The Quintanilla STAR
Week of February 16, 2016
Core Beliefs
Our main purpose is to improve student academic achievement.
Effective instruction makes the most difference in student academic performance.
There is no excuse for poor quality instruction.
With our help, at risk students will achieve at the same rate as non at-risk students.
Staff members must have a commitment to children and a commitment to the pursuit of excellence.
Family STEM Night
The Science, Math, and Technology departments worked collaboratively to bring Family STEM night to Quintanilla! The event was held on Wednesday, February 10th from 5:30-7:30pm. Science fair projects were on display, there were interactive science and math challenges, a science museum on wheels and live animals. QMS students and their families enjoyed an evening of fun and learning!
Index Card Power Challenge
Raffle sign-in
Bird Beak Challenge
Stacking Cup Challenge
Ms. Hughes helping a student with a detailed explanation.
Family STEM Night
Poetry Club
Culture Club
Upcoming Events
2/19/2016--4th six weeks ends
2/23/2016--Verify Grades by 5PM
2/26/2016---Black History Month Potluck, All lunches
3/1/2016---- Mock STAAR---6th and 7th grade Math, 8th grade Social Studies
3/02/2016---Mock STAAR---7th grade Reading, 8th grade Science
3/24/2016---Mock STAAR---7th grade Science Pre-AP
UIL Academics and Chess Club will meet every Monday in Room 200.
All students and teachers are welcome to attend.
Contact Ms. Lisa Taylor at 214-914-1099 for more info.
Article of the Week----Discipline with Dignity
Discipline with Dignity: A Classroom Behavioral Model by Richard Curwin and Allen Mendler
Curwin and Mendler have twelve guidelines for effectively utilizing Discipline with Dignity in your classroom:
1. Let the students know what you expect. This means establishing and posting clear rules and consequences.
2. Provide instruction at levels that match student ability. In other words, where is the dignity in not being able to comprehend the material being learned in the classroom? Inability to understand will only lead to discipline problems.
3. Listen to what the students are thinking and feeling. Being able to identify with your students makes them feel important and understood.
4. Use humor. It defuses a potentially harmful situation without violence or accusation. Just make sure not to make students the butt of your jokes.
5. Vary your style of presentation. Doing the same activity for too long makes students restless and prone to outbursts of inappropriate behavior.
6. Offer choices. Make it seem like the student has some say in what happens. For example, "You can do your assignment now or during recess."
7. Refuse to accept excuses. This ensures that you treat students equally. If there are legitimate excuses for late homework, poor behavior, etc., they will need to be posted along with your expectations.
8. Legitimize behavior that you cannot stop. Generally, if you take something that is against the rules and make it acceptable, it ceases to be fun for the students.
9. Use communication with kids of all ages. Y ou want to communicate human warmth and caring.
10. Be responsible for yourself and allow kids to take responsibility for them.
11. Realize and accept that you cannot reach every kid. Some of them choose to fail and this is not your decision.
12. Start fresh every day. What happened yesterday is finished. Discipline with Dignity has five goals:
1. Effective Communication
2. De-fusing Potentially Explosive Situations
3. Reducing Violence
4. Preparing Children For Their Future
5. Valuing and Protecting Opportunities For Learning By observing the 12 guidelines listed above, you are one step closer to accomplishing these goals.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Curwin, Richard, and Allen Mendler. Discipline With Dignity. Virginia: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development, 1999