Team Meadow Update
Week of May 20, 2019
"There is no more effective neurobiological intervention than a safe relationship"
-- Bruce Perry, PhD, MD, researcher & child psychiatrist
• The relationship works to bring the brain back into regulation
• Safe, predictable, consistent relationship
The Week Ahead:
Here's a run down for the upcoming week! There are many details regarding our upcoming STEM visit, as well as, student safety. Please read carefully.
Wow! Here we are. I truly can’t believe how quickly the year has gone! As I travel the hallways and classrooms these past days, I’m in awe of the growth in so many of our kids, and how our staff has embraced our growth both in size and mindset. We are stronger because of our experiences together. We are refined by our challenges and opportunities. We are better because of our collegiality. We are a family, and this school family matters deeply. Thank you for being part of my family.
Thank you,
Tom
Monday:
- Kindy Sing - Kindergarten families are invited to Boone Meadow to listen to their students sing a few songs. (Kindy families only) This is by far one of the sweetest moments to witness as 5 and 6 year olds serenade their families. If you happen to be available for a few minutes beginning at 1:30, I encourage you to swing by the gym and bear witness to a tender moment.
Tuesday:
- DOE STEM visit 7:45-10:30 (information below)
- Young Authors (Lamaster & Graham will be hosting families in their classrooms)
Wednesday:
- Young Authors (Kiel, Megli, & Proctor will be hosting families in their classrooms)
Thursday:
- Market Day (2nd grade) - Another annual favorite is coming to BME on Thursday. Funds raised from the day go to School the World. What a wonderful learning experience that results in service to others in need. (info included below)
Friday:
- Yearbooks will be distributed (more information to come from Beth Kiel)
- Fourth Grade Celebration (12:00-2:20) - We kindly ask that the outside play area on the south side of the building be reserved for the 4th grade cookout/celebration from 12:30-end of day. Set up of tables on the south sidewalks will begin around 11:00. Families will most likely begin arriving at 11:45.
12:00 – 12:15 Student presentation in the gymnasium for 4th grade families
12:15 – 12:45 Fourth grade students host families for Lifeline awards in their classrooms
12:45 – 1:15 Lunch/Cookout on the South Lawn (shelter, STEM gardens, etc... (If anyone is available, we may need a few extra hands to serve food from the cookout to 4th graders and their guests.)
1:15 – 2:10 Outside games and special treats for 4th grade students and their guests (South lawn, playground, back lot)
Monday (5/27): Memorial Day - School Closed
Tuesday (5/28): Last Day of School
Fourth Grade Walk @ end of day- Following tradition, we will call for classes to gather in the hallways for a proper sendoff for our oldest students. The walk will begin at 2:20, so we will begin announcements around 2:15 to have classes begin moving to their positions.
- Fourth grade – Please line up at the top of the stairs (by class, teacher in front of his/her students) outside of Jill Neal’s class. When music begins to play, start walking down the stairs and escort students to door 7/bus lot. When we get outside, we’ll give you a few minutes to give those hugs and high fives.
- Third Grade – Your classes will line the hallway across from the gym restrooms to art/music room-door 7.
- First Grade - Please line your hallway.
- Second Grade – You will be positioned along the hallway around the computer lab area (area where lunch tubs are often placed to café/BAC doors toward gym)
- Kindergarten – You will be at the end of the first grade hallway as it wraps the corner outside my office windows, lifeline board, Sloan’s office toward water fountain/restrooms. (Please note a couple other important items for Kindy: (1) please have all car riders ready to go where the 1st grade hall intersects the window outside my office. Will and Garrett – can you be positioned nearby so you can help escort them out as soon as we finish? (2) BAC (Kindy) need to meet AJ & Mrs. T at the water fountains next to Kristi’s office so they can get them to BAC.)
All - Once the 4th graders have exited, you may dismiss car riders to the front of the building. while staff holds bus riders in the hallway. Once care riders have left, all remaining staff will bring out bus riders. Those not assisting with car riders are encouraged to stay at buses until they roll. We will then send off with waves and cheers!
Tuesday (5/29)– It is our last workday for teachers. We will provide lunch for us to eat around 11:00. After lunch, if your work is completed, you are free to go. The morning is for you to work in your room, student reports, checklist items, etc…
Have a great weekend,
Tom
STEM Visit – Tuesday AM (8:00-10:30)
On Tuesday, Janet Walton (from North Carolina State University, partnering with IDOE) will arrive around 7:45 to begin her visit to Boone Meadow. She will be here from about 7:45-10:30. From here, she will visit Eagle Elementary.
7:45-10:30
- 7:45 - Arrival and check in
- 8:00 – STEM Bins (1st grade)
- 8:15-9:00 – STEM Olympics (co-teaching lesson with Benson/Proctor)
- 9:00-9:45 - Interview w/ teachers (STEM Room)- Ritenour, Sarpa, Meyer, Benson
- 9:50-10:30 - Interview wrap up and short observations (During this time, she is planning on visiting various classrooms for short observations. She might be observing Math instruction, robotics lessons w/ 2nd grade, and a possible fossil lesson with 3rd grade.
Note: As we prepare for our guest, please consider having anchor charts, documentation panels, evidence of various math, engineering, tech, science elements reflective of your instruction/experiences to serve as evidence of our programming. Please do not create anything new or “dig” to find pieces to display. I simply ask that you have it evidenced and visible (hallways, common spaces, classroom, etc…) Once again, this should simply be evidence of your instruction and experiences, nothing new or contrived, please.
Safety Item - (Accidental Lock Outs)
Over the past couple of weeks, we have had a couple of students that were accidently “locked out” for one reason or another. The very fact that we keep our doors secured throughout the day is critically important, but it also provides a moment of fear for our young students should they be locked outside by accident.
