May Newsletter:Last of the Year

MAY/June NEWSLETTER 2006

Principal's Message:

Reading and Writing experiences continue to be an area of priority in our school. In April we had a remarkable response to A.S.H Family Reading Night. Once again I want to thank Mr. Charles Touhey for his involvement in practices that acknowledges the need for multicultural literature. On May 17th the Reading Committee planned READ THE DAY AWAY encouraging teachers to build literacy-based activities into all curricular areas. Mr. Touhey is scheduled to meet with teachers after school to discuss diversity and education. Below is a questionnaire for you to take as a parent…see how you do.

Confident Reader Quiz

Are You Helping Your Child Be A Confident Reader?

How are you helping your child build confidence in her reading skills? In the quiz below, give yourself five points for something you do often, zero points for something you never do—or any score in between.

____ 1. I ask my child to read out loud to me to build skill and confidence.
____ 2. I ask my child questions about what she is reading. She gets to be the expert
and share what she has learned.
____ 3. I encourage my child to learn new words by sounding them out and looking
them up in the dictionary.
____ 4. I make time every day to read with my child. Practice builds confidence.

How Did You Score? Fourteen points or more means you’re helping your child become a confident reader. Seven to thirteen is average. Below seven? Try some of the ideas in the quiz.

Helping Children Deal with Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes every day. Sometimes people “catch” you at it, sometimes they don’t but it’s how you deal with those goofs that is important. Children who are mortified whenever they make a mistake, whether on a school assignment or socially, develop poor self-images that can haunt them through life. Here are a number of ways you can help your child deal with mistakes and criticism.

“I”, not “you”: The best way to make criticism more palatable is to rephrase it to reflect how the situation makes you feel, instead of casting blame on the child. Compare these:
“You’ve got to stop making all these sloppy mistakes. You’ll never get good grades if you don’t shape up.”
“I get very frustrated when I see sloppy mistakes in your homework. It makes me feel that you don’t care about doing a good job.”

Look for Positives: Too often busy parents take time only to spot and correct their child’s mistakes. You can make the sting of criticism easier to handle if you offset criticism with plenty of positive comments. For example, if you see your child reading a book, say, “It’s great to see how much you enjoy reading. Tell me about the story.”

Criticize the Action, Not the Person: This may be a big switch from what may parents were used to as children, but you can help your children’s self-esteem by directing your anger at what they did rather than them. Say, “Breaking that glass and not telling anyone about it was wrong. Next time, I want you to be honest when something like that happens.”

Use Kind Sarcasm: Kind is the important word here. It can be tempting to be sarcastic, especially in criticizing older children. But sarcasm delivered in a warm, joking way is a great way to deflect embarrassment. Let’s say Josh comes downstairs, ready for school, without realizing that he still has his pajama shirt on. You could just order him back to change, or you could help him laugh at his mistake: “Are you starting a trend, Josh? Next week, I bet all the fourth graders will be wearing their pj’s to school.”

You can model the use of kind sarcasm by applying it to your own mistakes. The next time you try a new dessert recipe and it’s a flop, ease the situation by saying something like, “I’m not sure, but somehow I think that this isn’t going to win the next Pillsbury Bake-Off.”

Teach Children to Laugh at Themselves: Everyone does things that make them feel humiliated, like falling clumsily on the ice in front of your friends, or erasing a word so vigorously that it tears a hole in the paper, or completely missing the ball when playing soccer or tennis. By teaching children to laugh and not get upset at their foibles, you’ll help them realize that some mistakes can be funny and should not be taken seriously.

Mistakes are part of life. So is criticism. Help your child to handle both.

Newsletter coordinator and writer needed for the 2006-2007 academic year.

If you would like to get involved this is a great opportunity for keeping informed and getting to know the ASH community. The time commitment is about 5-8 hours a month. Coordinating the newsletter involved keeping in touch with members of the PTA, attending PTA meeings, soliciting contributions from the School nurse, the principal and occasionally from teachers and students. This year we decided to post the newsletter on the Web, but that is not a requirement. Please contact David Greene or Sarah Averill at (518) 463-6235 if you would like to take over the website and/or the newsletter.

Health Alert: Deer Ticks and Lyme Disease on the Rise

Lyme Disease is caused by bacteria transmitted by deer ticks. People who spend time in grassy and wooded areas are at increased risk. Even in suburban areas where deer populations have increased significantly in the last several years, people are getting lyme disease. Get in the habit of chekcing yourself and your children and watch for the signs and symptoms of lyme disease.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease:
Early Symtoms usually show up within 30 days of exposure to a tick bite. They include:

• A rash resembling a bull's eye or a solid patch, about two inches in diameter. This occurs in 60 to 80% of cases.
• Chills, fever and headache, fatigue, stiff neck, muscle and/or joint pain and swollen glands.
• later symptoms include severe fatigue, a stiff aching neck, tingling or numbness in the extremities or facial paralysis.
• Additional symptoms can include painful arthritis, swollen joints, heart and central nervous system problems.

Prevention:

• Wear light-colored clothing so that you can see ticks more clearly. Tuck shirts into pants, and pants into socks.
• Check clothing and skin after every 2-3 hours of outdoor activity.
• Brush off ticks from your clothes before they become attached to skin.

Removal of Deer Ticks

• Using a pair of tweezers, grasp the tick near the mouthparts, as close to the skin as possible.
• Do not squeeze, crush or puncture the body of the tick. Pull the tick in a steady, upward motion away from the skin.
• Do not attempt to remove ticks using petroleum jelly, kerosene, lit cigarettes, or other home remedies because these may increase the risk of contracting a tick-borne disease.
• After removing the tick, disinfect the bite site with soap, rubbing alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide, and wash your hands.
• Record the date and the location of the tick bite.
• If a rash or flu-like symptoms appear, contact your helath care provider immediately.
• Contact your health care provider if you have concerns about incomplete tick removal.

