JAGUAR UPDATE
Sunset Valley Elementary 9/23/16
Jaguar Corner
Jaguar staff and teachers ROCK! Our teachers are working so very hard to provide the best possible instruction and level of care for the kids. Amazing things are happening here! We had a practice lock down drill this week. Unfortunately, we are in a day and age where this is a necessary requirement in schools. Any time the building is under lock down, or we have sheltered in place due to severe weather, just know the front doors are locked until we receive the "all clear". I know it has been customary in the past for guests to join students on the playground. Thanks for working with me this year on allowing only students and SVE staff on the playground for recess. Due to supervision, liability and safety on the playground, it's become a necessary requirement. Thanks for understanding.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
R7 Standards Based Grading
Will percentages be utilized?
Elementary teachers will not report proficiency via percentages at any grade level. Pure mathematical averages do not accurately report a child’s true level of proficiency with a standard. In fact, percentages can actually penalize a child for what he/she didn’t already know at the start of a unit of study. A variety of learning evidences over time, in conjunction with teacher professional judgment, and a child’s performance on a Final Demonstration of Learning is more strongly correlated to an accurate depiction of student learning. Teachers at our intermediate levels, particularly sixth grade will work with students to help them understand the ranges of Academic Indicators and how those will relate to the percentage grading system found in our middle schools. It should be noted, throughout middle schools many teachers are also practicing standards based grading. The transition to Standards Based Grading and Reporting is often most appropriate at the elementary level first where a foundation of learning is being built which requires measurement of self to learning target without the need to translate that data to grade point averages, class ranks, etc.Note from Mrs. Taylor!
Happy Friday! Bring on the cooler weather!
Weekly BIST Tip: Goals for Life-overview
You may have noticed a poster in our SVE classrooms that identifies the three goals for life:
- I can take good care of myself, even if I am mad or have an overwhelming feeling.
- I can be okay, even when others are not okay.
- I can be productive and follow directions, even if I don’t want to.
We ask Sunset Valley students to identify which of these three goals students are having difficulty with when they make inappropriate choices at school. This helps us identify which "skill" we can focus on teaching. It also helps us identify which strategies we can use to go about re-teaching that skill.
Library Media Center Update
Paws for Freedom Drive
September is National Service Dog Month! The Sunset Valley Library Media Center is collecting donations for Paws for Freedom, a group that trains and provides service dogs to people with physical disabilities. If you are interested in donating items, please click on the link for more information.
Attention Volunteers!
Would you like to volunteer at SVE? Please use the link below to view the mandatory district volunteer video and complete the volunteer forms (even if you have completed paper forms this year). If you are have already submitted the background forms for the 2016-17 school year, you do not have to submit those again. If you have any questions, please call the school office at 986-4240. Thank you for volunteering at SVE!
SVE PTA
Our website: www.svepta.org or link on the SVE website.
The Wild About Reading Read-a-Thon begins next week! We can't wait to get started. Information is coming home with your student today.
We are collecting money to cover the room party expenses on our new PTA website. You can pay for both parties at one time. Enter your child's name and the name of the teacher that they have. The total is $8 to cover both the Fall and Valentine's Day parties. This money goes to covering the cost of craft and game supplies for grades K-5. PTA will be donating the snack. The 6th grade has an off campus field trip instead of parties and cost is still being figured for this event.
If you have joined PTA, don't forget to go to our website and fill out the directory information! As a PTA member, you get access to this, but you must tell us what information you want included on it. And if you filled out the info, but haven't joined PTA yet, don't forget to do so. You won't get access unless you are a PTA member.
We need more volunteers! If you aren't sure what area you want to help in, the Help in Any Way committee is a great place to start! You will just get e-mails occasionally asking if you can help and you pick when it is a good time. Please e-mail JJ Ringgold at mjjringgold@yahoo.com if you would like to join the Help in Any Way committee.
We also have requests from Mrs. Connaster (carrie.connatser@lsr7.net) and the library for help that we'd love to fill. Please contact Mrs. C or Mrs. Gaunt (ashleigh.gaunt@lsr7.net) if you would like to help them. Don't forget - all classroom volunteers must complete the background check found on the SVE website. Thank you!
R7 character Trait for September: RESPECT
Sunset Valley Elementary
Email: greg.johnson@lsr7.net
Website: http://sve.lsr7.org/
Location: 1850 Ranson Road, Lee's Summit, MO, United States
Phone: 816-986-4240
Twitter: @SVElsr7
Upcoming Dates
September 30 – October 10 – PTA Read-A-Thon – Get Ready to Read for the PTA!
October 11 - SVE Picture Retakes