WSES NEWS
March 2019
Greetings from Principal Azure
Ahh, the weather is warming up, the snow is melting, and it is testing time! 3rd-6th grade students have been preparing for the Smarter Balance Assessment all year. The big day is drawing near. Elementary students will begin testing early to mid April. Classroom teachers will inform parents through their newsletters. Parents can help their students be successful by following the simple tips noted with this article.
Other district test will be starting the end of April into May. Classroom teachers will keep you posted.
Hope you appreciated the phone conference you received from your child's teacher. The weather prevented us from meeting face to face, but reaching out to let you know how your child is doing was important to us.
This time of year seems to go quickly. We will keep you updated with Spring concerts and other activities happening.
I wish you all a pleasant Spring,
Mrs. Azure
Important Dates to Note
Important reminders for the month of April.
~April 5th Vocal Contest at Elementary School. No School for Preschool-4th Grade. NO Buses.
~April 8-12 Artist in Resident Michele Mechling will be working with 2nd grade.
~April 22nd School Make up snow day.
An Interview with Myah Selland By: Kendall Kolousek & Kaitlyn Braun
Myah Selland plays for the SDSU Jackrabbits!!! She is #44. She is our favorite player and we had the chance to interview her. Before we start as always GO BIG! GO BLUE! GO JACKS! Here are some things we already knew about Myah. She played point guard for the Woonsocket Blackhawks in high school. She had to sit out eight games in high school because of an injury.
Now she is a freshman in college and plays basketball for SDSU. Her jersey number is #44 in the games that she plays in. We asked her some questions and we will tell you what she answered. She is studying for exercise science and pre-physical therapy. Her favorite thing about college is meeting new people. Her favorite thing about basketball is being with her teammates and hanging out with her BFFS. She played for the Jackrabbits because they were close to home, they have a good program, and she will get a good education.She wanted to play basketball cause family played it and she just fell in love with it. She told us that she loves her fans because they support her. So if you are a fan she says thank you.
Senior Sports By: Ella Kolousek and Alexis Roesler
We interviewed a few of seniors on what sports they play and asked them a few questions about it. We interviewed Noah Hainy, Isaac Kolousek and Trevor Schmidt. Here are their responses.
What is your favorite sport?
Isaac: Track
Noah: Baseball
Trevor: Baseball
What sports do you play?
I: Baseball, Basketball, Track, Cross Country
N: Baseball, Basketball
T: Baseball, Basketball
What number are you?
I: 33
N: 12
T: 34
If you could change the ball color to any color what color would it be?
I: Baseball, Bright Orange
N: Baseball, Blue
T: Basketball, Pink, Baseball, Orange
Who is your favorite NBA basketball player?
I: Anybody but Lebron James
N: Damian Lillard
T: LeBron James
We learned that all three boys play baseball and basketball. We learned that Noah and Trevor’s favorite sport is baseball. Isaac’s favorite sport is track. We didn’t realise Isaac’s number and Trevor’s number are very alike until we interviewed them. Isaac’s is 33 and Trevor’s is 34. Isaac and Trevor would both change the baseball to a orange. Noah would change it blue. Final, we learned that they all have a different favorite NBA player. We would like to thank the boys for taking the time to meet with us.
Paul Higbee By: Jada Kolousek
Paul Higbee is a writer for the South Dakota magazine. He is a really good writer with a lot of expression in his reading. Paul Higbee lives in Spearfish and he went to college to get a writers degree.He came to Wessington Springs to teach us how to write a story from another persons point of view. We went up to the museum to go see if there was any information about the people we were writing about. Then we came back to the room and started writing. We all wrote a little story about one of our ancestors. He checked over our stories and then we read our stories out loud the the class.
Guest Writers
The next two articles are from our guest third grade students who asked if they could submit a story for the WSES NEWS. We said, sure why not? We hope you enjoy learning about gaming from Jacob and kittens from Kaitlyn.
