From the Desk of Mr. Yoshida
Birdneck Elementary June 20, 2018
UPCOMING EVENTS
June 22 - Report Cards Mailed home
SAVE THE DATES
August 30 - Meet and Greet 1:30-3:30
September 4 - First Day of School
September 18 - Back to School Night
- 6:00-6:30 Session 1 in classrooms
- 6:30-7:00 PTA meeting
- 7:00-7:30 Session 2 in classrooms
A MESSAGE FROM YOUR PRINCIPAL
Hello Birdneck Community,
Thank you all for an wonderful year! Our students have made tremendous growth and continue to amaze us with what they can do. I'm so proud of the work of our teachers and students and the success our students are having on their summative testing at the end of the year. Our goal is for our students to grow academically, socially, emotionally, and in all aspects of life that help them contribute to our community in a positive manner.
Positive Behavior Supports and Interventions (PBIS) has been a big focus here at Birdneck this year. Below is an overview of PBIS. You can learn more at https://www.pbis.org/. This system provides structure for a school-wide behavior program that has an emphasis on teaching students expectations. In Morning Meetings, teachers have been explicitly teaching these expected behaviors and working with students on what Safety, Ownership, Attitude, and Respect (SOAR) look like throughout our school. Students have been recognized for SOAR behaviors this year by receiving "Eagle Eggs" for displaying exceptional behaviors. Please continue to focus on these behaviors at home. Using the same language (Safety, Ownership, Attitude, and Respect) at home helps us to reinforce our expectations of students here at school.
We would like to increase parent involvement next year and will be looking to have a room parent for each classroom next year who can help us. We sent out a survey a couple of weeks ago about family engagement and you still have an opportunity to help us improve with your response at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9LGPG7K .
Save the dates: I hope you and your child will be able to join us for Meet and Greet on August 30, 2018 and for Back to School Night September 18, 2018. More information about Meet and Greet and Back to School night will be sent this summer.
I look forward to hearing about all of your adventures and the books you read when you return in the Fall. I hope you all have an AMAZING summer!
Have an awesome day,
R.V. Yoshida
kindergarten and pre-kindergarten
If you have not yet registered your children, especially for Kindergarten, please do so as soon as possible. Please visit our school website for school supply lists for each grade level. http://www.birdneckes.vbschools.com/
Pre-Kindergarten Applications are also being accepted now. If you have a child or know of any neighbors who have students that will be 4 years old by September 30th please take this opportunity to share information about our program. Our Pre-Kindergarten is a full day program that is free for those who qualify. Students will learn social skills, school behaviors and skills to prepare them for Kindergarten and help them to be successful in school. We hope that all children eligible for this program take advantage of this amazing opportunity. Those interested can come by Birdneck Elementary to pick up an application packet Monday - Friday from 8:00-3:30pm. I look forward to meeting our new Pre-K students and their parents soon!
Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports
What is School-wide PBIS?
One of the foremost advances in school-wide discipline is the emphasis on school-wide systems of support that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments. Instead of using a piecemeal approach of individual behavioral management plans, a continuum of positive behavior support for all students within a school is implemented in areas including the classroom and non-classroom settings (such as hallways, buses, and restrooms). Positive behavior support is an application of a behaviorally-based systems approach to enhance the capacity of schools, families, and communities to design effective environments that improve the link between research-validated practices and the environments in which teaching and learning occurs. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining Tier 1 supports (universal), Tier 2 supports (targeted group), and Tier 3 supports (individual) systems of support that improve lifestyle results (personal, health, social, family, work, recreation) for all children and youth by making targeted behaviors less effective, efficient, and relevant, and desired behavior more functional.
Why is it so important to focus on teaching positive social behaviors?
Frequently, the question is asked, "Why should I have to teach kids to be good? They already know what they are supposed to do. Why can I not just expect good behavior?" In the infamous words of a TV personality, "How is that working out for you?"
In the past, school-wide discipline has focused mainly on reacting to specific student misbehavior by implementing punishment-based strategies including reprimands, loss of privileges, office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions. Research has shown that the implementation of punishment, especially when it is used inconsistently and in the absence of other positive strategies, is ineffective. Introducing, modeling, and reinforcing positive social behavior is an important step of a student's educational experience. Teaching behavioral expectations and rewarding students for following them is a much more positive approach than waiting for misbehavior to occur before responding. The purpose of school-wide PBIS is to establish a climate in which appropriate behavior is the norm.
