UES Swoop Scoop
September 5, 2023
January Safety Drill
This week, we will be doing our second developmentally appropriate Options Based Response Drill with all of our K-4 students. As mentioned before our first one back in November, this drill has been designed specifically for our K-4 students and will be discussion based.
We will begin the drill with a friendly announcement over the intercom:
“Good Morning UES. This morning we are going to learn about a safety drill called a Lockdown. Please get your best listening ears ready for your teacher. This is a discussion-based practice. Once you have completed the discussion, you may continue on with your day. I will not be coming back on the intercom. You can begin your discussions now.”
Teachers will then continue the drill in their classrooms:
“Thank you for being a part of this important practice. There may be a time when we have an unexpected emergency which requires us to stay in the classroom or leave the building quickly. For example - someone is hurt in the hallway or requires some type of help. Today we will discuss what we would do.”
“Today we are discussing what to do when we hear the word, Lockdown over the intercom.”
“Our first job is to get quiet and keep voices off (voice level zero)”
“Then, we will listen to the announcements very carefully to see if there is anything special I need to know”
“The second part of your job is to look at me and listen carefully for my directions.”
“Sometimes we will go to a special place in the classroom, shut the door and turn off the lights”
“Other times, I might tell you that we are leaving the classroom.”
Remember, your job is just to keep your voices off and follow my directions”
Now I will show you where we will go in the classroom if we stay inside.
As previously mentioned, we feel it is important for you to have the full script teachers will be using-it can be viewed here.
The goal is for these practices to ensure students have a strong understanding of the importance of having their best listening ears on and following all directions in the case of an emergency.
School Wide Poetry Unit & Monthly Focus
We began the new year with a school wide poetry unit. The goal of this unit was to teach our K-4 learners about poetry, build community, and have some fun together. UES teachers spent the first week of the unit teaching our learners about different types of poetry. They spent the second and third weeks supporting learners in writing many different types of poetry (shared writing, partner writing, and individual writing.) The culmination of this unit has brought some extra light to UES as poetry can now be found on bulletin boards, doors, and hanging in other spots across our hallways. Additionally, we also read poems written by UES students and staff over the announcements each morning. It was such a great way to come back together after the break! We are hoping many poems from UES will be submitted to Montpelier's Poem City this year. Keep your eyes out!
We had our monthly Community Time last week, where members of the PBIS Team rolled out our monthly focus areas: Responding with Wonderment and Cooperation. We read We're All Wonders by R.J. Palacio, played a game that had students responding to photos with a sense of wonder and introduced this month's school wide challenge, focusing on cooperation.
News From Nurse Megan
Good habits to help keep you and your family healthy:
Avoid close contact with those that are sick.
Stay home when you are having moderate or severe symptoms of illness
Wash your hands with soap and water throughout the day, but especially after blowing your nose, coughing or using the bathroom.
Cover your cough with your elbow or tissue
Avoid touching your face, that can easily spread more germs
Get plenty of rest each night
Drink plenty of water
UES Students should not come to school with cough drops, lozenges or hard candies. These are a choking hazard and make it really challenging to manage during the school day. We encourage you to send in a water bottle to help quiet a minor cough or sooth a mild sore throat.
For moderate to severe symptoms, please keep your child home until they are feeling better and are ready to learn. If a child develops a fever of 100.4 or more or is vomiting, please keep them home until these symptoms are gone for a full 24 hours without using fever reducing medication before having them return to school.
UES Caregivers Alliance News
The UES Caregivers Alliance (UESCA) is a collective of caregivers who support a welcoming, inclusive UES community. If you are a caregiver of a UES student, you are a UESCA member! We provide support for all caregivers, educators, staff, and family-centered school activities. You can access UESCA materials and notes on our webpage, here. Most of our coordinating activities are done through our Slack channel, which is open to all. This year, we will periodically meet in person to coordinate specific events and activities. Have a question or need? Have an idea you want to share? Email us at ues.families@gmail.com.
Supporting LipSync & More Community Events!
If you found yourself jumping out of your seats and cheering on our talented kiddos at last week’s AMAZING Lip Sync Battle and you would like to donate to help make fun, inclusive, free, community events like these possible, follow this link or use the Venmo QR code. Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered and supported this year’s event. And to all the performers!
Caregiver Volunteers Needed for Upcoming Activities
Have you wanted to volunteer for UES activities, but haven’t had the chance? Well, now is the time! UESCA is once again organizing UES Loves Books, an annual celebration of books and reading held each spring. In the past, we’ve worked with Bear Pond Books and celebrated authors to offer free books for all learners and a chance to hear from local and international children’s authors. Also, we are organizing more teacher appreciation activities, including PIE Day (we serve pies to staff!), Teacher Appreciation Day in May (usually a breakfast) and an end of year celebration. If you are interested in any of these opportunities, email us at ues.families@gmail.com.
Looking For a Long-Term Sub Music Teacher
UES is seeking a talented Music Educator to join us on a long-term substitute basis, from February to May 2024. Sam Lafleur currently teaches full time music classes to enthusiastic students ranging from Pre-K to 4th grade. The long term position would assume such responsibilities.
Requirements:
- Music Education Degree
- Energetic and engaging teaching style
- Ability to inspire and connect with young minds
This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the musical journey of our students. If you're ready to bring your musical expertise to a vibrant learning environment, apply now to be a part of our Wise Owl team!
Next MRPS School Board Meeting
The MRPS Board of School Directors is meeting Wednesday, February 7, 2024 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