From the Principal’s Desk

What is GATE?  How are students selected?  What does the school do for these students and what does the district do for these students?

 

‘divergent thinkers.’  They are likely to be intense in their feelings, their behavior, and their views.  Gifted and creative children particularly view the world through a quite different set of glasses than less gifted children.  An exceptionally gifted child can be said to see the world through an electron microscope as compared with normal vision.”

(From SUSD GATE Program Handbook for Parents.)

 

Debbie Bohn, Principal

 

The Saugus Union School District will be providing it’s annual Vision More ...

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 From the Principal’s Desk

The Internet is truly a wonderful resource for our children.  It allows them to see what the Hubble space telescope is zeroing in on, and watch video footage of animals in the wild.  No matter what children are interested in, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of sites available to help them follow their curiosity into new levels of learning. However, there are frightening aspects of the Internet as well, which is why families need to be involved.  These tips are a great place to start:

 
Limit their access.  Through your Internet service provider, set up parental controls on your child’s screen name to prevent him or her from venturing into inappropriate sites.  Also make sure that he or she can’t get around those controls by going online through your screen name.  For a list of programs that can help you filter out inappropriate content, go to www.getnetwise.org

Create your own version of “Never” land.  Make sure that your children understand the “never” rules of using the Internet.  Never give out any personal information for any reason to anyone on the Web, no matter how innocent the request may seem.  Unless instructed otherwise, children are too often eager to give out their names and addresses to get free gifts through the mail or access to “fun” sites.

Cut out spam.  Install a virtual filter on your home computer to prevent unsolicited e-mail and other potentially harmful materials from being delivered.

Freedom of information.  Children particularly those in the preteen and teen years, use the Internet to communicate
with peers.  They create MySpace profiles and blogs.  Kids consider this information private and believe that their friends only access it and those close to them-but the reality can be far different.  Explain to your children that, because whatever they post online is available for anyone to see, they should have no problem with you reading it. 

Be “Checkpoint Charlie.”  Keep your family computer in a public area, and periodically check over their shoulder to see what sites they’re on and which windows they quickly minimized as you approached.

Learn the lingo.  If you don’t know what a blog, an IM, and a chat room are, among other Internet terms, find someone who can bring you up to speed. 

Imposters are lurking.  Sexual predators are skilled at using the Internet to entice children into online relationships, usually by setting up fake identities.  Sadly, you must strongly stress that your children cannot trust anyone on the Web who they do not personally know through family or school. 

Calling for help.  Explain to your children that they absolutely must tell you if a “person” from the Internet wants to call on the phone or meet them in person.  Such meetings or calls never can be allowed to take place without a parent’s presence.  See

www.safekids.com/kidsrules.htm for more rules.

Be understanding.  Although some children deliberately seek out “off-limits” Web content, many times they

stumble upon them while trying to find legitimate information.  If your child comes to you and tells you about a disturbing image or site, understand that people are misdirected in their searches all the time, and that it was unintentional. 

Read more about it!  Check out some of the many Web sites that help parents keep their children safe on the Internet.  One of the best is www.NETSmartz.org,

Developed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

 

Robyn McRee has been conducting Internet safety training for our teachers at the weekly staff meetings.  We are using the safe program.  Fifth grade students will be the first grade trained.  You can access valuable parent information at www.isafe.org.  Additionally we will be hosting a parent training at Skyblue this spring.

 

Debbie Bohn, Principal

Construction is progressing very smoothly. The forming of the footing for the MPR building is More ...

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From the Principal’s Desk

Success in school and in life depend more on effort than on ability or intelligence.  When children don’t feel smart, they may give up.  They may even feel like failures.

 Teachers understand that ability is just one factor leading to success.  They know success is earned through hard work, persistence, paying attention, attendance, working well with others, and attitude.  Being smart may help, but it is not the only trait that makes someone successful.

 Parents can help their children have an “I can” attitude.  Remind your child that, “It’s not how smart you are, but what you do with what you have that counts”

 Encourage your child to work hard to reach a goal.  When he or she is successful, be sure to say,  “You see?  Hard work paid off.”

(From the Parent Institute)

 

Debbie Bohn, Principal

Vision Screening Thanks

Thanks to Kris Benavidez, Laura Underhill, Jackie Davis and More ...

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