Washington Post; Back to School
August 2016
Early Entrance Conference Sign up: August 23 & 24
Dear Families and Students:
As we approach the 2nd half of August, I must say I can't wait for your return! The school is just a building without the energy of students, staff and families running through it. You will find out classroom placement in two weeks. Simply stop by the school to sign up for entry conferences and pick up a folder. See schedule below:
- Tuesday, August 23, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, August 24, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Early Entrances conferences will take place at the time you sign up for on either Tuesday, September 6 or 7.
The PTO is planning a welcome back picnic. More details to come!
Enjoy the remaining days of summer!
We're Excited for Fall 2016!
With the summer months all but behind us, I am excited to welcome back our amazing staff, students and families. The anticipation of a new school year brings about thoughts of new faces, friendships, experiences, challenges and a new beginning. Our school theme will continue to be One School. One Team. One Dream.
The One School, One Team, One Dream theme will be supported by our efforts to build a culture of leadership and excellence. Inspired by the work completed last year through The Leader in Me book study, our school is planning to teach and practice the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The seven habits are:
1. Habit 1: Be Proactive
2. Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
3. Habit 3: Put First Things First
4. Habit 4: Think Win-Win
5. Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood
6. Habit 6: Synergize
7. Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
One School. One Team. One Dream
What is your dream? Sometimes it helps to find an example of a person who you see as a role model. I encourage you to visit with your child about their hopes and dreams. Talk with them about roles you had in your life that inspired you to dream. It is never too early to start dreaming!
To reach for a dream you have to believe in yourself and have the courage and confidence to move forward. Next, you need to think through a plan. Begin by thinking about things you can do to support your plan. Write it down and share with others. Finally, you need to do something; take action. But you can't just do anything – it must be thoughtful and focused. So, Believe, Think, Do to achieve your dream.
Vision for a Culture of Leadership and Excellence
It is our vision to create a culture of leadership and excellence where each person sees their worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to rise to their potential (Stephen and Sean Covey, 2014).
It is important to know that the culture of leadership vision will develop over a several year process. Year one will be about developing the language and increasing the leadership experiences for all students. Teachers and staff will receive training, pending grant approval, in the fall of 2017 and planning for additional materials to support implementation will follow. I will provide weekly updates on activities and steps taken on the leadership and excellence journey through the weekly principal blog and bi-monthly newsletter.
Our Leadership and Excellence Planning Team has developed five desire outcomes. We intend to monitor progress and growth related to these outcomes over time.
1. A safe and supportive environment focused on developing leadership capacity in all students.
2. A student centered culture with a laser like focus on our primary purpose of student learning
3. An environment where differences are embraced and celebrated
4. Healthy relationships where every student has at least one adult advocate and peer friendship.
5. Develop the skills and mindsets that allow students to lead their own lives, to be able to work effectively with others and make a meaningful contribution wherever they go in life. (Stephen and Sean Covey, Leader in Me)
The video below from Kid President shows the power of one. It will take a personal decision from each of us everyday to create the community we desire.
Wildcat 2 Wildcat
Washington Welcomes New Staff!
We have several new staff members joining us this year and some familiar faces in new roles. Washington Elementary is excited about the amazing talents the following people will bring to our community:
- Leah Ries and Jonathan Shevy, Music
- Hanne Weber, School Psychologist
- Kristina Gronewald, Clerical Assistant
- Amanda Murphy, Physical Education
- Thomas Delano, Reading Corp
- Amy Cain, K-5 Math Specialist
- Jill Hall, Special Education Teacher
- Kristina St. Peter, Behavior Intervention Paraprofessional
- Colleen Meagher, LPN/Para
- Carrie Friesz, Playground Supervisor
- Farhan Mohamoud, Playground Supervisor
- Chelsie Gransee, School Counseling Intern
- Brittany Stewart, 1st Grade
Existing staff that have changed roles for the 2015-16 school year:Sarah Peterson, 3rd Grade
- Sarah Peterson, 3rd Grade
Creating a Healthy Environment
Dear Families,
Mankato Area Public Schools is making an effort to promote healthy behaviors among our children and adolescents by making our cafeterias, school stores, fundraisers and vending machines healthier. We have swapped the high-fat, -sugar, and sodium items out for whole grains, low-fat, reduced sugar and nutrient-dense foods.
