GREENWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

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1 Gre GREENWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT NEWSLETTER January 20, 2017 Nate Schurman PRINCIPAL FROM THE PRINCIPAL A few years ago I became a facilitator for Love and Logic, a parenting and education philosophy meant to help us work with children in a way that allows us as parents/educators to maintain healthy and loving relationships with our kids. Since that time, I've subscribed to a weekly blog, and the most recent blog was entitled "Dealing with Defiance." As a parent of three and a principal of 407, I am on occasion exposed to defiant behaviors. I thought you might periodically find yourself in the same boat I am in and therefore decided to pass the Love and Logic message along. Have a great weekend, Nate Schurman - Principal Dealing with Defiance Step 1: Say in a non-threatening way, No problem. I care about you too much to fight with you about this. If it doesn t get done I ll take care of it. Whom are you really talking to? You re talking to yourself. The goal at this point is to allow the child or teen to believe that you are backing down so that you can create a solid plan for making their bad behavior their problem. Does this decrease the odds of having a destructive, even dangerous power struggle? Step 2: Hope and pray they continue their defiance. Don t remind, nag, beg, bribe, or threaten. The fewer words you use, the better. Remember that every mistake or misbehavior is a wonderful opportunity to learn life s most valuable lessons. Step 3: Put together a plan and plug the holes. Do you know a child or teen so bright that they quickly find the loopholes in every plan? Avoid this by first visiting with family, friends, colleagues, or other professionals who can offer ideas and support. Step 4: Let loving empathy and consequences do the teaching. There must be consequences, because defiance is damaging to everyone. It drains our energy, and it hurts the young person by leading them to believe that nasty, disrespectful behavior is okay. Kids will never enjoy peaceful and productive lives if they fail to develop proper submission and respect for authority. Sincere empathy delivered by the adult makes if far more likely that the defiant child will learn respect rather than resentment and greater rebelliousness. Step 5: Remember to love the child even when it s impossible to love their behavior. This is tough but that s why it s so powerful. Hope is provided when kids know that nothing can separate them from our love. **NO SCHOOL MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 TEACHER IN-SERVICE**

2 UPCOMING EVENTS January Jan 23-5 th Grade Math Masters (4-5:15 in Music Room) Jan 24 - Ski/Snowboard Club Jan 26 - Character Council Buddy Group (8:30-9am) Jan 26 4 th Grade Lego League (4-5pm in Room 120) Jan 27 2 nd Grade Energy Lessons Jan 30-5 th Grade Math Masters (4-5:15 in Music Room) Jan 31 - Ski/Snowboard Club February Feb 2 - Character Council Buddy Group (8:30-9am) Feb 2 Character Education Family Game Night (6-7pm in Gym) Feb 3 - Popcorn Friday ($.50/bag if you haven t prepaid) Feb 6-5 th Grade Math Masters (4-5:15 in Music Room) Feb 6-4 th Grade Lego League (4-5pm in Room 120) Feb 7 - Character Council Meeting (8:00 in Media Center) Feb 7 - Ski/Snowboard Club Feb 7 PTO Meeting (6:30pm in Library) Feb 9 - Character Council Buddy Group (8:30-9am) Feb 13-5 th Grade Math Masters (4-5:15 in Music Room) Feb 14 Ski/Snowboard Club Feb 16 - Character Council Buddy Group (8:30-9am) Feb 16 Space Station Conservation National Theater for Children Feb 17 - Popcorn Friday ($.50/bag if you haven t prepaid) Feb 20 NO SCHOOL Teacher In-Service Feb 21 Ski/Snowboard Club Feb 21-4 th Grade Lego League (4-5pm in Room 120) Feb 23 - Character Council Buddy Group (8:30-9am) Feb PTO Book Fair Feb 23 Parent Teacher Conference (4-8pm) Feb 24 End of 2 nd Trimester Feb 25 CARNIVAL!! (10am-2pm) Feb 27-5 th Grade Math Masters (4-5:15 in Music Room) Feb 28 - Parent Teacher Conference (4-8pm) Character Education is making a positive impact throughout our school community. Visit the River Falls School District Character Education website for our latest updates and photos from around the district.

