M A R C H 2 015

Rockport Elem. News

Kindergarten
and Pre-K Signup Continues
PLEASE SIGN-UP
You can still sign up for Preschool or Kindergarten at
Rockport Elementary!
Reserve your spot now
YO U R C H I L D M AY
A T T E N D I F
Your child may attend if he/
she will be 5 years old on or
before August, 1 2015
THINGS YOU NEED
Birth certificate, Immunization
record
SELLING POINTS
Small Class size currently 1
teacher for every 15 students.
All school supplies will be
provided by PTO
PRE-K VOUCHERS
Parents needing financial
assistance for Pre-K can apply
for a voucher

MARCH IS DISABILITY
AWARENESS MONTH

understood and allow the person to

respond.

March is Disability Awareness month and

the Theme is Love Where you Live:
PEOPLE ARE THE HEART OF
C O M M U N I T Y. A N D W H E N Y O U
EMBRACE DIVERSITY, SPIRIT AND
POSSIBILITIES, EVERYONE FEELS AT
HOME. The following 5 Suggestions for
Etiquette in Communicating with People
with Disabilities will help you
communicate more effectively with
people with disabilities.

5. Relax. Dont be embarrassed if you use

common expressions such as See you
later or Did you hear about that? that
seem to relate to a persons disability. Its
okay to ask questions when youre unsure
of what to do.

1. When talking with a person with a

disability, use eye contact and speak
directly to that person rather than
through a companion or sign language
interpreter.

CHARACTER TRAITS AWARD

2. When meeting a person who is visually

impaired, always identify yourself and
others who may be with you. When
conversing in a group, remember to
identify the person to whom you are
speaking.
3. A wheelchair is part of the personal
body space of the person who uses it.
Leaning on a persons wheelchair is
similar to leaning on a person and is
generally considered inappropriate.
4. Listen attentively when youre talking
with a person who has difficulty speaking.
Be patient and wait for the person to
finish,rather than correcting or speaking
for the person. If necessary, ask short
questions that require short answers, a
nod or shake of the head. Never pretend
to understand if you are having difficulty
in doing so. Instead, repeat what you have

By working together to create positive

attitudes toward people with
disabilities,we can create a better society
and that is a positive step for everyone.

Our character trait for the month of

February was Kindness. Kindness is a
behavior marked by ethical
characteristics, a pleasant disposition,
and concern for others. It is known as a
virtue, and recognized as a value in many
cultures.
Our character trait awards for February
go to the following students:
Alaura
Hulsey, Mykhi Weatherholt, Aaliya
Wilkinson, Brock Harvey, Brandon Van
Horn, Elizabeth Payne, Ceagan Caver,
Cassy Montgomery, Kailey Parks, Garrett
Tooley, Ely Meyer, Taylor Harmon,
Reagan Beard, Brittany Kellems, Aiden
Roberts, Madelyn Harpenau, Jackson
Davis, Traven Mongold, Dawson Deaton

BOOK STORE
We have opened a book store at Rockport
that is held on Tuesdays. Students are
able to purchase school supplies. The
awards money is utilized to purchase

Greetings Rockport Families

Just want to take a moment to thank you for everything you did these past weeks to
help our students be successful both in and out of the classroom. Your dedication is
not only noticed but it is valued and appreciated! Our 3rd-5th graders finished up
ISTEP and IREAD. Our kindergartners, 1st, and 2nd graders worked hard this week
and showed their support by offering motivational and inspiring treats and quotes to
our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students!
We have space still available in both our pre-school and kindergarten classrooms. If
you havent already please sign your student up or encourage someone you know to
get their students signed up. Our pre-school is one of the few accredited Pre-K
programs in the area and may have National Accreditation by the end of the
summer. Pre-K also has vouchers available. Apply for admission and vouchers now
to secure your preschoolers spot in our preschool program for the 15-16 school year.
Preschool is an important start to our students academic success in school.
Our Kindergarten teachers are one of the many strengths of our school. They are
able to mix passion, excitement, and grit to ensure that our Kindergarten students
make tremendous growth over the course of their first year at Rockport. Our class
sizes are currently at 15-1 which is competitive with any public or private school in
the area. There is much research that supports the future success for students who
have had quality Pre-K and Kindergarten experience. If you have or know of
students who will be ready for preschool or Kindergarten next year, please have
them contact Rockport Elementary at 812-649-2201, located at 200 S. 6th St. in
Rockport.

Mr. Meyer
812-649-2201
aaron.meyer@sspencer.k12.in.u

OPEN-DOOR
ANGLES

her play with them. What

advice should I give my
daughter?

Doors in your house are

t h e p e r fe c t p l a c e fo r
hands-on practice with
angles. Take turns
opening or closing a door
and asking, Acute, right,
or obtuse? Partially open
a door, and its an acute
angle. Open it straight out,
and its a right angle. Open
it wider, and its obtuse.

