Greetings Herford Families,

Thank you to all who joined us for the Christmas Gift event at the Dream Theatre last week—it was wonderful seeing so many families come together! Our Penguin Patch Store will open tomorrow. This is an opportunity for scholars to shop for family Christmas gifts.

This is a reminder that our school holiday program will take place this Thursday at 9:00 AM and again at 5:30 PM. We look forward to seeing you there as our scholars showcase their talents!

Please note that scholars will be dismissed early at 11:30 AM on Friday, December 20. School will then be closed for winter break beginning December 23 to January 3. Classes will resume on Monday, January 6.

We wish you a safe and joyous holiday season!

Principal Williams

• December 16 - 20 - Penguin Patch Store

• December 19- Holiday Program (9:00 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.)

• December 20 - Early Dismissal (11:30 a.m.)

Using PBIS to Improve School Culture

A positive school culture is a mixture of strong personal relationships, beneficial social skills, effective role models, and clear expectations. Teachers and administrators alike work to establish and maintain a positive school culture throughout the school year. The benefits of such an atmosphere can be significant – increased instructional time, reduced discipline referrals, and empowered students, just to name a few. Many schools seeking to improve school culture have found success with PBIS.

What is School Culture?

A school is a community, with a set of beliefs and expectations just like the larger community outside the school doors. The school staff communicates these beliefs and expectations to students through their actions as well as through school traditions and ceremonies. A positive school culture is one in which every student is encouraged to be the best version of themselves. Students in a positive school culture feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.

How is Culture Different From Climate?

It’s tempting to use the words culture and climate interchangeably. However, a school’s climate is the result of its culture. The norms communicated to students serve to set the tone for the entire school. School culture does the hard work, and a school’s climate reflects the results of these actions.

The Basics of School Culture

Working to improve school culture can give many students an advantage they may not otherwise have. As school populations have grown more diverse across the country, imparting a sense of equality among differing cultures has become a challenge.

But what are the elements of school culture?

• Physical safety – Students must feel safe from physical harm while at school.
• Social relationships – Staff should encourage positive social interactions between students as well as between students and staff.
• Emotional support – Emotionally supported students are more likely to have higher self-esteem.
• Academic support – From top-level learners to struggling scholars, every student should receive the support they need to be academically successful.

Student success depends on the culture and climate of a school. Students who feel safe and supported are more likely to achieve academic success in the long term.

Improve School Culture with PBIS

Teachers are on the front lines of school culture. Their task is to support each student academically and emotionally, while also treating all students fairly. This is no small feat! In addition to lesson planning and instruction, teachers must recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each student in their charge. A single classroom may contain students from diverse backgrounds, and the teacher must meet each student’s needs for learning as well as providing emotional encouragement.

Fortunately, a PBIS framework can make improving school culture easier. PBIS establishes a baseline for appropriate behavior, outlining interventions and supports for behavior that strays from this baseline. Unlike traditional systems of discipline, PBIS focuses on recognizing positive behaviors. Struggling students receive a boost in self-esteem for appropriate behavior. These small victories build upon one another, from student to student, lifting the class as a whole.

Source: PBIS Rewards /Navigate 360

Have a great week!

AP Frye & AP Grant

Hello and Happy Holidays,

The Alabama Reading Initiative has shared some great ideas for winter literacy ideas to do with your family. Here is the link to the newsletter. Try one of these activities below to help your child develop their phonics skills.

Phonics

Phonics is instruction in the relationship between letters (graphemes) and the sounds (phonemes) they represent. It is an essential component of effective reading instruction and is necessary for decoding (reading) new words. Students need practice in reading text, spelling, and writing in order to consolidate their learning for long term use.

Phonics Cups

This hands-on game makes decoding practice exciting!

Materials:

• plastic cups

• marker or pen

Directions:

1. Label cups with letters, blends (fl, sp, dr, etc.) or vowel teams (ee, ai, oo, etc.) (Hint: check your student's class newsletter to find the phonics skills that are being taught)

2. Set the cups out in a row to spell a word.

3. Have your student read the word.

4. Replace one letters, blends, digraph or vowel team at a time to create a new word.

5. Have your student read the new word.

6. Challenge your student to read both real words and nonsense words.

Phonics I SPY

Materials:

• various regular foods and/or household items

• plastic alphabet letters

* If you don't have plastic alphabet letters, you can write the letters on small pieces of paper.

Directions:

1. Lay several food and/or household items on the table along with plastic alphabet letters.

2. Silently choose one of the items.

3. Provide a sound clue. For example, if you have a pineapple, you'd say, "I spy something that begins with /p/(sound)". Ask your student to identify which object you are thinking of, repeating the sound, then naming the object.

