October Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 3 MISSION 2014 Serving Lifelong Learners
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October Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 3 MISSION 2014 Serving Lifelong Learners Director’s Comments Inside this issue: Page 2 – Stability Balls in the Classroom Page 3 – Ants, Ants, and More Ants! ESA 5….When you hear this I am sure you can come up with Page 3 – Fuel Up To Play 60 Funding R word, what do you think of? many other words that originate Opportunities In the last issue, we provided you from the letters of your RESA 5 Page 3— Phonological Awareness Screener for Intervention with some information on the vari- and they would all be appropriate Page 4 – Downtown Block Party ous services we offer. I would and serve with some degree of sig- Page 5— ALICE Instructor challenge you to think of words nificance, depending on your per- Development for Active that begin with each of our letters spective. Please remember we are Shooter Response this time and how they relate to here to support you and your stu- Page 7— CPI’s Nonviolent Crisis your day to day experiences and dents. If you have thought of a Intervention way we might be of assistance, Page 7— Wood County MIS opportunities. Technology Contacts Training RESA 5 is just a phone call or an Page 8— Hit the Ground Running email away. R—Rigor, Relevance, Relation- Adult Classes Page 8— Support for Personalized ships, Reading, Rewarding, Room, When it is all “said and done,” our Learning etc. communities will be the ones that Page 9— Ohio Partnership Project Benefits ETC Drinking Water benefit the most, and we will be E—Education, Empathy, Energy, Training the catalyst to our mission Page 10— Rigor & Relevance Excitement, etc. statement of “serving lifelong Workshop learners.” Page 10— RESA 5 Contact Information S—Support, Satisfaction, Synergy, and Legislators Sunshine, Service, etc. The RESA 5 Calendar A—Attitude, Awesome, Amazing, Joseph R. Oliverio can be found at: Accepting, etc. Executive Director http://resa5.k12.wv.us 5 —The number of fingers on one hand that allow us to shape and Send any news articles you “shake” the world and its people. would like included in future issues of the newsletter to: [email protected] 1 Stability Balls in the students with attention challeng- her students love using the balls es such as Attention Deficit so they are exceptionally good Classroom Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) about following the rules. The tended to have improved focus balls are becoming more popular For the past five years Trudy when using stability balls instead with other teachers and are now Humphreys, a second grade of chairs. Fidgeting can help being used in art and music teacher at Henry J. Kaiser (HJK) children with ADHD and just a classes as well as some preschool Elementary School in Ravens- little movement on the balls can classes at HJK. Select teachers at wood has been using stability help them expend that excess both Ripley and Cottageville balls instead of traditional class- energy. The study also revealed Elementary Schools are also room chairs with her students. that students exhibited improve- testing them in their classrooms. The balls, which are usually ments in behavior and language However, Trudy mentioned one associated with physical educa- skills when using balls as com- obstacle that needed to be ad- tion and exercise classes seem to pared to chairs. A second article dressed was the problem the be gaining popularity with in a 2010 issue of Education World balls created for cleaning staff as classroom teachers across the found that teachers across the the balls drifted across the floor. nation who swapped out chairs That was easily remedied by for stability balls have noticed placing the balls on a Frisbee positive changes in students’ ring on top of the desk at the end posture, enthusiasm for reading of each day; the ring holds the and other deskwork as well as ball in place leaving the floor general attention span. space open for cleaning. Trudy Humphreys has certainly In response to the popularity of the noticed these and other improve- stability balls and other initiatives to state and the nation due to their ments with her own students increase opportunities for students ability to help stimulate learning, over the years. Trudy began by to be active throughout the school day, RESA 5 has purchased a limited reduce classroom noise and borrowing just a few balls from a quantity of stability balls that increase student attentiveness. physical education teacher and schools can pilot test for use with invited some students who were their students. If your school or When students sit on the balls, experiencing behavioral issues to classroom is interested in this opportunity, please contact: not only is their core engaged try them. She found that her but both sides of their brain are