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Wednesday,January25DanceDemonstration6–8pmAtDestinyCharterMiddleSchool1301E34thSt,Tacoma,WA98404Tuesday,February7ParentAdvisoryCouncil6pmWednesday,February15Mid-YearAwards9–9:45am(Kindergarten)10–10:45am(1stGrade)11–11:45am(2ndGrade)Moreinfowillbecoming!Monday,February20NoClassesPresident’sDaySCHOOLHOURS:Monday–Friday8:15amStartDoorsopenat8am
Mon.,Tues,Thurs.,Fri.3:30pmDismissal
Wednesday1:30pmEarlyDismissalSCHOOLINFO:[email protected]
January2017
IMPORTANTDATES
DearSOARFamily,ItiswithgreatpridethatIannounceSOARAcademy’sDancedemonstration.TheeventwilltakeplaceonJanuary25th,2017atDestinyCharterMiddleSchool(1301E.34thSt.,Tacoma98404)from6pm-8pm.YouwillhavetheopportunitytoseeeverythingMs.Errickaandourscholarshavebeenworkingonduringdanceclass.Weareexcitedtoshareourdancemoveswithallofyou!Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutthedemonstrationorrequiredattired,pleasecontactMs.Errickaateturner@soaracademies.org.WewanttomakeallSOARFamiliesawarethatthereisastomachviruswarningforTacoma/PierceCounty.ThevirusiscalledNorovirusandthesymptomsdisplayedarenausea,vomiting,waterydiarrheaandstomachcramps.AlthoughtheNorovirusisnon-life-threatening,itisverycontagiousandthereforeweareaskingthatanyfamilieswhoarecurrentlyexperiencingthesymptomslistedabovekeeptheirscholarsathome.SOARAcademyunderstandstheimportanceofacademicsand,therefore,reachouttousandwewillsendhomeworkandactivitieshome.Aswemoveforwardintheschoolyear,IwanttocontinueencouragingparentinvolvementatSOARAcademy.WearealwayslookingforvolunteerstohelpthroughoutthedayatSOARAcademy.ContactMs.MimiJansenatmjansen@soaracademies.orgforacompletelistofallavailablevolunteeropportunities.Parentsarealwaysencouragedtovisittheclassroomsandobserveacademicsinaction;callthemainofficeat253-444-6759tosetupanappointmentforaclassroomvisit.Withloveandrespect,Ms.LizSanchez(206)300-7781
MessageFromTheSchoolDirector
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It’shardtogetupinthemorningwhenit’sstilldarkout,butthedaysarefinallygettingshorterandthesunisrisingearlier.Youandyourchildrenarelikelystillgettingupbeforethesunthesedaysandkidsaresleepy.Overcastdaysdon’tmakethingsanyeasierandstudentsarestrugglingtostayawakeduringtheschoolday.Thebestwaytohelpyourchildremainawakeandalertduringclassistohelpthemhavepositivesleeproutines.AccordingtoapollbytheNationalSleepFoundation,themajorityofAmericanchildrendonotgetenoughsleep!AccordingtotheAmericanAcademyofPediatrics,schoolagechildrenages5-12needfrom10-13hoursofsleep!Considerthetimeyourchildneedstogetupinordertobeatdaycareorschoolontimeandhowlongittakesthemtotypicallyfallasleepatnight,theymayneedanearlierbedtime!Ifyourchildhasahardtimefallingasleepatnightitmayberelatedtolackofroutine,eveningscreentime,lackofactivityduringtheday,orevengettingtobedtoolate.Havingaregularbedtimeroutinemeansgoingtobedataconsistenttimeandprecededbyconsistentactivities.Foryoungchildrenasimpleroutinemayinclude“Brush,Book,Bear,Bed.”Brushingteeth,readingastoryortwo,andthengettingtuckedinwiththeirfavoritestuffedanimalorblanket.Keeptheroutinesimpleandconsistentsothatevenifchildrensleepatdifferenthomesduringtheweek,theycanstillhavethesamenightlyroutine.You’vehearditbefore,butwatchingTV,playingcomputer/videogames,usingphones/tablets,andusingotherelectronicsbeforebedcanmakeitmoredifficulttofallasleep.AccordingtotheNationalSleepFoundation,thebluelightfromthesescreensisinterpretedasdaylightbyyourbrain,triggeringan“awake”moderatherthanpreparingyourbodyforsleep.Spendthe30minutespriortobedtimefocusedonsomethingothercanscreentimeforaweekandyoumaybesurprisedhowmuchmoreeasilyyouandyourchildrenareabletofallasleep.
