School Safety Update

At Ben Milam, the safety and well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities. To ensure a secure learning environment, we have implemented several measures, including:

• A campus deputy who monitors the school throughout the entire day.

• Locked interior and exterior doors at all times.

• Comprehensive camera surveillance across the campus.

• Regularly practicing safety drills as required by the state.

• Ensuring all staff and students follow established safety protocols.

• Requiring all visitors to check in through the front office, verify their identity, and obtain a visitor pass.

• Enforcing dismissal procedures that require parents to present their Pick My Kid pass or have the app open for verification.

We remain committed to continuously improving our safety measures and appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a secure environment for everyone.

Reading  Update

At Ben Milam Elementary, we are excited to share updates about our comprehensive reading program, designed to ensure every student develops strong literacy skills.

• Comprehensive Screeners: All students are assessed in math and reading to determine their current levels and measure growth since the beginning of the school year. This data is also used to identify students who may need additional intervention. Families will receive updated assessment results once testing is complete.

• Systematic Phonics Instruction: We use Wilson Fundations daily to provide systematic and explicit phonics instruction, ensuring that all grade-level word study TEKS are taught to mastery.

• Guided Reading Instruction: Teachers utilize updated Fountas and Pinnell materials to provide targeted reading instruction tailored to each student's reading level.

• Shared Reading Practice: With materials from Fountas and Pinnell, students engage in shared reading activities where they read aloud with their teacher to improve fluency and comprehension skills.

• Read-Alouds: Teachers incorporate read-alouds from various genres to model "think-alouds," demonstrating how to process and apply new skills. This strategy helps students develop critical thinking and comprehension as they engage with diverse texts.

• Daily Home Reading Practice: All Kindergarten through 2nd-grade students take home books each night to practice their reading skills.

Ben Milam Elementary is proud to offer a well-rounded reading curriculum aligned with TEKS standards. Our program ensures that every student receives instruction in phonics, phonemic awareness, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your child's literacy journey!

Math Update

We are excited to share the progress our students are making in math this year! Building strong foundational math skills is essential for success in all areas of mathematics, and we want to keep you informed about what your child is learning and how you can support them at home.

• Kindergarten:
  Kindergarten students are focusing on writing numbers from 1 to 20 and working on joining and separating numbers up to 20. These skills help develop an early understanding of addition and subtraction concepts.
  
  

• First Grade:
  First-grade students are learning combinations to make 10 (e.g., 6 and 4, 7 and 3). This important skill builds their number sense and prepares them for more advanced problem-solving.
  
  

• Second Grade:
  Second graders are working on mastering their math facts with fluency. Knowing addition and subtraction facts quickly and accurately is essential for success in more complex math concepts.
  
  

Tips for Practicing Math at Home

Here are a few strategies to help your child strengthen their math skills at home:

1. Use Flashcards: Practice math facts with flashcards for a few minutes each day. This is a quick and effective way to build fluency.

2. Play Math Games: Engage your child in fun, number-based games like board games, card games (like "War" with numbers), or apps designed to strengthen math skills.

3. Everyday Math: Include math in daily activities, such as counting change, measuring while cooking, or asking questions like, “If we have 8 apples and eat 3, how many are left?”

4. Make it Fun: Celebrate their progress and make math practice an enjoyable experience!

Over the Holiday Break

During the holiday break, we encourage families to continue practicing math in fun and relaxed ways. Playing games with numbers, solving simple math puzzles, or even just talking about numbers in everyday situations can make a big difference.

Thank you for your continued support in building a strong foundation for your child’s learning. We wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season!