Greetings Hereford Families,

Thank you for attending our Black History Program last week! We hope you enjoyed the celebration and the opportunity to honor the legacy of the past, present, and future.

We also invite you to join us this Tuesday evening for Literacy Night from 5:00-6:30 PM! Our literacy committee has planned a fun and engaging evening filled with activities to inspire a love for reading and a special guest will make an appearance also. We can’t wait to see you there!

Reminder: Scholars will have an early dismissal at 11:30 AM this Friday, March 7, and will be out for Spring Break from March 10-14.

Thank you for your continued support!

Learning is Our Passport to Success!

Kindly,

Principal Williams

PBIS at Home Guide

1. Expectations

Create a list of 3 -5 POSITIVELY worded expectations for the whole house. Keep it simple!

• Be respectful
• Be understanding
• Be helpful

2. Examples

Create a few examples of what each of those expectations looks like for the house. Ask your kids to contribute!

Respectful

• I can be respectful by… staying quiet when the adults are working.
• I can be respectful by… waiting for my turn to use the computer/device.

Understanding

• I can be understanding by… recognizing our new reality and the challenges it presents.

Helpful

• I can be helpful by… cleaning up the messes I make or cleaning up a mess I see.

Have a great week!

AP Frye & AP Grant

Thank you for all you do!

Have an amazing week!

AP Grant and AP Frye

Greetings Hereford Elementary School Families,

As we prepare for Read Across America Week, I thought I would share a link to some of my favorite science related books!

Read Aloud Science Stories for Kids | Animated Kids Books | Vooks Narrated Storybooks

https://youtu.be/zJEuHStX_8E?si=FVrlEemirUUvEy-V

There are so many books to choose from! Take some time this week to listen to these books with your children! Students can also take AR tests on these books after they have listened to them. Also, Monday March 3rd there will be no after school tutoring. It is one of our scheduled days off.

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

Thank you,

April M. Draine

Hello, Hereford families!

Our annual literacy night-- Let's GLOW Read a Book-- is coming up on March 4th from 5:00-6:30pm. Please make plans to join us as we have a very special guest coming to visit with us— SHORT the Squirrel, Alabama’s Literacy mascot!! Join us for a fun-filled night of literacy activities that GLOW IN THE DARK! We look forward to seeing you there as you add a stamp to your Passport on our Journey to Success.

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Tomes

Shapes: The Building Blocks Of Geometry

Think of geometry as a city, and shapes as the buildings that make up that city. Yes, shapes – they’re absolutely everywhere, and they’re the perfect place to start when explaining geometry to your children. They form the base of many geometric principles and understanding them well can provide a substantial head start.

There are two fundamental types of shapes to understand first – 2D (Two-Dimensional) and 3D (Three-Dimensional) shapes. So what’s the difference?

A 2D shape has only two dimensions – length and width, like the screen display of your phone. A square or a circle is a 2D shape. A 3D shape, on the other hand, has an extra dimension – depth, like an ice cream cone or a box of cereal.

So, how can you teach your children to identify these shapes? Here are some fun and interactive ways:

• The ‘I Spy’ Game: You can play the classic ‘I Spy’ game but with a geometrical spin. Spy something that resembles a particular shape and let your child guess. Eg. “I spy with my little eye, something that is round.”
• Shape Hunt: Arrange a treasure hunt where the clues are based on shapes. This will help in the practical identification of shapes. For example, “Look under the round plate.”
• Shape Crafts: Making crafts using shapes will not only teach them geometry but also improve their motor skills. Provide them with coloured paper cut-outs and ask them to create a collage or a 3D model.
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With shapes under our belt, we can move onto more complex aspects of geometry. But always remember, the aim is not just to memorize but to understand. So take your time, rewind if necessary, and have fun while you’re at it!

Go Wildcats!

Rebecca Ramsey

It's National Reading Month and Read Across America Week! This week happens to be one of my favorite weeks of school. It was originally launched in 1998 as a campaign to encourage reading and has continued since.

