Van Brunt Newsletter
September 2017 Edition
A Note from the Principal
Dear Van Brunt Families,
Welcome back to our returning families and a special welcome to our many new families! There was so much positive energy this week! Open house was very well attended and students seemed to enjoy meeting their new teacher and organizing their classroom supplies. The cafeteria was a busy place; full of great opportunities for our students. We appreciate the extra time given by parents and staff to organize these events.
Our days are filled with learning and community building activities. We are so excited for the great things to come this year. Some of our changes include a Fun Run, Grading for Learning, and a new POPS format. These are all things that will help build a positive community and let students see that they all have special gifts to share.
We are looking forward to another great year! As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Lisa Sawyer
Van Brunt Principal
WIN Time
Van Brunt Fun Run; Bookin' it for Books Fundraiser
This year Van Brunt will be hosting a fun run for students and staff on September 27, 2017. This event is a healthy and active fundraiser that will benefit all students by proceeds being used to purchase books for students in their classroom that support the reading curriculum this year.
The fun run is set up in a way that students collect pledges or a flat donations for the amount of laps they complete during the run. Students will run/walk a looped track on the school playground for 20 minutes on the Fun Run day. There will be a lot of fun for our students and spectators with special guests, great music and awesome prizes!
Prize Structure for the Van Brunt Bookin’ it for Books Fun Run
All Students will receive a FREE t-shirt and race day bag
The highest earning class will have “Pancakes with the Principal”. Mrs. Sawyer and Mrs. Borgstrom will make breakfast for your class!
The child that raises the most money in each grade level will get to ride a FIRE TRUCK to school!
Money raised by students/Prize Awarded
$25
Culvers ice cream card
1 ticket
$50
Fun run water bottle
3 ticket for buckets
$75
Extra recess
5 tickets
Popsicles with the principal
School athletic pass
$100
Under armour fun run shirt
Picnic lunch outside
Duct tape principals
10 tickets for drawing
$200+
Silly string the superintendent plus the $100 rewards
15 tickets for drawings
Van Brunt would like to give a special thank you to the area businesses that have partnered with them to make this fun run possible. Please take some time to visit these businesses and thank them for helping out our school!
Gold Sponsorship ($500+): Horicon Bank and Horicon PTO
Silver Sponsorship ($250+): Rock River Tap and Grill, Innovative Technologies Corp, Horicon Rod and Gun Club, Horicon Hardware Hank, Curt's Service, Anytime Fitness of Horicon, Modern Woodmen
Bronze ($100+): American Legion Post 157, Horicon Family Chiropractic
Additional generous donations came from: Vic's Auto Body, American Family Insurance Michelle Wanie Agency Inc., Leroy Meats
Van Brunt invites all parents and community members to join us at Van Brunt's playground on September 27th to cheer on our students! Please feel free to make signs to hold to encourage our students and help us make this an event to remember!
Run Times: 4k, 3 &4: 8:30-9:30
K-2 9:45-10:45
5 &6 11:00-12:00
Literacy Corner
Welcome back to an exciting year at Van Brunt School! My name is Mrs. Tara Boehmer. This is my fourth year in the Horicon School District as a Literacy Support Teacher / Reading Interventionist. It is my goal to provide literacy support both at school and at home.
In this newsletter, I will provide helpful, back to school reading types for you to try at home. Reading at home is invaluable to a child’s academic development. You, as parents, play a vital role in your child’s academic development. Research has shown that one-on-one reading time and access to books are important predictors of future literacy success and future educational outcomes. Children who aren’t given the opportunity to read as often fall behind in school.
Here are some easy ways that parents or guardians can help children become strong, successful readers:
Set a routine.
Setting routines for mornings and evenings- including nutritious meals and an early bedtime - helps children cope with stresses that may arise from starting a new school year.
Read at home.
Reading regularly at home provides children with the practice they need to become great readers. Remember, “the more kids read, the better they read,” and the same holds true for the opposite effect, “the less kids read, the poorer they’ll read.”
Make a special reading spot.
Be a great reading partner!
