Paw Print

Executive Function Skill of the Week: Working Memory

Our Working Memory allows us to keep information in our heads long enough to do what we need to do with it before it flies away. Think about this...if you lost your cell phone, how many people would you be able to call from memory? Would you have to go look up your sister's phone number and then look back at it twice before you were finished dialing it? What about those verification codes we have to enter but they come in a text and we are using our phone for the app or webpage so we've gotta get it in our brain from the text and remember it long enough to enter it in the app on another screen! Eek! We need a good working memory to grasp the info from one screen, keep it in our head until we get to the other screen, and then remember it in order so it goes through the first time!

Our children who struggle with working memory may say they understand when the teacher gives a direction, but then forget by the time they get back to their desk how to get started. Or, they may totally understand and be able to show mastery of a task during the school day, but have literally no idea how to navigate the math process when they have the same exact problems for homework later. They may be working along just fine, stop to get a drink or tie their shoe and find themselves completely lost when they look back at the assignment. They may particularly struggle memorizing facts, holding onto information you want them to share with someone else, completing simple tasks at home like setting the table or going out to the garage to get a trash bag, and multi-step directions are so hard to hold onto. In school, we often find that math is difficult for students with poor working memory because they get lost in the processes of what to do with which numbers where and oh, boy, it can easily dissolve into a mixture of some right moves and then some errant operations.

What can help? Lots of things!

• Rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal. If you have to repeat something over and over again until your muscle memory kicks in and it comes out correctly so that you can recall the information when you need it, you've won that battle. Flashcards can help!
• Chunk up the info. Break up the task or ask or words into parts that are easier to remember, and hopefully the details will come when you need them.
• Repeat after me...say it out loud. Point to where you need to go while you say it. Draw a picture to go with the information. Make actions or gestures that make it make sense.
• Mnemonics are fun! ROY G. BIV, Never East Soggy Waffles, you get the idea!
• Take a picture. For routine tasks, take a picture of the end result. It's often easier to remember what to do when we can visualize what it will look like when we're done. This is a particularly great plan for helping your forgetful kiddo remember everything they need to be ready to go out the door for school. The picture takes all of the constant reminders out of the scenario, allowing you as a parent to breathe and your child time to practice and feel proud of their growing independence. Win:Win
• Graphic Organizers. Especially in the areas of math and writing, but honestly, in any subject, graphic organizers can help students collect information, save it visually, then have it readily available to use again when they need it. Every teacher loves a good graphic organizer!

Also helpful because they help to calm the body so that it can work at a higher efficiency:

• Breathing.
• Mindfulness activities
• Yoga
• Almost anything done in nature

Not helpful:

• Too much screen time

Students without the power to take in information and store it until they need it again will face challenges in school. They will feel like they've got to work harder than everyone else. They will need more support from home and more practice to help their brain learn how to grab onto information and be there when they need it. Our job is to help our kids learn how to best use their brain to learn and be successful. Our children should feel confident and ready to learn. They should be encouraged to keep working until they get it! They can! They will! Bulldogs are cool like that.

Thing One: SLOW DOWN coming and going and especially in our parking lot. There are actually some people who let their kids wander around inside their cars unbuckled while in the loop. One accidental tap, an innocent child suffers and your insurance just skyrocketed. SLOW DOWN. There's time. You're going to be okay.

Thing Two: DROP YOUR PHONE when you're in the loop, or really any time you're driving your children around. Distracted driving causes problems for you and for everyone around you. Again. There's time. Text or call them later. Enjoy the time with your children. That time flies.

We need THREE MORE special people to join our Connections C team! We've been making the magic work by pulling people from their other jobs, but we would sure rather provide consistency for our students with the same staff every day. How about you? Are you pretty consistent? Do you love kids? Do you think it's pretty cool to work with other pretty cool people? We laugh. We cry. We hug it out. (To be clear...hugging is completely optional.) We celebrate. We learn and we grow. Come grow with us!

Your future "I didn't know how much I'd love it!" opportunity starts by clicking here.

Remember to bring your IDs! These will be REQUIRED to be shown on camera before entering the building! Just flash it at the door and we'll have a quick digital record. We obviously don't keep records forever, but they will help us sort out any concerns within a couple week's span. Then keep that license in your hand because it's just what you'll need to sign in to do whatever wonderful thing that brought you to school in the first place! We love visitors and the district's new system makes our check-in and check-out super easy by saving us a few steps and a few trees. I know that you're sad to no longer get to wear those big badges around your neck, but come to the next big ticket event and maybe you'll get one then!

