MONDAY MEMO Panthers With Pride
Panthers Are All In
Wear Spirit Shirts and Jeans on Wednesday and Green and Jeans on Thursday
Please take a moment this month and fill out at least one of these DSD "ALL IN" Gratitude Project forms for one of the incredible people we have here at SC!
March 21st - Rock Your Socks Day! Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day by wearing brightly colored, mismatched socks.
South Clearfield Core Beliefs - Reviewed in JSSC and here's the updated version...
At South Clearfield Elementary we strive to ensure that students are in a safe and nurturing learning environment where Learning comes First.
We have an unwavering belief that all students can learn and be successful.
We believe that all students should have access to the best teachers and resources.
We go the distance to make sure all students are career bound.
We hold ourselves – Both students and the adults who serve them – to the highest standards of excellence.
We’re unapologetic about our focus on rigor and structure.
We believe in the power of data and pride ourselves on focusing our instructional energy accordingly.
2022/2023 School Improvement Goals:
(1) 80% of students will show “typical” (or higher) progress on Acadience pathways to progress on End-of-Year Acadience.
(2) Increase average academic achievement data I all core areas (ELA, Math, Science) by reducing the number of students who are chronically absent. Average attendance od 96% for the entire school by April 1, 2022.
(3) Improve students SEL skills in five CASEL competencies by implementing SEL direct instruction and SEL instructional strategies. (Empathy, Resilience, Critical Thinking Skills, Communication)
(4) All students will be provided with instructional agility within a blended learning environment. Classrooms will stablish individual learning targets and 90% of students will make sufficient progress on or above average to reach those targets. Each student’s targets will be individually set with their teacher while utilizing playlists that allow for mastery-based projects to determine mastery within any given curricular area including ELA, Math, and Science.
What's Happening in March???
March 13th
SEL School-Wide Assembly - Egg-Roulette w/class who has the most participation in the Family SEL Week Activities. - 2:40
March 15th
Early-Out Wednesday (1:25)
Spirit Day
March 16th
Early-Out Thursday (1:25)
Wear Green
Friday, March 17th
No School (Teacher Professional Day)
End of Third Term
Lunch Provided by Admin
St. Patrick's Day!
Monday, March 20th
Start of the Fourth Term
Reading Week at SC - Daily Reading for the kids...
March 21st
Visit from USBE
(More information below in the MM)
Friday, March 24th
Kindergarten Round-Up - 2:45 - Be ready to wave to some excited and nervous 4 and 5-year-olds.
April 3rd - April 7th
SAY WHAT!!!... Spring Break!
Family SEL WEEK AT SC - This Week! Here's what went out to our families...
Once you've completed 5 Activities, Please fill out the following form:
https://forms.office.com/r/Z3172J35Qz
For those who complete 5 of these SEL Family Activities, we will have a drawing for 10 - $50 dollar Smiths gift cards.
Egg-Roulette
Additionally, the class that has the most students (Families) participate will get to be part of "Egg-Roulette" with the SC administration. We will track that participation rate by the form above. Each student in that class will pick one egg from three dozen eggs. Two dozen of which will have been boiled. One dozen will be raw. Students will then have the option of smashing that egg on the head of Mr. Kinghorn, Ms. Johnson, or a few others from the SC faculty and Staff.
What is Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)?
SEL is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to:
Understand and manage emotions.
Set and achieve positive goals.
Feel and show empathy for others.
Establish and maintain positive relationships.
Make responsible decisions.
March Family Newsletter
Every Person Has A Story... What's Your Story?
Everyone we see, and those we don't. Everyone we come in contact with, and those who pass by. Those who are close, those who are not. Those who enter the doors of our school each day. This month, please consider that all of us have a story. We don't know where those around us are, but we can focus on the good; we can focus on ourselves and the output we have. We are the single most powerful person in our own lives who can make changes as needed and bring happiness to us and those around us. What is the lens you are using to see the world around you?
We can focus on what we can control and change for us, as we set goals; everything else for those around us is a wish. We can focus on what we put out there into the world around us to make it a better place, even for a moment, for those around us.
NEW CLIP THIS WEEK:
"Under The Surface" - Empathy Film - YouTube
LAST WEEK'S CLIP:
All Faculty and Staff, please take a moment to consider the questions below. Where do you stand?
From Faculty Meeting on 2-24-2023:
USBE Visit
USBE Special Ed Department will be here on March 21st from 11:45 to 2:00 to tour our school. Tabitha Pacheco, SpEd Public Information Officer, and Susie Estrada, Family & Community Engagement Officer would like to know more about the Learn & Earn TA program and how our Master Teacher Mentors work with all practicum students. They're particularly interested in how we leverage teacher leadership in the program as well as what we are currently doing with our students who need tier 3 instruction with or without an IEP, and how we are getting the high success rates that we are seeing.
