Principal Allen's Weekly Newsletter
February 10, 2020
Dear Spicewood Elementary Parents & Community Members,
I hope students had a restful weekend and are ready to jump into another week of inquiry and discovery!
Friday is Morning with Moms and Valentine Day parties. All visitors will need to sign in for these events. It will be a good idea to arrive a few minutes early so that you have time to sign in. I look forward to having you join us!
Just a reminder that we do not have school on Monday, February 17th or Tuesday, February 18th. This will be professional development for teachers. Enjoy the nice long weekend! :)
Have a wonderful week!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Allen
Spicewood Elementary Principal
Campus Announcement
Field Day T-Shirts
Field Day T-shirt order forms were sent home in your child's Friday Folder and can also be found here. Shirts are $12 each and all proceeds will go toward the purchase of Field Day supplies. If you are planning on volunteering, you may even consider purchasing one for yourself! Completed forms and payment are due by Friday, February 14th. Thank you so much for your support! - Coach Berry & Coach Pierce.
Celebrations
Spicewood Robotics Team Advance
One of our Spicewood robotics teams, Creative Champions Team#48507, competed in the FIRST Lego League (FLL) qualifiers on January 18th and bagged first place for their project which focussed on creating innovative solutions for flooding prone areas. They are now advancing to the FLL Central Texas Championships in March.
The team has the following 4th and 5th grade Spicewood Panthers: Reesha M, Sahana J, Aanya P, Reett A, Jiya G, & Roshni M.
The team says that the best part of their experience is learning and embracing the FLL Core Values of Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, & Fun!
We wish them luck for their championship in March!
Counselors' Corner
Hello and Happy New Year!
Our most recent round of guidance lessons are all about SAFETY. Our safety lessons focus on safe/unsafe touch, digital safety, healthy boundaries/relationships, and safety planning (mainly identifying adults in and outside of school that children can talk to if they need help). We also explore the concepts of bodily autonomy and consent in kid-friendly language. This means discussing that even young children have a right to speak up if they do not like a certain type of touch (hugs, kisses, tickling, etc), and that private parts are off-limits. We also talk about how to know what our friends, family members, and classmates are comfortable with by reading facial expressions, body language, and asking questions (e.g. “do you want a hug?” “Is it okay if we share this chair?”). We tell children to trust their instincts (we call it the “uh oh feeling”) and talk to a trusted adult if they feel unsafe or confused, even if they are unsure about what happened. We also talk about the difference between a “secret” and a “surprise” and how no one, especially someone who is older than them, should ask them to keep a secret from a parent or caretaker. We also apply these same safety rules and boundaries to interacting with people online, and in 5th grade we explore how to have healthy personal boundaries with things like texting and social media.
It may seem like an intense topic for young children, but due to the consistently high prevalence of child physical and sexual abuse in our country, the district has required that school counselors teach lessons on personal safety annually. Students are remarkably mature during these lessons and many of them have already had these conversations at home (which is great!). I would encourage parents to continue these conversations at home, and emphasize to your child that you will never be mad or blame them if someone else is hurting them or showing them something that is not appropriate for kids.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions about the content we cover during our safety lessons!
Best,
Mrs. Kentopp and Ms. Alyea, Spicewood School Counselors
A Note From Mrs. Oates (IB Coordinator)
Exhibition at Spicewood
Students in 5th grade all participate in Exhibition as a culminating experience to end their time at a PYP school. It is a celebration of their learning. Students connect their project to one of the 17 UN goals. Want to know more about the goals? Watch the video below or go to https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/.
Announcements from the PTA
Nominations for Spicewood PTA Executive Board
Please consider lending your time and expertise to our school by joining the PTA board. The nomination process has begun! Please visit this page and fill out the form if you are interested in filling any of the positions that are opening up:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qm2v1oIXxLzjmgXXgEXf7RWkMv6td-3F0WbUPdczUlk/edit?ts=5e29f67f
Upcoming Campus Events & Dates
Friday, February 14th
7:00AM - 7:40AM Morning with Mom
Location: Cafeteria
Valentine's Day Parties (Check with your child's teacher for time)
Monday, February 17
Student Holiday- No School
Tuesday, February 18
Student Holiday- No School
Tuesday, February 25
5:30PM -7:30PM One World, One Night
Monday, February 24
6:00PM -7:00PM Westwood Vertical Math Night
Location: Canyon Vista Middle School Cafeteria
Tuesday, February 25
5:30PM -7:30PM One World, One Night
Thursday, February 27
6:00PM - 7:00PM 3rd Grade Music Performance
Location: Spicewood Cafeteria
Tuesday, March 3
5:00PM -8:00PM Spirit Night (4th grade teachers & Mrs. Allen will be attending)
Location: Moonie's Burger
Friday, March 6
STEAM Day
Monday, March 9 - Friday, March 13
Education Go Get It (EGGI) Week
Monday, March 9
8:00AM -8:30AM Principal Pride Ceremony (K-2nd grade)
Wednesday, March 11
8:00AM -8:30AM Principal Pride Ceremony (3rd-5th grade)
Monday, March 16 - Friday, March 20
No School - Spring Break
Tuesday, March 31
6:00PM - 7:00PM 2nd Grade Music Performance
Location: Cafeteria
Tuesday, April 7
8:00AM -12:00PM 4th Grade Writing STAAR & 5th Grade Math STAAR
(We will be a closed campus from 8:00AM -12:00PM on this day)
Wednesday, April 8
8:00AM -12:00PM 5th Grade Reading STAAR
(We will be a closed campus from 8:00AM -12:00PM on this day)
Friday, April 10
No School - Staff & Student Holiday
Helpful Attachments
Spicewood Elementary Vision Statement:
Spicewood aspires to be a caring community of innovative, globally minded citizens who take action.
Spicewood aspira a ser una comunidad solidaria de ciudadanos innovadores y de mentalidad global que actúen.