In order to provide a consistent message throughout our district we are asking that classrooms celebrate students' birthdays, holidays and other classroom celebrations without food.
Schools have a list of alternative options in order to make the child or day feel special. As a parent, you could consider donating a book to the classroom, eat lunch with your child, or give small items such as pencils, gel pens or erasers to the students. Please visit www.isd77.org/page/4676 for more information.
Sincerely,
Kelsey Rounds, RD, LD
Nutrition & Wellness Specialist
Mankato Area School District & Mankato Clinic Foundation - Partnership in Health
Email: kround1@isd77.org Phone: 507-207-4303
Shane Baier
Principal
Attendance; A Key to School Success
Regular school attendance is the first step to academic achievement. All students, once enrolled, are subject to compulsory attendance laws and we urge you to take whatever steps necessary to ensure your child is in school. When your child is absent from school, please call the school at 345-7696. Washington School office hours are 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM and voicemail is always available to leave a message after office hours.
In order to promote school attendance and verify records, families will be contacted about absences through letters generated by our attendance system. Our goal is to work with your family to support your child in getting to school each day and to create a plan to increase attendance. Each elementary site has an attendance team, which includes a School Social Worker, District Nurse, School Counselor, and the Principal.
If your child will not be at school, please call the health service office and leave a message with the name of the child, teacher’s name and reason for not attending school.
Appointments such as doctor, dentist, etc., should be scheduled before or after school hours. Should your child miss more than one hour of class in the morning or the afternoon, it will be considered a half-day absence. Students arriving after 8:15 AM without an excused absence will be considered tardy. Also, we encourage families to schedule vacations during school breaks.
If you must take a child out of school, please call ahead to the office (345-3059) stating when you intend to pick up your child. When arriving at school, please come to the office. The office will call the classroom for your child. Children will not be released to waiting cars or to anyone who cannot identify himself/herself to the satisfaction of the administration.
Wildcat Spotlight on Leadership and Excellence
School-Wide Title I Site
Washington Elementary continues to be a school wide Title I building. We are fortunate to have resources and additional staff in place to support all students. The philosophy is to support students with what they need, when they need it. Your partnership is essential to the success of each child. Please seek out ways to support your child’s learning here and at home. We will provide opportunities for engagement and resources to support the journey throughout the year. Classroom volunteers, PTO membership, field trip chaperones, and special events planning are just a few ways you can become involved.
Events Calendar
Sept. 6- Early Entrance Conference
Sept. 7- Early Entrance Conferences
Sept.6 & 7- Fall Pictures
Sept. 10- Classes Start, K-6
Sept. 12 & 13- Dibels Rdg. Assess.
Sept. 14- Wildcat Rally
???Paws rotation Event, 9:10 am
Sept. 16- Welcome back family picnic
Sept. 19 PTO Meeting, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Sept. 27- Great Am. Fundraising, 10 am
Sept. 20- PLC 2 hr. Late Start
Oct. 5- Wildcat Rally 9:10 a.m.
Oct. 6 -Open House/Book Fair 6 -7:30p.m.
Oct. 10 – PTO Meeting 6:30-7:30 p.m
Oct. 11- PLC 2 hr. Late Start
Oct. 20 & 21- No School MEA
Nov. 1- Vision Screening
Nov. 2- Wildcat Rally 10 a.m.
Nov. 7 – PTO Meeting 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Nov. 8 – PLC 2 hr. Late Start Day
Nov. 8- General Election
Nov. 11- Teacher Workshop Day
Nov. 15, 17 & 21- Parent/Teacher Conferences 3:30 – 7:50 p.m. Nov. 22- No School K-5
Nov. 23, 24 & 25 No School, Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 29- 5th Gr. Guthrie Field Trip