Mrs. Sargent's welcome
Dear Parents,
Happy New Year! We started out the New Year learning Strawbridge Elementary has received recognition as VBCPS’s 32nd Energy Star facility, and the first one for 2016! This award goes perfectly with our efforts to teach and learn about sustainability in our world.
The faculty, staff, and students are continuing to learn using our technology resources to enhance instruction. It is exciting to see the many different ways our students are gaining knowledge! I encourage you to join us for our next Learning Dock parent night scheduled for Feb 22, 2016 (this is a schedule change from Jan 11th) to learn more about our digital resources and personalized learning. Several of our students will be sharing information during the evening.
Thank you for sharing your child(ren) with us each day. They are amazing!
Fondly,
Mrs. Sargent
SHARK BUCKS - Strawbridge ES PBIS Positive Behavior Reward System
Over the past two years, SES has been working with a team of educators on a grant involving positive behavior interventions and supports, better known as PBIS. The purpose of school-wide PBIS is to establish a climate in which appropriate behavior is the norm. Our goal is by teaching behavioral expectations and rewarding students for following them, there is an outcome of a much more positive approach than waiting for misbehavior to occur before responding.
Last year, we worked with our teachers on defining our three guiding principles; being responsible, being respectful, and being ready. In September, we held school-wide assemblies and each classroom made up their own matrix that defines what the three guiding principles look like in their classrooms throughout their everyday routines. In October, we surveyed our staff and students about how they would like to be recognized.
The result is our new Shark Buck program. Starting next month, students will be rewarded with shark bucks when they are caught demonstrating appropriate behavior. They will continue to collect their shark bucks until the end of the month, when there will be turn in day. On that day, students will be able to turn in their shark bucks for a reward of their choice. Rewards will be worth different amounts. The following Friday will be our shark buck reward day. Those students who have made the choice to purchase a reward will be able to redeem their reward on that day. This cycle will repeat every month and with rewards changing as student’s voice new ones through surveys.
We look forward to our kick off school wide assembly next month and rewarding our awesome Strawbridge Sharks for their appropriate behavior.
January/February 2016
Jan 4: Students return after winter break
Jan 8: Vocabulary Parade - 9:00 am KAM, GR 1-2; 2:00 pm KPM, GR 3-5, Café
Jan 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Schools closed
Jan 29: Snuggle Up with a Book Day
Jan 29: End of 2nd grading period
Feb 1: Staff Day - School closed for Students
Feb 2 - April 12 (45 days): Second Semester
Feb 8: Report Cards issued
Feb 15: Presidents' Day - Schools closed
Feb 22: Learning Dock #2 - Instructional Technology Parent Night, Café, 6:00-7:00 pm
Feb 25: Adjusted dismissal 12:40 pm
Feb 29: Leap Year!
Inclement Weather Make-up Schedule
The first through fourth inclement weather days requiring school cancellations will be made up as follows:
Feb 1: Staff Day
Feb 15: Presidents' Day
April 13: Staff Day
June 20: Staff Day
The fifth through seventh days will not be made up by students, but will be used as unassigned staff days.
In extreme cases of greater than seven days missed, additional minutes will be added to the end of instruction.
Strawbridge ES Contact Information
Email: jacqueline.sargent@vbschools.com
Website: www.Strawbridgees.vbschools.com
Location: 2553 Strawbridge Road, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Phone: 757-648-3800
Twitter: @SES_Principal
Reading Resource Happenings by Tracey Woodberry
New Year’s Resolutions:
We all make them!
January is traditionally known for taking stock and setting goals. January is also Reading Month in all Virginia Beach Public Schools. What a great time to set family and individual reading goals! Follow these simple steps:
Help your child make reading goals using kid friendly language like:
“One thing I’d really like to read this year is …”
“Something I’d like to try reading is …”
“I want to find time to read (how often?).”
“I want to think more deeply about what I read.”
Create visible ways to track progress towards goals.
Break goals into small, achievable steps.
Give encouragement and praise whenever progress is made toward the goals.
Discuss goals periodically.
