MONDAY MEMO
Shawnee Trail Elementary, May 3, 2016
SHAWNEE TRAIL MISSION: Why do we exist? What is our fundamental purpose?
- To create a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment, to inspire ALL students to become passionate, lifelong learners.
- To make meaningful and enjoyable connections as we educate the whole child academically, emotionally, and socially.
At Shawnee Trail we believe ALL Means ALL:
- ALL students will learn at their highest levels.
- ALL decisions are based on what is best for students and are aligned with the mission of our school.
- ALL, students and teachers, learn by doing and building on our own strengths and the strengths of others.
Collective Commitments:
Cultivate a collaborative culture of continuous improvement:
- Read all resources before collaborative learning meetings.
- Be prepared to share, listen and participate in all group discussions.
Foster a save supportive and trusting environment:
- Start on time.
- Be engaged 100% of the time. (Leave unnecessary distractions behind and focus wholly on the tasks at hand.)
- Collaborate and contribute equally and meaningfully
Practice all of these collective commitments by asking, “How did we do? Are we holding ourselves accountable for the team’s norms?”
- Be willing to apologize or confront with passion and purpose when a team member fails to honor the commitments.
Celebrate success large and small.
CONSISTENCY
It is that time of year, we are tired and the kids are tired, but we have about 15 days left of school. We want to finish strong. Our kids are counting on us! Fifteen days is enough time for an academic intervention, to discover the love of reading, learn multiplication and addition facts, write/revise a meaningful story... The list goes on and on. Keeping students engaged in learning is critical. Every child has a right to a full year of education and a few days can have an enormous impact. It can change the course of a life.
When students are fully engaged in meaningful learning and practice of skills there is less opportunity for misbehavior. It's also a good time of year to remind ourselves and the students, of the expectations at Shawnee Trail and FISD. So practice Love and Logic and remind students of the following:
Keep hands and feet to ourselves
Toys, cards, hats, stuffed animals, cell phones etc. aren't permitted at school unless it is a special circumstance and a student has permission
Walking in the hallways is an expectation
Lunch - when students sit with their parents at the visitor tables, we do NOT allow friends to sit with them
Students aren't allowed on stage during lunch
Students should never be unsupervised
We Plan for Behaviors Just as We Plan for Instruction
There are four reasons for misbehavior.
- avoidance
- revenge
- power & control
- seeking attention
Reflect and ask yourself:
- What is the student getting out of the misbehavior?
- What was the setting? Where and when did the behavior occur?
- What happened right before (the antecedent) the behavior occurred?
- How am I leading my transitions?
- Did the students have any down time or unstructured time to get off-task?
- What was the level of engagement during the lesson?
“When we do discipline without showing frustration, the odds for success increase in a very big way.” ― Jim Fay, Love and Logic
CELEBRATIONS AND SHOUT-OUTS!
SHOUT OUT to Gale Lamb for all her hard work with STAAR!
Jodi Timbs, for her steadfast support of GT records and seamless communication in keeping Tricia Beck updated on enrollment issues!
I would like to shout out our Gale & the STAAR team! They did an amazing job with our buckets and helping us get prepared!
SHOUT OUT to Ms. Abbas for offering to relieve Ms. L. from breakfast duty so she would have an opportunity to enjoy morning treats for teacher appreciation week!!
BIG SHOUT OUT to the Sunshine committee for putting on a great BINGO party!
SHOUT OUTS from Coach Grawe
Shout Out! to Coach Vincent (Coach V/B/Christina)...PE would not be the same without her work ethic and huge heart! Her commitment to our school, our students, me...is tireless, unselfish and special. I am so blessed to have her in the gym!
Shout Out! to Coach Coker (Coach C/Miss C/Cyd)...Her caring and supportive ways for the students/the staff/me is valued and treasured. Many students can't wait to hug Coach C! She has a connection to many of our students and families that is special. I am so blessed to have her in the gym!
