Fyle Principal's Message from Gina Diesenberg

Dear Fyle families,

It is hard to believe another school year is coming to a close. In reflecting on the first year of our new reconfigured K-3 school, our staff believes we are well on our way to meeting our vision of helping our students acquire necessary foundational literacy and math skills in a child-centered learning environment. With the addition of full-day kindergarten, our youngest learners have grown so much. They are entering first grade with the skills and learner behaviors necessary to continue their successful elementary experience.

Even though the school year is coming to a close, we hope you will continue to provide your child opportunities for continued learning during the summer. As we know, there are many ways parents can help their students keep learning during summer break to help prevent the "summer slide" when students lose some of their learning by not staying engaged over the summer. Reading is one of the biggest ones but here are a few other suggestions:

• Play board games, card games, or virtual gamesthat boost skills and strengthen connections in the brain. Building puzzles is also a great way to boost cognitive and problem-solving skills for students, and it offers many benefits for adults, too!
• Limit recreational screen time. Educationalscreen time is good for students, but if devices aren’t being used for online courses or educational games, they can quickly prevent students from participating in other activities they need.
• Build arts and crafts together.
• Visit outdoor markets, local parks and museums, the zoo, or somewhere to swim. Physical activity is beneficial for any individual, but places like zoos and museums can also provide a wide array of learning opportunities.
• Encourage exploration, especially while traveling. This could mean playing “I Spy” during a long road trip, digging through Grandma’s attic, or studying different types of leaves on a hike - just watch out for those poisonous ones!
• Push for those extracurriculars, such as sports and other school- and community-sponsored activities. Participating in extracurricular activities (any time of the year) helps students develop important skills, meet new friends (with similar interests), and improve academic performance.

On a personal note, with this school year coming to a close, it is also the time I am ending my career in education as I retire and begin the next chapter in my life. It is a very bittersweet time for me as I leave the school I have called home these past 15 years. I can’t begin to thank you enough for entrusting your children to me. While I have had a long career (34 years) in education, the time spent at Fyle truly has been the most rewarding and happiest for me. I am confident that, with the wonderful staff and leadership in Fyle, your children will continue to thrive. Have a wonderful summer!

Sincerely,

Gina Diesenberg
Principal