January Newsletter
January 10 2025
Note from the Principal
Note from the Principal
Swanson Families,
Welcome to the New Year! I trust that everyone had a restful break, I know that I came back rejuvenated.
We have much to celebrate with our work as parents, students, and staff from first semester. Every grade level scored in the "High Growth and High Achievement" quadrant of our I-Ready Diagnostic for Reading, and we missed by just one percentile for having all 3 grade levels attain the same accomplishment for Math. A full 41% of students have already achieved typical growth for the year in Reading. We are ahead of pace to meet our goal of 65% of all students meeting this goal by the end of the year.
As we kick off this semester, you will find that we revisit classroom expectations and routines. We review our norms, and we add some new layers to our learning routines. It's a great time to review these expectations regarding school with your students at home as well. What is their responsibility as a student? How do they get help if they need it? What should they do if something is not going like it is supposed to be going at school?
Reviewing these things helps keep us ready if needed.
Please join us for the Love and Logic class that begins next week. It is something that I always learn new tips and tricks from both as a Principal, and as a parent myself.
We are looking forward a great second semester, and a great 2025 :-).
As always, reach out if you have any questions, or join me for coffee with the principal at "2nd Cup."
Educationally,
Joshua Rockey
No school Monday, January 20th
Love and Logic
Improve your child's behavior while strengthening your relationship!
Many of you have taken "Parenting the Love & Logic Way." This class teaches a powerful parenting approach that helps us:
- develop stronger relationships with our kids
- end arguing, backtalk, and begging
- teach responsibility without losing their love
- set limits without waging war
- avoid power struggles
- guide children to own and solve their problems
- complete chores without reminders and without pay
The class that will be offered in January is called, "Adults Supporting Youth with Challenging Pasts." In this class we not only learn the same powerful Love & Logic strategies, but we also learn why the Love & Logic approach is so good for our children and why this approach is vital with children who have experienced trauma or are angry, oppositional, or underachieving students.
When, Where, and How???
This class will be delivered to your home via ZOOM on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:45pm on the dates below:
January 22, 29
February 5, 12, 19, 26
March 5, 19, 26
If you would like to join this free class, simply sign up below so we can get you on the roster and deliver your free workbook.
Click Here to Sign Up!
Food Drive
ALICE Drill 1/13 at 11:00AM
AK Reads Act
Every student came home with a letter stating if they are working at a Tier I, II, or III for Reading as we left for break. Teachers will be reach out with phone calls and creating Individual Reading Intervention Plans (IRIPs) for any student working at the Tier III level. These start with our core+more skills block model, include ways you can help at home, creates the option of having tutoring for Reading before or after school, and will be signed by parents at or before Parent Teacher Conferences in February.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the school.
Thank you,
Joshua Rockey
Free and Reduced Lunch Applications
https://matsuk12us.finalsite.com/business-departments/nutrition-services/free-reduced-application
Attendance Thoughts
Attendance is the first step in a great education. We have wonderful teachers and staff that do amazing things when it comes to teaching kids here at Swanson Elementary. Of all the great things that happen regarding educating kids at Swanson, it doesn't happen when students are not in the building.
COVID-19 changed how we address attendance during the pandemic, asking kids to stay home with minor sniffles so as not to spread the virus, but those protocols and expectations have now expired. We have returned to pre-COVID-19 expectations that mostly revolved around kids having a fever, upset stomachs, or contagious diseases. See this form from the Nurse on Too Sick For School.
Like our academic expectations and adjustments, we determine if we are successful with academic lessons and behaviors if 80% of students are meeting the expectation, or if a student masters the material 80% of the time.
Likewise, a student starts to see a decline in their academic and behavioral performance if they have attendance drop below 80%. For reference, our district wide and school wide goals for attendance are both set at 95%. There are usually 45 days in a quarter of school. Missing 20% would be missing 9 days of school in a quarter. That pattern would end in 36 missed school days over the course of a year. That is nearly 1/4 of the school year. It is tough to have kids learn a whole year's worth of information and skills if they are gone. 95% attendance would be missing less than 3 days a quarter.
We love working with kids, seeing them grow in knowledge and skills, and seeing them blossom as students. Please consider these numbers and support us in having your student attend closer to the 95% rate than the 80% or less rate. This helps us to do the very best with your student! :-).
Educationally,
Joshua Rockey