We’vetalkedaboutitbeforeandyouheariteverywhere,butgettingexerciseandjusthavingsomeformofregularphysicalactivitycangreatlyimprovesleep.Youmaywanttocheckoutlastmonth’sarticleforsomefunideastokeepyourkidsmovingduringthedaywhenspendingtimeoutsidemaynotbeanoption.
Ifittakesyourchildmorethan30minutestofallasleepatnightoryourchildwakesupregularlyatnight,itmaymeanyourchildneedstogotobedearlierratherthanlater.Theirbodymayneedtosettledownaround7pmratherthangoingintooverdriveandreleasingenergizinghormonestostayawakeuntil9pm.Trymovingbedtimeearlierby15minuteincrementstoseeiftheyareabletosettledownmorequicklyandstayasleeplonger.Iftheydowakeup,gentlydirectthembacktobedkeepingconversationtoaminimum.Notonlyissleepimportantforyourchildrentostayawakeduringtheschoolday,improvedsleepcanleadtoadecreaseinbehaviorandhealthproblems.Issuesincludingirritability,difficultyconcentrating,highbloodpressure,obesity,headaches,anddepressionarealllinkedtopoorsleep.Childrenwhodogetenoughsleeptendtohaveahealthierimmunesystem,betterschoolperformance,betterbehavior,bettermemory,andfewermentalhealthconcerns(AmericanAcademyofPediatrics).Ifyoutrythesesimpleideasandstillhaveconcernsaboutyourchild’ssleep,Iencourageyoutotalktoyourchild’sdoctor.Sleepisavitalpartofhealthbutisoftenoverlookedduringroutinecheckups.Yourchild’sdoctormayhaveadditionalrecommendationsforimprovedsleepwhichwillnotonlybenefityourchildbutwillalsobenefityou!Sleepon!NurseLindsey
TheNurse’sCornerByLindseyRoyal,RN
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ThismonthSOARAcademyisfocusingonre-teachingtheschool-widerules,behavioralexpectations,androutines.Wefinditisimportanttoregularlyholdboostersessionsforstudentstoreviewtheschool-wideexpectationsespeciallyafterstudentshavehadafewweeksoutofschoolandmaybeunclearand/oroutofpracticewithexpectationsandroutines.SOARAcademystaffrealizethatlikeallgoodteachers,wecannotsimplyteachtheexpectationsandrulesonce.Althoughwehavemanybrilliantstudentsoncampuswedon’twanttoassumethatallstudentshaveretainedalloftherulesforeachsettinginschoolafterbeingathomeandinthecommunitywhererulesmaybedifferent.Similarly,re-teachingschool-widerulesandexpectationsatthebeginningoftheyearimprovesconsistencyacrossstaffandhelpsthemkickbackintogearaswell.Seebelowforsomeinformationabouthowwe’regettingourstudentsontrackfor2017:Boostersessions/mini-lessons:Wehavedevelopedaseriesofboostersessionsandmini-lessonsthatexplaintheexpectationsandhighlightthereasontheyareimportantinthecafeteria,hallway,playground,classroom,andrestroom.Eachofthesessionshighlighthowtheexpectationssupportourthreeschoolwiderulesto“BeSafe,BeRespectful,andBeResponsible.”EachlessonhighlightsexamplesofwhattodoandNon-examplesofwhatnottodo(Example:Whilewaitinginthethecafeteria,westandpatientlyinasinglefilelinewithourhandstoourselvesusingalevel1or2voicequietlyconversingaboutappropriatetopics.Non-Example:WhilewaitinginlineinthecafeteriaweDON’Tpushorallowourbodiestobeinanotherfriend’spersonalspace,takecuts,yellorsayinappropriatethings).Lessonsmayincludeteachersandstaffmodelingexamplesandnon-examplesforstudentsaswellasstaffverballypraisingandgivingSOARbuckstostudentsforpracticingtheroutinesandexpectationsappropriatelytoensurestudentsaremotivatedandengagedinthemini-lessons.Asmuchaspossibleweareteachingandpracticingtheskillsandexpectationsinthesameenvironmentthatstudentsareexpectedtofollowthoserules(hallwaylessonshappeninthehallway)andofcoursewearefindingFUNandcreativewaystoengagestudentsintheselessons!
