Home	Riverdale Elementary School Report for September 2002
Global Navigation Links § Recent Changes to the Site § Overview § Town Services & Contact Info § Information about Riverdale Park § Town History § News and Events § Related Links § Search This Web Site Local Navigation Links (Town Crier for September 2002) § Town to Host Candidates Forum § Community Circles for September 2002 § Council Actions for September 2002 § Farewell and a Happy Retirement for Eulaine H. Jones § Mayor's Report for September 2002 § Summary of Multiple-Dwelling Unit Inspection Ordinance § Riverdale Park Mixed-Use Town Center § Neighbors Helping Neighbors in September 2002 § July 2002 Crime Report § Public Works Report for September 2002 § Resúmen de Noticias en Español Septiembre 2002 § Riverdale Elementary School Report for September 2002	September is here! All of us at Riverdale Elementary School are eager to greet our new and returning students, and to begin a year of enjoyable and productive learning. As this school year begins, Riverdale Elementary School proudly reflects upon last year's significant academic successes! Two years ago, Riverdale E. S. Principal Carmela Smith and the Riverdale Staff voted to adopt the Success For All (SFA) Reading Program as a comprehensive school reform model. It has proven to be a rousing success, increasing our students' reading achievement from 21 percent in Fall 2000, to 47 percent of our students currently reading at or above grade level. In addition to that school-wide increase, we ended last school year, with 69 percent of our first grade students and 54 percent or our second grade students reading at or above grade level! As a result of these successes, Riverdale E. S. was honored to become part of the SFA National Photo Project. Says Jacqueline Marshall of SFA, "We are looking to capture everyday successes in the classroom - bright, happy faces of children actively engaged in learning through their daily classroom activities in the SFA Reading Program." That depicts what visitors observe whenever they visit classrooms at Riverdale Elementary! Is your child attending Riverdale Elementary School this year? If so, here are some ideas to help ensure a successful school year for your youngster. Read, Read, Read! Whether it's the newspaper, a comic book, a magazine, a grocery list, or a good book - be sure your child reads every day, and let him/her see you read as often as possible. We promise the benefits will be great, and the rewards will last a lifetime! Establish a routine for academic success! Kids need routines. When your child gets home from school, (s)he could begin by eating a healthy snack. Then allow your child to make some choices about his/her homework schedule. (Perhaps to work for 30 minutes before dinner, then complete all homework after dinner, before watching any TV.) By your child having some say in the nightly homework schedule, (s)he will begin developing a sense of responsibility. Help your child learn that homework is a useful activity. Homework reinforces what your child is learning in class each day (and none of us can build knowledge upon a shaky foundation). By spending time strengthening what (s)he has learned that day, your child will feel confident and prepared for each school day's new challenges. Show interest in what your child is doing. Each day, ask your child what (s)he learned. And don't accept "Nothing" for an answer! Believe me, every school day is filled with new insights, information and experiences, all of which are helping to shape your child into the young adult (s)he will become. Ask questions that cannot be answered with a simple "yes or no." If your child doesn't respond, try asking, "What did your hands do today?" You may be surprised to hear your child excitedly begin to describe a meaningful learning experience. Perhaps (s)he performed a science experiment, or created something special in a math class. These are important activities in your child's life. Be sure you don't miss getting to share in his/her concerns or the joy of accomplishment (s)he is feeling. At Riverdale Elementary School, we are pleased to bring you this new series of articles. Watch upcoming editions for more information and ideas to boost your child's academic achievement. Our staff looks forward to a great school year of learning and fun. Together, we can make this your child's most successful school year ever.
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