3 Upcoming Popcorn Fridays Feb 3 rd, Feb 17 th, Mar 3 rd, Mar 24 th ($.50 per bag/limit of 2 bags) COMMUNITY EVENTS We are unable to advertise community events in our newsletters, so for up-to-date announcements from the community, please check out the district site: Do you have a child that will be 4 next school year?? If so, it is time to attend one of the upcoming parent information meetings: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16 th TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 st Registration forms will be available at the meetings and completed forms will be accepted at Westside beginning March 6 th. (Please see attached flyer for more details.) Free and Reduced Lunch Program Paying for school lunches can be expensive. Did you know that some families qualify for free or reduced lunch, which means meals would only cost $.40? If you would like to find out if your children qualify for free or reduced lunch, we can help you through the application process. Paper applications for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program are now available in the office. Filling out the form, which can be done right at school, only takes a few minutes. Every year we have families who don t think they will qualify, but do. Therefore it s in your best interest to apply. If you have already applied online, there is no need to apply again. Only one application is needed for your whole household.

4 Staff Appreciation Conference Meals Families wishing to participate in the staff appreciation conference meals may drop off a monetary donation or send it to school with their student (please mark the envelope for the office). You can donate $5, $10, $20 whatever amount works for you! Anyone interested in writing a check should make it out to the GW PTO. Thank you for your support! Step Right Up The PTO Carnival is quickly approaching! We are currently gathering donations for the Silent Auction. If you are interested in donating an item(s) for the silent auction, on behalf of yourself, a friend, a family member, your business, or the company you work for, we would love to help you out! Donations are tax deductible and forms are available in the office. Questions?!?! Please ask! You also received information from your teacher showing the theme for your child s classroom basket. If you are able, please help the classrooms by contributing to their basket, which will be auctioned off as well. We are in need of many volunteers to help the day go smoothly. Please sign up to volunteer at and spread the word to friends and family! Thank you!! INTERNAL TRANSFERS Parents/guardians wishing to enroll their child(ren) in a River Falls elementary school outside their attendance area next school year should apply for an internal transfer by April 3, Request forms are available in the school office. Families approved for internal transfer must provide their own transportation to and from school.

5 WISCONSIN PUBLIC SCHOOL OPEN ENROLLMENT Parents who wish to choose the public school district their children will attend next school year ( ) face an important application window, February 6 April 28, State law allows Wisconsin children to attend public school in a school district other than the one in which they live. The completed application must be submitted to the nonresident school district between February 6 and April 28, 2017 at 4:00 pm. Early and late applications are not accepted. Parents may request that a child be enrolled in a specific school or program, however, parents should be aware that those requests are not guaranteed and are subject to the availability of space and certain other limitations. Students who were accepted and attended school in a nonresident school district last year will, in most cases, not have to reapply to attend the nonresident district. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent; however, reimbursement of some transportation cost is available for low-income parents whose children are eligible for free or reduced-priced lunches under the federal school lunch program. On-line application is recommended by following this link Paper forms may be obtained from the Department of Public Instruction and must be delivered to the nonresident school district (hand delivery is recommended). More information is available on the DPI website. River Falls School District Kindergarten Registration Kindergarten registration for next year will be held on Thursday, April 6th between the hours of 11:00am and 7:00pm. Registration is for all children age 5 years old by September 1, 2017, who plan on attending public school in River Falls this coming year. In order to register your child, please call your neighborhood elementary school, beginning Monday, March 20 th, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to set up an appointment. Times will be assigned on a first come first serve basis. Please bring your child s certified birth certificate and immunization record (copy) to registration. Due to limited space in the registration rooms we ask that you do not bring siblings.