Thank you for checking out this website. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Brenda Gaddy and I'm proud to be the Reading Leader and Mrs. Wetherington-Zamora's Administrative Assistant for North Hamilton Elementary School. We have a school full of delightful children! Each day our entire faculty and staff work side by side in creating a very dedicated team of individuals working together to serve the needs of the young people entrusted to us. As our core reading series, we use SRA Imagine It! Our students also participate in the Accelerated Reader program. In math, we're trying something new this year and additional time is now being devoted to giving more individualized instruction in helping our children reach success in math. Our school is also excited to have a school-wide common planning period now! This is wonderful for teachers to have the ability to get together and share ideas. We have set high expectations at our school and we have many great things happening to show those results. This year we've implemented The Positive Behavior Support program and the students are excited to be earning their "paws" ! They will soon trade these paws for some very nice rewards!
  As NHE's Reading Leader, I would encourage you to make certain when your child reads, he/she is reading for meaning! We know that comprehension develops through a series of active reading strategies. Children need to understand what each strategy is, why it is important, and how, when, and where to apply it. Key comprehension strategies include:
  Using Prior Knowledge: Previewing a story before actually reading it helps a child make connections between what they already know, and what they will soon learn from the story.
  Making Predictions: Stopping at certain points in the story to tell what might happen next helps children make connections during their reading. 
  Questioning: This is extremely important and cannot be stressed enough! Children need to hear good questioning! Asking children questions helps them focus their attention and think actively about the text.
  Recognizing Story Structure: Understanding how a story is organized helps readers construct meaning. Story structure includes setting, characters, plot, and theme.
   Monitoring Comprehension: A young child may say, " I don't know what this means." This shows the child is thinking about their reading. Proficient readers know when they understand what they read and when they need to adjust their reading. 
    Please encourage your child to read at least 15 minutes at home every day! The research is clear, children who regularly read at home, perform much better in all subject areas at school. Parents, if I can ever help you to help your child become a better reader, please let me know. If you have a need for extra books at home, please feel free to let me know that as well because we have plenty to share. Whatever it takes to help your child be successful in school, you can count on us!
    Feel free to stop by and visit our school in person if you're ever in the area. We'd love to give you a tour and show you first hand just how wonderful our school is this year. Smiles~.
Yours In Education,
Brenda Gaddy
Reading Leader & Admin. Assistant
National Board Certified Teacher