"Stallions on Top" Newsletter
January Parental Newsletter for AVID, PBIS & SEL Updates
Happy New Year!
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Corner
We were busy in SEL during the month of December discussing feeling anxious, being disappointed, and coping with difficult times, mostly the pandemic. These emotions are one of the CASEL 5 competencies, Self-Awareness. Self-Awareness is the ability to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior. The scholars shared situations or things that make them feel anxious and we discussed ways to control those anxious thoughts. Did you know…that most of our scholars like to listen to music or play video games to help control those anxious thoughts??
When we are disappointed by our friends or family, or when things just don’t go our way, it is important to talk it out with those who have broken a promise to us. Talking with a trusted adult can also help us cope when things are not going quite right. Keep in mind that it may take some time to trust someone who has broken a promise, but by sharing our feelings we will be able to come to an understanding of what happened and will be able to start building back the trust.
When dealing with difficult times, the most important thing to do is to practice self-care. When you take care of yourself you become more available to help others who are having a hard time. Exercise, eat healthy, rest, and express our feelings. Expressing our feelings can help us cope and help us connect to others.
SEL at Home- Let’s start the new year right by practicing self-care and being more confident in expressing our feelings. Talk with your scholar daily about what they are feeling. You might be surprised how open they will be.
SEL at SES
Tier 1(All Scholars)- Receive weekly SEL lessons during their SEL specials class.
Tier 2(Designated Scholars)- Receive weekly SEL small group support and interventions.
Tier 3(Designated Scholars)- Receive a staff mentor for emotional support and development.
Journaling
Journaling can help with expressing feelings.
SEL at SES in Action
A scholar chooses a question for discussion.
Great Read!
Click the link to listen to a story about expressing feelings.
Honoring our Scholars for their Academic & Behavioral Accomplishments!
It's that time of year to recognize our scholars' accomplishments from the 1st Semester. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, parents will view the Awards Ceremony virtually. Scholars receiving a honors will bring home an invitation. We look forward to you joining us virtually.
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Pre-K- 8:00 AM (Click this link to join the Teams Meeting)
Kindergarten-8:00 AM (Click this link to join the Teams Meeting)
1st Grade- 9:00 AM (Click this link to join the Teams Meeting)
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
2nd Grade- 8:00 AM (Click this link to join the Teams Meeting)
3rd Grade-9:00 AM (Click this link to join the Teams Meeting)
Thursday, January 27, 2022
4th Grade- 9:00 AM (Click this link to join the Teams Meeting)
5th Grade-8:00 AM (Click this link to join the Teams Meeting)
AVID
Happy New Year!! It's that season for reflecting and goal-setting. Here at Sims, our scholars set and reflect on personal goals as well. During December, scholars were assessed with Star Reading, Star Early Literacy, and/or Star Math. Teachers met with scholars to review their progress and current academic status according to the STAR data. Scholars set goals based on their personal data and will facilitate scholar-led conferences with Ms. Beckett and Ms. Coachman.
One AVID strategy that is being highlighted this month is One-pagers. One-pagers allow scholars to demonstrate their learning by drawing, labeling, and writing by utilizing notebooks and other instructional resources. According to Dr. Vicki Harris, "The objective of one-pagers is for students to be able to “express comprehension of, reactions to, and connections with a specific topic or piece of text.” Betsy Potash states that one-pagers provide a variety of and a way for students to share what they’ve learned beyond the typical question/answer options. Learning becomes more memorable as students mix images with information. One-pagers also allow students’ creativity to come out in powerful displays of learning."
Source: Using One-Page Assignments as Alternative Assessments
AVID at Home- Please ask your scholars about the goals they set and how they plan to achieve them. Also, ask them their Lexile levels and celebrate their overall growth and achievement with Star.
Goal Setting
Here's an example of a goal-setting sheet used for
our K-2 scholars.
Lexile Targets
Example of a One-Pager
College Fridays!
College Fridays!
PBIS at SES
At Sims, we are Kind-Hearted Scholarly Leaders who Problem-Solve! Our Sims scholars have been doing a great job following our Essential Agreements. We celebrate their success during our monthly PBIS store. Scholars have an opportunity to buy a variety of items at the PBIS store using their Class Dojo points. Scholars earn these points for following the Essential Agreements. Be sure to ask your scholars if they have earned any points for the day once they get home. Also, be sure to check their daily communicator to see their progress.
We have some exciting news we want to share with you, Sims will be hosting our very own “Versus” battle. Each University will create a video that emphasizes our Essential Agreements. The video will be scored based on their originality, creativity, and the inclusion of the Essential Agreements. We will need your support to help us select a winner. Stay tuned for more information on our official Versus Battle, which will take place virtually.
We value your input and want to hear from our parents and community regarding our PBIS Framework. Please complete the feedback form. 2021-2022 SES COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FORM