THE COTTON PICKER UPDATE

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1 THE COTTON PICKER UPDATE Robstown Independent School District Volume 1, Issue 2 October District Newsletter 1st 6 Weeks Completed It always seems as if the first six weeks of the school year is gone within the blink of an eye. As this is done, we look forward to the many exciting things to come as the year moves on. Teachers and campus staff work hard during the first six weeks to get to know their students and establish a safe and welcoming classroom environment. We would like parents to know we are committed to being available for your child and plan to give students the best education at Robstown Independent School District. Our hope is that the District Newsletter serves as supplemental information source to keep you informed of the activities and initiatives we are working on, to put students first. In This Issue Superintendent s Message pg. 2 Robstown ISD Implements Innovative Literacy and Writing Programs pg. 3 Flu Prevention Tiips pg. 4 Lotspeich Community Health Fair Recap pg. 5

2 From the Desk of The Superintendent Dear Robstown ISD Parents, Guardians & Community Members, Dr. Maria Vidaurri It is hard to believe the first six weeks has concluded, our students have begun school with a strong emphasis on their academic studies and our teachers have taken the district slogan, "Moving Forward to an unprecedented level. We are proud to be embarking on new, innovative educational techniques, that includes university professors who essentially, teach our teachers how to be more effective and successful in the classroom. We are so fortunate for the grants that have funded this initiative, as we have already seen the positive responses from this outreach. I hope this newsletter continues to be your information source for the many great things taking place at Robstown Independent School District. Thank you for your support. Your partnership makes all the difference. Sincerely, Dr. Maria Vidaurri Hattie Martin Students Participate in Thank a Cop Day Pre K-3 and Pre K-4 year olds wanted to extend a special thank you to the police officers that serve the Robstown community. In honor of National Thank a Police Officer Day, students made heart-felt cards and crafts to give to the officers who visited their classrooms. Officers were on campus to not only see the hallways decked in supportive posters and decorations, but to receive their Thank - You s from the children as well. The students dressed in blue to support local law enforcement and were thrilled to have police officers in their classroom to read stories to them and talk to them about candy safety during Halloween and looking both ways when crossing the street. Officers from Robstown Police Department made visits to classrooms at Hattie Martin RPD 2

3 Robstown ISD Implements Innovative Literacy and Writing Programs Robstown Independent School District is delighted to be the recipient of two grants from the Education Service Center, Region 2 and the Coastal Bend Writing Project that will provide unique resources for the District to improve student literacy and provide teacher training to support reading and writing integration in every class. The Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) Grant targets early childhood children, up to fifth grade, and will be used to provide experiences that will strengthen student reading and writing abilities. This will be done through the distribution of highly appealing reading materials, on a wide variety of subjects and formats. The Elementary and Intermediate campuses throughout Robstown ISD will receive five Kindle Fire e-readers per grade level and twenty-five ipad2 tablets per campus. These devices will be pre-programmed with an array of academic online databases for educational purposes. The IAL Grant will also be used to increase school readiness for children ages two through four. Hattie Martin Early Childhood Center will be hosting five Toddler Reading Time events throughout the year that will be open to the public. To elaborate, the events will include thematic materials and activities that will place emphasis on early literacy development. This means that the first 30 parents who bring their children will be given a packet of literacy activities, including a free book to practice reading at home. Elementary and Intermediate campuses will host Family Literacy Events that parents and students will be invited to attend together. During which, they will be able to take home up to three books at a time to become equipped with information on building a home library. The second Grant given to Robstown ISD, Write for Texas, is designed to help all teachers provide opportunities for students to read, write and discuss a wide variety of genres throughout the school year. This will include free training from university professors and instructional coaches that will provide teacher modeling supported materials to promote daily writing in all disciplines across the district. The goal is that students will vision and gain access to appropriate models of writing, which will create opportunities to integrate what is learned, and apply it to everyday concepts. Superintendent, Dr. Maria Vidaurri, expressed her excitement, This is a great opportunity for our District to promote literacy all the way from our elementary schools to the high school. Through this grant we will be focusing on creating critical readers and phenomenal writers. These school-wide literacy and writing programs are unique to Robstown ISD, which coincide with the District motto for the School Year, Moving Forward, coming together to ensure every student has the opportunity to achieve success. Parents with children aged two or younger are invited to attend the next scheduled Toddler Reading Times at Hattie Martin Early Childhood Center. Above: Avett Saenz receives a free book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? after attending Toddler Reading Time. Toddler Reading Time Schedule October 15, 2015 November 12, 2015 February 11, 2016 April 7,

