How to Write a School Newsletter

Creating a school newsletter is a way to keep everyone informed about upcoming events and student achievements as well as build school spirit. The kids will love seeing themselves in print, and their parents will appreciate the updates to help keep them in the loop. The newsletter can even become a teaching tool when students help contribute stories and photos.

Instructions

1

Take photos of and write about the latest events that have taken place in the school. Pep rallies, dances, sports events, fund raisers and drama productions all make for good photo ops.

2

Enlist the talent of your teachers and/or students to write articles for the school newsletter. Let them choose the topic, but make sure it's relevant to school.

3

Feature a student or group of students from the school and write about them in each school newsletter. Kids love to get the recognition, and it gives parents something brag about.

4

Include information from the school board in your school newsletter. The topics can range from staff updates to current events in your area.

5

Include a list of websites in your school newsletter that teachers and students can use as resources for their classrooms.

6

Create a section in your school newsletter that features upcoming field trips and outings the students will take. You can also include information about any special guests that will be visiting the school.

7

After you have all your articles and images together, use a newsletter template or desktop publishing software to design your layout. There are even online templates that will allow you to format the newsletter for email, web, disk, and/or print.

How to Share Books Between the Kindle & the Book Nook

The Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook do not support any of the same e-book formats. Sharing books between the two devices requires the user to convert the e-book to a supported format by the other device. The Nook primarily features books in the ePub format. The Kindle uses MOBI formats, such as PRC, MOBI and AZW. Books with digital rights management, such as many of those bought from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, cannot be transferred between the two.

Instructions

Save E-books to Computer

1

Connect your Kindle or Nook to your computer using a USB cable.

2

Click "Start" then "Computer."

3

Select the device from the list. Copy books from the My Documents folder on the Nook or Documents folder on the Kindle. Save the books somewhere on your computer.

Convert Using Calibre

4

Download Calibre at calibre-ebook.com.

5

Click "Add Books" and select the books you want.

6

Select the book or books from the library in the middle of Calibre. Click "Convert Books."

7

Click the drop-down menu beside "Output Format" and select the type corresponding to the device you want to use. If you are transferring books from the Nook to the Kindle, you will want to select MOBI. If you are transferring books from the Kindle to the Nook, you will want to select EPUB. Click "OK" after making a selection.

8

Click "Click to Open" beside Path beneath the Book's cover on the right side of the program to open the folder containing the converted file. Copy this file to My Documents on the Nook or Documents on the Kindle.

Convert Using Online-Convert.com

9

Go to ebook.online-convert.com.

10

Click "Convert to ePub" from the menu on the left if you want to transfer a book to the Nook.

11

Click "Convert to MOBI" to use the book on a Kindle.

12

Click "Choose File" and select the book you want to convert. Click "Convert File."

13

Wait for the file to convert. You will be automatically prompted to download the converted file once it is finished. Place this file in My Documents on the Nook or Documents on the Kindle.

Convert Using ConvertFiles.com

14

Go to Convertfiles.com.

15

Click "Browse" and select the e-book file you want to convert.

16

Click the "Output Format" drop-down menu and select "MOBI" if you want the book on a Kindle or "ePUB" if you want the book on a Nook.

17

Click "Convert."

18

Wait for the file to finish. The status will be indicated by a progress bar. Click beside "Please download your converted file" to get the converted book. Save this to My Documents on the Nook or Documents on the Kindle.

How Does Reading Affect the Brain?

Areas of the Brain

Poor reading comprehension might be a result of underactivation of the parietal lobe of the brain, a study published in 2008 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests (see Resources). Fifth graders assessed as "poor readers" were tested at three points: before any tutoring, after 100 hours of intensive work to improve their reading comprehension and 1 year later.

Changing Brain Patterns

Results showed that a year later, the reading comprehension improved and the area of the front of the parietal lobe becoming more active.
There are two areas of the brain that researchers have identified with being involved with reading: the left gyrus and the left superiorparietal lobe.

Durable Changes

"Poor readers" have a higher than normal activity in the inferior frontal and medial frontal cortices after intensive tutoring, suggesting that the readers called upon other areas of the brain for reading in an "effortful" way not seen in good readers.
This study suggests that in young children who are given remedial work, the brain is able to respond and maintain the changes in these areas even a year later, which helps readers improve their ability for comprehension.

How to Find a Mac Tool Distributor

Mac Tools manufactures a wide variety of both consumer and professional tools. If you would like to purchase a Mac Tools product, you must locate a distributor, as the company does not sell to customers directly. There are many distributors across the country and you can contact Mac Tools to find the one closest to you.

Instructions

1

Navigate to the Mac Tools Self-Service Support web page. A link is provided in the References section of this article.

2

Complete all of the fields with red stars next to them, as these are required. In the message field, indicate that you are trying to locate a distributor and be sure to include your name, the name and address of your shop and your phone number.

3

Click "Send" to submit the form. A Mac Tools representative will contact your shortly with the name and telephone number of a distributor near you.

