Corbett Grade School

Dear Families,

We are excited to begin 2024 at Corbett Grade School. Winter Break is a wonderful time for our students to rest, reset, and renew their commitment to kindness for those around them, the hard work of becoming readers, writers, and mathematicians, and respect for their school community. Our school community is invested in providing engaging lessons for our curious students in the areas of science, social sciences, art, and STEM.

Corbett Grade School staff would like to express our appreciation to the families who provided many yummy treats and desserts before winter break. We certainly all felt very loved and grateful for the students and their families that we serve. We are so fortunate to have such a supportive school community.

The Corbett PTA will be holding their January 2024 meeting on Thursday, January 11, at 6:30pm. The meeting will be held in the Corbett Grade School staff room. The Principal Chat will be held at the beginning of the meeting.

Happy New Year!

Michelle Dawkins

Principal, Corbett Grade School

In this newsletter:

• Winter Music Programs
• Weather and School Closures
• Playground Equipment Installation
• 6th Grade BizTown
• Social Skills Training Opportunity
• Food Drive and The Giving Wall
• Application to Attend 2024-25
• Substitute and Volunteer Help Needed
• Cafeteria Menu
• Important Events
• 2023-24 Corbett School District Calendar

A warm thank you to all of the families that came out to support our K-3 and 4-6 Winter Music programs. We believe in a strong music program for our school district. Music education has been linked to improved cognitive development, including enhanced memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. Learning to play an instrument or read music requires the use of various brain functions, promoting overall cognitive growth.

Studies have shown that students involved in music programs tend to perform better academically. Exposure to music can contribute to better performance in subjects such as math and language arts, possibly due to the development of skills like pattern recognition and spatial-temporal reasoning.

In addition, music allows students to express themselves creatively. It fosters imagination, encourages originality, and provides an outlet for emotional expression. Learning to play an instrument or create music can help students develop a unique form of self-expression.

These benefits make music education a crucial and enriching part of a student's overall learning experience. We appreciate the support of our school board and families for supporting a music program for grades K-12 in our school district.

When we experience inclement weather in Corbett, it can often make getting to school safely a challenge. On days where the weather makes driving difficult we may have a school closure or a two-hour delayed start. You will be notified by email and text message. Announcements of closures or delays can also be found on our school district website and local news media. You can also subscribe to FlashAlert for additional communication about emergency messages and important weather closure information in our area.

We are now ready to begin installing our new playground equipment. Joe Blubaum will be heading the installation with the assistance of Shawn Hill. We will begin meetings the first week of February to plan out the installation and schedule weekend work parties for the month of March (weather permitting). If you are interested in helping on a Saturday in March, please email me at mdawkins@corbett.k12.or.us.

The past few weeks our sixth graders have been learning about financial literacy. The standards for students in sixth grade are:

• Summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of checks, stored value cards, debit cards, gift cards and online and mobile payments
• Discussing the advantages and disadvantages of borrowing money to buy something
• Identifying and explaining ways to manage risk and how insurance plays a role in mitigating loss
• Defining and explaining the following: spending, savings, credit, and debt

On Thursday, December 14 our sixth grade students celebrated their financial literacy studies by visiting Junior Achievement Biz Town. Their on-site visit provided our students with an opportunity to apply what they have learned in a realistic setting. Each student assumed a job, produced and/or sold products, received a paycheck, worked on a business team, repaid business loans, shopped, and managed a personal bank account.

Throughout the program, students are encouraged to use critical thinking skills to learn about key economic concepts as they explore and enhance their understanding of free enterprise. The sixth grade students were engaged in the learning and had such a fun time too!

Our counselors will be presenting a parent and community training on social skills on Thursday, January 18 in the Corbett Commons. The training begins at 6pm and will provide information on increasing your child's social skills as they work towards building their social supports and close relationships with others in a healthy and supportive way. Training provided by Corbett's Student-Based Mental Health Center is free and childcare is also provided at no charge.

Thank you for all of the support during the holiday season. Together, we were able to provide food and gifts for thirteen families and 28 Corbett students. These families have all expressed their appreciation for the work that we have done and will continue to do. Thanks to all that contributed to our food drive and provided support for families during the holiday season. It is a pleasure to be a part of our amazing community.

Corbett's application to attend for the 24-25 school year opens January 15! If your child already attends Corbett School District, you do not need to reapply for 24-25. If you have a child that is not yet enrolled, you need to apply for admission. This is especially important for our new kindergarteners for the 2024-25 school year.

We are always in need of people to substitute in classrooms and as educational assistants in our school. If you are interested just sign up with Edustaff. The process takes about two weeks and once you have completed their application just let us know that you are available to substitute!

If you would like to volunteer, please complete the volunteer form application. Once you have been approved, let us know when and where you would like to help out. We are always in need of extra help during our K/1 and 2/3 lunches and recesses. K/1 lunch/recess is 11:30am - 12:05pm and 2/3 recess/lunch is 12:15pm - 12:55pm.

Thursday, January 11 at 7pm Corbett Grade School Principal Chat and Corbett PTA Meeting

Monday, January 15 - NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Jr. Observance

Friday, January 19 - Friday School Day

Monday, January 22 - Corbett School District Site Council Meeting 5pm at the NEW Corbett Middle School