From: Allison Deno <andeno@seattleschools.org>
Date: Fri, Sep 25, 2020 at 9:02 AM
Subject: Principal Newsletter – September 25, 2020
We’re doing it! Learning is happening. Friends are connecting. Students are bonding with their teachers and having those “ah-ha” moments that make learning so fun. Thank you for the critical role you are playing in these successes!
Next week Lawton will have our first spirit day of the school year. Please join us in wearing tie-dye!
Productive Struggle – Why it Matters
Thank you for partnering with us to help students learn and grow. You know your own children better than anyone and this year you are getting a bird’s eye view of them as learners.
Learning is the construction of new understandings. Productive struggle, a key component to this construction, occurs when we question the what and how of new concepts or when something feels hard.
We do not expect students to master concepts on the first or second or third try. Repetition and practice are a key part of our instruction. Teachers are watching and checking for understanding and leaving space for productive struggle because it is there that growth occurs.
Sometimes, struggle becomes unproductive, such as if your student is experiencing a high level of frustration despite repeated attempts. The first step is to step away and take a break. In school, we teach students about how in times of frustration the amygdala is engaged in the fight or flight response. At such times, the brain isn’t receptive to new learning and needs an opportunity to reset. Breaks can take many forms including (but not limited to) listening to a favorite song, doing 10 push-ups, drawing, or practicing mindful breathing. Learning when to take a break is an important study skill. Learning is hard and as content becomes more complex it will get harder. Breaks are one strategy to use to keep learning moving forward.
After a break, once your student is feeling less frustration, encourage him or her to reach out directly to the teacher. When students see that the adults in their lives believe they can ask for help on their own, their self-confidence as a learner grows. Self-confidence leads to owning their learning and self-sufficiency in developmentally appropriate ways.
Tech Tips
We are seeing a dramatic improvement in student tech success. Thank you for your patience and persistence.
If you encounter tech troubles during a class meeting please do the following in this order:
- Confirm you are logged in with your username (not as a guest)
- Confirm you logged in through the Teams App (see video HERE)
- Exit meeting and try to re-enter
- Restart your device
- Call the front office (206-252-2130). If the front office isn’t able to help you, or if you have recurring problems that trouble-shooting does not resolve, we encourage you to visit one of SPS’s Technology Resource Centers.
If those dinging notifications from Teams chats are distracting, you can turn them off. Ms. Gallegos shows you how HERE.
Seesaw Changes and When to Look for PE and Music Assignments
You’ll notice some Seesaw changes designed to help teachers and students manage assignments by subject. If you are looking for a particular assignment from a specialist (e.g. Music, PE, Library), students will find those subjects listed on a drop-down menu when they hover over their name in Seesaw.
Music and PE teachers will be uploading asynchronous assignments on your class’s asynchronous days:
| Asynchronous PE Posting Schedule | ||||
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri |
| Bakker | Cail | Adler | Cail | Adler |
| Lundgren | Conner | Conner | Lundgren | Bakker |
| McDonagh | Fatland | Fatland | McDonagh | Hafzalla |
| Soccorsy | Misner | Hafzalla | Wong | Leache |
| Swartzman | Noel | Leache | Wyman | Matzner |
| Soccorsy | Matzner | Noel | ||
| Swartzman | Misner | Thompson | ||
| Thompson | Wong | Wyman | ||
| Asynchronous Music Posting Schedule | ||||
| Mon | Wed | Thurs | Fri | |
| Conner | Bakker | Adler | Fatland | |
| Matzner | Cail | Hafzalla | McDonagh | |
| Wong | Lundgren | Leache | Misner | |
| Noel | Soccorsy | |||
| Thompson | Swartzman | |||
| Wyman |
Key Dates
September 25 – Packet pickup for K – 2 (8am – 3pm)
September 25 – Last day to place library holds. CLICK HERE for instructions.
September 25 – Last call for 4th/5th Grade Instrumental Music forms (email from Tim Burk)
September 29 – Dolphin Dialogue with Principal @ 11:45am
October 1 – Dolphin Dreams Direct Drive Begins
October 2 – Spirit Day: Tie Dye
October 2 – Packet and library book pickup for all grades (8am – 3pm)
October 9 – NO SCHOOL (In-Service Day for Teachers)
October 20 – “Parenting During a Pandemic” Parent Night with School Counselor at 6pm