R.F. Pettigrew Panther Tracks
March 2023
From the Principal’s Desk
Mr. Kevin Dick
I want to again take a break this month from my previous article content about the 7 Mindsets we have been teaching in classrooms, and how they relate to qualities that all parents want their children to exhibit to be successful in school. I plan to pick that topic up again next month, as we get deeper into our 7 Mindset curriculum and lessons.
I want to take this opportunity to update the Pettigrew community on the Pettigrew staff’s work, and specifically a small group of Pettigrew instructors that have been working to plan our complete implementation of the PBIS program and philosophy. PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Intervention System, and it is a component of our overall MTSS work as a school and a district. Our district is engaging in a district-wide effort and initiative called a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), where the school works to clearly define the first tier of curriculum or services that all students receive, and then if additional curriculum or services are needed for an individual student or group of students, the school works to provide those additional tiers of support.
Part of the MTSS process is also looking at Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), which is the MTSS manifestation of social and emotional learning in school and also encompasses behavior. PBIS has a system of recording and tracking behavior data in school, that allows the school to study this data and any trends it reveals, and then respond to this data. The way the PBIS tracking system works is to break down behavior data into Majors or Minors, and then track them as a school-wide process. This is an improvement to our previous “low-level behavior system” of MOTs, as this MOT data was not consistently recorded and tracked in our previous process. In November, we announced that we will be using technology and clear-cut expectations to respond to and track these low-level expectations. This is really a refinement of our previous process, and again, the focus is on students being taught about and making good choices, being rewarded for making good choices, and providing interventions if choices are not up to our expectations. All along this path, we have always intended to communicate with the family about these choices, logical consequences, and how we can work together for all students to be successful in all areas of life, academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally.
So, Majors and Minors have replaced MOTs in our communication method, and our low-level behavior intervention process. This low-level process, does, when the situation warrants, feed into the district’s and schools Behavior Response Matrix and become Office Referrals, again, if the severity or the repetition of behavior requires that referral. We have continued to use the same expectations that we have communicated in our previous Responsive Classroom system as we work to implement this new communication system. When we are talking about a school and a staff that is as large as Pettigrew, and as wide a range of student ages and emotional levels, we need to continue to reach consistency with our implementation of all this process.
For this reason, Pettigrew staff have engaged in several tasks that are being planned now, and will be more fully implemented in Fall, 2023. Some of these tasks are outlined below:
• Completing an Expectation Matrix, defining areas at Pettigrew and what are expected in each location
• Developing visuals that can be displayed and referred to around the school, with these expectations outlined
• Designing Teacher-developed lessons around the Expectation Matrix, that can be implemented throughout the year
• Gathering staff input on how to consistently implement the Major and Minor designation of behaviors
• Outlining a flowchart of where different behaviors fit into our expectations and Major/Minor designation
• Publishing a handbook regarding these changes and our implementation of this program, to be referred to by all members of our community
While these changes and implementing PBIS will incorporate all of our previous Responsive Classroom training and processes, it will also clearly mark a path of a bit different nature and the intent is that the process will be clearer, better communicated, and more consistent and applicable training to all staff, and be more consistently implemented.
March Parent Input –Pettigrew staff will be working together on classroom assignments for the 2023-2024 school year in the coming weeks and months. Our goal is to ensure a well-balanced blend in each classroom. We realize that parents and guardians may wish to provide input about how your child learns best. You may obtain a PARENTAL INPUT FORM in the school office for you to offer this input after March 6th. This is NOT a form to request a specific teacher’s classroom by name, but rather to tell a bit about the environment that your child learns best within. All input must be in writing on this confidential form and returned to the Pettigrew School office by Friday, March 31st. Information from this form will be considered. However, to allow us to achieve a set of balanced classrooms, the final decision for student placement rests with the school administrators.
Have a great month of March, it seems that the month of March is coming in like a lion, but because of the unpredictability of this winter, we will have to see if the old adage of “in like a lamb, out like a lion” will or won’t apply to the end of this month, this year. Enjoy!!!
Pettigrew Day-April 28th
Mark your Calendars for Pettigrew Day!
Volunteers will be needed—
Expectations—-
1. Active supervision is required, not just accompanying a child.
2. No younger siblings will be allowed.
3. All volunteers MUST be Unsupervised Volunteers WITH background check completed and APPROVED before April 28.
Volunteer Form: (This form must be filled out and turned in to office, it cannot be electronically submitted)
Volunteer Background Check: (This must be submitted electronically. May take up to 3 weeks to clear)
https://phl.applitrack.com/siouxfallsvolunteers/onlineapp/_application.aspx?starting=true
Fine Arts Feature
Music
Here are some February highlights from the music department:
Kindergarten – Long & short (introduction to rhythm), Nursery rhymes (rhyming words & steady beat)
Song “Down By the Bay”
Instruments – triangles, wood blocks, hand drums
Introduction to solfege (pitches) sol and mi
Song “Doggie, Doggie, Where’s Your Bone?”
First Grade – Quarter rests
Song – “Ickle Ockle” with game
Introduction to the music staff (pitches sol, mi, and la)
Song “Jump, Jim, Joe”
Second Grade – Practicing all songs for our upcoming second grade program, A Race to the Finish.
Third Grade – Folk dances (French-Canadian, Mexican, & Middle East)
Instruments of the Orchestra (string & woodwind families studied so far) We are preparing to attend the South Dakota Symphony concert at the Washington Pavilion on March 20.
Fourth Grade – Ukuleles (chords learned so far are C, F, and Dm). We are beginning to work on the Em chord next.
“Star-Spangled Banner” (Some students will be singing the National Anthem at a Skyforce basketball game on March 25.)
Fifth Grade – Ukuleles (chords learned so far are C, F, and Dm). We are beginning to work on the Em chord next, followed by D and G7.
The second graders would like to invite you to their second grade program on March 30. It is entitled A Race to the Finish. The evening performance will be held in the Pettigrew Gym at 7:00 pm.
Have a great March . . . In like a lion, out like a lamb!
Mrs. Wahl & Mrs. Monlux
Art
Students have been having fun with third quarter projects in the art rooms! In March, we will finish third quarter projects and begin fourth quarter projects.
Kindergarteners will create art inspired by children’s book illustrators and review lines/shapes.
1st Graders will create art inspired by American landmarks and review lines/shapes.
2nd Graders will continue creating art inspired by Asian art and use space/depth in their artwork.
3rd Graders will continue using fiber art techniques and create collaborative art.
4th Graders will continue creating art inspired by African art/artifacts and create art with form.
5th Graders will create an interpretation of a work of art and create art inspired by Mesoamerican culture.
All grade levels will also begin preparing for our Art Show, which will be April 21st. Be on the lookout for an art show poster to come home at the end of the month.
If you’re downtown during the month of March, stop by the Washington Pavilion second floor lobby (free area to visit) and view Pettigrew Art. Artworks by 60 students have been chosen to be on display in the “Off the Fridge” exhibit. The students and their families were notified in February.
We’re excited for a creative month in the art rooms!
--Mrs. Meyer and Ms. Pabst
PTO Fundraisers and Events
School District and Community Wide Events and Information
R.F. Pettigrew PTO
Email: rfp.president@yahoo.com
Website: rfpettigrew.org/pto
Location: 7900 West 53rd Street, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone: 6053623564
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RFPettigrewPTO/?ref=share