Visualreminders:OverWinterBreak,largeposterboardswiththecommunityrulesandexpectationswerehungaroundcampus.Theseprovideeasyaccessforstaff,parents,andstudentstoreferencewhattheexpectationsareineachsetting.Takealooknexttimeyou’reoncampus!Additionally,wewilllookforwardtofacilitatingactivitieswherestudentscantaketheleadwithdesigningpostershighlightingtherulesandreasonstheyareimportantintheirownwordsandimages.Assemblies:WewillhaveavarietyofassembliesincludingthereturnofKid-CoProductions.Kid-Coisacommunitypartnershipprogramthatoffersassembliesandresourcestoassistschoolteachersandadministratorswithequippingstudentswiththenecessarytoolstoencourageasafeandpositivelearningenvironment.
Question:Whatistheplantomakesurestudentsaremotivatedtohavesafeandrespectfulbehavioronthebus?Thisisanunstructuredtimethatmanyparentshavehadquestionsabout….Answer:WehaveaplantocoordinatewithourbuscompanytorolloutPBISonthebusbytheendofJanuary(ifnotsooner!).Oneofouramazingparentpartnershassuggestedwestarthaving“busbucks”andincentivizestudentstobeSafe,Respectful,andResponsible.Specificexpectationswillbe:1)stayseatedandfaceforward2)Useaquietvoiceandgoodlanguage3)Followthebusdriversdirections.Studentswillbeabletocashintheirbusbucksforprizesattheendoftheweekoncethissystemisrolledout.Weareinthefinalstagesoffinalizingourbuspolicywhichwillalsobeavailableforparentstoreview.Ifyouhaveanyadditionalquestionsorideas,feelfreetoletusknow.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) January Highlight: Starting 2017 Right! By Ms. Celeste
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“CanyouwrapdozensofturkeysfortheTurkeyBingo?”WhenJenniferDieguez,momtoSOARKindergartnersLunaandEstrella,wasaskedthis,shesaid
“Whateveryouneed!”ThisisjustanexampleofJennifer’sgreatattitudeofbeingabletopitchinwhenevershecan.Toexplain,Jennifersaid,“Ifeelgoodhelpingandthat’sreallymypersonality.Ialsofeelthattheschoolreallyappreciatesthehelpoftheparents.”AsJenniferwillattest,thereisfuntobehadduringvolunteeringtoo.“DuringPictureDayallthekidsweretryingsohardwiththeirposesandthereweresomeverygoodones.Youcouldseetheywerereallyproudoftheirschool.Ms.Natalie(Salo)hadthekidsdosillyposesfortheirclasspictureandIthoughtthatwasreallyfun!”WhileJenniferfindsvolunteeringrewardingbecausesheenjoysspendingtimewiththekidsatschoolshealsomakestimeathomeforaweeklyfamilyactivity.“EveryMondaywehave“family
homeevening”wherewetalkaboutatopicthatweallhavechosentheweekbefore,”Jennifersaid.Atopiccouldbesomethingthathappenedduringtheweek,forinstance.Jennifermentionedaninstancewherethegirlswererunningaroundwhiletheywereinarestaurant.SocomeMondayfortheir“familyhomeevening,”itbecamealearningopportunitybytalkingabout“Behavior.”AlsoaccordingtoJennifer,thetopiccandependonwhatisgoingonatschoolorthegirls’environment.Forexample,iftheyweresickorhadlostatooth,“justdailythingssothattheywouldbeinterestedinthetopic.”Sothatotherfamiliescanmaybeadopttheirown“familyhomeevenings”Jennifersharedwhatoneoftheirmostrecent“familyhomeevening”lookedlike.Theydecidedthetopicwouldbe“Respect”asanextensionofwhatwasdiscussedatschoolandtocontinuetalkingaboutit.JenniferresearchedthetopicduringtheweekandfoundcartoonsonYouTubethatwereexamplesofhowtoshowanddothingswithrespect.Oftentimestheyalsodoanactivityrelatedtothetopic,likeacraftactivityorevenhomework,andthentheyshareatreat.“IknowthekidslookforwardtoMondays!”Jennifersaid.SOARappreciatesJennifer’sconsistentandcontinuouspositivesupport!
