Summer, 2007

Dear families,

We had a very successful year at Chain Lake Elementary School. We will miss our fifth grade students and their families as they head to middle school and we are looking forward to starting our next school year on Wednesday, September 5, 2007.

Look for classroom placement and bus information in the mail in mid August. Our annual Ice Cream Social will take place on Wednesday, August 29 from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. Details about this fun event will be mailed in August also. Families new to the area may register at our district office this summer at 200 E. Fremont Street in Monroe. District office hours for the summer are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Our school office re-opens to the public on August 16 with hours from 8-11 a.m. and 12-3 p.m.

• New for next year:
  New telephone number - 360-804-3100. All district phone numbers will be changing this summer.
  
• Several new pieces of playground equipment on the playground.
  
• More of our classrooms will have new projectors and document cameras thanks to our awesome PTA.
  
• Our library will have an interactive white board that will help to increase student learning through technology.
  
• Several staff members will be teaching new grade levels next year, and we also welcome the following new staff members to our learning community:
  Verity Hiskey (kindergarten), Kim Gee (Excel 3rd & 4th grade), Marc Swanson (4th & 5th grade), and Mary Shockley (Special Education).
  

Have a wonderful summer playing, reading, and enjoying time with family and friends. If you have questions or concerns, please contact me at martinl@monroe.wednet.edu or at 360-804-3100.

Working together with you,
Linda Martin,
Principal

Summer Reading... Read All About It!!!
Regardless of other activities, the best predictor of summer loss or gain for students is whether or not a child reads during the summer. And the best predictor of whether a child reads is whether or not he or she owns books or uses the local library. Children need to read outside of school. Research clearly shows that the key to stemming summer reading loss is finding novel ways to get books into the hands of children during the summer break.
Children don't just need books; they need the right books. Providing children with books that fit - books that match their skill levels and their interests - is an important first step in encouraging voluntary reading.

Lower-achieving readers are typically asked to read books that are too difficult. Without books that can be read easily with good comprehension, these less-skilled readers will not improve. All of their cognitive energy is devoted to trying to figure out unknown words - which produces word-by-word reading with little understanding of, or engagement with, the books in their hands. These disjointed reading experiences fail to help children consolidate skills, and perhaps most significant, such experiences make children feel unsuccessful.

How Parents Help Reading Achievement
Most parents understand that having strong reading skills is critical to their child's future. Many parents try to help their child as much as possible to be a better reader - and well they should. Research studies have shown that the amount of parental involvement in children's reading is the number one predictor of reading achievement worldwide. (Postlethwaite and Ross, 1992)

At home, parents model what good readers do by reading novels, magazines, newspapers, and work-related materials in their leisure time. Parents can provide a literacy-rich environment by placing books throughout the house. All of these factors can significantly affect the amount of reading a child does on a daily basis.

Parent Survey Results

The results of our annual parent survey are in, and once again Chain Lake families report that Chain Lake is a great place to educate children. Our Learning Improvement Team has reviewed the results of the survey, and will be discussing ways to make our school even more effective. Thank you for taking the time to share your opinions with us.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

VISION
At Chain Lake Elementary School we value people, celebrate learning, and strengthen lives.

MISSION
The mission of our school community is to provide a safe and nurturing environment that promotes life-long learning. As a community of learners, we strive to empower individuals with the skills and attitudes necessary for success in a changing and diverse world.

BELIEFS
We believe that school should be a positive, memorable experience.

• Safe, Fun, Challenging, Motivating, Inspiring, Supportive, Preparatory

We believe that students should exhibit and apply essential skills.

• Fundamental, Academics, Resourcefulness, Communication, Problem Solving, Technological Understanding, Critical and Creative Thinking

We believe that the community of learners should be contributing citizens.

• Responsible, Respectful, Empatheti, Confident, Honest, Empowered

Adopted 9/12/01