Date Change

Motivational Productions: Code of Honor

Rescheduled for June 6, 2006 at 9:30 and 10:30 am.


Rummage Sale a Huge Success!
Thank you Emily Lee for coordinating the Rummage Sale -- and raising nearly $1,000 for the ASH PTA!

Square 1 Art
The Square 1 Art Fundraise also raised approximately $1,200 for the PTA. The late orders will be distributed by the middle of May. If you have problems with your order or are missing items, please contact Sarah Averill, preferably by e-mail at sarah.averill@gmail.com. Thank you to everyone who helped, particularly Anita Weklar, Amber Jones, Liz Heyward, and Maria Harple, whose advice proved very helpful.

Student Submissions:
Couch Potatoes or Active Kids

By Morgan Heyward

Do you feel like a couch potato? If you do you probably watch too much T.V. I did and so do millions of other kids. Some kids even see their best friends outside, then see their favorite show on and stay inside. Kids watch too much T.V.

In a recent study, I found many kids watch more than an hour of TV a day, for instance Anne-Marie DeRusso, age 10, said, "I watch 3 hours of T.V. after I read." Christian Dixon, age 9, said, "I watch 4 hours of T.V. a day but sometimes I play baseball." I asked kids if they felt they watched too much T.V.; most said yes. So what can kids do to break the T.V. habit?

I have some solutions to solve the problem of watching too much T.V. One solution is you can get involved in sports teams or clubs. Things like baseball, basketball, or maybe a reading club could be good. You could ride your bike or maybe race a friend or sibling. These are just some of the thngs you can do instead of watching T.V.

Some kids say they don't know how to start a reading club. Well, let me tell you, you're not helpless!

To get started, ask your librarian if they have a reading club. If not, ask if you can use a space in the library for a club. Then get some other kids together, pick a president, a vice president, and a treasurer. At every meeting charge 25 cents; this will be for snacks. Finally talk with the group and plan what you're going to do at each meeting. There, now you have a reading club. Was that so hard?

Some kids say, "We want to do something else but we're too tired!" so I say, "Go to bed earlier -- that's not excuse." The point is kids watch too much T.V. because they let the T.V. control them. You control the T.V. -- the T.V. does not control you. Now you know what to do, so get out from in front of the T.V. and get outside!

April Newsletter

Thank You to Everyone Who Helped Make the Mother-Daughter Dinner a Success

The Mother-Daughter Committee would like to thank everyone who attended thedinner on March 23rd. The turn-out was wonderful and we hope that a greattime was had by all. A special THANK YOU goes out to the Nieves family forthe donations of the beautiful cakes. They were delicious!!! We would alsolike to thank all of the teachers and staff that helped out with set-up,serving, and clean-up-your involvement and support means so much!!!Finally, the crew that made it all possible: Maria, Raquel, Eileen, Sally,Rebecca, Liz & Morgan, AnnMarie, Ann, Carolyn, Anita, and anyone we forgotto mention thank you for all of your hard work and commitment to making thisyears dinner a huge success. We could not have done it without all ofyou!!!!!Any proceeds that remain will be donated to the National Luekemia & LymphomaSociety to help in the fight against those illnesses.Looking forward to next year's event!!Amber Jones


Student Submissions

The Greatest Mother-Daughter Dinner Dance
By Anne-Marie DeRusso
Mrs. Castle’s 4th Grade

This year was the greatest Mother-Daughter dinner/dance ever; thanks to Liz Turner, Amber Jones, Maria Harple, Mrs. Wallace, Ms. Bogucki, and so many other women in out school who enjoy helping to express their great love for women’s history month.

“The food was better than ever,” says Congetta Harple of Mrs. Castle’s 4th grade class. Thanks to Dameras Nieves for making the wonderful cakes, which was so nice of her.

“The dinner was fun filled and exciting, but made us a little tired the next day,” says Elizabeth Nova and Morgan Heyward who have been going to this school for 2-5 years! Dancing and having dinner was only half the fun. Two speakers came and helped to show what women’s history is about.

“I liked to be with my sister and my mom,” says Rachele LaBarge grade 4 and Angelina Nicole DeRusso from Mrs. Dipace’s class.

The best things about the dinner were the orange ribbons that were given out in honor of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

This was a wonderful event, thank you again!



Sofia Villela
Mrs. Fruscio’s 5th Grade

When you think of the circus you think of adults doing acrobatics and juggling and tumbling and clowning. But when I think of the circus I think of 5th grade kids and a man named Seano working together to make the best circus ever. All 5th grades thank Seano so much for giving this opportunity. Also the 5th grade teachers too! The 5th grade had only one week to work on this performance. I am almost sure I’m not speaking only for myself when I was…it was hard, but we had a wonderful performance thanks to Seano!







Ellie Neuberg
Mrs. Brown’s 3rd Grade

On Friday March 17, the 3rd grade classes with disabilities and I learned that those people aren’t so different from us. Some people are blind, some can’t walk and others are slow. That does not mean that they can’t do other stuff that other people can do. They can still plat sports, read, and learn just like the rest of us. They can do the same thing as all of us if they just try and try again. We all enjoyed the show and hope to see something like it again.




































