SASD 4K Family Newsletter
Grow. Play. Learn.
April 5th, 2021
Happy Spring!
We want to share with you a resource provided though the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations. The Family Routine Based Support Guide was developed to assist parents and caregivers in developing ways to support young children.
Children engage in behaviors for a variety of reasons, but all children use behavior to communicate messages. Once parents understand the purpose or meaning of the behavior, they can begin to select strategies to change or support the behavior. They can do this by selecting prevention strategies, teaching new skills, and changing the way they respond in an effort to eliminate or minimize the challenging behavior.
The Family Routine Guide includes strategies for the common routines and activities that occur during the family’s week. There are 4 columns in guide.
1. "Why might my child be doing this?”
2. "What can I do to prevent the problem behavior?”
3. "What can I do if the problem behavior occurs?"
4. "What new skills should I teach?”
We hope you enjoy learning more about behaviors and how to proactively support your child as they grow socially and emotionally.
With gratitude,
Erin Conrad, SASD 4K Principal
Sara Jane Lee, SASD Inclusion Support Teacher
Mindy Holverson, SASD 4K Educational Assistant
4K to 5K Survey
Please complete this 4K to 5K Survey by Friday, April 9th.
Learners are placed in their neighborhood elementary school based on the attendance boundaries approved by the school board at SASD. We are hoping you can tell us where your child will be going to school for 5K to guide placement decisions.
For more information click on the link to find your neighborhood school:
https://www.stoughton.k12.wi.us/explore-sasd/attendance-boundaries
If you have questions contact Mindy Holverson at mindy.holverson@stoughton.k12.wi.us (608) 877-5404 or Sara Jane Lee at sarajane.lee@stoughton.k12.wi.us (608) 877-5044.
Thank you,
Erin Conrad 4K Principal/Kegonsa Elementary School Principal
Summer EXCEL 2021
Check out the course catalog on the Summer EXCEL website. Registration will begin in mid-April. Classes are scheduled on a first come, first served basis. No limit on the virtual offering.
OWL Curriculum
Week of April 5th:
Unit 7: Shadows and Reflections
Week 2: Shadows Big and Small
Week of April 12th:
Unit 7: Shadows and Reflections
Week 3: Reflections
Week of April 19th:
Unit 7: Shadows and Reflections
Week 4: Now You See It, Now You Don't
Week of April 26th:
Review and PALS Assessment
Opening the World of Learning: Pearson Research Overview
Reach Dane-Head Start
Head Start is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and families. We are so happy to partner with Head Start.
Pictured below the Stoughton Staff: Mr. Janisch, Ms. Johnson, Ms. Ottelien, Mr. Sampson
4K Calendar Reminders
April
Friday, 4/9 students attend.
No Students Fridays 4/16, 4/23, 4/30.
Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS)
4/26-4/29
See the calendar below for upcoming dates.
UW Madison 4K COVID Research Study
Title of the Study: Wisconsin Districts’ Adaptation of 4K Programming During COVID
Principal Investigator: Amy Claessens (email: claessens@wisc.edu)
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH
You are invited to participate in a research study focused on the adaptation of four year-old
kindergarten (4K) in Wisconsin during the COVID-19 pandemic. You have been
asked to participate because you are a parent/guardian of a child enrolled in 4K in Wisconsin
during the 2020-2021 school year.
The purpose of the research is to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the 4K experiences of children in Wisconsin, how districts and schools/centers have adapted policies, programs and practices concerning 4K instruction, and how families of 4K children are navigating the challenges of supporting children’s learning at this time. The research team will use surveys and interviews with district 4K administrators, teachers, and families to address the questions: How have Wisconsin districts and teachers adapted 4K during the pandemic and has access been available to all?
For more information click on the link and thank you for your participation.
SASD Equity Framework
SASD Equity Vision Statement
Our Compassionate School community will operate within a proactive system of support to promote a positive, inclusive culture with equity, respect, and dignity so we can thrive emotionally, socially, and academically.
District Core Values
- Excellence & Equity in Teaching & Learning
- Respect & commitment to each other
- Personal & Social Responsibility
- Community Engagement
- Sustainability of Resources
For more information go to Educating for Equity on the SASD website.
ATTENDANCE MATTERS!
Just a reminder if your child attends in-person instruction you can still access the virtual schedule for great activities and resources, just don't submit attendance on the site. Your child's teacher will submit attendance when your child attends school each day!
