Message from the Principal
Week of August 20, 2023
Message from the Principal
Dear Virginia Lake Families,
The Virginia Lake staff is excited to be part of the PBIS network which is implemented in all District 15 schools and over 1500 schools in Illinois. It is also supported by the State Board of Education. The focus of our PBIS structure is to create a positive school climate that fosters respect, responsibility, and safety for all students. This year we are also adding an additional classroom component, CHAMPS, to support structure, positive interactions, and expectations for all. The acronym stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation and Success. The CHAMPS approach is a classroom management system that encourages students to be motivated, engaged, and responsible for their learning and interactions within the school environment. It will be implemented over the course of the 2023-2024 school year.
What is PBIS?
PBIS (School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) is a proactive, team based framework for creating and sustaining safe and effective schools. Emphasis is
placed on prevention of problem behavior, development of prosocial skills, and the
use of data-based problem solving for addressing existing behavior concerns. School wide PBIS increases the capacity of our school to educate all students utilizing research-based school-wide, classroom, and individualized interventions. If warranted, some students may benefit from additional reteaching opportunities and natural consequences throughout the year.
There are 5 main components to our PBIS plan;
1. Define-clear and concise definition(s) of behavior expectations
2. Teach-direct teaching of behavior expectations
3. Remind/Reinforce-regular reminders & positive reinforcement for students meeting expectations
4. Celebrate-recognize and celebrate successes on a regular basis
5. Correct-reteach and redirect students when applicable
At the start of this school year, students participate in station rotations to teach expectations in the bathroom, playground, hallway, and during arrival and dismissal. Classroom teachers also spend time identifying key processes and systems within their rooms with their students. This allows students to clearly know and understand what is expected of them in all areas of our school setting and there are no surprises. School expectations are revisited throughout the year when needed. We focus on 3 three B’s-be respectful, be responsible, and be safe.
How do we recognize positive student behavior?
We are always trying to catch students making positive choices by rewarding students with “Dolphin Dollars.” Students are awarded “Dolphin Dollars” throughout the school day as a form of positive recognition for demonstrating any of our 3 B’s. Our regular celebrations vary throughout the year ranging from an extra recess to school wide bingo. We love celebrating our wonderful accomplishments! Students may participate in our Dolphin Dollar contest, so their artwork is utilized as one of our dolphin dollars.
Just like we teach academics, PBIS provides us a platform to also address the social/emotional needs of our students. On a regular basis, students with their classroom teachers, will participate in various lessons and role playing activities. They will proactively be taught ways to deal with various social situations that support our PBIS program using a social skills curriculum called Second Step.
During the 23-24 school year, the Expect Respect initiative will be implemented school wide. This effort focuses on empowering students in a consistent fashion to address and manage disrespectful behavior. It also focuses on improving peer relations by avoiding and discouraging bully-like behavior school wide.
What is a minor?
Minor means small. They are reminders/warnings for small misbehaviors. Making mistakes is part of being a child. A student will receive a minor after he/she has been redirected and an inappropriate behavior continues. If a student receives 3 minors within a calendar month, a major will be issued. If a student were to earn a minor, parents are informed by receiving a minor slip from their child’s classroom teacher. At the beginning of each trimester, each student has a fresh start.
What is a major?
Major behaviors demonstrate a purposeful or serious disregard for an expectation at Virginia Lake. For any major offense, students are seen by administration. Consequences may be issued. Parents are notified by a school administrator when a major offense has occurred.
Systems of Support
Within our PBIS system(s) of support, a multi-tiered approach is offered to our students to address any and all social-emotional needs. To achieve high rates of student success for all students, social-emotional instruction in our school must be differentiated in both nature and frequency. To effectively differentiate for all students, our PBIS system uses a tiered model of service delivery. All students at Virginia Lake participate in our PBIS Tier 1 supports. If moving into Tier 2 and/or Tier 3 supports, students at this level are recommended based on group and/or individual student need(s).
What does Tier 1 PBIS support look like at Virginia Lake School for all students?
