Wiggin Street Parent Update

Dear Wiggin Street Families,

Our staff has been meeting once a month at 7 am for a book study using the book, Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom. The purpose is to strengthen our understanding of trauma and how it hinders the learning, motivation, and success of all students in the classroom. We at Wiggin Street want to build even stronger relationships with our students and create safe spaces to enable our students to learn at high levels. Our mission is for our school to be a place where everyone feels nurtured, loved, appreciated, and accepted.

I want to express my deepest gratitude for our staff and the dedication they show each day in support of your students. Teachers are essential, and we all know that the pandemic has added extra stress. We are blessed at Wiggin Street to have such caring individuals working with the kids each day. Hopefully this long weekend will help to refuel them and the students for a wonderful second semester.

Best wishes,

Christy Grandstaff

Many of us set New Year Resolutions for ourselves whether we strive to be more healthy, do more random acts of kindness, become more organized, etc. Helping our children to accomplish their goals through forming habits creates lifelong skills. Try picking something to support your student and make it a habit. For example, together you can check their planner or backpack daily, read together each night, provide quiet time for homework and maybe set a timer with time being increased with each new goal. Here are some times for making new habits that some of our students read about this week:

1. Define Small, Specific Goals (Make more specific and concrete goals.)

2. Make it Easy for Yourself (Think of ways to work around barriers.)

3. Get an Accountability Partner (Find someone working toward the same goal as you.)

4. Use External and Internal Reminders (Post-it notes, to do lists, and daily alarms)

5. Give Yourself Time (Allow yourself to make mistakes.)

The following link will provide you with details shared by Superintendent Seder on how the decision is made for closings and delays.

“School Closings and Delays - How is the Decision Made”

We will be using ‘Instant Connect Alerts’ as our closings and delays notification system. Please make sure you have signed up at Instant Connect portal.

School fees are assessed and must be paid every school year. Elementary school fees are $30 per student. You can pay by credit card or bank draft on-line using the PayForIt.net website, or you can pay by sending a check, cash or money order at Wiggin Street School or the MVCSD Board Office.

Yearbooks will be on sale next week and are $16.00. Order envelopes will be going home on Tuesday, but they can also be ordered online at this site.

Next FOW meeting is Feb. 1st @ 5:00 pm.

Please remember that students will go outside on days where the temperature with wind chill accounted for is at or above 20°f. Be sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather each day. Coats, hats, and gloves are necessary at this time of the year. Boots are required for playing in the snow. If you need assistance with winter outerwear for your child, please contact our school, and we will happily find warm clothes for them.

Thrive Kids will be back in session on Thursday, January 20th at 8:15am! Let's get active and moving before the school day so we can learn and focus to the best of our abilities!

*New students are always welcome and can pick up permission slips upon arrival!*

January Thrive Kids Schedule:

January 20th

January 27th

See you soon!

-Coach Hannah

The following are some great impulse control games/activities that are Social Worker, Tamara Carlson, has shared:

1. Red Light, Yellow Light, Green LIght-It will help with listening skills, following the directions/rules, self-control

2. Simon Says-Focusings on listening skills and body control

3. Balloon Toss-Give him an inflated balloon and ask him to “Not” throw the balloon in the air for 30 seconds. Then, let them throw and play with it. Talk about how, when he waited, he practiced self-control. You can add time or decrease time and then talk about how great he did with practicing listening and self-control.

4. Freeze Dance-Self-Control, Listening skills

5. Board Games are awesome to practice impulse control. Games like Chutes and Ladders, Jenga, Don’t Break the Ice, Twister, etc. Make sure he follows the rules of the game, waits for his turn,and practices winning and losing. This is a great time to practice “Good Sportsmanship,” as well!

6. Organized sports are great, as well. It can help with listening skills, being a good team member, self-control, following rules/directions, good sportsmanship, and friendship building skills.

For pick up, please do not arrive until 3:30. There is no stopping, standing, or parking on E. Brooklyn St. allowed. Also, please reminder that our school is an Idle-free Zone. Protect our children and the community by turning off your engine.

January

17 M.L.K., Jr. Day (no school)

17-28 Yearbook Sale

18 Pledge envelopes (no money) due

19 Math Olympic Challenge

21 Pledge envelopes (with scores from Math Olympic Challenge) returned to students

21 Report Cards go home 2nd 9 weeks

31 Pledge envelopes and money due

Email: cgrandstaff@mvcsd.us
Website: mvcsd.us
Location: 207 Wiggin St, Gambier, OH, USA
Phone: (740) 427-4262
Twitter: @LCGrandstaff