Walking the halls
By BETTY POWERS Parnell Elementary Principal

One of our teachers recently did a bulletin board with a huge flower that had numbered petals. The petals have been removed every day, and we all view it daily and observe the countdown ritual. As we have said in earlier articles, this year has just "flown by."

It has been a good year. Teachers and students alike have worked diligently, and we have had many successes. We look to the end of the year with mixed emotions. We are excited that our fourth graders will be moving to Rowe; however, we will miss them.

We want to remind our parents that this will be a lengthier summer due to changes in the start date of school made by the Texas Legislature. Students will start school next year on Monday, August 27.

We want our students to have a wonderful, restful, fun-filled summer. However, we want to remind parents that these days of summer can be meaningful to their child's academic learning. We would like to suggest some pointers to parents to positively impact their child.

The first suggestion is to be a good role model. Let your child see you reading. Limit your child's television and electronic game time. Encourage your child to read. Talk, talk, talk. Help you child develop oral language skills by talking about different subjects. Visit your local library.

Drill you child on his/her multiplication facts. Use sidewalk chalk to write addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Practice measuring the length of things around the house.

The possibilities are endless for the amount of learning and fun you and your child can have together.

We will be here most of the summer making preparations for the 2007-2008 school term. Please feel free to drop by and visit us, especially if this will be a new campus for your child.

Again we say, have a wonderful, restful, funfilled and safe summer.