CST Monthly Update October 2022
Curriculum & Instruction, Special Services and Technology
Curriculum and Instruction
October Family Engagement Activity- Build a Marble Run
We will be sending home materials at the end of this week for families to participate in the virtual marble run activity next Tuesday evening. There will be one set of resources per family.
Student Google Form:
https://forms.gle/Ftc7T42oSjq5uWUF6
10/25/22 @ 6:00pm Livestream Link
http://www.playpattern.com/vs30
If you have any questions during the activity, please send them to families@vs30.org
1st Annual Film Festival
Kindergarten-2nd Grade Literacy Pilot
We are in the process of organizing a district wide committee that will consist of K-6 classroom teachers, special educators, reading specialist, speech specialist, ENL specialist, literacy coach and administrators. The committee will review multiple core literacy programs and select those that they would like to pilot a unit from in their classrooms this winter and then make a selection by early spring.
We will continue to update the community on the progress of this pilot.
Progress Reports and Parent Teacher Conferences
Progress reports provide an opportunity for teachers to share with families students' current progress toward meeting grade level expectations for the standards taught in marking period 1. When assessing students teachers base their evaluation and recommendations on the standards for that specific marking period. If you have any questions about your child's progress report, please reach out to their teacher.
As indicated on the district calendar, Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Wednesday December 14, 2022. We will have two sessions 12:30-4:00pm and 7:00-8:30pm. Families will have the option to attend in person or meet virtually with teachers. A sign up form will be sent out on Monday, November 29, 2022. More information about standards based report cards and parent teacher conferences will be shared in next month's newsletter.
Special Services & SEL
ADHD Awareness Month
ADHD is a developmental impairment of the brain’s self-management system, its executive functions. It includes difficulties with attention, increase activity, and difficulties with impulsivity. Estimates show that 11 percent of school-aged children and about 4 percent of adults have ADHD.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)2 previously identified three type of ADHD:
Primarily hyperactive-impulsive type
Primarily inattentive type (formerly called ADD)
Primarily combined type
ADHD symptoms vary by individual. The common ADHD symptoms include:
inattention
lack of focus
poor time management
weak impulse control
exaggerated emotions
hyperfocus
hyperactivity
If you suspect your child may have ADHD, consult with your pediatrician and ask to speak to the school psychologist.
Click Here ADHD ToolKit
Click Here Preschoolers and ADHD
National Bullying Prevention Month
October was first declared as National Bullying Prevention Month in 2006. Since then, October has been a time to acknowledge that bullying has devastating effects on children and families. As reported by the National Center for Education Statistics (2019), 1 out of 5 students report being bullied. According to the Center for Disease Control (2014), students who are bullied are more likely to experience low self-esteem and isolation, perform poorly in school, have few friends in school, have a negative view of school, experience physical symptoms (such as headaches, stomachaches, or problems sleeping), and to experience mental health issues. Bullying can occur in multiple ways. It can be verbal, physical, through social exclusion, or via digital sources like email, texts, or social media.
The definition of bullying includes three core elements:
Unwanted aggressive behavior
Observed or perceived power imbalance
Repetition of high likelihood of repetition of bullying behaviors
Her are some things you can do to keep yourself and the kids you know safe from bullying:
Bullying Prevention 101 for Parents
Bullying Prevention 101 for Students
Parent & Educator Guide for Student Action Plan Against Bullying
Spanish Parent & Educator for Student Action Plan Guide
Children's Books about Acceptance, Kindness, & Inclusion
If you believe your child is being bullied, please immediately reach out to the school principal. In addition, the DASA Bullying Incident Form is on the district’s web page under the “parents” tab. Here is the link for your convenience. https://www.valleystream30.com/for_parents/dasa_bullying_incident_form
Wellness Corner
For the month of October, our school psychologists across the district have been conducting a Mental Health Workshop Series for 4th and 5th graders. School psychologists have been pushing into classrooms to work with all students. Throughout the 3 lesson series, students receive an introduction to wellness, learn about stress and stress management. Teachers have access to additional resources to conduct follow-up lessons, as needed. Look out for more detailed information from your school of the topics covered and home activities you can use to continue this important work. Our students' wellbeing is of the highest priority as we come out of a pandemic to support them being their “personal best”!
