School Board Meeting at McKinley

On Wednesday, January 11th the Box Elder School Board will have their monthly meeting at McKinley Elementary School. This will be an opportunity for our school to show and tell of the wonderful activities happening at our school. The entire 4th grade will be sharing a couple of songs on their recorders and also singing a couple of songs. We will also be sharing a few of our successes that we have experienced these past couple of years. We invite all to come and participate in this event. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in our multi-purpose room (gym).

BOGO Book Fair

PTA will be hosting a BOGO (Buy One Get One Free) Scholastic Book Fair. It will be in the gym on the stage. The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, December 7th from 3-5 PM
Thursday, December 8th during lunch and from 3-5 PM
Friday, December 9th during lunch and from 3-5 PM

This is a great time to buy some great Christmas gifts. Come check it out.

December Calendars

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December Principal Message

Parent – Teacher Communication

I have been involved with many associations and committees and with these varied experiences I have come to realize that communication is key. When it comes to your child’s education one thing sticks out:

Parental involvement enhances student success. A first step toward involvement is communicating with your child’s teacher. Effective communication consists of meeting with the teacher, being a positive partner in the learning experience, and keeping lines of communication open. Here are a few ideas to help us all:

• Find out the best way to contact the teacher. Ask for times when it is convenient to talk. Don’t expect them to be able to talk if you happen to be at the school and run into them.
• Write short notes (written or as an e-mail, if allowed) and follow up with a phone message to the school if you don’t get a response in a few days. Be sure to include your phone number and/or e-mail address.
• Be diplomatic, especially in e-mail. Choose words carefully and avoid criticizing the teacher.
• In e-mail communication, be brief, stick to the point. Stick to school-related information in e-mail.
• Be positive and curious. Open with phrases such as “Can we talk about…?” Use “I” statements such as “I’m confused about…” so you don’t put the teacher on the defensive.
• Don’t be afraid to talk to me. I might be able to intervene if you are unable to communicate with your child’s teacher.
• Be a partner in your child’s learning. Assist with homework, help your child learn time management skills, talk about school matters at home.
• Send a note of appreciation to the teacher when things go well in class (and mention this to me).
• It may be difficult to hear what teachers have to say if they deliver bad news about your child. Try to focus on solutions and work with the teacher to come up with a healthy plan to help your child learn.
  

I can’t believe how fast this school year is going. There is so much good happening at McKinley School and thanks to our great staff, PTA, and parents we are seeing much success. This is a great place to be. Our next book fair is December 7 – 9. This might be good time to purchase a Christmas book for your child especially since its BOGO time (buy one get one free).

As usual, it there are any concerns or times for celebration, please stop in my office and visit.

Thanks, Mr. Chadaz