4. Your student should respond, "/p/, pineapple".

5. If your student is correct, say "That's right. Pineapple begins with /p/. Hold up the letter that spells /p/(sound).

6. The child will choose and hold up the plastic letter P. Direct the child to repeat, "P spells /p/."

7. Repeat with other items.

8. *The routine may be varied by focusing on the final sound of the food/household item.

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Tomes

Greetings Hereford Elementary School Families,

I hope you all enjoyed some fun family friendly holiday activities this weekend! Just a reminder to check those bookbags for holiday treats before your children come to school. Children love to share with their friends, but you never know what kind of allergies another child may have.

We had another successful week of ACAP Practice Testing, and we are officially done with our practice assessment! Thank you so much for having your children here and on time each day for testing.

This week, check out the link to books about science skills and topics. Students in fourth and sixth grade are assessed in Science on ACAP. Science is taught in every grade level to prepare students.

https://youtu.be/qS6jHzvg6qg?si=9wXqo5LUWRKJ-xaB

Let’s finish this last week before the Winter Break! This is the last week to bring in canned goods for our canned food drive as well as Reindeer Candy Gram sales! We can’t wait to see you on Monday for another week of learning!

Thank you,

April M. Draine

Hereford Families,

Can math and reading mix? Absolutely! Check out our local library and get comfy with this book list of wintry mathematical books to assist learning at home in a seriously fun way!

“Ten On The Sled” (Ages birth-4)
Written by Kim Norman and illustrated Liza Woodruff

“The Last Marshmallow/El Último Malvavisco” (Ages birth-4)
Written and illustrated Grace Lin

“Ten Sparkly Snowflakes” (Ages birth-4)
Written by Tiger Tales and illustrated by Russell Julian

“Snowman-Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations” (Ages 4-8)
Written by Laura Purdie Salas and illustrated by Micha Archer

“365 Penguins” (Ages 5-8)
Written by Jean-Luc Fromental and illustrated by Joëlle Jolivet

“Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money” (Ages 5-8)
Written by Emily Jenkins and illustrated by G. Brian Karas

“Sizing Up Winter” (Ages 6-8)
Written by Lizann Flatt and illustrated by Ashley Barron

Go Wildcats!

Rebecca Ramsey

Hereford Families,

Have you ever seen this beautiful flower? It is called a Poinsettia and it has become a symbol of the Christmas holiday. More than 2 million are sold each year, making it the largest potted flower crop grown in the United States.

While the most common color for this flower is red, there are over 100 varieties in shades of pink, white, and yellow as well. Some are even solid, streaked, marbled, and multicolored!

So why are they considered Christmas flowers? They are native to Mexico and are called Flor de la Noche Buena which means Flower of the Holy Night due to its resemblance to the Star of Bethlehem. According to Mexican legend, there was a young child, Pepita, who did not have a gift for the baby Jesus at a Christmas Eve service. She was very poor so all she could do was pick a bouquet of weeds to offer. The angels felt compassion for her so they transformed the weeds into beautiful red flowers. This is why red and green are the colors of Christmas today.

Click the link below to watch the story The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tommie dePaola.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyx7-PydY6A

Happy Reading!

Quirante. Hereford

Tips on minimizing holiday stress

Through the endless parties, cooking, shopping and cleaning, try taking one of 9 steps to ensure you have a stress-free holiday:

1. Plan ahead.

Between co-workers, friends and family, it's inevitable that some commitments will end up on the same day. Make sure to plan on what you can attend. If you're hosting the holidays, create a menu to help you stay organized and make grocery shopping easier.

2. Say no.

With holiday commitments, it is OK to say no to a few or all of them. It also will help relieve some stress. Try sharing your to-do list with other family members.

3. Plan spending.

The holidays mean spending money. Make a budget and stick to it. Spending money on your loved ones is important, but it's also important to pay your energy bill. Don't buy gifts that you'll be paying off for the rest of the year.

4. Create relaxing surroundings.

Turn on some music, light some candles or open the windows on a sunny day. Research has found that listening to music and the scent of citrus can boost feelings of well-being, and vitamin D is always a happiness booster.

5. Maintain healthy habits.

The holidays are notorious for ruining healthy habits. A short workout each morning will help your decision-making throughout the day. Eat healthy snacks like fresh fruit or vegetables throughout the season and to fill up before a dinner party or celebration with tempting, but unhealthy, foods.

6. Share feelings.

Spending a holiday after a loss in the family can be difficult. Accept your feelings and open up about them to others. It may make you feel better to share. Try to switch up old traditions to ease the loss.

7. Respect differences.

Family members will have different viewpoints than your own. Try your best to forgive and forget this holiday season. Focus on your similarities, and replace tension with something productive.

8. Be realistic.

You are only one person, and you can only do so much. Be realistic with how much you can handle this season. Forget about perfection, and relax and enjoy the company surrounding you.

