Rocket News
January 2021
A letter from your Principal
Rocket Families!
Happy New Year!
As we wrap up our first official week of the 2021 calendar, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for all you've done in supporting your Rocket(s) and the staff at Royal Oaks. To say that these last ten (10) months have been a challenge would be the understatement of the year. However, with most challenging events there are some silver linings and I hope that you and your family have taken some time recently to highlight some of those silver linings. Though there are many things I am excited to leave behind in 2020; there are several that I will look back on fondly. One thing I will remember fondly is the strong community of learners (students, staff and families) that Royal Oaks has. We work hard and we play hard. We follow the Rocket Way of being respectful, responsible, empathetic, kind and showing self control.
When I started as the Principal of Royal Oaks eleven (11) years ago, the staff had a saying that has since been replaced with other sayings, etc., but I think it is fitting to share that saying again. Together We Can!
Together we can grow as learners. Together we can support each other academically, emotionally, and mentally. Together we can stay balanced. Together we can share our opinions and truly listen to others. Together we can continue to make Royal Oaks a great place to learn and work.
Thank You for all you do and here is to a hopeful and promising 2021.
Love,
Mr. Ackley
20 Tips for a Positive New Year
1. Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can trust that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.
2. Take a daily "Thank You Walk." You can’t be stressed and thankful at the same time. Feel blessed
and you won’t be stressed.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and less foods manufactured in plants.
4. Talk to yourself instead of listen to yourself. Instead of listening to your complaints, fears and
doubts, talk to yourself with words of truth and encouragement.
5. Post a sign that says "No Energy Vampires Allowed." Gandhi said, "I will not let anyone walk
through my mind with their dirty feet."
6. Be a Positive Team Member. Being positive doesn’t just make you better, it makes everyone around you better.
7. Don't chase success. Decide to make a difference and success will find you.
8. Get more sleep. You can't replace sleep with a double latte.
9. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
10. Look for opportunities to Love, Serve and Care. You don’t have to be great to serve but you have to serve to be great.
11. Live your purpose. Remember why you do what you do. We don't get burned out because of
what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it.
12. Remember, there's no such thing as an overnight success. Love the process and you’ll love what the process produces.
13. Trust that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging
experiences.
14. Implement the No Complaining Rule. If you are complaining, you're not leading.
15. Read more books than you did in 2017. I happen to know of a few good ones. : )
16. Don't seek happiness. Instead live with love, passion and purpose and happiness will find you.
17. Focus on "Get to" vs "Have to." Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.
18. The next time you "fail" remember that it’s not meant to define you. It’s meant to refine you.
19. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.
20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.
Click on the link to be able to make a copy for yourself: http://jongordon.com/21tips/
JANUARY ROSCO MEETING: January 12th at 6:30 PM
Free Love & Logic Online Parenting Event
“Parenting During Uncertain Times”
LIVE Tuesday, January 12th.
This event goes live at 8 PM EST / 7 PM CST/ 5 PM PST.
Click here to register for FREE
We’ll provide solutions to current challenges facing families including:
• Parenting in the age of Covid
• Helping kids with anxiety, depression, worry and stress
• Helping kids stay motivated in virtual school
• Dealing with challenging behaviors
• Long-term effective parenting strategies
• Caring for your own mental health
Troubles with your school issued hot spot or device?
You can report your issues and requests straight to the source!
Of course, always make sure your students teacher is aware of your issues so you can work as a team!
Click Here to submit a ticket
Click Here to see SP District Centers Technology full website
January News from the advanced Learner program:
Yahara: 5th graders submitted their final copies of their Yahara pieces by the December 18 deadline. Local judging will take place on January 14. The top 10 pieces from each category: poetry, short stories, cartoons, and editorials, and art covers and divider pages will be selected to move onto regional judging in early February.
Warmest Wishes,
Katie Plesac
Royal Oaks Advanced Learner Program Teacher
Reporting Student Absences
Parents/Guardians may report a student absence 24 hours a day by dialing (608) 834-7200.
