Increase Miller Elementary School

January 14, 2022

Dear IM Families,

Happy New Year to you and your family. We know the past month has been a bit bumpy with the rise of cases, but we are hopeful that this new year will be healthier and brighter for all of us.

Students have seemed happy to resume routines and learning after our winter recess and two snow days.  As we begin the new year, we thought we would share some important information with you.

Social Emotional Learning

Our exciting new schoolwide focus for SEL is Emotions! Emotional identification/awareness and emotional control/regulation will be emphasized during morning meetings, classroom visits from our clinicians, and activities designed by our School Community Wellness Committee. Our study of emotions encompasses two of the core competencies of Social Emotional Learning, adding to our prior focus in the areas of social awareness and relationship skills. 

Emotional Identification/awareness refers to:

• Using feeling words to label our feelings 
• Understanding how emotions are connected to feelings in our body (heart rate, breathing, etc.)
• Predicting what feelings myself and/or others might have in a particular situation
• “Reading” the emotions of others (body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc.)
• Understanding and connecting with the feelings of others (empathy)
• Showing care and support for others having difficulty (compassion)

Emotional Control/Regulation refers to:

• Connecting the “size of the problem” with the “size of my reactions”
• Managing strong emotions using “calming down” and coping skills
• Connecting emotional control to our school mantra “Kind, Responsible, Safe”

Response to Intervention (RtI)

As per our Response to Intervention District Plan mandated by New York State, benchmarks, or screenings, are currently being administered for students in grades K-5. The assessments are administered as a whole group and individually, depending on the grade and subject area. This is an opportunity to analyze and celebrate student growth. If your child qualifies for services, exits services, or increases services based on the criteria outlined across the district, you will receive a parent communication by the end of January/early February.  

Recess

As a reminder, please be sure your child comes to school in clothing that is appropriate for outdoor play. If the temperature, including the wind chill, is below forty degrees, students should be prepared to play outside wearing the following:

• Warm coats
• Long pants

On snowy days in order to play in the snow (including sledding) students will also need:

• Snow pants
• Boots
• Hats
• Gloves

If the temperature including the wind chill falls below twenty degrees, the students will stay inside for recess as per our District physician, Dr. Louis A. Corsaro.

Elementary Progress Reports

Classroom Teachers and Special Area Teachers are currently completing progress reports for our students.  Progress Reports will be made available on Friday, January 28 at the end of the day via the Parent Portal/Infinite Campus.  You will receive a Connect Ed message when the reports are available for viewing.  

Calendar Reminders

• As a reminder, schools are closed this Monday, January 17, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
• Schools are also closed on Friday, February 18 and Monday, February 21 for President’s Day Recess.
• Due to the snow days on January 5 and January 7, the Weather Reserve Days scheduled for April 18 and May 31 will now be regular school days.

We look forward to seeing all of you in the near future. In the meantime, stay warm! 

Be well,
Kerry Ford & Michael Weschler