| Attendance Line Number - 490-3062 | December 10, 2004 |
 |
|
|
|
Shepardson's Home Page: http://schoolweb.psdschools.org/she/ |
|
|
|
| In this issue... |
| Table of contents | Index to Shepardson Report Newsletters | Shepardson Home Page |
| Attendance Line Number - 490-3062 | December 10, 2004 |
|
|
|
|
Shepardson's Home Page: http://schoolweb.psdschools.org/she/ |
|
|
|
| In this issue... |
|
|
|
Congratulations to sixth grade teacher, Sandy Winters! She was married over Thanksgiving to Bruce Shibles. Please help me wish Mrs. Shibles our very best!
Last week, Shepardson and Fort Collins High School entered into a partnership for volunteer purposes with Timberline Church, which is located just north of the high school on Timberline. You may wonder how this relationship can happen with the clear separation of church and state. Recent federal guidelines have been developed for schools to access the volunteer interest of members in a congregation for the sole purpose of providing support in multiple ways to a neighboring school community. Last weekend this opportunity was announced at the services in order to identify interested members. While there, I was able to answer questions and give ideas of how this system may work. Many of our current parents who are active Shepardson volunteers were there to share their enthusiasm for this partnership. I was impressed with the number of adults who were interested in offering their time to help our students reach their educational goals.
For more information see this website: www.psdschools.org/fcvp
There will be a meeting in January with these interested adults explaining what the "rules" are as well as determining various ways a match of interests can be made. These adults ranged from retired teachers and grandparents, business persons and college students, each with unique interests. Unlike parents, most adults in our community do not have easy access to share their talents, time and caring easily for the children in our schools. They were excited with the idea of serving schools and the students in a special way that will assist in the learning process. This particular church is large, very active and values giving back to the community. It is truly exciting to have more human resources to assist us at Shepardson in meeting the diverse needs of our learners. Please let me know if you have questions.
On behalf of the Shepardson staff, we wish you a wonderful holiday season with joy and relaxation with your friends and family!
| - | Mary Kay Sommers |
| email: msommers@psd.k12.co.us |
|
|
|
| CALENDAR | December 10, 2004 |
| DECEMBER 2004 | JANUARY 2005 | ||||
| 16 | Thu | Choir sings at the mall - 11:00 am | 5 | Wed | School Resumes |
| 21 | Tue | School Spirit Day: Holiday Colors (Red, Green, Blue), Santa Hats All school sing with choir - 1:00 pm Winter Parties - 2:00 pm End of Quarter |
6-12 | Thu-Wed | Parents call to arrange conferences |
| 6 | Thu | SIT - 4:00 - 6:00 | |||
| 7 | Fri | National Geography Bee 1:30-3:00 - Gym | |||
| 10 | Mon | Report Cards distributed this week | |||
| 12/22-1/4 | Wed-Tue | Winter Break - NO SCHOOL | 11 | Tue | PTO Meeting 7:00 pm |
|
|
|
Congratulations, Shepardson Students!
For the 4th consecutive year (in as many years), Shepardson has received an Excellence rating and the John Irwin School of Excellence Award from the state of Colorado! We are very pleased that our students have successfully performed at the high levels that we observe during regular classroom instruction. The state will be sending us their official School Accountability Report to send home to parents. Look for this summary of specific information that is used for this rating process. We also have our own Shepardson Annual Report that is nearly ready to be available to parents in print or on the school website. This report is inclusive of various accomplishments, summaries of last year's goals, description of this year's goals as well as a comprehensive summary of a variety of testing data. Call the office if you would like to have your own printed copy.
Recently, Shepardson was also formally "fully accredited" by Poudre School District. A team of trained examiners reviewed our annual report and testing data to determine our status of accreditation. We again are pleased to be recognized at the highest level of performance as a school.
Congratulations are most importantly due to the students who are the major performers but are also due to the dedicated staff as well as our supportive and involved parents! The energy of this entire team focused on helping each child achieve his/her personal best is indeed our goal and expectation. "Working together we can (and do) reach for the stars!" Thanks to everyone for helping Shepardson be successful!
|
|
|
The Association of Classified Employees recognized two of our paras with the Exceptional Performance Award for the month of October 2004. Both Linda and Kathy work with 3rd and 4th grade students, most often making accommodations for students with special needs. They have worked at Shepardson from 7 - 9 years. We are so proud of them for receiving this well deserved award. Congratulations, Kathy and Linda! |
|
|
|
Academic conferences will happen in mid-January to discuss with parents your child's progress thus far. The semester ends on December 21st. Shepardson was commended for having 99% attendance rate at our conferences, a visible sign of how committed our parents are in supporting their children's education! Please make note of the dates below to ensure your availability to attend this very important conference with your childrens' teachers:
| Jan. 5 | Notices of prescheduled conferences are sent home. (These are for conferences that involve more staff members/translators and/or families with 3 or more children.) | |
| Jan. 6-12 | Parents call school to arrange their conference time. | |
| Jan. 10 | Report cards go home | |
| Jan. 14 | Confirmation of your conference time is sent home. (Parents who did not contact school will be assigned a time.) | |
| Jan. 18-20 | Actual conferences (3:30 - 8:00 p.m.) School is still in session. Other times will need to be arranged to visit with all parents. |
|
|
|
Parents will receive the latest updated books regarding the Code of Conduct rules, regulations and expectations as defined by state law. A Spanish version will be sent home to families as soon as they are received. If your child chooses a behavior that violates the Code of Conduct, either the principal or counselor will be in contact with parents. We appreciate your support as we help children learn the basic expectations related to respectful behavior and creating a safe environment for learning. We have very few children who need more than one conversation; your support is a critical factor in helping children learn more appropriate ways of responding. If you have questions, please contact Mary Kay Sommers or Rea Kreider.
|
|
|
Continuing our yearlong focus on the six traits, December's focus is on "conventions". Writing conventions include spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and paragraphing. The writer should use conventions to enhance the readability of the paper. Spelling should be correct on all words. Punctuation should be smooth and guide the reader through the paper. Capitalization should be used correctly. Paragraphing should reinforce organization. Minor errors do not impede meaning and may be the result of risk taking. Of course, there are different expectations at each grade level, as writers develop at different stages. Strong conventions are the result of carefully editing.
