South Davis Shines

Hello South Davis Families.

After a recent encounter with a colleague, I was reminded of a saying that Mrs. Dolce has taped to our refrigerator at home: Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be Kind. Always.

This sentiment is consistent with our school "rule" - Treat others the way you want to be treated, with kindness and respect. It also connect with one of the norms we practice here: presume positive intentions.

All three phrases put us in a more empathetic mindset, one where we are open to other perspectives, ideas, and expectations. It takes the focus off of ourselves, and puts it on others. And it helps soften our approach to those with whom we interact, creating opportunities for greater connections and genuine community-building.

We're all in this together! Have a great week!

Mr. Dolce

#WeAreSouthDavis

September 22-27 - Homecoming Spirit Week

Saturday, September 27 - Homecoming Parade and Carnival 👇 All are welcome!

Wednesday, October 8 - Bike to School Day!!! More details coming.

Thank you for making the Relocation Drill a success. Staff and students were able to practice our procedures for this kind of situation, and hopefully families took advantage of the drill to review pickup expectations, and to make alternative arrangements when dismissal is significantly altered.

We will have one or two evacuation drills in the coming seven days, weather dependent. Please contact the office if you have any questions.

It's extremely important that parents not let students out of vehicles until a staff member comes out to the front sidewalk. While there may be some students at the front of the building, that is not a signal to drop your children and leave. And if your child is walking or otherwise getting to school on his own, they should plan their arrival closer to 9:00. It is unsafe to have them here earlier, as we don't have supervision outside before 9:00.

Please remember that the speed limit on South Davis Street is 15 MPH during the school day (7:00 a.m-6:00 p.m.). Continue to use your signal to indicate if you are pulling to curb or looking to enter the traffic pattern.

On Thursday afternoon, all staff were engaged in meaningful learning opportunities focused on strengthening our use of research-based instructional practices. Thank you to Mrs. Schurr, Mrs. Kanutsu, Mrs. Wright, Mr. Sepe, Mrs. Connors, and Mrs. Kirsch for sharing their knowledge and experience with colleagues. Topics included Teacher Clarity, Literacy Assessments, and Vocabulary Instruction.

We will continue to dedicate time each week to identify opportunities to support students and design targeted interventions to meet those specific needs.

A simple way to support the PTO and the entire South Davis program 👇

Here are some resources from Erie 1 BOCES for parents, to help support your child's mental health and to nurture a positive family experience.

Supporting your child's mental health at home

A printable version is attached.

Active Parenting Classes for K-5:

• Fall Dates: Thursdays - Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
• Winter/Spring Dates: Thursdays - Feb 26, March 5, 12, 19, 26
• Both sessions classes will run 5:30-7:00

Other groups/topics at the Family Solution Center:

• Plans to run parenting groups for 0-4/pre-k and teens (as offered last year)
• Co-parent group will run 1x/month
• Topic specific/1 x --TBD
• Parent Information Series topics - gambling, body image, vaping

See the attached flyer for all of the details.

Here's the latest Learning and Engagement newsletter from Buffalo | Toronto Public Media. Lots of great resources for the whole family, as well as free events. Check it out.