Simis Scoop
November 15, 2024
A Note from Mrs. Murray
Hi Simis Families,
This week our students participated in the AZ IB Day of Service. We made 900 bracelets with the words "HOPE" and "KIND". Our social workers will give these to other Madison schools to pass out to students as a pick-me-up to show that they are important and cared for by others. We are so proud of our 3rd and 4th graders for partnering with our Kinder-2nd grade students to help create these inspirational gifts. When we come together as a community, we can do amazing things!
We hope to see all families at the Turkey Trot and Book Fair tomorrow. Gates will open at 1pm and races start at 2pm. There is a two canned good entry fee, or a $5 per participant. All donations support Madison families.
The next Scoop will be sent the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break. Please read more below to learn about updates at our school to impact student achievement.
In partnership,
Mrs. Murray
Literacy Comprehension: Text Dependent Writing
Teaching text-dependent writing is crucial for students' literacy development, especially as emphasized by the Science of Reading. This approach encourages children to engage deeply with texts, enhancing their comprehension and analytical skills. In classrooms, this might involve students reading a story and then writing responses that require them to cite specific passages or details, or discussing how characters change throughout the narrative.
To support your kindergarten to 4th graders at home, you can encourage them to summarize stories they read, ask questions about the text, and express their thoughts in writing. For example, you might create a writing journal where they respond to prompts based on their favorite books, such as "What was the main problem in the story, and how was it solved?" Additionally, discussing the main ideas and details during family reading time can help reinforce these skills in a fun and engaging way.
Anytime we can encourage students to think about what they are reading, and transfer those thoughts into writing, we are helping students build their capacity to comprehend and analyze text.
Math Practices:
Building students' ability to construct viable arguments and critique reasoning is essential for their mathematical development. In elementary classrooms, teachers engage students in active mathematical discourse by encouraging them to explain their thinking aloud, use hand signals to express agreement or disagreement, and analyze various approaches to problems. For instance, a teacher might display different methods for solving a math problem and have students discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.
At home, families can foster these skills by engaging in math-related discussions during everyday activities. Encourage your child to explain their thought process when solving math problems, and ask questions that prompt them to think critically, such as “Why do you think that method works?” or “Can you think of another way to solve this?” Playing games that involve strategy or reasoning, like chess or math puzzles, can also help develop these important skills in a fun and interactive way.
Kindness Week and Gratitude
Gratitude is a powerful emotion that fosters positive relationships and a sense of community, and it can significantly enhance student achievement. When students regularly practice gratitude, they tend to develop a more positive mindset, which can improve their focus, motivation, and resilience in the face of challenges. During Kindness Week, teachers may implement exercises such as “Gratitude Jar” activities, where students write down things they are thankful for on slips of paper and share them with the class, or organize a “Compliment Chain” to encourage peer support.
At home, families can engage in similar practices by creating a gratitude wall to display notes of appreciation or taking turns sharing what they appreciate about each other during mealtime. Additionally, starting a family gratitude poster or journal can foster reflection and strengthen bonds. By nurturing a culture of gratitude, students can enhance their emotional well-being, leading to better engagement and higher achievement in their social and academic pursuits.
AZ IB Day of Service
The Arizona IB Day of Service is a special event that emphasizes the importance of giving back to others through service projects, and by encouraging students to contribute positively to their communities. Participating in service projects helps students understand the value of giving back and fosters a sense of responsibility and empathy toward others.
At Simis, students demonstrated their commitment to community service by creating friendship bracelets, which they gifted to peers at our Madison schools, symbolizing kindness and connection. This month, as we focus on the IB learner profile trait of being principled; these acts of service exemplify how we can be principled citizens who make ethical choices and respect the dignity of others. Engaging in community service not only strengthens our bonds but also instills in students the importance of integrity, fairness, and social responsibility.
Booster! Staying On Task
Our current Booster behavior focus at school is "Staying On Task." We will be teaching this important skill in five steps to help students maintain their focus and enhance their learning experience. The first step involves describing the appropriate behavior: students will learn to look at their task or assignment, think about the steps needed to complete it, focus all their attention on the task, stop working only when instructed, and ignore distractions and interruptions from others. To reinforce this at home, we encourage you to use these steps to guide your child in staying focused on their tasks. By collaborating in this effort, we can help our students develop essential skills that will benefit them both in school and beyond. Thank you for your support!
