Day in the Dark

Day in the Dark


On Thursday, December 21st all first grade classes will have a “Day in the Dark” to reinforce learning about day and night, including solstice - the shortest day and longest night of the year! If you have anything at home that would light up in the dark we would appreciate it if you could send it to school. Here are some suggestions:


Flashlights
Headlamps
Lite Brites
Black Lights
Glow in the dark markers/paint
Lava Lamps
Glow Sticks
Glow in the dark stickers/beads
Disco Balls

We will return your items that day. Please label all items sent to school. If you have any questions, just let us know.

PBIS

In 2018 we are going to increase our communication with you about PBIS in our school. PBIS is an acronym for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. On their website, PBIS Vermont explains that….

Vermont Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (VTPBiS) is a state-wide effort designed to help school teams form a proactive, school-wide, systems approach to improving social and academic competence for all students. Schools in Vermont are engaged in using a formal system of positive behavioral supports in their schools. Involved schools who implement PBIS with fidelity and integrity see a dramatic decrease in the number of behavior problems experienced in their schools. Additionally, students in these schools enjoy greater levels of support and inclusion than those in comparative schools who do not use a system of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

Features of PBIS at UES are:
The development and teaching of behavioral expectations
Acknowledging students for meeting these expectations and for engaging in positive behaviors
Celebrations when goals are met to further acknowledge positive behaviors and to build school community
Procedures for responding to unexpected behaviors and to re-teach expected behaviors
Check In/Check Out system for students who need some extra support in meeting the behavioral expectations

In the past, we used C.A.R.E.S. (Cooperation, Assertive, Respect, Empathy and Safety) but we wanted to transition to something a bit more simple and kid friendly. We have shifted our school expectations and community building to:

Be Kind
Be Responsible
Be Safe

We are using those three guidelines to build our expectations in all areas of our school. When students demonstrate these expectations, they can earn gems which are collected to go towards earning classroom and schoolwide celebrations.

We already had one school wide celebration on October 31st; students earned a 30 minute vacation from class and had free time in their classrooms. On Wednesday December 20th, we will have our second celebration! We will have two showings, in our auditorium, of the Wallace and Gromit short film, A Grand Day Out. If for some reason you would prefer that your child not watch the movie, we will have an alternative activity for them. Please let your child’s teacher know before Wednesday if this is the case.

The UES PBIS Team

Police Station

Corporal Kniseley graciously toured us around the Montpelier Police Station this morning. Students learned about the holding cells, fingerprinting, locked entries, dispatch, the cruisers and so much more! We learned all about how police officers help our community and keep us safe. Police officers ensure that all people follow rules and help community members that have a hard time doing so. We heard from many children about the times their parents were pulled over for speeding after learning about how police can track how fast cars are traveling! Students loved hearing about how the police used to have a dog who helped them in the evenings - but he has since retired! INQUIRE with your child what they enjoyed at the police station! How do police officers help them, their families and their community?