UES Swoop Scoop
September 5, 2023
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) at UES
At Union Elementary School we strive to ensure that your child has a positive experience every day at school. In order to do so, we implement a school-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework. PBIS used across elementary schools both in Vermont and Nationally. PBIS is a framework to teach and reinforce behaviors that we want our learners to exhibit at school. Staff teach and model clear expectations and provide ongoing support for learners in consistently demonstrating the expectations.
Our UES PBIS Team is comprised of: UES Assistant Principal - Lead Admin, the District SEL & Wellness Coordinator, Principal, School Counselors, Social Emotional Learning Coach, Classroom Teachers and a Special Educator. The team was fortunate to work with a Vermont based PBIS Consultant, Sherry Schoenberg, over the summer to review everything related to PBIS at UES and ensure our PBIS framework was set up to create safe, supportive and equitable experiences for all our of UES learners.
The school-wide expectations that we ensure all students know and understand, and then support them to follow are:
We are Kind
We are Responsible
We are Safe
Positive Recognition & Celebrations at UES
At UES, all students should receive positive reinforcement throughout each day. The rule of 4 positives to 1 correction is utilized school-wide as this research based strategy has shown to have a positive impact on both sense of belonging and student learning.
School Wide System
UES uses gems as the school wide recognition system.
Classroom Systems
All classrooms have a positive recognition system in place. This system can match the school-wide system using gems or it can be a different system of the classroom teacher’s choice (such as ClassDojo).
Celebrations
All celebrations must be equitable and accessible to all learners. Celebrations must be planned with all learners in mind. Classroom Celebrations (some examples-comfy day, tent day, game time, extra recess). Students must have a voice in deciding and celebrations will not have students bring anything from home.
- School Wide Celebrations will happen every 4 to 6 weeks. The PBIS team will communicate the focus behavior at the start of a challenge, give updates throughout and run the celebration at the end.
- Spirit Weeks will happen at least twice during each school year.
- Assemblies will happen monthly and will have a PBIS focus.
Working together to promote positive behavior helps increase student achievement and support our students on their journey to developing the skills to have a limitless future. Research shows that when home and school work together, student learning is more successful. We encourage all of you to practice the school-wide expectations at home with your child: We are KIND, RESPECTFUL, and SAFE each day. You can find a PBIS section in our school handbook with more information about our school-wide behavior lessons, expectations, and acknowledgement systems.
First Kindness Club of 2023-2024 - This Wednesday!
Kindness Club Returns! Kindness Club at UES is a group that meets once a month on Wednesdays after school from 3-4pm in the school library. Our mission is to spread kindness throughout our school community, and beyond. We start each meeting with a light snack, and discussion, and spend the rest of our meeting time engaged in a kindness project. Learners sign-up for each individual meeting that they are able to attend.
Any student in 2nd-4th grade is welcome to attend. Sign Up Here for the October 25th meeting this week!
Safety Drill This Week
As mentioned in September, The Swoop Scoop will announce all safety drills on Mondays of the week they will take place, however, please note we will not provide the specific day or time of drills per guidance from the AOE. We hope by having advance notice, this will allow families the opportunity to discuss the upcoming drill with learners should they choose to do so.
This week we will conduct a Fire drill.
If you have any school safety related questions, don't hesitate to reach out to Linda Beaupre.
UES Lost & Found
Please stop by UES if your learner is missing something-we have a growing Lost & Found pile! Ms. Tara has been placing the tables outside by the upper playground vestibule each afternoon (weather permitting) hoping to reunite more items with their owners. We suggest all caregivers clearly mark clothing, lunch boxes, etc before sending them to school so we can return items promptly if they are misplaced.
News From Nurse Megan
MRPS follows the Vermont Department of Health guidance regarding Covid-19, which can be found here: https://www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/covid-19/covid-19-symptoms-treatment. In summary, the date symptoms started or the positive test (whichever came first) is day 0, and the student can return to school on day 6 if they are feeling better and have not had a fever (100.4 or higher) in the last 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medicine.
A negative Covid test is not required to return to school.
If a student is exposed to Covid, they can still attend school. The Vermont Department of Health recommends that a close contact test if they develop symptoms or 5 days after exposure, if they do not have symptoms.
We encourage families to let the pediatrician or primary care provider know when students test positive.
Join the 2023-2024 MRPS Caregivers Council
Join the 2023-2024 UES Caregivers Council
We do not yet have enough interest to form The UES Caregiver Council. If you are interested in becoming a member of the UES Caregiver Council, please take a moment to fill out this form.
Meeting Information
For the 2023-24 school year, all meetings will occur on the first Wednesday of each month from 11:00am-12:00pm. Meetings will be held at UES in the Conference Room. Meeting dates for the 2023-24 school year are: 11/1, 12/06, 1/03, 2/07, 2/15, 3/06, 4/03, and 5/01.
News From the UESCA
UES Caregivers Alliance
The UES Caregivers Alliance (UESCA) is a collective of caregivers who support a welcoming, inclusive UES community. We provide support for all caregivers, educators, staff, and family-centered school activities. You can access UESCA materials and notes on our webpage, here. Have a question or need? Have an idea you want to share? Email us at ues.families@gmail.com. Last call to be included in the Caregiver Directory! If you would like to share your contact information with caregivers of other children in your learner’s class please fill out this form. Only those who opt in will be included in the Caregiver Directories. Caregiver School Year Priorities Where should UESCA put its energy this school year? Follow this link and let us know what we should focus on this year. The survey will take less than 5 minutes. Please complete the survey by Thursday, October 26th. Your voices and ideas are what makes our community so special! The survey also includes a list of activities we did last school year. You can read those here. Monthly Coordinating Meetings- October 26th at 6:30 in the UES Cafeteria
Net Zero Ad-Hoc Committee
The MRPS School Board is seeking community members with relevant experience and knowledge to join a newly formed Net Zero Ad-Hoc Committee that will guide the board in developing a decarbonization plan and net zero evaluation tool for future facilities and operations decisions. The Ad-Hoc committee will meet for 2 hours every month from November through June. These efforts are being launched in accordance with the board’s net zero and decarbonization resolution passed in May 2023. If you are interested in joining the Ad-Hoc committee, please visit www.mrpsvt.org/net-zero-ad-hoc-committee, review the Request for Applicants, and email Kristen Getler (kristengetler@mpsvt.org) detailing your interest and qualifications to join this effort by October 19th, 2023.
Attention US Military Caregivers!
Are you a caregiver serving in the United States Military? Federal law requires that the State of Vermont report certain information on students whose parents or guardians are currently serving in the United States military. The goal of this data collection is to support the students of military families in their learning. If you or a family member are currently serving in a military branch, please complete this form.
Halloween Note From MRPS Principals
As Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year and it is a school day the MRPS's Administrators are communicating out together the expectations for the day. MRPS's Handbook states "There shall be no school-initiated or -sanctioned formal or informal celebration or observance of religion, religious holidays or religious festivals." We have this in place to support all students, from different backgrounds, beliefs, and socio-economic statuses. In accordance with our district handbook, each school will NOT be allowing costumes to be worn at school on Tuesday, October 31st.
For those who choose to trick-or-treat and celebrate this holiday after school, stay safe and have a fun evening. Thank you in advance for your support!
-The MRPS Principals
Next MRPS School Board Meeting
The MRPS Board of School Directors is meeting Wednesday, November 1, 2023 at 6:30pm at MHS. Everyone is welcome to attend. Find the meeting agenda, minutes from past meetings, information about the work of the various School Board Committees, and more by visiting www.mrpsvt.org/school-board