Rocket News
November 2019
A Letter from your Principal
Happy November Rocket Families!
Next Tuesday, November 5 is the last day of the first quarter. We are well into our units of study for Readers Workshop, Writers Workshop, math, science and social studies. In addition to learning in the classroom, several grades have already taken a field trip to learn outside the classroom….all part of the Mission of the Sun Prairie Area School District!
Your child’s teacher is excited to meet with you for Parent/Teacher Conferences which are Thursday, November 14 from 4pm-8pm and Friday, November 15 from 7:30am-11:30am. You should have received communication from your child’s teacher offering times for you to sign up. If you haven’t signed up yet please take a look at your availability and choose a time slot. The communication between the classroom teacher and you is incredibly important. Together we can do great things for your son and/or daughter.
I would encourage you to think of some questions ahead of time that you may have. Sitting with your child’s teacher during parent-teacher conferences and hearing how your child is “doing” will always be the foundation of parent-teacher conferences. In addition to classroom observations, many teachers will also share other assessments that measure your child’s learning. Our district uses the STAR assessment in reading and math and the Fountas and Pinnell assessment in reading. Your daughter/son may have mentioned it. If you have any questions about assessments (or anything else related to learning) please don’t hesitate to ask your child’s teacher. We continue to encourage students to create goals around their learning. Ultimately, what we want is for every child to be their best teacher. They are the only teacher that will follow them throughout their entire education.
Together we will do our best to make sure your Royal Oaks Rocket is having the best possible experience he/she can-- academically, emotionally and socially. As always, if you have any questions please let us know.
Thanks for ALL you do!
Electronic Safety Tip Line
New Electronic Safety Tip Line
The safety and security of our students and staff is a top priority for the district. We have been teaching our students to say something to a trusted adult when they see something unsafe. Sometimes, though, there are barriers to reporting safety issues in person. Tip lines are one common approach that schools use to promote school and student safety and well-being. Tip lines are designed to provide students or other members of the school community with a safe and confidential way to report a threat to safety or security.
To that end, we have created an Electronic Safety Tip Line available on the district website. The e-Tip Line allows students, parents, or community members to report weapons, threats of violence, bullying, sexual harassment, potential threat of suicide, drugs, and any other activity that could potentially endanger students, staff, and property. The tip line should not be used to report an immediate danger to someone’s life. Always use 911 to report those emergencies.
We are developing a communication plan to roll this out to students in upper elementary, middle school, and high school. The e-Tip Line is available on the district website from the “Families” menu and “Quicklinks” and can also be found on the district bullying and safety webpages.
The Electronic Safety Tip Line is just one way that students can report concerns about safety. For example, if a student wishes to file a bullying report, the Fillable Bullying Report Form is also available on the website under bullying and reporting.
Bundle Up for the Colder Weather
It’s getting cold out there!
Please make sure your child has cold weather gear including:
· Coats, snow pants and hats
· Waterproof gloves or mittens (knit mittens get wet easily)
· Waterproof boots (fashion boots are best for indoors)
Indoor Recess Due to Extreme Cold Temperatures or Wind Chill Temperatures
The school district provides recess to give students time to play and exercise. All students are expected to go outside during recess. It’s important that parents/guardians assist their children with dressing appropriately for the day’s weather. If a student needs to remain indoors when coming back to school after an illness or injury, please provide written verification from your child’s healthcare provider.
Students will stay indoors during inclement weather or when the air or wind chill temperature reaches 5 below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Mr. Ackley will check local weather websites for temperature and wind chill factors.
NOTE: School supervision starts at 7:45 am
Emergency School Closing
The Sun Prairie Area School District uses an electronic notification system to communicate with parents and guardians in a more timely and efficient manner. In the event of weather-related school closing or other emergency, the system allows the district to contact the guardian of each student.
The effectiveness of the notification system is dependent on our having the most
current contact information.
If you change your home phone, cell phone, work phone, or email, please update your Infinite Campus in the Parent Portal.
Medication Policy
Sometimes it is necessary for children to take medication during the school day.
Due to Wisconsin State Law:
· All prescription medication must have a prescription medication administration form signed by a parent/guardian and a doctor on file.
· Non-prescription medication must a have a nonprescription medication administration form signed by a parent/guardian. COUGH DROPS/THROAT LOZENGES are included. These medication forms may be picked from Nurse Lori.
· No medication will be sent home with a child. Parents/guardians should send only the correct amount required.
