Brignac's Brightest: Weekly Update: 10/1-10/4

Things to Know:

CONFERENCE SIGN-UPS: Conferences begin on Thursday! If you haven't already, please sign up at www.signupgenius.com. I look forward to meeting with you!

WALK TO SCHOOL DAY: On Wednesday, October 10th, join us for International Walk to School Day! Join students, families, school leaders, community partners and mayors around the country to celebrate the benefits of walking to school!

SNACKS: This is just a friendly reminder that, due to known peanut allergies in our classroom, please refrain from sending snacks that contain peanuts, treenuts, or any peanut butter. Thank you for your support in keeping Somerset a safe space for all students!

FALL HARVEST FUN:

PICTURE RETAKES: Picture retakes will be on this Thursday, October 11th. If you are interested in having your child's picture retaken, please notify me via call or e-mail. Thanks!

READ-A-THON: Our read-a-thon is now in full swing! It will continue all through the month of October. Thank you for continuing to record your child's minutes at home! Our class has set a goal of 11,000 minutes during school for the month. We can do it!

SPELLING: We will begin taking spelling tests in late October. To get ready, students will be taking a practice test to get accustomed to the routine. In your child's Friday Folder, you'll see a list of words. This is an example list that will be used on a practice test. The list is copied onto a practice sheet that is OPTIONAL (I will NOT be collecting the spelling lists.) We will be learning phonics patterns in a systematic way that will help students progress as both writers and readers. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

TOY REMINDER: This is just a friendly reminder that all toys should be kept at home unless it is a single, small "talking piece." It is always so tempting for students to bring trinkets and toys, however they can easily turn into a distraction for your child and others around. Thank you for your understanding! This brings me to....

RULES UPDATE: Thank you SO much for reviewing our classroom rules with your child at home over the past few weeks. We had another amazing week, and I attribute that to not only great kids and a great school, but also to the support you give each and every day at home.

Over the course of September, we reviewed our classroom rules and how they can make our classroom a safe and productive place to learn. We read many stories that helped us understand what can happen if rules are not followed and how important kindness is to our classroom family. We learned that we must care for each other and our school. We also learned that hearts, just like other material things, can be broken, too! This lead us into our discussion about consequences:

Ask your child about the "wrinkled heart" pictured above!

"Before you speak, think and be smart. It is hard to fix a wrinkled heart."

While we all pledge to make good choices and to follow our classroom promise, we understand that everyone makes mistakes from time to time. We discussed what happens when rules are broken. Here are the descriptions of the consequences for breaking a rule:

1. You break it, you fix it: If a student breaks or damages something on purpose (accidents need not apply), he or she must work to fix it. This refers to many things: whether it be a classroom tool, dropping something on the floor, or even hurt feelings (hearts can be broken, too!), students must work to fix their mistake. If it is something that cannot be fixed (such as a snapped pencil), students will be asked to replace that item.

2. Take a break: There are several areas around our classroom in which students may be asked to take a quick time-out. This time out (called "take a break") is a quiet reflective time that must not exceed three minutes. During this time, students remove themselves from the area, reset their brains, and reflect on how they plan on fixing the mistake when they return. Breaks are not considered good nor bad; they simply are regarded as time to "refocus." We all need this...even adults!

3. Loss of privilege: Another consequence that a student may face is a loss of privilege. This is meant to be a logical consequence for behavior- not a "punishment." The privileges that may be lost will always be tied to student behavior. For example- if a student makes a poor choice during a game, the student may be asked to sit out for the remainder of the time. If a student mishandles a classroom tool on purpose, the student will lose the tool for the remainder of the day/week.

Again, thank you for your support in making our classroom a wonderful place for learning!