At Sonnie Hereford, we promote reading daily, from lessons taught in the classrooms to library visits. We want to help you encourage reading at home as well. This week, start by sharing in the excitement that your child will likely display when he or she comes home from school each day this week. Ask them about the types of stories that they read or heard that day.

Click the link below to check out some free online reading resources and many stories read aloud. Happy Reading!

https://www.freechildrenstories.com/

Hello Sonnie Hereford Parents

Take a look at these helpful tips to help with getting scholars to cooperate. Just repeating the demand over and over is unbeneficial for you and your child. Their brain is still developing the ability to process your words and think logically. Unless you have their full attention their brain might not even be processing the words you are saying.

So when you start yelling at them, they haven't listened and most likely don't even know why you are yelling. They know they are scared, but they aren't sure what to do next. So try these three steps when giving directions.

1. Get their attention first: By engaging with them, ask what they are playing, make a silly noise, get on their level. Make sure they are actually listening to you.
2. Give them a clear step one at a time: " I need you to put your shoes on" "I need you to wash your hands"
3. Pause Before repeating: When you repeat a demand over and over again your child can become more frazzled and confused. Stay on their level and wait. Give your child's brain time to process your words and see that you are serious. If after 15-20 seconds they don't cooperate, try connecting with them and giving the request again.
4. Have them repeat the request: You can also sing or say it in a funny voice and have them do the same.

SEL Affirmation: I am my best self. I can talk about my feelings and emotions to make helpful choices for myself. I have a growth mindset. I can grow and change by learning and trying.

Have a great week

Mrs. B.

Greetings Sonnie Hereford Family,

It’s a delight that the weather is warming up and the days of dripping pipes due to freezing temperatures are hopefully behind us. As Spring Break approaches, remember that each and every school day counts. The days before and after Spring Break are important instructional days, and a half day of school is still a whole absence. Starting Monday, March 3, 2025 we will begin counting perfect attendance days by class for our March Incentive. Your students don’t want to miss out on the upcoming reward. If you have any questions or concerns you can always reach out to the school and ask for me, the school attendance officer. 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

The Importance of Parent Involvement

Parent involvement in elementary school is very important for children's success. When parents take part in school activities, such as attending meetings or helping with homework, it shows children that education is valuable. This involvement can help kids feel more confident and motivated to learn. Studies have shown that students whose parents are engaged in their school life tend to have better grades and behavior. Additionally, when parents communicate with teachers, they can work together to support the child's learning needs. Overall, parents play a key role in helping their children thrive in school.

School-Parent compacts are a written commitment between parents, students, and school to share responsibility for improved student achievement. EVERY student enrolled in a Title I funded school MUST have a signed school-parent compact on file every school year. We are still missing many school-parent compacts for this school year. Please sign your child’s compact and return it to their teacher. If you need another compact, you can email me (ann.elkins@hsv-k12.org) and I will gladly send another home with your child. Thank you!

Have an awesome week!

Ann Elkins

Happy March

Hello Wonderful Families!

Spring is near, and we've got lots of exciting things happening at Sonnie Hereford Elementary! This month, we're focusing on a very important character trait, courtesy. Let's dive in!

This month, our character word is Courtesy!

What is Courtesy?

Courtesy means being polite and respectful to others. It's about showing good manners and thinking about how our words and actions affect the people around us.

Why is Courtesy Important?

* It makes everyone feel good! When we're courteous, we create a positive and friendly environment.

* It helps us build strong relationships. People are more likely to want to be around us when we're respectful.

* It shows we care. Being courteous demonstrates that we value others and their feelings.

How Can We Practice Courtesy?

* Saying "please" and "thank you."

* Using kind words.

* Listening attentively when others are speaking.

* Holding doors open for others.

* Respecting personal space.

* Showing good sportsmanship.

* Being mindful of others feelings.

Family Activity:

This week, challenge your family to a "Courtesy Challenge!" Each day, try to do at least three acts of courtesy for someone else. Share your experiences at dinner and talk about how it made you feel.

As always, if you have any concerns or need support, feel free to reach out. Together, we can make a positive impact!

Counseling Team

Reginald Johnson and 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.

Assistant Principal Frye