Friday Focus (Thursday Edition)

• A Message from Marcie

• Let Grow Project
• Social Emotional Learning Survey (Winter Administration)
• Parker's Picks
  
• Winter MAP Testing Dates
• This Week in Pictures
• News from Early Learners
• Other Important Info

Check out the PTO Spotlight here:

• Winter 'Booktacular' Volunteers Needed
• Nickel City Save the Date
• Skate Night Save The Date
• and much more..

Dear Families,

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in fostering a safe and respectful school environment. Last week, we shared a message about the importance of physical safety, emphasizing the need for students to maintain a "safe body" at school. This week, we want to expand on that conversation by focusing on emotional safety—an equally important part of creating a positive and inclusive community for our students.

Emotional safety means ensuring that all children feel valued, included, and supported by their peers. While physical safety focuses on avoiding harm to others’ bodies, emotional safety is about avoiding harm to others’ feelings and fostering kindness, empathy, and respect. Both are essential for students to thrive socially and academically.

Here are some ways you can support emotional safety at home:

1. Talk About Kindness and Inclusion
Encourage your child to consider how their words and actions impact others. Remind them that kindness can take many forms, from including someone in a game to offering a kind word or smile. Discuss ways they can make others feel welcome and appreciated.

2. Role-Play Scenarios
Practice situations where your child might need to show kindness or resolve conflicts. For example, you can role-play how to invite a classmate to join a game, how to respond if they see someone being left out, or how to apologize if they’ve hurt someone’s feelings.

3. Set Clear Expectations
Reinforce the importance of speaking to others with respect and avoiding unkind behaviors, such as teasing or exclusion. Encourage your child to seek help from an adult if they witness or experience unkindness at school.

4. Model Empathy and Gratitude
Show your child how to recognize and appreciate the feelings of others. Talk about how small acts of kindness can make a big difference and encourage them to express gratitude when others are kind to them.

5. Praise Efforts to Be Kind and Inclusive
Acknowledge and celebrate when your child demonstrates empathy, includes others, or resolves conflicts peacefully. Positive reinforcement can encourage them to continue these behaviors.

By nurturing both physical and emotional safety, we can help all students feel secure and valued at school. When children feel safe, both physically and emotionally, they are better able to learn, grow, and develop the confidence to form meaningful relationships.

Thank you for your continued support in reinforcing these important messages at home. Together, we can help our students build a community where everyone feels safe, included, and respected.

Have a wonderful Winter Break! I look forward to seeing students back on Tuesday, January 7th, 2025!

-Marcie

We hope that most of our students participate in the Let Grow Project over Winter Break so that we can celebrate their first projects when we return in Early January.

In case you missed the Let Grow Parent Introduction, you can access it below!

Building students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) skills is important at South Park. As a part of the learning process, we will be asking students in grades K-8 to reflect on skills related to social-emotional learning and the school environment. The survey will be administered to all students in grades K-8 between January 13 and January 31, 2025 and it should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. Per policy, if you would like your child to opt out of taking the survey, please contact me no later than January 13 .

This week, Early Learners classrooms have been wrapping up their gingerbread unit and preparing for the exciting culminating activity - Gingerbread Workshop! Thank you to all of the families who were able to join us at Gingerbread Workshop this year. This week in Grady's Group, we learned how to graciously receive a gift, even if it's one we don't want. Children practiced smiling and saying "Thank you" regardless of their feelings about the gift. If they don't like it, they can still express enthusiasm with phrases like "I love it" or "I can't wait to use it" while keeping negative thoughts to themselves. We discussed how people put thought and money into choosing gifts, so it's important to be kind and avoid saying things like "I don't want this" or throwing a fit. The lesson also included strategies for managing disappointment, and a visual reminder of "Stop Brain, Do the Right Thing" and calming techniques was provided for parents. For home practice, parents are encouraged to remind their children to thank the giver and move on if the gift isn’t as expected.

As we head into winter break, a gentle reminder for parents to continue practicing essential self-help skills with their child, such as putting on boots, zipping coats, and other winter gear to help foster independence and confidence. We appreciate your partnership to support student independence!

We wish your families a wonderful Winter Break and look forward to welcoming students back in the new year on Tuesday, January 7th!

As South Park takes on the Let Grow Project as mentioned above, Early Learners wanted to provide our families with ways our youngest learners could also be growing their independence. Below are some ideas provided by our Early Learners team.

• All visitors to South Park School MUST bring a valid driver's license or state ID card to the main office before entering into the building. Beginning this year, we will collect IDs during your visit and return it to you as you leave.
• If your child is going to be absent from school, you need to call or email us by 9:00 that morning. ** Call 847-945-5895, ext. 2103 and leave a message OR ** Email Nurse Nora Moskos.
• Please follow our morning procedures, and drop your children off at their regular grade level doors. If you choose to drive through the front circle at arrival, kindly stay in your car when you drop off to help us reduce morning congestion.
• K-5 drop-off is between 8:35-8:45 a.m. Students who arrive after 8:45 a.m. will need to enter through the front door of the school, as all other doors will be locked.
• Dismissal for all Kindy and 1st-grade walkers and car riders will take place at their grade level door.
  
• Early Learners drop-off/pick-up info can be found here.
• When parking in our Birchwood parking lot, please remember that our preschoolers are dropped off and picked up by the west end (closest to the school). Sometimes, their parents' cars can block a parked car from exiting for a few minutes. To avoid that, we suggest that you park closer to Birchwood Avenue.

Tuesday, January 7th

• School Resumes for Students

• No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• No School - Teacher Institute Day

Monday, February 17th

• No School - Presidents' Day

Thursday, March 20th (corrected date)

• Early Release at 11:40 a.m.
• Spring Conferences from 1:00-8:00 p.m.

• Non-Attendance Day
• Spring Conferences 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Monday, March 24th-Friday, March 28th

• Spring Break

2024-25 Music Concert Dates:

• 5th Grade - Wednesday, January 29th @ 6:00

• 4th Grade - Wednesday, February 12th @ 6:00

• 3rd Grade - Wednesday, March 19th @ 6:00

• 2nd Grade - Wednesday, February 12th @ 5:00

• 1st Grade - Wednesday, January 29th @ 5:00

• Kindergarten - Wednesday, March 19 @ 5:00

• Early Learners - Thursday, May 1 @ 5:00