One scenario involved a student that was returning from a clinic visit, and the grade level returned to classes before the end of recess due to rain. A breakdown in communication occurred, and the student went outside to locate her class/teacher where she ended up being locked outside. A teacher passing in the hallway let the student in, and the student returned to class unharmed. Calm and understanding parents respectfully asked for clarification on our proactive procedures to assist in avoiding future situations. Other situations occurred with students didn’t join the group right away, and the class re-entered unknowingly.
Let’s be proactive by employing some of the following procedures:
Continue diligent monitoring of students during recess/outside time by spreading out to ensure students are seen throughout the playspaces.
After vetting to determine if a clinic visit is necessary, please employ the following protocols:
- Complete a clinic pass to send with the student (please do not send students without clinic passes)
- Have a responsible peer accompany the student into the clinic so they are not traveling alone to the clinic
- Use the radio to inform Nurse Amy that a student is en route to the clinic.
- Nurse Amy will radio the recess team to determine status before returning the student to the playground. If the grade level/class is coming in soon, please inform Amy so she can hold the student for a few more minutes before sending back to join the class. Please communicate where the child will need to go.
When re-entering the building after recess, please ensure the following:
- Please have staff staggered throughout the line, with an adult being the last one in from the group. (If you are alone with your class, you should make sure your check the door after students enter the building.)
- The staff member at the end of the line should (1) make a last quick visual sweep of the area, (2) ensure all students are in the building, and (3) check to make sure the door is securely closed. (Note: Teaching students this protocol is important and may prove beneficial as well. Having a “group caboose” may help the last adults with visual sweeps and checking the door.)
Thank you for your assistance in keeping our students safe.
Market Day
Message sent from Katie Foley, on behalf of the 2nd grade team on May 9th
Good afternoon BME!
Market Day is quickly approaching in just two weeks! I have put the signup sheet for by the mailboxes. Please allow your class 20 minutes to shop in the gym. This year, we have decided to donate to the organization “School the World”, which helps develop schools in rural areas in Central America. Below are a couple links to videos that explain more about the organization. Feel free to share with your class J
Also, all items we are selling this year will be “to-go” style in order to prevent a mess on the gym floor. We ask that there will be no open food in the gym, and to please take it back to your classrooms to enjoy. We will be sending out a list with all items for sale with their prices as well as a shopping bag for each kiddo.
Please let us know if you have any questions!
The Second Grade Team
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUoeicmpxzI&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhMk0_1BT3c&feature=youtu.be
Early Dismissals
Please help by proactively discouraging early dismissal of students after field trips, programs, etc... If families decide to check students out early, we will assist. Even though it may not appear to be a big deal to let families check out students early near the end of the day, there is a ripple effect that I’m asking staff to consider.
- When we encourage families checking students out early, we send a subtle (and at times overt) message that we don't maximize the time with our students. Even if you have only a handful of moments at the end of the day with students, this is a perfect time to reflect with students about their experience, to share compliments and encouragements, and end on a positive note (as a group in community circles, writing, with partners, etc...).
- On occasion, we have found that some families have gone directly to other grade level classrooms to ask the teacher for their other children/students to go home early. (yikes!) Instructional time was interrupted by parents coming and asking for their student. The teachers had to explain for them to go to the office, etc… These made for awkward moments, for sure. By asking families to maintain our regular dismissal procedure would help us avoid that.
- At the end of the day, the front office is navigating a variety of end of day matters. Last minute transportation changes, buses radioing in, families showing up for case conferences, teachers calling for clarification on matters, etc… A large number of last minute sign outs were also accompanied by requests for Beth and Barb to call other classrooms for siblings to leave early too. This puts them in a position of disrupting other classrooms when parents were requesting siblings to leave early.
- During your “Welcome, and thank you for coming today” greeting before programs or experiences, could you respectfully request that families follow our regular dismissal procedures. Let families know that following the program/field trip, etc..., you still have a few items to wrap us with students at the end of the day. I’m not saying you have to squeeze in another science lesson or Second Steps (maybe you could), but I want to make sure that we don’t send a message to families that “we won’t be doing anything anyway.” It sets a precedent that has a cumulative effect. 45 minutes today, coupled with 45 minutes after the Kindergarten Sing, then 30 minutes after 1st grade Young Authors – and then families pulling out siblings… you can see the time impact across multiple rooms and the cumulative impact on instructional time. Families need to know in subtle and clear messages that we value the time with their students.
Thank you for your cooperation with this. It makes more of a difference than you may realize.
Calendar Items & Information
May
20th - Kindergarten Sing
21st - DOE STEM Visit (8-10:30); Young Authors (Lamaster, Graham)
22nd - Young Authors (Kiel, Megli, Proctor)
23rd - Market Day - 2nd grade (confirmed)
24th - 4th Grade Celebration 12:00 AM - 2:00 PM
27th - Memorial Day - No School
28th - Last student day
Personal Business Leave Requests
For Certified Team Members:
To requests "personal business days," please complete the following process.- Go to the following link, and complete the "personal business request" form. https://goo.gl/forms/CycfilABEUyILbh83
- Once the form is completed, please send a brief email to me (Tom) that includes the date(s) of your request(s).
- Enter your upcoming absence in AESOP as soon as possible. (It can always be deleted later should plans change.)
Thanks -
Contact Us
Email: thundley@zcs.k12.in.us
Website: http://www.zcs.k12.in.us/bme/
Location: 5555 S Main St, Whitestown, IN, United States
Phone: 3178732226
Twitter: @ZCSBoone_Meadow