Simis Scoop
August 23, 2024
A Note from Mrs. Murray
Hi Simis Families,
Our students have been completing beginning of the year screening assessments for math and reading. Universal screening is a process used to assess all students' academic and behavioral skills to identify those who may need additional support. It involves brief assessments that are administered to all students at multiple points during the school year. This proactive approach helps us to quickly identify and address any learning or behavioral challenges before they become more significant issues.
The Madison School District utilizes a screening tool called FastBridge for reading and NWEA MAP for mathematics. These assessments are designed to be quick, efficient, and effective, allowing teachers to gather valuable information without taking away from instructional time.
We will analyze the results to determine areas of focus for instruction, intervention and extension. If your child is determined to be “at risk” in a specific area of literacy, a letter will come home communicating the area(s) in which your child might require extra support.
Teachers will work in teams to create intervention and extension plans tailored to the needs of each student. Additionally, ideas for at home practice will be shared with families.
We are excited about creating focused plans from our screening data to enhance our ability to support every student. Thank you for your ongoing partnership in helping our students achieve their best.
Respectfully,
Mrs. Murray
Intervention and Enrichment
Our guided study period is designed to support students who need additional help in developing their reading skills, as well as to enrich students that are on or above benchmark. Our program is tailored to meet the individual needs of each student, ensuring they receive the personalized attention necessary to become confident and proficient readers.
Key Features of Our Reading and Math Guided Study Program
Individualized Instruction: Each student receives targeted instruction based on their specific reading challenges and strengths.
Evidence-Based Strategies: We utilize proven methods and materials to teach reading, focusing on phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Regular Progress Monitoring: Students' progress is closely tracked to ensure they are making steady improvements, and instruction is adjusted as needed.
Collaborative Approach: Classroom teachers work together in Professional Learning Communities to create supportive learning environments and maximize each student's success. Students might switch to another class for the guided study period to learn with peers who need support or more of a challenge in similar areas. Each grade level embraces the philosophy that they have a collective responsibility to support ALL Simis students within their team.
Our goal is to help every student develop the skills and confidence needed to enjoy and excel as learners.
District Supported Online Learning Tools
Each student at Madison Simis has a Google account used strictly for associating them with the classroom teacher in order to access our online learning platforms.
Our students can access our math program, IntoMath, our reading program Wonders, and our reading intervention/extension tool Core 5 by logging into their Google account at home and going to the 9 dot on the top right section of the screen.
In each of these platforms there are practice opportunities for students to engage in at home to help them develop their literacy and mathematics skills. These are great ways to practice learning and ensure it is a high quality experience for students that will align to their academic level and need.
If you are interested in having your students login at home and practice with these tools, contact your child's teacher for their login information.
PBIS at Simis
PBIS is...
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a systems approach to establishing the social culture and behavioral supports needed for all children in a school to achieve both social and academic success (pbis.org).
The focus of PBIS is to be proactive and preventative instead of reactive and punitive. We explicitly teach school-wide expectations and reinforce students for displaying appropriate behavior.
Select and define expectations and routines
Teach behavior and routines directly, in all settings
Actively monitor behavior
Acknowledge appropriate behavior
Predictable, intermittent, long-term
Review data to make decisions
Correct behavioral errors
Pre-correction, boosters, re-teaching
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Be Safe
Behavior Reinforcements
Loops are handed out for students demonstrated the expected behaviors
Classes can earn loop celebrations for filling their classroom loop jar
Super Cyclones are handed out for exceptions behavior and shared on the Friday announcements
Students can earn special tickets during our "Booster" celebrations (more information to come)
Action in the IBPYP
In the IBPYP, we focus on inquiry-based learning, where students explore big questions and topics that spark their curiosity. When students are excited about learning we see them take action to share their learning with others. For instance, if a student learns about recycling, they might create a presentation to share with the class or teach their family how to reduce waste at home. This process encourages them to not only learn but also take meaningful action with their new knowledge.
We celebrate students who take action by providing examples of these student actions during our morning announcements. By sharing these stories, we hope to show how our students are making a positive impact and inspire everyone to engage in their own learning adventures! If your student has an example of taking action, please share it with their classroom teacher so we can highlight it with our whole school community.
What is RULER?
At SImis there is an important program we’ve adopted here that helps support our students' emotional and social development. It’s called RULER, and it’s designed to help children understand and manage their emotions in a healthy and constructive way.
RULER stands for:
Recognizing: We teach students to identify their own emotions and the emotions of others. By learning to recognize different feelings, children can better understand what they and their peers are experiencing.
Understanding: Once students recognize their emotions, we guide them in understanding why they feel a certain way. This helps them connect their emotions to their thoughts and actions.
Labeling: We encourage children to use specific words to describe their feelings. By labeling their emotions accurately, they can communicate more effectively and feel more in control of their emotional experiences.
