Dear Parents,
     From the day children are born until they graduate from high school, they spend just 15 percent of their waking hours in school.  The other 85 percent is spent outside school - and most of that time is spent at home.
     That means that you are your child's most influential teacher.  Fortunately, children are naturally curious and love to learn. Some of the best ideas you can use at home to make the most of the important educational influence you have are:

1. encourage reading - experts say that encouraging children to read may be the most important thing parents can do to ensure children's school success.
2. play learning games - family fun time is a great time for learning.
3. show your child that you care - children need to know that they are loved, that you are proud of them and pleased by their accomplishments.
4. make the community your child's classroom - you can make even routine family activities into learning times for your child. 
                                      The Parent Institute, a division of NIS, Inc.

Students who most exhibit the six pillars of Character Counts - respect, fairness, responsibility, citizenship, trushworthiness, and caring - are chosen as "Student of the Month."  Students chosen for this honor for the month of January are: PreSchool - Jacob Leonard; Kindergarten - Cameron Jessee; First Grade - Billie Stacey; Second Grade - Madison Osborne; Third Grade - Landon Laster; Fourth Grade - Faith Miles, and Fifth Grade - None. CONGRATULATIONS, STUDENTS!  WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!