4 College & Career Readiness to Hold College and Career Fair Calling All High School Students Don t miss the College & Career Fair on Thursday, October 15, By attending, students will have the opportunity to speak with University professionals who have first-hand information on the requirements for college admissions, specialized fields of study, degree choices, and general college life. This is an ideal time to interact with college representatives, with the convenience of having them at Robstown High School. Additionally, professionals who are in hiring positions will be giving information on local careers after graduation. This is a free resource to discover potential employment areas. October 15, 2015 RHS Gym 9:00AM-2:00PM Q: What should students expect at the College & Career Fair? A: Students should expect a variety of institutions to be available to answer any questions they may have. Students should also expect an easy-flowing environment with minimal distractions, to allow enough time to visit different booths. Q: What if they don t have an idea of what they want to do after High School? A: All students will be welcomed. If a student is not certain of their career choice, they will still have the opportunity to explore the college fair. Students may see something which sparks their interests. Q: What should students bring with them to the fair? A: Students should bring an open mind and prepare any questions they might have about college or careers. Q: Why is it important to attend? A: Students will obtain an idea of opportunities that await them. Stop the Flu: How to Stay Well During Flu Season With flu season approaching, Robstown ISD would like to take the time to send out some precautionary measures to reduce your chances of catching the flu. District Head Nurse, Yvonne Guajardo, answers some FAQ s about the virus. Q: What is the flu? A: Influenza, commonly known as the flu is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract. It affects all age groups, though kids tend to get it more often than adults. In the United States, flu season runs from October-May, with most cases happening between late December and early March. Q: What signs and symptoms can I look for in my child? A: The flu is often confused with the common cold, but flu symptoms are more severe than the typical sneezing and stuffiness of a cold. Symptoms can include: -fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, dizziness, loss of appetite, tiredness, cough, sore throat, runny nose, nausea or vomiting, weakness, ear pain, diarrhea Q:How long can a sick person spread the flu to others? A: The flu is contagious, spread by virus-infected droplets that are coughed or sneezed into the air. People who are infected are contagious from a day before they feel sick until their symptoms end (about 1 week for adults, but this can be longer for kids). Q: How can I protect my child against the flu? A: The flu vaccine helps protect people from the flu viruses that experts think will be most common. While the vaccine doesn t guarantee against getting sick, someone whose vaccinated and still gets the flu will have fewer and milder symptoms. These practical steps make spreading the flu less likely: -Wash your hands often with soap -Never pick up used tissues -Don t share cups and eating utensils -Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If a tissue is unavailable, cough or sneeze into your upper arm, not your hands 4

5 Lotspeich Parental Involvement Has Full House for 3rd Annual Community Health Fair Above: Students line up at booth to get health information Above: School Nurse, Lauren Contreras, prepares healthy snacks to give away at the Health Fair In efforts to promote health awareness in Robstown, Lotspeich Elementary Parental Involvement held a Community Health Fair for residents, children, and community members. People who attended had free access to health screenings, hearing tests, immunizations, and much more. Experts in health and nutrition provided information on healthy lifestyle cooking, exercise, food ingredients, and mental health. Parental Involvement Liaison, Becky Morales, said they were very pleased with the turnout stating this was the most people that have ever attended, we re glad to be positively impacting our community. Over 37 vendors were present, distributing information parents appreciate utilizing at home. Lisa Garcia, a parent attending the health fair, complemented the event, My kids get excited to come, and I get excited to have the opportunity to obtain this great information, so it s a win-win for my family. If you or someone you know is interested in joining the Parental Involvement group, contact the campus PI Liaison. It s that time of year again, September 23rd was the first Official Day of Fall. So what comes next? Fall Festivals, of course! Look below for your child's respective campus events. ROBERT DRISCOLL ELEMENTARY October 15, :00PM-7:00PM Cafeteria San pedro ELEMENTARY October 15, :00PM-7:00PM Cafeteria Hattie martin early childhood ctr. October 14, :00PM-7:00PM Cafeteria 5

6 Robstown Independent School District 801 North First Street Robstown, Texas STANDARD PERMIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 11 ROBSTOWN, TX The Cottonpicker Update Newsletter is a community newsletter published by the Public Relations Department to inform citizens about Robstown ISD schools. 6