A: Tell your youngster

that her classmate was
being bullied - and that
she may be able to help
stop it! There are several
things she can do.

Q: My child came home

from school upset because
kids were picking on a
classmate and wouldnt let

UPCOMING
DATES AND
HAPPENINGS
LAST DAY OF
SCHOOL
Due to snow days our
last day of school is
May 29th. Please

Increased academic
achievement
Developing positive
relationships by practicing
mutual respect
Celebrating the diversity of
learning styles and cultures
Providing a safe environment
Where each child, each day, is
a success!

SPRING CARNIVAL
Spring Carnival will be on
Saturday April 11, 2015 from
4pm-8pm at Rockport
Elementary

Your Principal,

BULLYING: THE
BYSTANDERS
ROLE

At Rockport, our school

community has a
commitment to:

If she feels safe,

she could say
something like,
Thats not nice
and then walk
away.
Also remind your
youngster to
report bullying to
a teacher or other
adult.

make note in your

calendars.
SPRING CARNIVAL
Saturday April 11
2015 from 4pm-8pm
at Rockport
Elementary

Let her know this

is not tattling,
but a way to help
someone who is
being hurt.
Asking an adult
to help a child
who is being
b u l l i e d i s l i ke
asking the nurse
to help a child
with a scraped
knee

Be there!
Regular attendance in
elementary school sets up
a good pattern for your
youngsters entire school
career. Show your child
that school comes first

SPRING BREAK
Starts this Saturday
March 21st. Classes
resume on March
30th. Enjoy the break
and be safe.

SILENT AUCTION, BIG

TICKET RAFFLE & 15 MIN
RAFFLE
COST IS $10 FOR A
WRIST BAND
FACE PAINTING WILL
BE AVAILABLE
LOTS OF GREAT FOOD
WILL BE AVAILABLE
REMEMBER THIS IS WHAT
ALLOWS US TO PURCHASE
SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR ALL
OUR STUDENTS. WITHOUT
YOU THIS WOULDNT BE
POSSIBLE!

ISTEP RALLY

Spring Fling

We w i l l h a v e o u r
s e c o n d I ST E P Pe p
Rally on April 24th
with a special musical
guest. ISTEP Part 2
starts April 27th

Where: Rockport City

Park. When: April 18th,
2 015 . C o s t : $ 4 p e r
person (Rockport Elem.
Students Free) More
i n f o r m a t i o n
dawn@tristateawareness.co
m

ISTEP Assembly
and Class
Adoptions
Each K-2 class adopted a 3-5 class and
created posters, cheers, and passed out
snacks for our older students. This positivity
contributed to giving our students the
opportunity to do the best on the ISTEP test.

Current Address
and Phone Number

Family Science
Night
It is that time again! The
Family Science night on
Wed, March 18th from 5-7
pm is an exciting
opportunity for families to
gather at Rockport and see
some examples of high
quality student work. There
are vendors, teachers, and students
displaying a variety of science related
information. The kids had a great time
last year and the turnout was amazing.
The experiments will be very basic, but
something that the kids could help with
and enjoy.The 5th grade projects will be
on display around the room. There are
always oppor tunities for younger
students as well. Students always enjoy
the search and rescue dogs. This year we
will have weather related information
presented by Ron Rhodes.

Harmony Link
Many parents do not realize they can
add the mobile link to their smart
phone for easy access to grades,
lunch accounts, etc.
Rockport
link:
https://
h a r m o n y. s s p e n c e r. k 1 2 . i n . u s /
elementary.nsf/mobile?

3.

Have you recently moved or

changed your contact phone
number? If you have, have you
contacted the front office to
update your contact
infor mation? For the safety and
protection of your student it is
necessary that we have a working phone
number to reach a parent/guardian in
the case of an emergency. Also, it is
required that we have a current address.
If you need to update information, or
have any questions or concerns, please
feel free to call the office at 649-2201 or
email aaron.meyer@sspencer.k12.in.us.

Thinking Games
Between school, errands, and activities,
families spend lots of time on the go. Some of
that time can bemused for thinking games.
There is a game that I often played as a child
called Would you rather? I offer two options
and ask which they prefer and why. For
example, I might say, Would you rather live
near the beach or the mountains?
Another example is a game called Three
Favorites. Someone picks a category
(outfits, movies), and you tell your top three
choices. Another example is What Doesnt
Belong? You take turns naming items and
asking the others to explain which is the odd
one out and why. Kids especially like this
game because there can be more than one
right answer. For example, if you named
owl, ostrich, and eagle, one person
might say, Ostrich, because it cant fly.
Another might say, Owl, because it hunts at
night. The ideas is that you make thinking
fun and practice thinking through ideas.

Rockport Elem.

ROCKPORT PARENTS
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200 S. 6th St. Rockport

Indiana 47635, T 812-649-2201,
aaron.meyer@sspencer.k12.in.us