Attention!! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we are the drill team behind the scene to tell you about how we put hard work in for our drill for the pride assembly. On Monday’s at lunch we would have drill practices and on Wednesday afternoons. Stepping is not easy but if you really put your mind to it and make it one of your goals and you want to achieve it, it will be easy.
Being part of the drill team means that you have to be a team player. You have to put all your effort into being a team player and you have to keep all of your grades up and follow all of the rules. You are not able to talk to the person next to you, argue or just be lazy. Your arms have to be perfect of you will have to stand with your hands to the side.
We are very happy that we have such great coaches (Mrs. Micelle, Mrs. Curtis-Morris and Mrs. Fragomeni) who made it very fun.
Well, if you want to be in the drill team you have to keep your grades up, be the good person that you can, and follow all the rules of the drill.


Shaniah Lawson
Caree McCann
Syira Stratton
Ardasia Terry
6th Grade Drill Team Members

March PTA Newsletter

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians,

It appears that March has come in like a lion as we brave the cold and windy weather.

We had a wonderful African American History Month celebration to close out February. Our school-wide assembly was called "Making Connections"; it was a collaborative effort involving the school and the community. I have received many uplifting comments from faculty members, parents, students, and even from our guest keynote speaker Mr. Dan Bazile from Channel 13 News. The African American History Committee co-chaired by Mrs. Butler and Ms. Foley is to be commended for transforming our school into an arena of African-American knowledge. Each student performer did an outstanding job with their oral presentation. I want to thank Mr. Novak and Mrs. Baxter for their technology expertise along with Mrs. Aiello and Ms. Hansen for their dedication to our Arts and Humanities theme.

There seem to be some questions as to whether ASH will have sixth grade next year. Our school will remain a Pre-K-6 elementary school for the 2006-2007 school year. The current fifth graders will remain at our school and continue on as sixth graders. We look forward to working with you and your children.

This month’s Report to Parents is on Children Alone at Home:

Millions of children aged 6 to 13 are alone—or with brothers and sisters—after school for several hours each day. And projections indicate the number of children will continue to increase. While working parents would much prefer not to leave their school-aged children alone, alternatives—such as child care centers, relatives, or neighborhood baby-sitters—aren’t always available and may be out of the question financially.

How to decide if your children are able to stay home alone: Assess whether your children are old enough, confident, responsible, and have good judgment. Are they frightened being alone? How would they handle emergencies? How much time alone could they handle? Could they follow the rules you set? Pose some real problem situations for your children to see if their reactions are sound. For instance—“What would you do if: The power goes out? The dog gets over the fence and you aren’t supposed to leave the yard? Your friends want you to ride bikes farther than you are allowed to go in the neighborhood? Your sister cuts her finger? Your brother doesn’t get home when he’s expected? You miss your school bus home?”

Discuss your child with school staff. The teacher, counselor, or principal may recommend materials—books or pamphlets from the library—to help you and your child structure this time alone. At any rate, schools should know if children are expected to be unsupervised after (or before) school on a regular basis.

Plan very carefully. For safety. For emergencies. For friends and siblings. For responsibilities. Children are more comfortable if they know exactly how long they will be alone, what is expected of them when they are alone, how to handle problems, and where to get help if they need it. Be sure to practice together locking and unlocking the door before your child has to do it alone.

All children should know their full names, address, phone number (plus area code), their parents' full names, exact name of workplaces, and work phone numbers.

Checking system: Children should call a parent, or leave a message at their parent’s
workplace, as soon as they reach home every day. Parents who are difficult to track down or unavailable by phone should call their child at a designated time. If there’s no phone, try to find a neighbor your child can check in with—and make sure the neighbor knows how to get in touch with you. Always let your children know if you will be late. If they are allowed to leave home, make sure they let you know where they are going and for how long. Clearly written notes (or tape-recorded messages)—about snacks, chores, or clarifications—can welcome kids coming into an empty home.

Safety and emergency system: set up logical, concise rules for personal, household, and fire safety. Don’t allow the use of dangerous utensils. Discourage use of the stove or hazardous appliances like heaters. Leave snacks that don’t require heating. Teach children how to GET OUT safely in case of smoke or fire. Make sure children know elementary first aid, and have a well-supplied first aid kit within their reach.

Keep an updated list of important phone numbers: parents, doctor, poison control center, police fire, and nearest relative or neighbor by every phone. Make sure children know how to call 911, or the operator, for help. Tell them what to say—their name and age, the problem, the street address, the apartment number.

Practice with children exactly what to say over the phone so they won’t let callers know they are alone. Teach them never to go inside if their door is open, there’s a broken window, or a strange car is parked in the driveway.

Keep an emergency pack. Put together an emergency kit in your child’s schoolbag with an extra key, money, and important phone numbers.

Responsibility system: make firm rules about whether or not friends may visit, and whether or not your child may leave home. It’s easier for children to fill their time when they know what’s expected in the way of watching TV, doing chores, eating, using the telephone, doing homework, going outside, taking care of pets, and sharing responsibilities with siblings. Plan the rules together, write them down, and keep them sensible and flexible. Don’t forget to compliment your children often. Let them know how proud you are of their accomplishment—staying home alone and being responsible.

ASH PTA RUMMAGE SALE!
Saturday, April 8th 9am-3pm
Donations taken Friday, April 7th 6-9pm
All electronics/small appliances MUST be in good working order
Clothing/Shoes in NEW condition, preferably folded in boxes or on hangers
No donations will be accepted in dark trash bags
We will need lots of volunteers both Friday and Saturday!
If you can help with a truck or a van let us know!
Call or email Emily Lee
459-8173 elee3@nycap.rr.com
Look for flyers soon in your child's bookbag!
Let's make this an event to remember!
There will be a meeting following our March 14th PTA meeting at 8pm

Safety at School -- Follow the Rules

To ensure a safe and productive learning environment, students will be expected to follow the following safety guidelines within the school building:
No skateboards
No bicycles
No radios
No cell phones or beepers
No trading cards of any kind
No bats, footballs or very sharp intruments can be allowed in the school.

