Door 11 Now Open for Arrival
To help with traffic congestion in the mornings, Door 11 (Houston St.) is now open for student entry from 8:15-8:45. Students must go directly to the gym (opens at 8:20) for lineup or to the cafeteria for breakfast (8:10-8:30).
Challenge words: vacation, holiday, relaxation, winter, snowflakes
This month, our special education staff discussed with our students the importance of Person First Language. When we are communicating with and about people with disabilities, we should always use Person First Language. This form of language places emphasize on the person, NOT the disability. All people have individualized goals, interests, and abilities, whether they have a disability or not. Person First Language allows us to look at these individual characteristics rather than the disability. An example of Person First Language is “child with autism” rather than “autistic child.” Raising awareness for this type of language will ensure that ALL students feel comfortable and valued at our school.
Challenge words: mathematics, language, December, telephone, assignment
Challenge words: thermometer, challenge, chandelier, Christmas, shopping
Challenge Words: queen, between, Dearborn, information, library
We will not be having new spelling words or a spelling test this week due to the Thanksgiving break! Instead of spelling homework, talk about what you are thankful for with your family!
This month our students learned more about our Snow School students who have a special education eligibility. We have 5 classrooms at Snow that are self-contained special education classrooms. While students in these classrooms learn differently, we are more alike than we are different. It is up to us as leaders to make sure everyone feels included. Saying or waving hello, offering a compliment, helping a student who may have fallen are just a few ways we can connect with students who learn differently. We can also help students learn social behaviors by modeling good behavior. When we witness students making a bad choice we can tell them a better choice they could make. We can also try to understand that if we see challenging behavior, it may be out of that student’s control or part of their disability. Empathy is the ability to put ourselves into someone else’s shoes. Questions you may want to ponder at home to further this discussion: How would life change if I had a disability? What would I need to help me learn? How would I want others to treat me? Everyone wants to feel included and it is our hope to make sure that we are showing kindness and empathy so that everyone feels included.
Challenge words: Thanksgiving, tradition, holiday, family, turkey