Expressing: Expressing emotions in a healthy way is key. We support students in finding appropriate and constructive ways to share their feelings with others.
Regulating: Finally, we teach strategies for managing and regulating emotions. This includes techniques to calm down, refocus, and respond to feelings in a positive way.
Our goal with RULER is to help students develop emotional intelligence, which is crucial for their overall well-being and success both in and out of school. By integrating RULER into our daily activities, we aim to create a supportive and understanding environment where every child feels valued and empowered. Students explore the Charter, the Mood Meter, the Meta-moment, and the Blueprint as tools to help with each aspect of RULER. We will share more about these tools are the year progresses.
We believe that by working together—teachers, parents, and students—we can help our children build a strong foundation for emotional resilience and positive relationships. If you have any questions about the RULER program or how you can support your child’s emotional development at home, please feel free to reach out to their teacher or to a school social worker (Ms. Roxanne or Ms. Kalah). We’re here to help!
Notes from Nurse Megan
Please do not send medication to school in your student's backpack. Students should not hold onto their own medication at school. Administer medications before or after school. If your student requires medication administration during the school day, please contact the health office for assistance.
Please return any clothing (washed) that your student has borrowed from the health office. We rely heavily on these items and don't want to have to send students home when they need clothes.
Health Office reminder
Your student must stay home for a full 24 hours after fever, vomiting or diarrhea. For example, if your student is sent home with a fever on Monday, they will automatically be excused from school on Tuesday. We will welcome that back to school on Wednesday if they are symptom free without the use of medication. Thank you for being considerate of our school community and keeping your child home when sick.
Contact Nurse Megan at 602-664-7322 or mbefort@madisoned.org with any questions/concerns. Thank you!
Information and Volunteers Wanted!
Families can browse through all the selections in the electronic library by browsing in the Destiny Discover website.
Please help your students return their library books this week so that they are able to check out new ones for Spring Break. If they are lost, you can:
1) pay the replacement cost with cash or check to 'Madison Simis.'
2) provide the library with a replacement copy of the same book (used and in good condition is acceptable).
If you like books and quiet spaces, we have the perfect volunteer opportunity for you! The Simis Library is looking for volunteers to help reshelve books after our students enjoy reading them. The library is open from 7:15am - 3:15pm Monday-Friday, and volunteers are welcome to help any day and time that fits their schedule! Sign up for one or more day, and month, based on how often you'd like to help.
Thank you!
Mrs. Sarmiento & Mrs. Brandstatter
Please email us if you have any questions.
What is Site Council:
Site Council reviews school data, discusses school procedures and practices, makes decisions about tax credit allocation, and helps inform the principal in decision making.
Recent Highlights:By-Law Review, Back to School Feedback, Voting in New Members
Discussed: Tax credit approval for field trips
Next meeting: Site Council overview, School Goals and Data
Did you know?
Each year there is an activity fee of $50 for each student. Our Simis Site Based Management Council determines how all Tax Credit resources will be used at Madison Simis. This year we will use these funds to pay for our grade-level field trips, assemblies, and character education.
Process
Parent/Guardian:
https://az-madison.intouchreceipting.com/
The online portal page instructs guardians to login to POWERSCHOOL.
Guests can create an account and login directly through the online portal page.
Once logged in, parents can PAY Fines/Fees that are posted on their student's account or self select Items at Schools. For example, Activity Fees have already been posted on student's accounts and can be paid through Pay Fines/Fees. Please email receipts to simisoffice@madisoned.org.
Native American students may have their activity fees paid by grant funds if they have proof of Tribal membership. Please have interested families contact Martha Sullivan for information.
Families can contact simisoffice@madisoned.org for a scholarship form.
After School Vendors
If you are looking for a fun activity to engage your student after school dismisses, don't forget to look at our vendor offerings at Madison Simis!
THRIVE Parent Information Series
Madison School District has modules available to families in the THRIVE section of the Madison website. These short and informative videos with experts in the field provide families with resources to approach and support their child in ways that align with the students of the Alpha and iGeneration.
Volunteering at Simis
Click here to register as a school volunteer! All adults must be approved volunteers through the District to volunteer at Simis. Please remember when you volunteer that you are approved for a specific area of school during your visit. To avoid distractions in the learning environment, we ask that volunteers come to school to volunteer and then exit the school following their volunteering, not going into other classrooms to visit with students.
School Lunch Visitor Registration Form
Sign up for a lunch visit here! Please read the details on the sign up form for more information.
As a reminder, we ask that all parents sit with their child at the visitor's table in the cafeteria and say goodbye as students head out to recess. Siblings cannot attend with parents/visitors. Friends do not join the lunch visit.
If you have a student who struggles with separation, please consider not coming to lunch as a visitor until later in the school year. This will help prevent challenging good-byes after the visit.