If these articles are brought to school they will be kept by the principal until picked up by the parents or guardians. Basketballs brought to school for use at recess must be brought in a bag. These and other guidelines are set forth in the school handbook (Agenda Program, p. 5 Personal Property). In an emergency children may use their cell phones to make calls from outside the building. At any other time they should be turned off and kept inside their bags.

Presenting...... The Code of Honor on Thursday April 6, 2006

The Health and Wellness Committee and the PTA are sponsoring a multimedia presentation called CODE of HONOR on Thursday April 6th in the multi-function room. Please join us to learn about three aspects of the code. They are CARING, OBEDIENCE, and HONESTY.

To assist with conveying the importance of this code of honor we will show short films based on inspirational true stories with a fun soundtrack of contemporary music. Parents are invited to attend either of the two performances, 9:30 am and 10:30am, on April 6th. If you have any quesions call Ms Pakosz at 462-2092.

Keep Your Family Heart Healthy

Many of you already know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in America for both men and women. But did you know that heart disease begins in early childhood? Most heart disease is preventable. Here are some suggestions for ways to keep your family heart healthy:

Get active! Try to build activity into your daily routine by walking to school, the library, the convenience store. Play games with your children: ride bikes, ice skate, jump rope, shoot hoops, play tag, swim, or simply throw a ball around.

Limit time spent in front of the computer or television. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting these sedentary activities to no more than 1 or 2 hours a day. Excessive television viewing has been liked to weight increase in children.

Pay attention to what you are eating and what you are drinking too! Water is the beverage of choice. Avoid soft drinks and fruit drinks. Eat foods high in fiber, especially fruits and vegetables -- make friends with broccoli! Choose foods with moderate amounts of fat. While fat is not always the enemy, calories from fat should constitute no more than 30% of your daily caloric intake.

Limit sweets. Depriving children of sweet treats completely tends to backfire, but it is a good idea to help children understand that sweets should be eaten in moderation and that they are not everyday foods.

Eat a varied diet.

Quit smoking, it's bad for you -- no lie -- and expensive! Save the money and go on a family vacation.

Take more time for each other. Families that play together stay together.

For more information on heart health contact the Health Education Department at 447-4648.

Thank you!

Many thanks to both Anita Weklar and Maria Harple for donating microwaves for the children to warm up their lunches in the cafeteria.

Mother Daughter Dinner and Dance Thursday, March 23

Mark your calendars for the Mother Daughter dinner.

PTA Fundraiser at Friendly's in Delmar
Bring your family to the Friendly's diner in Delmar and help us raise money for the PTA. All sales from 5 to 10pm will count toward our 10% profit from sales.

February PTA Newsletter

Principal's Address

Dear Parents and Guardians,

One of my administrative goals has always been to provide a safe and orderly environment following District and Albany School of Humanities procedures that have been put into place. Ms. Vitillo and I have worked collectively with the staff and students on safety procedures. Our safety preparation drills (i.e., lock-down, shelter-in- place) and our visitor sign-in procedures are prime examples that “Safety First” is always paramount at A.S.H.

Dr. Joseph has required each school to establish an official School Safety Committee. The committee membership will include the Principal, teachers, school monitor and parents. The optimal goal of each safety committee is to ensure a safe and orderly school environment that is supportive of teaching and learning. Just as in Shared Decision Making and our Character Education Committees, parental input is strongly recommended. I will be seeking parents to participate on the safety committee.

Besides the establishment of the district wide School Safety committees, the Board of Education has adopted a Random Search Policy. The Board recognizes that a safe educational environment in the schools is an important factor in a student’s ability to learn. The “Random Search Policy” was approved in Fall 2005. This policy authorized several different types of searches that may be required in the school setting. The Board is mindful that the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution prohibits unreasonable searches. The reasonableness of any search shall be determined by the context within which the search takes place.

Both the High School and Middle schools have been involved in Random Searches. These random metal-detector screenings have been seen as an effective and necessary means of detecting and deterring the possession of weapons, and preventing its consequences, principally student violence, from occurring on school premises. As authorized by the Superintendent or her designee, the students across the District, will be randomly selected for screenings. Trained school and district staff will conduct these screenings with the use of a hand-held “wand” metal detector for students in grades 5 and 6 only. The random nature of the searches will be determined by the guidelines included in the BOE policy. The Superintendent or the Safe Schools Principal will determine the “student count” in order to insure that this is a completely random process.

Communication will continue as we adopt these new safety polices. Together we can provide our children with a safe educational environment. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Community Building 'En Español'

Under the direction of Sra. Allen and Sra. Mattison students in grades three and six participated in an exciting cooperative learning project. Third graders taught the sixth graders the song "Mi Cuerpo" (My Body) followed by the sixth graders' version of "Mi Hombre de Nieve" (Frosty the Snowman). All students then made snowman tic-tac-toe boards with the sixth graders directing the third graders in Spanish.

In October, fifth graders taught Spanish vocabulary to third graders during the 'Great Pumpkin Race'. The event was held in the multifunction room. All game pieces were made by the fifth grade students.

A great time was had by all. Stay tuned for more community building activities...

Sra. Allen & Sra. Mattison
Spanish Teachers

Fun was had by All a the ASH and Montessori Schools Skating Event at Swinbourne Rink

Proposal to Establish an Award in Memory of Sgt. Nick Sacco.

The PTA is pleased to announce that it is proposing a new award to be awarded to the graduating student who best represents the qualiites of leadership and service to the community. The award will be called the "Sgt.Nick Sacco" award in memory of Army Sgt. Sacco, who was recently killed in Iraq. Sgt. Sacco attended ASH school when it was called School 23.

