The Grass Valley Way
Family Newsletter: MAY 2020
Upcoming Dates
- May 1 Coffee with the Principal (11a, https://meet.google.com/anu-nfep-fnt)
- May 4-8 Teacher Appreciation Week (see details below!)
- May 8 Teacher Appreciation and Wellness Day! (No school for students)
- May 13 SSC & PTA Meeting (5:45p, https://ousd.zoom.us/j/86477472532)
Important Reminders
Communication with Teachers/Staff
This is a difficult time for everyone and many of us are experiencing significant anxiety and concern about assuring our basic needs are met. With that in mind, I’d like to take a moment to remind you of appropriate communication with all members of our community. As members of the Grass Valley Community, you are expected to communicate:
- without yelling, profanity or disrespectful language
- using kindness - assuming best intentions
Contacting Teachers
Teachers are available by email Mondays-Fridays from 8:30-2:45 and will respond within 24 hours. If you have a concern or need support in conversing with another member of the Grass Valley Community, please reach out to Ms. Beckner (casey.beckner@ousd.org).
If your Eagle has checked out a Chromebook from Grass Valley during the closure, please support them in treating these tools with care, that means:
- hold your Chromebook with two hands
- close your Chromebook before carrying it - don't carry by the screen
- don't eat/drink near your Chromebook
Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4-8)
We are excited to celebrate our teachers next week! I wanted to let you know what is going on and how you can support!
- FAMILIES: Share an appreciation for your teacher on the Padlet!
- Teachers will also enjoy a day with NO staff meeting:)
Tuesday
- Teachers will receive individual emails of appreciation from Ms. Beckner
Wednesday
- Teachers will receive e-gift cards to Amazon from Grass Valley
Thursday
- FAMILIES: Send a picture, note, or e-card to your teacher to share your appreciation. Remember to include one to Ms. Pierson, Ms. Vetterlein, Mr. Schnare, and Ms. Mitchell!
Friday
- Teachers will spend the day relaxing as we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week with Wellness Day!
School Site Council (SSC) Meeting
Zoom: https://ousd.zoom.us/j/86477472532
May SSC Meeting
We will be looking at our final budget and site plan for 2020-2021!
What is SSC?
SSC members and attendees work together with the Principal to make determinations about how we will use our budget. The Council regularly reviews site wide data and determines priorities to support our continued growth.
Everyone is highly encouraged to attend!
Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 05:45 PM
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RSVPs are enabled for this event.
The Grass Valley Way!
Self Regulating with Toolbox!
We are excited to use Toolbox at Grass Valley!
What is Toolbox?
Toolbox is a social-emotional learning curriculum that supports students in building concrete skills to help them self-regulate when escalated (ie. angry, anxious, disappointed).
What can you do at home to continue working on "self-regulation" with your Eagle?
Continue working with your scholar on understanding the Tools we have reviewed at Grass Valley.
+Breathing Tool - "the action of pulling and pushing a measuring tape in and out of its case can be a good way to think about slow, deliberate Breathing...it can help students slow down and self-regulate when they use the Breathing Tool." Ask your scholar:
- How are you feeling? What are you thinking?
- How do we then act/feel toward ourselves?
- How might we feel/react toward others?
- How can taking a slow deep breath help you when you are struggling?
+Quiet/Safe Place Tool - This tool is about learning to focus on a memory of our safe places, which triggers our body to relax. We ask children to locate both an actual physical place that feels good the them, and to create one in their imaginations that can be visited again and again. We teach them how to "go to" their quiet/safe place in their minds whenever the feel the need for comfort or to reduce stress. Ask your scholar:
- Talk about your own quiet/safe place
- Ask your students about theirs
- Ask your children to explain the Quiet/Safe Place Tool tag line, "I remember my quiet place," and the hand gesture that goes with it
- During times of stress, suggest that your children use their Quiet/Safe Place Tools
- What does it mean to actively listen?
- How do you listen with your eyes and heart?
- How do you feel when others DON'T listen to you? How do you feel when others DO listen to you?
A bit about Ms. Beckner...
I feel so excited and honored to have the opportunity to lead as a member of the Grass Valley community! This is such a vibrant and tight knit community and I look forward to continuing to get to know the many facets of it. As you get to know me, you will learn that I am very transparent, so please reach out with questions and communicate your needs, so that I can do everything in my control to support you in meeting the needs of the incredible young people we serve.
Email: casey.beckner@ousd.org
Website: https://www.grassvalleyousd.org/
Location: 4720 Dunkirk Ave, Oakland, CA 94605, USA
Phone: (510) 636-4653
Twitter: @GrassValleyOUSD