Geist Gazette
November 30, 2018
GEIST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Website: https://ges.hseschools.org/
Location: 14051 East 104th Street, Fishers, IN 46037
Phone: 317-915-4260
Twitter: @Geistgators
Mrs. K's Music Corner: 2nd Grade Edition
-2nd Gr. Musical Information
-Costuming Information
-Canvas Information
And more...
ILEARN: Indiana's State Assessment for Grades 3-8
ILEARN is Indiana’s new online computer-adaptive assessment designed to measure your child’s proficiency of the Indiana Academic Standards in Grades 3–8. The Indiana Department of Education has provided a question-and-answer brochure for families:
Key Points for Families to Understand About Indiana's New Assessment- ILEARN
Mark Your Calendars!
The ILEARN testing window is Thurs., April 22, 2018 through Fri., May 17, 2018 for students in grades 3-8.
Enjoy the photos from Career Week throughout the newsletter
Enchanted Forest Book Fair Dec. 17-21
We are excited to invite you to our Scholastic Book Fair December 17th -21st. Money earned from the fair goes specifically to the library budget for purchasing new books and resources each year.
Please click the link for Shopping Days and Times, including a Family Night and Online Shopping. Please click here for details.
Keller’s Clips—CAREER WEEK
During the week of November 26th-30th, we learned about, explored and investigated many careers. We were honored to welcome many of our parents and community members during the week to speak to our students about their career paths. They shared how their interests, their skills and their education and training helped them to choose their careers. They shared where they work, what they do, how they impact others and why they enjoy their professions. What a wonderful experience for our kiddos! We can’t thank our parent and community members enough for their participation in helping our students to learn about possible future careers.
While we realize that our little Gators won’t very likely be choosing their careers in elementary school, our focus is to provide opportunities for exploration, exposure and thought regarding possible careers. During announcements, I, with the help of some 4th-grade students in Mrs. Brown’s class, shared with our students that school helps students build a foundation for learning. It is the beginning of the career path to their future professions. On their journey, we’ve asked that they begin to notice what things they are most interested in, what skills they begin to notice and to continue to investigate and explore all types of careers.
On Thursday we celebrated with a Dress Like Your Future Career Day! What fun! We saw so many amazing professionals walking our halls. We saw astronauts, nurses, dancers, actresses, doctors, attorneys, mechanics, scientists, teachers, police officers, artists and so many more!!
During the week, our students explored careers in-class via Paws in Jobland, on online elementary exploration site. We’ve purchased a one-year subscription for our Gators and their families to use as a possible career exploration tool. Your students have access to Paws in Jobland via Symbaloo and you are able to access yourselves, at home. Simply use the Choices360 link, click on the light blue box entitled Elementary Students, Paws in Jobland and enter our Geist Elementary access code IN01863.
MINDSET Matters:
Mindfulness is practiced at GES!
Each morning, my students or I, lead a ‘Mindful Moment’ to begin the day.
We practice this to sit silently, be present in the moment, to observe what we see, hear or feel and to put all thoughts or worries out of our minds.
Mindfulness helps ALL of us to notice when our amygdala (the emotional center) of our brains is triggered and gives us a pathway to calm and to the present moment. The prefrontal cortex (the thinking part of our brain) can then work well once we have calmed our amygdala.
The link below is a good resource regarding the neuroscience behind stress and learning or functioning:
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/neuroscience-behind-stress-and-learning-judy-willis
I’ve shared some great resources for you and your kiddos to learn more about the marvelous, and not-so mysterious brain and its power:
Bibliotherapy List:
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by Joann Deak
A Walk in the Rain with a Brain by Edward Hallowell and Bill Mayer
Think, Think, Think: Learning About Your Brain by Pamela Hill Nettleton
Young Genius: Brains by Kate Lennard
Mindfulness is so very important in the moments of stress, anxiety, frustration and worry. We will continue to help our Gators:
* Learn about the Science of their Brain
* To Be Mindful of Feelings in the Moment
* To Learn Strategies to Calm their Amygdala
* To Practice Self-Talk as a Strategy to Calm
* To Utilize a Growth Mindset
* To Value their Own Uniqueness
I will continue to share insight, strategies and supports to assist with your child’s growth
December Classroom Activities & Special Events
When you come to school for an event please have your Safe Visitor Badge ready. This will help the office staff check visitors in more efficiently.
Which leads to the next item...scroll down.
CHANGE IN CAFETERIA VISITOR POLICY - December 17-21
HSE Schools Community Insider
Check out opportunities and activities on the HSE Community Insider on the HSE Schools webpage. You can find it here: hseschools.org/happenings/community-insider