New Date for the ASH Family Dance
ASH Family Dance is rescheduled for Friday, March 3 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Mayor's Cup Karate Tournament A Rousing Success

Karate Corner

On Saturday, December 10th, ASH played host to the First Annual Winter Festival/Mayor’s Cup Karate Tournament. With close to 100 athletes in attendance, a great time was had by all! Our first timers learned the art of performing for a crowd, while our novice and advance athletes had the opportunity to prepare for their upcoming National Tournaments.

Our Shihan Tournament will be held this year on Saturday, March 25th at 9:00am at Albany High. (Details to come.) The 2006 Karate National Tournament will be held in Miami, Florida. (Details to come.) Please come out and help support the athletes with upcoming fundraisers thru 2006!

Karate Terms for the month: (Colors)

Shiro: White
Ki: Yellow
Aoi: Blue
Midori: Green
Murasaki: Purple
Cha: Brown
Kuro: Black
Aka: Red

Dates to Remember

PTA Meeting Feb 14
Chess Club meeting Feb 16
Holiday Recess Feb 20-24

ASH Family Dance is rescheduled
for Friday, March 3, 6:30-8:00pm

Shihan Karate Tournament Mar 25

December ASH PTA Newsletter (volume 10.3)

{Send material for the newsletter to sarah.averill [at] gmail.com -- deadline is the last day of November. We hope to have the newsletter printed and distributed by the following Tuesday (December 6th) at the latest.}

Message From The Principal

Last month fifth grade teachers Christine Antonio and Tammy Kaleta offered a parent workshop on the Annual Statewide Testing in English Language Arts and Math. This workshop was co-sponsored by the ASH PTA and parents who attended found out that the new state tests are a response to the No Child Left Behind mandate. Under the NCLB mandate, states that receive federal funding for education are required to test all students in grades 3-8 in ELA and Math beginning this January.

The new tests are supposed to be aligned with the New York State learning standards. Test results will determine if a school is making Adequate Yearly Progress under NCLB. It becomes confusing to us as educators so we realize that it becomes confusing to parents as well. Accompanying this month's newsletter parents in grades 3-6 will be receiving a copy of the Parent's Guide to the New York State Testing Program - Achieving Excellence in Education. I would like to thank Mary Rose Bates for sending the testing document to our district bulk copy center for duplication. Mrs. Bates is our ASH ELA team leader as well as an Integrated classroom teacher in grades two and three. Kids can't "cram" for these tests. The best way for parents to help is to introduce fun activities and study habits at home that will strengthen your child's abilities in these key subject areas:

Reading, Writing and Listening:

· Have your child explain information from a newspaper or magazine article.

· When watching a television commercial, ask your child to separate fact from fiction.

· Read aloud with your child, alternating paragraphs. This helps motivate your child to complete assignments and helps you monitor progress in reading.

· Help your child get started on a writing assignment by asking relevant questions. This helps a child internalize the questions writers ask themselves when composing a piece.

Mathematics:

· Demonstrate the everyday uses of math. Let your child tally your spending while shopping, calculate the savings on a sale item or help estimate how many gallons of paint you need to cover the living room walls.

· While driving or walking, have your child identify the geometric shape of common items that you see.

· Give your children the chance to help put together a budget for a holiday get together, calculating what you might spend for food, decorations and activities.

I encourage you to attend our monthly PTA meetings and school events. Parents and teachers need to work together to make sure our children get the time, extra help and resources they need to meet more challenging academic standards. On behalf of the entire ASH staff, Ms. Vitillo and I would like to wish you and your families a peaceful Holiday Season and Happy New Year.

Rosalyn D. Wallace

Tutoring at the College of St. Rose

The College of St. Rose, through the Joy S. Emery Educational & Clinical Services Center, offers tutoring in Reading. The schedule runs in accordance with the college semesters approximately 4-8 weeks. The tutoring is done by graduate students; sessions last 60 minutes with 2 sessions scheduled per week. The cost of the tutoring is $50 per semester and is payable the first day/night of class. Parents are required to stay for each tutoring session. To ensure a commitment for each child, two absences will result in a dismissal from the program and fees are forfeited. For further information, contact the college at 337-4914. Applications and information on the program are available at the school office.

AIJK Karate Corner


The American Institute of Japanese Karate is proud to be hosting the Winter Festival/Mayor’s Cup Karate Tournament on Saturday, December 10th. Free admission to all! Come watch and cheer on your friends while they compete in Kata, Kumite & Kobudo. Great fun for the whole family. Food, raffle prizes and much more!

Special thanks to all who help support our bake sale on November 8th. The proceeds raised will go to support our travel team in the upcoming 2006 National Karate Tournament.


Karate Terms for the Month:

Kime = Focus

Kiai = Spirit Shout/Focus of Spiritual Energy

Kamae = Posture (Yoi)

Heisoku dachi = Formal Attention Stance (Yoi)

Zenkutsu dachi = Front Stance

Kokutsu dachi = Back Stance

Kiba dachi = Straddle Stance

Fudo dachi = Fighting Stance

Musubi dachi = Informal Attention Stance (feet in a ‘V’)

Volunteer Opportunities

Parent volunteers needed for a new Parent/Child Book Club

Science Majors Needed--new after school Science club formingContact: gar32@cornell.eduthanks.

Dates to put on your Calendar:

The Family Dance by the Homespun Community Dancers Will be coming to ASH on Feb 10th at 7:00 pm

********Coming in Spring 2006!**********

The first Annual ASH PTA Rummage Sale!