Reading Month Happenings:
January 8th – 3rd Annual Vocabulary Parade (9:00 for KAM, 1st, 2nd ; 2:00 for KPM, 3rd, 4th, 5th)
Week of January 11th and 18th – Mystery Author Contest
January 13th – Wacky Wednesday (Bring in joke and riddle books)
January 19th – 21st - Book Trade
SPCA Guest Readers
Where in the World is My Teacher? (stay tuned for more)
January 22nd WOW Day (Wonderful World of Words) – Bring in one extraordinary word to share with your class!
January 29th – Snuggle Up with a Book
January Book Picks
Primary Grades
Can You See What I See? Picture Puzzles to Search and Solve by Walter Wick
Martin Luther King Jr. My First Biography by Marion Dane Bauer
The Penguin Problem: Ready Freddy Series by Abby Klein
Penguins by Liz Pichon
Intermediate Grades
Wonderstruck: A Novel in Words and Pictures by Brian Selznick
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
If You Lived at the Time of Martin Luther King by Ellen Levine & Beth Peck
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
Scientists in the Field Series by Various Authors
Two peas in a Pod
Ruler
2. A straightened strip, of wood or metal, for drawing lines & measuring.
Health and Wellness from Chrissy Love, RN, School Nurse
Don’t Fear the Fever
As parents we all wish for our children to be healthy. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Colds, the flu, and tummy bugs sneak up a on them and are often accompanied by fever. Questions arise. What is a considered a fever? Should we treat the fever? When should we go to the doctor?
Fever is an amazing physiological mechanism in our bodies that can actually help us feel better sooner. As the body temperature rises, the reproduction of bacteria and viruses slows down, and there is a better environment for the production of the white blood cells that fight the illness. Unfortunately, along with a fever, often come body aches and fatigue.
Pediatricians are now recommending to consider your child’s condition before rushing to treat the fever. Instead of trying to “normalize” the body temperature, you should focus on how your child is acting. You might see your child playful and peppy with a temperature of 101 and later they may be tired, whiny and achy with a temperature of only 100.0.
The primary goal of treating a fever should be to improve your child’s comfort rather than to bring the body temperature back to normal. A parent knows their child best and may notice subtle changes in usual behavior. Consider an antipyretic like Motrin or Tylenol when you see discomfort, not only when you see a temperature above normal. Encourage rest and plenty of fluids during a febrile illness. Keep your child home from school until they have been fever-free without the use of antipyretics for at least 24 hours. Consult your pediatrician when you see warning signs like being unable to keep fluids down, lethargy, severe pain, or a decreased need to void.
Having a good understanding of the mechanism of fevers and knowing that they are actually beneficial to our overall health will help us to not fear the fever but rather welcome it as an important part of the healing process.
News from the Art Room, Jasmine Fountain, Art Teacher
Artsonia- your student’s digital portfolio- is up and running!
This is a great way to watch your student grow and get feedback on your student’s art. I encourage you to check it out if you have not. The Art Sharks, Strawbridge’s art club, has been busy participating in art contests and making holiday cards for the Veteran’s hospital. This year we also started a Video Game Design Club, our club members are off to a great start programming their very own video games! Your students are always working hard on their artwork and it shows! Some of our amazing artists will even be on display at the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond! It stays busy in the art room but if you ever have any questions please feel free to contact Ms. Fountain.
Gifted News from Gifted Resource Teacher, Susan Ruhl
It has been a privilege serving as the Gifted Resource Teacher at Strawbridge for the past two and a half years. This month I will be leaving to pursue a new positon as a Library Media Specialist at Pembroke Elementary School. Please extend a warm Strawbridge welcome to our new Gifted Resource Teacher, Mrs. Leslie Wildman. Mrs. Wildman is an experienced GRT with Virginia Beach Public Schools and is thrilled to be coming to such an amazing learning community.
Together we will be hosting an information night for parents who are interested in making application to ODS/KLMS and want to know more about the referral process. Please join us on Thursday, January 14th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Strawbridge Library. We will present a brief power point on the programs available for students currently enrolled in First and Fifth Grades; however all are welcome.
Parents who have students currently enrolled in Grades 2-4 and who are interested in the full time academic gifted at Old Donation School (ODS) may wish to attend the Elementary Academic Program night on January 7, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. Academic applications for this program are available online and are due February 2, 2016. Teacher recommendations are required, so please submit your paperwork in advance of the deadline.
