SIGSBEE SCOOP

respect, responsibility, resilience
January 11- January 15

Monday, January 11

Tuesday, January 12

Wednesday, January 13

SCS Board Meeting 8:15 (Zoom link on website)

Thursday, January 14

Friday, January 15

Yeehaw! Western Day- dress in your boots, bandanas, hats and more

Monday, January 18

Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday- No school

RETURN TO CAMPUS

Students whose parents completed the survey last week are welcome to return to school on Monday.  The teachers worked hard to adapt the classrooms to fit all of the students who are returning.  With 6' distancing between desks, it is not possible to accommodate additional students without having time to move furniture and sometimes, homeroom assignments.  Therefore, if you have not filled out the survey but want to return to school, you will need to notify the office and allow for a few days for us to adjust.

At this time, there are enough students remaining virtual for us to continue our virtual program.  This also allows for students who are in quarantine to participate while they are home, if they are feeling well.  We appreciate your efforts in keeping our school healthy and open.

IMPACT AID- Why we pester you with until your form is complete

We are grateful to the families who agreed to fill out their Impact Aid cards by Friday's deadline and I wanted to take a moment to explain why.  Impact Aid amounts to approximately $1800 per student for those who qualify.  This funding allows our school to supply additional resources and experiences at no cost to students.  Many of you know that, unlike many other schools, Sigsbee is able to supply students with all of their supplies and field experiences at no or very little cost.  This year was an exceptionally important time to get 100% compliance on this effort as many of our opportunities for funding are limited due to Covid-19.  Unfortunately, for the first time ever, and despite several efforts on the part of the staff, we still had some families who did not complete their cards.  

I know that when I completed my submission for my child at the high school it took all of two minutes whereas the phone calls and emails from staff took several hours.    I just had to voice this frustration as it seems like such a shame to lose this funding for something that was so easy to complete.  Again, thank you, to those who took the time to support the children.

BREAKFAST/LUNCH/TAKE HOME MEALS SIGN UP

Breakfast- elementary students will be provided with breakfast in class if they request it in the morning.  Middle School students should come to the cafeteria to pick up breakfast between 7:45 and 8:05 AM.

Lunch- counts will be taken in each homeroom to help improve accuracy.  Please be sure your child is in school on time.  We have not been given the lunch menu for this week.  We apologize for any inconvenience and will text the menu as soon as it arrives.

Take Home Meals- access this survey if you would like your child to bring home food for other children in your household, on the weekends, or if you are virtual and want to pick up food.

Lessons learned from this week's news

The events transpiring in our nation this week elicited emotions on our campus that begged to be addressed through thoughtful instruction.  I encouraged teachers to suspend pre-planned lessons to talk to students about what they heard, saw, felt and thought regarding the events at the nation's capital.  They were posed to answer questions and help address confusion in an age-appropriate manner.  I have the utmost respect for how this was handled. These lessons are not easy given the division in our country but we cannot pretend that children are not affected or that these events should not be used as an opportunity to learn and grow.  Younger classrooms focused on appropriate ways to handle frustration, disappointment and/or anger.  Older students were able to think critically about what they saw and how the events challenged our laws and government.  Everyone was able to talk about how there is also good in this world and more people who do the right thing than who don't.

I am awed by the students' ability to articulate how these events impacted them.  Below is a Credo members of our staff wrote this summer.  These beliefs drive our school culture and enter into classroom conversations on a daily basis.  I've also included some examples of how the topic was addressed.

I hope that the classroom discussions have opened a path for you to discuss these events at home as you are your child's most important teacher.  

What we Believe

• We choose to create a school culture that is accepting of all people.

• We celebrate and respect differences.

• We believe all students should feel seen, heard and supported.

• We practice empathy.

• We restore and build community between all students as part of a global family.

• We promote citizenship

What it Looks Like

• Giving someone what they need so that they can be successful.

• Being a good citizen.

• Speaking up for what is right.

• Standing up for one another; acting out of kindness.

• Acting against our internal bias

What it Sounds Like

• What is fair is not always the same.

• Everyone has an equal voice.

• Every person in our community matters.