School-wide Theme: Community!
It’s Week 4…wowza! The first 3 weeks were amazing and it feels like we are off to one of the best starts in years!
Not much to share from my weekend, I spent most of the time resting and trying to get healthy. I hope you had a lot more fun than I did!
Running Club is back, and such a fun community builder!
A few notes to get you going, another busy week:
1) Camp Amity on Monday and Tuesday! Busses will be her between 9 and 9:30am.
2) NO Invitations Monday as we’ll just be getting back from Camp.
3) SIW this week is site based and will include some Teacher Collaboration Time. 1:15pm in Brian’s room.
4) Pancake Breakfast on Friday starting at 7am. Please come earlier if you are able to help prep everything. Community Time will be a little on the later side since we have to get cleaned up–we’ll do this as quickly as possible. We’ll need to get tables folded up and cook stations put away so let’s do a morning recess in between.
5) Friendly reminder about Community Jobs:
*Kinder/Grade 1: Playground clean-up
*Grade 2: Library caretakers
*Grade 3: Hallway waste patrol
*Grade 4: Green Team waste station
*Grade 5: Office and cafeteria support
6) IMPORTANT: Lockdown Drill this Thursday at 9am. Remember it’s “Locks, Lights, Out of sight”. Door must be locked, lights must be off, and students must be out of sight. As we have done every year, this is something you must practice ahead of time. Have the kids practice being out of sight and then stand outside your classroom looking in and see if they are in fact out of sight. Communication is going out to parents first thing this week, see below:
Hello Creeker Families,
We will be conducting a Lockdown Drill this Thursday morning. Lockdown drills prepare our students and staff for unexpected situations that may arise, such as unwanted guests or other safety threats. These drills help everyone understand the protocols to follow, and by practicing we minimize confusion and promote calmness. Additionally, drills foster a sense of security among students, knowing that we are prepared and can respond effectively when needed.
We use the phrase “Locks, Lights, Out of sight” during this drill—locking the door, turning off lights, and having a place in the classroom that is out of sight of the classroom door window. Each classroom has designated a space for this situation and teachers will review this with students. We emphasize that we practice lockdown drills just like we practice earthquake and fire drills at school so that we know exactly what to do to stay safe in an emergency.
In terms of explaining why we do lockdown drills teachers will frame the discussion around the possibility that we may have an unwanted visitor in the building who hasn’t signed in and we want to clear the hallways and find a secure place to wait while we locate the person and remove them from the building. I want to emphasize that this is not an “active shooter drill” nor do we discuss school shootings as part of this drill. For most children in Grades 1-5 this is not something new, they have done lockdown drills each year they have been at school. For our Kindergarten students this is likely something new and they may have more questions than older students. Below are some talking points that you may want to share with your child:
*Prepare your children by setting expectations. You know your child best and your guidance will help them. Let them know that school is a safe place and that part of the job of teachers and school staff is to practice safety skills. “Just like you practice fire drills at school, you also practice lockdown drills so that you know exactly what to do to stay safe in an emergency.”
*Let your child know the school made you aware that there was a lockdown drill scheduled for this week. Children feel safer when they know that families and schools are working together.
*Let your child know that schools perform lockdown drills each year and that they are announced as a drill.
*Make connections to safety habits you already practice. Explain that the lockdown drill is another safety habit just like the many safety habits you do on a regular basis; for example, wearing seatbelts and bike helmets. Though it may not be new to your child, the lockdown drill will be best learned through practicing.
*Follow your child’s lead. If they seem worried or uncomfortable, help them to identify their feelings and talk with them about ways of handling them. For example, taking a few deep breaths, reminding themselves the drill will end soon, asking the teacher for help, or staying close to a friend.
*Consider your child’s unique needs. If you are concerned about how your child will handle the lockdown drill, reach out to us and partner with your child’s teacher to address your concerns.
*Ask if they would like to talk about it and let their comments guide you. Children process events in many ways. Some children would prefer not to talk about it, which is okay, too. Some children may simply want to spend some together in a shared activity with few words. Young children often process through their play. If they share that they felt okay about the drill, reinforce that the purpose of the drill is to keep them safe by knowing what to do. If they share that they felt scared, sad, or nervous, acknowledge the feeling while directing the student towards positive coping skills. “Yes, sometimes we all have scary feelings. What helps you to feel safer when you are scared?” Some things that may help them feel safer might include knowing their teacher is there with them, or knowing they have responded in a way that will keep them safe. You can also share a time when you felt scared and what helped you get through it.
*Maintain routines. Following your typical home routines helps everyone feel calm and safe. Most children, when confronted with challenging feelings, will feel better with the passage of time and returning to their familiar routines.
If at any point you have concerns and would like to follow up with the school, please reach out. All of us at school are here to support your child and you!
September
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| 4-First Day, dismissal at 2:15pm | 5 | 6 | ||
| 9 | 10 | 11-SIW-EL, short check-in | 12-Fire Drill, 9am | 13 |
| 16-Bus evacuation drill, 9am *In house ICCL, 2:30 | 17-Staff Meeting, 2:30-3:15pm | 18-SIW: TWD Back to School Night-5:30pm | 19-Lion’s Vision Screen, 8:30 | 20 |
| 23-Camp Amity | 24-Camp Amity | 25-SIW/TCT | 26 Lockdown, 9am | 27-Pancake Breakfast, 7-8am |
| 30 |
October
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| 1 | 2 -DIBELS Cafe Amity, Gr5 | 3 | 4-School Pictures | |
| 7 -Scholastic Book Fair Gr 4 Tumalo Falls | 8-Scholastic Book Fair Gr 5 Dillion Falls to Slough | 9-Scholastic Book Fair | 10-Scholastic Book Fair Gr 3 Metolius | 11-Scholastic Book Fair Gr 2 Fall River Bread and Jam |
| 14 -Gr 5 Tamarack | 15-Visiting Artist, K-2 G5 Tamarack | 16-Cafe Amity, Gr 4 G5 Tamarack | 17 | 18-Visiting Artist, 3-5 (Harvest Fest on 19th) |
| 21 | 22-Fire/ Earthquake Drill, 9am | 23 | 24 | 25-Bread and Jam |
| 28 | 29 Conversations (4-8) | 30 Conversations | 31 Conversations | Nov 1 NO School |