It’s not fun to read when you’re forced to or feel embarrassed and ashamed to read. Building trust and supporting a child reader is crucial as a reading partner. Be patient, positive, and encouraging.
Bring books everywhere.
Incorporating books into everyday activities will continue to help children become more familiar with books and will encourage everyday reading. Place books in every room of the house, in the car, and take books everywhere. I challenge you to put the electronics away and pick up a book in it’s place.
Set a good example; be caught in the act!
If a child observes his or his parent/guardian reading every night, then they will emulate the same behavior.
Communicate with teachers and get involved in your school.
Set learning goals.
Talk to your child(ren) about what they would like to accomplish during the school year.
Be ENTHUSIASTIC!!!
Positive attitudes are contagious. Being positive with your child(ren) and praising them often will encourage them to become stronger in the things they do!
10. Have fun and Happy Reading this school year!!!
First Day of School Fun!
Van Brunt PBIS
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Van Brunt is very proud that we are a recognized PBIS School! We often get asked, “what does that mean?” Below are a list of common questions that are asked about PBIS. We hope you find this helpful and this gives you a better idea of why we are proud to be a PBIS school!
What Does PBIS Stand For?
It is an acronym for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports.
Why PBIS?
Typical discipline systems in school have been based on reaction to negative behavior. Hundreds of studies have shown that this approach does little to reduce chronic misbehavior and does not produce positive long-term outcomes. There are four keys to PBIS: prevention, response, data driven decisions and a process not a program.
What is PBIS?
PBIS is a proactive and interactive approach to establish a social culture in
school that supports social, emotional, and academic success. It uses data-based
decision making to align curriculum and behavioral supports for students and staff.
It is aimed at supporting safe and effective school environments while preventing
behavior problems with students. At Van Brunt, we focus on three things: Respect for Self, Respect for Others and Respect for School.
How Does PBIS Work?
PBIS is a three-tiered systems approach for establishing a positive learning
culture and individualized behavior supports needed for schools to be effective
learning environments for all students. The behavior expectations are taught,
modeled, acknowledged, monitored, and then retaught as necessary. The goal is to
provide practice and reinforcement at the Universal level for ALL students so that
fewer students need intervention at the Tier 2 level where a more individualized
plan with intensive individual interventions is used. A continuous analysis of data,
the systems, and the outcomes guides all decision making.
What are the Benefits of being a PBIS school?
Data shows that schools implementing PBIS with fidelity see an increase in
attendance, a more positive and calm environment, reduced behavioral disruptions,
increased academic time & student achievement.
What are Van Brunt’s PBIS achievements?
Van Brunt has been recognized because of our success with PBIS as a PBIS school of merit and a PBIS school of distinction. We pride ourselves on teaching appropriate behavior, having clear expectations for
POPS 2017-18: A New Look
This year, we are focusing on Horicon Strong: One Team. As we thought about the meaning of those words, we quickly realized that our POPS (Power of Positive Students) assembly needed some changes to appropriately recognize all of the awesome things that ALL of our students are doing to make “Horicon Strong”.
Each month this year, we will be highlighting a grade level team. In October we will recognize 6th grade. Throughout the month, students will be looking for ways that their team members make Van Brunt stronger. Students will get to recognize students this year! At the end of the month, all 6th grade parents and family members will be invited to attend the 6th grade POPS assembly and hear how their student has made Van Brunt stronger. We will celebrate together being Horicon Strong: One Team.
For planning purposes, below are the months and grade level teams for the 2017-18 school year:
October: 6th grade
November: 5th
December: 3rd grade
January: 4th grade
February: Kindergarten
March: 1st grade
April: 2nd grade
May:4K
Important Dates in September
Sep. 7-18 Magazine Sale
Sep. 11 & 12 Jungle Book Auditions 3:15
Sep. 11 Grading for Learning Meeting Room 239 at 4:00
Sep. 15 School PicturesSep. 15 Fun Run Fundraiser packet comes home
Sep.15-27 Student collect Fun Run Pledges
Sep. 21 Grading for Learning Meeting Room 239 at 1:00
Sep. 27 Van Brunt Fun Run Bookin' it for Books