The last couple weeks have been busy ones, even with only 4 days each. Thanks to all of our students and parents for working hard to keep routines in place and schedules consistent. As summer winds down and we settle into our school year practices, consistency of routines helps students develop skills of independence, responsibility, and feel at ease in their school day.

Today (Friday) we took our All School Picture. Thanks to the Rockbrook Community Club for providing every student and staff member with a Rockbrook T-Shirt, helping bring us together and celebrating our community with weekly spirit-wear days.

The Rockbrook Express is our longer monthly newsletter so be sure to read through carefully for information about the coming weeks and events happening at our school.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Dr. Higginbotham, Principal

September

• 9th Community Club Meeting - 6:00 p.m. (Childcare provided)
• 18th Don & Millie’s Dining Out for Education Night
• 17th Science and Sundaes STEAM Night
• 20th Fun Run (F, Oct 6th Rain Date)
• 26th One School, One Book Literacy Night
• 30th Fall Picture Day

Please join us for a whole school celebration on Thursday, September 26th from 6-7:30pm. This Literacy Night will have themed activities around The One and Only Ivan to celebrate reading the book together! Click on the survey below to RSVP to this event. Students must be accompanied by an adult. We hope to see you all there!

As we start our second month of school we want to thank all of our families for their help in the transition from summer. Each year there's lots of changes for our kids and families to get used to. As we head into September, please help us with the following requests.

• Families should say their goodbyes outside (except when they need to check their child in for Club66 - in this case please use the south entrance). Giving students independence in entering and transitioning to class is an important skill for all students.
• Homework routines are an important habit for all kids. Whether it's reading with someone, completing practice work, or practicing math facts, developing a consistent habit with your child, encouraging them to initiate these times, and rewarding their responsibility are great things to start if you haven't already.
• Please make sure to keep traffic looping in the pick up lane at the north lot. If you need to park please do so in a parking space not near pickup areas. This helps keep traffic from slowing and backing up into the road.
• Drop off at the designated zones in both parking lots (not the circle drive). Students will be met at the entrances by staff, and can spend time with friends as they wait to enter the building.

Because we know Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and friends sometimes help with routines for drop off and pickup, please be sure to share these notes and further details found below to help them with these important times for our kids.

Today our school performed a drill to practice the procedures in the event of a severe weather. Teachers prepared their students in advance and debriefed following the drill. Please see the additional information below should your child wish to discuss. We are also happy to connect with any questions you may have about the procedures we use to keep kids safe throughout their day at Rockbrook.

Our first RBCC meeting of the year will be Monday, September 9 from 6-7 p.m. We will meet in the Art Room. Childcare is provided! All family members welcome!

Westside Community Schools continues the implementation of MTSS, which stands for Multi-Tiered System of Supports. MTSS in Westside assures that we regularly monitor student skills and follow-up with providing students what they need to be successful in learning. Beginning in August, this means that we first screen all students to determine their current skill levels and plan our instruction to meet their needs.

What is MTSS?

MTSS is a framework for providing instruction and support to promote the academic and behavioral success of all children. Individual children’s progress & skills are measured, and these results are used to make decisions about further instruction and intervention. The MTSS process is flexible and allows for a continuum of supports designed to meet the needs of individual students. This support may be provided in a large or small group by the classroom teacher or other support staff, either within or outside the classroom.

What does this mean for my child?

A key component of the MTSS process is that all children receive high quality instruction in their classroom. Universal screenings are brief tests used to measure the progress of all students and are given three times per year. As a result of the screenings, students may be identified as needing some degree of supplemental intervention in addition to the instruction they are receiving in their classroom. If your child is identified as needing intervention you will be notified. Please contact your child’s building principal with questions.

Nebraska Reading Improvement Act: The Nebraska Reading Improvement Act went into effect at the start of the 2019-2020 school year. The goal is that all Nebraska students are able to read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. This is accomplished by ensuring all students have access to high-quality instruction and for struggling readers to receive targeted support (intervention). Our current MTSS framework in Westside Community Schools already allows for us to meet these state requirements. Also, the more students continue to read, review math facts, and write/journal each day at home, in addition to their instruction from school, the more secure their skills may become.

As we settle into our new school year please take time to explore our online School Store and load your student's meal account and pay for your student’s school fees online at MySchoolBucks.com. If their account has fees that are due, you can securely pay for them using your credit/debit card or an e-check.

If you need assistance with your account, you can find helpful how-to videos and answers to commonly asked questions by visiting myschoolbucks.com. Or, you can contact MySchoolBucks directly by logging into your account to start a chat conversation or give them a call at (855) 832-5226.

If you haven't already signed up go to MySchoolBucks.com and download the app. You will be able to see your student's account balance and add money to the account whenever you want to. It will ask you for your student's ID number. If you don't know the ID number give us a call and we will help you with it.