Page 1 The Star Tracker A publication of Stinson Elementary School PTA Volume X, Issue 5 February 2011 Community Partners 10 Grade Level News 6-7 Junior Investor 3 Treasurer’s Report 9 President’s Pen February 2011 2011 is here! I know I’ll be writing 2010 on my checks for some time to come; but it is time to start thinking ahead. There are many things going on in our PTA, and beyond. Take a few min- utes to think about where you might want more information or involvement. The Stinson PTA just formed it’s Nominating Committee for the 2011/2012 school year. Their job is to recommend a slate of officers for the March election. Since we have one year terms, we will be electing a President, VP of Membership, VP of Ways and Means, VP of Programs, VP of Communication, Secretary, Treasurer, and Treasurer’s Assistant. Watch for a flyer coming home soon to ask for nominations. If an officer position is not for you, there are many chairman and committee positions available every year. We welcome everyone’s involvement. If you have questions on where you might best fit, please let me know, or ask any of our current officers. We have a tradition of excel- lence to continue at Stinson, and I hope you will be a part of it! This year the Texas Legislature is in session. As you have probably read, there is a large budget deficit projected, and budget cuts for education are expected. Our district is already preparing for these cuts. PTA’s role is to be educated on the progress of the legislature, and make our views as voters and constituents known. The State PTA is hosting the PTA Day at the Capitol; the PISD council will send a busload of people to participate in this day of meetings with legis- lators. The State PTA will be monitoring bills that impact the health, welfare, and education of our children. The Texas PTA President was part of the committee working with Senator Shapiro to draft legislation outlawing the drug, K2. PTA will be sending out updates on the relevant legislation, we will have the ability to subscribe to those updates and act where we see a need. Please let me know what you would like to see from your PTA. I look forward to a fantastic 2011! Thank you, Julie Richard Stinson PTA President “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars. ” ~Les Brown
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Page 1
The Star Tracker
A publication of Stinson Elementary School PTA
Volume X, Issue 5
February 2011
Community Partners 10
Grade Level News 6-7
Junior Investor 3
Treasurer’s Report 9
President’s Pen
February 2011
2011 is here! I know I’ll be writing 2010 on my checks for some time to come; but it is time to
start thinking ahead. There are many things going on in our PTA, and beyond. Take a few min-
utes to think about where you might want more information or involvement.
The Stinson PTA just formed it’s Nominating Committee for the 2011/2012 school year. Their
job is to recommend a slate of officers for the March election. Since we have one year terms,
we will be electing a President, VP of Membership, VP of Ways and Means, VP of Programs, VP
of Communication, Secretary, Treasurer, and Treasurer’s Assistant. Watch for a flyer coming
home soon to ask for nominations.
If an officer position is not for you, there are many chairman and committee positions available
every year. We welcome everyone’s involvement. If you have questions on where you might
best fit, please let me know, or ask any of our current officers. We have a tradition of excel-
lence to continue at Stinson, and I hope you will be a part of it!
This year the Texas Legislature is in session. As you have probably read, there is a large budget
deficit projected, and budget cuts for education are expected. Our district is already preparing
for these cuts. PTA’s role is to be educated on the progress of the legislature, and make our
views as voters and constituents known. The State PTA is hosting the PTA Day at the Capitol;
the PISD council will send a busload of people to participate in this day of meetings with legis-
lators. The State PTA will be monitoring bills that impact the health, welfare, and education of
our children. The Texas PTA President was part of the committee working with Senator
Shapiro to draft legislation outlawing the drug, K2. PTA will be sending out updates on the
relevant legislation, we will have the ability to subscribe to those updates and act where we
see a need.
Please let me know what you would like to see from your PTA. I look forward to a fantastic
2011!
Thank you,
Julie Richard
Stinson PTA President
“Shoot for the moon. Even
if you miss, you’ll land
among the stars. ”
~Les Brown
Page 2
From the Desk
of
Mrs. Salamone
The Star tracker
A Monthly Newsletter of the Stinson Parent Teacher
Association
Principal Barbara Salamone
Assistant Principal Tricia Lancaster
PTA President Julie Richard
Newsletter Editor Jennifer Neves
Stinson Elementary School 4201 Greenfield Drive Richardson, TX 75082
School Office 469-752-3400
School Website k-12.pisd.edu/schools/stinson
Stinson PTA Website www.stinsonpta.org
PISD Website www.pisd.edu
All correspondence should be directed to the PTA Newsletter Editor at the school
Bullying is a topic that has been getting a lot of media attention recently. Dr. Andrea "Andie" Weiner, a child therapist and author of "More Than
Saying I Love You: Four Steps That Help Children Love Themselves" answers the five questions parents ask most about bullying.
The latest statistics show that 77 percent of students say they have been bullied. Because many children do not like to appear as a "tattletale" or
"snitch," they often do not report a bullying incident to the teacher or parent and that is why half of all bullying incidents go unreported. Here
are answers to important questions parents typically ask about bullying:
1. Why do kids bully?
First, let's state the three major characteristics of bullying:
• Bullying is characterized by a power differential between someone who has an unfair advantage over someone else who is victimized.
• It is an intentional act; someone has the intent to harm the victim.
• It is not generally a random act or single incident and is characterized by repeated occurrences.
• A child who is a bully does it for the power. Research shows that children who bully may be learning to use power and aggression as their
way to deal with others. Often this gets carried over into later relationships (dating aggression, spousal abuse, or workplace harassment).
