OKeefe Newsletter

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SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST:

You Can Help Your Child Succeed

According to a document published by the U.S. Department of Education (2005) entitled "Helping Your Child to Succeed in School," parents have the ability to be the strongest motivators of students, particularly during the time when students are outside of the school building. Parents can also be a reassuring connection between their child and school. The document states that, "as our childrens first and most important teacher, its important that all parents build and keep strong ties to our childrens schools. When parents and families are involved in their childrens schools, the children do better and have better feelings about going to school" (p. 7). Some things that parents can do to promote learning outside the tell me one thing that you learned today?" Children appreciate parent interest in their lives. Also, should an issue arise at school, it is easier for a child to address it with a parent if school is talked about regularly. Joining the library is a way to connect with a child while also enforcing values like reading, studying, and respect to others. The library is a great place for parents and student to read together and many libraries offer fun and free programs for families.

Parental Involvement Response To Intervention (RtI)

Cyber Bullying Counseling Resources

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Improving 2 Your Childs Behavior and RtI Cyber Bullying Bullying at OKeefe After School Programs After School Programs Contact Information Good News

classroom, and also support their child's interest in education include: Encouraging your child to read, whether it is a billboard during a car ride or a chapter book, if parents show that they value reading as a skill, a child is more likely to value that skill as well and work to develop it. Talking/asking about school keeps school a conversation-friendly topic; whether the question is "What did you eat for lunch?" or "Can you

U.S. Department of Education Office of Communications and Outreach Helping Your Child Succeed in School Washington, DC, 2005

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Parental Involvement Strongly Impacts Student Achievement

Research shows that students do much better in school when their parents are actively involved in their education. According to researcher Karen Smith Conway, Parental effort is consistently associated with higher levels of achievement, and the magnitude of the effect of parental effort is substantial. We found that schools would need to increase per-pupil spending by more than $1,000 in order to achieve the same results that are gained with parental involvement. The researchers found parents spent more time talking to their [child] about their school work during dinnertime discussions. It is not surprising to me that parents may scale back their involvement with their childs education when a school adds resources. As a result, increasing school resources may not be as effective as we expect since they may diminish parental involvement, Conway said.
Source: University of New Hampshire. "Parental Involvement Strongly Impacts Student Achievement." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 May 2008.

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Improving Your Childs Behavior and RtI

If you feel like your child could benefit from more individualized academic or behavioral attention, then Response to Intervention could be right for you! Classroom instruction is designed for the advancement of all students. However, sometimes, what works for most doesnt necessarily work well for all. Since O'Keeffe is dedicated to ensuring that all students receive a quality and worthwhile education, we have implemented on site Response to Intervention groups to serve both the academic and behavioral needs of our students. Response to Intervention, or RtI, is a multi-tiered system for intervention and monitoring of progress. Tier one is the most traditional intervention, and involves the instructor utilizing universal, classroom-wide instruction. If a student shows that this tier is not sufficient in order to maximize his or her progress, then the instructor can move the student on to Tier two, first consulting with several CPS team members. This is a more targeted, evidence based intervention. Tier three is a more intensive evidence based intervention utilizing full support from fellow staff and professionals. If you feel as though your own child could benefit from moving along these tiers, then perhaps you could begin to consider signing up for RtI as a potential option. Monitoring the progress of each individual student allows school teams to make accurate decisions in regards to the interventions implemented. Here at O'Keeffe, we offer RtI in both academic and behavioral topics. In order for your student to be considered, all you have to do is talk to his or her homeroom teacher about this possibility, and then submit a written request. Once the request is approved, your child can begin to receive RtI services and you will be made aware of progress made through these interventions. If RtI seems like it could be something helpful for your child and you would like to learn more about it before making any commitments, then feel free to contact Mrs. Laura Rose at 773 535-0600 to request an RtI Basics Informational packet.

They Succeed, Because They Think They Can

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Protect Your Kids from Cyber Bullying

responsible. Cyberbully411 reports that 9-34% of young people say they have been targeted in the last year (about 16% say theyve been targeted monthly or more often. Research shows a clear link between cyber-bullying and suicide. In a research study that included 2000 middle school aged children, 20% considered suicide while 19% attempted suicide. Hinduja, S.& Patchin, J. W. (2010). Bullying, Cyber bullying, and Suicide. Archives of Suicide Research, 14(3), 206-221. A survey was given to OKeeffe 7th and 8th graders at the beginning of the year. 60% of students say they have witnessed bullying. 40% of students report they are currently or have been bullied in the past.

Threatening to post embarrassing pictures as a form of control Using Instant Messenger (IM) to send harassing or threatening comments.

Tips to protect your child

Have a conversation with your child about the media site. Set clear limitations with your child about who she or he can communicate with and what content is appropriate to post. Create an account for yourself on whichever social network your child is on. This will help you to become familiar with the site and the sites purpose. Become familiar with the privacy settings on the site and help your child set them up. If Parental Controls are available, utilize them. Have your child provide you with their username and password. Limit your childs access to the internet. Review the your childs postings.

What is cyber bullying?

Cyber bullying occurs when a child or teen intentionally intimidates or sends unflattering or hostile messages or threats via digital media to another child or teen or about another child or teen in order to harass, hurt, stalk, frighten, extort, humiliate or harm that person.
(http://www.digitalkidsinitiative.com/ files/2012/01/Cyberbully_hand .

