Cardinal Flyer
"Launching the Next Generation of Lifetime Learners"
Do not forget that the value and interest of life is not so much to do conspicuous things....as to do ordinary things with the perception of their enormous value.
-Teilhard de Chardin.
Week at a Glance:
K-3rd mClass window (January 5-27)
4th-5th Benchmark window (now-January 29)
January 11:
4th Grade Reading Planning Day
Office meeting (8:15-9:00)
PBIS Meeting (2:45) in Katie Jenkins' room
January 12:
PLC Day
TIPS
January 13:
Resource PLC (7:30)
3rd-5th RISE Assembly (8:30)
3rd-5th SOAR parties (9:00-10:00)
EC Training with Connie Denning (2:45)
January 14:
End of 2nd Grading Period
District Literacy Team (8:00-11:00)
K-2nd Grade RISE Assembly (1:00)
K-2nd Grade SOAR (1:30-2:15)
Certified Staff Meeting (3:00)
- Heather Caldwell with YMCA- 10 minutes
- Intervention Team EdCamp- 45 minutes
January 15:
8:30- Non-certified staff meeting in cafeteria- Heather Caldwell from the YMCA will be here to introduce a new wellness program.
Reynolds District Principal's Meeting
Mrs. Jenkins teaches 3rd graders about Empathy
Playground Update
Weather permitting, the workday this Saturday the 9th will help get students on the playground. There is a large retaining pond that will eventually be filled in that needs to have safety fencing around it and the ground around new pathways needs to be filled in. Once these things are complete and reviewed for safety, students will be able to play again. I will let you know just as soon as we have the "all-clear". Thanks to everyone for your patience during this massive project. The playground committee is already working on Phase 2, which will include getting new equipment pieces in place. How exciting!
PBIS Corner
- Teachers, please be reminded to utilize the calming strategies shared with you by the PBIS team in the google document as well as the calming videos. These strategies can help soothe an excited classroom during transition times and especially help our students who need practice to learn self-regulation. They are shared with you in Google Drive with the names "Calming Strategies" and "Resilient and Calming Strategy Videos"
- Teachers and instructional assistants, please be sure you are consistently giving RISE tickets everyday through the whole day to students. Tickets should be given with specific praise. Make sure this is happening in every setting of our school: recess, bathroom breaks, cafeteria, hallways, classrooms, and specials.
- Teachers, please be sure your students know what intangible and tangible rewards they can earn for their tickets. Tickets don't mean anything if they aren't directly linked with rewards.
A Musical Snowball Fight: 3rd Grade Students learn about Rhythms
News You Can Use:
Even though Wellness Wednesdays are gone, all staff are encouraged to be healthy and active during any planning period or lunch break. The only guideline to to let the office know if you are outside the building and to stay on campus. Enjoy some stress relieving time when you can.
Teachers, please have grades entered by the end of the day on Thursday, January 21st. Please finalize grades for N2 AND S1.
Teachers, just a friendly reminder from Denise Wright to have all attendance complete each day by 9:30 am.
Positive Psychology: Week 1 of 3
For many years, researchers and practitioners defined health and happiness by the absence of distress or disease. It is only fairly recently that these traditional methods have been challenged, focusing on the positive aspects of human development instead.
The study of happiness, or what can go right in life and help us to flourish, is called Positive Psychology. Just as we now at Fairview Elementary School are working under a PBIS framework (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) the emphasis on the positive is very helpful as we seek to find our own happiness and to encourage happiness for our students. We do not deny that problems and challenges occur, but we operate under the assumption that human goodness and excellence are just as real as disease and distress.
Personally I would take it a step further and argue that WITH the knowledge of the existence of human goodness and excellence informing my life, I can try to stay one step ahead of disease and distress (considering it something of a protective factor). As we seek to build resilient and happy students (and resiliency and happiness within ourselves) remember the adage: ‘we get more of what we focus on’.
Just as we are focusing on our students' positive behavior choices and rewarding with tickets and praise in our PBIS systems, remind students to be conscious of what they are focusing on. Are they focusing on the happiness of learning or the difficulties of attempts? Are they focusing on the fact that they can’t go outside because it’s too cold or are they focusing on the opportunity to have some free time to talk and play indoors with a friend? More aspects of Positive Psychology and how it can help us (both students and educators) flourish to come next week.
Thanks to Amanda Herbert for this series of contributions!
PDP's for Certified Staff
Fairview Elementary School
Email: jennifer.reed@bcsemail.org
Website: www.buncombe.k12.nc.us/fes
Location: 1355 Charlotte Highway, Fairview, NC, United States
Phone: 828-628-2732
Facebook: facebook.com/FairviewElementary