Dec Newsletter

Dear Families,

 

The Donuts with Grown-ups event was such a wonderful, heartwarming way to start the holiday season! Thank you to all of our families that joined us last Friday for treats and brought toys for our second annual Toy Drive. It was a huge success!  We were able to donate over ten bags full of presents to families in our community.

 

At the beginning of the year, most of our 2nd-5th grade students participated in the Satchel Pulse Social Emotional screener.  We’ve recently received the results which are shared below.   

 

Students answered a series of questions based on the CASEL 5 social emotional standards that address five broad and interrelated areas of competence and highlights examples for each: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.  Students rated themselves on a 10 point scale, ranging from 0 (strongly disagree) to 10 (strongly agree).

 

 

As a site, our students rated their strengths the highest in the district.  What we notice is students at Nordstrom know what their strengths are, respect others, value organizational skills and celebrate diversity.  When looking at the priorities for improvement, this falls much in line with what we notice during the school day.  Students are improving, but continuing to need support in these areas, which are addressed in our Second Step social skills program (details shared in the last family newsletter) and during recess.  Our yard duties are intentional with resolving conflict with students, to empower those involved to communicate, analyze their situation while taking perspective and coming to a resolution.  When looking at individual student responses, we were encouraged that all students that reported higher levels of concern are already supported through classroom interventions, counseling, and collaborative work with their parents.  For those not familiar with the process, anytime it is reported that a student might need additional resources (with the exception of a true emergency), we always reach out to their parent/guardian for consent.  The support staff work directly with the families and together help support the student.  That being said, if you are noticing your child is in need of support, please do not hesitate to reach out directly to the office and we can discuss opportunities at Nordstrom.

 

Attendance Reminder:

When a student misses 10% or more of the school year, he or she is considered to be a chronic

absentee. Students are expected to attend school a minimum of 90% of the scheduled school days. The evidence is clear: students with good attendance are more likely to be successful in school. High attendance rates are linked to high achievement. This is true for their entire educational journey. A missed school day is a lost opportunity for learning. Any absence, whether excused or not, denies students the opportunity to learn in accordance with the school's instructional program, but students who miss school are sometimes further excluded from learning opportunities as a consequence of chronic absenteeism.  We understand that students might miss school due to illness, but ask you to be mindful when scheduling vacations, especially near school calendar breaks.  Thank you for your understanding and support!

 

A friendly reminder to help us keep our students and staff safe by keeping campus gates closed. All campus gates are closed at 7:55. Please do not hold gates open for families running late, as this creates a safety issue when absences are recorded. If you are on campus during the day, please check in and out through the office and ensure all gates remain closed if you go in and out. 

 

Upcoming Events:

• December 23rd-January 8th: Winter Break

• January 9th: First day back to school

• January 16th: No School; MLK Jr. Day

• January 25th: Lion’s Den

 

Wishing you all a happy December and looking forward to what 2023 brings!  As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns.

 

Best,

Breanna Cull                                        Garner Green

Principal                                                Assistant Principal

Nordstrom Elementary School            Nordstrom Elementary School