Berkshire Blurbs
October/November 2018
Happy Fall
Dear Berkshire Families,
I know we are all surprised how fast September has flown by!
We have certainly had a fantastic month here…it’s been incredibly busy, but the progress the students have made in just a few short weeks has been astounding! By now, everyone is settling in well to their new classrooms, their new routines and getting down to the business of learning. This year has so much in store, our entire team is excited to witness their growth!
Now that October is approaching, we have noticed an (ever so slight) dip in our temperatures. Please remember that our students go outside year round, and now is the time to bring sweaters or light jackets for recess time. Please label all sweatshirts, , jackets, and lunch pails as they often get left behind.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns – please let Mr. Coyle, Mrs. Gutierrez or myself know. We are always here to help.
We are looking forward to a great October and November!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Mensing
Safety First:
Drop-off/Pick-Up We promise to never leave your child unattended—in the classroom, in the building, at lunch and recess, and before and after school. We have staff members that supervise our students at specific times of the day in order to ensure they are safe while at Berkshire. Breakfast is served at Berkshire beginning at 7:45 a.m. The front gates will open at 7:45 am If you need to drop your child off earlier, you will need to make arrangements with another parent or seek out a local childcare facility that is open before school. We have a “Valet” lane at Berkshire for drop-off. Please note that if you are in the Valet lane you must remain in your car. Although you may think you can quickly drop off and get back to your car sometimes it takes longer than expected and we do not want to hold up that moving line. If you need to get out of your car, please park and escort your child in the supervised area.
Do not drop off, pick up your child or park in front of the bus line. Our busses are on very tight schedules and parking in front of the entrance for the busses delays their schedule.
If your child is a walker and gets themselves to school, please remind them to use only the sidewalks and official walkways walking to or from school.
Please be respectful of traffic rules and those around you. A child's life is not worth the few minutes you may lose waiting for traffic to clear.
Finally, please have a specific plan for pick-up and communicate that to your child. Where will you pick them up? Is it okay for them to walk home? What should they do if you are late picking them up? Students need the same clarity in your directions as they do from their teachers in the classroom. Thank you for doing this as soon as possible. Thank you for helping us keep all of our students safe all the way from your door to Berkshire and back each day
Word on Parenting...
Perhaps you know one of those kids…the type who absolutely loves seeing your face turn red and hearing your voice get loud. Oh, the power they must experience upon seeing our veins bulge! Power corrupts.
When kids see that they can control the color of our face, the tone of our voice and our emotions, it doesn't take long for them to get addicted. With this addiction comes the desire for ever-increasing power. In their desperate quest for this power, they push more and more emotional buttons.
The more unhealthy control kids acquire the more out-of-control they become. Listed below is a brief sampling of techniques you can begin experimenting with today:
- When the child begins to argue, calmly repeat, "I know" or "I love you too much to argue" or "I'll listen when your voice sounds calm like mine."
Don't be surprised if the child gets even more upset in the short-term. Just continue repeating your "one-liner" in a calm and loving way.
- When the child gets louder, you get softer.
Does this demonstrate a strong message of power and love?
- When the child talks faster, you talk slower.
Again, the goal is to show the child that you are a loving and powerful person who can't be manipulated into losing control.
- When the child gets extremely oppositional and defiant, say, "I love you too much to fight with you about this. I'll take care of it.".
Using these tools allows us to regain control of our lives while helping the child regain healthy control over theirs.
*Taken from Love & Logic
Parent’s Read-At-Home Plan For Student Success
What can I do to support my child? Read at home with your child daily (at least 20 minutes) with books they enjoy.
Some ways to do this: Read out loud to your child. Listen to your child read. Echo read (you read a line, then they repeat) Read together at the same time. Reread or retell favorite stories Talk to your child about the reading
As you read: Ask your child to share what they remember. Ask questions about the reading. Talk about your favorite parts Talk about what you have learned. Talk about how the pictures in the book connect to the words on the page. Help connect the reading to your child’s life or other books they’ve read
Upcoming Events
Remember Every Wednesday is an Early Out: TK-3: 1:35, 4-6: 2:05
October
12th End of 1st Qtr.
12th SST’s
18th Popcorn Fundraiser Assembly 2:10, 2:40
22-26th Conference Week
26th Fall Festival 4-6
29th Math and Science Night 5-7
29-30th Vision Testing
30th Oral Language Festival
November
2nd October Monthly Awards Assembly
2nd Last Day of the Popcorn Fundraiser
5th Chat A Latte 8:30
5th Parent Club Meeting 5:30
9th SST’s
9th Veteran’s Day Assembly
12th Veteran’s Day Holiday
16th 2 Hour Early Dismissal
19th-23rd Thanksgiving Break
30th November Monthly Awards Assembly
December
3rd Chat A Latte: 8:30
4th Berkshire Science Fair
6th SST’s
14th December Monthly Award Assembly
17th Instrumental Assemblies
18th Battle of the Books Party
21st 2 Hour Early Dismissal
24-Jan 4th Christmas Break
Berkshire Elementary
Email: amensing@pbvusd.net
Website: https://www.pbvusd.k12.ca.us/berkshire
Location: 3900 Berkshire Road
Phone: 661-834-9472
Facebook: facebook.com/BerkshireElementary
Twitter: @BerkEagles