Math Story Problems for Kindergarten

Story problems, also known as word problems, require more than just math; students have to be able to read and comprehend the puzzles as well. Children in kindergarten might not yet possess this trio of skills. Those who do, however, often enjoy solving word problems more than traditional equations, as the narrative structure of story problems can help children relate abstract math concepts to real life.

Vocabulary

One key to story-problem success in a kindergarten classroom lies in making sure children can read each word. Choose story problems with simple, familiar language and help children sound out words they don't know. Two examples are: "Three girls played ball. Two boys came over. How many children were there?" and "Four dogs are running in the park. Two dogs go home. How many dogs are left?" Print each story problem in large letters and ask for volunteers to read them aloud.

Comprehension

Along with reading, children must be able to understand the problem. Choose stories that can be illustrated and ask for volunteers to draw them on the blackboard. "Three fish swim in a lake. One swims away. How many fish are left?" Have one child draw three fish. Have another erase one fish and answer the question. Alternately, use toys or props to help illustrate the problem. "Jason holds a wooden block. He picks up one more block. How many blocks does he have?"

What's Important?

With a string of words looming before them, children can get overwhelmed. Teach them to find important words and circle them. Use leading questioning to help them identify what is important and what is not. "Two white kittens drink milk. One red kitten comes over. How many kittens are there?" Guide them into choosing the numbers and have volunteers circle them. Ask for another volunteer to write the correct answer. As always, encourage students even when mistakes are made. Develop and instill confidence.

Seasonal Math

Use seasons and holidays to keep word problems lively and fun. For example: "Three ghosts went trick-or-treating. One ghost ate too much candy and went home early. How many ghosts were left?" Or: "Juan had a birthday party. He invited three boys and three girls. How many kids did he invite?" "Cassie decorated six holiday cookies to give as presents. She ate four. How many cookies did she have left?"

Activities for the Story "Rainbow Fish"

The Abby award-winning book "The Rainbow Fish," written and illustrated by Marcus Pfister, is a classic among children's literature. The story tells of a beautiful fish who starts off being vain but learns that through sharing and giving of himself, he can find happiness and friendship. The book is not only famous for it's moral, but also for its shimmering illustrations. When reading this tale, engage children in extension activities to help increase their comprehension of the story.

Unique Fish Scales

Children learn that they are all unique, like the Rainbow Fish, through this extension activity. Draw a large outline of a fish with black marker and hang it on a wall. From construction paper, cut out fish scales for each child. After reading the book, hand out the fish scales and discuss how everyone is unique and special. Instruct the children to write their names and something about themselves on their scales. Have them decorate the scales with crayons and markers. Collect the scales and hang them on the outline of the fish and read aloud what is written on each scale.

Rainbow Fish Craft

Have children turn paper plates into Rainbow fish. Have children cut a triangle that extends from the edge to the center of the paper plate and glue the shape to the back of the paper plate--the cut-out triangle will serve as the fish's mouth and the glued-on triangle will serve as the fish's tail. Instruct children to use watercolor paints to color their fish. Provide them with pieces of tin foil; have them cut the tin foil and glue it onto their fish, creating shimmering scales like the fish in the book. Add a googly eye to the fish and the craft is complete.

Sharing is Caring

Highlight the moral of sharing in the story with this activity. After reading the story, have children write a list of ways that they can share with their peers and community. Invite them to share their lists with the class and display the lists in the classroom. Encourage children to act out the sharing activities they have written on their lists and each time they conduct one of the activities, have them record when, how and with whom they shared.

Story Sequencing

To fully comprehend a text, readers must be able to sequence the events that occurred in the order in which they happened. To increase comprehension of the story, have children sequence the events that occurred. Print out images from the book or write out sentences from different parts of the book. Jumble up the images or sentences and instruct the children to put them in the correct order in which they happened in the story.

How to Teach Short Stories

Teaching a short story can be easy if you give your students the basic elements. All short stories need to grab the reader from the start and make them care what happens next. They must also have a strong plot, believable characters and a resolution that fulfills the promise of giving the character a solution to whatever conflict they faced in the story.

Instructions

Steps for Teaching Story Writing

1

Have your student choose a POV, or point of view, for the short story. Explain that the viewpoint from which the story is told must be consistent throughout the story. First person is when the narrator is the main character and is telling his own story. Third person is when the narrator is overseeing events that happen to others.

2

Instruct your students to choose a setting for their story. The student needs to decide the physical location and time frame of the story before beginning. Explain to your students the need to remember these details while constructing the story.

3

Explain the development of main characters. One tool used for this is the "Character Sketch". This is a list of likes and dislikes of the characters. It will help the student understand that creating believable characters will help the story move along and keep the reader's attention.

4

Explain how to plot out the story. Have your students make an outline of the events to take place in their short story. This will ensure they write the story in the proper sequence.

5

Ask your student what the conflict of their story will be. Explain that something has to happen within the short story that will keep the readers' interest and make them care about the main character. The conflict can be romantic, dangerous or humorous but should cause the reader to want to find out what happens next.

6

Once your students have written their short story, make sure they understand they need to end with a good resolution. Explain that the resolution should solve whatever issue the main character has struggled with in the story in a creative and satisfying way.