Dear RBUSD Staff and Families,

March is National Reading Month, a time to encourage daily reading and foster a love of new knowledge and adventures in books. This year’s Read Across America theme, "Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers," highlights the importance and fun of reading books that allow kids to discover their own voices and learn from others’ stories. At any age, reading every day increases vocabulary and comprehension, boosts brainpower, makes you more empathetic and helps you relax. According to the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education, “Reading is necessary for learning, so instilling a love of reading at an early age is the key that unlocks the door to lifelong learning. It helps children learn to make sense not only of the world around them but also people, building social-emotional skills and of course, imagination."

Academic progress and achievement is #1 in the RBUSD Strategic Plan. Our teachers and support staff use data (i.e. student work, formative and summative assessments, MAP scores, CAASPP data) to measure student progress and determine areas of growth in English Language Arts (ELA) for individual students, grade levels, schools, and the district as a whole. Support at home is valuable. This month, we are highlighting the ways families can bridge the learning between school and home.

In year two of our ELA implementation, students and teachers are continuing to immerse themselves in a rigorous knowledge and skill-building curriculum. Through their work with Wit & Wisdom, students read and study award-winning fiction and nonfiction texts, famous works of art, videos, photographs and more, with the goal of awakening and expanding their curiosity. Providing opportunities for students to build knowledge with engaging topics allows students to hone their ability to deeply read challenging texts, and write and speak clearly, logically, and effectively.

Each Wit & Wisdom module is rooted around a topic from social studies, science, and the arts and students build knowledge by asking questions. Research shows that when students know more about a topic, they develop stronger literacy skills.

How can families help their children succeed in language arts and beyond? “Tips for Families” sheets are sent home by teachers prior to each module and provide a list of books and topics that can be discussed at home to further expand their knowledge. Talk to your child about the essential questions they are working to discover such as; (Grade K) What makes the world fascinating? or (Grade 4) What makes a great heart literally and figuratively? Additionally, starting in Grade 1, your child will bring home fluency practice homework. When children read correctly, quickly, and with expression (fluently), then they can focus their attention on the meaning of texts. These practice passages come directly from the texts read in class and students will be asked to practice them. You can help. Listen to see if they pause between words or phrases, read with feeling, read at a good pace and read in a way you can understand what they are reading. Your support of their literacy journey, by bridging home and school, will make a tremendous impact on their growth as readers.

A PEEK INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL TUTORIALS

Weekly middle school tutorials are a way for students to have ownership and accountability for their learning experience. Tutorials are built into the school day for students to get support from teachers and counselors on academic and social needs. Students can choose their own tutorial, and/or teachers and counselors can request students to attend based on their class needs and assessment data, which can include targeted, small-group intervention. Tutorials are also a time for enrichment activities that focus on campus connection and social-emotional wellness.

Students sign up for tutorials every Friday for the following week through the tutorial button at the bottom of the school website. A great way for parents to engage with and support their student’s academic journey is to look at tutorial options together and see what sessions would best serve their student’s personal needs.

To provide guidance to high school parents and guardians, I turned to our most veteran school counselor, Mr. Arond Schonberg. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Mr. Schonberg for the past 20 years and continue to learn something new about myself and my parenting every time I speak to him. I asked him to write to high school parents and provide a strategy to those who may have difficulty supporting their student(s) at home.

LOOK FOR THE EXCEPTIONS

by Mr. Arond Schonberg, RUHS Counselor

Let’s face it – being a parent is the toughest job ever, even tougher nowadays with the recent pandemic and so many distractions that our children face day in and day out. It’s no wonder we have a challenging time filtering out what is good and what is bad for our kids, and to top it off we, the parents, don’t know anything according to our children.

So, the million-dollar question is how do you navigate this landscape of uncertainty? This landscape was even tougher when asking my own children about school. I was met with the proverbial, “Everything is fine,” “I don’t care," "I am never going to use this in real life,” and “You only care about my grades and not me!”

I remember thinking to myself, “Where do I start with having conversations with my children that don’t start fires?” Here’s what I discovered. I fell back on my training that I received as a school counselor and followed this one rule – there is an exception to every rule. For example, my oldest daughter was notorious for missing many assignments while she was in high school. I would get frustrated with her. We would yell and scream at each other and invariably it would end with her slamming her bedroom door.

My wife would say, “Do you talk to your students at Redondo like that?” I would respond, “Of course not.” That question changed everything for me. I started looking for exceptions in everything my daughter did. I noticed she turned in two homework assignments in a row for English and ask her, “What are you doing differently to turn in two assignments in a row?” It caught her off guard at first and she looked at me weird but soon caught on that I was trying something new.

She would say, “I am writing down my assignments in my agenda and doing my homework as soon as I get home.” Now we are getting somewhere! I felt proud of myself. I would then ask her if she needed anything from me that would help her – ready for this – “get MORE homework done?” She said, “I am fine right now but will let you know if I do.” What just happened? No yelling, screaming, or slamming of doors. That is the power of finding exceptions.

By choosing to respond with exceptions and different words, it helped mend our relationship as well as her grades. I couldn’t ask for a better result. So, the next time you have a conversation with your child, especially those surrounding school, stop and think – where is the exception in this situation? If there is no exception yet, don’t worry, ask them to notice or ponder on what they are or can do differently, the exception, and you’ll be surprised at what your children discover is working for them.

If your student needs additional support with classes, please review the Spring Tutoring Schedule below.

Students review their transcripts while considering post-secondary goals.

The RUHS Library is open Monday 8:30 am - 4:00 pm, and Tuesday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:00 pm. Students are welcome during free periods, snack, lunch, and after school to use any of the flexible library spaces, including high and low study tables, lounge furniture, and collaboration stations for sharing their work with peers. The library offers a wide range of services and resources to students, including printing and Chromebook troubleshooting, high-interest fiction and nonfiction books, craft supplies, and board games.

Now, go grab a book you love and happy reading!



Your Superintendent, 

Nikki Wesley, Ed.D.

Join the Journey!