District guidelines for signing students in/out of elementary school are reiterated below.

• Check-Out: Parents are required to check out students in person by scanning their ID. The system will display the name of the student(s) the adult is authorized to check out. If someone other than a parent is picking up the student, their name can be entered, but staff must verify the authorization. It's really helpful to give the office a head's up if something out of the usual is on the agenda. ID scanning is mandatory, with exceptions made only in rare circumstances. Please, don't be rare.

• Check-In: Parents will also need to check in their student upon arrival if the child is entering after the morning bell at 8:45am. After scanning your license and entering the requested information, the system will print a return-to-class pass for your child to give to their teacher and the record is complete.

Yes, this is new and maybe even annoying to some, but the vast majority of parents have been amazing so far in your patience, support and smiles as we've worked out the kinks as the district rolled out each step. Life doesn't always present itself as easy, but none of us should be in the business of making things harder for anyone else without a really good reason...like you're a personal trainer or something. Thank you for understanding that our intentions are for the best of reasons and in particular, for student and staff safety.

USD 232 has been an important and strong participant in the Kansas Teacher of the Year Program for many years. De Soto has had fifteen state finalists and thirteen semi-finalists represented in the program since 2000.

We would like to invite you to nominate any teacher whom you consider to be an outstanding and effective educator. This person must have completed 5 years of teaching with at least 2 of them having been in USD 232. If there is a USD 232 educator whom you believe to be outstanding and deserving of special recognition, please use the link below to fill out the nomination form.

Kansas Teacher of the Year Nomination Form

Nomination deadline is noon on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.

November 14 🌻 BE Night at Papa John's Pizza

November 18 🌻 PTO Meeting, Cafeteria (enter on west side), 6:30pm

November 25-29 🌻 Thanksgiving Break

• No School for Students

December 11 🌻 BE Skate Party at Skate City, 6-8pm

December 20 🌻 12:10 Dismissal

• No Lunch Served

December 23 - January 6 🌻 Winter Break

• No School for Students

Visit the BE Online Calendar of Events (by clicking on the button below) for a more complete list of activities!

11:00-11:30 1st Grade

11:20-11:50 Kindergarten

11:40-12:10 5th Grade

12:00-12:30 4th Grade

12:20-12:50 3rd Grade

12:40-1:10 2nd Grade

Reservations are required to join your child for lunch- when we are ready, you'll be able to CLICK HERE to reserve your family table!

It's a WatchDOGS revival in the Belmont DogHouse! With at least a week's notice, we'll welcome a DAD (gotta be a significant adult guardian or relation) each Wednesday to work a day at BE. There will be a schedule provided that will include a variety of tasks including building safety, academic assistance in classrooms, and logistical support during lunch, and the reward...RECESS! We guarantee you'll have the opportunity to enjoy lunch and recess with your own child(ren) and around that, we'll put you to work in the classrooms where your extra hands will be the most helpful! Do YOU have the opportunity to take a day off to hang out with about 370 beautiful children and the adults who love learning with them?

Access the WatchDOGS Sign Up HERE.

We are blessed to have such an amazing team here at Belmont! Would you love an opportunity to formally show appreciation...without spending a dime? Through the generosity of the Great American Bank and the USD 232 Education Foundation, we have the opportunity to recognize staff members who go above and beyond in their daily interactions with students. All you need to do is click on the link below and fill out some general information about the deserving nominee. Thank you for helping our team know that their dedication is appreciated. I appreciate your time and gift of gratitude if you've recently nominated, or plan to nominate a Belmont team member for their service.

Making a Difference Nomination Link

Sign up for Text Alerts

Receive emergency information, school closings, early dismissals and administrative reminders on your mobile device. This text and email service is free, but check with your mobile provider as text messaging and data rates may apply.

To subscribe >> Click Here

Community partner Country Club Bank is providing support to ensure this service is available in USD 232.

Email: phargrove@usd232.org
Website: be.usd232.org
Location: 5805 Belmont Drive, Shawnee, KS 66226, United States
Phone: (913)667-1810
Facebook: Belmont Elementary Bulldogs
Twitter: @BEBulldogs