Please be alert and share with your children that these rainbow colored pills that come in a variety of shapes and sizes are actually a fentanyl drug being trafficked to drive addiction among our youth. These pills Fentanly is one of the most dangerous drugs and it is 50 times more potent than heroin. One pill can be deadly. As Halloween is fast approaching, we all need to be vigilant to protect the safety of our children.
Click Here "Rainbow Fentanyl" Arrives in New York
Upcoming Events
National School Psychology Awareness Week is November 7-11, 2022. The purpose of this week is to highlight the important work our school psychologists do to help all students thrive. School psychologists offer fun and interactive activities throughout this week to build relationships with all students so they better understand their role and how they can be a resource. More specifics to follow from your school.
21st Century Learning & Technology
Valley Stream 30 Celebrates Digital Citizenship Week!
October 17th marked the beginning of Digital Citizenship Week at Valley Stream 30! Throughout the week, children in grades K-6 participated in various lessons and activities themed around topics, such as cyberbullying, media balance, privacy and security, relationships and communication, and digital footprint. Additionally, to help reinforce digital citizenship concepts and online etiquette, students in grades 2nd - 6th attended an in-person assembly from the Don’t Press Send organization. Family resources and activities have also been shared via Parent Square to enable parents/guardians to participate in the development of these essential online skills.
Tip: We are living in an age where children are interacting more and more with people online. Whether through games online, or communicating via text message or email, it is essential that our youth are educated on how to interact respectfully. Click HERE to learn some tips to help children have a better online experience and decrease the chance of cyberbullying!
Drone Coding Takes VS30 Clubs to All New Heights!
This year we are excited to announce that we have added a new club to our district - Drone Blocks! Currently this club is being offered to our 4th and 5th grade students and has generated a lot of excitement in such a short amount of time. Through the use of iPads and/or Chromebooks, children program blocks of code to fly their drones. Each lesson challenges the students to follow the specific requirements and guidelines to complete their task. Led under the direction of Christopher Gianesses (Shaw), Heather Graham (Forest), and Jake Winston (Clear Stream), each time children engage in these drone coding lessons, they will be cultivating key 21st Century Skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration, and problem solving!
IT(Instructional Technology) Audit Begins October 26th
Nawrocki Smith will be conducting an internal audit of the IT department to assist the District in identifying any systems in place that are in need of improvement. Audit objectives, such as the management of network user accounts, the tracking and inventory of assets, and network safeguard are some of the potential focal points of this audit. The Director of Technology will be working closely with our auditors to obtain feedback and recommendations that we can analyze, discuss, and put into action to ensure that the District’s IT systems are adequate.
Be Aware of the Paqui “One-Chip TikTok Challenge”
The viral “one-chip challenge”, where the goal is to eat a chip flavored from the hottest pepper in the world, is back and is making headlines across the nation. Challengers are supposed to film themselves eating the chip to show how long they can go without eating or drinking anything after. The challenge is said to be dangerous, as some who have eaten the chip have required medical assistance due to difficulties breathing and even eye pain due to an exposure to chip dust.
Some points to keep in mind:
The chip is made by the company, Paqui.
It is sold as an individual chip and comes in a small package with a skull on it.
Even if the chip is touched and not ingested, the residue from the pepper seasoning can irritate one’s eyes severely.
Contact Us
jlewner@vs30.org (516) 434-3600 ext.5229
Dr. Nicole Schimpf, Director of Special Services
nschimpf@vs30.org (516) 434-3600 ext.5232
Christopher Onorato, Director of 21st Century Learning and Technology
conorato@vs30.org (516) 434-3600 ext.5001
