The Flores Flyer
March 8, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 7
Dear parents,
This past week high school students in our local community made some extremely poor decisions. While these events have caused great pain and hardship for so many, it is also an opportunity for reflection and growth for all of us. The insensitive acts and hurtful words, let alone the underage drinking, are all serious problems. These problems do not have quick or easy solutions. Nor are these problems the responsibility of one person or a small group of people to solve. It must take everyone.
Although last weekend’s events received a lot of attention, unfortunately, it is not an isolated incident. The Orange County Human Relations Commissions published their annual report in September 2018. For the third year in a row, reported hate crimes and incidents increased in Orange County and across our nation. These are hateful acts towards individuals based on perceived disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.
Throughout my reflection this past week I have continued to find myself thinking about three main questions.
How do we better teach our students empathy, compassion, love, and tolerance towards others?
How do we better teach our students about the power of social media and being good digital citizens?
How do we better partner as a school organization and as a parent community to raise positive, contributing members to our society?
We are already doing so much, but obviously, we need to do more. We need to do better. Discovering the answers to these questions is going to take a team effort. It cannot be one person, one committee, one school staff, or one parent group. It must be everyone.
Holocaust survivor, author, and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Elie Wiesel wrote in his 1999 speech, The Perils of Indifference, “In a way, to be indifferent to that suffering is what makes the human being inhuman. Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred. Anger can at times be creative. One writes a great poem, a great symphony, one does something special for the sake of humanity because one is angry at the injustice that one witnesses. But indifference is never creative. Even hatred at times may elicit a response. You fight it. You denounce it. You disarm it. Indifference elicits no response. Indifference is not a response.”
Please don’t be indifferent to what happened in our own backyard. Stand up for what’s right and let’s teach our children to do the same. We need to work together to ensure these hurtful acts do not continue with our current Davis students. Model kindness towards others, talk to your child about making appropriate choices, monitor your child’s electronic devices, and continue to work with us as we go through this journey together of raising positive, contributing members of our society.
I am available to brainstorm solutions and am always grateful for your continued support and involvement.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Flores, Principal
Below are suggested steps from the Orange County Human Relations Commission.
The Wall of Fame is Expanding
This is the first year that the Davis Magnet School office has a Wall of Fame to celebrate and honor students for going above and beyond in following our school’s Five Core Values. Students who are sent to the office with a Positive Office Referral meet with me to celebrate with a positive phone call home and then post a selfie on the Wall of Fame. Since September, 53 students have received Positive Office Referrals. On March 6, two 4th grade girls were the first students to have their pictures posted on the second office Wall of Fame. To date they are the only two students that I have selected. What did they do to earn this recognition? They were the only two students who completed my daily kindness challenge AND reported back to me. Recently, I have shared random kindness challenges during flag deck. Tuesday morning’s challenge consisted of meeting at least one student whom they did not know and learn something about them. Additionally, the challenge had a bonus component, which was to meet someone who did not look like themselves. There were probably many conversations that occurred among students throughout the day, Isabella and Chloe though, were the only two students who completed the entire challenge.
Families can create and encourage their own children to complete kindness challenges. It’s an easy way to build tolerance and compassion for family members of all ages. One example is shown below.
2019-20 Davis Magnet School Application Window Open February 15 to March 15
Last year there were 482 applicants for about 100 open seats in the K-6 classrooms at Davis Magnet School. It was the second highest number of applicants in the past 7 years. The application window will open again for the 2019-20 school year beginning on February 15 at 3:00 p.m. and will remain open until March 15.
ALL new, incoming Davis siblings must apply for the lottery. ALL interested Davis preschool students must also apply for the lottery. The application guidelines may be found on our Davis Magnet School website. The application link will also appear on our website on February 15. The lottery is scheduled for March 28 and parents will receive an email notifying them of their child’s attendance status on April 5. We ask that parents confirm or deny acceptance by April 19. Please do not hesitate to contact the front office with any questions.
The Power of Yet: Developing our Growth Mindset - Written by Mrs. Danahy, 5th Grade Teacher and PBIS Team Member
This month’s growth mindset focuses on celebrating mistakes. In The Gift of Failure, Jessica Lahey outlines the importance of celebrating mistakes with our children when she states, “In order to help children make the most of their education, parents must begin to relinquish control and focus on three goals: embracing opportunities to fail, finding ways to learn from that failure, and creating positive home-school relationships.” As adults, we understand that mistakes are inevitable, but as parents, we tend to protect our kids from risking failure and making mistakes. As a learning community, it is imperative that teachers and parents work together to give our kids the tools they need to be resilient and learn from their mistakes. Here are 10 things Psychology Today recommends we try at home:
Acknowledge that you don't expect your children to be perfect.
Let them know your love is unconditional, regardless of their mistakes or lapses in judgment.
Don't rescue children from their mistakes. Instead, help them focus on the solution.
Provide examples of your own mistakes, the consequences, and how you learned from them.
Encourage them to take responsibility for their mistakes and not blame others.
Avoid pointing out their past mistakes. Instead, focus on the one at hand.
Praise them for their ability to admit their mistakes.
