[TNS-list] Dyanthe's Weekly Letter: 10.19.15

[Dyanthe Spielberg]

Dear Neighborhood School Families,

The other day, when I reminded my 8 year old to bring her book back to
school so that she would have it for reading time, she told me that her
teacher does not allow students to read graphic novels in class (this may
or may not be true).  A side note: my kid is a reluctant reader.  Under our
librarian Cheryl’s guidance, we found that she loves graphic novels.  She’s
not alone; graphic novels are among the highest circulating items in our
library.  I asked Cheryl to write a little something about the value of
this genre (aside from the obvious as I see it: my kid is learning to love
reading!).

Simply put, graphic novels are book-length comics. They are not just about
superheroes.  Graphic novels can teach about ballet, history, and
mythology, as well as science fiction, adventure, biographies, and folk
tales, and can vary in reading level from a beginner reader to an adult.
Reluctant readers are very often attracted to the format. The context clues
provided by the pictures are helpful to children who are struggling with
decoding words.  Graphic novels also provide an opportunity for kids to
develop their visual thinking skills.  Not only must a reader figure out
what’s happening inside a panel, she must also figure out what is
happening between
the panels.  Graphic novels are often a gateway to more reading.  As
children build confidence in their reading, they almost always transfer
their enthusiasm for reading to different formats and genres.  Many strong
readers also are drawn to graphic novels.  Some of our finest writers were
avid readers of comics when they were young:  Ray Bradbury, Cynthia Rylant,
and John Updike.

Mark Your Calendars:

   -

   The School Leadership Team (SLT) will meet Monday in Danette’s Room at
   5:30pm.  The SLT is a committee made up of elected parents and teachers.
    Monthly meetings are for the School Leadership Team Representatives and
   are open to all TNS families.


   -

   The ECO Committee will meet Wednesday at drop-off in the PTA Room.  Eco
   TNS is a place to share environmental resources and develop strategies for
   getting our school to comply with recycling and composting.  We will also
   create educational programming for students, parents and teachers
   specifically around Earth Day.
   -

   Friday, October 23 is a half day for Professional Development. 11:35
   a.m. dismissal.


   -

   Original Works:  I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to
   permanently showcase your child’s artwork while raising PTA money to help
   pay for the valuable learning experiences we provide our children!
   Students are invited to create artworks together during this 2-hour
   creative workshop on Friday after dismissal in PTA room (this is NOT a
   drop-off event).  The deadline for submitting your order is November 2,
   2015.    If you have any questions about Original Works program, feel
   free to contact me at bbrreetttt at gmail.com.



Have a good week,

Dyanthe
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.theneighborhoodschool.org/pipermail/tns-list-theneighborhoodschool.org/attachments/20151019/9cde3564/attachment-0001.htm>