Upcoming Events:

1. May, 2011 News Dear Families, As we approach the close of April and the beginning of May there are many culminating projects taking place at Merryhill. These include Science Fair, Giving Without Walls, Intrigue Projects, and Learning Without Walls. We would love for you to experience all of the learning that takes place in your child’s class. There are ways to get your child talking and sharing!Have you ever asked your child, “What did you do in school today?” or “How was your day?” and heard, “I don’t know,” or “Nothing.” We know that when parents ask children about their day, they want to know what they experienced in school. Here are a few probing questions that encourage your child to talk to you about his/her day: “What was the best part of your day today?”“What are you learning in Math?” “How do you do that?”“What was the best part of your day today?” “Now, tell me about your least favorite part of the day.” “Why?” “Show me how you read when you are at school.”“Which specialty class did you have today? “What did you do in that class?” The goal is to start a conversation with your child about his/her day so that you are involved in the learning process. Quite often during these conversations, talking points will come up that provide great opportunities to get to know your child in the context of school. Below are some tips that can also open the pathway to engaging discussions with your child about the learning that takes place every day. 1. Ask open-ended questions as opposed to questions requiring simple “yes” or “no” answers.2. Use their artwork or take-home papers to start conversations. Ask your child to tell you about it. 3. Know their school schedule so you can start talking about library day, specialty classes, or science lab. Upcoming Events: May 2-6 SAT10 Testing Week May 2-5 5th Grade Washington D.C. Trip May 6 Donuts with Mom 6:30-7:30 a.m. May 8 Happy Mother’s Day! May 9-13 Teacher Appreciation WeekMay 9 Progress ReportsMay 9-13 Make-up SAT10 Testing WeekMay 9 Science Fair Oral ReportsMay 10 Science Fair Family Night 6-7:00 p.m. May 12 PTO General Meeting 5:00 p.m.May 13 Field Day 8:30-10:30 a.m.May 18 Family Night at Sammy’s Wood- fired Pizza 4-9 p.m.May 19 Student Council’s End of Year Party 3:15-4:00 p.m. May 19-20 4th Grade Trip to San DiegoMay 24 5th Grade SHPS Entrance TestsMay 30 NO School – Memorial Day!June 8 Last Day of School!June 13 Summer Camp Begins 4. Know the themes they are learning.5. Model sharing about your day. Share with your child how your day went, providing details and reflection. 6. Take time at the dinner table to talk about a good and bad thing that happened that day. 7. Use books as conversation starters. 8. Take advantage of your child stalling at bedtime. As your child unwinds for the evening, he/she may become chattier. Take the time to listen and encourage the dialogue.9. Listen, listen, and listen. Once your child gets started talking about her day, hold off more questions and let her go. As parents, we tend to jump in with more questions, but pausing is important. A child gains confidence as she relates her day while you listen actively and affirm you child. (www.parents-choice.org). As you get answers to specific questions, it will open the door for you to ask even more questions and have quality discussions filled with sharing of ideas and thoughts! Here are a few

2. Additional resources to help get your child talking:Parent Talk: How to Talk to Your Children in Language That Builds Self-Esteem and Encourages Responsibility by Chuck Moorman How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish I wish you and your child happy conversations and engaging exchanges of information! Yours in Education, Nicolette Utsinger Summer is Just Around the Corner; are you ready? We here at Merryhill are geared up for Camp Zone and our “Passport to Adventure”. Camp will run for nine weeks beginning June 13th through August 12th. We will have field trips every Thursday, fitness, cooking, art, science, technology, and a weekly adventurous theme. Regular camp hours will be 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Monday though Friday with extended care hours from 7:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., - 6:00 p.m. Please check the front page of our website http://lasvegas.merryhillschool.com to download our brochure and registration form. SAT10 Testing will be May 2nd through May 6th. Make-up testing (and also for the 5th grade class) will be May 9th through 13th. Munchkins with Mom in honor of Mother’s Day will be Friday, May 6thfrom 6:30- 7:30 a.m. in the Merryhill Gym. Science Fair Family Night is Tuesday, May 10 from 6-7 p.m. Don’t miss seeing the amazing work our Merryhill students are doing! Field Day is Friday, May 13th from 8:30-10:30 a.m.! PTO NEWS 2010-2011 Year Books are for Sale! A year book is such a wonderful way to reflect back and share in your child’s precious school memories. They will remember friendships, teachers, fun school events and field trips. There have been a limited number of yearbooks ordered, so be sure to reserve yours now! Each year book is $50.00 and will be delivered before the end of the school year. Order forms are available in the front office. Reminders! There will be NO school on Monday, May 30th in honor of Memorial Day.School Resumes at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31st. Have a Great Holiday Weekend!

