Beating the Odds
Lakeview Staff Newsletter - January 18
Trauma Sensitive
• The district level Character Ed Team met this week to do some evaluation and big picture planning of the character ed practices in our community.
• The district level Trauma Sensitive Team met this week. We focused on how trauma impacts neurological development and also how our Character Ed and Trauma Sensitive initiatives are alike and different (I'd throw PBIS into that mix as well).
• I've had several meetings with parents in the last week about particular student situations. There is nothing better than sitting face-to-face with a family to problem solve towards student success.
• We've had some student incidents in the last week that tested our trauma-sensitive response-abilities.
• We've tried to be proactive with issues that are emerging across a grade level by going into classrooms and tackling the issue with students head-on.
• We are working with some families that have significant attendance issues.
Here's what I see in response to all of these:
• Families who genuinely care and love their kids.
• Teachers who will drop everything to surround a student with support at the moment he/she needs it most.
• Staff who do not shy away from dealing with problems head-on with persistence.
Thank you, all. Somewhere in all that you even managed to MAP test ...
Never - not even once - have I ever seen a teacher at Lakeview "mad" at a student. Nobody here even thinks to talk that way about students, and we never will. We don't get mad, and we never argue with students. If "mad" is the response students are used to getting at home, we need to consistently show students that there is another response. We define expectations, we expect students to live up to them, and we deal with them as learners when they don't.
Geography Bee pictures
3 top GeoBee finishers
All GeoBee contestants
Maggie, our top finisher!
Looking Ahead
Wednesday, January 23
Staff Meeting 7:15-8:15 a.m.
Please be sure you continue to collect learning targets and bring them on Wednesday
Thursday, January 24
Admirals Reader for 2nd grade 2-2:30 p.m.
Admirals shirt spirit day
McTeacher Night 4:30-7:30 at the SM McDonald's
Friday, January 25
Assembly 11-11:30 to kickoff Kindness Week
11:45 a.m. dismissal
Afternoon teacher work time
Sunshine Gathering at Bel Aire Cantina after school (Oak Creek Town Center)
Monday, January 28
PD Day - No students
Tuesday Jan 29 through Monday February 4
Kindness week (see below)
SLO's and Illuminate
In a few weeks, we will be in the thick of report card season. Before that fully descends upon us, I would like to be sure we all have two things completed first:
#1 - Illuminate by end of day on January 25 - Please ensure Illuminate is completely up to date for every student. This data is used by myself and coaches. See me or a coach if you have questions.
#2 - SLO mid-interval reviews - For most people, this is the time to complete your midway checkpoint and submit. If this is you, please submit by February 8.
Kindness Week
• Agenda of activities for the week
• Explanation of the coin/money war
There will be an assembly on Friday, January 25 from 11-11:30 a.m. to kickoff kindness week. No closing assembly is set at this time - we'll see if that is necessary. More info and specific directions will come out next week. Many thanks to Heather, Sarah, and student council for leading the kindness week efforts.
(P.S. - If you put together Admiral's/McTeacher shirt day on 1/24, a Lakeview/SM spirit day on 1/25, Kindness spirit days from 1/29-2/4, and another Admiral's shirt day on 2/5, that means about 2 weeks of NO ironing! Might as well be Spring break ... well, almost.)
Structural Items
Family newsletter - Here is the link to this week's family newsletter.
MAP Testing schedule - Link to the document for all grade levels
Elementary Blackout Dates - Here is a link to the calendar
Character Dares & Trauma Sensitive Schools
Lakeview Elementary School
Email: csepersky@sdsm.k12.wi.us
Website: lakeview.sdsm.k12.wi.us
Location: 711 Marion Avenue, South Milwaukee, WI, USA
Phone: 414-766-5252
Twitter: @sepersky