students were more calm, fo- Gina Wood also engaged in keeping their cused and receptive to learning Regional School Wellness Specialist bodies balanced on the balls; and than when they used conven- Phone: 304-485-6513 x 1315 Email: [email protected] when the brain is stimulated it’s tional classroom chairs. Trudy more focused on learning. Not Source: Adapted from RESA 2, Spring has steadily increased the num- 2014 newsletter. only is the brain more receptive ber of balls in her classroom and to learning and processing new now provides them for all stu- information, young minds are dents. She employs three simple also better able to concentrate on rules when it comes to using the tests, note-taking, class discus- balls and her students know she sions and other aspects of class- will enforce them by revoking room learning. ball privileges for those that don’t observe the rules. “1) Feet A study published in the October on the floor at all times; 2) Bums 2003 issue of the Journal of Occu- do not leave the balls; and 3) pational Therapy found that small bounces only”. Trudy says 2 Ants, Ants, and More Ants! Fuel Up To Play 60: 2014-2015 Funding Opportunities If you walk through Ripley Looking for funding opportunities to improve the Elementary School (RES) on any healthy eating and physical activity options in your given day, you will be accosted with school? You’ve come to the right place! ants! But don’t worry, no extermina- tor calls are needed! RES is a PBIS Up to $4,000 per year is available to qualifying K-12 pilot school and they chose to create their school- schools enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60 to kick start wide expectations around that social and hard- healthy changes. To qualify for the competitive, working insect….the ant. nationwide funding program, your school must participate in the National School Lunch Program and have a registered Program Advisor. Ripley Elementary celebrates students who, like the ant, work hard to be: The final deadline for this school year is: Wednes- day, November 5, 2014 A --Accountable To get started, you will choose one Healthy Eating Play and one Physical Activity Play from the 2014-2015 Playbook. N —Noble The School Wellness Investigation will help you determine the Plays that work best for your school! Learn more by visiting: T —a Teammate http://school.fueluptoplay60.com/funds/introduction.php Phonological Awareness Screener for Intervention RES is also a Covey School so the staff spent time correlating their PBIS expectations to Covey’s 7 Educators from Wood County Schools gathered at Habits. There are plans to paint an anthill mural in RESA 5 on September 17 to learn about the Phono- logical Awareness Screener for Intervention (PASI). the hallway that will feature the names of students This session was facilitated by Tisha Wall as they are recognized for positive behaviors. They (Technical Assistance Support Specialist). The PASI feel it will be a great building-wide reminder to is utilized to pinpoint specific skill deficits and students to be good citizens. guide teachers’ grouping of students for focused intervention based on the screener results. As they worked through the session, they reviewed research that supports the need for phonological awareness instruction, studied the phonological awareness components in the Next Generation Standards, were trained on administering the PASI screener and worked on a plan of implementation for their schools. 3 The Downtown Block Party offered blocks of parking spaces filled with interactive fun. Each block had a theme that promoted a healthy activity for children and families participate in. Block Park It and … Activity 800 Learn Walk through the historic district or go on a scavenger hunt 700 Party Leave your masterpiece in chalk on Market Street or learn to knit 600 Move Test your safety knowledge at the Bike Rodeo or relax with yoga 500 Bark Play with your furry friends or join the WVU “Tail Gate” Party All Play Play larger than life games everywhere or go geocaching RESA 5 and Wood County Schools sponsored FootPower - a Bike Rodeo and Safety Fair - at the Downtown Block Party 2014 to teach children safe biking skills. Helmets were checked for proper fit by The Arc of the Mid-Ohio Valley. Eighty (80) children and 5 adults received free helmets. The Parkersburg Bicycle Shop performed safety checks on the bicycles. There were 9 stations teaching children and parents safe biking skills when cycling on the road. Stations taught a specific skill or technique that relates to accidents that cyclists face such as entering the street from a driveway, crossing busy intersections or being aware of road hazards. Station volunteers were Choices, RESA 5’s Adolescent Health Initiative, Waverly Volunteer Fire Company and WVU-P Nursing Students. Westbrook Health Services demonstrated the importance of wearing a helmet and other safety issues when riding a bicycle.