Husky Headlines

September Newsletter for S-RC Elementary School Families

Hello Jr. Husky families! I'm so excited to have hallways full of laughter and classrooms full of learning! The first 16 days of school have FLOWN by, and students have jumped in excitedly with both feet to show that they not only remember our school-wide expectations, but that they are eager to learn NEW grade level content with their new teachers this year.

Please make sure that you are continuing to talk to your child(ren) each night about what they are learning to help reinforce the concepts. If practice opportunities/homework is sent home, please make sure to talk to your child(ren) and see if they need help understanding anything. If they do need help, please contact their teacher. The earlier we can identify a misunderstanding, the better off we all are!

A bit about me - I am a firm believer in open communication. I am always willing to talk to you or your child about any situation that may arise at school (or at home). I know that it is crucial to work together as a TEAM for your child(ren) this year. If there is ever anything I can do to help you or your child(ren) - please do not hesitate to reach out! My email is hthompson@shelby.esu7.org and my office phone number is 402-527-5946 ext 5718. Let's have an AMAZING year building success for each and every student at S-RC Elementary!

Important Dates

September 2nd - MAP Testing (K-5 Reading)
September 5th - Labor Day/No School
September 7th - MAP Testing (3-5 Language)
September 8th - MAP Testing (5 Science)
September 8th-9th - Husker Harvest Days Food Drive
September 6th - National Read A Book Day!!!
September 14th - Board of Education Meeting @ 7:30pm (Open to Public!)
September 19th-September 23rd - HOMECOMING WEEK!!!
September 23rd - Homecoming Game!
September 28th - No School
September 28th - Parent/Teacher Conferences
September 30th - School Picture Day

Morning Routine

We have several students each day who are beating our staff through the doors. Please know that students should not enter the building until 7:45 at the earliest. We need to ensure that we have staff in the breakfast and Walk & Talk areas before students arrive. Your help in making sure you do not drop your child off until 7:45 is greatly appreciated.

At 8:00, Walk & Talk officially begins. This is an awesome opportunity for students to walk with their friends, chat before the school day begins, and get ready for a great day. If students are going to breakfast, they should come in and go directly to breakfast. They can then come to Walk & Talk once they have finished eating.

Remember - students do need to sign up for breakfast the day before if they are eating at school. Please remind your child to add their name to the daily count if they will be here in time for school breakfast! This is a great opportunity for students to get the nutrients they need for a successful day of school. Your child can sign up for breakfast the day before they eat with their classroom teacher (all classroom teachers take a count each day as part of their daily routine).

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Drop-Off & Pick-Up

Please remember safety is important at school, especially during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times. If you choose to park your vehicle, please walk with your child through the parking lot.

Pulling up to the curb next to the South Gym will allow your child to get out of the vehicle on the passenger side without the worry of additional traffic.

When picking your child up, if you choose to park, please exit your vehicle and meet your child by the door to walk them to the car. You can also pull up to the curb for your child to get into the vehicle on the passenger side. If you are waiting for your child to come out of the building, please pull up as far as possible to allow other parents to utilize the curb pick-up process as well.

We have had a couple of vehicles speeding through the parking lot. Please keep the safety of our students in mind at all times, and drive slowly as you drop your child off or pick them up from school. Safety is, and should always be our utmost concern!

Note from Mr. Kuhn

The Physical Education classes will be going outside as long as the weather is nice. We will be working on many skills that involve running, kicking, jumping etc. Students must wear appropriate shoes on PE days. Flip flops, sandals, and boots make it hard for them to participate at their full ability. The P.E. schedule can be found below. Thank you.

Kindergarten - Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday

1st Grade - Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday

2nd Grade - Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday

3rd Grade - Monday, Wednesday, Friday

4th Grade - Monday, Wednesday, Friday

5th Grade - Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Wednesday, September 28th. There is no school scheduled for that day. Please be on the look-out for additional information from your child's classroom teacher.