Start saving your donations now!
For information contact Emily Lee
459-8173 or elee3@nycap.rr.com

November ASH PTA Newsletter

Dates to Remember:
Nov 8: Election Day holiday
Nov 8: AIJK Karate bake sale, 7am-7pm
Nov 9: PTA/SDM Assessment meeting
Nov 15: PTA Meeting
Nov 3, Nov 17: Chess Club meetings
Nov 14-18: Reading is Fun distribution
Nov 18: Albany Family Dance w/ Paul Rosenberg
all the time: Box Tops for Education!

Message from the Principal

Does this scenario sound familiar?

"I hate homework. Why can’t we just learn at school and be done with it? I know how to do these problems, and I’ve shown that I understand them. So, why do I have to do 25?" Jeff had expressed this point of view many times before, but this time his mother had an answer.
"At Back-to-School night, your teachers explained some things about homework to us and went over what they see as the parent’s job. Let me see if I get this right. If they asked you to do 25 problems, you are probably supposed to practice in order to increase your accuracy and speed. So it’s probably not a good idea to sit there in front of the TV while you do the problems."
Jeff’s mother also remembered some of the tips the parents were given for helping students with their homework. "OK, here is the kitchen timer. When I say, 'Go,' do the first five problems and yell, 'Stop' when you finish." For the next 30 minutes, Jeff charted and tried to beat his time as he did each set of 5 problems, making sure that he also attended to being accurate. He had to admit that the time flew by and that it was kind of fun.

It is no exaggeration to say that homework is a staple of U.S. education. By the time students reach the middle grades, homework has become a part of their lives. Homework for young children should help them develop good study habits, foster positive attitudes toward school, and communicate to students the idea that learning takes work at home as well as at school.

Each classroom teacher should have established and communicated their homework policy to students and their parents at the start of the year. It is important that parents and their children understand the amount of homework that will be assigned, consequences for not completing the homework, and a description of the level of parental involvement that is acceptable.

Below are some homework guidelines to assist families:

· Help set up a consistent organized place for homework to be done.
· Help your child establish either a consistent schedule of completing homework, or help him create a schedule each Sunday night that reflects that particular week’s activities.
· Encourage, motivate, and prompt your child, but do not sit and do the homework. Homework is for your child to practice and use what they have learned. Errors will give the teacher information where instruction has failed and where the child needs additional support.
· If your child is practicing a skill, ask him or her to tell you which steps are easy, which are difficult, or how he or she is going to improve. If your child is doing a project, ask what knowledge is being applied in the project. If your child is consistently unable to talk about the knowledge he or she is practicing or using, please call the teacher.
· Although there might be exceptions, the minutes your child should spend on homework should equal approximately 10 times her grade level (2nd grader would spend 20 minutes, a 3rd grader 30 minutes and so on).
· When bedtime comes, please stop your child, even if he or she is not done.

Homework is an integral part of the learning process. It fosters responsibility, gives students opportunities to practice skills, and prepares students for a new topic or to elaborate on introduced material.

A successful school year is the result of the cooperative efforts of parent, teacher and student. As a team, we can accomplish many great things!

"Report to Parents", written to serve elementary and middle school principals.


AIJK Karate Corner

We will be hosting a bake sale on Tuesday November 8th (Election Day) from 7:00am til 7:00pm. Proceeds will go towards our travel team to the AAU National Karate Tournament.

Also keep your calendars open for Saturday, December 10th. ASH will be hosting a Friendship Tournament for all Karate students. Come see your friends compete in open hand kata, Kobudo and Kumite. Admission is FREE, great prizes will be raffled off, with food and fun for all!

Karate Terms for the QTR:

Ichi: One
Ni: Two
San: Three
Shi: Four
Go: Five
Roku: Six
Shichi: Seven
Hachi: Eight
Ku: Nine
Ju: Ten

Karate Do: The Way of Karate
Dojo: School of Training
Gi: Uniform
Obi: Belt
Sempai: Senior


Chess Club Update

The ASH Chess Club schedule has been temporarily adjusted to every other Thursday for the remainder of 2005. Two successful meetings were held in October, and four more are scheduled for 2005: November 3rd, November 17th, December 1st, and December 15th. The two-hour time slot from 2:30 to 4:30 seems to be working very well so far.

As of the end of October approximately twenty students have joined the club, with continuing interest from new members of all grades and experience levels, from kindergarten through sixth grade. So far it's been a lot of fun, and we're just getting warmed up!

We'll be looking at the possibility of holding Chess Club meetings every Thursday in 2006, depending both on student interest and the availability of enough outside volunteers to keep the program running smoothly. In particular, there's a lot of variation in the current membership: about half are still learning the rules of the game, and half have been playing long enough to have mastered the rules (though some might need occasional reminders about odd little details like en passant, or Queen-side castling) and are ready to move on to improving strategy and tactics.

Especially if the Chess Club grows much larger, it may make sense to split it into two sections along these general lines -- which means we could really use a few more parent volunteers to help out! Even if you don't know a pawn from a pin, you could really help out the Chess Club with a commitment to sit in on the Club meeting once a month, just to help out with the logistics: setting up chairs and tables, keeping track of attendance lists and bathroom trips, transferring students to the JCC after-school program and cleaning up after the meeting.

And if you do come and join the fun, the odds are good that you'll know the rules backwards and forwards by the time school is out for the year! Who says the students are the only ones who get to learn anything?


PTA/SDM program for parents

The Shared Decision Making program is scheduled to be held in the multi-function room at 6:00pm on Wednesday, November 9th on the subject of assessment. Its purpose is to inform parents of the No Child Left Behind mandate of annual testing in Language Arts and Math for grades 3-8, and the state-mandated testing in Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science for grade 4. Parents will be given a sampling of questions and a chance to grade their responses based on the rubrics provided by the state to determine the level of each student. Babysitting will be provided by the PTA. Flyers will be sent home regarding this. Any questions can be directed to the school office at 462-7258.


