Dirksen is Rockin’ with Respect!

This month, Dirksen is focusing on RESPECT. Grade levels met together to discuss the many ways we can show respect throughout the school day. Each classroom has been given a poster with the saying, “We rocked it this spring” on it. At the end of each day, students and their teacher will reflect on the following expections:

-I used kind words and actions with everyone.
-I followed directions the first time they’re given.
-I kept my hands and feet to myself.

Classrooms that have met these three expections throughout that day will get to color in one letter of the saying. At the end of the month, if classrooms have completely colored-in posters…we will have an all-school ROCK’N'ROLL PARTY!!! Check back to see if we achieve this goal. We know our students can do it because they rock!

Are You Ready for Some {PBIS} Football?

Just as the NFL is preparing for the Super Bowl, Dirksen School is too! Each classroom has been given a paper football field and has chosen a team name and decorated a helmet to represent their team. For every 5 Golden Tickets the classroom earns for their respectful, responsible, and safe behavior, they will move 10 yards down the football field. The classroom team who gets to the other end of the football field first, thus scoring a “touchdown,” will win! We are so excited to watch those helmets move across the field and to reward the winning team at the end of the month! Be sure to ask your student what their team name is and how they are progressing down the field.

In conjunction with the PBIS Football theme, Dirksen’s Student Council is running a SOUPer Bowl Canned Food Drive. The drive starts today, January 17, and will run through January 26.  If you have any canned food that you are willing to donate, please send it with your child to be added to his or her classroom’s collection. Student Council representatives are keeping track of how many cans are brought in, and the growing totals will be displayed on a football-themed bulletin board. The winning grade-level will be announced at our all-school celebration on January 27.

PBIS Helps Students Focus on Treating Each Other Kindly

As we began 2012 and got back to the routines of school after a long winter break, the students and staff of Dirksen School focused on respect in a special way. Each classroom held a discussion about how we speak to one another. Special attention was given to inappropriate remarks and how sometimes we can bruise someone’s heart with our words.

K-1-2: These classrooms used a book entitled Sorry! by Trudy Ludwig to begin their discussion. Students shared a time when they have bruised someone’s heart with disrespectful words or actions or a time when their heart was bruised. . If you would like to borrow a copy of the Sorry! book to reinforce this lesson at home, please contact the main office and they will put you in contact with a Universal Team member.

3-6: These classrooms started their discussion by watching a moving video that used powerful images to evoke the feelings that bullying causes. They also shared a time when they have bruised someone’s heart or had their own heart bruised. Classrooms discussed the lasting effects of hurting someone else.

It is important for everyone to remember that words do hurt, and that while the bruise isn’t always visible, it does have a lasting effect. We hope that everyone will make an effort to use words to lift others up instead of putting others down, both at school and at home. Teachers were impressed with and moved by the students’ honest and reflective comments.

Smencils for Sale!

You may be wondering, “What is a smencil?” It is a SMelly pENCIL! Our PBIS Universal Team will be selling smencils from October 11-October 25 during the lunch hour to support our assemblies, celebrations, and prizes. The price per pencil is $1.25 and the flavors available will be:

• Bubble Gum
• Cinnamon
• Rootbeer
• Tropical Blast
• Watermelon
• Cotton Candy
• Very Berry
• Black Cherry
• Grape

We hope you can help to support all of the wonderful things that make Dirksen such a positive place to be!