· All medication must be kept in the Nurse’s office and administered by Nurse Lori, Janet Stevens ( School Secretary) or Ms. Colón (Welcome Desk Secretary).
· Please refer to the District website under Health Services for forms, policies and further information or see the link below.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Thursday, November 14th
4 pm -8 pm
Friday, November 15th
7:30am - 11:30am
Please watch your email as Teachers will be contacting their student’s parents with conference times. On conference day, we will do our best to respect you and your family's schedules by making an effort to begin and end our conversations on time. Also, to help prepare for conferences, take a moment to jot down some questions you may have regarding your child’s progress.
Follett Book Fair
Wednesday, November 13
7:30 am—3:30 pm
Thursday, November 14
7:30am —2:00pm and 4:00 pm—8:00 pm
Friday, November 15
7:30 am—11:30 am
You can preview books that will be available for all grade levels by clicking here.
Family Groups
On October 11th, we started our Family Group meetings. This will be our 19th year of having Family Groups at Royal Oaks. For those of you who are new to Royal Oaks, Family Groups take place every other Friday from 8:20—8:50 am. The purpose of our Family Groups is to help students form relationships with students at different grade levels and with adults at Royal Oaks.
We have 44 groups this year. Each group is led by a Royal Oaks staff member. Classroom teachers, specialists, teaching assistants and student service employees are leaders. The groups consist of 13 students—roughly two from each grade level.
Our themes this year will focus on our Rocket Way of being Respectful, Responsible, Kind and using Empathy, Self Control. Take a moment to ask your child about his/her Family Group.
December Save the Dates
December 17th Mrs. Endres and Mrs. Reindl Concert - 2:25-2:55 PM
December 13th- Mr. Bencher and Mrs. Weyers Concert- 2:25-2:55 PM
December 20th - Last day before Winter Break
December 23rd - Jan. 3rd- Winter Break
January 6th- First day back from Winter Break
Color Days in Kindergarten
During the month of November, Kindergarten we will be learning about colors. Students, faculty and staff will all be helping them celebrate by dressing in the color of the day. Please mark your calendars with the dates and colors below. The order of the color days comes from Eric Carle’s Book- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?
Monday, Nov. 4 Brown Day
Tuesday, Nov. 5 Red Day
Wednesday, Nov. 6 Yellow Day
Thursday, Nov. 7 Green Day
Friday, Nov. 8 Purple Day
Monday, Nov. 11 Blue Day/ Red, White and Blue Day
Tuesday, Nov. 12 White Day
Wednesday, Nov. 13 Black Day
Thursday, Nov. 14 Orange Day
Monday, Nov. 18 Favorite Color Day
Lice Happens
Fall is the season of: back to school, football, pumpkins, Halloween costumes, and lice? Yes lice. Summer camps, vacations, sleep-overs, and sports with helmets can all be prime opportunities for sharing lice. Did you know that the average person has had lice for 4-6 weeks before it is discovered? That makes this time of the year one of the peak seasons for lice discovery.
Lice happens! Now is a great time to get in the habit of checking your child’s scalp periodically for lice.
What to look for:
- Intense itching and scratching of the scalp
- Visible redness or sores from itching
- To check child’s head for lice it is best to be in a well-lit room or natural sunlight. Be on the look-out for nits (eggs) and lice.
- Nits are tiny tear-drop shaped eggs that attach to the hair shaft. They often appear yellowish-whitish and can look like dandruff, but cannot be washed off or blown away like dandruff can.
- Lice are small insects the size of a sesame seed. They can adapt to match hair color, but are usually tan or gray. They do not jump or fly, but they move quickly and can be hard to see. Lice often are found around the ears or on the nape of the neck.
What to do if nits or lice are found:
Check all household members’ heads and treat anyone with lice or nits. There are many different over the counter, prescription, and homeopathic options. For more information you can contact your school nurse or health care provider.
Please notify your child’s school and daycare. This helps us in tracking and efforts in preventing transmission in school. It is also a good idea to notify any close contacts such as friends, teammates, neighbors, or extended family.
If you would like more information about lice – check out the following websites
www.cdc.gov/lice/head/factsheet.html
Transportation Article
Waiting for the Bus
As cold and snowy weather is upon us, we would like to remind families of a few safety issues when students are waiting for the bus in the morning. Students should:
be waiting at their bus stop at least 5 minutes before the scheduled arrival time.
be dressed appropriately for waiting in cold weather. This includes jackets, hats, gloves/mittens, and scarves.
stay out of the road and other’s yards when waiting for the bus. Wait on the sidewalk or as close to the curb as possible if there are no sidewalks.
wait on their side of the road and wait to cross until the driver signals.
wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching to board.