Teacher Academy School Highlight
Here's the video the Center of the Future commissioned to highlight the exceptional work happening here at SC and at Sunburst as a Teacher Academy School.
How to Deal With Class Cliques
In every classroom, there are roles that students naturally fit into and roles that some students may be put into based on how a classroom is set up. As you read through these positions, please take a moment to consider your students and where they may fit. Although this was written for high school students, I took one of the classes in our school and was able to identify where students fit, based on my knowledge of the students in that room. Then, took a look at what approach I do, or do not use when working with particular students.
Teaching strategy:
- Assume that everyone is a Silent Sufferer in some way. Therefore, each person deserves a personal touch alongside a healthy dose of empathy (not sympathy).
- Avoid teaching in a “follow the leader” style. Rather, be a coach who provides several different ways to achieve the end goal.
- With those who avoid eye contact, try to break through, in a delicate way, by standing at the back door or helping them put away their equipment. Talk about things other than the class or exercise; for example, their outfit, shoes, kids, or neutral subjects.
Of course, you must also recognize that “you can’t fix crazy” (thank you, Julz Arney, president of Team Arney Inc., for giving me this nugget long ago, thus allowing me to keep my sanity). There are times when you simply must turn a blind eye (unless someone is doing something harmful) and focus your efforts on the ones who are begging for your attention!
Arney also has this advice for coaching other women: “Be approachable— and that doesn’t just mean be friendly. It means knowing how to ask open-ended questions and becoming an excellent listener. We must take off our expert/ problem-solver that every once and a while and simply let other women feel heard.”
Giving Power and/or Attention to "the least important student in that moment." - Todd Whitaker, What Great Teachers Do Differently.
Redirect – When calling on a misbehaving student, don’t let them be the most important in the class by calling on them – at the moment – they are the least important person.
Name, Name, Name – What do you think? Do not highlight the student who is seeking attention or trying to get into a power struggle. Do not add to the prevention of learning. When we call on the students who are misbehaving, we are giving that student exactly what he/she wants – Power or Attention – (Power is 7% of the time – Attention is 90% of the time). So, he/she gets exactly what they wanted.
When a student misbehaves – Keep teaching – be consistent – figure out what’s next – should I ignore, redirect, or write a citation, all while keeping the same proximity to all students and circulating while teaching. Then think "what do I do next" but don’t be in a hurry. Don’t “outquick – outthink.” They know who has the power, so keep the power. Don’t stop teaching. Keep the on-task ones with you and in a transition, created or natural stopping point, that’s when the correction can come.
We don’t need to be in a hurry. Great teachers know what they are going to do but are not in a hurry. Great teachers want prevention – not compliance. If we give it time, maybe the behavior will change, and possibly we can just move on. Maybe the student will self-correct.
Great Teachers - Don’t look at the kid – Keep teaching – Keep thinking - Keep moving and circulating around the room. Never yell. Never raise our voices. Never use sarcasm.
Average Teachers – Stop teaching and look at the kid. (Maybe say “Do you have something more important than what I have to say)” and get into a power struggle.
We never yell. We never raise our voices. We never use sarcasm.
- From Todd Whitaker 2023 Conference Speech
March Student and Family Resources Newsletter
Yearbook
The last day to give Brandie and Lisa fun and engaging grade-level pictures for the yearbook is March 15th.
February Mental Health Moment
SC School-wide Positive Behavior Plan - Launch on January 9th
Panther Positive Behavior Incentive Plan
Panther Paws/Coins
· Students and entire classes can earn coins for demonstrating respectful, responsible, safe, and exemplary behavior (for some students this may look different than other students, we are looking to recognize a student or class at his/her or their best).
There are a ton of reasons why we would and will highlight a class - let's look for the positive and reward it with a token. This is a Positive Behavior Incentive Plan, so we need to ensure we as adults are looking for the positive and incentivizing it. For this to be most successful, we need all staff to be ALL IN…giving out lots of coins will be the best way to make this the most impactful.
· Coins should be used to motivate students.
· All SC staff can award a coin to students/classes
- Teachers cannot give their own students a coin, but they can give them to other students or classes in their grade level and throughout the school.
- The one exception is a teacher can award their class Five (5) coins when the class has perfect attendance.
· Tokens are to be given out for classes you see that are setting and/or following school expectations. This is where we want to "narrate" what we see and why we give that class a token. For instance, "Great job Ms. Johnson's class, it's great to see that all of you are walking quietly in the halls and not disrupting other classes." The coin can then be given to a student who will give it to their teacher.
· A SC employee can give a student the coin to take back to class, the staff member doesn’t need to give it directly to the teacher.