SONDAY Let's Play Learn
Let's Play Learn focuses on the developmental continuum and prepares our 4K students to learn to read, write and work with numbers. It is a structured, systematic program that provides multi-sensory practice and interactive opportunities for learning.
This system translates the five components of successful reading programs recommended by the National Reading Panel. These components are: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary and Comprehension. Each level begins with whole group instruction time which reviews previous taught material. Included in each level are teacher workstations and student workstations. New material is always introduced in the teacher workstation while in the student workstation independent practice or lightly supported activities of already introduced material is mastered.
You can check out the lessons offered in our virtual schedule each day from home and even go back to previous weeks to see what our 4K teachers Ms. Stiver and Ms. Matz have shared with our students. See the example lesson below.
Mat Man
Mat Man is a 4K classroom character that embodies our unique approach to drawing with multisensory activities and strategies that help young learners develop strong drawing and cognitive skills. From classroom personality to storybook hero, Mat Man is a favorite among young children. You’ll be amazed with your child's ability to draw a person after building Mat Man for the first time!
Mat Man teaches important readiness skills:
• Body awareness
• Drawing & pre-writing
• Counting
• Building
• Socializing & sharing
For additional activities and online games, visit Mat Man World!
Learn more about the effect of Mat Man and Mat Man activities link
Enjoy the Mat Man Song!
The Pyramid Model
Emotional Literacy: Using Feeling Faces
The Feeling Faces assist children with understanding their feelings and the feelings of others. It is important to teach children words to use to express feelings in replace of the use of challenging behavior. The feeling cards that follow can be used in a variety of ways to help children learn social emotional skills around use of emotional literacy and vocabulary. Use the pictures to talk about, identify, and describe different emotions when you or children feel this way.
- The feeling faces can be used as part of an “emotion check in.” Children can use the feeling faces to let you know how they are feeling throughout the day.
- Teach new feeling vocabulary words. Start with a few emotions then move to the more complex emotions. Teach a balance of “positive, comfortable” and “negative/ uncomfortable” feelings.
- Discuss how people can tell how you are feeling by looking at the expression on your face.
- Talk about how to tell the different feelings apart by looking at the eyes, the mouth or body position of a person.
- Use the feeling faces to help you point out and explain the different facial expressions.
Check out some of the feeling faces below and click on the link for more pictures and ideas on how to support your child's social/emotional development.
Tucker the Turtle
Tucker the Turtle stays focused!
Tucker the Turtle shows his independence!
Tucker the Turtle learns about shapes!
Embed Tucker in all your activities this month!
Tucker the Turtle Song and Finger Play
New Resources from The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Help Us Stay Calm Strategies that help you and your child during challenging behavior
SHAPES
To learn more about the importance of learning shapes in 4K and for more fun activities click on the link.
LaPetite Academy
Throughout our school community, we share a commitment to fostering a culture where differences are valued, and interactions are free of bias. We nurture the next generation of future leaders. To do so, we place value on their unique identities, abilities, backgrounds, and points of view.
Together, we work hard to celebrate diversity, embrace our community, and create a sense of belonging where everyone thrives. Meet the LaPetite 4K teacher, Ms. Niesen. This is her first year at LaPetite. She comes to us with a an emphasis in Early Childhood Education and holds an ESL (English as a Second Language) certificate.
THE NURTURED HEART APPROACH
The Nurtured Heart Approach Vocabulary for the Kids:
Focused
"I show my greatness by looking with my eyes and listening with my ears."
Independent
"I show my greatness by doing my chores and reading/playing all by myself."
Organized
"I show my greatness by putting my things where it belongs."
From the SASD virtual desk of NHA:
Use the Nurtured Heart Approach to help your child see their Innate Greatness!
To you (and your child’s) GREATNESS, Humanity, & Significance!!!
For more information on the Nurtured Heart Approach click on the link.
Collaborative Team of the Year
They were selected by the WDEC board from a pool of professionals across the State for the contributions they make to children and families. They will be awarded this honor at the virtual Preserving Early Childhood Conference on April 14 & 15. See the team pictured below.
Making Sense of Wearing Compliant Masks
In Public Health Madison & Dane County's Emergency Order #13, face coverings are defined as a piece of cloth or other material that is worn to cover the nose and mouth completely.
Face coverings...
- must be secured to the head with ties, ear loops, or elastic bands that go behind the head and must fit snuggly but comfortably against the side of the face.
