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Newslet ter
October 2008 Volume 1, Number 1
Dear ALFWC community,
Keep in touch!
Email or call us We are so excited about the potential and relevancy of this ministry. Our children are
with your the most prized possession we’ve been entrusted to steward. The nature and scope of
educational their education is of utmost importance. So we say:
questions and
concerns. To the Many Beautiful Children of Abundant
As your pastors, we love you and believe you can excel far beyond the world’s
expectations. We know that you have greatness inside of you and long to see you
discover your gifts and fulfill your dreams. In fact, you are a present snapshot of the
future and we want nothing more than for you to succeed. Throughout the school year,
Students are please remember we are in your corner and cheering you on.
welcome to contact
the ministry also To the Parents
Having been parents of school-aged children, we understand your desire for your
children to receive the best education the state, private or charter school system can
provide. We understand your longing for them to surpass you in their intellectual,
Student’s emotional, social and spiritual development. And yes, we understand the tremendous
standardized test
challenges you face in motivating them to make wise choices, avoid the many
scores should be
trappings of society and the relentless pull of peer pressure. Thus, we are honored to
coming in soon. We
stand with you and fight for the edification of our children.
welcome
We encourage you to impart the Word of God to your children. The Word is akin to
parents/guardians
seed and the human soul to dry ground. Be the first, each day, to sow into your
to contact us to
children, since it is inevitable that they’ll be exposed to various seed sowers throughout
interpret their
the school day. In our postmodern, technologically-savvy, and unfortunately
child’s test scores
increasingly secular culture, it is crucial that our children have a solid foundation, a
moral center through which they interpret and evaluate their education.
A new school year is beginning, and your baby will be embarking on a new adventure:
Kindergarten. Many of you have been through this experience before, but for some of
you, it’s your first time. This letter is for you. You may be wondering, “What does my
child need to know? Should I send him/her to school with something? Is he/she
ready?” Well, here are a few things that your child should know before entering
Kindergarten.
• How to write and spell his/her first name (know his/her last name)
• His/her birthday (month, day and year)
• His/her address
• How to recognize and say letters of the alphabet (capital and lowercase)
• How to handle a book
• Recognize numbers 1-10
• Count to at least 10
• How to identify shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle)
www.state.nj.us/education
The official website for New Jersey; offering services for parents,
educators, students, and other residents.
www.njea.org
Seussville: www.seussville.com/seussville
This site contains games, writing activities, and print and
play pages based on Dr. Seuss books.
http://reference.aol.com/
(reference materials, i.e dictionary, thesaurus)
kids.yahoo.com
(features fun and educational resources for kids)
www.kids.gov.com
(government links for kids)
www.internet4classrooms.com/parents
(a site that helps parents help their children in areas of reading, math, etc.)
www.mathbuddies.com
*****************************************************************************************
Question 1:
What is the most important thing that parents/guardians can do to help their children
academically?
Answer: That’s a great question! Students need to be encouraged to read, read, read.
Teachers find that overall, students don’t read enough. This carries over into every
subject and is especially important when students take tests. Every teacher knows of
students who didn’t finish the test, especially the standardized tests because they ran
out of time. Start with books and magazines that they like, and then introduce them to
new genres.
Question 2:
Does living in a particular district/state afford a student a better education?
Answer:This question can vary. There are always ways that he/she could be doing
better or the education could be more strategically handled.. districts that are
known for having students who do well, but you have to look also at how the
subgroups are faring: economically disadvantaged, special education, Hispanic, Black.
I believe that a student can get a good education, but sometimes the parent/guardian
will have to supplement the education and stay on top of what is happening in the
education world. Powerful Parents mission is to teach all parents how to be educational
advocates for their children, for no matter how well your child may be doing, there are
Question 3:
Do absences count towards my child?
Answer: Any time that there is an absence: excused as well as unexcused, your child
can lose ground. Sicknesses happen, and the absence is excused if the child comes in
with a parent note or a doctor’s note (if the absence is 3 or more days). When parents
take students out of school for an unexcused absence (vacations, etc.,), know that
teachers do not have to give homework, or take late work. It is at the discretion of the
district’s policy and the teacher. As the student enters high school, unexcused absences
can result in loss of credit, up to the student not graduating on time, if the student has
many. Your district handbook will be able to tell you how unexcused absences are
handled.
***************************************************************************
Raising a Reader
Reading begins at home. As your child’s first teacher, you can help instill
a love of reading in your child that can last a lifetime. Enjoy reading with
your child. Try to set aside time and read together: your child to you, and
you to him/her.