Praise them for their efforts and courage to overcome setbacks.
Mentor them on how to apologize when their mistakes have hurt others.
Help them look at the good side of getting things wrong!
Spotlight on 4th Grade!
Each month we will shine a special spotlight on one grade level at Davis Magnet School. This month 4th grade teachers, Mrs. Galen, Mrs. Ramos, and Mr. Olsen share some of the wonderful things the 4th grade students are doing.
In January the 4th grade classes enjoyed participating in the Walk Through CA assembly. The students enjoyed learning about people and events in the state’s history. The classes have started our unit on the CA Mission. During the unit the students practice non-fiction reading and writing and develop research skills. At the end of the unit the students will produce both a written report and a digital display to show of what they have learned. On April 18th we will enjoy a field trip to the San Juan Capistrano Mission.
In math the students are learning to model fractions on number lines, geoboards, and in egg cartons. They are learning to create equivalent fractions, as well as how to add and subtract fractions. Last year was our first year using the Bridges math curriculum and the 4th grade team was impressed with the deep level of fraction understanding our students developed.
Thursdays between recess and lunch the classes are rotating among the teachers for lessons on the Next Generation Science Standards in life science. Mrs. Galen is teaching about how our eyes and brain work together to help us understand the world around us. Mr. Olsen’s lessons focus on the internal structures and functions of the human body. Mrs. Ramos is teaching about the structure and function of plant leaves and flowers. She is also teaching about the life cycle and body structure of monarch butterflies. This spring the 4th grade classes will plant milkweed and nectar plants in the Learning Garden and will be monitoring the garden for monarch eggs, larva, pupas, and butterflies.
The 4th grade team is working hard to make this the #bestyearyet!
Nutrition Nuggets - "Why Breakfast?" By Pam Williams, NMUSD Nutritionist
Have you ever thought about the importance of including breakfast in your family's diet? Research shows there are benefits when we eat breakfast regularly.
According to the School Nutrition and Academic Achievement Research Summary, eating healthy foods for breakfast may positively impact academic performance. How so?
Research shows that students who have a low nutrient intake can improve their math scores with a healthy breakfast. This is true regardless of family income and education levels.
Also, healthy breakfast choices can help improve performance when students take short-term memory tests, help improve attendance, and help students improve scores on standardized tests. Further, students can reduce illnesses and have less symptoms associated with hunger.
Including breakfast is an excellent way to support students in school but how to fit healthy breakfasts into busy schedules? Pack a grab-and-go breakfast the night before. Include foods such as boiled eggs, cheese sticks, breakfast sandwiches or burritos, yogurt, trail mix, and fruit. No time to pack one? Students can eat a healthy breakfast at school.
Let's help our students succeed!
On March 1, I sent an email to all Davis parents regarding important information about students' internet safety. I am including it again within this newsletter to ensure the content and resources are available for parents. Please contact me with any questions or concerns. ---Mrs. Flores
March 1, 2019
Dear parents,
As you may have heard in the news, the “Momo Challenge” has been circulating through video and text form on social media and in other digital channels such as Snapchat, WhatsApp, and YouTube. Allegedly, Momo targets children by encouraging them to engage in self-harm. Regardless if this is more fear than fact, children should be closely monitored while on the internet.
We have certain filters in place to monitor and limit certain internet access to students while at school. If there are any conversations or concerns that arise from students about this challenge during school hours, we will not sensationalize this with announcements or large discussions. We will address any concerns with individual conversations to keep it as low profile as possible.
I strongly encourage you to talk to your child about the importance of being a good digital citizen. This includes alerting a trusted adult or teacher if inappropriate content is shared to their phone, Chromebook, iPad, or any other personal device. Below are some suggestions for navigating family conversations, along with some parenting resources.
Tips for family discussions:
- Ask a general question about whether your child has seen anything online that has made them upset or worried.
- Explain that many things that happen online can be misleading or frightening. Some things are designed to gain attention.
- Make sure your child knows that it is not okay to communicate with or follow directions from strangers online.
- If you see something, say something.
Parenting tools in the digital age:
- Common Sense Media
- Family Online Safety Institute
- Creating a Family Media Plan (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Communication and awareness are key. Your partnership and involvement are greatly appreciated. I am available to offer support and guidance, if needed, so please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Flores,
Principal
Parenting Tip: Before You Speak...THINK!
Davis Magnet School
Instagram @davis_magnet_school
Facebook @facebook.com/DavisMagnetSchoolDucks
Twitter @DavisMagnet
Email: cflores@nmusd.us
Website: http://davismagnet.nmusd.us/
Location: 1050 Arlington Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, USA
Phone: (714)424-7930
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavisMagnetSchoolDucks/
Twitter: @DavisMagnet
2019-20 Davis Application Window Open
Friday, Feb 15, 2019, 03:00 PM
Davis Magnet School Website
PTA General Meeting
Friday, Mar 8, 2019, 08:30 AM
Davis Magnet School MPR
School Tour
Friday, Mar 8, 2019, 09:00 AM
Davis Magnet School
Spring Conferences
M, T, TH, F - Early Out at 1:20 p.m.
Wednesday, March 13 - No school