The Grass Valley Way
Family Newsletter: FEBRUARY 2020
The Grass Valley Way!
Ms. O's RESPONSIBLE class!
RESPECTFUL small group learning!
5th Graders being SAFE!
Upcoming Dates
- 2/5: PTA
- 2/7: AA Read-in
- 2/10: Staff Meeting
- 2/12: SELLS
- 2/17: No School
- 2/19-21: Minimum Days
- 2/21: Coffee with the Principal
- 2/21: ASP Red Carpet Dance (5-7p, tickets in portable I)
- 2/26: SSC
- 2/27: Black History Month Celebration and Heritage Potluck
- 2/28: Student of the Month Assembly
- 2/28: Minimum Day
- 2/28: Fish Fry (11a-6p)
Important Reminders
- Healthy Foods at Grass Valley As per the OUSD Healthy Foods guide lines and our conversations at Back to School Night, remember that unhealthy foods, like soda, hot chips, and candy are NOT allowed at Grass Valley. Please be sure not to send them with your student.
- Pick up and Drop off When picking up/dropping off your student on Dunkirk, please drop them off quickly and do NOT make a U turn, instead go around the block. Traffic needs to flow quickly to assure student and driver safety.
- Cell Phone Policy Students who bring cell phones to school, must turn them off and leave them in their back pack. If cell phones are found in use at school, students will receive a warning the first time. If a student has a cell phone out again, it will be confiscated by the adult and held in the office until the parent can pick it up.
School Site Council (SSC) Meetings
Next Meeting:
Grass Valley Elementary School
Wednesday, February 26, 2019
5:45pm
Staff Room
What's happening at the FEBRUARY meeting?
We will continue discussing priorities for our school budget for next year! This month, we will approve the ways in which we will spend our Title 1 funds for next year.
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!
Site English Language Learner Subcommittee (SELLS)
Next Meeting:
Grass Valley Elementary School
Wednesday, February 12, 2019
8:45am
Staff Room
What's happening at the FEBRUARY meeting?
We will discuss priorities for English Learners for next school year and how to get more families involved in these important conversations.
What is SELLS?
SELLS is a subcommittee of the SSC dedicated to discussing issues pertaining to students who are English Learners.
All families with students who are English Learners are highly encouraged to attend!
Self Regulating with Toolbox!
We are excited to begin using Toolbox at Grass Valley! Toolbox is a social-emotional learning curriculum that supports students in building concrete skills to help them self-regulate when escalated.
Concept: 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.
Icon: Ear Muffs - "earmuffs help us shut out the distractions around us and concentrate."
Hand Gesture: place hands over ears while bending head slightly forward. Close eyes and "go to" your quiet/safe place...any time.
Support students in using the Quiet/Safe Place Tool:
- 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.
Support your Eagle in showing Grass Valley Way!
Grass Valley Way
- Be Safe
- Be Respectful
- Be Responsible
Monthly Focus: Being Respectful
Talk to your Eagle about how they can be Respectful of other Grass Valley Eagles!
Examples:
- being supportive to others
- listening and following directions
- using kind language
A bit about Ms. Beckner...
I feel so excited and honored to have the opportunity to lead as a member of the Grass Valley staff! 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