3. Join us for a personal tour of your child’s new school. Call 702-889-2803 TODAY! School Hours – School begins daily at 8:00 a.m. and ends for kindergarten students at 2:45 p.m. with 1st through 5th dismissing at 3:00 p.m. Extended care hours are 6:30 a.m.- 7:45 a.m. and 3:15 – 6:00 p.m. __________________________________ Administrative Members 702-889-2803 Office Administrator: Lucinda Varga Email: lucinda.varga@nlcinc.com Assistant Principal: Carol Handegard Email: carol.handegard@nlcinc.com Principal: Nicolette Utsinger Email: nicolette.utsinger@nlcinc.com Visit us at: http://lasvegas.merryhillschool.com Or www.nobellearning.com Uniform InfoMerryhill Elementary school uniforms can be purchased through Campus Club Uniforms. You may call (702) 360-0555 or order online at www.campusclubuniform.com Our school code is MHLV1022. Deliveries will be made to the school office for K – 5 students if desired.A dress code reminder: students need to wear Merryhill Elementary sweatshirts, or sweaters neither caps nor hats may be worn while inside the school. Other outer apparel may be worn outside school during recess time. Please label all clothing. Your Child’s HealthAs kids head outdoors to participate in sports or spend a day of fun in the sun, it’s important to keep them hydrated and cool to avoid dehydration and other serious heat-related injuries. “Because children’s body surface area make up a much greater proportion of their overall weight than that of adults, they are at greater risk of dehydration and heat-related illness,” says Dr. Albert C. Hergenroeder of Baylor College of Medicine.Children who compete in sports or those who spend a lot of time outdoors in the heat without proper rest and fluid intake are more vulnerable to dehydration. “Once children become dehydrated, their body temperatures rise very quickly, especially when exposed to high temperatures,” explains Hergenroeder. “Dehydration can lead to serious conditions such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, both of which can result in death.”Though thirst is a symptom of dehydration, it is not a reliable indicator of the need to drink more fluids, especially for young children who are busy playing and those with special health care needs. Other symptoms of dehydration include(for infants up to adolescents, so not all apply to each age group): Few or no tears when crying, eyes that look sunken into the head, soft spot on top of baby’s head that looks sunken, lack of urine or wet diapers for six to eight hours in an infant (or only a small amount of dark yellow urine), lack of urine for 12 hours in an older child (or only a very small amount of dark yellow urine), dry, cool skin with “goose bumps” on chest and upper arms, irritability, altered mental status, headache, fatigue or dizziness in an older child.To protect children from dehydration, Hergenroeder says parents should encourage them to drink water before, during and after outdoor act ivies. The colder the water, the faster it is absorbed. For example an adolescent should drink one to two cups of water two to three hours before going out , then one to two cups of water every 20 to 30 minutes while exercising in the heat. In other words, practice common sense.http://www.texaschildrens.org

4. ABC Countdown A (5/3) Art Day – Create a special art project in class. B (5/4) Buddy Reading – Bring a book to read with a friend. C (5/5) Career Day – Dress or bring props to show a job you may enjoy. D (5/6) Donut Day – Parents will be asked to bring donuts for the class. E (5/9) Experiment Day – Experiment with awesome science. F (5/10) Favorite Book Day – Bring a favorite book to share with the class. G (5/11) Game Day – Students will learn a new math game or bring board games for an afternoon of fun. H (5/12) Hat Day – Wear a hat to school today. I (5/13) Inside/Outside Field Day – Students will participate in academic relays as well as outdoor relays during Field Day. J (5/16) Joke Day – Bring an appropriate joke to share at school. K (5/17)Kindness Day – Perform a random act of kindness today. L (5/18) Lollipop Day – Enjoy lollipops in class. M (5/19) Monster Day – Students will read “Where the Wild Things Are” or other monster themed books along with monstrous activities. N (5/20) No Paper/Worksheet Day – Creativity abounds without paper or worksheets. O (5/23) Obstacle Course – Students compete in physical and academic obstacle courses. P (5/26) Poetry Day – A perfect day to share poetry. Q (5/25) Quiet Day – Who is the quietest student in class? Who can be quiet the longest? R (5/26) Recycling Day – Students will make art from junk or read about recycling. S (527) Summer Birthdays or Sing-a-Song Day- Lets celebrate summer birthdays or learn and sing a new song. T (5/31) Twin Day (FREE DRESS DAY)- Dress exactly like your friend does. U (6/1) Uplift Someone Day – Give compliments to each other. V (6/2) Video Day – Students will watch an educational video during class. W (6/3) Water Balloon Toss Day – Students will compete and try NOT to get wet! X (6/6) x-Change Autographs Day – This is our yearbook signing party! Y (6/7) Year End Clearance Day – Clean up desks and classrooms. Z (6/8) Zip Up Your Bag and Go Home Day – Last ½ day of school for the 2010-2011 school year! Have a Great Summer!!!!!

5. From the Education Department • Part II: Language Arts: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening • “Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” Winnie the Pooh • Last month we investigated the academic standard of speaking as a core element of a language arts program. All of us “learn” situational speaking – when and where informal and formal speech practices should be used. Children model our behaviors and are keenly aware of when adults “switch” between the formal and informal modes. What about listening? The National Common Core Standards for Language Arts gives us a view of the continuum of listening skills that children are expected to demonstrate during their years in kindergarten through 8th grade. • Kindergarten is an especially exciting time for children. Along with an extended school day, children may find higher expectations for listening to learn new information. Here is the first kindergarten listening standard. Please take note of the “rules” related to listening and how closely they align to what we might think of as good manners: • Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. • Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). • By third grade the level of sophistication in listening skills expands to include not only good manners or rules, but also to remain attentive so that comments and feedback during the discussions remain on point: • Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. • Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). • Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others. • Listening skills for the sixth grade includes listening and discerning facts from fiction. • Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not. • How can parents and families support the efforts of classroom teachers who work every day to teach good listening skills? Parents can be purposeful by listening, without preparing a response before the speaker has finished, by being fully attentive and paraphrasing back what has said to clarify, by waiting your turn to speak and not interrupting, and by listening for the difference between facts and opinions as often as possible. Learning and practicing good listening skills is a life-long endeavor. Success for all of us in both our personal and professional lives relies heavily on our ability to listen well. Good listening skills go far beyond just good manners. Listening for comprehension and for facts as opposed to opinions is critical to future success. Our children can learn both in school and at home that the value of listening preceded all measures of social, emotional, behavioral, and academic success.

6. 5055 S. Durango Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89113 702-889-2803