Updates from the Principal

CLASS SUPPLY LISTS
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July 29, 2019

Dear Parents/Guardians:

I hope you have been enjoying these beautiful days of summer!
It is hard to believe summer is almost half over and school will be back in session in just five weeks. As a parent myself, I know how challenging it can be to motivate children to do school work over the summer. Below you will find some engaging websites that may be enticing for your child(ren):

READING

Starfall
http://starfall.com
While some areas of Starfall are part of their premium service, they have many
early reader stories available for free. Students can follow along as the story is
read to them and can, in some instances, help create their own story. The
website is highly engaging and a favorite of young readers.
Storynory
http://www.storynory.com/
Storynory features a collection of original, fairytale, and classic children’s audio
stories. Students can follow along with the story as it is read to them, as the
text is also included on the site. There are also some great features available
that give you the option of downloading the audio to your computer, listening
to “catch phrase” explanations, translating text into different languages and
more.

ABCya!
http://abcya.com
Children can listen to short stories read aloud to them as they follow along
with the highlighted text. ABCya has a variety of educational games in
addition to the featured stories. Free resources and materials are available for
grades K through 5.

International Children’s Digital Library
http://en.childrenslibrary.org/
Discover books from around the world at the International Children’s Digital
Library. The free site does not read the books aloud, but students can read
them independently during Read to Self or free time. This is a great site for
extension activities when learning about different regions of the world and can
be used effectively into the middle school grades.

WRITING

Scholastic Story Starters
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/story-starters/
This website motivates students to write by providing story
starter ideas.

Storybird
http://storybird.com/
This website provides students with illustrations to help them generate ideas
for writing.

Story Jumper
https://www.storyjumper.com/
Similar to Storybird, Story Jumper allows students to create online
storybooks. The program is slightly more primary in appearance than
Storybird, but it has features Storybird does not have, including allowing
students to use a variety of clip art and even their own photographs. Students
can order a hard copy of their book.

MATH

Fun Brain
https://www.funbrain.com/math-zone
Find math games by topic or by grade at FunBrain. Students will enjoy playing
a variety of math games that reinforce concepts and engage young learners.

Math Blaster
http://Mathblaster.com
The message to Math Blaster’s is clear: “Your success depends on your ability
to use your brain and logic skills.” With a space/alien theme, Math Blaster’s
lets your students become intergalactic heroes based on their math operation
and critical thinking skills. Registration is required, but the game itself is free.

Multiplication.com
http://multiplication.com
From the Multiplication Grand Prix to the Knight and the Princess, students
can practice their basic math skills in a fun and engaging way. There are
additional resources available for parents and teachers to help reinforce and
teach skills.

Hooda Math
http://HoodaMath.com
Logic and reasoning, math fact practice, and more make up the free
educational games at Hooda Math. There are quite a few games that call for
higher order thinking and ask students to problem solve to complete the
activities.

Math Game Time
http://MathGameTime.com
Designed for students from Pre-K through 7th Grade, Math Game Time offers
fun, educational games. From games like Integer War, Ratio Martian, and Jet
Ski Addition, students quickly engage with games that are on-target for their
grade and the Common Core Standards.

Math Playground
http://MathPlayground.com
“Play with Numbers and Give Your Brain a Workout” is the motto of Math
Playground. Students can choose from games related to logic, number skills
practice, geometry, algebra, probability, fractions and more. There are also
math word problems and video instruction to help students remember how to
solve them.

Cool Math Games
http://www.coolmath-games.com/
Coolmath-Games has exactly what the name implies – fun and unique math
learning opportunities for students. One of the most interesting features is an
online jigsaw puzzle section that features a variety of photos turned into
puzzles. This is especially helpful for developing spatial relations in young
learners. They have an extensive preview and review of Pre-calculus and
Calculus in addition to their elementary and middle school games and reviews. It is a comprehensive site worth examining.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Best,
Mrs. Neumeyer
Parents: If you are looking for a good book to read, I highly recommend the book, The Unselfie – Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World by Michele Borba, Ed.D. If your summer schedule is too busy to fit in extra reading, you can download it on Audible Books.

Tweets by @NeumeyerMrs