Dan Powell's Weekly Newsletter

Hello, Dan Powell Families!

Thank you for another successful week of teaching and learning! We have several fun activities, dress up days, and events happening throughout the month of October. When reading the Week At Glance section, you will notice a few changes in our dress up days. Some days even have options for dressing up! Please plan accordingly! Encourage your students to pause, recognize a feeling, and make a positive choice. Self awareness and noticing feelings are pivotal as our scholars are growing and developing. We appreciate your continued partnership in all of our endeavors and wish you a wonderful week! Let's go, Powell Bulldogs! 💜 #BulldogPride #GameonBulldogs #EvermanISD #EvermanBulldogs

In order to minimize disruptions to learning, we ask that early dismissals be completed prior to 2 pm.

To heighten the safety and well being of our students and staff, please remain in your vehicles during arrival dropoff and dismissal pickup. There are no walk ups during our arrival and dismissal processes.

🍎Doors open at 6:50 am
🍎 Breakfast is served from 6:50 am - 7:20 am

🍎 First Bell rings at 7:25 am

🍎 Tardy Bell rings at 7:29 am

🍎 Instruction starts at 7:30 am

🍎 Early Dismissals end at 2 pm

🍎 Dismissal is at 3:00 pm

Hispanic Heritage Highlight!

Roberto Clemente was a famous baseball player from Puerto Rico. He was an amazing athlete who also loved helping people. Roberto used his success to help families and communities in need. He reminds us that being kind and helping others is just as important as being talented!

Thank you so much for a wonderful Hispanic Heritage Program! Our students performed EXCEPTIONALLY WELL and our Music Teacher, Mrs. Dupew did an AMAZING job preparing them for the occasion! The exhibits for our Hispanic Heritage Living Museum were SPECTACULAR! We are very appreciative of your support in celebrating and honoring the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanics and Latinos.

Unfortunately, we took a major decrease in our Average Daily Attendance with 91.19%. It is imperative that our scholars are at school daily and on time so that they reap the academic benefits they are working so hard to obtain. We need your support so that we can attain our goal of 97%. Please contribute to us reaching our attendance goal by making sure your scholar is at school daily by 7:30 am. Consistent school attendance contributes to the academic success of your student. Let's work together to give your student the academic experience they are so deserving of!

Weekly Focus: Calming Our Bodies

Sometimes our feelings can become BIG! Children are still learning how to recognize when their bodies need a break and how to return to a calm, ready-to-learn state.

Try This at Home: “Breathe & Reset”

When your child becomes upset:

Stop and connect.
Take 3 slow breaths together.
Notice what your body feels like.
Talk about what might help you feel calm.
Try a calming strategy such as stretching, squeezing hands together, counting, or taking a quiet break.

Conscious Discipline Phrase:
“Take a breath. Your body is telling you that you need to slow down. I am here with you.”

Family Challenge: Practice a calming strategy when everyone is already calm. This helps children know what to do when BIG feelings arrive!

Calm is a skill we practice—not something we expect children to know automatically.

Conscious Discipline uses four core active calming breathing techniques, S.T.A.R., Balloon, Pretzel, and Drain, to shut off the body's fight-or-flight response and promote emotional regulation. This week we will focus on Pretzel breathing. Join your student with engaging in Pretzel breathing and remind them to pause and take three deep breaths when they are feeling upset, angry, anxious, scared, or frustrated.

How to Do Pretzel Breathing

1. Cross your ankles while standing or sitting.
2. Cross your right wrist over your left wrist.
3. Turn your hands so your thumbs point toward the floor.
4. Press your palms together and interlace your fingers.
5. Bend your elbows out to the sides and gently roll your hands down and inward toward your body until they rest comfortably against the center of your chest.
6. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
7. Take 3 deep belly breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling slowly, feeling your chest and tummy rise and fall.
8. Uncross your arms and legs when finished.

Let's engage in a fun way to connect literacy and family time by creating a pumpkin character family project! We encourage each family to participate. However, this project is optional.

1. Choose a book and read it together.
2. Discuss the characters in the book and complete the project worksheet, which will be sent home on Tuesday, October 13th.
3. Pick your favorite character from the story and create him or her using a pumpkin! You can use real or fake pumpkins!
4. Decorate it. Paint it. Glue things to it...get creative!
5. Have fun!

Things To Keep In Mind

• Unless you plan to deliver your pumpkin to the front office, keep in mind that your child will need to carry it to school, so don't make it too big!
• Projects are due by Friday, October 16th.

¡Vamos a participar de una forma divertida para conectar la alfabetización y el tiempo en familia creando un proyecto familiar de personajes calabaza! Animamos a cada familia a participar. Sin embargo, este proyecto es opcional.

