Staff News

Good morning,

I was really stuck about what to share with you this week! I truly believe it is so important to be positive, but sometimes that can be so hard. There are times where finding the positive is like looking through a glass filled with mud. Honestly, that's how I felt yesterday morning. When I got on the intercom to share that the Vision Meeting was going to be rescheduled, I was feeling badly because while I do think the vision work will be valuable, I know that all of you simply need time - me included. So when I shared that my vision was to get through the day, and saw that Audra had laughed and gave a thumbs up - it brightened my mood and made me laugh. Then Peg and Burnice joined in and so did Nicole as she walked through the office. Suddenly, I realized I was smiling and the world felt just a bit lighter for that moment. I am not saying that laughing will fix everything and take all the stress away. I realized this morning that it can lighten the load for a bit. I hope you are able to find some laughter and humor today! I think Charles Dickens said it well, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”

The staff members below can park up front this week!

• Vanessa Seppa
• Rosa Brolley

Best,
Alli

For PDW this week, it is Choose Your own Adventure. Please see the link below for options.

• Jen Zanayed will be returning from her maternity leave on Monday!! We are so glad to have her back. Angela has done an amazing job as her Long-term sub and thank goodness, we aren't losing her! She will transition to being our Dedicated Building Sub!!
• For those of you whose roles require a sub, please put your absence it in AESOP and always say "sub needed". We want those to get filled! Please don't ask Angela or Teri to cover an absence without talking with me. Often there are other absences that I'm trying to cover without pulling any support staff! If you have more questions about this, please let me know!
• We will be participating in Walk & Roll to School on October 9th. I'm working with PTA to plan this event. I will have more specifics next week!
• I have worked with district to get many of our items sent to another site to be stored. This will then allow us to move some items from storage and the equipment our AIM students need which will free up some space!
• Please see the link below for our Report Card Timelines. This is also posted on the HUB.

• Here is a document that provides guidance for regarding the upcoming election: election guidance MS and HS also have guidance documents that are different from ours and based on their curriculum and developmental level of their students. It gives you some examples of how to respond to students when they ask questions, share concerns or opinions. Please note these two key points below. Let me know if you have any questions!

  • Teachers are expected to not introduce the election into discussions.

  • The presidential inauguration is not part of our elementary curriculum and should not be shown in classrooms.

• The sign-up for my visits to WIN will be sent out next week. There are some things that I am still trying to work out with my schedule. I want the sign-up to be as accurate as possible before I send it out.

• Just a reminder that stipend notifications will be sent by end of day tomorrow. Please be on the look for the notifications. You will receive a separate email for each stipend you receive. Let me if there are any issues!

• Make sure you've signed up for the Bus Evacuation Drill on the 8th.
• Please make sure you have your magnets in the door frame and your door locked.

• Don't forget to fill out the following form from our PTA so they know your favorite snacks and treats: https://forms.gle/CP3yrCtfy73fTBrW7

• Thank you to those of who filled out the Vision Survey; the results are below. If you still would like to complete the survey, I have also included the link below. Our next meeting will be on Monday, October 28th from 8:15-8:45. I will send an email with more information when it gets closer!

Jasmine and I met with the Lunchroom Supervisors on Wednesday. We have added a new lunchroom supervisor, Forum Vyas, Lily Vyas' mom. She started on Wednesday and will be working Wednesday-Fridays. Below are some updates and reminders that I wanted to be sure to share with you!

• Please make sure that you are coming out on time for your grade level's extra recess. Our timing is tight and our lunchroom supervisors need to get into the MPR and supervise the next grade level that's eating.
• In order to make it easier for you to know what's open or closed (i.e. field, playground) during recess, we are going to make a card that mimics what is posted in the lunchroom. We will have that on Monday.
• Please make sure you have indoor recess options posted! If you are allowing Chromebook use, please also include what sites students are allowed to access.

