PAW PRINTS
Winfield Elementary Newsletter - December 4, 2020
Winfield Elementary School Improvement Goals
All students will demonstrate measurable growth and achievement in reading.
All students will demonstrate measurable growth and achievement in mathematics.
All students will demonstrate growth in their social-emotional learning.
From the Principal, Mrs. Alonzo
Dear Winfield Friends and Family,
The effort, enthusiasm, and intentionality displayed by our teachers and support staff continues to AMAZE me. They are working hard to keep our students engaged in their curriculum from afar. Please know that although students are at home--it is business as usual here at school. Do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher if you have any concerns, at any time.
Traditionally we would host parent-teacher conferences in October, but with the transitions between Yellow, Green, then Red--we have elected to postpone them temporarily. When we return from Winter Break, we will be completing our middle-of-year assessments to monitor learning and growth. The assessments include mCLASS TRC (Text Reading Comprehension) and DIBELS (including dyslexia universal screeners). These tests are administered one-on-one with the student and teacher. In addition, the students will take the computer-based STAR assessments in both Literacy and Math. STAR tests are adaptive in nature, and accelerate or decelerate in difficulty according to the child's performance. Teachers glean valuable information from these measures of progress, which in turn inform instructional planning. We plan to conference with our families after these important assessments are administered and the data is reviewed.
We have 2 more weeks to go before Winter Break. Thank you for your commitment to helping your child put forth their best effort during these final days. Even though we aren't in person right now, we have some wonderful activities planned for the final days of school in December. Get your pajamas and hot cocoa ready!
Mrs. Jillian Alonzo
Principal
Contact Information:
Winfield Elementary- 663-2287 ext. 19001
Counselor's Corner with Mrs. Williams
Big sigh of relief, we made it through another week of eLearning!! This week, I wanted to shift gears a little bit, and do an author spotlight. I like to share resources with families, especially books. Books provide not only extra practice for developing those critical reading skills, but a unique way to connect young readers to essential skills and life lessons through stories.
Peter H. Reynolds is an award winning author and illustrator of children’s books. Many of which, send a positive message to spark creativity and champion individuality. Peter’s books carry meaningful lessons that resonate not only with children, but adults as well.
Peter also worked collaboratively with Susan Verde on several of her books, which are all wonderful in their own right. These books include: I am Human, I am Peace, I am Love, and I am One
Some of my favorite books from this amazing author include:
The Dot, Ish, Sky Color, Say Something, Word Collector, Happy Dreamer, By You!
I encourage you to check out some of these books if you are looking to add to your home library. These books are great facilitators for insightful conversations to connect with children. You can find a read aloud of many of them on YouTube as well!
Wishing you all a warm and wonderful weekend!
-Mrs. Williams
Contact Information:
Winfield Elementary- 219-663-2287 ext. 19108
Positive Behavior Coach, Mrs. Adams
Hello, Winfield families -
Last week I wrote about both self-talk and positive self-talk, and how incorporating both skills into our lives can have a big impact on how we think and feel. Over time, engaging in more positive self-talk can help reduce stress, improve self-esteem, increase motivation, inspire productivity, and improve overall mental and physical health.
To go along with self-talk and positive self-talk, something special I enjoy speaking to our students about is the idea of fixed mindset versus growth mindset. According to Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, Carol Dweck, "in a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success". On the other hand, according to Dweck, "in a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work - brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment".
Growth mindset is a concept that I am introducing to our students in order to boost self-esteem, resiliency, and a love of learning. Also, having this mindset will help students to understand that it is okay to fail and learn from those mistakes, and also, they will see the value in taking on new challenges. In using key growth mindset vocabulary and engaging activities, my hope is that our students will understand and adopt a growth mindset. They may not fully jump on board, but when faced with adversity, I hope they utilize these self-regulation practices in order to overcome and persevere.
To help our students understand the difference between the two mindsets, fixed mindset and growth mindset look like this:
Fixed mindset
*Failure is the limit of my abilities.
*I am either good at it or I am not.
*I don't like to be challenged.
*Feedback and criticism are personal.
*My potential is predetermined.
Growth mindset
*Failure is an opportunity to grow.
*I can learn to do anything I want.
*Challenges help me grow.
