Sterling Jaguar Journal
December 2021
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
The final month of the year is here! This is a great time to share memories as a family, celebrate your child’s growth both at home and school, and spend quality time together. It’s important that students continue to work on the skills they’ve been practicing this school year even while they’re away over Winter Break. Here are a few ideas that celebrate their successes, allow you to spend quality time together, and help keep their skills sharp:
· Read together every day for 20-30 minutes. Ask your child their favorite part or what connections they have to their story that enhances their meaning. Reading daily is so important to their growth as a learner.
· Bake a batch of cookies together. Following a recipe helps children follow multi-step directions. Ensuring exact measurements is a great math skill to practice too!
· Take a walk together. When you return home, children can draw and write about what they experienced with their five senses.
· Visit the local library. Everyone can get a library card for free!
· Have a dance party together! Physical activity is important for children’s development.
· Create a scavenger hunt for your child to complete.
· Give back. Students can create cards or write letters for soldiers, those in a nursing home, or just their neighbor. A nice note brightens a person’s day!
· Encourage kids to make their own game, and then play it with them.
Whatever you do, enjoy the time with family and friends, and keep your children’s minds and bodies busy!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Short
SEARCH NEWS
MUSIC NEWS
In music class, second graders have been working on their ensemble skills. Here they practice singing, playing a melody, and playing a bordun together to accompany a Thanksgiving story.
We can’t wait to share pictures of our first grade musical with you next month! First grade students are working hard on their show, It’s a Jungle Out There, which will be shared virtually with families and Sterling Elementary classes!
ART NEWS
PE NEWS
SCHOOL COUNSELING NEWS
For the last two months, students at Sterling Elementary School have participated in lessons to learn what bullying is, how to tell if it is bullying or conflict, and what they can do if they or someone they know might be experiencing bullying.
Please read through information that your child has been taught regarding bullying.
What is Bullying?
Bullying is when a person is hurt, emotionally or physically by a person or group of people, repeatedly (in a small amount of time), they are being hurt on purpose, and they feel powerless to make it stop. Often a person being bullied is afraid of the person or group of people hurting them.
What Bullying is not?
Bullying is not a conflict between two people. This is true even when a person or group of people do hurtful things to another person. If both people are saying or doing hurtful things, it is a conflict. This should still be addressed, but neither side feels powerless so there is no bullying.
Ways to handle bullying:
Students have been taught to report instances of bullying to a trusted adult (parents, adult family members, teachers, counselor, nurse, and principals). We also taught students it is okay to stand up for others who may be bullied, by inviting them to play at recess, giving them a compliment, helping them talk to a trusted adult, and helping them through being a buddy to others who may need a friend for support.
PBIS NEWS
Our students have been working so hard to show safe, polite, on task, and trustworthy behavior! They celebrated all their hard work by reflecting on their accomplishments and enjoying a movie at the end of the first quarter.
The extended winter break is a great time to connect with your students at home and focus on community building at home. At school, we build a positive and supportive community by following our safe, polite, on task, and trustworthy norms and practicing our social emotional learning skills as well. You can help your child practice these skills at home as well!
Name their feeling when they are feeling a strong emotion (ex. “I am feeling frustrated right now”)
Look at clues to identify how someone else is feeling (looking at their face or body to determine how they are feeling”)
Give them kind words to encourage them when they make a mistake
Encourage them to “practice” and “keep trying” to get better at something that is hard
During the break, your student should also continue to practice their academic skills. They should read a book everyday for at least 20-30 minutes. They can also complete math lessons on Dreambox. We hope your family is able to connect during the extended break and enjoy time together!
KINDERGARTEN KUDOS
CALENDAR
There is no school Wednesday, November 24 through Friday, November 26. Students will rejoin their classmates on Monday, November 29.
3-3:45PM: Basketball Club
Friday, Dec. 3:
8-9 AM: Family Coffee
Monday, Dec. 6:
Computer Science Education Week
Inclusive Schools Week
2:45-4:00 PM: Healthy Kids Club
3-3:30 PM: Dance Club
3-3:45 PM: Hydroponic Club
Tuesday, Dec. 7:
3-3:45 PM: Soccer Club
6-7 PM: PEP Meeting
Wednesday, Dec. 8:
3-3:45PM: Basketball Club
Thursday, Dec. 9:
5:30-7:30 PM: Virtual PTA Movie Night & Dining Out
Friday, Dec. 10:
1:30-2:30 PM: First Grade Musical (recorded for school to be aired December 13)
Monday, Dec. 13:
8:30-9:30 AM: Spelling Bee
9:30-11:30 AM: 4th Grade Virtual Jamestown Field Trip
2:45-4:00 PM: Healthy Kids Club
3-3:30 PM: Dance Club
3-3:45 PM: Hydroponic Club
Tuesday, Dec. 14:
9:30-11:30 AM: 4th Grade Virtual Jamestown Field Trip
3-3:45 PM: Soccer Club
6:30-7:30 PM: PTA Meeting
Wednesday, Dec 15:
3-3:45PM: Basketball Club
Friday, Dec 17:
Spirit Day: Pajama Day
Interims Sent Home
December 20-December 31:
Winter Break: No School