Welcome Back to School!

We are excited to have our elementary students back in the building. We are settling into a daily routing of learning and happy to share your elementary students are very respectful, responsible, and safe at school!

Our newsletter this year will include important dates, news updates, and pictures our teachers share. Please make sure you scroll all the way through the newsletter for important information and fun learning pictures!

We are here to partner with you for a great school year. If you have any questions or concerns, now or throughout the year, please reach out to us. We would be happy to sit down with you to discuss however we can be of assistance.

Please make sure you read entirely our fall party plans and guidelines. Fall parties can be an extremely fun time for our students, yet we do have some safety guidelines to make sure we provide the best environment for all of our students.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

Dr. Amy James, Principal

ajames@sbschools.us

Ashley Tanksley, Assistant Principal

atanksley@sbschools.us

October

2 - Fall Fluoride Dental Day

3 - 3rd Grade Math Breakfast 7:30-8:00am

5 - 4th Grade Math Breakfast 7:30-8:00am

6 - SB Homecoming Parade 2:15

6 - Midterms Sent Home with Students

16 - PD Day - No School

23 - Pumpkin Contest Entries Due

24 - PBS Assemblies (3rd Grade 1:45-2:15, 4th Grade 2:20-2:50, Wednesday building schedule)

27 - Fall Parties 1:15-2:15pm

27 - Pumpkin Contest Pumpkins Sent Home

29-10 Fall Book Fair

November

7 - Picture Retakes

9 - Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00-7:00 pm

10 - Parent/Teacher Conferences 8:00-11:00 am

10 - PD Day - No School

16 - 4th Grade Music Concert 6:00 pm and 7:00pm

22-24 Thanksgiving Break

28 - PBS Assemblies (3rd Grade 1:45-2:15, 4th Grade 2:20-2:50, Wednesday building schedule)

December

19 - PBS Assemblies (3rd Grade 1:45-2:15, 4th Grade 2:20-2:50, Wednesday building schedule)

20 - Winter Parties 9:15-10:15

21-2 Winter Break

Menu Link: https://myschoolmenus.com/organizations/1890

Online Payment Link: https://southernboonemo.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/boone.jsp

Elementary Parties are Friday, October 27 from 1:15-2:15pm.

Students will change into costumes around 1:00. Parents wanting to view to costume parade may go to the bus loop and wait on sidewalk until our costume parade begins at 1:15pm.

• Children are not required to dress up.
• Costumes should not be scary.
• Costumes need to be simple and easy to put on by the student (Please do not bring fake weapons, fake blood, spray-colored hair, make-up, etc.)

• Costumes must come to school in a sack or backpack – please do not wear the costumes to school.

• Students riding the bus home will need to change out of costumes before loading the bus.

• Balloons sent to school or used as part of the party will not be allowed on the buses.

• Adults that dress up should be in good taste and avoid wearing masks or scary costumes, as to not frighten the children.

• Please remember, this is still a school day in which learning will take place – self-control will be needed all day.

• If sending treats for classroom parties, please remember no suckers or homemade food. All food must come in their original package with the ingredient label.

• The room parent may set up for parties at 1:00. Classroom teachers will send the name of their room parent to the office and Mrs. Carrie will send those room parents to classrooms at 1:00.

by Amy Shepherd, Elementary Instructional Coach

What is standards-based grading?

Standards-based grading is an educational system that focuses on the mastery of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education standards. It provides clear learning goals for the students, parents, and teachers. Standards-based grading defines what proficiency looks like and provides specific feedback on how the student is progressing.

Why are we transitioning to standards-based grading?

Studies have shown that standards-based grading practices correlate to higher academic

achievement. Standardized grading is less subject to bias and more focused on mastery instead of work habits. Standards-based grading communicates clearly what standards need to be improved and which skills the child has mastered.

What will be the grading scale at the elementary school?

A student will receive a 1, 2, or 3 on a grade level standard that was determined as priority by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. If the standard does not have a number next to it, that specific standard was not taught during the trimester being reported.

1 - Beginning

Student provides little

evidence of meeting the

performance expectation or

learning objective.

Student will be provided feedback and support in order to revise work.

2 -Approaching

Student demonstrates partial

mastery of the performance

expectation or learning

objective.

Student will be provided feedback and support in order to revise work.

3 - Proficient

Student demonstrates mastery

of the performance

expectation or learning

objective.

Student is able to analyze and peer review the work of others.

How Will Grades Be Communicated?

*Grades will be shared six times a year through progress reports (midterm progress) and Infinite Campus (trimester progress).

*Data binders will be shown during Parent/Teacher Conferences. This will be a time where teachers and families will review the student's work with feedback and rubric scores. *Guardians are welcome to view their child's data binder at any time. To do so, guardians will reach out to the teacher to schedule a time to discuss their child’s progress.

*Teachers will be sending home Friday Folders weekly with comments regarding a student's academic progress, as well as any information regarding the student's behavior.

*Teachers will also communicate a child's progress through email, phone calls, and/or phone

application messages.

How has our building prepared for standards-based grading?

The transition to standards-based grading has been a two-year process for the elementary building. Over the past two years, teachers have been working closely with the Regional Professional Development Center to learn about how to implement standards-based grading and develop rubrics aligned with the priority standards determined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Students in third grade have been learning about electrical and magnetic forces and got to experiment with static electricity using balloons recently. Although Mrs. Palmer's class had messy hair, they learned that we can move lots of things using this electrical force.

Students in fourth grade have been learning about the transfer of energy. They did an experiment with solar energy using cardboard boxes, construction paper, aluminum foil. 4th graders designed and tested their very own solar oven this month. Ms. Farris' class shared these pictures of how fun science class can be when you go outside and bake smores for science class.

If your child will be picked up as a car rider, please use our elementary car rider lines for the safety of your student and others. Busses that travel down Renee are struggling to navigate safely through the cars and students. Our 3rd Grade pick up line is in front of the elementary. Our 4th grade pick up line is in the back of the elementary, using Redtail. Siblings of 4th graders will be escorted to 4th grade pick up line for dismissal. Thank you for your help in keeping everyone safe!

Please have your child check our lost and found for any items he or she is missing. You are welcome to come in and look at our lost and found, with your child, from 7:30-8:00am. All items left at school will be donated over school breaks.

• Birthday treats must be served AFTER lunch.
• Birthday treats cannot be homemade, they must have an ingredient label.

If your student is absent, please let the office know by emailing Carrie Bradley at cbradley@sbschools.us or calling the office at 657-2145. Only letting the teacher know of the absence will not verify the absence. You must let the office know of the absence, since attendance records are maintained through the office.

Transportation changes must be made through the office. Please email Carrie Bradley at cbradley@sbschools.us or call the office at 657-2145 before 2:30pm (1:30pm on Wed.) with any transportation changes. Students will be sent home their regular way if the office does not have a transportation change request from a parent. This includes afterschool activities, we will need a note each day the student is planning to stay for an activity.

Please notify the elementary school AND your child's daycare if there is a transportation change.

If you have a health related question, Andrea Carlos can be reached at acarlos@sbschools.us or by calling the school office.

Please click and follow our NEW for Fall 2023 Southern Boone Elementary School Facebook Page! This is a new page this school year! We will no longer be using the previous Facebook Group, because a Facebook Group will not sync with our new district communication system. We are excited about the new Page! Please make sure you follow the new page for all the latest social media updates.