It has been a great start to the 21-22 school year. I am thrilled to be a Ross Raccoon and feel extremely blessed to be here. We have hit the ground running as we have lots to do and there is no time to waste. Our two main priorities are safety of staff and students and, of course academic achievement.
To continue with safe practices for Covid mitigation, we have sneeze guards placed in the cafeteria and classrooms. Hand sanitizer is located throughout the building and inside the classrooms. Teachers have disinfectant wipes to use throughout the day. Masks are strongly encouraged. Safety also includes practicing for unfortunate events. We have already had 2 fire drills. We will not have lockdown drills this year, however, teachers will be practicing with students what the expectations are for these types of drills.
To address academic achievement gaps we have hired a Reading Interventionist, Kathy Hall. Mrs. Hall comes to us with many years of experience as a reading teacher. She is coordinating and overseeing the tutors and the delivery of reading interventions. If your child is participating in these interventions you will receive a letter with this information.
We are continuing with our PBIS matrix of Keeping it REAL.
Please take a moment to talk to your child about “Keeping it REAL” at Ross. I know they would be excited to share. Students are earning Rocky Bucks and ClassDojo points for following Keeping it REAL. They are able to purchase items from the REAL Market and their classroom stores with the points that they earn. We are also continuing with the Essential 8. This month we are learning about Kindness. We have a Kindness tree in the entryway. Teachers have leaves that students and staff record kind acts on and then post on the tree. Our Kindness tree is really filling up with kind acts. It is amazing to see all of the kindness flowing at Ross!
Our main form of communication is ClassDojo this year. It is secure, immediate, and gives parents the ability to check in on what the class is doing as teachers post pictures and information. We also post school wide information on ClassDojo. If you don’t have ClassDojo, please contact the teacher so that you can get set up as it is a great way to stay informed.
We have started a Ross Raccoon Courtesy Club. This is for 3rd and 4th grade students to encourage leadership, ownership and school pride. They can apply to do the following:
- Shelf Elf-help in the library
- Safety Patrol-help students get out of cars in the mornings
- Welcome Committee-assist students new to Ross so that they feel welcomed
It’s exciting to see students contributing to the success of the school.
As a principal I know that the partnership that Ross Elementary teachers has with parents is an important relationship and will contribute to the success of our students. I look forward to working with each of you this school year!
Together may we give children the roots to grow and the wings to fly. – Anonymous