Robins K-8 Newsletter
September 2022
A Message from the Principal
Hello Robins K-8 Families,
YES! We have successfully completed the month of August! Thank you for allowing us to partner with you in the academic success of your child. I thank you all for attending our “Back to School Nights” last month. If you were not able to make it, please check in with your child’s teacher for information that you may have missed. I am excited about what this year has to bring for each of our students. We are preparing for our first district wide assessment for grades 2nd-8th. Our K-3 students have already taken our first reading diagnostic called DIBELS. You will receive information from the teachers about their results. Our middle school students have completed their first diagnostics for reading and math through our online iReady assessments.
We have shared with our students the Student Code of Conduct, Dress Code Policies and our PBIS “Roadrunner Rocks” expectations of being Safe, Responsible and Respectful. I encourage you to reach out to our front office to join our PTO to support their efforts as they are the backbone to our success for a community moving forward to benefit all students, “It takes a village”. We welcome all parent volunteers to schedule a time with their child’s teacher to help the teacher in class or out of class. This week is our Parent/Teacher conferences. Please remember that school on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday is dismissed for all Elementary and Middle School students at 11:45 a.m. Students will receive a full 30 minutes to consume their lunch. There will be no outside play on these days due to the limited instructional time.
This month is “National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month from September 15th- October 15th and “Dia de la Independencia” on September 16th. We are featuring some wonderful books on display in our library that celebrate the Hispanic culture and heritage. We invite you to come check them out.
The month of September nationally recognized as Attendance Awareness month “Stay Connected, Keep Learning!”. It is a national campaign to increase student daily attendance rate at schools across the nation, and to show the importance of being at school every day. Each month our school will recognize students that have perfect attendance (they are here each day) for the month. They will receive a certificate and an attendance dog tag for K-5 and roadrunner bucks for 6th-8th. Our Student Success Specialist, Ms. Craig and our Attendance Tech, Ms. Acosta are the staff members facilitating this recognition. Please join our efforts and visit the website to learn how you as a family/parent can continue to promote attendance with your family.
For more information and resources from the National Campaign, please visit: http://awareness.attendanceworks.org/ or Click Here
Counselor Corner
Hello Roadrunner Families,
I hope your first month of school was great! It has been very busy in the counseling department.
Peter Piper Night is Thursday, September 8 from 5:30-7:00 at the Silverbell location. Our school will receive a percentage of all the food and drink sales. Your child will be bringing home a flyer - you must show your flyer to the cashier in order for Robins K-8 to receive credit.
Student Council elections were held in the classroom the last week of August. Congratulations to all of the Classroom Representatives. Meetings will begin soon.
Small groups will be starting on September 12. Topics are Stress/Anxiety, Grief & Loss, Changing Families, Friendship (for K,1 only). It is not too late to sign your child up for the next 5-week series starting in November. You can call or email the counselor, or Ms. Kristina Craig for a permission slip.
Students are receiving Bully Prevention training with the counselor. Every classroom will be trained on how to identify bullying, and how to respond to it, whether you are the target or a bystander. In addition to the training, other Anti-bullying activities will be coming soon. It is important to teachers/staff that every Robins K-8 student feel safe and supported.
Rachael Walters, M.Ed.
520.908.4322
Coaching Focus: From Frustration to Being Kind
Have you ever felt frustrated? Me, too. There’s a quote I like that goes like this: “Hurt people hurt people.” Sometimes, I feel hurt. But I don’t want to hurt someone else. So, when I feel frustrated, I take a moment to pay attention to my breathing to get oxygen up to my frontal lobes, and I slow myself down from reactive comments because I don’t want to use unkind words toward another person.
Did you know that it is human to want to react with unkind words? Did you know that we can train ourselves to respond with kindness when we are frustrated? Did you know that it is okay to *not* say anything when we are frustrated? Did you know that we can practice saying: “No, thank you” for when we need some personal space, or some time to process?
We can tell ourselves:
· It is okay to take a moment, take a breath, and slow ourselves down.
· Responding kindly when frustrated takes practice.
· We can be kind when we practice responding kindly.
During our weekly announcements, we take a moment of silence. I use that moment to remind myself that I am human, and I have permission to choose kindness, to be safe, to be responsible, and to be respectful. I picture myself saying kind words, and I picture myself acting kindly – saying hello; holding the door open for others; waiting my turn in line – all simple acts of kindness that I can do, even when I am feeling frustrated.
See you for our next Coaching Focus next month!
Dean’s List: Roadrunners Award
The Roadrunners Award recognizes students who exemplify the tenets of Robins K-8: “I am safe. I am responsible. I am respectful.” Individuals who are recognized with the Roadrunners Award extend compassion toward others through Acts of Service. To the individuals listed below, we appreciate you for
your kindness and support of other members in our community! Please join me in celebrating the following Roadrunners:
· Victoria M. Victoria noticed that a classmate was feeling sad and helped her classmate get connected with adults who could help.
· Julia N. Julia gives up her time before school to help younger students transition to being in school.
· Benjamin S. Benjamin helped some friends make choices that helped solve their problem.
· Allaura S. Allaura helps Kindergarteners get to where they are going in the morning.
· Kenzie W. Kenzie helped a younger student home when they were lost.
What's New at the Library
Happy September to all of you from the Robins K-8 School Library. We have enjoyed a wonderful first month of school. The students have been learning about the parts of a book, experiencing the love of reading different books and how to find a book’s “home” in the library. The students have checked out 1272 books so far this year.
We now have three library Search Stations, and the students are learning how to find a book in our library using our online catalog at tusdlibrary.tusd1.org. I am extremely proud of their enthusiasm, respectful behavior, and willingness to learn new skills. I am looking forward to teaching them many more skills and encouraging them to read every day.
Click here to access the TUSD online catalog
Mrs. Wick, Library Assistant
Reading at Home
1. Bring reading with you! Are you waiting in the dentist office? Read a book! At the grocery store? Read the labels! Going to the DMV? Bring along kid friendly magazines or a book!
2. Make books special. Give a book as a reward or gift. Set up a special time when you will read with your child. Get your child their own library card.
3. Pick just right books. When children read books that aren't too easy or too hard they feel successful and are more likely to spend more time reading the book.
These are just a few ideas to help encourage more reading!
W. Jones
Robins K-8
Curriculum Service Provider
Safety Reminders
- Please remain in your vehicle at drop off. If you would like to walk your Roadrunner to the gate, please park and lock your vehicle.
- Students should exit vehicles on the passenger side of the vehicle.
- Students should walk their bicycles when on campus
PBIS
August PBIS was fantastic! Here’s what we know from our K-5 side of the school:
- 1047 PBIS tickets were turned in to the basket in the front office;
- 327 students were recognized for being safe;
- 786 students were recognized for being responsible;
- 580 students were recognized for being respectful.
Middle School staff are rolling out the Robins Bucks for middle school students. The PBIS Menu has many items available for Middle Schoolers to cash in.
Photo: PBIS Lunch Menu
Our annual goal is 20,000 tickets and we are 1/20 of the way there!
Photo: PBIS Goals chart
P.S. Did your Roadrunner take home their white card, instead of a purple certificate? Send a message to Ms. Chew via email here or text (520.909.3888) so your Roadrunner can be included in the drawings at school!