Toro Times

Teachers have had a LOT of meetings lately. Your positive attitude and can-do spirit are appreciated when your week's are as busy as the last two have been. I see you!!

8/26 – PTO Fundraiser Begins

8/26 – DLI Team meets

8/28 - Picture Day

8/28 – Chorus performs at DBacks Game!

8/29 – DLI First Grade Naming and DLI Parent Night 6pm

9/2 – Labor Day – NO SCHOOL

9/6 – Birthday Book Club

9/9 – Site Council 7:00am

9/11 – Patriot Day – 2nd Grade Performance

9/15 – Dad’s Club Golf Tournament

9/17 – Mid Autumn Festival

9/19 – DLI Naming Ceremony Grade 1 5:30pm

9/20 – Toro Rific Awards

9/23-10/04 – Fall Break

10/07 – In-service Day (AM Site PD, PM District PD)

10/08 – Students Return

Each Friday morning, we gather for about 15 minutes to connect as a community. This year, we are opening up the opportunity to host/lead the circle. Anyone can do it and you can sign up for multiple dates. Just be prepared with a topic, a question, a game, or an activity that helps build our community of adults. Sign up here

Based on your choices from the survey at the beginning of the school year, you selected two goal areas for "committee work". Know that the areas have many different things that come underneath and some committees require more time than others. If you did not select two, they were selected for you. Sometimes things come up during the school year that need staff input. In those cases we will pull a group from the area most affected. Thanks for all you do to make our school great!

A presidential election only happens once every four years. Never before has an election been so contentious and as educators we must be cognizant of the diverse viewpoints. To be sure that teachers who teach about the election (if it fits your curriculum), here are some guidelines set forth by the Curriculum and Instruction department. Remember, there is nothing wrong with teaching our American process of election and this can be done without discussion of either candidate specifically. See the document below for guidance.

Our new social committee, The Yay Soiree, met this week to plan for this year's social events, staff morale opportunities, and determine dues. A big thank you to our Yay Soiree team members - Mike Wittreich, Jamie Droeg, Lisa Boyer, Ashlyn Sandlin, Janee Seabrook, Danette St. Vincent, Susan Hall, Hannah Proffitt, and Dolores Rowan.

Dues: $25.00 per staff member

When: 9/06/24 or 9/19/24 - whichever day works better for you, you can swipe your card in our front office with Laura Goodhand to submit your dues for this year.

Some examples of what your dues contribute to:

• On and off campus staff gatherings for memorable experiences together
• Small recognition or celebration of staff member life events
• Snacks or treats sprinkled throughout the year

Assessment Reminders:

• Renaissance (K-6) and Dibels (K-3): As new students enroll, administer tests to identify starting data point as long as it does not fall in the timeframe of the next benchmark window. If you're unsure, reach out to Danielle Harris for more confirmation.
• Dibels Progress Monitoring: Dibels PM weeks are listed in the attached Progress Monitoring Checklist for K-3 classroom teachers. This is required for students that fall in the Below Benchmark or Fall Below Benchmark categories on BOY Dibels.
• CORE/Star Phonics Progress Monitoring: Diagnostic PM weeks are listed in the attached Progress Monitoring Checklist for K-3 teachers. This is required for students that fall in the Below Benchmark or Fall Below Benchmark categories on BOY Dibels.

Conflict Resolution Role-Playing - This intervention involves guiding the student and their peers through role-playing scenarios where they practice resolving conflicts. By acting out different situations, students can learn to express their feelings, listen to others, and find compromise. This helps build social skills, improves communication, and fosters empathy, reducing the likelihood of future conflicts during recess. *Older students can submit current conflicts as examples for the teacher to choose from ahead of time.

• Resolving a Misunderstanding: Two students could role-play a situation where one thinks the other is being rude, but it’s a misunderstanding. They can practice using "I" statements (e.g., "I felt sad when you didn't say hello") to express their feelings and clarify intentions.
• Group Game Disagreements: In this scenario, students can act out a conflict that arises during a game, such as disagreements about the rules. They can practice how to discuss the rules calmly, come to an agreement, and how to involve an adult if they cannot resolve it themselves.
• Handling Exclusion: One student can role-play being excluded from a game, while others practice how to invite them in or how to handle feelings of being left out. This helps build empathy and teaches students how to include others in their play.

Save: Use AI (Magic School) to help you with report card comments, class newsletters, and lesson plans. It's magical! If you're not a teacher, use AI to do almost anything!

Spend: Take the whole long weekend to spoil yourself. You deserve it!