· When a class earns a coin, the teacher then marks off a box on the hundreds chart that was brought around last week. Once the hundreds chart is full (Class has earned 100 Tokens) the class earns a reward. A reward menu is below and work with your class to determine which reward they are working toward (rewards that you are most comfortable with them earning).
· Once the box is marked off on the hundreds chart teachers will put the token in the container we were using for perfect attendance. Student Council will come around every Friday during their lunch recess and pick up and tokens you have in your class. We will have them Sanitize them and put them back into the container with all of the other coins in the office. They will add 10 coins to each teacher's box on Friday that can be used the following week. However, teachers and staff can take as many as they want/need. We hope that you will give out far more than 10 a week!
· If your class has tokens already for perfect attendance and didn't reach/receive the reward yet, please convert those over to this new plan at the rate of Five Tokens for every perfect attendance day you have had.
· To keep the flow of coins going, we will have a bin by the boxes in the faculty room…if you have a lot of coins, leave some in that box, or if you are in need of more coins, stop by and grab some.
Class Reward Menu
· VIP Tour of the School (Boiler Room, Kitchen, etc.)
· Board Game-a-thon: Bring one from home and play in small groups
· Science Activity (Amplify a Smart Phone, Paper Airplanes, Raisins Dancing, etc.)
· Art Activity (Drawing, painting, collages, etc.)
· Read-a-thon & Read-aloud (Administration shares some of their favorite books)
· Kahoot Game Show – You choose the topic, I create the game
· Outside Activity or Gym Activity (Kickball, Dutch Kickball, Flag-Football, Soccer, Relay Races, Lightning, SPUD, Hungry Hungry Hippos, etc.)
· Classroom Activity (Four Corners, Heads Up 7-Up)
· Class Music Video – Administration and the teacher will choose the song.
· Charades / Pictionary
· Taboo
· Dance Club Add-on (students must perform dance moves & add 1 more of their own)
· Battleship (whole class vs. Administration)
· Math Party (Salute, Krypto, Sudoku, War, etc.)
· Word Party (Boggle, Scrabble, Scattegories, etc.)
· Water Balloon Games
· Indoor Pong (Bouncing Ping Pong balls into a Cup in the Classroom)
· Bubble Blowing Contest (bubble gum/dish soap): Biggest & Longest Lasting
· Bracelet Weaving (Yarn)
· Make Code Dance Party
· Go Noodle Dance Party
· Plan your own, invite admin and we'll be there!
· Watch silly animal videos
· Puzzle time
· Hat day
· Free homework pass
· Free assignment pass
· Listen to a book on tape
· Craft day
· Sit with a buddy all day
· Show and Tell
· Chew gum in class
· Dance party
· Eat lunch in the courtyard
· Extra classroom money/tickets
· Computer time
· Extra Recess
· Directed drawing time
· Lunch with the teacher
· Board games
· Stuffed animal day
· Class PJ day
· Treats
· Sidewalk chalk party
· Root Beer Floats
· Popcorn Party
· Glowstick Dance Party
SC Parent Newsletter
SC Calendar - CHANGES!!! - Add "sclearfieldeloffice"
Please add this to your calendar so you can stay up-to-date on what's happening and changes that occur.
This can be done on your office 365 Calendar:
Go To You Calendar
> on the left side, click on "Add Calendar
> Add From Directory
> type "sclearfieldeloffice@dsdmail.net"
> Add
You can then turn this off and on as you want. When on, everything that is on the South Clearfield Calendar will also show up on your calendar.
This Weeks Spirit Winner...
Based on feedback from teachers, we are now going to have an upper-grade and lower-grade Spirit Shirt Winner - Also, we will push for full spirit shirts (or) students who have worn most of their clothes in school colors. If they have the school colors on their shirt, that will not count. It needs to be intentional.
This Week's Winners:
Flores
Weekly Grade Level Attendance Winners!!!
Addition: If you get the three weeks in a row, your class will get 5 Coins!
First Grade - Renk / Bernier (Tied)
Second Grade - Harper
Third Grade - Abeyta Week 1 - Blake Week 2 (Tied)
Fourth Grade - Redford / Norton (Tied)
Fifth Grade - Sisneros Week 2
Sixth Grade - Camacho / Richards (Tied)
Pledge of Allegiance
No More! Not Here!
Video 1 - No More! No Here! Launch
Elementary: https://youtu.be/t6kYxM6VLYM
Video 2 - No More! Not Here!
Interrupt
Elementary: https://youtu.be/tEzIWJsB5EM
Video 3 - No More! Not Here!
Ask
Elementary: https://youtu.be/HmzWN2BJs9c
Video 4 No More! Not Here!
Educate
Elementary: https://youtu.be/O-L7pljwRd4
Video 5 No More! Not Here!
Echo
Elementary: https://youtu.be/MwhiOmOBb5I