybe you have a favorite dish or food item you could supply as a sample of the cuisine. All are encouraged to wear traditional fashions.

Date: Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Where: Reeds Road School

 Interested but need more information please call:

          Barbara Somers – 748-1250 ext. 1585

          Emery Keeler – 748 – 1250 ext. 1578

Can you tell the difference between a European Starling and a Brown Headed Cowbird? For that matter, what is a White Breasted Nuthatch or a Common Grackle?  If you do not know the answers to these questions, please check with the students in room 12 or the Garden Club at Reeds Road Elementary School.

          Cornell University’s Project Feeder Watch is underway once again at Reeds Road School. Project Feeder Watch is a winter long survey of birds that visit bird feeders in North America.  The collected data is used to help scientists track the broad-scale movements of winter bird populations and long term trends in bird distribution and abundance.

Birds are identified and counted twice a week. Conditions such as time of day, temperature, and precipitation are also recorded. This information is entered via the Internet and is published in scientific journals and shared by ornithologists and bird lovers nation wide.

So far this winter the bird sightings at Reeds Road School are following the typical sighting trends in this area of North America. The Dark-eyed Juncos are the most numerous birds on a daily basis, followed by the Field Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Tufted Titmouse, and Chickadee.

Check out the Project Feeder Watch web-site at www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/ for more interesting bird facts, pictures, and a bird identification quiz for both novices and experts alike. 

In honor of Bullying Awareness Week we wanted to share with you the newest addition to our bullying program.  This year we are beginning a new bully-free campaign entitled Bully-Busting Curriculum: Six Essential Lessons for Grades K-12. This curriculum is sponsored by the NJ State Bar Foundation www.njsbf.org. Committed to promoting violence prevention, the Bar Foundation launched its teasing and bullying program in 2001. The program includes six lessons: Bullying vs. Normal Conflict, Recognizing Aggressive & Passive Behavior, Using “I” Messages, Telling vs. Tattling, Bystander Strategies, and Conflict Resolution. Galloway Township continues to explore strategies for creating peaceful classrooms by developing a district-wide approach to prevent bullying.  Click the blue play button to listen to a public service announcment provided by bullying.org.  bully-psa 

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a way to settle differences caused by misunderstandings, name-calling, gossip, teasing and arguing.  A neutral mediator helps students in conflict to talk about the problem and cooperatively work out their differences in a way that satisfies both parties.  Mediation is a win-win process.

Who are the Mediators?

Fifth and Sixth Grade students (pictured above), who were selected by their peers and teachers, who have completed a training program in mediation techniques, and who have attended regular follow-up training meetings are our peer mediators. 

A school counselor is present during the peer mediation session, but does not participate.

What is Their Job?

Mediators help the students involved in a conflict understand each other’s point of view so that they can solve their problems themselves.  Mediators do not decide who is wrong, but they are there to help the disputants find creative and workable solutions to their conflicts and disagreements.

What are the Goals of the Program?

To provide a positive process for solving student conflicts in the school community.  To teach our students a practical life skill that will enable them to responsibly and constructively solve their own problems.

Friday, October 17th wrapped up the final day of mock elections sponsored by the Atlantic City Press.  Each student gathered in our polling place to register his or her vote online.  Prior to the “actual” vote, classroom teachers engaged students in age appropriate discussions about the election process.  Our gifted and talented students “worked” the polling station and conducted an exit poll.  We will have to wait to see if the results from the exit poll match the outcome of our school-wide election, as well as see if they match the results of the actual election for the White House in November. 

The entire process was very exciting for the children.  Hopefully, the efforts of our entire staff will be long lasting for our children who developed a deeper understanding of the importance of exercising our right to vote.  Our hope is that our students will always remember the importance of exercising this great right to participate in the democratic process when they are of age to vote.  Votes will be tallied for local participating schools, including Reeds Road, and the results will be shared with the students once they are shared with us! 

These guidelines are designed to assist you in giving your child the best support possible for his or her musical endeavors. Like any skill, interest counts far more than talent. With the right support from you, playing music will become a natural part of your child’s life.

BENEFITS

For Your Child
Music participation enhances:
Problem solving Teamwork
Goal-setting Self-expression
Coordination Memory skills
Self-confidence and esteem Concentration
Poise and much, much more!

For Your Family
A child’s music study also offers opportunities for shared family experiences, including:
Music event attendance Performing for and with family and friends
Family music making Learning about the lives of composers and cultural heritage of many civilizations
A sense of accomplishment and pride for the entire family

HOW YOU FIT IN

Your support is an essential element in your child’s success with music study.

Schedule Practice Times
Music achievement requires effort over a period of time. You can help your child by:
Providing a quiet place for practice.
Remaining nearby during practice times as often as possible.
Scheduling a consistent, daily time for practice.
Praising your child’s efforts and achievements.

WHAT TO DO

To give your child the best possible support, you should:
Encourage your child to play for family and friends.
Offer compliments and encouragement regularly.
Expose your child to a wide variety of music, including concerts and recitals.
Encourage your child to talk with you about his or her lessons.
Make sure your child’s instrument is always in good working condition.
Allow your child to play many types of music, not just study pieces.
Listen to your child practice, and acknowledge improvement.
Help your child build a personal music library.
Try to get your child to make a minimum two-year commitment to his or her music studies.

WHAT NOT TO DO

Your child’s progress will be greatly enhanced if you:
Don’t use practice as punishment.
Don’t insist your child play for others when he or she doesn’t want to.
Don’t ridicule or make fun of mistakes or less-than-perfect playing.
Don’t apologize to others for your child’s weak performance.
Don’t start your child on an instrument that’s in poor working condition.
Don’t expect rapid progress and development in the beginning.