Dear Croce Families,
I hope everyone had a restful week back from Thanksgiving with their families. This week truly flew by! Believe it or not, we are just two short weeks away from Christmas break.
Exciting Events This Week
- 4th Grade Field Trips: Two of our 4th-grade classes will be heading out on exciting field trips.
- 5th Grade Adventure: Our 5th-grade students will take on the Brushy Peak hike!
- Dine Out with Croce PTA: If you’re looking for a break from cooking, join us in supporting the PTA on Thursday, December 12th, at Melo’s.
- Coffee with the Principal: Join me for a casual chat on Friday, December 13th, where I’ll answer questions, discuss improvements, and hear what’s going well.
- Winter Wonderland Dance: PTA is hosting a dance Friday evening, December 13th, from 6-8 PM. Students must be accompanied by their parents.
Welcome, Mr. Cronin!
We are thrilled to welcome Sam Cronin to our Croce Family! Mr. Cronin joined our team this week and will be working in the TK/K special education classroom. Please join me in giving him a warm Croce welcome!
Culture Club: Elevating Student Voice
This week, we held our first Culture Club meeting! This is a new initiative designed to give students a platform to share what’s going well and identify areas for improvement on our campus. Here’s what our students shared:
- Celebrations: Students overwhelmingly feel our teachers are doing an excellent job, appreciate the education they are receiving, and feel connected to their teachers. They also noticed that students are kind and welcoming to new classmates, and there is a noticeable improvement in peer focus during class.
- Areas for Improvement: Students raised concerns about the cleanliness of our bathrooms, mentioning issues with cleanliness and occasional spiders. Additionally, they expressed concern about inappropriate language they hear on the playground.
We are so proud of our students for sharing their voices and advocating for their school. We will continue to work with them to address these concerns.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
At Croce, we are proud to use the PBIS framework to promote a positive school environment. PBIS is a tiered system of supports designed to address student behavior and ensure a safe and respectful campus.
- Tier 1 Supports: We focus on teaching and reinforcing expected behaviors schoolwide through tools like our Cheetah Choice Cards, Caught Being Good, and consistent classroom expectations.
- Tier 2 Supports: For students who need additional guidance, we offer targeted small group interventions and individual check-ins with staff.
- Tier 3 Supports: For more serious concerns, we provide individualized plans and intensive support, involving families in the process to ensure the best outcomes.
PBIS helps us build a safe and inclusive environment where all students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Parking and Safety Concerns – We Need Your Help
Families, I need your support to address a critical issue—our parking situation is creating safety concerns for students and impacting our neighbors. Here are some examples of what has been happening:
- A car parked and blocked a senior in a wheelchair from accessing the handicapped ramp on Boxwood Ct.
- Trash pickup in Boxwood Ct. has been delayed because improperly parked cars have blocked access. The city has announced they will begin issuing citations next week.
- Cars are being left unattended in the Passenger Loading Zone, which is clearly marked “DO NOT LEAVE CAR UNATTENDED.”
- Vehicles are parking in the red zone for bus loading, which is prohibited.
These issues not only inconvenience others but pose serious safety risks for our students. Additionally, please model safe behavior for your children by using crosswalks. Walking across traffic may seem quicker, but it’s simply too dangerous—there have been far too many close calls.
I would love to hear your ideas on how we can solve these parking issues together. We can, and we must, do better for our students and our community.
Thank you for your support and cooperation. Let’s keep Croce a safe and welcoming place for everyone.
Principal Burkholder
