Trumbauersville Times
January 2019
Principal Post!
Dear Trumbauersville Families,
January brings the start of the new calendar year – 2020! And with the start of the New Year often comes a time for reflection, resolutions and goals. Recently, I read through a flyer from the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) related to supporting students with goal setting. As it is said in the flyer,
“The middle of the school year is a great time for families to check in with students on goals. Setting academic and personal goals helps motivate, energize, and focus students and it is a valuable skill that will benefit learners throughout their lives. Parents can help students set and achieve these goals.”
This idea rings true to me. I think that as it is with reading and writing - and so many other aspects of life - goal setting provides an opportune time for modeling for our children. Supporting goal setting in our children is one other way we can continue to construct a strong foundation on which they can build to reach their dreams.
The flyer continues to share key steps for goal setting. This includes 1.) Pick it; 2.) Map it; 3.) Do it; 4.) Own it; 5.) Celebrate it! Often having a systematic approach to goals and articulating them to others helps us to persevere through steps one through four and to eventually arrive at step five – Celebrate it! This system works regardless of the size of the goal – from big to small or from long-term to short-term.
I encourage us all to not overlook “smaller” goals. These goals may include something along the lines of:
· Helping someone each day.
· Saying thank you five times a day.
· Keeping busy, but not overwhelmingly busy. Filling our time with a hobby, researching a new interest, or learning a new skill.
· Being calm and unafraid to speak the truth about how we feel.
· Sitting quietly for five minutes and enjoying the moments of peace and quiet.
· Refusing to allow a negative thought to control our actions.
· Writing a thank you note to someone.
· Etc.
The NAESP flyer concludes with helpful advice on embarking on the goal-setting process first as a family. It says,
“Pick a family goal (perhaps a charitable activity) and work together to achieve it. After the family experience, have each family member pick a personal goal. Support and acknowledge one another as you move through the above steps. Success is assured when students believe in themselves and in their ability to achieve. Parents are key to helping them believe and succeed.”
A new year is sure to bring new adventures, new challenges, and new successes. The goal-setting process can help us and our children to address all that the year has to offer. Let’s keep in mind that no goal (big or small/short-term or long-term) will come easily. And that is why we pledge…Compassion - for ourselves as we work toward our goal, Perseverance - for the hard on-going work that is needed, and Respect - for the long-term process of many of our goals.
Wishing you a happy and peaceful New Year.
Adam Schmucker
Principal
Lost and Found got an upgrade!
Gifts to the Community
"Cooper" - Our Holiday Shop Tiger
Feliz año nuevo! Happy New Year!- From Mrs. Greene- Spanish Teacher
Fifth grade has been working hard in their interactive notebooks and they are looking great. 4th grade has been diving into our Symtalk books. Students in 3rd grade have been doing a great job learning and using different vocabulary to describe their likes and dislikes. We will be adding more vocabulary to add to the conversations that they are able to have with one another. In class the students are doing amazing things and it has been wonderful to see and hear! Keep an eye out for practice vocabulary sheets coming home so that students may continue to practice with their pictures and words.
In the primary grades, we will be focusing on counting and describing objects with colors and numbers. Students have been doing so well reading number words and color words in Spanish! They love finding the color of the day. Especially in 2nd grade, our curriculum has aligned with similar spelling rules and the students are able to apply them in both classes! Both 1st and 2nd grades have flashcards to study at home.
All classes learned about the holidays in Spanish Speaking countries and compared some popular traditions with our own. After winter break, ask your child about the tradition of the twelve grapes on New Year’s Eve! 1st grade read Too Many Tamales and learned about telling the truth. The Legend of the Poinsettia was a popular book with 2nd grade and 3rd grade made holiday cards. 4th grade decorated ornaments and 5th grade made an ‘Ojo De Dios’ craft with popsicle sticks and yarn that they were able to bring home. So much fun!
Muy buen trabajo estudiantes.
Sra. Greene
Our Compassion is being appreciated around the commuity
Also, a few weeks ago, we collected Cans of Compassion and we collected 967 pounds of food! Scroll below to see the letter of appreciation from the Quakertown Food Pantry. Mr. Schmucker also received a letter from 24th District Senator Bob Mensch, thanking us for our food drive.
Making Cards
1st Trimester Celebration
Showing our Compassion!
Cans of Compassion - we collected 967 pounds of food!
Welcome to our new Library Secretary- Mrs. Roxanne Brandis
Give Mrs. Brandis a nice warm welcome the next time you see her! Welcome to Trumbauersville!
Band Notes: Daily Practice is The Key - From Mr. Boyd- Instrumental Music
In order for a beginning instrumentalist to be successful, he/she must first understand that a daily practice routine is necessary, if they expect to improve from week to week. Many students feel that once or twice a week is enough to get by. Wrong !! A daily practice session of 10 –15 minutes is the way to go. This will allow them to remember how notes are to be fingered, how to produce the appropriate pitch by lip adjustments and/or air stream pressure, etc.