1. Elijan un libro y léanlo juntos.

2. Hablen sobre los personajes del libro y completen la hoja de actividades adjunta.

3. ¡Elijan a su personaje favorito de la historia y creenlo usando una calabaza! Pueden usar calabazas reales o artificiales. pero por favor NO LA CORTEN, TALLEN, NI LE HAGAN ORIFICIOS (o las calabazas se echarán a perder muy rápido y no podrán ser admiradas por toda la escuela).

4. Decórenla, píntenla, péguenle cosas... ¡usen su creatividad!

5. ¡Diviértanse!

Cosas a Tener en Cuenta

• Recuerde que su hija tendrá que llevarlo al salón, así que no lo haga demasiado grande.
• La fecha de entrega de los proyectos es 16 de Octubre.

Thank you so much for donating bottled water to our staff! We are greatly appreciative for the love and support shown in contribution to our hydration, well-being, and safety! We will be accepting donations throughout the school year, which can be received at the front office.

It is extremely important that you make provisions for an adult to meet your student every day at the bus stop. Please be aware of the steps that will be taken in the event this policy is not followed:

• 1st Incident – Warning from Campus Administrator

• 2nd Incident – Loss of Bus Privileges for one week

• 3rd Incident – Loss of Bus Privileges for six weeks

• 4th Incident - Loss of Bus Privileges for the remainder of the school year

Persistent noncompliance with this policy will result in loss of bus privileges for the remainder of the year. Please inform the school if you know you will not be able to greet your student at the bus stop so that student can remain on campus for you to pick him/her up. Doing so will foster safety for your student and allow the bus route to remain on schedule for routes to other campuses.

🍎 Pre-K will arrive and dismiss on the south side of the school. Please reference the map.

🍎 Kindergarten and siblings in various grades will arrive and dismiss on the west side of the school. Please reference the map.

🍎 Dismissal is at 3 pm. Please use the Pikmykid dismissal cards to foster a smooth transition.
🍎 Walking up during arrival and dismissal is not allowed as it impedes on the safety and well being of our students and staff and the flow of traffic.

We appreciate your cooperation and partnership with ensuring our students and staff are safe during our arrival and dismissal procedures.

Our student dress code will be enforced including the clear backpack policy.

🚨Leggings, yoga pants, and biking shorts must be worn under skirts or dresses.

🚨Crocs, open-toed shoes, and flip flops can not be worn at school.

Please click on the links below for more details regarding student dress code.

Spanish

📖Monday, October 12th

• Student/Staff Holiday - No School

✍🏻Tuesday, October 13th

• Instruction begins at 7:30 am

• Pink Out - Wear Pink
• Choose a book and read it together. Discuss the characters in the book, pick your favorite character, and write about why you chose the character using the project worksheet.

🧸Wednesday, October 14th

• Instruction begins at 7:30 am
• National Bring Your Teddy Bear to School Day - bring your favorite teddy bear to school! It is your responsibility to keep up with it!
• Create the character you discussed last evening using a pumpkin! If you do not have a pumpkin, create the character in a fun way by drawing, painting, etc.

Thursday, October 15th

• Instruction begins at 7:30 am
• El Futuro - dress up in attire that represents what you aspire to be when you grow up.
• Put the finishing touches on your Pumpkin Character Family Project.

• Instruction begins at 7:30 am
• College Day - Wear college attire.
• Pumpkin Characters Family Project is due.

Upcoming Events

Homecoming Week

Monday, October 19th

Camo Day - Show your camo spirit

Wear Game On Shirt

Tuesday, October 20th

Duo Twin Day - Grab a friend and dress alike!

Wednesday, October 21st

Wild West Wednesday - wear western attire.

Homecoming Parade

Thursday, October 22nd

Throwback Thursday - dress in your favorite decade attire

Friday, October 23rd

Everman Forever Friday - wear Everman shirt.

Week of October 26th - October 30th

Scholastic Book Fair

Red Ribbon Week

Monday, October 26th

50th Day of School - dress in 1950s attire.

Everyday Heroes - Honor your favorite hero with a costume or superhero shirt.

Tuesday, October 27th

Team Up Against Drugs - Show your team spirit in a favorite sports jersey or school spirit shirt.

Wednesday, October 28th

Bright Futures - Brighten the hallways in your favorite neon shirts, accessories, and cool sunglasses.

Thursday, October 29th

Decades of Making a Difference - Dress in attire from your decade of choice.

Literacy Night - 5pm - 7pm

Friday, October 30th

Pink Out - Wear Pink

Character Counts! Be the hero of your story! - Bring a storybook character to life with an iconic top or costume.