Classroom SPOT

This Year's SPOTlight: Celebrate Every Day.

We will CELEBRATE learning . . . success . . . diversity . . . creativity . . . family . . . friends . . . teamwork . . . . . . . . . and anything else we can think of!!

Class Rules

I believe that student-created rules in my classroom become more meaningful to students than a list of rules I would give to them. I believe students will feel a sense of belonging and ownership, becoming empowered to develop a sense of pride in our classroom.
Students looked at the four core values in order to come up with our classroom rules during the first week of school. The one and only guideline I gave them - our rules must be stated in a positive manner...focusing on what we WILL DO rather than what we will not do. Our classroom will be focused on the positives all year long. I strongly believe in positive reinforcement and intrinsic motivation. See below for more details. 

Four Core Values

We strive to develop caring and compassionate students and citizens who embody those character traits most respected in every culture. Character development at CIS is immersed in every interaction and learning experience as a continual school-wide process. 

RESPECT

• We will respect others and their property at all times.
• We will listen to each other, knowing that we have individual differences that make us unique and valuable.

RESPONSIBILITY

• We will accept responsibility for our words and actions.
• We will treat others as we would like to be treated.

SOLUTIONS

• We will create a positive environment where problems are met with creative solutions.

SERVICE

• We will actively seek ways to help others in our school, our community, and our world.

Classroom Goals: Each week students will vote on a class goal. Sometimes these will be academic and other times they will be based on behavior. Once students reach 5 class goals, they will be able to vote on a celebration. Ask your child what our goal of the week is every once in awhile! 

Friend of the Week: We will CELEBRATE each child in our class for an ENTIRE week! The week before your child's special week, a packet will be sent home containing a timeline kit and some information sheets. Your family is encouraged to work on these things together. While your child is our Friend of the Week, he or she will share the following items with our class: the timeline your family created together, up to 3 items for show and tell, and a favorite book. Your child will also get to share lunch with a special visitor during the week (you can make this a surprise or tell them ahead of time). In addition to all of these exciting things, we will have a special time toward the end of the week to CELEBRATE your child. During our Friend of the Week Celebration, students will get to ask some questions to get to know more about our friend and get to practice giving "put ups" or compliments to our special friend. This really encourages children to look for the best in others. This is a very special time for your child, and families are strongly encouraged to join us. Our celebrations only last about 15 minutes and will be a memory your family will treasure. More information and a schedule will come home regarding our Friend of the Week program. You will be able to choose between a few time slots that work best for you and your family to join us. 

Caught Being Good: When a student is "caught" doing something above and beyond for a friend (or teacher), setting a good example, being a good role model, etc. he or she will be asked to fill out a "Caught Being Good" slip. The student will write his or her name on the slip and put it into our box. Each Friday I will draw a few names from our "Caught Being Good" box and students will get to stand and choose a cheer for us to do, while recognizing and celebrating their efforts. 

Smarty Pants: When a student thinks "outside the box" or answers a higher-order level thinking question, he or she may be asked to put on their "Smarty Pants"...this means the student will get to wear a beaded necklace with a tag that says "Smarty Pants" for the remainder of the day. They get such a kick out of this!