Sonnie Hereford Families,

We hope that you all have enjoyed your Easter Weekend! Thanks for ALL that you have done to make ACAP Testing successful. Special shout out to our teachers and scholars for keeping their boots on the ground this testing season. Mrs. Draine, Curriculum Specialist, has done a wonderful job serving as our Building Test Coordinator! We could not have done this without you! Many thanks!

Make-Up testing will take place this week. So, if your scholar was absent please ensure they return to school this week to complete all sessions.

Keep in mind that there is NO after school tutoring on Monday, April 21st.

We are preparing for May events. More information will be provided for the following dates:

May 5- 9 (Teacher Appreciation Week)

May 12- 14 (Field Day Week "Bowling Trips)

May 15 - 19 (Award's Day Ceremonies)

Yearbooks can be ordered by scanning the QR code below. Surprise your scholar with a "Shout Out" by purchasing an ad to congratulate them on a successful school year. (See Flyer Below)

Have a great week!

Assistant Principal Grant

• April 21 - 25 ACAP Make-Up Testing

• April 21 - No After School Tutoring

• April 29 - K for a Day (8:30 a.m.)

• April 29 - Spring Parent Meeting (9 am & 1 pm)

• April 30 - Spring Parent Meeting (9 am)

• May 1 - Last Day of After School Tutoring

• May 5 - 6th Grade Band and Choir Concert

• May 21 - Last Day for Scholars

• May 22 - Last Day for Teachers

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When Children Meet Your Behavior Expectations

As parents, we seem to automatically tell our children when they are doing something that does not meet our expectations. It is important to recognize our children when they do meet our behavior expectations. When we recognize good behavior in real time, it increases the likelihood that behavior will continue. Once we have taught our children what the expectations and rules are, we need to provide verbal praise.

For example: “Great Job for cleaning up the kitchen, that was being responsible!” “Thank you for waiting your turn that was respectful.” “You showed respect by following the rules about electronics.”

Young Children Ideas

Earn 5 extra minutes of going to bed late or getting up later.

Get to choose the game for family game night.

Get to decorate paper placements for the kitchen table for dinner that night.

Have a Mystery Grab Bag – filled with little prizes they can draw from for good behavior.

Play Hide and Seek in the dark with flashlights.

Have a scavenger hunt. If they can read, write clues on paper.

Parents,

Here is a fun activity that you can do with your children at home.

Fluency Fun with Emojis!

Reading with expression is an essential component of reading fluency that can enhance a reader's experience and comprehension. One way to practice expressive reading is through the use of emojis.

Goal: Help your student practice reading sentences using a wide range of emotions. A video example of the activity can be found below. Happy reading!

Activity Setup:

• Emoji cards
• Practice sentences

1. Print and cut out the emoji cards using the link below. (You can make your own emoji cards by drawing them or using the emoji feature on an electronic device.)
2. Print and cut out the practice sentences. (You can write the sentences on strips of paper or select sentences from a favorite book.)
3. Place the emoji cards face down in a stack OR open the emoji feature on an electronic device.
4. Ask your student to select one emoji card OR select one emoji that represents a feeling from the device.
5. Select one of the sentences to practice reading.
6. Have your student read the sentence aloud using the feeling that is represented by the selected emoji.
7. Your student can continue the activity by reading the same sentence with a new emoji or by selecting a new emoji and a new sentence.

Additional Ideas:

You can extend this activity by having your student read more than one sentence at a time, being sure to continue with the same expression throughout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ess_-aIO-BQ

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Tomes

Greetings Hereford Elementary School Families,

I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend! We have completed ACAP Testing! Our students and teachers did a fantastic job! If you have a student who has been absent at any time during the last three weeks, please make sure they are at school this week so that we can complete make-up testing.

It is the month of April and spring is in the air! That means it’s time for our Spring Parent Meetings. This year, our meetings will be held on April 29th at 9am (interpreter will be present) and 1pm and April 30th at 9am. We hope to see you there! Also, there is NO after school tutoring on Monday April 21st. It is one of our scheduled meeting days. The last day of after school tutoring is May 1st.

We can’t wait to see you on Monday for another week of learning!

Thank you,

April M. Draine

Give family game night a math twist.

Whether it’s a classic board game, dominoes, or puzzles, kids benefit from the mathematics inherent in family game night. Did you know that preschool-age children who played board games with numbered squares showed significant improvement in numerical knowledge including digit recognition, one-to-one correspondence (saying one number for each square counted) and outscored their peers who played similar games that used color rather than numbers on the squares.

Think of the difference between Chutes and Ladders (numbered squares) and Candy Land (colored squares). Pretty cool, huh? Check out this website for board games to help your child with math!

Go Wildcats!

Rebecca Ramsey

Families,

April is Autism Awareness Month. With 1 in 59 children born in the US being diagnosed with autism, you are bound to come in contact with these individuals or know someone personally. The popular PBS Kids franchise has been a leader in autism awareness, developing online and mobile resources for families and children as well as original television programming designed to make kids with autism visible, celebrate their strengths, and build acceptance.