VolunteerSpotlight:JenniferDieguez
Does the thought of implementing and creating more colorful hallway bulletin boards or classroom door decorations fill you with delight? Want a chance to help the community learn about SOAR? Are you enthusiastic about repair and beautifying work? Volunteer for SOAR! We would love to connect you to our many volunteer opportunities. Some sample volunteer jobs are transportation assistants (for arrival and dismissal), lunchroom attendants, handyman duties (Jack/Jill-of-all-trades) and community outreach assistants. Contact Mimi Jansen at 253-444-6759 or stop by the school office for more information.
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TransportationPleasenotifytheofficeassoonaspossiblewithanytransportationchangesforyourchildasourdismissalprocedurestartsanhourandahalfbeforedismissaltime.PleasecalltheSOARofficeat253-444-6759nolaterthan2:00pm(orNoononWednesdays)sothechangescanbeimplementedintimefordismissal.Weappreciateyourcooperationandunderstanding!InclementWeatherProcedureAreminderthatifthereisinclementweatherbeingforecasted,pleasecheckSOAR’sFacebookpage,youremailortheoutgoingmessageonourmainline,253-444-6759foranychangestoschoolschedule&transportationduetoinclementweather.Lost&FoundLostandFoundboxesareinourlunchroom.Weareoverflowingwithcoatsandsweatersandwouldliketomakesuretheyarereturned—especiallyconsideringtheweatherweareexperiencing.Pleaseremembertowriteyourchild’snameontheirclothingsoitcanbeeasilyidentifiable.
SchoolUniformsAtschoolaccidentshappen.Weaskthatparentspleasepackanextrasetofclothingfortheirstudentintheirbackpack.Pleasereturnanyborrowedschoolclothingwithyourstudent–thankyou!AbsencesIfyourchildwillbeabsentfortheschooldaypleasecontacttheschoolofficeonourmainlineat253-444-6759oremailinfo@soaracademies.org.SOARAcademyGearFundraiserSOARAcademygear(hoodies,t-shirts,poloshirts&crew-necksweatshirts)isavailableforpurchase.Thisfundraiser,ledbytheParentAdvisoryCouncil,hasgearforstudentsandadults,andpricesthatrangefrom$12forT-Shirtsto$30forhoodies.Aflyerwillbesenthomewithstudentswithdetailsandorderinginformationandcopiesmadeavailableattheschooloffice.
Ms.Nicole’sOpsNews
DANCE DEMONSTRATION on January 25! Please join us for the Dance Demonstration that will take place on January 25 at 6 pm at Destiny Charter Middle School! The rehearsal will include dance selections from Kindergarten, Parachute dances from 1st & 2nd Graders will demonstrate samples of Jazz, ballet and warm-up techniques. Ms. Erricka has also invited local guest artists from local dance companies and STG. We are excited to show all the hard work that Ms. Erricka and our scholars have put together for you! Make sure and bring your dancer (s) to Destiny Charter Middle School by 5:00 pm to allow for some rehearsal time. See You There!
