FMS @ a Glance
November 13-17, 2017
Hallway Passes Week 2
This week the Student Services office staff will rotate time to monitor student hallway passes and behaviors. In order to make this procedure move along move efficiently:
* students will continue to ask for permission to leave. SIGN some sort of pass for them to take to the hallways indicating the time they leave the classroom, the date, and your signature. YOU DO NOT NEED TO CALL THE OFFICE FOR "REGULAR" PASSES. (We will get some scrap paper cut up and placed by the staff mailboxes if you need paper for passes.) NO GRAB AND GO PASSES SHOULD BE ISSUED.
* PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE IF A STUDENT IS BEING REMOVED FOR DISCIPLINE REASONS, THE OFFICE WILL NOTIFY US BY RADIO AND WE WILL MEET THE STUDENT AND WALK WITH THEM TO THE OFFICE. (still sign a pass for them when they leave)
* we will be stationed at the intersection near the drinking fountain closest to 602 and then be floating down the Media Center hallway. From this area, we can see the "01" and "02" traffic. C-Wing classes - if you send your students down and around the workshops/computer labs for Robotics and Gateway for bathroom breaks - we will be able to see them as well. (and have them see us). Phy. Ed teachers you can use your 2-way radio to call letting us know someone is coming from your area. When possible - let them hear you make the call so they know we are aware of them coming our way.
REMIND YOUR STUDENTS TO HAVE THEIR PASSES OUT AND SHOW THE STAFF MONITORING THE HALLWAYS.
The office staff will continue to communicate with one another using the 2-way radios when students are leaving our areas. This is important to do so students hear that we are monitoring the hallways closely.
I will post an announcement in Schoology for the students and ask them to take the extra step of making their pass visible to staff, this may include "waving" the pass so we are aware that they have permission to be in the hallway.
Hopefully this new procedure will have less impact on your classes yet providing structure and a constant reminder for the students.
The less class time students miss the more instruction and help they receive. Reminders to students to get drinks and bathroom breaks during passing time is helpful.
Behavior Referrals
Dear staff,
Starting Quarter 2 if you ask a student to leave your class to send them to Student Services, you need to complete a Behavior Referral by the end of the day. If their behavior is enough to warrant missing class time the behavior should warrant a Behavior Referral. Please make sure to contact home by the end of the day. A letter stating that their student was asked to leave class- including the 'details' information you submit on the referral, as well as your contact information will be mailed to parents.
The Behavior Referral form has been updated and shortened to make this process easier.
If you have any questions or concerns please let us know.
Thank you,
Amber
Mrs. Amber Dahlstrom | Behavior Intervention Coordinator
Faribault Middle School | 704 17th Street SW - Faribault, MN 55021
Direct: 507.333.6425 Fax: 507.333.6400
Falcon Strong Tickets
Week at a Glance
Monday, November 13
Science puul out for Hearing and Vision screening checks
Band concerts
9:00 am Student Services meeting
10:30 am student iPad support available in Media Center
3:30 pm District Staff Development Committee meeting
Tuesday, November 14
Student Services Team visits CPT's
8:30 am District Leadership meeting
3:00 pm AVID Site Team meeting
Wednesday, November 15
PLC - AVID presentation and Willow Sweeny presentation
9:00 am PST meeting
5:30 pm Willow Sweeny parent presentation
Thursday, November 16
7:00 am Department Chair meeting
1:00 pm Principal PLC with Colleen C.
3:00 pm Collaborative Inquiry Team meeting
Friday, November 17
7:15 am FMS Technology Committee meeting
2:00 pm Head Principal monthly meeting with Mr. Sesker
A look ahead:
11/20 Student Services
11/20 Curriculum Advisory meeting
11/21 SITE Team meeting
11/22 Department Workday
11/23 Thanksgiving - No School
11/24 Thanksgiving Break - No School
Advisory Reminder:
Advisory is a place to build community through school connectedness, relationships, communication, academic support, future planning, and citizenship. Please remember that every Advisory period should start in circle. The circle is important for building your Advisory community. We will be sharing resources with you to help support you with circles. We realize this may be uncomfortable for some of you so please reach out to staff members that are more comfortable with circles to see how they do it. You can develop your own circle questions, have students come up with them, use the ones in the binder, or use this Google Doc of questions. We also wanted to share this article with you to help you understand the importance of circles.