How can you, the parent, help ?
By making sure your child has a set time and place to practice, without interruption. Most student books come with a CD that should be used along with their assigned lesson. Ask your child to play something from their lesson. Let them know you are interested in what they are doing.
Playing an instrument can be a very enjoyable and a very rewarding experience. It’s only after the student realizes that practice is the path to these rewards will he/she then become a good musician.
Our Sing-A-Long - 12/20/2019
Kindergarten Registration- Save the Date! January 16, 2020 @ 7 PM (Senior High School)
Our 3rd Grade went to the Camden Aquarium for their field trip
Screen Time: Know Your Child’s Limits - From Your School Nurse- Ms. Oppenheim
With so many learning and social interactions now conducted virtually instead of in-person, more and more parents are asking themselves — and their child’s pediatrician — this question: How much screen time is too much for my kids? The answer is more nuanced and complex than you might imagine. According to Naline Lai, MD, FAAP, and Pamela Harrington, MD, pediatricians at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Primary Care, Central Bucks in Doylestown, PA, as the roles screens play in our society continue to evolve — we now use them for everything from face-to-face conversations with loved ones to reading books — the guidelines for screen time are evolving, too.
“The main principle is that screens should not replace parental and human interaction with a child,” says Dr. Lai. She cautions that excessive screen time is associated with a number of health issues, including depression and obesity, and can also have a negative impact on a child’s sleep. Screen time can also adversely affect brain development in young children. “Children need personal interactions with their caregivers to develop cognitive, language, motor, social and emotional skills,” she says.
Guidelines
So, what is the right amount of screen time? It depends on many things, including your child’s age. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers the following guidelines:
If your child is under 2: Screen time should be very limited, and children should only use screens when adults are also actively participating in the screen-related activity with them. (For example, a video chat with the entire family.)
If your child is between 2 and 5: Screen time should be limited to no more than one hour per day of high-quality content (i.e., programs or activities that are interactive, nonviolent, educational and positive). All programming should be viewed or played with a parent.
If your child is over 5: You should develop an individualized screen limit plan for your child. The following tips can help:
Create device-free times and zones, such as: in the bedroom, one hour prior to bed, while walking across the street, while doing homework, in the car or during family meals.
Monitor your child’s screen-related activities. Carefully select and schedule what your child sees to ensure they are not spending a lot of time simply watching the screen. Set controls on your child’s devices and social media accounts, and “friend” your child on social media. Also, be sure to discuss the fact that any post can be permanent online.
Provide clear rules about social media and device use so your child knows what to expect. Have open discussions about what is and is not safe. Let your child know about the consequences they will face if they break the rules.
Use the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Family Media Plan tool to create a customized plan for your family.
Does your child have a “device addiction”?
An addiction to devices uses the same neural pathways as addictions to things like gambling and drugs. Devices and social media allow us to get immediate “likes,” which increases our brain’s dopamine levels, which in turn motivates us to repeat the behavior.
If your child uses screen time as an emotional crutch, or if their screen use disrupts basic activities such as eating meals as a family, this is a sign that your child is over-using their device.
Other signs of device addiction include being preoccupied with device use, worrying about device battery life and access to power, and frequent arguments about device use.
Healthy device use starts with you
Devices can be powerful teaching and learning tools for children if they are actively engaged with the device — that is, if they are using the device in order to develop their skills or capabilities. Devices can help older kids with social interaction, allow them to collaborate on projects, give them access to valuable support networks, and help encourage physical activity through the use of fitness apps and trackers.
“If you want to make sure your child is using their devices in a healthy way, start by being aware of how and when you use your own devices,” says Dr. Harrington.
“Children mimic what their parents do. Demonstrate to your child the importance of setting limits on screen time by limiting your own device use. If your child sees you using your device during times when the family is supposed to be together, they will want to use their devices during these times, too,” she says.
“The decision to give your child a device should not be made based on your child’s age alone,” says Dr. Lai. “Your child’s maturity and development matter more than anything else: They need to be able to follow rules and use the device properly and responsibly. You can help by providing guidelines, setting limits on screen time, and modeling responsible device use so your child can follow your lead.”
Excerpt taken 12/5/2019 from: https://www.chop.edu/news/health-tip/screen-time-know-your-child-s-limits
Our 5th Grade went to the Aquarium too!
Holiday Shop - Thanks for a great turn out!
Thank you to everyone who came out for the Holiday shop is was a great success. It was so much fun to see all the kids shopping and all the helpers getting into the holiday spirit!
We also want to thank all the families that volunteered to make our classroom holiday parties a success.
Happy holidays and Happy New Year.
Hope to see everyone at our next TPO Meeting on January 14th at 6:30.
From the Cafe-
Please have your child give their lunch funds in an envelope with their first and last name on it and have them place it at the required location in their classroom first thing in the morning. This helps to keep the lunch line moving so they have adequate time to eat their lunch. Our lunch staff can not add student funds to accounts during the lunch period. Thank you!