NebraskaREADS Initiative and Letters

Over the past week, some families may have received letters from the school letting you know that your child was not reading AT grade level. These letters were sent due to the NebraskaREADS initiative that was passed in Nebraska three years ago. This initiative required all Nebraska schools to select ONE of the approved reading tests and administer it to all students within the first 30 days of the school year. Schools are then required to communicate with families if students are not reading AT grade level.

Here at S-RC, we value the need to implement strong reading interventions if students are not reading at grade level. We also understand that the Nebraska Reading Improvement Act shares those values. However, we understand that students may not be reading at grade level in the first couple weeks of school due to various reasons. Summer slide, unfamiliarity with the assessment that is being used, or just getting used to being back in school. Please know that as the school year progresses, your child's teacher will be in contact if there are specific concerns. We ask you to NOT be overly concerned about receiving a letter unless you are seeing something that is surprising to you. As a school, we will be doing the following interventions with students who are not reading at their assigned grade level. Your child may receive one or several of these services at any given time:

Acadience Progress Monitoring (either weekly or bi-weekly)
Title I Services
Leveled Small Reading Groups
Tier two individualized instruction (as needed)

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Willis, or your child's classroom teacher.

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Picture Day!!

September 30th is picture day for S-RC Public Schools. Please plan accordingly.

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Why Read???

Did you know that if your child reads 20 minutes per day statistics say that they will score higher on standardized tests? Crazy, right?? If your child starts reading 20 minutes per day in kindergarten they will have read for an equivalent of 60 school days by the end of 6th grade! If they only read for 5 minutes a day they will have read for an equivalent of 12 school days. A student who only reads one minute a day at home will have only read for an equivalent of 3 school days. That's a HUGE difference!!

My challenge for students (and for parents), is the 20 minute challenge!! Each night, I challenge students to read, listen to audio books, or even listen to another reader for 20 minutes. Let's come together to encourage our next generation to explore their imagination and learn through literature! Let's get them READING!!

Who Should I Contact?

Have you ever wondered:

...who should I call when my child is sick and can't come to school?
...who should I tell when my child has an appointment?
...who can I call that will get a message to my child's teachers?
...who should I contact if I have a message that needs to get to my child?

Mrs. Camille Schultz is your "go to" elementary contact! Please call or email Camille whenever you have questions or concerns. She will either have the answer or find the answer!

Here is Camille's contact information: (402) 527-5946 ext 5717 or cschultz@shelby.esu7.org

Powerful Parents using PBiS

Our highest "problem area" in the school this month was disruption. We wanted to give you, at home, a couple tips and tricks on how to deal with disruptions - in case you are seeing the same things!

PBiS World tells us that one technique is to teach relaxation to our students.

Why should I do it:

Children can get overwhelmed easily
Children want to be successful but haven’t yet developed all the skills, which can lead to anxiety/frustration
Everyone needs a break every once in a while
Improves focus and attention
Has positive physiological benefits, like improved blood flow, oxygen levels, and endorphin levels, as well as decreased cortisol or “stress hormone” levels

When should I do it:

When you see a children becoming frustrated (banging things, groaning, crying, refusing to do work)
When a children appears, tense, uptight, anxious
When a children are having a “bad day”
When a children appears uncomfortable

How do I do it:

Take time to speak with the individual child alone
Assure them that everyone gets stressed/frustrated/worried/ overwhelmed
Teach them to know when they are stressed, frustrated, worried, overwhelmed, etc (some common answers are: clench fists, breathe heavily, cry, sweat)
Teach them when they feel stressed, frustrated, upset, etc, to ask to go relax
Practice the first time with the them
Establish where, when, and how they will initiate and carry out a break to relax
Practical relaxation techniques for them:
- Deep Breathing
- Count to 10
- Write in a journal
- Draw
- Color
- Scribble
- Read
- Visualization
- Listen to music or nature sounds
- Take a break

Resources & Support for technique:

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Ms. Heather Thompson

Elementary Principal

Special Education Director

Shelby-Rising City Public Schools

Email: hthompson@shelby.esu7.org
Website: https://www.shelby.esu7.org/
Location: 650 North Walnut Street, Shelby, NE, USA
Phone: 402-527-5946 5718
Twitter: @mrs_thompson007