“Lead people; manage things”
Dear SKS Parents,
I have often been asked how we manage 400+ school children. We don’t. We lead them. How?
If there is one thing I have learned through my years of teaching, coaching, and parenting it is this:
Kids need guidelines, expectations and boundaries as they grow up.
It is good parenting and good teaching. Give them the expected behavior in a given situation and most will comply. At home, are there expected behaviors for your family? For school mornings? For homework? For going to bed at night? For keeping their room clean? There should be.
At school, our teachers teach the Three A’s for SKS. Please see the chart attached in the photos above. You can see there are expected behaviors for each given situation. We have been using it the last several years and it is successful because we try to be consistent with being demanding of the expected behavior. We reward and encourage positive behavior through our Golden Ticket program (see golden ticket above), where we “catch” students being good.
And if kids don’t meet expectations? The answer is simple: There are natural consequences. If A …then B. For example: If your room is clean as expected, then you can play computer games for one hour. Try to avoid screaming and shouting matches. Engaging kids in negative talk destroys the parent/child relationship. Remain calm, set the expectation and the consequences (good or not so good) follow.
Two weeks ago, I reviewed the expected behaviors for our students:
- Any time a student rides a bus to or from school
- Anytime a student is online virtually
I had parents contact me about student behavior on the bus. I had teachers frustrated about some students’ behavior as virtual students.
As partners in education with us, please sit down and discuss with your child the expected behaviors for all our students that are listed below.
When children know that teachers and parents are on the same page, the end result is usually very good: Children know what is expected and usually follow.
I hope this helps you at home and I know it will help us at school with a positive, nurturing and disciplined environment.
I hpe you enjoy the photos above that capture some of the moments at school, including students enjoying lunch outside, the Logan Schweiter Scholarship winners Teddy Wolfington and Colten Langley, and students deep in thought in class!
Take care,
Bud
SKS Bus Behaviors
Riding on the school bus is a privilege not a right. The primary goal should be for every student on the bus to contribute in keeping the bus a safe environment. Riding the bus is a part of the school day and students are subject to disciplinary actions based on any poor behavior.
Bus Behavior Expectations
- Students are to keep their mask on at all times when on the bus. Any student not wearing their mask should be reported to a teacher or Mr. Tosti
- Students are to remain in their seats the entire time. No one should be out of their seat unless it is for an emergency.
- There is no eating food on the bus at any time.
- Students should be using their inside voices – there should be no screaming or shouting of any kind.
- See something; say something: Any student should reach out to a trusted adult any time they are in a situation that they cannot handle, especially where they feel unsafe or uncomfortable. Students should reach out to a trusted adult. (Parent, teacher/staff or Mr. T.)
From the SKS Reopening Document and FAQ’s
Online Protocols for Virtual Students:
We have high expectations of our students to act as responsible and respectful learners, whether here in school or online. Below we have listed protocols that will keep your child focused on learning while at home to enhance your children’s learning experience. We ask your help in implementing these protocols. The more the child is able to do, the more your child will be engaged in the online learning process. We ask all parents to review these protocols with their child.
– Students are expected to show up on time by logging into each session on time.
– Students should be respectful in speaking and writing. Students must use correct names.
– Students should advocate for themselves and contact a teacher anytime they have a question, don’t understand what is expected, or are struggling with material in any way.
– All students learning virtually will use the same background picture on their screen. We will send an appropriate picture of the school classroom that students can use. Students at home who choose various backgrounds that are inappropriate can distract or interfere with the learning process for teachers and students.
– Students remain active, engaged, and must be visible. They should stay on mute and click the “raise hand” button or use the chat function to participate and to ask a question.
-The student should be dressed in the school uniform as they are attending school. Spring uniforms are worn to start school in the fall. Winter uniforms begin in Mid-October.
– Students should find a quiet space in the home free of distractions such as siblings, pets, and tv. They should sit up in a chair, at a desk or table, not in bed. They should be ready to go to school at the prescribed time. Brush their teeth, eat breakfast, get dressed for school and go to school virtually.
– Students should adhere to face-to-face policies (not on cell phones, etc.) Students should remain visible at all times to promote focus and eye contact should be maintained.
-Students may not share Google Meet invites.
– Students may only attend their own classes.
-Students should refrain from chewing gum, eating, and drinking in front of the camera.
– Students will turn in all assignments to their teacher depending on the format set up by the teacher.
– Students are not permitted to record, screenshot, or use the virtual classroom in any media. No reproduction, recording, or dissemination of virtual meeting is permitted without the written consent of school.