
Mustang Family Newsletter
October 2022
What to expect at Student Led Conferences this year
As we prepare for our upcoming student-led conferences, we wanted to provide our families with important updates regarding what will be shared with families during our fall student-led conference. Our teachers have been working with our new district Dean of Social Emotional Learning to increase their understanding and awareness of the CASEL framework and the core competencies of social-emotional learning. Research shows that when the five core competencies from the framework which are Relationship Skills, Social Awareness, Self-Awareness, Self-Management, and Responsible Decision Making, are explicitly taught and reinforced with students, “it helps cultivate skills and creates environments that advance students’ learning and development.”-casel.org
It is our goal with our upcoming progress report and student-led conferences to begin the conversation with our families and students to use this CASEL framework to help identify areas that are a strength for your child and what areas we can begin to set goals to help support the further growth and development of this area with your child. Teachers will be providing families with our newly created, SEL progress report to serve as a guide while we have these conversations with our families. We recognize that these areas might be new learning for our families, and teachers are prepared to share tools and resources to further develop our understanding of this framework and how these areas help support the continued success of your child in the classroom as well as within our community. You will also find additional information below in this newsletter.
What is SEL?
7 Tips for Practicing SEL at Home
1. Take an assets-based approach that focuses on your child’s strengths. Emphasize children’s strengths and “SEL superpowers” before talking about what they can improve on. For instance: when your child brings home a graded test or assignment, first discuss what she or her did well. Then shift the discussion to what can be improved. Focus on process-oriented skills versus the outcome. Take this a step further by working collaboratively with your child to create a “SEL skill chart” that they can use to monitor how they are practicing various skills and habits at home.
2. Explore emotions by asking your child how they feel. Send the message that feelings matter, are normal, and that you care about them. Encourage children to use “I” statements when talking about their emotions; help them unpack what it feels like to be happy, excited, stressed, or frustrated.
3. Model empathy and kindness as well as sharing and helping behaviors. Utilize daily interactions – such as helping an elderly neighbor – to encouraging sharing and helping behaviors. Explore options for children to participate in community service projects or volunteering opportunities and talk to them about giving back.
4. Read books to (or with) your child. Seek recommendations from your child’s teacher or a librarian for stories on themes that both the interest your child and are relevant to the SEL skills they are learning in the classroom. Read these books together with your child and explore how the characters handle conflict or form relationships.
5. Empower your child to solve problems on their own. Resist the temptation to step in and offer solutions to a difficult situation your child is encountering. Instead, ask probing questions to help your child solve the problem on their own. Discuss how decisions might impact others (positively or negatively) and what the pros and cons or solutions might be.
6. Model emotion labeling and emotion regulation when you encounter stress, frustration, or anger. Specify a “quiet area” in the house that can be used to cool down. When you encounter “trigger situations” that may cause you to get angry or irritated, name what you’re feeling, take a few deep breaths, and talk as a family about what everyone can do to stay calm.
7. Be willing to apologize. Show your child that it is important to
apologize after an outburst, misunderstanding or conflict while
modeling respect and kindness.
Find the good
- The logo to the right was created for us by the amazing Christina Noonan! She is very talented and super generous with her time! If you see her, please join me in thanking her for her time and creativity!
- This year we have the most amazing group of volunteers who have consistently volunteered their time in our building on a weekly basis. This have been the glue that has held our lunch duties together this year! Thank you to Angela Swenson, Kathy Atwood, Elizabeth Martin, Erika Douglas, Sarah Hill, Karleigh Eccles, Kavita Nason, Joanna Colbath, and Gerry Whalen
- We have had 2 grade levels take field trips to the Auburn Public Library with their teachers and Mrs. Moulton. Mr. Pat was the bus driver for both field trips and reported that both groups were perfectly behaved on the bus to and from the library!
- Our amazing teachers and support staff have done an amazing job at the start of this year! They are working tirelessly to welcome students, build relationships with students and families, and to build a sense of community within out schools!
- Our custodial crew, who worked so hard to prepare the building for the start of the school year, has been so flexible and patient through floods, being short staffed, and addressing heating issues in the hallway. If you see them when you are in for Student Led Conferences next week, please let them know how great a job they are doing!
District Scent Policy
Reminder: Our entire district is scent free. Our school in particular absolutely can not have any scents within the building at all. Please have students refrain from using essential oils, perfume, etc.
We have individuals who are allergic to scents. If you have respiratory issues, scents can irritate these issues and trigger difficulty in breathing. We need to be sure that all staff and students are safe within our building.
