KES Newsletter #9

November 5: No school for students. (Teacher Professional Staff Development)

November 6, 6:00 PM: PTA Meeting (Date was changed due to Vanaver performance)

November 7: County Wide Early Evacuation Drill: Students dismiss 15 minutes early (3:00 PM). Students will practice the High Winds Sheltering Drill during the day, which we would use in the case of a severe weather event. No after school activities. No after care at Town of Rochester Youth Center!

November 11: Veteran's Day - School is closed

November 13, 6:30 PM: Third Grade Vanaver Caravan Dance Performance at the High School (student performers arrive at 5:45 PM)

November 21: School Picture Retakes

November 27 - 29: Thanksgiving Recess; School is Closed

Save the Date! Hall of Holidays celebration, December 19! Look for details including your grade level time to visit during the school day!

On Thursday, November 7th all schools in Ulster County will be dismissed 15 minutes earlier than their normal dismissal. This is an annual test of the evacuation procedure for the Emergency Management/Disaster Preparedness Plan. During the school day, students will practice the Sheltering Drill, completed annually. This drill would be used in the case of a severe storm with high winds.

• Our school will dismiss buses at 3:00 PM.
• There will be no after school activities / clubs.
• Town of Rochester after care program will be closed, following the same rules as schools in the county. They will send out information to their families.

On Tuesday, December 3, the Rondout Valley Central School District community will vote on a Capital Project that focuses on security, safety, and the arts, with the goal of enhancing student programs and creating a secure learning environment throughout the District.

By leveraging $4 million already set aside in a voter-approved Capital Reserve, strategically phasing-in bond repayment to replace retiring debt from previous projects, and applying New York State Building Aid reimbursement, the proposed $21.4 million project would not increase the local tax levy.

The project addresses several high-priority aging infrastructure components that were identified in the State-mandated Building Condition Survey, as well as key security and safety enhancements, significant improvements to recreational fields and learning spaces, a complete auditorium and music suite upgrade at the High School, and more.

At KES, we are going to receive many upgrades to security features including enhanced secure vestibule for visitors, a new playground, soccer field and drainage, a basketball court, new windows in the wing for grades 1-3, and more!

Check out the link to view the informational flier!

For many years our district has celebrated cultures around the world with the Vanaver Caravan.

For several years this project has been done in the spring. This year we opted to bring the project back to the fall. There are many benefits of this, not least of which is the team building aspect that goes along with an activity that brings us all together in the spirit of respect, cooperation and unity.

Vanaver Caravan works with many school districts in our area and beyond. Each third grade classroom selects a dance from a country they are learning about, and Vanaver instructors bring the performances to life.

Why third grade? Third grade is the perfect grade for this project because of the alignment to our learning standards, which includes learning about world cultures. The unique history of various communities and cultures are studied, including heroic figures, traditions, and holidays.

Students examine each selected world community in terms of its members, languages spoken, customs and traditions, and religious beliefs and practices. Students will learn about the holidays and festivals celebrated in each selected world community and compare them to the holidays and festivals celebrated in their own community.

Why is this important? Communities share similarities and differences across the world. Students compare and contrast their own experiences with those of people from other places. This enables students to respect and appreciate how we all benefit from sharing ideas and how much we have in common with one another. Students learn that in every place they study there are children and loving families with hobbies, interests, hopes, and dreams just like them.

The performance on November 13 at 6:30 PM represents the first time all of our third graders from Kerhonkson and Marbletown are all together. It's a special evening. We are so excited to share our student performances with you!

https://mrslearningbee.com/blogs/teaching/childrens-book-for-harmony-day This resource, 20 Multicultural Books for Children has book suggestions and some coloring sheets at the bottom of the article.

PBS Kids is a great go-to! They have a great webpage dedicated to world cultures!

https://thinktv.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/world-cultures-pbskids/

Looking for a Great Thanksgiving Book?

Here is a great read aloud of an award winning book you are welcome to include as Thanksgiving approaches. It’s also in our library!

We are Grateful - Otsaliheliga! by Traci Sorell

“Cherokee people say otsaliheliga to express gratitude. It is a reminder to celebrate our blessings and reflect on struggles–daily, throughout the year, and across the seasons.”

Read aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1cDcBY1C1Y

Standards Aligned Activities: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59f23df09f8dce7578c71128/t/

5b57ddd70e2e7217206616bd/1532485103019/WE+ARE+GRATEFUL+

OTSALIHELIGA+Teachers+Guide.pdf

Mrs. Rodriguez and Mrs. Huckeba know how to make math fun! Every day students experience high quality, hands-on learning in small groups. Mrs. Huckeba uses Number Worlds to make sure all students in the class have strong number sense and operations skills.

Students learn at their pace with instruction designed to meet individual needs using our new curriculum enVision.

Use this link to view a complete list of upcoming events through January 1! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BM01NsZ8B55HfCiTFqnjAm2sDgDlpUw9M8aSLc4opOM/edit?usp=sharing

Regular school attendance is crucial for academic success, especially in reading and math.

Thank you so much for sending your children to school each day! Our goal is for students to meet the Federal Benchmark for good school attendance: fewer than 18 absences per year.

Please keep your child home if they are sick. If they attend every day when they are well, they will easily meet the attendance goal.

For more information on school attendance, check out the attached resource from Attendance Works. There’s more on their website:

https://www.attendanceworks.org/

Please send $1.25 with your child when they want to buy ice cream and snacks or add money to your myschoolbucks account (myschoolbucks.org)

Here is the ice cream schedule:

Monday: No ice cream

Tuesday: First Grade

Wednesday: Second grade

Thursday: Third Grade

Friday: Pre-K and Kindergarten

November's PBIS theme is Respect!

PBIS stands for "Positive Behavior Intervention Supports."

Students are learning that having a growth mindset is a super power! "Yet" is a powerful word. When students are learning new skills, they also learn to say "I can't do that...YET!" That little word changes everything.

Students earn Gander tickets for demonstrating safe, responsible, respectful behavior.

We are working to earn a movie in December! Each grade needs 5 buckets

Grade Pre-K and K: 1 bucket filled

Grade 1: buckets filled

Grade 2: buckets filled

Grade 3: buckets filled

PBIS programs stress the importance of telling students what safe, respectful, and responsible behavior looks like and sounds like. Each year teachers set these guidelines in their classrooms. We also teach students what is expected in other school locations. We begin with hallway expectations, then cafeteria, bus, and recess.

Currently, we are working on hallway, cafeteria, and recess expectations.

In the hallway:

Safe = Walking in the hall

Respectful = Voice level 0

Responsible = Going directly to your destination

In the cafeteria:

Safe = Walking and not sharing food (some students have allergies, and we do not want to spread germs that make us sick.)

Respectful = Voice level 1-3, or conversation with the people at your table. It also means going to voice level 0 and listening for directions when the teachers give the signal, which is typcally turning down the lights, clap for attention, or call-response.

Responsible = Cleaning up after yourself.

At Recess:

Safe = Safe bodies (Hands and feet to ourselves)

Respectful = Treating others asa you would like to be treated.

Responsible = Following adult directions and managing your belongings.

Please remind your child of the expectations shown in this newsletter. You can also read or watch a video read-aloud of our books of the month!

Our PBIS Books of the Month and video links can be found using this link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GiJxR1eXOlGJWJc_SDqsT84zTnJbwXpG6OPbXb9kkS8/edit