Bullies also process social information inaccurately. For example, a common line they often use is "What are you looking at?" This is an in-
correct perception of provocation that, to them, serves as justification of aggressive behavior.
2. What are the typical forms of bullying?
• Physical aggression: Hitting, shoving, kicking. Physical aggression is more common among boys.
• Social aggression: Subtle and indirect, usually in the form of alienation, ostracism, deliberate exclusions, and spreading of untrue rumors.
Researchers call this relational aggression that attacks another person's self-esteem, friendships, or social status. Social aggression is more
common among girls.
• Cyberbullying: This form occurs most commonly in social media platforms such as MySpace or Facebook where unkind, harassing comments
are made to others anonymously and are intended to embarrass and hurt someone else.
3. Who are the typical bullies and victims?
Typically, one thinks of a bully as the biggest and strongest kid. That is not necessarily true. Bullies come in all shapes, colors, and genders. Often
they can be the popular kids that use power to control others. Although they seem to have a strong self-image, this is usually the opposite. They
use fear because underneath the tough exterior they are scared and do not think highly of themselves. Victims that are bullied are often socially
withdrawn. They typically are passive and let others be in control.
4. What do you do if your child is being bullied?
Signs of being bullied include:
• reluctance to go to school,
• sleep disturbances,
• vague physical complaints such as stomach pains or headaches,
• belongings that are missing or clothes that are ripped.
Continued on page 6
January 24 – 28, 2011 is “No Name-Calling Week.” Now in its seventh year, “No Name-Calling Week” was inspired by the young adult novel "The
Misfits" by James Howe, a story about four middle school aged students who have experienced name-calling. They decide to run for student
council officers on the platform of creating a "No Name Day" at school. “No Name-Calling Week” is one of several national efforts to bring at-
tention to the problem of bullying in school. Stinson will be holding two anti-bullying programs during the month of February. On February 23,
Stinson students will see “Buddies not Bullies.” Watch for more information about the parent program to be sent out soon. In the meantime,
here is a bit of information to help get your feet wet about bullying issues.
Page 6
2nd Grade Scoop First Grade Flash
Second grade has had a wonderful start to the second part of the
year. Some of the skills we have been learning are:
We have had an incredible start to the New Year! SUN Celebration is under way and only a few short weeks away.
Since coming back from the Winter break we have finished our Olympic banner. The Olympic banner is only one of the many things
that the SUN team has put together. The entire student body participated by creating the Olympic rings with their fingerprint.
Each student wrote their name and what their cultural background was.
The SUN team adopted the idea that every student would have the opportunity to participate in SUN Celebration in some way.
The Olympic banner was the obvious choice! On February 14th
we will unveil the banner and 2 students will be selected to carry
the banner in for the opening Stinson Olympic ceremonies. The final torch carrier will lead the ceremony as he/she hands off the
torch to Mrs. Salamone, who will then officially open the week for Multicultural games to be played during fitness time.
Our performers have been practicing and getting ready for the big night. They are hard at work and hope that everyone will enjoy
the evening. This evening affair is all about experiencing different cultural performances by the students. There will be a variety of
different acts from singing and dancing to duets from parents and students.
SUN celebration, “Circle of Friends” is a family affair and marks the importance of all of us understanding each other’s cultures and
experiencing multiculturalism from the eyes of children. We will unveil the winning kindergarten picture that will be used for the
backdrop. The winning essay will also be shared by the student who wrote it. The entire affair is all about the students and their
understanding and appreciation of what living in a multicultural society means.
Currently we have been featuring music from the Arabic nations in the morning. The Olympic torch has been carried from Greece,
to France, Russia, and on its way to India. Eventually the torch will end up in the United States. Each morning a new torch carrier
is featured on the morning announcements and shares the word Hello in the native language of the country they are representing.
We have had a lot of fun with it and the students are enjoying themselves.
We are so grateful to all the students, teachers and YOU the parents that have helped us make this happen.
Don’t forget to read eNews for weekly updates and follow the torch. Mark your calendars for Friday, February 18th
. The new loca-
tion is WoodCreek Church at 3400 E. Renner Road. See you then!
Carol Stephens, SUN Chairman
Understanding how your child learns can reduce frustration and improve achievement. If your child constantly squirms and fidgets when he’s doing math homework or insists on listening to music while studying vocabu-
lary words, take heart. Although it may seem like he’s trying to drive you crazy, he’s probably just using the strategies that help him
learn.
“I like to study at a desk in silence, and my daughter can’t think that way. She likes to bounce around on a ball with music in the
background,” says author Maureen McKay, whose website, Optimistic Outcomes, provides tips for parents based on a child’s learn-
ing style. “Sometimes kids are just doing what works for them.”
Educators have long been aware that learning is not one-size-fits-all. In a typical classroom, some kids process information best by
hearing the teacher explain it, some learn by seeing what’s on the chalkboard, and others learn through hands-on exercises. Col-
leges have increasingly begun teaching new students about learning styles so they can develop effective study habits. And many
primary and secondary schools conduct surveys to give teachers insight into the learning styles of their students. Three basic learn-
ing styles are auditory, kinesthetic, and visual.
Auditory learners prefer listening to explanations over reading them and may like to study by reciting information aloud. This type
of learner may want to have background music while studying, or they may be distracted by noises and need a quiet space to study