Save the Dates
Feb. 8: Coffee and Conversation, 8:00am-8:45am; PTO leadership will host to talk about officer responsibilities and transition to new leadership for 2013-2014. Art room.
Feb. 12: PTO officers luncheon with superintendent in the North Lobby, 12pm Feb. 15: Student of the Week Assembly, grades 2-4, 8:30am; Jump Rope for Heart, all day; School Tour for prospective parents, 1:30pm; Soul Fest, 5:30pm Feb. 18: Professional Learning Day--no school for students Feb. 19: Snow Make-Up Day Feb. 21: School Tour for prospective parents, 9am Feb. 22: College Gear Day Feb. 26: PTO Meeting, 5:30pm; K-1 Quest parent information session immediately following (6:30pm). Childcare provided. Feb. 28: Talent Show, 6:30pm March 1: Student of the Week Assembly, K-2; School Tour for prospective parents, 9:30am; Dr. Seuss's Birthday March 4-8: Read Across America Week March 8: Vocabulary Parade March 9: Family Garden Workday, 9-12 Soul Fest in One Week!
We have a fun-filled program planned for our first Soul Fest on Friday, Feb. 15. Bring a side dish or dessert to go along with the fried chicken the school will provide and enjoy watching two step performances, our 3rd grade chorus, an African drummer, and more! Food and fellowship will take place in the cafeterias beginning at 5:30pm, with performances in the auditorium beginning at 6:00pm. This is an event for the entire family!
Venable's Got TalentDon't miss our annual talent show on Feb. 28. This is a must-see event, as our students always amaze us with the talents that they're developing both inside and outside of school.
Venable All-Star Fitness ChallengeMark your calendars for this joint venture between Charlottesville Parks & Recreation and Venable Elementary. What a better way to burn off extra energy from the Spring Carnival (on Friday, March 22) with a Family Fitness Challenge the next morning, Saturday, March 23! For more information about the course, registration and how you can be a part of this fun event, please visit the Fitness Challenge website. You can also stay updated about the Challenge on Facebook.
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Clubs Addendum Coming SoonPlease be on the lookout for updates to the 3rd session of clubs (which begin the week of March 11). There will be at least one new club--Art Club!--as well as a chance to sign up for a few clubs that have small membership. More information is coming soon.
Local Forum on School Safety Feb. 21The Safe Schools Healthy Students organization, along with Albemarle County Schools and Charlottesville City Schools, will hold a public forum on school safety on Feb. 21 from 6:30-8:30pm in Lane Auditorium (county office building).
Dewey Cornell of the University of Viriginia and police chiefs Timothy J. Longo and Steve Sellers will discuss both the national picture of school safety and local measures in place to keep students safe in schools. “The purpose of the presentation is to enable a greater understanding of the measures that are in place to protect our children and to talk about the root causes of violence that must be addressed," June Jenkins, project director for Safe Schools Healthy Students, stated in a release. If you are interested in attending, you are encouraged to pre-register on the Safe Schools Healthy Students website: safeschoolscville.org Responsive Classroom: Reminding LanguageWe all need reminders sometimes. Whether it's a grocery list or a scribble on a scrap piece of paper to get a task done, reminders are an important part of everyday life. In the classroom, reminders are often best used before students begin a task or just as they're just beginning to veer off course so that they can get back on track easily. The most critical element of reminding language is that it's actually reminding students of something they know, have practiced and understand. That's one reason we spend so much time at the beginning of the year practicing routines, talking about expectations, and reinforcing positive behavior. Then, when something happens during a class meeting, all the teacher would need to say is something like, "Class meeting rules" as a quick reminder for what students should be doing.
Phrasing reminders as questions also helps promote students to think about and remember expectations. It is critical that when we use question prompts as reminders that we are not being sarcastic or conveying impatience through our tone. Think about the different ways the question, "What should you be doing right now?" could be interpreted, depending on tone, proximity, facial expression...When we have the right combination of all three, students are able to remind themselves without fear or anxiety and fix whatever needs to be fixed quickly. The Power of Our Words lists several tips for using reminding language:
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