Each Day of Our Lives We Make Deposits In The Memory Banks Of Our Children -Charles R. Swindoll

Why Its Important

According to pbs.org 1 in 3 kids say they've been cyber bullied. The difference between traditional bullying and cyber bullying is that kids are able to reach more people, more frequently. With cyber bullying kids do not need to have physical access to the person. Kids only need access to technology. Because cyber bullying allows for some anonymity, sometimes it can hard to locate or punish the person

Typical Forms of Cyber Bullying

Rude or mean comments posted about a person Harassment via the internet Impersonating the victim Posting unauthorized pictures Sending mass emails with negative comments or photos about the person

Popular Social Media Websites

Facebook Twitter Google+ Results from a recent survey of 7th and 8th graders. You Tube Instagram Tumblr Vine

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Academic After-School Programs Available for Your Child

A Human Being Is Not Attaining His Full Heights Until He Is Educated -Horace Mann
The academic after-school programs here at OKeeffe are designed to enhance and enrich your childs learning experience. If your child is experiencing any academic difficulties, we encourage you to look into these programs and services available: Before School Intervention (Maximum of 30 Students per section) Monday, Wednesday and Friday 7:30-8:30 Begins November 14, 2013 Ends May 16, 2014 Grades 3rd-8th Instructors: Ms. Esford and Mr. Short Independent Reading Monday, Wednesday and Friday 7:30- 8:30 Begins January 6, 2014 Ends May 16, 2013 Literacy and Math Intervention (18 students per section) Tuesday and Thursdays 4:00pm-6:00pm Begins November 4, 2013 Ends May 15, 2014 1st Grade- M. Smith 2nd Grade- Peterson 3rd Grade- Comer/Warner 4th Grade- S. Smith 5th Grade- Grathwohl/Berry 6th Grade- Grathwohl/Berry 7th Grade- McKnight/Morgan 8th Grade McKnight/Morgan Compass Learning All Stars (18 Students per section) Saturday 9:00am-12:00pm Begins November 2, 2013 Ends May 17, 2014 Instructors: Mr. Harris, Mr. Knight, Mr. Lee, Ms. McCants, Ms. Patton and Ms. Reeves Please feel free to contact us at 773-535-0600 to see if there are spaces still available and for more information!

OTHER ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS

City Year Students in grades 5 - 8 participate in the City Year Program, which provides: academic support such as mentoring and tutoring, positive behavior encouragement such as good attendance, community as well as school improvement through activities, celebrations, and projects.

Middle School Peace Circles Students in grades 6th - 8th learn about conflict resolution, engage in reflective processes, and work with trained peacekeepers to ensure a calm, supportive, and peaceful academic experience.

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Try to Learn Something About Everything and Athletic Programs

The mission of our athletic program is to offer student-athletes, through participation in competitive athletics, an opportunity to experience meaningful growth, accomplishment, and success. As an OKeeffe Cougar student-athlete, you are a positive role model within our school and the community at large. As a student-athlete at our school, your sportsmanship goals should include:

Student Ambassadors We are committed to providing our students with opportunities to exemplify leadership skills within the classroom, school, and community. Our Student Ambassador Program provides students with leadership training, experiences, and off-site fieldwork. For more information, please give us a call at

Everything About Something - Thomas Huxley

773-535-0600

Maintaining at least a C+ in all classes, attend school daily, and exhibit positive behavior;

Respecting the rules of the games, the officials who administer the rules, and their decisions;

Respecting our opponents as fellow student-athletes, Refraining from engaging in all types of disrespectful behavior Looking at athletic participation as a potentially beneficial learning experience, whether you win or lose;

Educating other students and fans to understand the rules of the game, and the value of sportsmanship.

OKeeffe Cougars will have opportunities to join:

Middle School Football League Middle School Baseball League AUSL Sports Tournaments (Volleyball, Basketball, Track Meet) Game Days (Northwestern University, Chicago Bears, White Sox, Chicago Fire)

OKeeffe School of Excellence was founded in 1925, initially housing only 21 classrooms. Once the student population began to outgrow the building, additions were made accordingly. In 1936 an eight room addition was built and an annex building was added in 1971, which is still currently used. Today, OKeeffe

O'Keefe School of Excellence

6940 S Merrill Avenue Chicago, IL 60649 Phone:(773) 535-0600 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://okeeffe.auslchicago.org/

prepares its students for college and career readiness through its flexible, student based teachings that cater to the individual needs of its diverse student population. Through the implementation of technology within the curriculum, OKeeffe students are well prepared for their future academic or professional endeavors.

Good News from OKeefe

We are proud to announce that the 1st Annual Daddy-Daughter Dance took place on Saturday, January 25th in the schools gymnasium. If you have a fun story to share about dancing the night away with your daughter, we would love to hear it! Please share it with us at [email protected] The Winter Assembly at OKeeffe was a huge success with stellar performances by our students including OKeeffes Step Team. A big thank you to all who made this celebration possible!

Looking Ahead:
Wednesday, January 29th, 2014 2nd Quarter Report Cards will be sent home. Friday, January 31st, 2014 Muffins with Moms and Donuts with Dads will be an opportunity for conversation and review of this years school-wide goals. Please join us for an informative morning! Wednesday, February 12, 2014 school is closed in observance of Abraham Lincolns birthday. Wednesday, February 26th, 2014 progress reports will be sent home.

During the weeks of March 3-7th and March 10-14th ISAT Exams for 3rd-8th grade students will take place. COMING SOON: Anger/Behavior Management groups will be held and conducted by Ms. Laura Rose, the school counselor. Please stay tuned or call for more information.