What a fantastic week it has been! I am in awe of the work that you all do to meet the needs of ALL students. I am so impressed with not only the conversations that I have had over the week but the actions that I see. Our staff values fresh starts, equity, and community. I thank you for everything you are doing to make each student feel valued and respected.

Every child, every day--together as a Lincoln team!

Please prioritize NWEA reading first to get moving with our interventions and individual reading improvement plans (IRips- K-3). For all grades, please prioritize conducting F&P running records with those students who screen lower than 30% on NWEA reading.

Please put your testing times on the staff calendar!

If you must be away either because you are sick or you need to stay home with a sick kiddo please follow this protocol.

*text Lisa

*Enter your absence into Red Rover

*Please don't wait until the last minute to text; in fact, the earlier the better!

*Our returning staff members have several favorite building subs that love Lincoln School. Ask your teammates for their contact information so that you have their numbers in your unexpected time of need!

Please do not helpdesk, text, or call maintenance personnel. Let the office help you! Please email Mallory regarding your maintenance need, and a ticket will be submitted.

Thank you for taking the time to assign seating for the lunch room. If students are eating outside, they can sometimes forget which seat is their seat if they must return to the lunch room because of bad weather. On days we know that students will have to eat inside after having the privilege to eat outside, please take a moment to review the seating chart. I will print a copy and put in your mailboxes in case you would like to hang it up in your classroom.

Please use the passes that were provided when sending students to the office. This is important as we want to know that students have permission to leave class. Additionally, students are not always able to communicate what they need.

Thank you to our BEAR Team for putting "Class Paws" signs up at checkpoint areas. Please teach students to pause at these signs and regroup as a class. We have additional signs, looking a bit different, that will be placed on the floor but the message is the same--Pause, regroup, and look to your teacher.

Common expectations work will continue at our staff meeting this week on the 15th at 4:00.

As we think about the management of devices, we also need to consider cleaning and restarting devices after updates. Please have students shut down Chromebooks on Friday before plugging them into the cart. This will ensure that computers are restarted on Monday mornings with all updates complete.

Additionally, we would like students to clean the devices after shutting down and before plugging them into the cart. Microfiber cloths and spray bottles will be distributed so that students can do this quickly. Jo-Anne has graciously offered to fill bottles and distribute them to the classrooms. Please be sure to train your students on how to clean the devices properly. The following cleaning procedures have been recommended by Bryan Parsons.

Officially, we use and recommend 70% Isopropyl Alcohol (No Dilution), sprayed onto a microfiber cloth for general cleaning of laptops.

Arrival

Thank you for ALL of your assistance with arrival and dismissal. I appreciate your feedback and suggestions as we work to finalize our procedures. Our Y5 will not go to the playground in the morning while grades K - 5 can gather on the blacktop/playground area. It seems as if grades 3 - 5 are doing a great job entering the building and making their way to classrooms. K - 2 will continue to work towards that as teachers feel comfortable that students know where to go upon entering the building.

Dismissal

It seems that it is working better for teachers to take their own classes out at the end of the day. You may decide which door you exit your students through, but remember to ensure that students are supervised during dismissal. We have a lot of students running to bus lines without supervision. Please let families know your routines through your weekly communication and keep me informed so I can answer questions from families when I am on the playground before and after school.

Again, thank you for all you are doing to make this switch in procedures!

Remember our important staff information will be housed in Google Classroom. If you find items that you feel should be added, please let me know. We want this space to be efficient and useful for all of us!

As many of you probably know, all public schools are required to provide some type of educational program on the United States Constitution on Constitution Day. This year, Constitution Day falls on Saturday, September 17th. Because of this, Jo-Anne will provide a news segment regarding Constitution Day on the news this coming Friday. This will satisfy our requirements, but please know you are welcome to do anything additional that you have done in the past.

*Don't forget to let me know if you do not have a flag in your classroom. Remember, we are required to offer the Pledge of Allegiance each day.

This Week

9/12 NWEA Window Begins

9/14 Late Start

9/15 Staff Meeting, 4:00 in Media Center

9/16 Popcorn Friday and Bear Wear!

Coming Up...

9/19 Back to School Night!

1st & 2nd grade: 5:45 pm - 6:30 pm

3rd, 4th, & 5th: 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm

9/22 Picture Day!

Check out the RevTrak website. This will be used to purchase device insurance, donate for field trips, and for fundraisers. I believe it will expand as we go through the year. I have included this website to families through the family blog but it would help for you to be familiar with it and share it with families at BTSN.

Reminder about parties:

Fall Party--October 31

Winter Party--December 22

Kindness Party--February 14

This summer, the elementary principals and elementary social workers read the book Connection Over Compliance. An interesting behavior strategy introduced in the book is the 2 x 10 strategy. It is a simple strategy and one that is shown to improve behavior in not only the chosen student but in the whole class.

What is it?

2x10 is a simple preventative measure to help ensure the foundation of a positive relationship between the teacher and student. This strategy provides positive attention through encouragement, acknowledgment, and recognition of the student’s strengths. Building positive relationships can help to reduce disruptive behavior. By showing genuine interest and respect for the student, often that student will reciprocate by respecting classroom rules and showing more interest in learning.

When to use?

Use with students who tend to:

• engage in moderate disruptive behaviors
• engage in power struggles with teachers
• refuse to complete work or stay on task after multiple redirections
• are new to the school

Steps to Implement:

1. Determine a time of day when you can speak privately with the student without interruptions. (In the morning before school, during lunch, at the beginning/ending of class, before/after other students have arrived/left, during transitions.
2. Spend 1-2 uninterrupted, undivided minutes a day talking with the student about their life and interests with the sole purpose of building your relationship.
3. Discuss anything other than behavior or academics (Inquire about the student’s hobbies, extracurricular activities, or other subjects in which you know the student may have an interest or aptitude. Try to learn about or identify the student’s strengths. If the student will not answer your questions, offer information about yourself, refer to movies, sports, current events, etc. Offer genuine compliments, be careful to avoid making requests to improve behavior or critique work
4. If appropriate, share stories about yourself from when you were a student to help build a sense of connection.
5. Invest these 1-2 minutes daily for 10 consecutive days (2x10). The purpose of sharing these 2 minutes together is to provide uninterrupted time to interact positively with the student. The foundation of a positive relationship will emerge. Then, when you do redirect the student’s behavior or address academic concerns, s/he is more likely to be compliant or willing to follow the directions.

I am including an article below just for reference.

If you let me know who your chosen student is, I will be sure to use the 2 x 10 strategy with that student as well!

✔️Schedule and add your Fall NWEA times to the Lincoln Staff Calendar

✔️Sign your grade level up for a PTO Meeting

✔️Go through the elementary safety checklist (due 9/16)

✔️Complete your Safe Schools training by Sept. 30. See Megan Dongvillo's email for help or

reminders

✔️Understand Red Rover and get your favorite subs number from your teammates

✔️Read our Lincoln Family Blog so you are aware of what families are seeing from our school

✔️Send your Get to Know you forms in your communication to families if you have not already done so

✔️Try out the 2 x 10 strategy with a student that is needing you

Email: lknuth@sjschools.org
Website: www.sjschools.org
Location: 1102 Orchard Avenue, St. Joseph, MI, USA
Phone: 269.926.3700