- must be made with two or more layers of breathable fabric that is tightly woven (i.e., fabrics that do not let light pass through when held up to a light source).
- do not include bandanas, ANY neck gaiters at SASD, face shields, goggles, scarves, ski masks, balaclavas, shirt or sweater collars pulled up over the mouth and nose, or masks with slits, exhalation valves, or punctures.
If you missed our Mask Up SASD message, you can read it here.
SASD Covid-19 Data Dashboard
SASD has published a COVID-19 Data Dashboard on our website. Our Data Dashboard provides a district-wide view of current active COVID-19 cases and quarantines/isolations. Our staff numbers include all staff whether working in person or virtually. Our student numbers include only 4K-12 students who are regularly in our buildings. The dashboard will be updated every Friday. At any time, you can access the SASD dashboard.
Each week our dashboard will display the following four numbers:
Positive Staff Cases*
Positive Student Cases*
Staff in Quarantine or Isolation**
Students in Quarantine or Isolation**
*Students and staff counted in these categories have tested positive for COVID-19 and are isolated.
**Students and staff counted in these categories have not tested positive for COVID-19 but are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and/or have had close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19.
When to Report Positive COVID-19 Tests, Symptoms or Close Contact
Staff: Please continue to update your supervisor and fill out the Staff COVID-19 Form if you meet any of our three criteria (have tested positive for COVID-19, have symptoms of COVID-19, or have had close contact with an individual who has COVID-19). This applies whether you work in person or virtually.
Families with children regularly in our buildings (whether in grades 4K-2, 3-12 students receiving individualized instruction, or for activities): If your child meets any of our three criteria (has tested positive for COVID-19, has symptoms of COVID-19, or has had close contact with an individual who has COVID-19), please keep your student home, call your school to report an absence, then fill out the Student COVID-19 Form. These two COVID-19 forms — staff and student — will be used in updating our Data Dashboard weekly.
Thank you for your cooperation and diligence as we navigate this semester together.
Dr. Tim Onsager, District Administrator
4K 2021-22 Enrollment
Please help spread the word about the SASD 4K program.
The SASD partners with local organizations to provide our 4 year-old kindergarten program at 6 convenient locations in Stoughton.
La Petite Academy, 635 Lincoln Avenue
www.lapetite.com (608) 873-5039Martin Luther, 900 West Wilson Street
www.martinlutherkids.org (608) 873-7884Pumpkin Patch Preschool, 1940 Jackson Street
www.mypumpkinpatch.org (608) 873-3380Reach Dane-Head Start, 315 Mandt Parkway
www.reachdane.org (608) 444-6199St. Ann School, 324 North Harrison Street
www.stanns-school.org (608) 873-3343Weebleworld, 1815 Cedarbrook Lane
www.weebleworld.com (608) 877-2690
Stoughton Food Pantry
520 S. 4th Street, Stoughton
Hours: Monday-Wednesday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Thursdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 4 to 6 p.m.
Closed Fridays
First Saturday of the month 9 to 11 a.m.
*Call for an appointment: 608-873-8103
Need Assistance?
The Department of Children and Families
Resources to help essential workers, providers, and families navigate the child care landscape during the COVID-19 crisis- link
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Provides the latest information, data, and resources- link
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Considerations and guidance for schools and child care- link
Free Community COVID-19 Testing in Stoughton
JangoDX has contracted with the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services to provide FREE drive through Community COVID-19 testing. The testing location is in the back lot of Tru by Hilton hotel located at 2500 Jackson Street in Stoughton. This site is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Stoughton Health is pleased to support free COVID-19 testing efforts being offered through JangoDX. This new site expands the availability of COVID-19 testing in Stoughton and allows Stoughton Health to shift our focus to vaccinating our staff and the community,” states Amy Hermes, Chief Nursing Officer/Vice-President of Patient Services at Stoughton Health. To learn more or register for this free test, go to https://jangodx.com/community-testing/.
Contact us!
Kate Ahlgren, Director of Curriculum and Instruction kate.ahlgren@stoughton.k12.wi.us
Sara Jane Lee, 4K Inclusion SupportTeacher sarajane.lee@stoughton.k12.wi.us
Mindy Holverson, 4K Educational Assistant mindy.holverson@stoughton.k12.wi.us
Website: https://www.stoughton.k12.wi.us/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stoughtonschools/