Reading is Fun & Hurricane Relief

The Reading is Fun distribution will take place the week of November 14-18. All students are asked to bring in an old book to exchange for the new book they will receive. The donated books will be sent to schools in the Louisiana area affected by Hurricane Katrina. Thank you for your participation.


Health Advisory: Your Child's Lunchbox May Be Hazardous

Press Release
August 31, 2005

A Back to School Warning: Children’s Vinyl Lunch Boxes Can Contain Dangerous Levels of Lead

Oakland, CA – The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) announced it is filing lawsuits today against makers and retailers of soft vinyl lunch boxes that can expose children to harmful levels of lead. The Center has also notified several other companies of violations under California’s toxics law Proposition 65 (Prop 65) for lunch boxes with high lead levels. The lawsuits and violation notices against companies including Toys “R” Us, Warner Brothers, DC Comics, Time Warner, Walgreens, and others involve many lunch boxes featuring beloved children’s characters including Superman, Tweety Bird, Powerpuff Girls, and Hamtaro. The level of lead in one lunch box, an Angela Anaconda box made by Targus International, tested at 56,400 parts per million (ppm) of lead, more than 90 times the 600 ppm legal limit for lead in paint in children’s products.

“Lead exposure should not be on the lunch menu when kids go back to school this fall,” said Michael Green, CEH Executive Director. “There is no reason to expose children to any lead from lunch boxes. We are calling on these companies to recall these products and take action to eliminate lead from their products in the future.”

Initial independent laboratory testing commissioned by CEH has already found seventeen lunch boxes with high lead levels, and the group’s investigation is ongoing. In addition to the testing on the Angela Anaconda lunch box, tests on other lunch boxes showed levels of lead between two and twenty-five times the legal limit for lead paint in children’s products. In most cases, the highest lead levels were found in the lining of lunch boxes, where lead could come into direct contact with food. Lead is known to be harmful to children even in minute amounts, as it can impair brain development and cause other behavioral and developmental problems. Children may be exposed to lead from lunch boxes when they eat food that has been stored in them. Handling the lunchboxes just before eating could also be an exposure risk.

It is not possible to tell by appearance whether a vinyl lunch box may contain lead, so CEH is advising parents to avoid vinyl lunch boxes altogether. “Parents may need to seek out alternatives, since many mass-produced lunch boxes are vinyl or vinyl-lined,” said Green. “A reusable cloth bag would be a good alternative.” Parents can find information on how to test for lead in their children’s lunch boxes at home at www.cehca.org/lunchboxes.htm.


ASH Cleanup A Success

Thanks to all the troopers that showed up despite the pouring rain, the October clean-up was a rousing success. Thank you to Amber Jones for organizing the event, and to everyone who brought flowers. A special thank you also goes to Mrs Wallace whose dedication to the school at all levels continues to inspire all who know her.

Family Dances with ASH alumnus Paul Rosenburg

The AlbanyFamily Dances

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SCHEDULE FOR THE 2005-2006 SEASON:

• November 13, 2005
• January 8, 2006
• March 12, 2006

Circle dances, squares, line dances, and singing games.
Instruction and calling by Paul Rosenberg; music by Tame Rutabaga (sit-in musicians of any age and any degree of experience are welcome to join in).

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LOCATION: St. Teresa Social Center, at the corner of New Scotland and Hollywood Avenues, Albany, New York. The entrance is on Hollywood Ave. There is parking on Hollywood across the street from the Social Center (DO NOT PARK IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING-POLICE WILL TICKET!). Also, there is usually plenty of parking on New Scotland Ave., and the fenced in parking lot across the street, at the corner of West Erie and New Scotland.

If you are not familiar with that section of New Scotland Ave, it is about halfway between Albany Medical Center and St. Peter's Hospital, and kitty corner from School 19 and St. Teresa of Avila Church.

TIME: The dances all begin at 4:00 pm, and are followed by a potluck at 5:30 pm

ADMISSION: Suggested donation: adults $5; children under 12, $1

INFORMATION: Call the Dance Hotline: 518-292-0133 (or call 518-482-9255).

The Voorheesville Family Dances

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SCHEDULE FOR THE 2005-2006 SEASON:

• December 11, 2005
• February 12, 2006

Circle dances, squares, line dances and singing games.
Instruction and calling by Paul Rosenberg; music by Tame Rutabaga (sit-in musicians of any age and any degree of experience are welcome to join in).

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LOCATION: The Old Songs building, 37 South Main Street, Voorheesville, New York. For directions, go to the Old Songs web site.

TIME: The dances all begin at 4:00 pm, and are followed by a potluck at 5:30 pm

ADMISSION: Suggested donation: adults $5; children under 12, $1

INFORMATION: Call the Dance Hotline: 518-292-0133 (or call 518-482-9255).

October A.S.H. PTA newsletter

Generosity Goes a Long Way

Jenna LeWanda is a 12-year-old who, in preparation for her Bar-Mitzvah, chose to perform a community service project. She wrote a letter to family and friends asking for school supply donations that could be given to elementary school children in need. Jenna lives near Mrs. Bates, one of our teaches, and asked her if she thought A.S.H. students could benefit from this venture. Thankfully, Mrs. Bates said yes!

On Friday, September 2, Jenna delivered the items to our school. Donations included spiral notebooks, binders, pencil cases, scissors, glue sticks, folders, pencils, crayons, markers, composition notebooks, clipboards, book bags, and more.

We truly appreciate such generosity, as many of our students have taken advantage of this opportunity. The A.S.H. community wishes Jenna a wonderful school year.

T-shirt Sale!

"WE CHOOSE ALBANY SCHOOLS" T-shirts are available for sale for $6.00 each. They are blue with orange writing and are available in Adult 2X-L-M-S and Childrens L-M-S. The sale of these T-shirts will support the Miles of Smiles/Dental Van program in our schools.

