December Principal Newsletter
Dear Ralph Bunche School Families,
As we end 2017, I would like to thank you for your commitment to the Ralph Bunche School and to the belief in a public school education. The success we have experienced since the opening of the school year owes a great deal to parents/caregivers and families like yours. I wish you a restful winter break and hope you enjoy this time with your scholar (s). For the New Year, I wish you health and happiness and hope the winter recess provides a myriad of opportunities for you and your scholar (s) to do things you might not be able to accomplish when school is in session.
Our scholars and staff have accomplished a lot during our first few months of school. Professional development helps our teachers dive deeper into the child-centered philosophy of teaching and learning. Our child-centered vision is designed to use a child’s natural curiosity to drive their learning inside of the classroom. The standards help teachers design the best lessons and help scholars set goals for success. Our professional development focused on how to help teachers build an environment where scholars can effectively engage in a wide range of rigorous, content-rich conversation, safe, supportive and collaborative. Scholars learn through play and when they have choice. At the Ralph Bunche School our instructional focus is on developing academic vocabulary.
We believe in the importance of family traditions and holidays, and sharing them with one another at school. We welcome families to teach us about their heritages, thus strengthening the connection between home and school. We like to involve the children in hands-on activities.
We encourage each of you to join us in our celebrations. Even if you can’t be with us, please share your family’s traditions, recipes for holidays and any special items that reflect your heritage.
- Global Citizens Celebration, December 4th (5:00pm – 7:00pm)
- SLT Meeting, December 5th (4:00pm)
- Parent Association Meeting, December 11th (6pm)
- English Language Arts for K – 2 families and Meet Alexa Brito our Literacy Coach on December 12th (8:30am) [Topic: Supporting literacy]
- English Language Arts for K – 2 families and Meet Alexa Brito our Literacy Coach on December 13th (5:30pm) [Topic: Supporting literacy]
- Kindergarten Tour on December 13th at (9:00am)
- Holiday Breakfast for Families, December 18th (8:30am)
**Parent Engagement meetings are scheduled each Tuesday from 2:20pm – 3:35pm. You are invited to meet with your scholar’s teacher to discuss the learning expectations for the term and to address any issues or concerns.
I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season. School is closed beginning December 23rd. During winter break there will be a myriad of opportunities to create a stronger bond with your scholar (s) and continue to support their academic growth and success. The holidays are good times for story telling around the dinner table or routines like bedtime reading that cultivate connections between home and school expectations. Young scholars do best with regular schedules, and I encourage you to prepare for their return to school on January 2nd by instilling in them an understanding about the importance of being rested and ready to learn.
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from our Ralph Bunche School family to yours.
Yours in Education,
Reggie Higgins, Principal