Our Tier 1 supports consist of teaching school wide expectations, modeling and role playing them while also rewarding students for displaying respectful, responsible, and safe behaviors. Expectations are reviewed on an on-going basis throughout the school year through the use of mini lessons called cool tools. Expectations are also both orally discussed and visually displayed throughout our building. Students are able to earn “dolphin dollars”. Students also participate in regular school wide celebrations which are often tied to a school-based goal or incentive. Some celebrations in the past have included a movie, bingo and scavenger hunts. Students in grades K-6 are exposed to regular social-emotional lessons within the classroom environment using our research-based, Second Step curriculum. Using the Second Step curriculum has been shown to decrease problem behaviors, and it's designed to promote school success, self-regulation, and a sense of safety and support. Some sample lessons in the program cover topics like-coping strategies, building/maintaining friendships, and conflict resolution. During the 2023-24 school year, all students participated in our Expect Respect Program-a bully prevention initiative. This effort focused on removing the reinforcers that maintain socially inappropriate behavior, impacting bystander behavior, teaching all students to identify and label disrespectful behavior, and having a school-wide Stop Signal students can use to interrupt social aggression. This expect respect initiative will continue this year with opportunity for review of last year and reinforcement of upstanding behaviors. A student leadership team will continue to work to support our Expect Respect effort. Overall, we take great pride in not only teaching academics but also universally addressing and supporting the social-emotional needs of our students through our Tier 1 supports at Virginia Lake School.
What does Tier 2 PBIS support look like at Virginia Lake School for students who require more than Tier 1 support?
PBIS Tier 2 support(s) provide targeted intervention for some of our students who may need more or different support than is provided for all students within our Tier 1 model. A student may be recommended for our Check-In Check Out Program. This program is a positive, proactive approach to checking in with students as they arrive and before they leave school each day. It provides students with an opportunity to connect with an adult throughout the day who is able to frequently provide needed feedback on progress. Students in this intervention benefit from additional daily, positive adult interaction. Next, students selected for one of our SAIG Groups (Social Academic Instructional Groups) are ones who have participated in our CICO Program and require more explicit instruction of social-emotional skills. SAIG groups meet on a weekly basis for a total of 6 weeks. Various SAIG groups are offered at Virginia Lake and may focus on skills like- following expectations, staying organized, being an active learner, and/or coping skills.
In summary, our school’s PBIS multi-tiered approach is designed to meet the varying social-emotional needs of our students. Please know that your child’s classroom teacher will communicate any specific needs above and beyond our Tier 1 support directly with you. Social and emotional learning provides a foundation for safe and positive learning, and enhances students' ability to succeed in school, careers, and life.
As a parent, how can I support Virginia Lake’s PBIS program?
The routines that students learn at school can carry over to promote positive behavior outside of school. You, as parents, play an influential role within the PBIS framework by becoming involved within our school setting and supporting our 3 B’s-be respectful, be responsible, and be safe. Your continued support is greatly appreciated!
1. Encourage your child to earn as many “Dolphin Dollars” as possible.
2. Use any behavioral situation as a learning experience by discussing positive choices and natural consequences.
3. Help celebrate successes as we do in school on a daily/monthly basis
4. Keep lines of communication between school and home open. We are here to work together to provide the best learning environment for each child.
Let’s make it a great week!
Warmest Regards,
Patti Van Winkle, Principal
Highlights from Virginia Lake
PBIS Stations
Teamwork
Welcome Kindergarteners
Parent Orientation
We will be hosting our Parent Orientation Night on Thursday, August 24th. Our schedule for the evening is listed below. We look forward to sharing our learning plans and expectations for the upcoming school year. This is an informational evening for parents/guardians only. Thank you for saving the date!
6:30-7:00 p.m.-Grades 4-6
7:10-7:40 p.m.pm- Grades K-3
Join the VL PTA
Memberships:
Single $10
Two Adults: $16 ( $1 off early bird special)
Community Members: $8
Dunk Tank
Each throw will cost $1.00
Important Dates
Thursday, August 24th- Parent Orientation
6:30-7:00- 4th-6th Grade
7:10-7:40- K- 3rd Grade
Friday, August 25th- 5:00-7:00 p.m. -PTA Homecoming
Monday, September 4th- No School- Labor Day
Monday, September 18th- 7:00-PTA Meeting/ 8:00- Room Rep Meeting
Thursday, September 28th-6:00-7:30 p.m.- PTA Bingo Night
Virginia Lake Elementary School
Email: vanwinkp@ccsd15.net
Website: https://www.ccsd15.net/VL
Location: 925 N Glenn Dr, Palatine, IL, USA
Phone: 847-963-7105