Ready Set Go 2020: Week 2
Hello,
We have been staying at home and staying apart together for several weeks and we still have several weeks to go. This has been an unusual and for some students even a scary time. Figuring out what to do and how to navigate this hopefully temporary and new normal can be challenging. In this issue of Ready Set Go, I want to share some tips that I have come across to make this time a little easier for you and your children.
Keep a routine.
Create a daily schedule with your child that includes school work as well as choice activities such as drawing, gameplay, or dancing. Be sure to include breaks and time for you and your child to unwind either together or separately. Everyone needs time to transition from one activity to another.
Stay connected.
Check-in with your student. Ask how they are doing, how they are feeling. For some students distance or virtual learning is a new adventure and you staying close to the process will help your child feel supported. Stay in touch with teachers and other parents to work through it together. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Turn off the news and talk.
Limit the news which can be scary, especially for young children. Remind your child they are safe and that life will get back to normal. Your reassurance and positivity will help your child be positive and feel a sense of comfort. You can also have your child draw or act out how they are feeling especially if they are having trouble talking about their feelings.
Enjoy Family Time.
Play cards, cook a new or favorite recipe, make up silly songs, look at old family photos and write a story about them. Your child will be learning and having fun!
Kareemah
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Kareemah Williams
Parent of Two Breakthrough Alum
Former Board Member of Citizens Academy
Former Board Member of Breakthrough Schools
Current Director of Enrollment & Engagement
Office: (216) 367-5720
Email: kwilliams@breakthroughschools.org
Activities & Resources
Here are a few resources for family & youth activities you can do at home.
Free Learn at Home daily course for students Pre K – Grade 6+ with day-to-day educational projects.
The courses provide approximately three hours of learning per day, including writing and research projects, virtual field trips, and geography challenges.)
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
All children from birth to age 5 can receive a free book mailed to them each month from this library!
Conorovarius Parental Guides
Reading Ideas for Fun - eBooks
The Cuyahoga County Library and Cleveland Public Library are closed until further notice. Fortunately for all of us both libraries are offering continued access to their digital and streaming services. You will need a library card to access these materials. If you do not have a library card you can apply for a library card online here for the Cuyahoga County Library or here for the Cleveland Public Library.
Grades K-3
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series)
by Margaret McNamara & G. Brian Karas
"How many seeds are in a pumpkin?" Mr. Tiffin asks his class as they gather around the big, medium, and small pumpkins on his desk. Robert, the biggest kid, guesses that the largest one has a million seeds; Elinor, sounding like she knows what she's talking about, guesses the medium one has 500 seeds; and Anna, who likes even numbers better than odd ones, guesses that the little one has 22. Charlie, the smallest boy in the class, doesn't have a guess.
Counting pumpkin seeds is messy business, but once the slimy job is done, to everyone's surprise, the smallest pumpkin has the most seeds! As Charlie happily exclaims, "Small things have a lot going on inside of them."
Grades K-3
My Papi Has a Motorcyle
by Isabel Quintero & Zeke Peña
A celebration of the love between a father and daughter, and of a vibrant immigrant neighborhood, by an award-winning author and illustrator duo.
When Daisy Ramona zooms around her neighborhood with her papi on his motorcycle, she sees the people and places she's always known. She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her.
But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold behind Daisy Ramona and her papi, she knows that the love she feels will always be there.
With vivid illustrations and text bursting with heart, My Papi Has a Motorcycle is a young girl's love letter to her hardworking dad and to memories of home that we hold close in the midst of change.
Grades 4-8
Other Words for Home
by Jasmine Warga
A gorgeously written, hopeful middle grade novel in verse about a young girl who must leave Syria to move to the United States, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Aisha Saeed.
Jude never thought she'd be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives.
At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven't quite prepared her for starting school in the US—and her new label of "Middle Eastern," an identity she's never known before.
But this life also brings unexpected surprises—there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.
This lyrical, life-affirming story is about losing and finding home and, most importantly, finding yourself.
Staff Spotlight
Meet Ms. Wilson, a kindergarten teacher at our E Prep and Village Prep Willard Campus. Ms. Wilson believes in developing the whole child and the importance of balancing work and play. Check out our quick interview with her!
Get Involved
If you are interested in getting involved at your school specifically, or with me at the citywide level, let me know. We always welcome parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents interested in volunteering and getting involved in several ways. Email me here or call me at 216-367-5720 and ask for Kareemah. I look forward to hearing from you!
Refer Your School!
If you know someone who might want to enroll their child/ren in our schools, please let them know we would love to have them. We will be here for new scholars as we have space!