Timberbeast Times
Practice Safety * Act Responsibly * Show Respect *
A Message From Mrs. Penrod
Thank you so much for your help and support as we worked to implement district assessments. We appreciate your time, flexibility and energy in support of your child. We know you moved schedules around to support the various assessments and meeting times. We are deeply grateful. Your partnership is invaluable. Thank you for all you do.
As the conclusion of the semester is the end of January, we wanted to inform you of our upcoming report cards. We know that teaching and learning from a distance looks different this year. Your support plays an important and integral role in student success in this environment. We will be sending report cards home on February 8th. Our report card is a formal documentation of the ongoing conversation between the teacher and the family. Our current report card reflects the areas we focused on during our first semester. The areas of focus are Learning and Social Skills, Literacy and Language, Mathematics, and a place for comments.
Our report card is a standards-based report card. Standards based reporting gives you information about how a student is progressing toward meeting the State Standards at this time. Numeric scores are given in the area of Literacy and Language and Mathematics. Scores of 1,2,3, and 4 will be given. Below is the descriptor of the scoring rubric.
Academic: Scoring Mark Student Language Bike-Riding Example 1: Below grade level standard “I can learn. I need more practice.” We are learning about different parts of a bike. 2: Developing proficiency towards grade level standard “I am getting closer each time I practice.” We are on the bike, sometimes we’re riding but sometimes we are crashing. 3: Demonstrating proficiency at grade level standard “I can do it now. I’ve got it!” We can consistently ride the bike without crashing. 4: Exceeds grade level standard “I can help my friends learn it! I can go higher and deeper!” We can ride the bike consistently and over many types of terrain. We can ride a unicycle too!
Have an amazing weekend! Snow might be on the way. All inclement weather information is included in this newsletter and posted on our website.
Fondly,
Stephanie
PTA Zoom Meeting
Thursday, Jan 21, 2021, 04:00 PM
Location: ID 224 878 7707 Passcode SWEPTA
Important Assessment Information
As we head into January, all students will be spending time this month on some important assessments to help us track your student’s growth this school year. In addition to the ongoing assessments - formal and informal - that happen in each classroom, there are three formal district-level assessments that will happen this month:
All students in grades K-5 will be completing their Winter iReady Diagnostic in both Math and Reading by February 12th. Teachers will send your child’s class’s specific iReady diagnostic schedule, but this assessment helps to measure overall progress towards standards in both Math and Reading. Find more information about the iReady Diagnostics for Families here.
Students in grades 3-5 will be completing their Whole Child Survey through BrightBytes by January 28th. This survey will help us be able to better identify student's needs in the areas of Social and Emotional Learning, Safety, Engagement, and Environment. Your child’s participation is essential in helping our schools make informed decisions about how to better support students.
All 2nd & 4th grade students, as well as referred students in other grades will be completing the CogAT Screener for highly capable assessment between January 19th and January 28th.
We appreciate your partnership in supporting your child(ren) with these assessments. We know that any sort of testing can sometimes cause worry for children, but truly our goal is to gather important information to better help your child in their learning. To this end, it’s important that we get data around what your child can do independently.
Digital Learning News
Book Creator
Last week students worked on Book Creator. This highly engaging tool can be used for a variety of purposes. In Kindergarten and Grade 1 students were reminded on how to be a good digital citizen and were asked to take the Digital Citizenship Pledge. They uploaded their picture in one of their class pages in a spot reserved or them with their names.
Grade 2-5 copied a template of a book that they will use as a portfolio for Digital Learning topics. The first topic was digital citizenship and students were asked to upload their picture, as well as an audio recording of the Digital Citizenship Pledge.
Digital Awesomeness Awards
Each week one class is awarded the Digital Awesomeness Award for outstanding participation. First last week’s Book Creator lessons, the award goes to Mrs. Morrison’s class for having the most participation.
Past Lessons
You can always access past DL lessons by going to the Last Week’s Activities button on your teacher’s home page. You will find the DL lesson for the week on Friday’s schedule pages
Make sure your contact information is up-to-date!
It is very important that all families make sure all of their contact information is up-to-date with the school office. In the event of school delays and cancelations, or other emergencies, we need to be able to contact all of our families. When there are urgent messages to share with families, they are sent out via email and phone call. Messages are also posted on the district website, Facebook and Twitter.
If you would like to opt-in to also receive text messages, please send a text message of "Y" or "Yes" to our school's short code number, 67587. You can opt out of these messages any time by simply replying to oue of our messages with "Stop".
