EVERGREEN'S DECEMBER NEWSLETTER
2021
PRINCIPAL'S CORNER
I am thankful for all of our parents, caretakers, and families. Thank you for trusting us to care for your children day in and day out. Thank you for all of the work that you do with them outside of the school day as you prepare them not only for Evergreen, but for life! We certainly couldn't do our work here without the support of you all.
I am forever thankful to our amazing staff. The countless hours of planning and preparing to ensure the very best experience for all of the kids. All staff members at Evergreen from teachers, to aides, to custodians, to food service works, to district employees, to student services, to secretaries and more are an integral piece in helping Evergreen run smoothly, efficiently, and safely.
Moving into next month I am excited to focus on kindness spreading throughout the school and the community. Stay tuned for exciting events to come!
~Mrs. Maier
UPDATE FROM THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR
Kindergarten - Identifying Anger - This lesson helps provide the foundation for the Emotion-Management Unit by improving students’ ability to identify anger in themselves and others. Being able to read the feelings of others accurately and identify their own feelings is especially important for children who interact in an aggressive manner.
1st Grade -Identifying Our Own Feelings-Students who can identify their emotions accurately tend to be more socially and emotionally competent. In addition to using situational information, students can also use internal physical clues, such as a fast heartbeat or stomachache, to identify their emotions.Learning to tune in to internal physical clues will prepare students to recognize distressing emotions that might require emotion management. Although it is important for students to be able to tell when they are angry and need to calm down, it is also important for students to be able to identify strong emotions that are more internalized, like sadness or worry, and employ emotion-management skills.
2nd Grade - Introducing Emotion Management - It is hard to think straight and make good decisions when emotions are intense. Strong feelings of anger can lead to aggressive behavior, and students may also struggle to make good choices when experiencing other intense feelings. Recognizing and labeling feelings in oneself and others facilitates problem solving, self management, and social-emotional competence. Focusing on bodily signs of strong emotions helps students recognize distressing emotions that might require managing. Click here for a home link activity.
3rd Grade - Soda Pop Head - Responses to interpersonal conflicts and other stressors can include strong emotions that arise quickly. Strong emotions can cause conflicts to escalate. When emotions are intense, it’s hard to think straight and make good decisions. Students may struggle to make good choices when experiencing intense feelings such as anger, sadness, jealousy, anxiety, or even happiness. In this lesson, students will learn different cool down strategies to manage their anger.
4th Grade - Introducing Emotion Management- People have strong brain and body responses to interpersonal conflicts and other stressors. These responses can include strong emotions that arise quickly. Strong emotions can cause conflicts to escalate. When emotions are intense, it’s hard to think straight and make good decisions. Students may struggle to make good choices when experiencing intense feelings such as anger, sadness, jealousy, anxiety, or even happiness. This lesson helps students demystify what happens inside them when they experience strong emotions. It also lays the groundwork for learning skills to manage the brain’s and body’s reactions to stress and conflict. Click here for home link activity.
5th Grade - Introducing Emotion Management - People have strong brain and body responses to interpersonal conflicts and other stressors. These responses can include strong emotions that arise quickly and can cause conflicts to escalate. When emotions are intense, it is hard to think straight and make good decisions. Students may struggle to make good choices when they experience intense feelings such as anger, sadness, jealousy, anxiety, or even happiness. This lesson helps students demystify what happens inside them when they experience strong emotions, and lays the groundwork for learning skills to manage the brain’s and body’s reactions to intense stress and conflict. Click here for a home link activity.
In addition, every month, WGSD will be highlighting a spotlight skill. Please check out each month’s newsletter to see more about the spotlight skill including: keywords, definitions, and areas of focus. Our District Wide SEL Spotlight Skill this month is Self-Management
More about Self-Management
Keywords: Self-Control, Goal Setting, Self-Motivation, Self- Discipline, Self-Monitoring
Definition: The ability to successfully regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations.
Focus area for each grade level:
4K-5K:Learners will be able to, with adult guidance, display age appropriate self-control.
1st-3rd:Learners will be able to demonstrate listening skills, start and stop conversations, and take turns in conversations.
4th-5th: Learners will be able to effectively communicate clearly, listen well, and cooperate with others to build healthy relationships.
5th GRADE COLONIAL DAY
PBIS MOVIE DAY DECEMBER 3rd
LOST AND FOUND
Please remember to label jackets, boots, gloves, hats. It tremendously helps to return items to students!
HOLIDAY FAIR
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Tuesday, November 30th: 1st Trimester Ends
- Wednesday, December 1st: 2nd Trimester Begins
- Tuesday, December 6th: All Grades - Hearing/Vision Screening - Thank you Lions/Lioness'
- Thursday, December 9th: 4th Grade Kindness Retreat
- Tuesday, December 13th: Report Cards available on Skyward Family Access at 2:00 p.m.
- Wednesday PTO Meeting 6:30
- Dec 23rd- Jan 3rd NO SCHOOL Christmas Break
SAVE THE DATE!
EVERGREEN'S TRAVELING MURAL PROJECT
Evergreen's Library is participating in a Traveling Mural Project with other schools and students around the world. Our goal was for every student to add a piece to our mural. Our 2nd-5th grade students each designed a square for the mural and our 4K, K and 1st grade students each left their mark as well by writing their first name and leaving a finger spot (I say it this way because a finger print would not be a true explanation of what they actually looks like). The project's theme is peace, friendship, diversity, and love and sharing our creativity with our new friends around the world.
Once our mural was complete, we divided it into 9 pieces, kept one piece to anchor our mural at Evergreen and then sent the other 8 pieces to our Project Teams around the world. Now we wait to receive mural pieces from the following places:
- Trailside Elementary in Waterford
- Woodfield Elementary in Waterford
- Hardyston School in New Jersey
- Lawton School in Vermont
- An American School on a military base in Germany
- 2 classes at Crestview School in Ontario Canada
- Trio World Academy in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
We will share our completed mural with you once all of the pieces have arrived at Evergreen!
EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN NOVEMBER
AUTHOR VISIT WITH ERIN PETERSON
4TH GRADE FIELD TRIP TO LAPHAM PEAK
Evergreen 4th graders hiked a portion of the Lapham Peak section of the Ice Age Trail on Nov 17. Their guide pointed out glacial features along the way. The Ice Age Trail Alliance offered this free field trip in order to give students the experience of hiking a portion of the trail.
FRIENDSGIVING
PENNY WARS
Dear Families,
We cannot thank you enough for your support during our Penny Wars for PBIS. It was so much fun to see that grade levels compete in a positive way! It was back and forth, up and down. We really did not know which class would pull ahead until the very end. The students raised $992.13! We are happy to announce that 4K Mrs. Dornack's class took the lead and received popsicles for their efforts! Second place goes to 2nd grade and third place goes to 5K! These classes earned an extra recess! We could not do this without your continued support. With the monies earned, we are supplying a drink and snack for our Trimester Movie Day, which took place on Friday, Dec. 3rd! Way to Go Evergreen!
PTO UPDATES
THANKS PTO
WGSD COVID DASHBOARD
WGSD APP
WHO TO CONTACT IN THE OFFICE
Mrs. Tricia Kedrowicz, Evergreen School Counselor
Mrs. Sue Nicoson, Principal Secretary (Enrollments, student information/needs, Health room)
Mrs. Melissa Adams, Building Secretary (Attendance, Food Service accounts, Health Room)
Mr. Chris McMahon, WGSD Nurse
Mrs. Kim Rivera-Kloeppel, WGSD School Social Worker
Mrs. Lisa Peterson, Aramark Food Service Coordinator