Advisory should not be a study hall. Please make sure you are staying true to the Advisory purpose stated above and that you use the time for circles, relationship building, connectedness, grade checks, academic support, locker clean outs (see monthly calendar for dates), and home to school communication. Please see an Advisory committee member for support or questions.
Possible circle questions can be found at: https://docs.google.com/a/faribault.k12.mn.us/document/d/1aRr_NKP6wLDz13J5hHo48Pf7zmfQ8Guylr9KdGcUWsQ/edit?usp=sharing
PBIS Strong! Helpful tips from your PBIS Team.
· Guest teachers will now have gold Freddy Bucks and instructions in their folders. We are encouraging guest teachers to hand out gold Freddy Bucks to students that they feel are being exceptionally Falcon Strong.
· Signs are now posted around the school advertising what students can purchase with Freddy Bucks.
· The number of students visiting Student Services with Falcon Strong tickets have decreased dramatically over the past several weeks. Please remember to pass out Falcon Strong tickets! If it helps set a personal goal of handing out ‘x’ number of tickets per day.
Behavior Idea of the Week
Remember when you send a student to Student Services it is the office staff that gets to build a relationship with that student.
Quick Ideas:
· Move student to a quiet spot in the back of the room.
· One on one conversation
· Minimize downtime
Focus Idea:
· Buddy Room: Pair with a staff member next to you and create a buddy space for students who need a short break or ‘reset.’ Buddy rooms are a space for students from another room (your buddies room) to come for a short purposeful break. If you have a student beginning to escalate or shutdown sometimes a short break allows the student to ‘reset.’ Instead of sending them unattended to the hall or to Student Services send them to the designated break area in your buddies classroom. If you set-up a buddy room be sure to review expectations with students. It also helps to give them a purpose or skill to work on while ‘resetting’ (i.e.- deep breathing, drawing, writing, counting, visualizing, etc.)
Taking student photos? You must know this:
"No photo" list--we currently do not have a flag for it in IC. We are working on getting this added and so, for now, you have to look under Summary 2 to see the checkbox. It is important to be aware of the students that are not allowed to be in published photos as per their parent request.
Studies indicate a 5:1 ratio, or, 5 confirmations, praise and approvals for every 1 criticism or disparagement.
· Give praises even more frequently to problem students.
· When a student is seen behaving appropriately, paying attention, being on task, prepared for work, sitting quietly, being kind to others, etc, make a remark to the student about how happy or proud you are to see what they are doing appropriately. You could also say to the student, “Good Job”, “I like what you are doing”, “You are doing ________ so well!”, etc.
· IMPORTANT! When giving praise, it is essential that you display a positive effect or demeanor while doing so. Express excitement and that you are pleased. This will increase the effectiveness of the technique.
**** Reminders from past newsletters *****
Falcon Spotlight
The district is developing plans on a Falcon Spotlight program that recognizes the accomplishment and achievements of student and/or staff members. Falcon Spotlight recipients would be shared with the school board and local media. We have a lot of talented people in our midst and well deserving of the districts acknowledgment.
If you are aware of anyone that is deserving of this recognition please submit the name of the student/staff member and a few details on the reasoning for the recognition.
Tenured Eval volunteers still needed
Don't be shy - show off your teaching talents!
I am still looking for five tenured staff members that are willing to be observed and evaluated. A short pre-observation form, a classroom observation, and a brief reflection/post-observation form are all that is required for this evaluation.
Please let me know if you are willing to take part.
Thank you.
Paper copies available for students.
Please be sure to have paper copies of assignments available for students that do not have an iPad.
Thank you.