Park Place Post
November 19, 2021
From The Principal
As we enter Thanksgiving break, I want to share a message of gratitude. We are living in a complex time, and our current challenges make it more important than ever to focus on the things we're grateful for and the things that are going well. In the midst of change, it is too easy to focus on uncertainty. When we shift our focus to what's positive, all the great things around us shine through. Personally, I am grateful to spend time each day with bright-eyed, enthusiastic learners. Our students are excited to be at school with their friends and teachers, and that's infectious! I am grateful for highly-skilled teachers who are committed to adapting to the changes and lost learning caused by COVID. I am grateful for our support staff, who go above and beyond to accommodate the needs of students, teachers, and parents. I am grateful for our paraprofessional team; they have been understaffed all year, yet they stay focused on students and they contribute to finding solutions. I am grateful for our office staff for keeping the office environment fun and efficient! I am grateful for Nurse Ann, who bears the brunt of COVID responsibilities. She takes care of children all day while taking time to communicate with parents, document illnesses, and track and report COVID cases. I'm grateful for a cafeteria staff who treat each other like family and serve our students with smiles. I am grateful for our custodial staff who are also understaffed, yet they continue to keep our campus clean and safe. I am grateful for our crossing guard and monitors for diligently addressing student behaviors in a positive, compassionate manner. Finally, I am grateful for parents, grandparents, and guardians who encourage us and build us up each and every day. The Park Meadows community is truly dedicated to building our students up and helping them reach their greatest potential. COVID has nothing on us! We've got this.
Have a wonderful, safe, happy Thanksgiving week!
Mrs. Lanese
All Things EQ Parent Updates
Parents As Partners
Bullying vs. Peer Conflict
The word "bullying" is being used more often recently with students and parents to describe peer situations that involve conflict. Adults must realize that not every unkind thing a child does constitutes bullying. For example being left out is not always bullying. It's natural for kids to have a select group of friends. Although we want to teach kids to be kind to everyone, it's unrealistic to expect them to be close friends with every child they know. Experiencing conflict is also not bullying. Learning to deal with conflict is a normal part of growing up. The key is for children to learn how to solve their problems peacefully and respectfully. Children will not play fair at times, as well, and that is not considered bullying either. Wanting a game to be played a certain way is not bullying. Children understand the concept of sharing, and should take turns being in charge while playing a game. When observing the unkind behaviors your child experiences, be sure to label them correctly. This will help you know how to handle the situation appropriately so that it can be a learning opportunity and something they can grow from.
Life in the Lunchroom
Life in the Cafeteria-
As we move into December, our visiting school elf will be coming to see us in the cafeteria again. This year he will be visiting December 6th – December 10th. The students always enjoy the yearly visits from the elf and as always the elf will be going home with one lucky student, on Dec. 10th in a lucky tray giveaway. Make sure your child is eating school meals that week, so they get a change at taking home the Cafeteria Elf. Only three more weeks of school until we are on Winter Break.
PBIS
PBIS is in the middle of completing an internal Benchmark of Quality Review.
GRIT cards are having a positive effect and 5th and 6th graders earned their first "pop" reward.
Park Place is happening Wednesday and Thursday this week. Ask your student(s) what they purchased with their PARK tickets.
Math Interventions with Mr. Cookman
Check out this website! It's full of games and activities for each math standard that allow you and your child to better understand different topics being taught in the classroom. There are different categories to choose from: number sense, geometry, and measurement and data. Click on the activity or game that will help practice different mathematical concepts. Recommended for Kindergarten through 5th grade.
Reading Interventions with Mrs. Gibson & Mrs. Hainline
Tips and Tricks from the Reading Room-
* When reading multisyllabic words and your child comes to an unknown word try to chunk it out: Look for chunks in the word that you know. For example ch, sh, th, wh, or es, ed, ing, or bl, cr, fl, sm, etc.
Happy reading!
Park Meadows Event Center
In N Out Fundraiser update
St. Mary's Food Bank Canned Food Drive
Park Meadows is proud to announce that we will be partnering with St. Mary's Food Bank to collect some much needed canned goods. Item collection will start Monday, November 29th and go through Wednesday, December 15th. For every 4 items sent in, your student will receive a golden PARK ticket worth double the value. Our goal this year is to fill 4 boxes. We are looking forward to seeing how much we can collect! Please see the attached list of "much needed" items. If you have any questions, please contact Cassandra.Fraemohs@dvusd.org
Important Dates
Early Dismissal Days
- November 19
- December 3