"The Leaflet"
April 12, 2024
The RSAA Weekly Parent/Community Update
Volume
Some of our math classes are getting into area and volume of shapes right now. If you have looked at some of your students backpacks, they have their own theories of volume. Sometimes I feel like our students look at how they can fill every inch of useable space, whether their backpack or their desk. If there is space, it can be filled.
My son and I were recently out walking the dam out at Charles Mill. With all the recent rain, you could tell that the lake was filling up based on the lack of shore and boulders along the bank being completely submerged. It has been a long time since I have seen the water that high. As we got closer to the dam you could hear the roar of the water going through and as we were at the top and looking over, water was flowing through at a rapid pace. The intensity and speed was awesome as you could just feel the power shaking under your feet. While there would surely be flooding downstream from the water being let through, it was needed to release the pressure from what was building behind it.
Our children are much the same way. Our children face pressure each day, whether at school or home, intended or unintended. Pressure is a part of life and there are pressures that some of our kids just should not have to endure, but they do and then we have to be willing to step in and see what we can do to help. That "build up" of the everyday actions of life needs release. The younger the child, the harder it is for them to be expressive in their language, and so we see it more in their physical reactions and behaviors. We also see that sometimes in our older students if they have a hard time processing out the pressures they face. One of the biggest challenges we have is how we let them outlet on their own and then how we walk alongside them as they release that pressure. If they let out too much, we have the flood, if they keep it in, eventually the dam will not hold pack the pressure and it will break. Either way, they do not learn how to control the release.
Do you know who controls how much water comes and goes? The dam operator monitors and adjusts as needed, knowing as the pressure is released, there are consequences both positive and negative. We are that operator to our children. It is one of the most important tasks as we have raising, teaching and mentoring young people.
Thank you for your partnership in your child's educational journey. It truly takes us all working together!
Upcoming Events
April 25th
1. Evening with the Arts
- come enjoy the creativity of our students and their art staged throughout the pods. Program begins at 6pm
2. Math Engagement Night
- come enjoy some math time with our students as they show our families some games to get engaged with mathematics (scavenger hunt and some special prizes will be given) Program begins at 6pm
3. Community Health Screening
- Richland Public Health will be offering a community health screen from 4-6 PM. Entrance for the health screening will be the main building entrance.
Rockapella Date Change
-we will have our annual Rockapella on 5/15/2024. Program begins at 6pm for select student groups
Kindergarten Registration
We are in the heart of school registration right now and kindergarten is filling up. We anticipate that all kindergarten slots will be full by the end of April which has never happened before. Please make sure you have completed all kindergarten information needed for enrollment. If you have questions for still need to schedule a tour, pleas contact Mrs. Jones in the office. (419-522-7273)
Centers in Mrs. Shannon's Classroom
Bon Appetit!
We are excited that we will be offering some initial afterschool cooking classes for our students with Chef Michael Daniels. Chef provided a truly unique and engaging initial experience earlier this spring with a combined activity that we hosted in our newly renovated cafe. We are in the initial phases of implementing more regular programming in the coming year and will see how this unfolds for the next chapter of arts at RSAA! Chef's focus will cover the basics of preparation, food flavor as well as the diversity of foods for students to experience.
On the adult side of culinary, Chef Daniels will be looking to offer adult classes in the evenings in the near future. You can learn more about Chef Daniels on his site mdcreativeblends.com
Grade Levels are Filling Fast!
We are full steam ahead with building tours and families enrolling for next year. We still have current students that have not enrolled for next year. We need you to complete this process as soon as possible as some grade levels are already full for next year.
Outside Play Opportunities
With the warmer temperatures we are trying to get students outside more. Please make sure that your child has a jacket as temperatures fluctuate as well as secondary pair of shoes if you do not want the shoes they wear to school to get dirty. Somehow our young people always find the dirt and mud to get into out on the playground.
Alex's Lemonade Stand
Grab a Lemonade on the night of April 25th to help Fight Childhood Cancer. Our 6th graders are taking on a fundraiser to donate to the Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research. We will be hosting a community health screening opportunity from 4-6PM and then our Annual Evening with the Arts Art Show and our 1st ever, Math night for parents. Our 6th graders will be serving from 4-7 and we are working to raise money for this very important cause. The flier is posted below.
ABSENCE REMINDER
Even though you call your student off, students are required to have a parent note or doctor note for attendance auditing purposes. This also provides needed documentation for the school to determine absence hours. If your student has been out of school sick over the last two weeks.
2024-2025 RSAA School Calendar
C.A.R.E.S.
RSAA has kicked off its new Positive Behavioral Supports programming this past week and in the next two weeks will be implementing a new system to track those behaviors that go above and beyond expectation. One of the hardest realizations that need to be made with PBIS is that extrinsic awards do not change intrinsic habits. Extrinsic awards can provided motivation to impact habits, yet only to a point and then the internal processes would/should take over. Rewards that recognize students that go above and beyond their own individual capabilities is the focus of the system and that is going to look different for each child.
Below you will see the expected behaviors linked in our matrix and this is something that you will be seeing when you come through our building posted in various places for student/staff/parent reminding. We will have individual classroom expectations, pod expectations, as well as overall building expectations. Our approach to this, as a staff, will be to build capacity of our students to self-regulate and be respectful of places, spaces and people in our school community. Our focus is not to gather points and give prizes, our focus is to build into our students and focus on building skills to handle basic expectations, adversity, disappointment, challenge and learning to deal with others through responding to situations and not reacting. This will allow students to build strong roots for handling those things that will most certainly come up in their journey through education and life. It is all about creating safety, high expectations for performance and environment of community where we can meet each individual student where they are at academically and behaviorally and grow to the potential they each possess.
Upcoming Events
Monday 4/15
Advanced Dance 2:30 - 3:00 (5-8 with Miss Lelu)
Tuesday 4/16
Acapella 2:00 - 3:00 (Select group with Miss Sue)
Advanced Art 2:30 - 3:30 (Select 6-8 graders with Miss Ari)
Band 2:30-3:30 (Select group with Mr. Glover)
Wednesday 4/17
HipHop Dance 2:30 - 3:30 (Select group with Miss Lelu)
No Weightlifting Today!
Thursday 4/18
Acapella 2:00 - 3:00 (Select group with Miss Sue)
Advanced Dance 2:30 - 3:00 (5-8 with Miss Lelu)
Friday 4/19
Band 2:30-3:30 (Select group with Mr. Glover)
Superintendent, RSAA
419-522-7273 ext. 200
X: @SuptRSAA