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BackinNovember,KidCoProductioncametoSOARtoholdanassemblyfortopropelstudentstobemotivated,positiveandproductive.Theirassembliesaimtotransformschoolsbychangingthewaychildrenviewthemselvesthroughavarietyofcharacterbuilding,goal-settingandproblemsolvingactivities.AttheNovemberassembly,SOARstudentsandfacultyexperiencedinteractivegamesandactivitiestoencourageSOARchildrentolearntoworktogethertoaccomplishtheirgoals,bepartofsolutionsthatcreateasafeenvironmentandbetaughthowtoconstructivelyhandleanunwantedsituationinaproductiveway.
Thismonth,KidCoisbackagain!KidCoProductionswillbeexploringemotionsandlearningtherolesthatpeopleplayinbullyingthroughtheatricalplay-theywillexplorehowpeoplemayfeelonewayinsideandactanotherwayontheoutside.TheirJanuaryworkshopswillleadintothenextstudyguidetheywillsendinFebruary,andwillfeedintotheirspringassemblywhereKidCoProductionswillexplorehoweachroleinbullyingimpactstheotherandhoweveryonecanlearntomakechangesinbehaviortoeliminatebullying.TheSOARcommunityisexcitedtoagainwelcomeKidCoProductions!
Checkout thisFacebookGroup createdbyparents forparents toconnectoncarpools,uniformsandchildcare
KidCoProductionsReturnstoSOAR!
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Flexible Seating: Meeting Our Students’ Needs with Movement By Marika Minczeski, Occupational Therapist (From Seneca Family of Agencies “Unconditional Education” blog)
As a special education related service provider, I have theprivilege of working alongside many dedicated, tactful, andcompassionate teachers in Oakland and San Franciscoelementary schools. I’ve witnessed unwavering patience aseducatorscalmlyattempttoredirectstudents toregain focusand attention during lessons within the classroom, asmovement increases and volume levels rise. Teachers areincreasingly aware that off-task behaviors are often tied tosensory processing skills, and that kids with seeminglyboundless energy, or those often fidgeting are not alwaysmaking conscious “choices” to engage in these behaviors.Rather,studentsaredoingthebesttheycan,usingwhattheyhave, toget theirneedsmet.Sensoryprocessing involves theability to take in sensory input, thenprocess the informationeffectivelyinordertorespondandactupontheenvironment.Inadditiontothefivesensesthatyouarealreadyfamiliarwith(taste, touch, smell, hearing, andvision), there are additionalsenses thatcontribute toourbodyawarenessandbalanceaswe navigate through the environment. These include theproprioceptiveandvestibularsystems.Proprioception is the sensory information produced by thecontraction and stretching of muscles and by the bending,straightening, pulling, and compression of the joints. Thisinformation occurs primarily during movement, but alsoconstantly relays sensory information to the brain regardingourposition,evenaswesimplystand,orsitonachair.“Heavywork” activities, such as running, jumping, swinging, pulling,stomping, and skipping provide additional proprioceptiveinput.Proprioceptionisacrucialcomponenttoourchildren’sdevelopment,as it increasesbodyawarenessandcontributestolearninghowmuchforceisrequiredforeverydaytaskssuchaspushingaheavydoororsnippingwithscissors;orhowmuchpressureisneededtodraw,color,andwrite.The vestibular system has its receptors in the inner ear andsensesmovementoftheheadinallplanes.Itispartlythroughthevestibularsystemthatweknowrightsideup,upsidedown,left, right, horizontal and vertical in relation to our bodies.Vestibularinputalsotellsusifwearemoving,howfast,andinwhat direction. Sensory input through the vestibular system“anchors”usinourenvironment.Childrenwhohavedifficultywithproprioceptiveand/orvestibularprocessingmayhavedifficultywithengagingeffectivelyintheirenvironmentortheyareoftenarepoorself-regulators..Dependingonthechild,sensoryseeking(oravoiding)behaviorsmanifestsinanumberofdifferentwaysChildrenexperiencingdifferencesinsensoryprocessingskillsareoftentryingtogettheirneedsmetusinganumberofadaptivestrategies.Sometimes,theseadaptivestrategies