Make sure to check your student's account and add more funds if necessary.
January Lunch Menu
https://qcsd.nutrislice.com/menu/trumbauersville/lunch/2020-01-12
Digital Literacy - Mrs. Rachel Demchick
We spend a lot of time in Digital Literacy learning to be safe digital citizens. Here is a great article for you to read with suggestions to keep your child or children safer on the internet.
5 Myths and Truths About Kids' Internet Safety
Help keep your kids' online experiences positive and productive by learning the truth (and ignoring the rumors) about what really makes them safe. By Caroline Knorr 9/1/2019
If you believe everything you hear about kids online, you might think pedophiles and cyberbullies are around every cyber-corner. Yes, there is bad stuff out there. But the truth is, there's a lot of good, and some experts are arguing against a "techno-panic mindset" that worries parents unnecessarily. The bottom line is that we can't keep our kids safe if we don't know the facts.
Here are the five most popular myths about Internet safety -- and the truths that can set your worries free.
Myth: Social media turns kids into cyberbullies.
Truth: There are many reasons why a kid might cyberbully, and social media is just a convenient way to do the dirty work.
The reality is that kids who engage in this behavior typically have something else going on that compels them to act out. They might be in crisis -- at home, at school, or otherwise socially. They may also be bullying in person, or they may have an underdeveloped sense of empathy. Awareness of a cyberbully's circumstances -- though not excusing the behavior -- can help parents and educators recognize the warning signs and potentially intervene before it goes too far.
Myth: Teaching kids not to talk to strangers is the best way to keep them safe online.
Truth: Teaching kids to recognize predatory behavior will help them avoid unwelcome advances.
In today's world, where kids as young as 8 are interacting with people online, they need to know the boundary between appropriate and inappropriate conversation. Kids are often pressured by their own friends to talk about sex, so they need to know it's OK to tell peers to back off. Go beyond "stranger danger" and teach them what kind of questions are not OK (for example, not OK: "Are you a boy or a girl?"; "Where do you live?"; "What are you wearing?"; "Do you want to have a private conversation?"). Also, teach kids to not go looking for thrills online. Risky online relationships more frequently evolve in chat rooms when teens willingly seek out or engage in sexual conversation.
Myth: Social media alienates kids.
Truth: Most kids say social media strengthens their relationships.
Most kids want to have fun, hang out, and socialize normally online -- and in fact, according to our research, that's what the majority is doing. Check out these comforting stats:
Most teens say social media has a positive effect on them.
Social media is an important avenue of creative expression.
The quality of kids' online relationships has a big impact on their well-being.
And how about the kids who've fought cyberbullying and used the Internet for a social cause like Greta Thunberg? More and more, kids are harnessing the power of the online world -- and busting up a few myths along the way.
Myth: It’s dangerous to post pictures of your kids online.
Truth: If you use privacy settings, limit your audience, and don't ID your kids, it can be done fairly safely.
Although it's true that posting anything online invites some risks, there are ways to limit them if you're smart about how you do it.
Use privacy settings. Make sure your privacy settings are set so only the closest people in your network can view your posts.
Limit your audience. Only share posts with close family and friends. Or use photo-sharing sites such as Google Photos that require a log-in to see pics.
Don't rush your kids into social media. Obey the rules about keeping kids under 13 off social media. Once your kids have an online profile, they can be tagged in photos, which magnifies their online presence. If you're going to upload photos of them, don't identify them and don't tag them -- that way the photo can't be traced back to them.
Myth: Parental controls are the best way to monitor my kids’ online activities.
Truth: Focusing on only one Internet safety method lulls you into a false sense of security.
To keep your kids safe online -- and to raise them to be responsible, respectful digital citizens -- it takes more than installing parental controls. For starters, parental controls can be defeated by determined kids. They also often catch too much in their filters, rendering any Internet search useless, and they set up a "parent vs. kid" dynamic that could backfire.
By all means, use parental controls to help prevent exposure to age-inappropriate material and to manage time limits. But don't think they get you off the hook. Continue to discuss responsible, respectful online behavior, set rules and consequences for misbehavior, and train your kid to manage his or her own usage.
Thank you for your support in donating to our Holiday Compassion Collection!
About us
Welcome to Trumbauersville Elementary School. Our school community is committed to the on-going development of all of our students and staff members. We embrace an inquiry stance and work collectively so that we can create the best learning environment.
The learning starts with ensuring that students are healthy emotionally and physically. As a focus toward emotional safety, our school employs a School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Plan focused on fostering Compassion, Perseverance, and Respect.
At Trumbauersville, we are passionate about children and education and we look forward to sharing our school community with you.
Email: ehaslett@qscd.org
Website: https://tes.qcsd.org/
Location: 101 Woodview Drive, Quakertown, PA, USA
Phone: 215-529-2550
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Trumbauersville-Elementary-School-912918198802561/?ref=bookmarks