Eagle Sightings January
Caspar van Haalen, Principal
Dear Eagle Families,
As we start a new Gregorian calendar year, we are reminded of new beginnings. They may mean completely different things for different people. New beginnings may mean starting over or starting new things. For us, as a learning community, they mean both. When we find that our academic or behavior interventions for students do not work, we start over, do things differently, and improve. When we plan for instruction, we build on our students’ strengths and interests. We introduce new topics that are relevant and engaging.
What ties everything together is that we set goals. These goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. Under the guidance of our instructional staff, our students set individual growth goals and apply these criteria to them. Our school goals for example are documented in our school improvement plan, which is posted on our school webpage.
January 24 marks the mid-point of the academic year. While your student’s growth is continuously monitored, we are currently also assessing for learning using the Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP). This is a district-level assessment. The results will guide our further instruction in all academic areas.
We also invest in the social-emotional well-being of our students and staff, as evidenced by the many mindfulness activities in classrooms as well as the infusion of Love and Logic and Second Step in our curricula. We operate from the perspectives or growth mindset and the whole child, which benefits positive learning experiences and readiness to learn throughout your child’s educational career.
As always, we encourage you to join our awesome learning community as a parent volunteer. You are also welcome to join our school improvement team or just sit in on any of that team’s monthly meetings. We enjoy the presence of the many wonderful members from the community that contribute to the enrichment of our core curricula, and we love them and appreciate them for what they do.
As always, I want to emphasize the importance of regular attendance. One of our school goals is to have as little absenteeism as possible. Missing out on learning opportunities and social interactions can disrupt a student’s growth and have short- and long-term negative impacts. We appreciate it if you make every effort to get your student to school every day, on time.
Let’s celebrate all new beginnings and continue doing what we all do best: care for kids.
Allow me to finish with what is believed to be a quote from the musician Frank Zappa: “A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open.”
In educational partnership,
Caspar van Haalen
PTO Popcorn Friday January 10
Friday during afternoon recess :
wear school colors and/or bring 25¢
Lunch with the Principal Friday January 17
PTO Movie Friday January 17
6:30 Come enjoy Toy Story 4 with your kids. All children must be accompanied by an adult guardian. Popcorn is free and other snacks are available for purchase.
January 2020
1/7 6:00p PTO Meeting; FHES Library
1/10 PTO Popcorn Friday; wear school colors!
1/11 10:00a School Grounds Clean Up
1/17 11:00a Shelter-in-Place DRILL
11:30-12:30 Lunch with the Principal
6:30p PTO Movie Night; Toy Story 4
1/20 Martin Luther King Day | No School
1/22 11:10 Early Release
1/23 11:10 Early Release
1/24 Semester Break | No School
Employment Opportunity!
Share your knowledge and get involved. Bus drivers, custodians, lunch servers, paraeducaters, secretaries, teachers; we need substitutes from the community in all areas!
You can set your days of availability, pick the teachers you like to sub for, and review assignments before accepting. Take a look at the district website or stop by 285 Blair Ave for more information on becoming a substitute for the San Juan Island School District.
Friday Harbor Elementary School
Email: susanstehn@sjisd.org
Website: sjisd.wednet.edu
Location: 95 Grover Street, Friday Harbor, WA, USA
Phone: 360.370.7301
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FridayHarborElementarySchool/