THIS MONTH’S EVENTS

11/2 — Return to Remote Learning

11/3 — NO SCHOOL for students — Professional Development Day

11/5 — PTA Meeting 6:30 pm

11/10-11/23 — Online Book Fair!  Details below!

11/24 — End of 1st Trimester

11/25-11/27 — NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break

BENNIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT

The Bennie School community teaches respect, responsibility, safety, and kindness to develop lifelong learners.

BENNIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VISION STATEMENT

Bennie Elementary School is a collaborative learning community where staff and families encourage students to achieve at their highest potential.   Students will approach challenges with perseverance and stamina. Academic, social, and emotional growth will be fostered in a safe, supportive, and positive environment through a multi-tiered system of supports.  A professional, driven staff with a passion for learning will model the values of kindness, perseverance, and motivation to develop lifelong learners and flexible problem-solvers who are ready to contribute to a global society.  All members of the Bennie Elementary School community are committed to continuous improvement.

RETURN TO REMOTE LEARNING

We appreciate the flexibility with which our students, families, and staff have approached a challenging school year.  It is going to continue to take all of us, working together each day, to keep our students engaged in remote learning.  In addition, it is our collective responsibility to make safe decisions regarding mask wearing, social distancing, and healthy practices while we are not together in the school building.  It is our goal to get back together in person as soon as possible, so let’s all do our best to stay healthy and safe!

As we continue with Remote Learning, we will likely have to schedule a Materials Distribution so students have all the items they need to continue their learning.  Please watch your email for more information on any upcoming Materials Distributions later this month.

Please read Superintendent Mike Darga’s letter to the AP community:

Letter to School Community-RETURN TO REMOTE LEARNING (1)

REMOTE LEARNING ATTENDANCE

Attendance will taken daily by your child’s classroom teacher.  In most cases, students will be recorded as present through appearing on the classroom Zoom.  This is the very best way for your child to learn with his or her class.  There maybe some instances where your child is unable to do a Zoom that day- they can then be counted present by completing work in Google Classroom, See Saw, or whatever means your child’s teacher has indicated.

WELCOME

Please join me in welcoming some new staff members to Bennie in various roles since the last blog post!  Some have been with us for a while and some are just joining us.  I know that you will continue to welcome them with open arms and warm hearts!

Kay Williams — Long-term sub for Mrs. Simonds

Julie Clair — Long-term sub for Mrs. Siegwald

Kim Mattoon — Long-term sub for Mrs. Klein

Nathalie Jean — Independence Paraprofessional

Katie Alsobrooks — Lunch Aide

Cassandra Darin — Lunch Aide

Jean Kacher — Lunch Aide

Kelsey Riley — Lunch Aide

Donna Anderson — Lunch Aide

SCHOOL PICTURE DAY

We had to reschedule our Fall Picture Day.  Please stay tuned for more information!  You can click the link below and pre-order school pictures at any time!  School pictures are for students who will be in-person and on the Virtual Learning track.

Inter-State Studio has resources on their website, including these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

Bennie Elementary Fall Conferences 2020

Sign Up Genius links

Fall conferences will be held on Wednesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 3, 2020.  Please click on the links below to sign up for conferences for your child(ren)’s teachers.  All conferences will be held virtually through Zoom.  Please watch for the Zoom link from your child(ren)’s teacher.

Some classrooms will be having student-led conferences, which means that students will be online with families to lead the conference.  Please review the info on the sign up page for details, and contact your child(ren)’s teachers for questions.

SPIRIT WEAR

Spirit Wear is now available!  On sale online through December 4!

https://bennie2020.itemorder.com/

PTA UPDATE

Our PTA continues to be an awesome resource for our Bennie staff, students, and families.  Please become a member online.  You can sign up for a 20/21 Bennie PTA Membership by following this link:  https://bennie.memberhub.store

This fall, the Book Fair is back!  We are excited to offer an online Book Fair that is open now until November 23!  Check it out — all items will be delivered right to your home in time for the holidays!

