GRAND AVENUE NEWSLETTER
November 2024
November is a time to be grateful and give thanks! There are many families in
our community that could use our help and would be very appreciative. The Grand
Avenue students and staff are going to hold our annual “Stuff the Turkey” food pantry
drive. As a way of giving back to the community, we will be collecting items for our
local food pantry. We are looking for non-perishable food and personal care items.
We will be collecting donations next week, November 11 through November
15, 2024. Donations can be dropped in the boxes near the giant Turkey outside of
the front office window in the hallway or with your student’s classroom teacher.
Possible donation ideas:
Personal care items: toilet paper, bar soap, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner
Needed food items: boxed/canned meals (hamburger helpers, ravioli, etc.),
canned fruit (specifically - peaches, pineapple, mandarin
oranges), pork-n-beans, cereal, pasta, tomato sauce, etc.
Other possible donations: canned vegetables, gravy, soups, pumpkin, stuffing,
pudding, crackers, rice, napkins, paper towels, paper plates,
spices, salad dressings
Thank you for any donations you are able to give! Please continue to give
thanks for all of your blessings, and here at Grand Avenue we all would like to thank
all of our supportive families and generous students. We are all in this together!
Grand Avenue continues to be full of amazing readers! So far this year, students have checked out 4,861 books, playaways and magazines! Please checkout the Elementary Libraries webpage for more access to books via Sora and Tumblebooks.
Once again, we are happy to share that our school libraries provide all SPSD students with a digital reading library via Sora that includes a wide selection of eBooks, audiobooks and read-alongs. Sora is accessible through the school webpage, saukprairieschoools.org, (under Important Links, Library Services) on the Elementary Libraries webpage and can be used on chromebooks, desktops and laptops, or on tablets and phones using the Sora app (download via Google Play or the App Store).
Once in Sora, search Sauk Prairie in the Wisconsin Schools Digital Library Consortium, select your school district, Sauk Prairie School District and then select Sign in using Sauk Prairie School District. The student will then login using their school email address and password (login with Google).
Sora allows students to read or listen to books that fit their personal reading interests. Choices include picture books, read-alongs, chapter books, informational non-fiction, audiobooks, graphic novels and magazines selected to engage our students and encourage reading at the level where they are most comfortable.
Third graders completed their unit on Being a Learner and have begun the Empathy unit. So far we have discussed the skill of being able to identify other’s feelings by looking at their facial expression, body language, and listening to their tone of voice. We also learned that sometimes we don’t know a person’s exact feeling, but we can tell what zone they might be in (blue, green, yellow or red). They were reminded that they can use their skill of self-talk to keep their feelings in control and stay in the green zone most of the time. Students have been practicing these skills as we talk about what it means to be a good friend during our classroom guidance lessons.
Students in 4th grade have been discussing empathy and how to respect others’ feelings, especially if they are different from their own. We also learned that feelings can be complex in many situations, meaning that we may have more than one feeling at a time, and they may even be conflicting because one is positive and one is negative. They were reminded that feelings are never wrong, but if they get out of control, they can cause a problem for themself or someone else. Students are also learning how to have empathy for themselves by making choices that positively affect their physical and mental health.
In our recorded 5th grade lessons, students have been applying their knowledge of empathy when predicting others’ feelings and perspectives. They were reminded that most of the time, others are not trying to cause a problem, and that no one’s feelings or perspectives are wrong. When two people have different feelings or perspectives, it might cause a problem, but it doesn’t have to. We also learned how to use our assertiveness skills in situations where someone is saying or doing something that is causing a problem, even if it is by accident, so we can fix it instead of making it bigger.
In our 5th grade classroom guidance lessons, we are learning about the internal states of calm, alert, alarm, fear, and terror. We are learning which area of the brain is in control of these internal states and how we can recognize the automatic signals our body gives us when we are in a potentially unsafe situation either physically, emotionally, socially or morally. We will also learn how those states and situations impact our overall functioning.
Miss Sadie
School Counselor
SPSD Future Student Form
The Sauk Prairie School District wants to make sure your child/family is included in mailing lists and communications once your child is old enough to register for 4K or Kindergarten classes. If you have a child who is age 5 or under and have not previously completed a SPSD Future Student Form, please complete one today! Use the link below to access the form or pick up a form at the SPSD District Office (440 13th Street, Prairie du Sac, WI). If you have any questions, please email the District Registrar or call 608-643-5984. Thank you!
Future SPSD Student Form - English
