PBIS NEWSLETTER
This month we have focused on a number of different areas that we are encouraging our students to follow as part of our Webster Way. The core expectations include: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe. We are glad to have our students back at school!
Students should be demonstrating ready, responsible, and safe behavior during the winter months by dressing appropriately for the cold weather. This means using jackets, hats, gloves, and long pants. Students are let in the building at 8:11. On days with extremely cold wind chill temperatures, students will be let in at 7:50. Parents should be aware of these times and plan accordingly with your child. Students should know that they enter and exit Door 1. If eating breakfast here at school, students are to use Door 4. If you need to drop off your band/orchestra instrument, students may use Door 3. Students also spend time outdoors during recess time and need to be dressed appropriately as they will often be going outside. Our school is required to do monthly fire drills and some days it is extremely cold out when we are required to do so. Please dress responsibly in the cold winter months. When going outside, students are expected to stay out of muddy/wet areas so that they are not bringing mud or wet clothes/shoes into the building upon re-entering the building.
Students are working on respectful behavior by taking off hats and putting hoods down upon entering the building. It is a safety concern and a behavior concern to have hats and hoods on in the building. In keeping them off we are also able to make sure students are not hiding headphones or earbuds in their ears instead of listening in class. This makes following directions from teachers in class and in the hallway much easier! Students are also expected to wear their mask appropriately. Students should know that they are expected to be walking in the hallway or when entering and leaving the building and also when exiting the auditorium. This expectation is important to ensure that no one gets hurt by students pushing and shoving to get through to where they want to go. Stay on the right side of the hallway to help keep safe distancing.
At lunchtime, students are expected to be ready with their jacket and at their designated location within 5 minutes after the start of lunch/recess time which happens to be at 12:15 for 7th and 8th grade and 11:21 for 6th grade. Please make sure you are getting outside or to the cafeteria within this time. When passing in hallways, voice volume should be at a zero to avoid interrupting classes that are going on
This school year we have been working on being on time which falls under the core expectation of being responsible. We have reviewed the expectation with students of being on time to their scheduled class and problem solved locker issues, bathroom needs, forgetfulness, and wanting to talk with friends in-between classes. The school plays music on the PA system during passing time and this shuts off with 30 seconds left before each class starts. This helps students to know they need to hurry along to classes. Students are constantly encouraged to be responsible and get to their classes on time. TARDY means that you are not in the classroom before the bell rings. Please talk to your child about the life long skill of being on time.
We have focused on being respectful through the use of appropriate language in school in place of words used to substitute for inappropriate comments. Students have learned that using substitute wording for these comments is no different than using inappropriate language and is not acceptable behavior. Students should know that if they have to ask if a word is appropriate, that almost definitely means it is NOT!
We would like to give you an opportunity for discussion with your child at home focusing on an aspect of Digital Health: the physical and psychological dangers of excessive internet usage. Questions to ponder: Are you addicted to the internet? Are you able to put the phone down and spend quality time with others? What is appropriate use of computers/personal devices. What is cyberbullying (which is part of digital citizenship). Perhaps have a discussion centered around being an upstander, not a bystander and instead of ignoring peer behaviors that target another student, encourage them to be a good friend, set a good example, don’t encourage mean behavior by being an audience, and don’t pass on hurtful messages. Students are encouraged to be an upstander and tell the student to stop or tell a teacher. We encourage students to demonstrate this behavior in their daily routine as well as while at home, school, or elsewhere...not just while on electronic devices.
Webster Way: Please be responsible and clean up after yourselves and others by picking up paper, pencils, etc. that you find in the halls. We would like to challenge all students and staff to be on the lookout for debris...and be respectful and responsible by picking it up, throwing it away if it’s garbage, and giving it to the rightful owner if it’s not! Thank you for helping Webster look like the great school that it is. Lastly...remember to sanitize your hands! :)
Ask your son or daughter about the Webster Way expectations and the improvements they are seeing at school.