Make sure your child has a library card. Your child will have fun visiting
the library and choosing selections to read all by him or herself. Also, let
your child see you read! In addition, gift subscriptions to book clubs or
taking a trip to a bookstore, are great ways to instill a love of reading in
your child.
To guide you, G.O.E.E has compiled a list of books that will interest your
child and help them on their path to reading.. The lists are arranged
according to grade.
Please aid your children’s education, by encouraging them to read.
Reading is fundamental!
Kindergarten
Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
David Goes to School by David Shannon
First Day Jitters by Julie Daneberg
Friends at School by Rochelle Bunnett
Kindergarten Rocks! By Katie Davis
First Grade
Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel
My Best Friend by Pat Hutchins
Emily’s First 100 Days of School by Rosemary Wells
Little Cliff’s First Day of School by Clifton L. Taulbert
The New Girl….. and Me by Jacqui Robbins
I Wish That I Had Duck Feet by Theo LeSig
Second Grade
We Are Best friends by Aliki
One Upon a Time by Niki Daly
A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Screech
What Would Joey Do? By Jack Gantos
Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
Third Grade
That’s What Friends are For by Florence Parry Heide
Summer Reading is Killing Me by Jon Scieszka
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
Babe the Gallant Pig by Dick King Smith
Judy Moody by Megan McDonald
Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson
Fourth Grade
The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis
Bone #1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith
How Much is a Million by David Schwartz
Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park
The Shakespere Stealer by Gary Blackwood
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
Fifth Grade
Baseball in April and Other Stories by Gary Soto
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table: A Math Adventure
by Cindy Neuschwander
The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
The Top Ten Ways to Ruin the First Day of Fifth Grade by Kenneth Derby
What Would Joey Do? By Jack Gantos
Emerils There’s a Chef in My World! Recipes That Take You Places
by Emeril Lagasse
High School
Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich
All the Pretty Houses by Cormac McCarthy
The Motorcycle Diaries by Erenesto Che Guevera
***DISCLAIMER***
The G.O.E.E. Ministry does not personally recommend the book selections.
These are merely titles that are on many school districts reading lists.
*********************************************************************
Parent Advocacy
by Sis. Rochelle V. Gray
As a church, we’re learning how to be good stewards. This excites me, for in
one area where we’re called to be good stewards is in the rearing of our children. This
includes the educating of our children.
Parents generally trust the educational system, but many have come to learn,
that it is becoming extremely more difficult to do so. The parents and their children
have experienced difficulties, where in many instances, none should have existed.
Those instances happen sometimes, because we were not as knowledgeable about our
children and how they were being educated, disciplined, and socialized as we could be.
The members of the G.O.E.E. Ministry are here to encourage you to become
more of an advocate for your children. It is a tremendous responsibility, and parents
have varying degrees of knowledge about the educational process. We as a ministry
are here to help. We offer parent/student seminars and workshops, that we encourage
you to take advantage of. We have teachers from every level of education in our
ministry, in addition to a principal, guidance counselor, special education specialist, a
behaviorist, and a board of education member. We are here to offer guidance so that
parents can be more strategic and powerful advocates in the education of their children.
To contact us, you only have to leave a message at the Welcome Center, or visit
the ALFWC website, click on Education, and you’ll find the G.O.E.E. Ministry, where
you can leave a message.
God has ordained “excellence in education”. That’s what the G.O.E.E.
Ministry represents. We can do better in being stewards over our children’s education,
and ALFWC has given parents an opportunity to get professional guidance. Please
take full advantage. Please take notes of upcoming announcements that will appear in
the church communicator. The G.O.E.E. Ministry is here and eager to help.
*********************************************************************
3. Limit how much and what kind of TV programs your child can watch.
10. Set goals your child can achieve and praise his or her progress.
*********************************************************************
We hope that you’ve enjoyed our first newsletter! There is something here for
everyone. If anyone has any ideas for future information that you’d like
addressed in our newsletter, please let us know by visiting the ALFWC
website, or by leaving us a message at the Welcome Center.
*********************************************************************
•
Help is Here!
Student’s
standardized test By Elder Diane Tucker
scores should be
coming in soon. We The school year is starting! School books, teachers, PTO, counselors, rule changes,
welcome more budget cuts and the rest. How does one survive?
parents/guardians Now there is an answer! The God Ordained Excellence in Education Ministry is
to contact us to here for you. This ministry is your compass, ; to navigate your way through the school
interpret their
year and beyond. Maybe your child ishas just enteringed the school system for the
child’s test scores
first time. How proud you are as a parent. Or , thisperhaps may be your youngestlast
child is entering in his or her last year in school.
