SACATON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT № 18 District ~ Newsletter • A Monthly Publication for Parents & Families of Students in the Sacaton School District • February (Aupa Hiosik Mashath) 2016 GOVERNING BOARD President, Mrs. Elaine Moyah + Clerk, Ms. Michelle Lyons + Member, Ms. Judy Antone + Member, Mrs. Laurie Thomas + Member, Ms. Jane Johnson District Superintendent: Dr. Douglas E. Price Website: www.sacatonschools.org ====================================================================================================================================== § Family Reading Night § This year Family Reading Night will be held on Thursday, February 25 in the Elementary School Gymnasium starting with a Chili Bean/Cornbread Dinner at 5:30 pm. Don’t miss out on this fun, “hands-on” family reading/curriculum night for all grades, Pre-K – 8th. As always, there will be some great door prizes given away following the program. Watch for further details in fliers students will be bringing home! § “Superintendent’s Corner” § Dear Parents and Community Members, Family Math Night I would like to thank all of the parents and community members who attended our Family Math Night on January 21st. We had a great turnout of students, parents and community members that evening. We hope that you enjoyed the pizza and light refreshments offered to all who attended this family event at Sacaton Elementary School. Your interest in your children’s education is of the utmost importance to us, and it is very heartening to see so many parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles come to the school with their students. We all know that your interest in education will directly influence your students’ attitudes about the importance of their own education. We, too, appreciate the dedication of the school teachers and staff who gave of their time that night to be a part of this academic showcase here in the Sacaton Elementary School District. Thank you for your continued interest in our children’s lives and in their academic and social welfare. Home Liaisons/Truant Officers I would like to thank all those staff members who work hard every day to see that our students come to school. In particular, I would like to acknowledge our Home-School Liaisons/Truant Officers, Mr. Douglas Harris at the middle school and Mrs. Tonya Pedro-Molina at the elementary school. Each day they work with students and their parents in an effort to help get students to school. We know that students who attend school on a regular basis are better positioned to be successful in their academic work. To that end, Mrs. Pedro- Molina and Mr. Harris make home visitations, make telephone calls to parents and/or guardians, and connect via written correspondence with students and their parents when it appears students, for whatever reason, are struggling with regular school attendance. As a part of their jobs, the liaisons will make home visits to engage parents and their students to best ascertain the reasons for non-attendance and to help, in some cases, transport students to school who have excessive school absences. Our liaisons also work with the local courts, the school registrars, the school counselor, building and/or district administrators, and other local agencies in matters of student non-attendance/truancy. There are times when students miss the bus and parents will call in and ask for assistance from the school in getting their child to school. On numerous occasions our Home-School Liaisons have gone and picked up a student who otherwise would not have attended school. To cut back on any abuse of this privilege extended by the school district, the liaisons limit such requests to three transports per family because of the limited resources at their disposal. Most parents are very good at getting their students out to the pre-scheduled district bus stops making certain their child is getting on the bus in a timely fashion. There are some days, however, that students miss the bus (to no fault of their own) and request help from the school district in getting to school. That’s where, on occasion, our liaisons come into the picture, helping transport these children to school up to three (3) times per student. Continued on Back Side →→→→ § “Superintendent’s Corner” § Continued …. On any given day, District Liaisons work closely with the building administrators to ensure that our students come to school and deeply engage with their teachers and with the content of what those teachers teach. No two days are alike for our Home/School Liaisons, and for that and many other reasons, I’d like to say thank you to them both for their dedication to our students, the staff and to everyone in the Community in helping assure that students regularly attend school. I wish each and every one of you a Happy Valentine’s Day. May you be blessed with the love of all of your family and friends. Sincerely, Douglas Price Superintendent § Bus Change Procedures at the Elementary School § In an effort to make the Bus Change process more efficient and reduce the chance of any confusion between parents, students, and staff, the following Bus Change procedures were placed into effect on January 25. In addition, the Early Check-Out process has been redefined, as well. Please adhere to these procedures. There will be no variance in following these procedures except in true emergency situations. ▲Monday – Thursday: Bus Changes MUST be made by 1:00 P.M. ▲ Monday – Thursday Early Check-Outs: Should be made no later than 3:00 P.M. ▲ Friday: Bus Changes MUST be made by 11:00 A.M. ▲ Friday Early Check-Outs: Should be made no later than 1:00 P.M. ▲ In the event of a true emergency, exceptions to the above procedures will be determined by the Building Principal. Thank you for your cooperation. NOTE: Your child will NOT be pulled off the bus once they have boarded. This is for your child’s safety as well as the safety of other students § The Survey Says …. § Before and after the GALILEO Assessments in reading, writing and math were administered in December 2015, all students in grades 3 through 8th completed a survey regarding the test. Listed below are the results tabulated from the four survey questions asked and a professional educational response regarding each. RESULT: 32% of students expressed a bedtime of 10:00 pm or later during the week of testing RESPONSE: Being fully rested can impact student achievement. The more effort and energy your child puts into learning, the more likely it is that he/she will do well. RESULT: 36% of students stated that they were still hungry or did not get enough to eat (breakfast and/or lunch) RESPONSE: Research has shown that a healthy diet is important for good school performance. The District will conduct a student survey to better understand student perspectives regarding healthy student-preferred menus. RESULT: 59% of students were excited to take their GALILEO Benchmark Test RESPONSE: If your child worries too much about taking tests, you can help to reduce their anxiety by encouraging them to do their best. RESULT: 59% of students felt good about their performance after testing RESPONSE: Be proud of your child, build confidence, and let them know you are there to support them – no matter the result. § Developing a Mindset of Abundance § Since becoming Superintendent this past summer, Dr. Douglas Price has been encouraging District Administrators to begin embracing a mindset of thinking abundantly rather than from the learned mindset of scarcity. An abundance mindset allows one to become excited by all the possibilities rather than the limitations. This positive way of thinking can be a crucial aspect not only in how you live your life, but also in how you lead your life. In fact, obtaining a new belief in the abundance of things rather than their scarcity could completely change your life! This manner of thinking may actually change what you believe to be true to often making it actually come true. Is an abundance mindset just for educators. The answer is NO! This way of thinking is for everyone and could prove to be valuable in how you raise your children, assist them with school work, helping them develop college and career goals following high school, etc. When we have cultivated the correct positive mindset and empowering focus, it allows us to zoom out and see the overall bigger picture and our place in it ….or to see things from a new perspective and from a different point of view. What we need is a way to zoom out and to see the larger overall scheme of things and to be able to place our negative experiences into their proper perspective. In most cases there are many other options and many other opportunities or ways of achieving our goals in life. We just need to stick at it and adopt a supportive behavior pattern that enables us to carry on in the face of adversity. All that is required is an ability to see things in perspective by having the ability to view things from new angles and to see things as they truly are, not colored by any sense of lack. Or stated another way, when confronted by an issue, rather than saying, “I can’t do this because …….,” it would be much better to say, “HOW can I do this” to get the situation resolved. So, are you ready to start having a mindset of thinking abundantly? Let’s hope so! § “A Moment in Time in O’odham History” § In this month’s “A Moment in Time in O’odham History” column, we look at the arrival of the Overland Stage Lines through the Pima villages. The Gadsden Purchase initiated increased traffic through the Pima villages as emigrants from the east set out for California.