Shout Out! to Pamela, Pam, Gloria and Nicole...Every morning these ladies enter the gym with their students for motor lab...smiles on their faces...always with a warm greeting for our morning! Their hearts are large! Their commitment unwavering! Then, they come to PE and are never hesitant to step in and throw a little assistance our way if needed. We appreciate them! We respect them immensely! Our SpEd kiddos are blessed with you!
SHOUT OUTS from Gale:
- ALL of Shawnee Trail - you ALL are superstars! "ALL means ALL"
- Adella Williams - Thank you for your help coordinating ALL STAAR testing this year! We couldn't have done it without you!!
- Kim Hunt for helping with duty, preparation, online testing, and administering a small group test
- Small Group Test Administrators - Thank you for always being available for whatever assignment comes your way - even at the last moment.
- Hall Monitors - Thank you for your watchful eye and care and concern for the students.
- Mr. Washington and the Cafeteria - Thank you for accommodating our schedule with such ease.
- Gabby - Thank you for being available whenever and wherever you are needed.
- Nurse Larson - Thank you for making sure the students had what they needed at exactly the right time.
- Team Office - Thank you for many things and keeping us quiet and secure during testing.
- Pam and Heather - Thank you for moving your offices to POD 3 and for the many things you contributed to making STAAR a success!
Can't Wait to See All the GREAT Things Your Kids Will Do!
May Character Trait Focus -Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is a belief that we can get smarter through hard work and practice. This means that struggling with something difficult doesn’t mean you’re not smart—it’s a chance to grow your intelligence. Growth mindset is all about trying hard, using good strategies, and getting the help you need.
Growth mindset is a popular notion in the field of education right now, but it’s commonly misunderstood. It might seem like growth mindset implies that everyone has exactly the same potential in every domain, but that’s not quite true. Instead, growth mindset means everyone’s intellectual ability can always be further developed. Growth mindset is not about telling your students to never give up. A benefit of growth mindset is that it helps you stay motivated to stick it out when things are difficult, but telling students not to quit won't do that alone. You have to (truthfully!) convince kids that their efforts will result in increased ability (because ability can grow!) and remind them that they're learning when something is hard for them to do.
Having a growth mindset could involve:
- Taking on new challenges with optimism
- Being able to talk about what you learned
Tips for Introducing a Growth Mindset
Say “yet”:
When students say, “I can’t do this” or “I’m not good at this,” respond by adding the word “yet.” It reminds students that they have the potential that it takes to achieve hard goals.
Talk about the brain like a muscle:
Students can think of a brain like a muscle that can be built up over time through exercise.
REMINDERS
Friday, May 13th
- Science Lab Materials Due
Monday, May 16th
- Admin Visit to Shawnee Trail
Tuesday, May 17th
- Clark Middle School Q&A 6:45-7:45 -Shawnee Trail Cafe
Wednesday, May 18th
- Baby Shower for Marino
Thursday, May 19th
- Olweus Committee Meeting -After School
Friday, May 20th
- Field Day
- Volunteer Appreciation Lunch (Shawnee Trail Library)
- Final Day for Library Book Collection
- Guided Reading Books are Due
Monday, May 23rd
- EOY Checklist Goes Out
Wednesday, May 25th
- Bridal Shower for Feichtinger
Thursday, May 26th
- 5th Grade EOY Field Trip
Friday, May 27th
- No School -Bad weather make-up day
Monday, May 30th
- Memorial Day -No School
Friday, June 3rd
- Last Day
- class Parties
- Report Cards
May Birthdays
Melody Baker 5/14
Adella Williams 5/27
Nicole Schneider 5/28
Lori Larson 5/29
Gloria Patxot 5/30
Shawnee Trail Elementary
Email: schaeffp@friscoisd.org
Website: http://schools.friscoisd.org/ES/shawnee-trail/site/home
Location: 10701 Preston Vineyard Drive, Frisco, TX, United States
Phone: (469) 633-2500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShawneeTrailElm
Twitter: @shawneetrailelm