Inclement Weather Procedures Reminder
Now that winter is upon us, we wanted to remind you of our inclement weather procedures. Even though it is an unusual school year, we will be following our typical inclement weather procedures just as any other school year. This means that if road conditions are deemed unsafe, we will be delaying or canceling school for that day, including distance learning. Canceled school days may need to be made up at the end of the school year.
While the majority of our students are currently in a distance learning model, we have many staff and students reporting to our buildings every day. Buses are running daily, transporting our preschool, kindergarten and other small groups of students to and from school; many of our teachers continue to work onsite in order to utilize district technology & internet; and many more employees report to work daily in order to provide necessary services to students. Our top priority is always the safety of staff and students when making decisions related to inclement weather and upholding our typical procedures will allow us to keep staff and students safe in the event of unsafe road conditions.
We recognize that canceled school days may disrupt family schedules and that the school year may have to be extended. The decision to close schools in the event of inclement weather is not an easy one and many factors are taken into consideration when making such a decision. It is important to understand that the road conditions of our entire district are taken into account when a delay or closure decision is made. The roads in one part of our district may be clear while other areas are struggling with snow and/or ice and we are unable to close some schools in the district while leaving other schools open.
How the decision to delay or close schools is made:
To help make the best possible decision, weather forecasts are consistently monitored and district staff drive our bus routes to evaluate road and parking lot conditions. We make every effort to make decisions regarding closings or delays in the evening, understanding that parents need time to make arrangements for the following day. However, if the forecast is uncertain and still developing, we wait to get the latest forecast and assess actual road conditions early in the morning. Morning decisions will be announced by 5 a.m. Additionally, if a delayed opening has been announced the night before, and the forecast or conditions worsen overnight, we may need to update the status in the morning and announce that all schools will be closed for the day.
Depending on the winter weather conditions, one of the following four options is decided:
- Schools start on time (no messages will be shared)
- Schools start on time with limited bus service
- Schools start two hours late (no a.m. preschool, no out-of-district transportation) - a delay would only be utilized if/when students and staff return to full days of in-person learning
- Schools are closed (When schools are closed, all after school activities and evening facility use are also canceled.)
If schools are delayed or closed, information will be shared through the following communication channels:
- Email and robocall: An email and automated phone call will go out to all staff and families. Please make sure your contact information is up to date in Family Access to ensure you receive these notifications. Families who have 'unsubscribed' from district emails and/or automated calls will not receive these notifications.
- Text message: A text message will be sent only to those families who have opted-in to receive texts from the district. Learn how to opt-in here.
- District website: A message will be posted to the front page of our district website.
- Social media: Messages will be posted to the district Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
- School schedule hotline: 360-804-2950
We will not send or post messages if schedules are normal. No news means that schools are open.
Snow bus routes are posted on the district website, here.
Interactive yearbook Site
Important Upcoming Dates...Mark Your Calendars!
- Jan. 21st - 4:00pm - 5:00pm PTA Meeting
- Jan. 25th - 6:00pm - 8:00pm School Board Meeting
- Jan. 26th - 4:00 - 5:00pm SWE Principal/Family Office Hour
- Jan. 29th - No School for Semester Break
How to Reach Us
When you call the Salem Woods main line (360-804-3600) you have the option to dial directly to the service you need. Below is a list of options you will hear when you call Salem Woods.
- Press 1 for Attendance Hotline
- Press 2 for After School Transportation Changes
- Press 3 for the Health Room
- Press 4 for the Counselor
- Press 0 for the Office Staff
SWE...Who's Who, and how to:
Principal ~ Stephanie Penrod
Counselor ~ Lynnette Ervin
Office Manager ~ Karen Ligman
Office Support ~ Jacci Rasmussen
Health Room ~ 360-804-3632
24-hour Attendance Hotline ~ 360-804-3601
End of Day Changes Hotline ~ 360-804-7100
Fax ~ 360-804-3699
Bus Delay Information ~ 360-804-2951
Transportation Office ~ 360-804-2650
School Hours are 8:55 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. Monday — Thursday
and 8:55 a.m. to 2:25 p.m. on Fridays
Website: https://www.monroe.wednet.edu/swe
Location: Salem Woods Elementary School, Wagner Road, Monroe, WA, USA
Phone: 360-804-3600
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SalemWoodsElementary
Twitter: @MonroeWASchools
Notice of Non-Discrimination
Monroe School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Coordinator: Joanne Dickinson and also Title IX Coordinator, 360-804-2539, dickinsonj@monroe.wednet.edu; and 504 Coordinator: David Paratore, 360-804-2609, paratored@monroe.wednet.edu. 14692 - 179th Avenue S.E., Monroe, WA 98272