Pumpkin Carving Contest Fundraiser
Heating Update
We currently are heating the half the building with the use of infrared heaters. These are the types of heaters you will often see in residential homes that look like fireplaces. The heaters are rated to heat rooms that are 1000 square feet. Our classrooms are about 900 square feet. The heaters are are currently not running to their full capacity and we are not having any issues maintaining the heat in the area of the building that was affected by the boiler breaking. If you recall, half of our school has always been heated with the use of electric heaters, and so we have continued to maintain the heat at the upper end of the building as we always have.
Garden Club
Garden Club is started back up in October. Mrs. Goss will be taking students who are volunteers during their recess to help out in the garden. This year students will be composting their waste at lunch to go into the compost barrel in the MCS Garden for the soil next year. If anyone is interested in helping to clean up the area, please connect with Rosanna Goss at rgoss@rsu16.org.
Medications and Medical Action Plans
Please remember: If your child has medications that they are required to take at school, we are required to have the following form filled out by your child's Primary Care Physician in order to administer these medications at school. This form is required to be filled out for any daily medications that are required to be taken daily at school regardless of if they are prescription or over-the-counter medications. Medications must be brought in by an adult. Those with Asthma or allergies will need an updated action plan.
Update from Minot Community Club
Trunk or Treat:
We're really excited about Trunk or Treat this year and hope all MCS families/folks can make it! If you are interested in signing up to host a Trunk please use the google form below. We can't do it without your help!!! Candy donations are also a great help. We currently have 17 signups for Trunk hosts. We usually have about 20-25 Trunks or so. Please feel free to reach out if any questions! Thanks, and we cannot wait to see everyone!
https://docs.google.com/.../1Kr2VIR8GFyUAj8uWyedbYKg.../edit
Thank you Tri-town Optimist Club
This is just one of the many ways the Optimist Club supports our community!
Tri-Town Optimist Club
HOOTIE AWARD
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
LOST & FOUND
Tip Line
Our Tip Line represents one approach our schools and communities may use to share the responsibility of school and student safety and well-being. This Tip Line provides students, staff or other members of the public with a safe and confidential way to report a threat or potential threat to student or school safety. Call 911 in cases of immediate emergency. It is located on our website: rsu16.org and scroll down.
Two Types of Threats
RSU 16 follows a 5-step decision tree to determine if a threat is transient or substantive.
- Transient Threats: can be quickly and easily resolved, often jokes or figures of speech, no intent to carry out the threat, sometimes the results of frustration or expression of anger.
- Substantive Threats: cannot be easily classified as transient and use protective action so the threat cannot be carried out.
Meal Application Form
The COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL application is available to print, complete and return to your school or you can complete the online form at www.SchoolLunchApp.com. If you have difficulty accessing either of these methods, the form can also be sent home with a student...just contact your school's office to make the request. If you have any questions please contact Ellen Dore, RSU 16 Food Service Director, edore@rsu16.org, 207-998-5400 ext 107.
Planned Absences
Important Dates
October:
Student Led Conference: Week of 10/24-10/28
Mustang Pride Assembly: 10/28 (K-3 at 9:00 & 4-6 at 2:30)
Staff Pumpkin Decorating Contest: 10/28
National Candy Corn Day (Wear Orange, Yellow, & White): 10/31
Minot Community Club-Trunk or Treat: 10/31 from 5:00-7:00pm
November:
Minot Community Club- November Meeting: 11/1 at 7:00pm
No School- Veteran's Day- 11/11
Book Fair- Week of 11/14-11/18
School Board Meeting- 11/14 at 6:30pm at PRHS
Pie Fundraiser Pick up- 11/15 at 1:30-3:30
Mustang Pride Assembly: 11/22 (K-3 at 9:00 & 4-6 at 2:30)
No School- Thanksgiving Break: 11/23-11/25
MCS Highlights!
Grade 6
Grade 6
Grade 6
Mustang Pride
Mustang Pride
Mustang Pride
Mustang Pride
Mustang Pride
Mustang Pride
Fire Prevention Education
Fire Prevention Education
Making Music!
If you would like a paper copy of the Student Handbook, please contact the school.
Paperless Newsletters
There are many benefits to providing families with newsletters electronically. An electronic newsletter conserves paper, is more cost efficient, and delivers the newsletter directly to parents. Minot Consolidated School will be providing newsletters electronically for the remainder of the year. If you would prefer to receive a paper newsletter moving forward, please contact us at (207) 346-6471 or at kbrown@rsu16.org in order to notify us. Newsletters can also be found on the MCS website
About Us
Future Newsletter Items
If you have any items you would like to have included in a future Family Newsletter, please forward them to me and I will be sure to add them!
School Hours
Arrival- 8:30 am
Dismissal- 3:00pm
Email: kbrown@rsu16.org
Website: https://www.rsu16.org/mcs/index
Location: 23 Shaw Hill Road, Minot, ME, USA
Phone: 207-346-6471