Notes from Nurse Megan
Please do not send medication to school in your student's backpack. Students should not hold onto their own medication at school. Administer medications before or after school. If your student requires medication administration during the school day, please contact the health office for assistance.
Please return any clothing (washed) that your student has borrowed from the health office. We rely heavily on these items and don't want to have to send students home when they need clothes.
Nurse Megan is looking for donations of XS/S/M girls tops. Thank you!!
Health Office reminder
Your student must stay home for a full 24 hours after fever, vomiting or diarrhea. For example, if your student is sent home with a fever on Monday, they will automatically be excused from school on Tuesday. We will welcome that back to school on Wednesday if they are symptom free without the use of medication. Thank you for being considerate of our school community and keeping your child home when sick.
Contact Nurse Megan at 602-664-7322 or mbefort@madisoned.org with any questions/concerns. Thank you!
November 15th: Discover Madison Tour (incoming kinder)
November 15th: Holiday Helping Hands Applications Close
November 16th: Turkey Trot 1pm
November 20th: TCT 1pm release
November 22nd: PBIS Booster Assembly (adults invited if students are receiving a surprise award)
November 22nd: Discover Madison Middle School Tour (current 4th grade students)
November 22nd: Dad's Club Movie Night and PATS General Meeting 5:30pm
November 27-29th: No School, Thanksgiving
Information & Updates!!
New Library Information!
Please help your students return their library books so they are able to check out new books each week! If books are lost or damaged beyond repair, please:
1) Provide the library with a replacement copy of the same book. Books can be used and in good condition but must be a like-for-like replacement (i.e., hardcover for hardcover).
2) You may now pay the replacement cost of the book through PowerSchool, a check made out to 'Madison Simis,' or cash (exact amount, please).
We want to thank all the awesome library volunteers who keep our library books circulating and Simis students reading! Your time and help is so appreciated.
Looking for a specific book or want to browse and see what’s available in our library? You can search the Destiny Discover website to see all the selections!
If you have any questions or need more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We appreciate your involvement and support!
Thank you,
Mrs. Sarmiento & Mrs. Brandstatter
What is Site Council:
Site Council reviews school data, discusses school procedures and practices, makes decisions about tax credit allocation, and helps inform the principal in decision making.
Recent Highlights:Governing Board Q&A
Discussed: Safety forum and Tax Credit Promotion
Next meeting: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support at Simis
Did you know?
Each year there is an activity fee of $50 for each student. Our Simis Site Based Management Council determines how all Tax Credit resources will be used at Madison Simis. This year we will use these funds to pay for our grade-level field trips, assemblies, and character education.
Process
Parent/Guardian:
https://az-madison.intouchreceipting.com/
The online portal page instructs guardians to login to POWERSCHOOL.
Guests can create an account and login directly through the online portal page.
Once logged in, parents can PAY Fines/Fees that are posted on their student's account or self select Items at Schools. For example, Activity Fees have already been posted on student's accounts and can be paid through Pay Fines/Fees. Please email receipts to simisoffice@madisoned.org.
Native American students may have their activity fees paid by grant funds if they have proof of Tribal membership. Please have interested families contact Martha Sullivan for information.
Families can contact simisoffice@madisoned.org for a scholarship form.
After School Vendors
If you are looking for a fun activity to engage your student after school dismisses, don't forget to look at our vendor offerings at Madison Simis!
THRIVE Parent Information Series
Madison School District has modules available to families in the THRIVE section of the Madison website. These short and informative videos with experts in the field provide families with resources to approach and support their child in ways that align with the students of the Alpha and iGeneration.
Volunteering at Simis
Click here to register as a school volunteer! All adults must be approved volunteers through the District to volunteer at Simis. Please remember when you volunteer that you are approved for a specific area of school during your visit. To avoid distractions in the learning environment, we ask that volunteers come to school to volunteer and then exit the school following their volunteering, not going into other classrooms to visit with students.
School Lunch Visitor Registration Form
Sign up for a lunch visit here! Please read the details on the sign up form for more information.
As a reminder, we ask that all parents sit with their child at the visitor's table in the cafeteria and say goodbye as students head out to recess. Siblings cannot attend with parents/visitors. Friends do not join the lunch visit.
If you have a student who struggles with separation, please consider not coming to lunch as a visitor until later in the school year. This will help prevent challenging good-byes after the visit.