are distracting to peers, or limit the child’s participation inclass.Othertimes,studentsfindaperfectlyappropriatewaytositinawaythatpromotessensoryregulation,suchassittingin kneeling positon on the floor (instead of cross-legged),standing while writing, or even laying on the carpet whilereading.Signsofsensorydysregulationmayappearmild,suchasminorfidgetingwithmaterialsonthetable,orengaginginside conversations and laughter, to more extreme (e.g.,crawling under tables, rocking, humming, speaking loudly,coveringtheirears,chewingonnon-fooditems,jumpingoutoftheirchairsandwalking/hopping/tiptoeingaroundtheroom,orpurposefullybumpingintofurnitureand/orpeers).Kelsey Kleine is a 1st/2nd grade teacher at LighthouseCommunity Charter School in Oakland, CA. She is acutelyawareofthevariouslearningstyles,preferences,andsensoryneedsofherstudents.Recently,whilelookingforartsuppliesat Lakeshore Learning Center, she came across sensorycushions. She recognized these as viable options to supportadaptiveor“flexibleseating”inherclassroom.“Everykidcanbenefitfromhavingachoice.Forayearandahalfnow,they’vebeenchoosingaspacewithintheclassroomtoread.Theyoftensit next to a friend, not alwaysmaking the best choices forwheretodoindependentwork.Ithought,insteadofrepeating“Make a better choice!”what if I give themoptions that areenticing?Theycanpractice,howtochoosealternativesittingoptionsthatwillhelpthemremainsafeandproductive.”Ms.Kleine completely included students in the brainstormingprocess.TheywereabletotellMs.Kleinewheretheywouldchosetoreadintheclassroom.“Studentstoldmethey’dwanttoworkontopofandundertables,evenontheceiling.”Thesetypes of responses reflect the students’ desires to havealternatives to the standard desk and chair, options whichwouldchangeheadandbodyposition.Ultimately,Ms.Kleineandherstudentsdecidedonincludingdynamicworkspacetoallow for alternate positions during reader’s workshop inthreedifferentareasintheclassroom.Initially,theywillstartoffusingsensorycushions,howeveracouplestudentsalreadyhave flexible seating options to support sensory regulation,includingbeanbagchairsorchoosingtositonthecarpet. Ifthis trial proves to be successful, the class may expand toadditionalseatedoptions,suchast-stoolsorstandingdesks.Otherteachersarealsoshowinginterestinmeetingourstudents’needsthroughdynamic,flexibleseatingthatpromotesregulation,attentionandfocusforlearning.Ifyouareaneducatorinterestedinlearningmoreaboutimplementingflexibleseatingforyourclassroom,theschooloccupationaltherapistwillbeabletosupportyouinmakingthemostoutofyourspace!
uniformasclasspictureswillbetakeninadditiontoindividualpictures.TherewillbeaSpringPictureDayinMaywhereitwillbea"freedressday"forstudentsandtheywillbeabletowearwhattheywouldlikeforthatdayonly.SOARParent,DanielleDaviesisworkingwithLifetouchtocoordinatepicturedayand
volunteer@soaracademies.orgifyouareinterestedinvolunteering.Pricingandorderinginformationwill
ThismorningWashingtonPolicyCenterlauncheditsstatewidetelevisionadvertisingcampaigntourgethegovernorandlegislatorstopassalawthatwillsavecharterschools.TheTVadswillbeginairingtodayformorethan700timesovertwoweeksonnetworkaffiliatestationssuchasKOMO4andKING5,andseveralcablenetworks,throughout
APPLY FOR YOUR UP-AND-COMING KINDERGARTNER!
If your SOAR student has a sibling ready to start Kindergarten, First, Second or Third Grades for next school year 2017-18, please fill out an application for them online at soaracademies.org/apply or pick up a paper application at the school office. The deadline is March 31, 2017 at 3:30 pm so get your application in!* *Although SOAR Academy Public Charter School has a sibling preference, parents still need to fill out an application for their incoming students for the next year. For more information, contact the school office at 253-444-6759 or [email protected].
