IES Mini STREAKS

February Character Trait: Citizenship

Ida Elementary's Character Trait for February is Citizenship.

One of the reasons I chose to pursue a career in education was the way educators tap into the many facets of a community. A component I'll never forget is how educators exposed myself and the other students to key community members including police, fire, medical, religious, service, library, parks, waste, postal work and countless more. The exposures left me with a strong sense of belonging, (my community was Bedford), so I knew when deciding to be an educator, this would be an important part of my role. The success of our community depends on exposing students to the service and responsibilities others undertake, to ensure we continue to function and thrive. I'm proud to be an educator and part of a successful school system and strong community that values involvement in their child's education.

Our building wide positive behavior intervention support (PBIS): Character Trait and MOTTO

There is a direct connection between what we think and how we respond to situations throughout the day. Every month at Ida Elementary the entire staff focuses on supporting children THINK in a way that promotes positive friendship making and approach to understanding the curriculum being taught. At the end of each month, students demonstrating exceptional ability to show the trait of the month is celebrated with a certificate, name called during lunch, and a book vending machine token.

Please read the attached Mini Streak, or paper version already sent home, for information such as the definition of citizenship, its benefits, and strategies for teaching and modeling citizenship..

Please watch for future digital editions of the Ida Elementary School (IES) Mini Streak coming out the first Monday of each month during the school year as well as enjoying the paper version that will still be sent home by your child's teacher.

With Appreciation,

Ms. Maynard

Principal of Ida Elementary School

If you have a 3rd or 4th grade daughter, consider having her participate in Girls on the Run. It is a fun after school program that builds comradery with peers and healthy habits.

For the past month, 4th grade students have been working on their Living History Museum historical figures. They have to do their research, using more than one resource, then create notecards and rehearse their speech. Lastly, they create a board to highlight key accomplishments and facts. Their research includes information such as where they were born, their family, their education, significant accomplishments, and what they looked like. The students take turns in their class presenting their projects prior to the evening family event. The classroom projects are often more in depth and include questions by peers. This is a very important event for our students at Ida Elementary. Thank you fourth grade teachers for dedicating so much time to make this a success!

The teachers had fun doing a scavenger hunt during January's staff meeting. Team captains were given a sheet with riddles to share with their team. They had to collect color coded puzzle pieces from different locations around school, including outside on the magic square! The team first to complete their puzzle and return to Ms. Maynard's office won $20 Target gift cards! 7 were handed out! This was a fun way to engage our new teachers with the rest of the staff.

• Counselor Updates
• MTSS and Building wide PBIS
• Curriculum and Instructional Trends
• Library News
• News from the Office
• Family and Community Updates
• PTA News

When I sail my boat, a lot of time is spent on adjusting lines to make the boat move with the wind. Just when it seems like everything is tuned, the wind shifts, resulting in a continual fine-tuning. I can’t help but relate this to our system of education. Just as things seem well adjusted, the wind shifts and knocks us off course. But then we adjust our lines and monitor the effect. It takes some time and readjusting, but the result is always rewarding, and the boat keeps moving forward. ~SM