Keowee's Flash Forward
News from Your Assistant Principal, Rhonda Grant
MID-WEEK PONDERINGS...
Brrr...we have seen some of the coldest weather of the season this week, and even colder weather is expected over the weekend. The lows through the weekend are expected to be in the 20s with even colder wind chills, and there is an increased possibility of a wintry mix on Monday! Thanks for being flexible and patient with indoor recess and indoor dismissal on these extremely cold days. Unfortunately many students do not come dressed in appropriate clothing to be outside on these colder than normal days. Please encourage students to dress warmly, and consider taking a class trip to the gym to check the lost & found area for unclaimed coats and jackets.
Samples of science and social studies instructional materials were dispersed to grade levels this week. We will be spending more time during early release next week evaluating our options for the upcoming state-level adoption. Please be looking, studying, and even trying these materials out. Remember an adoption of a series/set of materials is for a minimum of 6 years, and often longer. We want to ensure that we select materials that best meet our needs as a school/district. It is an important decision, and not one to take lightly. I look forward to hearing your feedback.
Core Essentials Trait for February is...
COOPERATION--working together to do more than you can do alone
Cooperation is a critical skill for success that requires communication, compassion, and respect. Even a young child three-and-a-half to four years old begins to cooperate. By the age of five or six, they start to understand the true value of cooperation in accomplishing tasks, and it progresses from there.
Below are ten ways you can help nurture cooperation in children and help them grow into productive adults:
1. Listen fully
Open your heart, eyes, and ears so you can truly listen to how children think and feel about any given situation. The only way you can learn how to teach a child something new is to look for and listen to what they already know and how they feel with empathy. This will show respect for them, and they will experience being heard and known.
2. Model sharing
Let children see you sharing a skill, an item, your time, or your love. It is also okay to explain to children that you are sharing, and cooperating with others and why.
3. Play games
Playing games with children teaches cooperation if you pick the right games such as jumping rope, building a puzzle, playing doubles tennis, or a three-legged race. Be sure to play some games for real and demonstrate good sportsmanship. This way they will learn that in life there will be times when they win, and times when they will lose, but in all cases, they can be gracious winners and losers.
4. Encourage teamwork
Set up situations that will require teamwork; whether that is team sports, team chores, or team planning. They situations should include activities where respectful communication and cooperation are necessary to get the job done.
5. Role reversal
Let children lead the way. Let them plan activities for the day depending upon their age and understanding. Children are never too young to begin learning personal leadership and responsibility.
6. Practice praise
Catch a child being cooperative and praise them for it. Children love pleasing grownups and acknowledgement. They will be more likely to repeat positive behaviors if they are praised than stop negative behaviors for being punished. Either way they get attention, so why not encourage positive attention. When you see a child being cooperative with a peer, never fail tell them "Good job!"
7. Collaborative solutions
Let children come up with solutions for problems via your guidance and supervision. Try to allow children to work out problems with each other on their own before you intervene. If you do have to intervene, do so by asking questions rather than giving answers and always encourage respect.
8. Allow choices
Let children make choices that are age appropriate. Allowing children to make their own choices in collaboration with those around them teaches them teamwork, cooperation, and responsibility.
9. The more the merrier
Make sure to allow plenty of opportunities for children to play and be together. Being with peers their own age will help teach cooperation because they see themselves as equals with the other children. This also allows you teachable moments, but remember to practice praise and not intervene unless necessary.
10. Give to a cause
Spending time or money on an important cause can teach children cooperation because it teaches them that they are not alone in the world. It teaches them that other people need help, and with the cooperation of many, much can be done
Word of the Week...
The WOW for February 15-18 is elated. On Friday, we will have two students from Mrs. Hilary Smith/Cheryl Burkett's 1st grade class on the news to share their original sentences using the WOW.
John Collins FCAs for February
K Capitalization: beginning of sentence, proper noun, and "I" (mechanics)
1 Colorful adjectives (Style)
2 Use apostrophes in contractions (mechanics)
3 Use apostrophes with possessives (mechanics)
4 Use commas before coordinating conjunctions (mechanics)
5 Use commas with appositives, in direct address, and with "yes" and "no" (mechanics)
FRIDAY AT THE MOVIES...
STAY WARM...
Thursday, February 18 Early Release Day
Friday, February 19 PD Day
Wednesday, February 24 3rd & 4th Grade Field Trip: Charlotte's Web @ WCA
Thursday, February 25 SST @ 12:00
Friday, February 26 5th Grade Visits WMS
Friday, February 26 Spring Picture Day
Friday, February 26 PBIS Celebration "Movie & Popcorn" (details TBA)