Please contact the office before 8:30 a.m. any morning that your child will not in school, even if they will be joining us late. If we do not hear from you, a safe arrival call will be made to you at home and/or work. We want to make sure every child is safe!
Mallards Reading Program
Dear Royal Oaks Parents,
The Madison Mallards Baseball team is sponsoring the Lil Ducks reading program. This is an incentive that the Mallards organization has been doing for several years. If your child has participated in the reading program during previous years it should be the same for this year. If this is new to your family it is a great opportunity to promote reading for fun. Each child set’s their own reading goal. This can be anything from tracking reading minutes, number of books read or increased reading level. Teachers can also help with the reading goal but it is up to the student to do the reading on their own.
Students who participate in the reading program can earn 2 free tickets to a Madison Mallards baseball game during the summer of 2021. Additional tickets can be purchased for family members at a reduced rate as well. Last year the program was started but due to Covid19 the game day for families was cancelled.
Further information about this year’s program will be sent out soon. Normally, students would receive a packet of information from school. I believe that the Mallards will be sending me a digital copy of the reading log and goal sheet in the next few weeks. I will send out the information to families once I receive it.
Thank you,
Mike Headington
Health and Physical Education Teacher
Royal Oaks Elementary
834-7257
Birthday Treats & Prizes
A letter from your PBIS Team
Question: What happens when students are not showing the Rocket Way?
Answer: Student behaviors are addressed through either a Major or a Minor (Fix-It) behavior referral, depending on the situation. This is an opportunity to communicate with students, teachers, and families about how their behavior choice was not following the Rocket Way and to problem-solve ways to change it in the future.
Major referrals are used for higher level behavioral mistakes, such as physical aggression, harassment, bullying, fighting, theft, and abusive/inappropriate language.
Minor (Fix-It) referrals are used for lower level behavioral mistakes. Some examples of minors include disrespect, disruption, defiance, physical contact, and inappropriate language.
Any staff member may write a major or minor when students are not following the Rocket Way. The goal of majors and minors is to recognize the mistake, learn from it, problem-solve ways to fix it, and change toward more positive behavior in the future. Adults and students are working together to follow the Rocket Way! Please have a conversation with your child about how they show Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Self-Control, and Empathy at Royal Oaks.
Weekly Meal Box Distribution
** Our Meal Program is extended through June 30th, 2021**
Families can pick up 7-day meal boxes for all children (18 years and younger or enrolled in school) at one serving site. Boxes will include 7 FREE breakfasts and 7 FREE lunches for families that need them.
Safety First - Please refrigerate and freeze certain items in the box. Boxes come complete with cooking and storing instructions!
Distribution days, times, and locations:
Monday –
- Westside Elementary (1320 Buena Vista Drive) from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Tuesday –
- C.H. Bird Elementary (1170 N. Bird Street) from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Camden Court Apartments (2601 Old Camden Sq, Madison) from 12:30 pm - 1:00 pm
- Wednesday –
- High School (Door 15 pick up) from 1:30 pm - 2:15 pm
- Northside Elementary (230 W. Klubertanz Drive) from 4:30 pm - 5:15 pm
- Thursday –
- Cardinal Heights Upper Middle (Door 3 pick up - off Commercial Street) from 1:30 pm - 2:15 pm
- Cardinal Heights Upper Middle (Door 3 pick up - off Commercial Street) from 1:30 pm - 2:15 pm
- Friday –
- Prairie View Middle from 10:00 am - 10:45 am (Door 11, the backside of building)
- Prairie View Middle from 10:00 am - 10:45 am (Door 11, the backside of building)
- Sun Prairie Emergency Food Pantry (18 Rickel Rd)
- Monday/Wednesday/Friday: 12-3:30 pm
- Tuesday/Thursday: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
- Saturday 9:00am - 1:00 pm