Steere Farm Elementary School
January 2023 Edition
From the Desk of Mrs. Francis
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank our Steere Farm families for your generosity during the holiday season. Thanks to many of you, our annual Food Drive, PTA gift drive, and Pet Drive was a success and helped support local families in need. Our teaching staff also sponsored families through a "Giving Tree". I am truly thankful for a school community that enthusiastically contributes so much to our school. We are all filled with Bronco Pride!
Warm Regards,
Mrs. Francis
Setting Goals for the New Year
The middle of the school year is a great time for families to check in with students on goals. Setting academic and personal goals helps motivate, energize, and focus students, and it is a valuable skill that will benefit learners throughout their lives. Parents can help students set and achieve these goals.
Goal-setting can be tedious, even intimidating, for some students. Parents can support
students in this process by following these steps: pick it, map it, do it, own it, and celebrate
it.
Pick it. Encourage your child to consider his or her dreams and passions and pick goals
that are important and meaningful. Guide your child to think about, “What motivates me? What would inspire me to give my best effort? What would make me feel good while I’m doing it? What achievement would make me feel proud?”
Map it. After your child picks a goal, help map the path from where he or she is now to
where the child wants to be. Offer the following analogy: If we want to drive across the
country from New York to California, we don’t just get in our car and start driving—we get a map, pick a route, and follow it until we get to California. With your child, analyze
different approaches and define clear steps to reach their goal. For instance, if the goal is
to get a higher test grade in a tough subject, each quiz or project is a step on the path to
the higher goal: earning an A.
Do it. Once you and your child have mapped a path to their goal, encourage him or her to take action, focus on the first step and give it his or her best effort. Remind your child that no goal is ever reached without focused action.
Own it. As your child makes progress toward their goal, help him or her to take
responsibility for making it happen. Teach the mantra, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me!” Reflect
with your child. Ask, “How are you doing? What’s working? What’s not working? What can
you or your family change to get to this goal?” From there, analyze the map, and make
changes to the plan if necessary. Help your child keep a positive attitude and own mistakes as well as successes. Remind your child that if something comes along that holds him or her back temporarily, to look at the experience as feedback. Failures, or bumps in the road, can provide us with information we need to succeed. Reinforce the message that we can learn from our mistakes and move on with new, valuable knowledge.
Celebrate it. Acknowledgment and celebration are huge parts of achieving goals.
Acknowledge every effort and celebrate your child’s mini-successes along the way to
achieving a goal. This builds his or her confidence and motivation. Your child will feel good and understand that perseverance will result in another mini-success and finally goal achievement. Try going through the goal-setting process as a family. Pick a family goal (perhaps a charitable activity) and work together to achieve it. After the family experience, have each family member pick a personal goal. Support and acknowledge one another as you move through the above steps. Success is assured when students believe in themselves and in their ability to achieve. Parents are key to helping them believe and succeed.
Report to Parents, written to serve elementary and middle-level principals, may be
reproduced by National Association of Elementary School Principals members without
permission.
January Lunch & Breakfast Menus
Announcements & Reminders
School-Wide Results of RICAS Testing
Overall, the RI state averages:
- ELA- percentage of students meeting/exceeding expectations: 31%
- Math- percentage of students meeting/exceeding expectations: 27%
SFE's Results:
- ELA- percentage of students meeting/exceeding expectations: 24%
- Math - percentage of students meeting/exceeding expectations: 27%
Although our overall proficiency rates are not where we want them to be, Steere Farm students showed great growth compared to similarly performing peers. 73% of students showed typical or high growth in ELA. 66% of students showed typical or high growth in Math. We are certainly moving in the right direction!
Next steps include data analysis at the building level and with our School Improvement Team resulting in action plans.
*Individual student reports were sent home with students in grades 4-5.
*Click on the link below to access the RI Department Of Education's Assessment Data Portal to view results by district or school. I suggest using the Interactive Reports tab to view results*
School Improvement Team Update
Coming Soon: Surveyworks
- SurveyWorks is a statewide survey sent out annually to students, families, and teachers to hear from Rhode Islanders directly about their experiences in our state's public schools.
- SurveyWorks will be given to all students in grades 3-12, parents, teachers, support professionals and building administrators.
- The Rhode Island Family Survey is for all parents to complete. Parents of students receiving special education services will receive a single survey that combines the Rhode Island Family Survey and the Special Education Survey.
- More information will be sent home in the coming weeks.
Outdoor Recess
Lost & Found
Students of the Month!
Toodles!
Teacher of the Month!
Grade Level Highlights!
Multi-Age Gingerbread Cookies & Toy Drive Success
Grade 2 Holiday Kindness
Grade 3: Water & Climate Science Unit
Grade 4 Electricity Unit
Grade 4 Math Incentive!
Grade 5 Field Trip to the Theatre!
Physical Education Update
Events & Flyers
Holiday Spirit Week!
A Special Holiday Themed Sing Along Featuring Our SFE Chorus & Recorder Ensemble
Kindness Week!
PTA Update!
PTA Holiday Shoppe
Special shout out to the BHS CTE Education pathway students who helped our students shop within budgets and gift wrap!
PTA Meeting
The January PTA Meeting will be Wednesday, January 11th at 6:30 pm in the SFE library or via Zoom. Please join us, we have so much to plan for the second half of the school year!!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2289417724?pwd=RUdZVXhSSzlzYmpreld0QmE4SWZEdz09
Season of Giving!
Teacher Gifts!
Boston Red Sox Tickets
Restaurant Night @ D'Angelo
Indoor Recess - Help Wanted!
Got Sneakers?
February Calendar Fundraiser
Dates to Remember:
- 1/3: School Resumes!
- 1/10: Student of the Month Family Ceremony @ 8:25
- 1/11: PTA Meeting @ 6:30 p.m.
- 1/16: No School - MLK, Jr. Day
- 1/19: PTA Restaurant Night @ D'Angelo's (Smithfield)
- 1/23-1/27: Kindness Week!
- 1/23-2/3: Mid Year Benchmarking Window
- 1/24: School Improvement Team Meeting @ 3:30
Stay in Touch!
Email: francisc@bsd-ri.net
Website: https://sfe.bsd-ri.net/
Location: Steere Farm Elementary School, Steere Farm Road, Pascoag, RI, USA
Phone: 401-568-1350
Twitter: @Mrs_Francis7