9. Take a break.

Don't forget about your own needs. Take a nap, go for a short walk, read a book or watch a funny movie. Laughing relaxes the whole body, and can relieve physical tension and stress.

Holidays are meant to be a fun, enjoyable time with friends and family. These tips can help ensure you truly enjoy your holidays when stress starts to set in.

Have an awesome week!

Ann Elkins

Happy Holidays Hereford Families!

Your scholar will bring home a copy of these coping skills as well as a feelings thermometer. The Thermometer shows different emotions and some ways to help with regulating those emotions. They are tasked with teaching someone how to use it and using it themselves during winter break. Please review as a family and utilize this great tool!

Greetings Sonnie Hereford Family,

I’m excited seeing classes on their way to attaining the December Incentive Popcorn Parties. Each month’s incentive takes every school day of the month into account and the reward is given in the first week of the month after. Missing a half day of school still counts as a whole absence. As we close out the semester, we invite you to stop by the front office or give us a call and ask for the school attendance officer, Ms. Thornton to check in on your scholar’s attendance or if you have any questions or concerns. Students with 5 absences at this point in the school year are close to being chronically absent.

As always, we stress the importance and the benefits of students being in school as long as they are well. Have a happy holiday season during this last week of school. Let’s ace attendance and ace life!

Mandisa Thornton, School Attendance Officer

Dear Hereford Family,

As we enter the holiday season and prepare to wrap up the semester, we want to take a moment to reflect on the Cheerfulness theme we’ve been embracing and tie it into an important message we’ve all heard recently: "Never Give Up!"

The Power of Cheerfulness

We’ve been focusing on how cheerfulness can help us through both good times and challenging moments. It's about finding positivity even in tough situations and remembering that we all can brighten someone else's day—whether it's with a smile, a kind word, or a simple gesture of support. As we get closer to the holidays, let’s continue to cultivate a cheerful mindset and show kindness to those around us.

NED's Message: "Never Give Up!"

This month, we also introduced NED's Message of Never Giving Up through the NED Yo-Yo Sales. Whether it’s in your studies, friendships, or personal growth, NED’s powerful reminder is one we can all take to heart: Never Give Up.

The journey to success is rarely smooth, but with perseverance and determination, we can always move forward—step by step, even when things feel challenging. NED's message is a perfect complement to the theme of cheerfulness: When times get tough, remember that you have the strength to keep going. With each small effort, you're one step closer to achieving your goals.

Thank You for Participating in the NED Yo-Yo Sales!

We want to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the NED Yo-Yo Sales event. Your involvement not only helped us bring the inspiring message of perseverance to life but also contributed to a sense of community spirit here at school. The funds raised will go toward supporting future school activities and initiatives, so your participation truly makes a difference.

Closing the Semester Strong

As we approach the end of the semester, remember to keep a cheerful attitude and continue to apply the message of Never Give Up. Whether you're finishing projects, preparing for exams, or balancing extracurricular activities, your efforts and persistence matter.

Here are a few reminders to help you finish strong:

• Stay organized: Keep track of assignments, exams, and upcoming deadlines.
• Take breaks: It’s important to rest and recharge—don’t forget to give yourself time to relax and refocus.
• Ask for help: Whether it’s academic support, mental health resources, or just someone to talk to, we are here for you.
• Celebrate small wins: Each day is a new opportunity to make progress, no matter how big or small.

Sincerely,

School Counselors

J. Thorne & R. Johnson

• Supervision of students begin at 7:30 each morning; therefore, students should not arrive to school before 7:30 AM.

• Students who are walkers are to follow the sidewalk leading to the crossing guard and to the front door of the school.

• Students who are walkers should not walk across the Pre-K parking lot without being supervised by parent/guardian.

• Parents who enter Pre-K parking lot (yellow arrows) to drop off Kinder-6th grade students must park and escort student(s) to front of school.

• Parents who enter faculty and staff parking lot (blue arrows) to drop off Kinder-6th grade students must park and escort student(s) to crosswalk.

• School starts promptly at 8:00 AM.

• Students arriving after 8:00 AM are tardy and must have a parent or a guardian sign them in at the main office.

Student check-out ends at 1:45-must have valid identification and listed as a contact in

PowerSchool SIS.

• All students will be dismissed at 2:30.

• Students are either a bus rider, car rider or walker.

• Parents are asked not to congregate near the front door of the school or the pick-up area. You

will be asked to clear the dismissal area- please do so.

• Parents of walkers are asked to meet your children at home or at the crosswalk.

• Parents of car riders are asked to remain in your vehicle in the car line during pick-up.

• Pre-K parking lot (yellow arrows) is reserved only for Pre-K families with Parking Permit displayed.

• WALKERS- in the event of rain, parents are asked to provide child/ren with rain gear or send a written/typed note to teacher to change dismissal to car rider for that day by 1:30 pm.