The year round schedule can be a challenge or an opportunity for learning depending on how you spend your time off. Off track breaks of up to 6 weeks is a very long time to be without teachers teaching and students learning; students can lose a lot of ground. My hope for you is to enjoy your off track break without losing what you’ve worked hard to learn up to this point in the school year. Here is a list of actions you can do to keep sharp:
ü Read books, magazines, newspapers (comics) 15-30 minutes everyday.
ü Take a trip to the public library once a week and check out a good book.
ü Take family field trips to museums, missions, or other local family events listed in the Calendar section of the newspaper.
ü Practice your math facts either by using a computer or making flash cards. Practice the ones you don’t know very well every day for about 5 minutes. Practice reading the clock, counting money, calculating numbers as much as you can.
ü Keep a journal of your off track adventures using the writing skills you’ve learned at school.
ü Writing letters to relatives over the holidays is a great way to practice writing and making someone else happy when they receive it! Write me a letter or email if you don’t have anyone else to write!
ü Help making shopping lists and giving each other spelling tests! Play SCRABBLE!
ü A couple weeks before you start back to school, start rolling back your bedtime and getting up earlier. Be back on your bedtime/wakeup school schedule by January 31, 2009 (3 days before you go back to school).
ü Get outside once a day, weather permitting, to play, walk, ride a bike, shooting hoops, etc. Your body and brain needs physical activity every day. Video games don’t count!
ü If you have a computer at home, you can access “Study Island”, “Education City”, “Quarter Mile”, and other great programs from our web page "PORTAL."
ü Have some friends over and play school or have a family and friends board game night!
Anything that gets you to think and keep your brain active is worthwhile and you’ll be able to start up February 3rd right where you left off on December 19. Avoid excessive TV watching, video gaming, or computer gaming/texting. My hope for you is to have a fun and safe break while keeping your school knowledge fresh.