Book Fair:

Link:  https://www.scholastic.com/bf/benniefall20

Reflections:

Links:  https://sites.google.com/site/apptacouncil/reflections

VIRTUAL TUTORING AVAILABLE

Where: On Zoom!! This year, Allen Park High School’s NHS will be offering
Virtual Tutoring for all students that attend AP Public Schools. In order to
reach the zoom links, we created a Google Site specifically for this, it’s
(https://sites.google.com/appublicschools.com/nhstutoring/home). A
student must be using their school email account in order to access the
Google Site.

When: Every Tuesday and Thursday, from 4 PM to 8 PM. The first session
will be held on Tuesday, November 17th.

How: There will be three zooms per 30 minute block, divided by sections of
grades: K-2, 3-5, 6-12. Every zoom will have a breakout room available to
focus on certain subjects if needed. Students will not have to sign up in
advance to attend a session. This video helps explain how students can
join the Zoom tutoring sessions: https://youtu.be/sBqErzN9EKQ

Who: Each zoom session will have two members from NHS in them to help
and monitor the other students.

BENNIE FACEBOOK PAGE

NOVEMBER FITNESS CALENDAR

Thank you, Mrs. Smalley, for another month full of suggestions to get up and get moving!

GRATITUDE

ON THE BALLOT

The Wayne County Enhancement Millage is up for renewal.  Please check out the attached info for details on what this millage renewal means to our students in Allen Park Public Schools.

GREAT ARTICLE

Top 5 Tips For Teaching An Anxious Child

AnxietyEducationLearningMotivationSensory Processing Nov 09, 2020

We’ve all seen it. The child that sits there and doesn’t do any of their school work even though you know they can do it. Or maybe, they get up and run around the classroom, or even go to the bathroom frequently to avoid work. Perhaps you have ended up in a power struggle with these children, or even (gasp) taken away recess!

If you have been around here for any length of time, you know that some of these behaviors can actually be related to anxiety. It is most likely not a child who is trying to be difficult, but rather a child that is struggling with something inside. So today I am going to share my top 5 tips for helping an anxious child in the classroom. These strategies are also effective for resistant learners, or those who seem to have low motivation.

 

1. Get moving.

   Don’t EVER take away recess from an anxious child (or any child for that matter). If anything give them MORE movement. Movement helps to regulate the nervous system. This includes the chemicals that are released when someone is anxious. So by letting them move more, they can calm down. Allowing for short, simple breaks every 20-30 minutes is a great way to keep a student engaged. Giving them specific movements to do helps keep them on task as well. I like to choose some brain-based movements such as standing twists, cross-taps, and side bends.

2. Focus on mastery.

   This means that instead of jumping right into a new or challenging concept, you might let the student “warm-up” with something easier, including material that you will review. This method can allow the child to ease into something more difficult instead of being frozen in fear or feel overwhelmed by new material. This is also a great way to build confidence in an anxious student.

3. Set small goals.

   Sometimes during virtual (or in-person) learning students can become entirely overwhelmed by so many tasks and assignments. Breaking tasks down into smaller goals can help them to feel as if they are moving forward and accomplishing their goals. If they have several assignments for that day, maybe only write down three at a time. When those three tasks are completed, then add a few more.

4. Give them a job.

   Letting an anxious child have a purpose and something that you count on them to do can be a very helpful way to manage anxiety. This can be especially helpful for times of transition because the child can focus on the task and not the anxiety with moving to the next task or place.

5. Allow for a Regulation Station.

   This can be an area where you have simple activities that can help them regulate. This may be a fidget tool, breathing cards, play-doh, etc. Teaching them to go to this place when they are feeling anxious is a great way to teach emotion regulation. Helping them to notice what they feel in their bodies can help signal them to use the regulation station. For example, if your heart starts beating faster, use the deep breathing tool. Having a sand tray can be very calming and effective. I usually recommend this for older children so it does not all get dumped out. Be supportive of a child who is using the regulation station, and understand that they may use it very frequently at first, but then taper off.

Overall, providing a supportive and encouraging environment can really help students who struggle with anxiety, depression, or low motivation. Breaking down tasks into smaller goals, giving them a job, utilizing movement during learning, and allowing them a safe place to help regulate are all simple and effective strategies to support learning. If you are looking for more ideas to help the brain, body, and behavior check out our ideas here.

It’s a great month to be a Bennie Bobcat!