In 2017, Sesame Street welcomed a new character to the block: Julia, a young girl who has autism. A special premier episode features all the Sesame Street friends meeting Julia and learning to appreciate all types of people. Click the link below to view the episode.

https://youtu.be/dKCdV20zLMs

Media Specialist

Mrs. Hereford

Greetings Sonnie Hereford Family,

Our April attendance incentive is still going strong. Students need to come to school every day to earn a popcorn party that they will enjoy with their class. The April incentive started April 1 and lasts until April 30. Every school day that the whole class is present, they earn a perfect attendance day. Classes get stickers added to their calendars for all of their perfect attendance days. For April, classes need 15 perfect attendance days to win the popcorn party reward. Let's finish the school year strong in attendance. Let’s ace attendance and ace life!

Remember to keep up your health:

• Drink lots of water to help keep the inside of your body clean

• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and limit sugar

• Go to sleep early at night for a good night's rest

• Get exercise, sunlight and fresh air as often as possible

• Maintain a good balance of everything in life and be at peace

Mandisa Thornton, School Attendance Officer

Hello Parents!

Having family meetings are a great way to improve family communication skills. See attached flyers for holding a meeting and some topics you can discuss. For more information on family meetings visit the website below.

https://thistimeofmine.com/family-meetings/

Ms. B

Behavior Specialist

Hereford Families,

Here are some tips for parents to help their elementary school students succeed:

• Ask your child how their school day went and engage in conversation about what they learned, who their friends are, what they had for lunch, etc.
• Make sure your child has time set aside to complete homework.
• Be there to answer any questions or assist when needed.
• Attend Back-to-School Night and Parent-Teacher Conferences.
• Visit the School and Its Website.
• Support Homework Expectations.
• Send Your Child to School Ready to Learn.
• Teach Organizational Skills.
• Teach Study Skills.
• Know the Disciplinary Policies.
• Get Involved.

Have an awesome week!

Ann Elkins

📍 From the Desk of Your School Counselors

ACAP Testing: We are so proud of our students as they wrap up their third week of ACAP testing! Your hard work, focus, and perseverance have truly impressed us. Thank you to our parents, students, faculty, and staff for your teamwork and support in making these weeks of testing smooth and successful. It takes all of us working together, and we are grateful for each of you.

As we head deeper into April, spring is in the air—but we encourage everyone to stay focused and stay the course. There are still a few important weeks left in the school year, and we want to see all of our students finish strong. We aim for every student to be promoted to the next grade level, and with continued effort, we know it’s possible!

Course Selection Forms: A quick reminder to our rising 5th and 6th-grade students: Please make sure your Course Selection Forms are signed by a parent or guardian and returned to the Guidance Office as soon as possible. The deadline has passed, and we don’t want anyone to miss the opportunity to have their preferences included.

Let's Talk About Bullying: Every student deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued. This month, our guidance focus is on Bullying Awareness and Prevention. It's a tough but important topic—and one that we all need to talk about openly and honestly.

Bullying is more than just teasing or disagreements between friends. It involves unwanted, aggressive behavior that is repeated over time and includes a real or perceived power imbalance.

Bullying can be:

• Physical – Hitting, pushing, or hurting someone physically
• Verbal – Name-calling, threats, or mean-spirited teasing
• Social – Excluding others, spreading rumors, or embarrassing someone on purpose
• Cyberbullying – Using technology to hurt, harass, or embarrass others

👀 Signs to Watch For

Parents, your child might not always come out and say they’re being bullied. Look for signs like:

• Avoiding school or activities they used to enjoy
• Sudden changes in mood or behavior
• Physical complaints (like headaches or stomachaches) with no clear cause
• Unexplained injuries or missing belongings

Students, if you’re feeling hurt, left out, or scared because of how someone treats you—please talk to a trusted adult. You are not alone.

Rising 5th and 6th Graders: Please see attached the attached Course Selection forms for grades 5 – 6. Parents please fill out the form, sign it, and return it to the school.

Keep up the great work, and let’s finish this year strong! With pride and encouragement.

💙 Your School Counselors

Mr. Reginald Johnson & Mrs. Jewel Thorne

• Supervision of students begin at 7:30 each morning; therefore, students should not arrive to school before 7:30 AM.

• Students who are walkers are to follow the sidewalk leading to the crossing guard and to the front door of the school.

• Students who are walkers should not walk across the Pre-K parking lot without being supervised by parent/guardian.

• Parents who enter Pre-K parking lot (yellow arrows) to drop off Kinder-6th grade students must park and escort student(s) to front of school.

• Parents who enter faculty and staff parking lot (blue arrows) to drop off Kinder-6th grade students must park and escort student(s) to crosswalk.

• School starts promptly at 8:00 AM.

• Students arriving after 8:00 AM are tardy and must have a parent or a guardian sign them in at the main office.

Student check-out ends at 1:45-must have valid identification and listed as a contact in

PowerSchool SIS.

• All students will be dismissed at 2:30.

• Students are either a bus rider, car rider or walker.

• Parents are asked not to congregate near the front door of the school or the pick-up area. You

will be asked to clear the dismissal area- please do so.

• Parents of walkers are asked to meet your children at home or at the crosswalk.

• Parents of car riders are asked to remain in your vehicle in the car line during pick-up.

• Pre-K parking lot (yellow arrows) is reserved only for Pre-K families with Parking Permit displayed.

• WALKERS- in the event of rain, parents are asked to provide child/ren with rain gear or send a written/typed note to teacher to change dismissal to car rider for that day by 1:30 pm.