Wildcat News
Issue 4: February 5, 2019
Happy February
6th Grade Family,
Can you believe January has come and went?!? It seems like we were just back from Winter break and now the 4th 6 weeks is almost over already. Please make sure you are aware of your children regarding grades, looking at Skyward frequently and contacting teachers if you have questions about grades. The 4th 6 weeks term ends on Friday, February 15th so be sure to talk to your child about getting all of their work turned in on time before the end of the term.
Thank You!
"Locker Lifts" - Random Acts of Kindness
Welcoming Parent Talent & Creativity
Parent Involvement
Student Discipline, Data & Our Goal
JCMS categorizes student behaviors into three different levels: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3- depending on the severity of the behavior. Attached (below) is a PowerPoint that we shared with students about our school's Behavior Management Plan. It includes examples of behaviors from each level and the action steps of adults as a response. We want you to have this information as a resource, so that we can partner together to help talk to our Wildcats about ways to prevent behaviors from escalating to a Level 2 or 3 at school. Please save for your future reference.
As a school, our 3rd 6-week behavior data was the following:
- Level 2 referrals = 237
- Level 3 referrals = 27
6th grade behavior data from the 3rd 6-weeks:
- Level 2 referrals = 116
- Level 3 referrals = 16
The JCMS Administrative Team has a goal to reduce Level 2 & 3 behavior referrals by 10% from the 3rd to 4th 6-weeks. We have committed ourselves to classroom visits; focusing on student engagement and the correction of behaviors (if needed). We are hopeful that these action steps will help us reach our goal to ultimately improve instruction and learning.
"It Takes a Village to Raise a Child."
Eraser Challenge
Counselor Corner with Frint
Career Talk – Sometime in mid-February I will be visiting science classrooms where students will be accessing the computer program Xello. This computer program allows students to explore possible job interests by doing job matchmakers, learning style tests and other career exploration activities. We will do a little bit every school year to get the Class of 2025 thinking about their futures more and more. In next month’s newsletter I will tell you how to access the program with your child’s user name and password information as you can do many of the activities over and over again but if you can’t wait ask your child about it mid-February. I know I have enjoyed practicing with the matchmaker portion– the results said my top 5 matches were a judge, forensic accountant, a title examiner, a politician and social worker. Stay tuned for more information.
Academic Talk – 2/3rds of the school year is almost over and academics are getting more and more intense as we get closer to state testing season. How do you feel about your child’s academic progress so far? Is your child getting their work turned into the teacher? Is your child using the planner to help with organization and bringing it home for you to review? If you feel like your child is struggling consider scheduling a meeting with all of their teachers before student led conferences to help develop a plan. The 2nd semester of 6th grade is used to determine athletic eligibility for the 1st semester of their 7th grade year. 1st semester next year your child could be out for football, volleyball, cross country, girls basketball or wrestling but they have to be eligible so grades are more important than ever.
Social Emotional – Notice an after winter break funk in your child and/or family? Research and statistics say January is one of the most difficult months in regards to depression and dealing with negative emotions. It is difficult to go outside due to weather conditions, no major breaks are on the horizon and getting back into a daily routine can be a struggle. Finding ways out of this funk can be difficult and often you notice people socially isolating themselves more and more and spending too much time on technology devices. Consider establishing a weekly time where you do at least one family activity with no technology devices and doing something fun together – maybe a family dinner or a family board game night or maybe some type of family outing where everyone is together. Your children may resist the idea but practicing communication and getting thoughts and feelings out helps with overall sadness and emotional improvement. Also, encourage positive emotional outlets for everyone – find something you enjoy doing at least 15 minutes a day. I would encourage 30 minutes but not everyone has 30 minutes. Whether it is listening to music, exercising, drawing, writing, playing a game but unplugging from the world is important but often a difficulty.
Until next month,
Michael Frint – 6th grade counselor
785-717-4447
Bill of Rights for Friends
From: The Bestselling Author, Rosalind Wiseman
"Talk to your daughter about what she should expect to give and get from her friendships with others with the Bill of Rights for Friends.
- What does she want and need in a friendship? (trust, reliability, loyalty, telling her when they're angry with her in a respectful way)
- What are her rights in a friendship? (to be treated respectfully, with kindness and honesty)
- What are her responsibilities in a relationship? (to treat her friends ethically)
- What would a friend have to do or be like for her to end the friendship? (not listen to her, not honor her values and ethics)
- Under what circumstances would she go to an adult for help with a problem with a friend? (when the problem feels too big to handle alone)
- What are her friends' rights and responsibilities in the friendship? (to listen even when it's not easy to hear)
Then, ask her the hardest question: How do her experiences with her friends compare to her Bill of Rights? If they aren't similar, why does she have those friendships? If and when your daughter makes the decision that her friends aren't right for her, it'll be a very lonely time for her. It takes incredible strength of character to decide to break up with a friend who doesn't respect her Bill of Rights and even more strength to remain determined. Praise her courage." (Wiseman, 2016, p. 264).
Wiseman, R. (2016). Queen bees and wannabes: helping your daughter survive cliques, gossip, boys, and the new realities of girl world. New York: Harmony Books.
SEAL: Channeling His Feelings Effectively
From: The Bestselling Author, Rosalind Wiseman
"SEAL is a strategy you can use when facing conflicts with anyone, from friends to enemies. You can use it when you're angry, but also when you're worried. SEAL is a four-step process and stands for the following:
- STOP and SET it UP: Breathe, look, listen, and think. Where should you confront this person? Do you confront him now, in public, or later, in private?
- EXPLAIN: What happened that you don't like, want, or are worried about? What do you want instead? (Yes, the Explaining step may seem obvious, but it doesn't matter. The problem needs to be stated.)
- AFFIRM and ACKNOWLEDGE: Affirm your right (or someone else's) to be treated with dignity and acknowledge anything you've done that may have contributed to the problem (anything from sitting on your feelings to doing something deliberately wrong to the other person.)
- LOCK in (or lock out, or take a vacation): If you're in a relationship or friendship with this person, decide whether you want to continue the relationship, and if so, on what terms.
SEAL is a way of putting into practice two things: (1) being socially competent and (2) doing so with a firm belief in treating yourself and other people with dignity (even when you think that's the last thing the other person deserves), with the ultimate goal of having the truest control possible over yourself and the situation. SEAL isn't about being nice. It's a strategy that gives you the best chance of speaking your truth to someone you're in conflict with, in a way that you can be proud of, and of communicating your personal boundaries.
If your child does any part of the SEAL strategy, he has used it successfully." (Wiseman, 2013, p. 125).
Wiseman, R. (2013). Masterminds and wingmen. New York: Harmony Books.
Yearbooks for Sale!
Mark Your Calendar
- February 18 - No School
- February 25-March 1 - Scholastic Book Fair (Open MWF 7:30AM -3:30PM and T/Th 8AM -8PM)
- February 26 (3:30-7:45PM) - Student-Led Conferences
- February 26 (5:00PM) - Booster Club Meeting (formerly known as PTO)
- February 28 (3:30-7:45PM) - Student-Led Conferences
- March 6 (3:30-7:30PM) - Student-Led Conferences
- March 7 - Yearbook Orders are Due to the Main Office
- March 8 - No School/Teacher Comp Day
- March 11-15 - No School/Spring Break
- March 25-26 - 8th Grade Only Science State Assessment
- April 8-9 - 6th, 7th, & 8th Grade Language Arts State Assessment
- April 15-16 - 6th, 7th, & 8th Grade Math State Assessment
- May 10 - Night of the Stars