Eating On The Bus
Please remember that there is absolutely no eating allowed on district buses. Students may have life-threatening food allergies that could be affected by others eating on the bus. If your child does not get a chance to eat breakfast at home before school please make sure he/she knows to wait until they arrive at school before eating to ensure the safety of everyone. If your child is given a snack or treat at the end of the day we also ask that they eat it at school or wait until they get home.
If you have any questions or concerns about this information, or school bus safety, please contact Kobussen at 825-8700, ext 5509.
News from Mrs. Plesac
Yahara
All 5th graders received information about the Yahara River Writers Competition. Any 5th grade students who are interested and have a passion for writing have an opportunity to enter a piece of writing into the Yahara River Writers competition. This writing opportunity is available through the Greater Dane County Advanced Learner network. Students who were interested have already received the guidelines for the area of writing they indicated. Students will also have the opportunity to submit artwork for the front cover, back cover and genre divider pages. Please refer to the following website for more information: http://www.gdcaln.org/yahara . Interested 5th graders will need to work on this piece of writing or art outside of the classroom on Google docs. The rough draft is due December 6th and should be submitted through Google Docs. I will be available for support and revision to prepare the final copy which is due January 10th.
Math 24
Another enrichment opportunity for all students offered through the Advanced Learner Program is Math 24. Math 24 is an exciting game where students gain practice with math facts. This is currently available for any interested 4th or 5th graders. Students from each grade level practice Thursday mornings from 7:30-8:15 in the Science Room. We started practices the week of October 7th. There will be a district level competition in February to determine which students will represent Sun Prairie at the regional competition. The regional competition for 4th and 5th graders is in March. 3rd graders will be able to attend after Spring Break.
STEAM Fair
Our district is bringing back our Science Fair, but it is now a STEAM fair. Students from Northside, Bird, Eastside, and Token Springs will be participating November 7th at Token Springs at 6:30-7:30. The event is fun to attend as well. Please consider supporting our Elementary Students in viewing the exciting projects. Next year the other 5 Elementary schools (including Royal Oaks) will be participating and it will be held at Meadow View. Please feel free to attend this year to spark ideas for next year!
Parent Learning Sessions
The Advanced Learner Program will be hosting parent learning sessions. Watch the newsletter each month for a reminder or check the ALP website.
*schedule subject to change
January 29 - TBD
March 18 - Transitioning
If you have questions or concerns regarding any of the above or about the Advanced Learner Program (ALP) in general, please email me at klplesa@sunprairieschools.org.
Cyberbullying
Anytime children enter digital spaces (online, texts, apps,etc.) they are susceptible to cyberbullying.
What you need to know:
Cyberbullying is real. People can be mean. Technology makes being mean easier.
Awareness and Communication are key. Talk to you child openly and often about their online behavior.
Spot Check. They may not like it, but tell your child to expect spot checks. This will help you better guide them in navigating their online activity.
Develop a Plan. Talk through scenarios of how to deal with cyberbullying before it ever happens so your child has a plan to fall back on if it does.
Set Limits. Bullying can happen at any time of the day, but it can have a greater impact on kids when there is no relief.
Check Yourself. Much of what our children know about digital behavior stems from what they see at home. Model healthy online habits, children are always watching!
Remember that while cyberbullying can be scary, a lot of healthy and positive relationships can come from connecting digitally. A strong focus on kindness and empathy are always important in supporting healthy relationships in the digital world and the real world.
For more information and tips, please check out our cyberbullying resources in the Plugged in Parenting section of our District Website.
A letter from your PBIS Team
October was Bullying Prevention Month and our Rockets learned about multiple ways to prevent bullying. During Family Learning NIght we had 93 parents/guardians complete a survey about bullying and PBIS. Here are the results: I am satisfied with Royal Oaks’ efforts to prevent bullying. 90.3% Always or Usually I am familiar with Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS)/The Rocket Way at Royal Oaks Elementary (i.e., expectations, Rocket slips, Family Groups, Rocket Rallies, and celebrations) 91.4% Yes I believe the use of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS)/The Rocket Way have a positive impact on my child 98.9% Yes These are amazing results! Thank you to everyone who is working hard to reinforce positive behavioral expectations at school and home! Please ask your student how they are preventing bullying and showing the Rocket Way at Royal Oaks.