Your Child's Most Important Teacher

This is the first of a two-part article about The Preschool Years.  The second part will appear next Monday.  The first three to five years of life are, in many ways the most critical period in a child’s education.  Observers of human nature have long recognized the profound importance of early learning. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it,” advises the Book of Proverbs.  “The most important part of education is right in the nursery,” Plato observed.  Consider a few of the physical, intellectual, and emotional developments that mark the preschool years.

Growth of Curiosity – Children are born to learn.  It is crucial to fan those early sparks of curiosity throughout the preschool years.  Many teachers rank curiosity as a vital quality for a child to possess when entering kindergarten – more important than knowing the alphabet or how to count.

Development of interests – The interests children find early in life can be powerful predictors of later academic success.  For example, teachers know that youngsters are more likely to become good readers if they develop a fondness of hearing stories read aloud during the preschool years.  They learn to write more easily if they acquire and interest in drawing and scribbling before they reach school age.

Formation of Character – Students who have been taught the importance of hard work and responsibility are much more likely to get good grades.  Such ideals and habits take root before the school years.  They settle into young minds and hearts before the standards that parents set, the exhortations they offer, the expectations they establish, and the examples they place before their children.

Rich Webb

Early Release Procedures

• Wednesday is our first early release for parent/teacher conferences. All students will be taken to carpools at 11:30. Students may be picked up at their normal pick-up location. For those who normally pick up at both morning and afternoon carpool time, you will pick up your children on the cow side (multies carpool).
• Students who have signed up for After School Fun will move to the Parish Hall for lunch. Remember that if you are planning for your child to stay if After School Fun, you will need to sign them up in the office and send a lunch with them. There is no hot lunch that day.
• The uniform exchange will be set up in the foyer, so please wait until after pick-up time to come into the school building as the area will be highly congested.
• Please use designated parking spots only when you come to school for your conference. Do not park in the driveway.

This Week at St. Paul's

November 6 ~ 8:15 ~ Parents & Friends Meeting
November 7 ~ 11:30 ~ Early Release for Parent/Teacher Conferences
November 9 ~ Parents' Night Out sponsored by the 6th grade class

All week ~ Please bring your canned food to the Parish Hall in the morning for our Food for Families Drive.

IB in Action

Taking Time to Reflect ~ One of the essential elements of the IB program is reflection. Students are encouraged to cyclically CHOOSE~ACT~REFLECT. It is the hope of IB programs everywhere that students who go through the program learn to take responsibility for their actions and to see both positive and negative consequences that their choices have. Students are encouraged to think about how they best learn, about the skills they are developing and about the connections they see in what they are studying. Students of all age levels are asked to reflect on the learner profile and to know their areas of strengths and weaknesses. This week as you receive your child's report card, take time to reflect with your child about how he/she feels she is doing in school. Some children, when asked to reflect, are harder on themselves than adults might be, but others have difficulty admitting that they might need growth in specific areas. Encourage your child in his strengths and weaknesses to continuously work to improve. As they continue the cycle of choosing, acting, and reflecting, they will improve their ability to make sound decisions.

Are you ready for Parents' Night Out?

St. Paul's Friday Fun Night
Friday, November 9th
Ridgewood Tennis Center 
6:30 - 9:00pm
Includes Snacks, Drinks, Tennis Games, Prizes, and Tons of Fun! 
Ages 7-12 please!
For only $30 per child you get an evening to yourself,
your child has tons of fun,
and you help support our school's 6th grade class! 
Please email Yvonne in the office to sign up your children and send  your check for $30 per child made out to St. Paul’s 6th Grade Class by November 7th !

Hot Lunch Menu & Servers

Monday ~ Steakfingers ~ Lisa Sheldon
Tuesday ~ Fazoli's Trio Sampler ~ Roxanne Parks
Wednesday ~ Early Release for Teacher Conferences
Thursday ~ Hot Dog ~ Melinda Suchecki
Friday ~ Chick-Fil-A Nuggets ~ Scott Connell