School is the place where a child will learn to grow in the areas that matter most.
However, with spending cuts and teacher shortages, is it possible for your child (ren) to
get a qualitythe education that your child is promised and deserves, ? one the state
promises and one he/she deserves? How will you know?
HSPA re test for
Consult with the G.O.E.E. Ministry. Check the subjects the schools are teaching.
Seniors is October
Are they what you desire your child (ren) toshould learn? In the past we were
2008!
taughtlearned “reading, writing and arithmetic”. – Now almost anything goes, ;
including teaching childrena child values that conflict moral valueswith their which
are contrite to what the parents’ moralitys values are.
Let’s be more concernedareful about how our children are faring in the school
system. Let’s get more involved and find out what is being taught. Let’s; that ensure
Be sure to teach the schools are teaching what is important and appropriate for our children’s
your child his/her intellectual, emotional, and social growth and development to the growth of the
times tables children in school. Call or contact the G.O.E.E. Ministry for all your school needs. TI
starting in the do believe this ministry is dedicated to providing you with thehas the necessary tools
second-third grade. and resourceshelp to successfully direct you and your child (ren) through the 2008-
Most teachers don’t 2009a successful school year. .
have the time to
teach them and/or
it is not included in
the Math
curriculum! Times
Tables are
essential for
learning how to do
Kindergarten Corner
by Latifa Bell
division, fractions,
and Algebra.
Hello parents and guardians,
A new school year is about to begin and your baby will be embarking on a new
adventure: Kindergarten. Many of you have been through this experience before, but
***Reminder*** for some of you, it’s your first time. This letter is for you. You may be wondering,
Back to School “What does my child need to know? Should I send him/her to school with something?
Nights will be held Is he/she ready?” Well, here are a few things that your child should know before
in most districts entering Kindergarten.
between the third –
fourth week in Entering Kindergarteners should know:
September.
• How to write and spell his/her first name (know his/her last name)
• His/her birthday (month, day and year)
• His/her address
Remember to reach • How to recognize and say letters of the alphabet (capital and lowercase)
out to all of your • How to handle a book
child’s teachers • Recognize numbers 1-10
with a short email, • Count to at least 10
supplying your • How to identify shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle)
contact
information, and Parents of first time Kindergarteners should know:
providing details for
learning about your
• Your child will be participating in whole and small group learning
child.
• Your child may be placed in a classroom with classified children (inclusion)
• Your child will be painting, coloring, working with glue, scissors and other
material that may cause them to get dirty. (Don’t send them in their Sunday
Best)
• There should be an assistant working with the teacher.
www.state.nj.us/education
The official website for New Jersey; offering services for parents,
educators, students, and other residents.
www.njea.org
Seussville: www.seussville.com/seussville
This site contains games, writing activities, and print and
play pages based on Dr. Seuss books.
http://reference.aol.com/
(reference materials, i.e dictionary, thesaurus)
*****************************************************************************
Question 1:
What is the most important thing that parents/guardians can do to help their children
academically?
Answer: That’s a great question! Students need to be encouraged to read, read, read.
Teachers find that overall, students don’t read enough. This carries over into every
subject and is especially important when students take tests. Every teacher knows of
students who didn’t finish the test, especially the standardized tests because they ran
out of time. Start with books and magazines that they like, and then introduce them to
new genres.
Question 2:
Does living in a particular district/state afford a student a better education?
Answer:This question can vary. There are districts that are known for having students
who do well, but you have to look also at how the subgroups are faring: economically
disadvantaged, special education, Hispanic, Black. I believe that a student can get a
good education, but sometimes the parent/guardian will have to supplement the
education and stay on top of what is happening in the education world. Powerful
Parents mission is to teach all parents how to be educational advocates for their
children, for no matter how well your child may be doing, there are always ways that
he/she could be doing better or the education could be more strategically handled..
Question 3:
Do absences count towards my child?
Answer: Any time that there is an absence: excused as well as unexcused, your child
can lose ground. Sicknesses happen, and the absence is excused if the child comes in
with a parent note or a doctor’s note (if the absence is 3 or more days). When parents
take students out of school for an unexcused absence (vacations, etc.,), know that
teachers do not have to give homework, or take late work. It is at the discretion of the
district’s policy and the teacher. As the student enters high school, unexcused absences
can result in loss of credit, up to the student not graduating on time, if the student has
many. Your district handbook will be able to tell you how unexcused absences are
handled.
