GES Fall Newsletter
The Wolfpack Way
Principal's Corner
Each newsletter will also include information about what our teachers have been learning professionally. After all, how is it possible for our students to reach their highest potential if our teachers are not at the edge of their learning? During the past few months, our teachers have spent ____ professional hours deepening their understanding of literacy and math practices.
Growth mindset has been a focus as well during the first trimester of the school year. Our faculty is participating in a book study to learn more about how to understand our own mindsets and foster a growth mindset in our students. Each publication will include information regarding the importance of having a growth mindset.
Finally, each newsletter will provide our families with updates to our Wolfpack Way implementation. New developments are happening to ensure our students are responsible, respectful, safe, and ready to learn! As members of our Wolfpack Way, your support in creating a culture we can all be proud of is essential!
And, as always, you'll find evidence throughout the newsletter that your children are our most precious resources and we are privileged to be a part of their school lives!
Sincerely, Karen
Literacy First!
Minutes and Pages!
Mrs. D'Amico and Adi
WHAT'S NEW WITH GES'S WOLFPACK?
Weather Rules
In the past, there were certain weather rules that determined what type of clothing was expected to be worn depending on the temperature outside. For example, if the weather was 59 degrees students were asked to wear jackets but if it was 60 students could wear a sweatshirt and not a heavier jacket. This type of expectation was not always consistently enforced because it was sometimes complicated to follow. It also did not give our students any control over making decisions that were possible for them to make. When it is cold enough that the weather requires winter gear, we will continue to help students understand that the temperature is cold enough that they will need to dress appropriately. the temperature will be announced and indoor recess will occur when it is too cold for outdoor recess.
However, when the weather is not cold enough to wear winter clothing, we will empower our students to make their best judgement about whether or not a lighter jacket is necessary. To alleviate their returning to the building if they do change their mind, we encourage them to take their jackets out with them as they can put them on if they're not still in their locker.
Cafeteria Rules
The cafeteria is also a place where we can empower our students to make good decisions for themselves and others. We are currently using a method to help them monitor their noise level with an app that visually shows them how close they are getting to a set decibel level. A color bar changes to yellow as the decibel level creeps up and to red when the level is too loud.
Finally, the faculty and staff will eventually use DoJo which is a management system that is technology based and classroom teachers as well as supervisors have the option of awarding points to students when they demonstrate Wolfpack Behavior. Look for more information about this after the holiday!
Grafton Elementary School
Email: knoel@grafton.k12.wi.us
Website: http://ges.grafton.k12.wi.us/
Location: 1800 Washington Street, Grafton, WI, United States
Phone: 262-376-5700
2:30 GES 3rd Grade NEWS
Do you have a Fixed or a Growth Mindset?
No parent thinks “I wonder what I can do today to undermine my children, subvert their effort, turn them off learning, and limit their achievement.” Of course not. We think “I would do anything, give anything, to make my children successful.” Yet many of the things we do work against our best efforts. Our best intentioned judgments, our lessons, our motivating techniques often send the wrong message, unintentionally. In fact, every word and action sends a message. It tells children – or students or athletes – how to think about themselves. It can be a fixed mindset message that says: “You have permanent traits and I’m judging them,” or it can be a growth mindset message that says: “You are a developing person and I am interested in your development.” The most important thing you can do to help your child instill a growth mindset is to praise them for effort rather than for talent. Messages like “You learned that so quickly! You’re so smart!” teach the child that effort is a sign of weakness and that they either are or aren’t smart. If they encountered difficulty in the future, they wouldn’t know how to deal with it. Instead, messages such as “I like the way you approached that problem”, or “good job to hang in there and find a different strategy that did work”, or “sorry, that seemed to be too easy for you, let’s do something more challenging”, teaches kids that effort is something we can all benefit from to reach our full potential, and that they need to be working purposefully in order to grow.
GES's faculty and staff are participating in a book study of "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" in order to determine our own mindsets as well as support our students in developing growth mindsets. A Google Classroom will be designed and available for parents after the new year that will enable parents to access information about how to help our students embrace struggle.
A Champion with a Growth Mindset Right Here at GES!
The remarkable thing about Audrey is that she skis with a prosthetic and pole attachment due to the loss of her lower right arm at birth. She is a true example of someone who never wavers from struggle and even though Audrey knows what it is to overcome odds, she is one who moves forward, literally and figuratively, with determination and grit! We can learn so much from this powerful young lady! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU, AUDREY!
A LASER-LIKE FOCUS ON STUDENT GROWTH IN LITERACY AND MATH!
Specific data identifying what strands in literacy and math at each grade level are further outlined in a presentation that was shown to our PTA in November. For more specific information, view this presentation.