If interested, please contact Cheryl Cahill at email address maevesmom1[at]yahoo.com or by telephone 518-426-3569. The T-shirts will also be available at the next PTA Meeting on October 11th at 7:00pm in the Library.

Needed: Volunteers to Distribute Free Books for the Reading is Fundamental Program

Chris Antonio, a fifth grade teacher at ASH is in charge of the the RIF (Reading is Fundamental) program. This program, funded throught the PTA and RIF, allows us to give free books to our students three times a year. We are looking for some parent volunteers to help us out. When books arrive at school, each book must be stamped with the RIF stamp and also leveled for distribution. We need volunteers to stamp the books and help out with the distribution three times/year. Hours can be flexible! Contact Mrs. Antonio at ASH 462-7258.

Principal's Address

It's hard to believe that we are headed into the second month of school. The staff and I are encouraged by September's parent participation during each grade level's Open House. We want to continue to work together for school success. Now that your family is settled into the new school year's routines, it's a good time to start a new routine.

Designate time in the evening for family reading. Look at your schedules. The best time will depend on other activities and commitments. Is before or after dinner better for your family to read? Ask yourself if your child is participating in too many extra curricular activities.

Choose a variety of age-appropriate reading materials -newspapers, magazines, library books, etc. Try to limit the distractions around you, such as the TV and telephone. Be realistic about how often and how long you can set a side time. Three evenings a week for 10-15 minutes would be a great start! Lead by example. Show your child how much you enjoy your reading time and he or she will look forward to it as much as you do.

The most important thing you can do is to provide your child with lots of opportunities to read (e.g., keep books in your car). Nothing builds reading and writing skills like practice. Reading and writing go hand and hand, so encourage your child to keep journals and write letters, too.

Safety First
Just like your actions show your child what behaviors you expect from them in the academic arena, you must model an appropriate attitude involving courtesy and manners towards each other. On September 22, I received a distressing call from a parent who was "cussed out" for adhering to the No Parking signs in the meridian in front of the school. Many of you are working cooperatively with me as a community by dropping off or picking-up your child(ren) with minimal time spent in this area. As I explained to the parent, don't ever feel discouraged when you are doing the correct thing, especially in the presence of your child. We did discuss her rights to feel safe and not intimidated at her child's school. My goal is to provide a safe and orderly school environment following District and Albany School Of Humanities procedures that have been put into place. Your help is required to make it successful.

One suggestion I would like to make is to have your child unbuckle their seatbelt only when they enter the meridian. It can assist with traffic flow. It is also strongly recommended that children only exit on the right hand side as an additional safety precaution.

A.S.H. Cares
Sean McGraw, a student teacher from Mrs. Emma’s second grade classroom, has our school involved in a wonderful community service opportunity. Highland Elementary School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana contacted Saint Rose to help meet the needs of the overwhelming number of students who are currently using their school as a temporary learning facility. These students have lost most or all of their personal belongings.

In lieu of our annual October Unicef drive, where we pause and put our attention on children of the world, the A.S.H. Cares school-wide project will allow us to take care of the needs of American children who live in the Gulf Coast. Many of you have already begun to support this extremely worthwhile outreach. We are in need of the following items:
· Packages of: Socks (assorted sizes)
Underwear (assorted sizes)
· School supplies: Pencils, Pens Loose-leaf paper, Notebooks, Crayons, Markers, etc. Backpacks, Books and other supplies for Grades K-5
· Clothes: For students in Grades K-5
· Belts
· Any monetary donation

We encourage you to be involved by participating in this very worthwhile endeavor.
I have found that when I give to others, I receive more than I ever anticipated.


Second Annual October Clean Up: October 15

The fall clean-up is scheduled for October 15th and will go from 9am to 3pm. The only tools we need parents to bring are weed whackers, and electric hedge clippers. The City will provide all of the other tools that we will need. As far as plants are concerned we are looking for parents to bring small potted mum plants to plant around the school. Hope to see you there!

Chess Club Starting This Week!

The first meeting of the ASH Chess Club will be this Thursday, October 6th, from 2:30 to 4:30pm. Call Dave 463-6235 to sign up (if you haven't already) -- the club will be meeting all year, and we're starting slow, so don't worry if you miss a session!
There has been interest from a wide range of ages, from kindergarten through 6th grade, so we'll have something for everyone: kids who have been playing for years can join the club and start playing, and kids who want to learn the rules can come and learn as they go along.

AAU National Karate Tournament


Kudos to ASH students who participated in the 2005 AAU National Karate Tournament, in Lakeland Florida this summer. Proud ASH students, from various grade levels, represented the American Institute of Japanese Karate under the chief instruction of Shihan Tony Butler. Among the 30 or so medals that were won under AIJK, thirteen of these medals were won from our very own ASH students!

Grade 1: Manuel Santiago
Grade 3: Nathaniel Sorce
Grade 5: Troy Davis Jr., Brett Graves, Devan Koehler, Daniel McClurkin, Javier Philpot, Jared Culler
Grade 6: Kristina Graves, Sofia DeLuise, Leeanne Tobler

The American Institute of Japanese Karate is a traditional martial arts school offering quality instruction in the art of Shotokan Karate-Do. Shihan Butler has instructed hundreds of ASH students, some of whom have gone on to become World Champions. Shihan teaches his students the five basics of Dojo Kun:

Seek Perfection of Character
Follow the Path of Truth
Endeavor
Respect Others
Refrain from violent behavior

During Shihan’s classes--which are held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons here at ASH—students practice the philosophy of Dojo Kun by continuously trying to improve and show respect for each other.