As you are starting to get into Savvas, you may start to see some areas where we need to beef up our book selection in the LMC (can I get an amen from my 2nd grade tree bark lovers?). Or you might just find an amazing book that I haven't heard about that you think students would love. If you would like to give suggestions on books for the LMC, please fill out the form below. I may not buy everything put on the list, but I would love your suggestions!

Here is a link to the Padlet that we ask you fill out so that we can follow up in supporting you with your Math Win block.

Here is a link to the presentation which also has links embedded within it.

Last, click here for a document you will use today during PDW rotations.

This year's fundraiser is Our Party Our Way (formerly known as Orange Ruler)! The fundraiser will kick off next week on Monday, September 23rdduring the students' lunchtime. It will go through October 11th. Students will be collecting donations through Givebacks (formally Memberhub) in return for a vote of their choice at the very end of the fundraiser. They will use their vote for the in school celebration, which will take place on Oct 17th. They will be voting for their activity (Field Day or Inflatables) and also their treat (Ice cream or Cupcakes). At the end of the fundraiser, the PTA will provide one colored ballot for each student (the color will vary based on the amount raised by each classroom). The PTA will supply the ballots in your mailboxes and you'll have each child complete ONE ballot.

Can you please help PTA with the following:

· Pump your kids up and remind them to share their fundraising links (their parents will have access to these) with friends and family. Based on how much your classroom raises at the end of each week they’ll earn a prize (pajama day, crazy hair day, earn a trinket, etc.). Below is a breakdown of the prizes per average amount raised per student:

·

· Red (average of $5 per child and this ballot will be worth 1 vote) - Bring a stuffed animal to school

· Orange (average of $15 per child and this ballot will be worth 2 votes) - Pajama day

· Yellow (average of $25 per child and this ballot will be worth 3 votes) - Crazy hat/hair day

· Green (average of $45 per child and this ballot will be worth 4 votes) - Earn a toy/fidget from the PTA

· Blue (average of $65 per child and this ballot will be worth 5 votes) - Earn a sweet treat from the PTA

· Purple (average of $85 per child and this ballot will be worth 6 votes) - Pizza party with Mrs. Landstrom

· The ballot (for their in school celebration) will be delivered to your classroom a couple of days after the fundraiser ends. Please have the students fill it out with their ONE selection per category.

· The PTA will notify you at the end of every week to let you know which prize (if any) your class earned that week. You, as the teacher, get to decide which day the students get their pajama day, crazy hair day and stuffed animal day. The sweet treat and pizza prizes will be supplied by the PTA and they will reach out to let you know when that will occur. Just please make sure it is done the same week as the prize is earned since each week could result in a new prize.

· Thank you so much for your support during these next three weeks! Your emails and encouragement to your students and families really make a difference in the amount that is donated!

• Each five day lesson sequence follows the same pattern.
• Introduce Genre
• First Read Strategies
• Close Read
• Close Read
• Reflect and Share
• Looking for some assessment data?
• Daily exit tickets are available for each week. They may be found under the "assessment" link at the bottom of each week's digital tab on the left side of your screen.
• Weekly Progress Check-Ups contain opportunities to measure word study, vocabulary and comprehension. They may be found under the "assessment" link at the bottom of each week's digital tab on the left side of your screen.
• Unit tests contain opportunities to measure progress toward standards. They may be found under the "assessment" link at the bottom of each unit's digital tab on the left side of your screen.
• This is new. We've begun the journey, but there is much more learning to be done. One step at a time. All good change takes time.

The Peterson Building Equity Leadership Team is gearing up for an exciting and informative start to the school year! Our first meeting will be held on September 23rd, where we’ll dive into our building's equity plan and discuss the supports available.

In the meantime, we've included a diverse book calendar for your reference. This resource is a great way to explore books that reflect a variety of perspectives and experiences. If you have any questions about the books or need assistance with anything related to the equity plan, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Looking forward to a fantastic year ahead!

Lee and Low Diverse Books Calendar

Please make sure you check our Master Calendar!! The link is below.