What is a systems approach in school-wide PBIS?
An organization is a group of individuals who behave together to achieve a common goal. Systems are needed to support the collective use of best practices by individuals within the organization. The school-wide PBIS process emphasizes the creation of systems that support the adoption and durable implementation of evidence-based practices and procedures, and fit within on-going school reform efforts. An interactive approach that includes opportunities to correct and improve four key elements is used in school-wide PBIS focusing on: 1) Outcomes, 2) Data, 3) Practices, and 4) Systems. The diagram below illustrates how these key elements work together to build a sustainable system:
- Outcomes: academic and behavior targets that are endorsed and emphasized by students, families, and educators. (What is important to each particular learning community?)
- Practices: interventions and strategies that are evidence based. (How will you reach the goals?)
- Data: information that is used to identify status, need for change, and effects of interventions. (What data will you use to support your success or barriers?)
- Systems: supports that are needed to enable the accurate and durable implementation of the practices of PBIS. (What durable systems can be implemented that will sustain this over the long haul?)
Virginia Beach Summer Reading Challenge
Summer Reading Challenge: Virginia Beach Public Library
Contact Information
- (757) 385-0150
- library@vbgov.com
Virginia Beach Public Library
The Summer Reading Challenge is an annual initiative to engage readers of all ages in reading throughout the summer months. Summer Reading Challenge benefits school age children who may be at risk for the loss of reading skills during the summer break and encourages reluctant readers with reading incentives. It is also great fun for all ages!
The 2018 Summer Reading Challenge begins on June 11, 2018 and ends on August 4, 2018 at 5 p.m.
Sign up now for our reading tracking software, Beanstack, and receive reading recommendations. VBPL also offers two year-round reading programs, the Reading Marathon for adults and 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten for kids, birth to 5. Start logging now in Beanstack to earn more prizes in these programs!
Sign Up or Log In to Beanstack
Read whatever you want! You can count books, comic books, magazines, newspapers in print or digital formats. Audiobooks count, too!
101 Fun Things To Do in the Summer
My # 1 suggestion is to help your child find books that interest them over the summer. Look above at opportunities through the Virginia Beach Public Library (including prizes).
There are 101 other suggestions found at
http://www.parenting.com/article/fun-things-to-do-summer
Summer activities for kids, crafts, outdoor fun, travel ideas, cool-down treats and lots more! We have enough fun summer activities for kids to keep them busy all season.
Tags: Educational Activities, Games, Outdoor Safety, Swimming and Pool Safety, Most Popular
BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. For Educational Activities
Dear Family,
Our school has a summer subscription to BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr., award-winning educational websites we trust.
As part of that subscription, you have access to these resources at home all year!
Looking for ideas on how to extend learning at home this summer? BrainPOP’s got you covered!
Sign up at https://go.brainpop.com/home/tips and receive monthly ideas, tips, activities, and more including four
summer learning packets featuring reading, math, writing, and physical fitness.
To Access BrainPop and BrainPop Jr from home:
1. Open the Chrome browser and log in using your VBCPS log in
2. Go to www.brainpop.com
3. Log in using the GSuite for Education option
4. If prompted, enter your VBCPS log in information
5. Use the drop down menu in the upper left hand corner to switch to BrainPop Jr.
Have a great summer!
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK MISSION
The mission of Birdneck Elementary is to dedicate ourselves to the success of all children, preparing them to meet today's expectations and tomorrow's challenges.
BIRDNECK VISION
Children are our future. We are dedicated to their success.
BIRDNECK BELIEFS
We believe in a collaborative community in which teachers, administrators, students, and parents work together for student success.
We believe in creating a safe, nurturing, and positive environment in which all students can strive for excellence and achieve their individual potential.
We believe we will prepare our students for success by providing 21st century learning and developing within our students critical thinking, effective communications and problem solving skills.
Website: http://www.birdneckes.vbschools.com/
Location: 957 South Birdneck Road, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Phone: 757-648-2120
Facebook: facebook.com/birdneckes
Twitter: @BNESeagles