How can it be early October? It seems just last week we started school! We all know the saying, "Time flies when you are having fun," and that is especially true right now. While students and staff alike have made adjustments to a more normal school-year, by and large it has been a productive and positive start to the school year that now finds us almost at the end of 1st quarter (10/15).
Fall is definitely my favorite time of year. I love the cooler temperatures, the changing colors, pumpkin spice everything...Seriously though, fall is a great time for our students to focus on falling in love with learning. Read below to learn more about what we are focused on instructionally and how you can partner with us to support your student academically.
FOCUS: Helping our students focus on their purpose for attending school and setting academic &/or behavioral goals.
This is a time to help students identify and clarify their purpose for being at school-to learn, to grow, to build their futures, to leave a legacy. Challenges of the pandemic and hybrid learning may have clouded that purpose for some of our students and we can all take some time this month to help them focus on being scholars first. The Oxford Language Dictionary defines scholarship as, "academic study or achievement; learning of a high level." You may ask your student to consider who they are as learners, scholars. What are their academic goals? Where are they struggling? Students need to see themselves as scholars and know that the adults in their world see them that way as well. As you may have guessed, getting back into the swing of school everyday and post-pandemic rigor has caused some students to doubt their abilities, to struggle with learning loss, etc. This makes it especially important that we are speaking confidence into our kids, holding them accountable for the scholarship, and supporting them to meet high standards of learning. Focusing on building this sense of efficacy in our students can also help limit the distractions of things like social media.
LITERACY: Supporting your student to grow in reading and writing skills
We are focused on creating and establishing a culture of literacy at Truman. Again, from Oxford Language dictionary, literacy is defined as the ability to read and write; competence or knowledge in a specific area. One way we are doing this as a building is having Lunch and Literacy time everyday except Weds and Thurs. Students are expected to have something to read for 25 minutes during 5th block. Teachers are modeling this practice by reading with their students. It stands to reason, but research also clearly indicates that students who are stronger readers experience greater success in high school and after high school. So, take note of what your student is reading, ask them about Lunch and Literacy. Maybe even set some time aside to just read quietly as a family in the evenings and on the weekends. More practice reading will help students improve their reading endurance, fluency, and comprehension, all traits of strong, skillful readers.
VOCABULARY: Increasing the number of words our students know & can use.
One of the most effective ways to help students grow as readers is with intentional and intensive vocabulary instruction. This is also a focus for not only Truman, but the entire district K-12. Ask your students about vocabulary lessons, templates, and activities. Do they feel like they are learning a lot of new words? Ask them to teach you a word they have learned today/this week, etc. In addition to vocabulary lists in their classrooms, we will also have a Word of the Week every two weeks. The word until Oct. 15th is "Anticipate." The Building Word of the Week list for entire year is listed below. You can print, put on the fridge, use the words at home, talk about how these words show up in your work lives, personal lives, and notice when you see/hear the word as a family.
Word List: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yTeViFEoFk_rSPCt-Z2ZHlQjFZoZ6PpTfeKnxfF4EJA/edit?usp=sharing
PATRIOT PRIDE: Teaching & positively reinforcing the behaviors we want to see
Finally, a word about our Patriot PRIDE Matrix and creating a culture of respect. I'm sure you've all heard about various TikTok challenges recently, and perhaps you've heard about higher numbers of discipline incidents. PRIDE represents the character traits we would like to see of all Patriots: Personal Responsibility, Respect, Integrity, Drive, and Empathy. Teachers are able to reinforce these positive behaviors by "catching students doing good," and give them a PAT on the back via email. All students have an account on the PBIS Rewards website and can login and see how many PATS they have, who has sent them, and why. We are working on adding the parent piece next semester. You can help your student and their teachers by reviewing this matrix and setting your expectations for behavior and conduct at school.
The PRIDE Matrix is linked here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19fr5sUer8teqzu-pTO1CxJ6rdaAyOPLnzGxNmRswi2c/edit
