Midland Messenger
January 23-27, 2023
Midland Elementary
Email: midland@fpschools.org
Website: http://midland.fpschools.org/
Location: Midland Elementary School, 105th Street East, Tacoma, WA, USA
Phone: 253-298-4500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Midland-Elementary-Mustangs-112865059416899/?ref=settings
From the Principal:
Dear Parents and Families,
Can you believe we are half way through the school year? On Friday, our students have a day off from school, while our teachers receive training. This year, a part of our training will focus on looking at our mid-year data and making appropriate lesson plans. We appreciate having this important time together as a staff.
We welcome volunteers at our school! Volunteers at Midland have helped teachers, given students more practice with skills, and even helped to supervise recess. If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to your child's teacher!
It's great to be a MUSTANG!
~Dr. Paula Dawson
Important Dates to Remember:
January 24 ~ Dental Day
January 25 ~ Hearing and Vision rescreening
January 25 ~ 3:25 Dismissal (Full day of school)
January 19 ~ 3:25 Dismissal (Full day of school)
January 27 ~ NO SCHOOL for teacher training
February 1 ~ HOPE Assembly
**For additional future scheduled activities, please check out our Midland calendar at https://midland.fpschools.org/**
Fifth Grade Puberty, CSHE, and HIV Lessons
Comprehensive sexual health education is defined in Washington state as instruction about human development and reproduction that takes place over time and is age-appropriate and inclusive of all students. Required instruction for grades 4–5 focuses on helping students understand and respect personal boundaries, develop healthy friendships, and gain a basic understanding of human growth and development. Grade 5 instruction also includes required HIV prevention instruction. Midland 5th grade teachers will begin this instruction beginning on February 6th. To learn more about the curriculum and parent opt out forms, please click the picture that says, "Puberty, the Wonder Years." This will take you to the district website which is filled with information.
Social Emotional Learning Corner
Content by Mrs. Blaisdell
January 23rd
The Amygdala
This week we continued to learn about the Security Guard of our brain—The Amygdala. We reviewed amygdala reaction messages of Fight-Flight-Freeze and how something important to understand is that the amygdala can overreact. When that happens, our amygdala takes a small problem and turns it into a big problem that we need to react to. These overreactions can send us into “Amygdala Take-over” or “Amygdala Hijack”.
Amygdala Take-Over
*We feel an amygdala take-over in our bodies. Our heart rate increases, we get chills, we feel ansy/overwhelmed, agitated, or worried. Sometimes our senses are heightened and our mind races.
*Examples of amygdala take-over can make sense for safety like walking through a dark parking lot.
*Examples of amygdala take-over that DO NOT make sense can be: getting a math assignment with TOO many problems, not getting our way, having a meaningful privilege taken away.
*Our thinking/decision-making brain (Prefrontal Cortex) is still engaged and able to move us into strategies to maintain control of our emotions and actions. Strategies can include: taking ourselves out of the situation calmly, deep breathing, talking about it to process and plan for problem-solving.
Amygdala Hijack
*Our bodies are reacting in a dramatic way and are in Fight/Flight/Freeze mode. Our heart is pounding, we could be sweaty or light headed, our body feel ready to fight or run .
* When our amygdala is doing it’s job, a hijack will kick in to get us out of a dangerous or threatening situations. (example: getting out of a house fire, running from an unsafe situation, or hiding when you know that fight or flight are not an option)
*Today’s human brain often OVERREACTS to stressful situations and our amygdala sends messages of survival as if you are in a dangerous situation when you are not. Someone can yell, hit (fight mode), or leave, slam doors (flight mode) or shut down, disassociate because a stressful situation sends us falsely into amygdala hijack when we don’t get our way or we feel out of control of the situation.
THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER is that the more developed our thinking brain is, the less our amygdala tries to take over when we should be problem-solving. Young children’s brain will “hijack” more often when they are not in charge or when they did not get their way due to an underdeveloped PFC (thinking brain) As children get older, their thinking brain develops problem-solving and communication skills; the less we will see their amygdala reacting in ways that are disruptive to learning and connecting with others.
*Simply being educated about the Amygdala’s functions and what an Amygdala “take-over” and “hijack might look like in ourselves will empower students. Understanding the concrete things we can do to reengage our thinking brains and calm the Amygdala will also empower students with strategies hat they can enact themselves.
January is School Board Recognition Month
We want to thank Alex Davis, Ron Nerio, Tono Sablan, and Mary Sherman for the many hours they volunteer on behalf of every child in our school district. Their duties include setting the vision and mission of education in the district; establishing policy; adopting an annual budget; approving all expenditures; employment of personnel; curriculum, textbooks and courses; and deciding on school sites, building plans, and construction. We would also like to thank our Student Representatives to the School Board. We appreciate Paige Sasamoto (FPHS), Xavier McMains (WHS), and Ruby Castaneira (GHS) for their service to our school district.
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS....
We anticipate the need for volunteers this year as well. If you are interested in volunteering as a chaperone for field trips or in any other capacity that may come up, please complete the volunteer application as soon as possible. It may take up to two weeks to process an application and we don't want you to be left out of a volunteer opportunity because you are not approved yet! Click here to begin your volunteer application. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year. Please complete an application as well. Volunteer applications must be completed every year.
FPS Board of Directors Opening:
The FPS Board of Directors is seeking applicants to represent our area. Applicants must be a resident of Franklin Pierce Schools District 3. Applications will be accepted through 1/31/23 at 4 pm. To learn more about this position, the District 3 boundaries and how to apply, visit www.fpschools.org/boardvacancy.
Weather and Emergency Updates
In the event of emergencies, a team of Franklin Pierce Schools staff work to balance safety and our commitment to support student learning. The choice to delay or cancel the start of a school day includes assessing road conditions and consulting with other local services. Franklin Pierce Schools will attempt to offer updates about delays and closures by 5am.
Staff and families can expect to receive information about school closures and delays in the following ways:
Recorded Telephone Message contact the main office at your child's school to ensure your contact information is up to date
SMS Message for families/staff who have opted-in, click here for Text Message if you would like to opt-in
Email from info@fpschools.org
Website www.fpschools.org
Flash Alert Notification sign up to receive email notifications and download the Flash Alert App, click here.
Local Media including KIRO 97.3 FM, KOMO 1000 AM, KIRO TV Channel 7, KOMO TV Channel 4, and KING TV Channel 5
Before and Afterschool Care for the 2022-23 School Year!
Serving students at ALL 8 Elementary Schools
Right at School will operate before and afterschool programs at all eight Franklin Pierce elementary schools! Right at School offers a safe environment for students to learn, to play, and to grow!
Franklin Pierce Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to James Hester, Compliance Coordinator for State and Civil Rights Laws; Wendy Malich, Title IX Officer; or John Sander, 504/ADA Coordinator at 315 129th ST S, Tacoma, WA 98444-5099 or at (253)298-3000.