Parents who have students currently enrolled in Grade 1 who are interested in the full time academic program at ODS may wish to attend the First Grade Elementary Program Night on February 4, 2016. Academic applications for grade 1 students are due March 1, 2016. Teacher recommendations are required, so please submit your paperwork in advance of the deadline.
Finally, Gifted Visual Arts and Gifted Dance application are now available for students currently enrolled in Grades 2 through 5. Completed applications, including a portfolio for art, must be submitted by February 2, 2016. Early applications are sincerely appreciated. You can request an application at the front office or access an electronic copy at http://www.vbschools.com/curriculum/appprocess/
Breaking News in the Library, from Brenda McHorney, Librarian
The Strawbridge Library Media Center was busy during the holiday months! In addition to checkouts and story times, several classes were scheduled for lessons on information literacy skills! First graders came to the library for a lesson on ABC order and how to use a dictionary. Second graders had a lesson on nonfiction and began to check out books from the Nonfiction and Biography sections. Third and fourth graders practiced using the table of contents and index in an atlas and an almanac. In addition, students have been introduced to the new Makerspace and are now visiting in small groups to use their imagination and create!
Many of our library resources can be accessed at home! Students can search Destiny for titles, authors, or subjects before coming to the library to locate their books. In addition, reference databases (PebbleGo, Kids InfoBits, National Geographic Kids, Biography in Context, SIRS Discoverer, World Book Online, Brittanica) and ebooks (BookFLIX, Gale Virtual Reference Library, TumbleBook, TumbleBook Cloud Junior) are available while they are doing their homework!
To access these resources:
Click on Student Portal link and follow the directions to log on.
Click on Online Textbooks and Resources link at top.
Links to Reference Databases, Destiny, and Ebooks are listed on the right.
Instructional Technology Information from Katie Catania
The vbschools.com page recently posted an article regarding internet safety and our students.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools wants to help our students and families understand what it means to be a responsible digital citizen. We’re launching a new awareness campaign Be Social. Be Smart. Be Safe. We’ll be talking about digital citizenship in our schools and we will share resources with families through email and social media postings. VBschools.com recently launched a dedicated webpage Be Social. Be Smart. Be Safe. Here you will find helpful information and tips for safety on the internet.
The link below references the Virginia Beach Schools tip sheet for families:
http://www.vbcpsblogs.com/core/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/BeSocialSmartSafe_Guidelines.jpg
Katie Catania
Instructional Technology Specialist
Google Certified Educator
@katie_catania
Physical Fitness Information from Mike Kinzel, PE Teacher
You can sign up for the Shamrock Marathon and find more information about the race at http://www.shamrockmarathon.com/.
With the winter weather comes boots and warmer footwear. Please remind your students to pack their PE shoes in their backpacks everyday so they are ready to do their best in PE class.
If you have any further questions, please see our PE Staff or Mr. Kinzel.
Military Family Support
Military children are just like other children in nearly every way. They like to play and explore, becoming pirates and princesses with the unbridled exuberance of and optimism of childhood. Subject to the same sets of thoughts, perceptions and feelings as other children, bumps and bruises are accepted as the cost of growth and maturity.
Despite the similarities to other children, those with a parent (or two) in the military, nevertheless face unique challenges. For example, the overseas deployment of a parent can bring many months of separation anxiety, missed holidays and birthdays, and extra chores and responsibilities at home. Frequent moves mean leaving friends behind, disrupted routines, and the anxiety of a new teacher in a new school in a new town in a classroom full of strangers.
We are fortunate at Strawbridge to have a Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC) whose sole purpose is to work directly with our military children to help them cope with the growing pains that are common to all children and with those that are unique to being in a military family. Our MFLC, Merlin Swartzentruber, is a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than 15 years of experience working with children and families.
MFLCs provide a wide range of support to military children and youth, family members and staff. Issues addressed include school adjustment, deployment and separation, reunification adjustment, sibling and parent-child communication, problem behaviors, academic support, fear, grief, and loss.
MFLC support is completely free and totally confidential. Parents must sign a permission form in order to access this support. For more information, contact Mr. Merlin directly at 757-793-6780 or pick up a brochure in the office.