*Feedback is constructive.
*My effort and attitude determine my abilities.
Additionally, please see the chart below to further understand how to move from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Using verbiage such as that on the chart will help extend their growth mindset learning from school to home. I appreciate your help in helping us work toward positive thinking! As always, please reach out to me with any questions.
-Mrs. Adams
Contact Information:
Winfield Elementary- 219-663-2287 ext. 19602
Reading Connection
From the School Nurse, Mrs. Taylor
We are all feeling the impact of the pandemic and growing weary! Below are some tips from the Indiana Department of Health on ways to help reduce pandemic fatigue.
- Limit your news intake-choose an accurate source and limit news consumption to one hour a day or less.
- Lower your stress-focus on activities that are calming and bring you joy.
- Create new traditions-you will have something to look forward to and you might decide to keep it once the pandemic has passed.
- Accept your feelings-stuffing your feelings down and ignoring them doesn’t make them go away. Acknowledge them, allow yourself to have them, and then refocus your mind and energy on things you can do to feel better.
- Reach out for support if you become overwhelmed.
We are all in this together and so many of us are feeling the ongoing impact of this pandemic! Breathe…take time for yourself and unplug from the negativity. Enjoy some time each day doing something you and your family enjoy doing to help keep the positive vibes flowing!
Contact Information:
Winfield Elementary- 663-2287 ext. 19081
Chromebook Repair and Support
Chromebook Repair and Support
The Chromebook is the property of the school within the Crown Point Community School Corporation. Therefore, the device must be repaired by Crown Point Technology staff.
1. If a student is attending classes in person, please see your School Librarian for Chromebook repair.
2. If a student is an at-home learner and the Chromebook is broken or fails to work or your charger needs repair please fill out this form Chromebook Repair Form. Your School Media Specialist will contact you.
3. For help with the RDS Log-in or the Buzz Button inside RDS complete the CPCSC Support Form.
4. If you are having issues with one of your courses on Buzz, please contact the teacher by email.
Technology Support- BUZZ and RDS
How does my student get on BUZZ?
https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cYjYobm143
How does my student navigate BUZZ?
Important Dates
December 2020
4-20- Distance Learning
18- Polar Express Day (details to follow!)
21-31- Winter Break
January 2020
1- Winter Break
4- E-Learning Day
5- E-Learning Day
6- E-Learning Day
7- Students Return In Person
13- E-Learning Day
15- No School; Teacher Work Day
18- No School; Dr. MLK Jr. Day
20- E-Learning Day
27- E-Learning Day
Food Service
Food service will continue using the same method as the last few weeks. Meal pick up is 9-10am on Mondays (Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and 14) and includes 5 meals. If you have not been on the list for the last few weeks and would like to be added, please email pmaloney@cps.k12.in.us. Meal pick up locations include Crown Point High School, Jerry Ross Elementary, Timothy Ball Elementary, and MacArthur Elementary.
RED STATUS- Latch Key Child Care
Red Status Latch Key Child Care Applications
Fee-based child care opportunities are available for children in grades K-5 while the corporation is in “red” status. Applications are at the links below.
Crown Point Community School Corporation
Birth To School Program
Do you have a pre-kindergarten aged child who will attend kindergarten at Winfield Elementary in 2021-2022? Enroll in the CP Birth to School Kindergarten Readiness program to receive FREE monthly Learning Kits! Please visit the CP Birth to School Kindergarten Readiness website for more information https://tinyurl.com/cpkindergartenreadiness, or contact CP Birth to School Coordinator, Jamie Kalk, at jkalk@cps.k12.in.us.
HELP WANTED: Substitute Teachers
ESS is looking for Substitute Teachers for all Crown Point schools!
CAFE News
APPLES FOR THE STUDENTS
Keep collecting those Strack & Van Til receipts to turn into both Winfield and Jerry Ross! Each dollar spent earns our schools points to redeem for school supplies. Any questions? Contact Amy Schaafsma at 219-306-3654 or aschaafs@gmail.com
Winfield Elementary
Email: jalonzo@cps.k12.in.us
Website: www.cps.k12.in.us/Domain/843
Location: 13128 Montgomery Street, Crown Point, IN, United States
Phone: 219-663-2287
Twitter: @WinfieldElem