Roblox News By Jacob Friese
Simulators. My favorite role-play game of all is Royal High! There’re so many more games to play and have fun with your friends. If you’ve haven’t played Roblox before, I definitely suggest it. It’s fun! Go check it out.
How To Take Care of Your Kitten By Kaitlyn Elizabeth Aldrich
Paul Higbee By: Mercedes and Brooklynn
The newspaper reporters invited Mr. Higbee to speak to us over lunch. Mr.Higbee was the Artist in resident March 4-8, 2019 in 5th grade. Here is what we learned about Mr. Higbee. Paul Higbee is a writer for the South Dakota magazine. He is a good writer. When he reads he has a lot of expression in his voice. He came here to Wessington Springs to teach us how to write a story from another persons point of view. Paul Higbee lives in Spearfish and he went to college to get a writers degree. Paul started to write when he was seventeen years old. He has been writing for about 48 years. He told us, "I like to write because, I get interested and I get to help other people understand different things." His favorite book is The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. Paul also wrote a biography about him J.R.R. Tolkien. His favorite thing about being an artist in resident is that he discover new places. Paul likes to write about South Dakota history. Paul's advice to young writers is take it seriously and know the facts.
Jumping for a Healthy Heart
Shifting the Grading Mindset Starts With Our Words By Star Sackstein
Language matters. It's that simple. What we say and how we say it has a big impact on how students and other stakeholders respond to our choices.
Students are always waiting for a variety of cues from their teachers and peers to determine what and how much they are learning. So rather than perpetuate the issues around grading by using the same language we've always used, it's time to be deliberate in the shift as we change our assessment practices.
Getting rid of grades is a big and challenging step to make, but it can be done and even if you aren't ready to go all in, there are ways to adjust small things in the classroom that will lead to important growth for students.
Start with the words you use when communicating learning.
Look at the below chart from Hacking Assessment:
The traditional grading language is passive and judgmental and subconsciously by using this language, we are putting the focus on the wrong things.
When we say to each other or to kids that we are "grading", it reduces the work that we are trying to do. What we are actually doing is "assessing" growth and understanding.
Rather than "scoring", again use "assessing" because we are spending time trying to see what students know and can do. When we start to adjust what we call what we are doing, students will do the same.
"What grade did I get?" or some variation like "What did I get?" is a question that most teachers don't enjoy having to answer. But imagine if we could get students to think instead, "What did I learn?" This has the opportunity to be a rich conversation. So parents reading this, fight the urge to ask your child, "What did you get on the test?" and instead ask, "What did you learn in school today?"
When students see a red x on their papers or we tell them they are wrong, we are shutting them down and ending a potential learning experience. Why not say that "you aren't there yet" or "try another way" to encourage students to keep going.
As we start to shift our words, the behaviors will follow. And once all of these things are in sync with each other, then changing the way we assess in class becomes the next logical step.
Learning should be equipped with an endless feedback look rather than a terminal grade. Start the loop of communication by changing the words you use in conversation about learning and then it will become about the mastery instead of getting great grades on a report card.
Think about the words you use in class. Which ones can have potentially negative connotations and how can they be adjusted for a growth mindset? Remember, words matter.
How can you shift the way you talk about learning in your space to impact growth in your students? Please share
Teacher Education Week February 14, 2016
5th Graders Applying their Collaboration and Critical Thinking Skills in Science
Best Riddles for Kids
Fox in the Woods
Riddle: How far can a fox run into the woods?
Solution: Only halfway, otherwise it would be running out of the woods!
ODD Number
Riddle: I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Solution: Seven.
These Hands Can’t Clap
Riddle: What has hands but doesn’t clap?
Solution: a clock.
https://www.fatherly.com/play/the-best-riddles-for-kids-not-confusing/
Life Lessons Respecting others
WSES News Reporters
Email: carrie.azure@k12.sd.us
Website: http://www.wessingtonsprings.k12.sd.us/pages/Wessington_Springs_SD
Location: 904 @nd St. NE
Phone: 605-539-9500