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1 Aber deen Dr ive Scit uat e, Massachuset t s 02066 November 2009 781-545-8770 www.scituate.k12.ma.us/cushing/index.shtml Scituate Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability, national origin, race, or sexual orientation.
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Wha t is Positive Beha vior Support (PBS)? PBS is a p roc ess for c rea ting sa fer a nd more effec tive sc hools. It is a systems a p p roa c h to enha nc ing the c a p a c ity of sc hools to ed uc a te a ll c hild ren b y d evelop ing resea rc h-b a sed , sc hoolw id e, a nd c la ssroo m b eha vior sup p ort syste m s. The p roc ess foc uses on imp roving a sc hool’ s a b ility to tea c h a nd sup p ort p ositive b eha vior for a ll stud ents. Ra ther tha n a p resc rib ed p rog ra m , PBS p rovid es systems for sc hools to d esig n, imp lement, a nd eva lua te effec tive sc hool-w id e, c la ssroom , non-c la ssroo m, a nd stud ent sp ec ific p la ns. PBS inc lud es sc hool-w id e p roc ed ures a nd p roc esses intend ed for a ll stud ents a nd a ll sta ff in a ll setting s. PBS is not a p rog ra m or a c urric ulum. It is a tea m b a sed p roc ess for syste mic p rob lem solving , p la nning , a nd eva lua tion. It is a n a p p roa c h to c rea ting a sa fe a nd p rod uc tive lea rning environment w here tea c hers c a n tea c h a nd a ll stud ents c a n lea rn. Wha t is PBS a t Cushing School? We ha ve severa l p a rts to o ur PBS a t Cushing . We a re c onsistently remind ing our stud ents of Cushing Sc hool Rules on a regula r b a sis. At p resent, these rules foc us on our exp ec ta tion for b eha vior in the ha llw a ys, c a feteria , p la yg round , a nd in the b a throo m. You w ill see these rules p osted throug hout the sc hool a nd your c hild w a s ta ug ht these rules a t the first ra lly of the sc hool yea r d uring the first w eek of sc hool. Our c la ssroom rules, found in every c la ssroom , re mind stud ents how to b eha ve in ea c h setting . As p a rt of our PBS p roc ess, te a c hers a nd other sta ff me mb ers use evid enc e b a sed p ra c tic es to inc rea se stud ent lea rning a nd d ec rea se c la ssroom d isrup tions. In ord er to keep a p o sitive foc us in
our sc hool, w e ha ve inc orp ora ted a sc hool-w id e p ra ise b a sed system c a lled the “ Cool Ca ts”. The “Cool Ca ts” Progra m is d esig ned to c a tc h kid s d oing something p ositive a nd g ood . In a n effort to p rovid e im med ia te feed b a c k w hen a c hild ha s d one something p ro soc ia l, a tea c her g ives the c hild a p iec e of p a p er w ith a c a t on it, w ith his na me, d a te a nd d esc rip tion of the p ro soc ia l b eha vior on the b a c k of the p a p er. We encoura ge children to ta ke this home, sha re it with you, a nd ha ve a positive conversa tion with you a bout receiving this! At the b o tto m of the c a t, tea c hers rip off the sec ond ha lf of the d ra w ing , w hic h p ic tures a fish. The tea c her rew rites the sa me thing s on tha t p iec e of p a p er a nd p uts this in a fish b ow l. You w ill see fish b ow ls throug hout Cushing Sc hool filled with p iec es of p a p er. These p iec es of p a p er a re very im p orta nt! At our Monthly School-Wide Ra llies, up to 30 c hild ren’ s’ na mes a re p ulled from the p ool of a ll the “ Cool Ca ts” c ollec ted from tha t month. Those c hild ren w hose na mes w ere p ulled then g et to d o a c ra ft p rojec t w ith Ms. Ma rino, Ms. Derr a nd / or Ms. Herm a n. It is a w ond erful w a y to c eleb ra te the p ositive b eha vior seen in the kid s a t Cushing Sc hool. It is a lso a t our Monthly School-Wide Ra llies tha t w e foc us on the “ Cha ra cter Tra it of the Month.” For the month of Sep te mb e r, w e foc used on setting the sta g e for follow ing the rules. For Oc tob er, w e foc used on show ing resp ec t. For this month (No ve mb er), w e a re foc using on self-relia nc e a nd self-c ontrol. In a d d ition to the monthly ra llies, Mrs. Derr is tea c hing cha ra cter educa tion lessons in severa l c la ssrooms a c ross the g ra d es. In these lessons, the foc us is to hig hlig ht the p ositive c ha ra c ter tra its in our stud ents a nd help them b uild up on these in the sc hool setting . These lessons ha ve b een w ell rec eived to d a te! Also a s p a rt of PBS, w e ha ve a sc hool-w id e system of c onseq uenc es w hic h inc orp ora tes the use of “ Expla in It Sheets.”