*********************************************************************
Summer Reading
Sometimes parents are unaware that their child has an assignment that is due,
until the date is upon them, or past. We, at the G.O.E.E. Ministry, recommend
asking your child and either calling your child’s school or the school’s guidance
counselor. Another place to find the information would be from your child’s
school or district website.
Raising a Reader
Reading begins at home. As your child’s first teacher, you can help instill
a love of reading in your child that can last a lifetime. Enjoy reading with
your child. Try to set aside time and read together: your child to you, and
you to him/her.
Make sure your child has a library card. Your child will have fun visiting
the library and choosing selections to read all by him or herself. Also, let
your child see you read! In addition, gift subscriptions to book clubs or
taking a trip to a bookstore, are great ways to instill a love of reading in
your child.
To guide you, G.O.E.E has compiled a list of books that will interest your
child and help them on their path to reading.. The lists are arranged
according to grade.
Please aid your children’s education, by encouraging them to read.
Reading is fundamental!
The following are books that school districts have recommended for
student reading. ***Disclaimer** Please note that the G.O.E.E.
Ministry is not recommending these book titles. We’re merely
providing a guide as to what children can read.
Kindergarten
Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
David Goes to School by David Shannon
First Day Jitters by Julie Daneberg
Friends at School by Rochelle Bunnett
Kindergarten Rocks! By Katie Davis
First Grade
Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel
My Best Friend by Pat Hutchins
Emily’s First 100 Days of School by Rosemary Wells
Little Cliff’s First Day of School by Clifton L. Taulbert
The New Girl….. and Me by Jacqui Robbins
I Wish That I Had Duck Feet by Theo LeSig
Second Grade
We Are Best friends by Aliki
One Upon a Time by Niki Daly
A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Screech
What Would Joey Do? By Jack Gantos
Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
Third Grade
That’s What Friends are For by Florence Parry Heide
Summer Reading is Killing Me by Jon Scieszka
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
Babe the Gallant Pig by Dick King Smith
Judy Moody by Megan McDonald
Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson
Fourth Grade
The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis
Bone #1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith
How Much is a Million by David Schwartz
Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park
The Shakespere Stealer by Gary Blackwood
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
Fifth Grade
Baseball in April and Other Stories by Gary Soto
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table: A Math Adventure
by Cindy Neuschwander
The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
The Top Ten Ways to Ruin the First Day of Fifth Grade by Kenneth Derby
What Would Joey Do? By Jack Gantos
Emerils There’s a Chef in My World! Recipes That Take You Places
by Emeril Lagasse
High School
Parent Advocacy
by Mrs. Rochelle V. Gray
As a church, we’re learning how to be good stewards. This excites me, for in
one area where we’re called to be good stewards is in the rearing of our children. This
includes the educating of our children.
Parents generally trust the educational system, but many have come to learn,
that it is becoming extremely more difficult to do so. The parents and their children
have experienced difficulties, where in many instances, none should have existed.
Those instances happen sometimes, because we were not as knowledgeable about our
children and how they were being educated, disciplined, and socialized as we could be.
The members of the G.O.E.E. Ministry are here to encourage you to become
more of an advocate for your children. It is a tremendous responsibility, and parents
have varying degrees of knowledge about the educational process. We as a ministry
are here to help. We offer parent/student seminars and workshops, that we encourage
you to take advantage of. We have teachers from every level of education in our
ministry, in addition to a principal, guidance counselor, special education specialist, a
behaviorist, and a board of education member. We are here to offer guidance so that
parents can be more strategic and powerful advocates in the education of their children.
To contact us, you only have to leave a message at the Welcome Center, or visit
the ALFWC website, click on Education, and you’ll find the G.O.E.E. Ministry, where
you can leave a message.
God has ordained “excellence in education”. That’s what the G.O.E.E.
Ministry represents. We can do better in being stewards over our children’s education,
and ALFWC has given parents an opportunity to get professional guidance. Please
take full advantage. Please take notes of upcoming announcements that will appear in
the church communicator. The G.O.E.E. Ministry is here and eager to help.
12. Make a quiet place at home where your child can study.
13. Limit how much and what kind of TV programs your child can watch.
20. Set goals your child can achieve and praise his or her progress.
*************************************************************************
We hope that you’ve enjoyed our first newsletter! There is something here for
everyone. If anyone has any ideas for future information that you’d like
addressed in our newsletter, please let us know by visiting the ALFWC
website, or by leaving us a message at the Welcome Center.
Special thanks to Bishop and Pastor Mary, Elder Jim and Elder Diane for their
support of the ministry!