Here are some hints to help your child with proofreading skills:
Margie Bucher, our media specialist, has a list of books that can be used to illustrate this trait, although almost any book can be used. Check with her if you're interested in reading one at home. Try looking for paragraphing or specific punctuation with your child. Help your child edit a piece of informal writing from school. Finally, watch our writing bulletin board for examples of student work from each class that exemplifies this trait. We appreciate your help in our efforts to make each and every child a successful writer!
|
|
|
It's FESTIVAL OF THE TREES time at Shepardson Elementary. Slip into the media center and sample our celebration of books, children, and holidays. Various classes selected a holiday book and transformed a tree into a wonderful retelling of the story with their decorations. Beginning Monday, December 13th, a silent auction-bidding sheet will be placed beside each of the trees. Interested buyers may register for their bid number with Mary Gamble at the media center's circulation desk. Bidding by number is a must because last year's auction of the trees at Shepardson was like the final minutes of bidding on e-bay! Number bidding keeps it silent and secret. We are also asking that students who want to bid should have a note from a parent granting permission for the student to participate in the auction. The bidding will end at noon on Friday, December 17th. Successful bidders will be notified by phone of their purchase. The trees can be picked up anytime on Friday afternoon, Monday, the 20th or Tuesday the 21st. The catalog for this second Festival of the Trees includes:
The proceeds from the trees buy next year's trees. Last year the remaining money purchased thirty-two chairs for the media center. In other years, the remaining money has been used to purchase additional holiday books. For a delightful, feel-good-all-over experience, come to Shepardson and see the creative ways that children have chosen to share their holiday stories. |
|
|
|
Part of our mission statement at Shepardson clearly states that it is our responsibility as a staff "to search for more efficient and enjoyable methods of improving the quality of student learning." We know that when students are actively engaged in the learning process, they will be more efficient learners and be more successful in retaining these skills.
In early October, Rea Kreider, Margo Miller and Sarah Harkins attended a two-day conference sponsored by the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented students. This annual conference in Denver allowed this team to attend various sessions and bring back new ideas for what we can do to help ensure that our higher achievers are being challenged. They have already shared some strategies and concepts with the team!
This week a team of 7 staff members attended a training program on ways to differentiate learning as well as a review of the recent brain research that affects the learning process. Bruce Campbell is a national speaker who specializes in research-based techniques to help all children achieve success regardless of skill level, learning style or readiness. The team will share techniques with their colleagues as expenses were paid from school funds. We hope that some of our volunteers can assist us in the development and implementation of these ideas. We were amazed at what all we remembered the next day by learning ourselves through these processes. Attending this training included Anita Martinez, Amy May Teague, Gayle Eberhardt, June Holmstrom, Jan Hoffman, Diann Schooler, and Mary Kay Sommers.
Today Rea Kreider attended a Mental Health Professional Development Day sponsored by the district. Their keynote speaker is Jep Enck and they will have the opportunity to learn more about 504 plans, Meth Use, Intervention Ideas for At-Risk Students, Creative Counseling Techniques, 7th Grade Transition, Mental Health Issues, Alternative Approaches in Child Psychiatry and Children and Divorce. Rea will return with new knowledge and skills to share with the team and use in his position to help us better "Educate Every Child Every Day!"
|
|
|
The SIT committee last met 11/18/04 at 4 p.m. The minutes from the prior meeting were approved unanimously. The December meeting is canceled due to a short agenda. The next meeting will be held on Jan. 6, 2005. The committee wishes the best of luck to the Green family while they are in Switzerland and many thanks to Cathy Hager for becoming a member in Lorna's absence.
The District Advisory Board is working on the 2005-2006 PSD budget. The next meeting will be an open forum with Northern Colorado Legislators on Dec. 16th. PTO reports the direct donation forms were well received and will be continued with future fundraisers. The Gingerbread Social is coming up in December.
The Annual Report for the district to accredit Shepardson is completed. Parent versions are still in process and will be available on-line and in printed formats upon request. The safety of the school appears to meet expectations, AYP exceeds expectations in all subgroups and in both reading and math, attendance is higher than 95% and we significantly exceeded the goal of having 25% of students no longer needing to be on an Individualized Learning Plan by 55%.
The 6th grade tour guides did a remarkable job with the community members touring Shepardson. Approximately 15 people have already toured Shepardson and more are expected in Feb. and March.
The 6th grade Pingree Park trip was a success and received great reviews. Thanks to PTO for the $2000 donation for this event. Upcoming environmental projects will train 6th grade students as energy "police" who are able to "write tickets" to those found wasting energy and give commendations for classes and individuals for being conservative.
The student drop off process in the parking lot is changing again. The discussion about the remodeling project has begun and there will be a meeting with the Architect in a few weeks. A new gym or a new cafeteria is expected to come out of this remodel with construction expected to start this summer!
The next SIT meeting will be held on Jan. 6, 2005 at 4:00 pm.
|
|
|
Please share this free statewide homework hotline resource with your teachers and students, courtesy of Denver Public Schools. Local (Denver) and toll-free access provided. Available in English and Spanish. For contact information, visit http://www.co-case.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=236
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back to table of contents | Back to Top | Index to Shepardson Report Newsletters |