“ Exp la in It Sheets” a re used a t ea c h g ra d e level (tea c hers a nd p a ra p rofessiona ls) a nd b y sp ec ia l sub jec t tea c hers a s a w a y to tra c k stud ent d isc ip line issues a nd to ma na g e b eha viora l c onseq uenc es. Child ren a re a sked to c o mp lete these sheets w hen a rule ha s b een b roken. Conseq uenc es a re d elinea ted on these sheets a s w ell.
We a re looking forw a rd to d evelop ing this PBS over the next few yea rs a s w e und ersta nd tha t g ood p rog ra m s ta ke time to d evelop . If you ha ve q uestions a b out Positive Beha vior Sup p ort, p lea se feel free to c onta c t Jud y Derr, Sc hool Psyc holog ist, a t 781-545-8770, ext. 114. We look forw a rd to a w ond erful yea r of lea rning w ith your c hild !
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Over three yea rs a g o, the Cushing PTO invited a loc a l c hirop ra c tor to a meeting to d isc uss b a c kp a c k sa fety. Here is some informa tion tha t w a s sha red w ith us tha t evening a b out b a c k hea lth a nd b a c kp a c ks tha t you mig ht find interesting : 4 Step s to Correc t Ba c k Pa c k Use: • Step 1: Choose Rig ht. Choosing the rig ht size b a c kp a c k is the most imp orta nt step to sa fe b a c kp a c k use. Tip : Bring a friend to help you mea sure your b a c kp a c k p rop erly. • Step 2: Pa c k Rig ht. The m a ximum w eig ht of the loa d ed b a c kp a c k should not exc eed 15 % of your b od y w eig ht, so p a c k only w ha t is need ed . Tip : If the b a c kp a c k forc es the w ea rer to mo ve forw a rd to c a rry, it' overloa d ed . s • Step 3: Lift Rig ht. Fa c e the p a c k, b end a t the knees, use b oth ha nd s a nd c hec k the w eig ht of the p a c k. Lift w ith the leg s a p p lying one should er stra p a nd then the other. Tip : Don' sling the t b a c kp a c k onto one should er. • Step 4: We a r Rig ht. Use b oth should er stra p s. Be sure they a re snug , b ut not too tig ht. Tip : When the b a c kp a c k ha s a w a ist stra p , use it. Prop er Ba c kp a c k Lifting Tec hniq ue: Lifting tec hniq ue is a n essentia l, yet often overlooked a sp ec t of b a c kp a c k sa fety. Rep ea ted imp rop er lifting of a b a c kp a c k – even a lig htw eig ht one – c a n w rec k ha voc on a c hild ’ s sp ine. Here’ s the c orrec t w a y to life a b a c kp a c k: • Fa c e the b a c kp a c k b efore you lift it. • Bend a t the knees. • Using b oth ha nd s c hec k the w eig ht of the p a c k. • Lift w ith your leg s, not your b a c k. • Ca refully slip on one should er stra p a t a time; never sling the p a c k onto one should er. Overa ll Ba c kp a c k Sa fety: • Size the b a c kp a c k a p p rop ria tely for your c hild . • The w id th of the b a c kp a c k should not b e g rea ter tha n the c hild ’ s torso. • Alw a ys use b oth should er stra p s a nd p osition the p a c k so tha t it lies a p p roxima tely 2 inc hes a b ove the w a ist. When a va ila b le, use a w a ist stra p . Do not sling the p a c k over one should er. This w ill minimize the loa d on the sp ine a nd p revent musc le imb a la nc e.
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The w eig ht of the b a c kp a c k should not exc eed your c hild ’ s a g e or 15% of your c hild ’ s w eig ht. Your kind erg a rten c hild should not b e c a rrying a p a c k tha t w eig hs more tha n 5 or 6 p ound s. An o verloa d ed b a c kp a c k ma y c a use your c hild to c omp ensa te b y lea ning forw a rd . Fina lly, lo a d the b a c kp a c k p rop erly. Utilize the c omp a rtments to sp rea d items out. Pa c k the la rg est items c losest to the c hild ’ s b a c k so tha t the c hild c a n ma inta in the c enter of g ra vity.
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Nove mb er 2 PTO Prog ra m : Ba y Colony Ed uc a tors Gra d e 4 Field Trip Sp ec ia l Tow n Meeting
Cushing “ Cool Ca ts” Ra lly Sc itua te Tow n Lib ra ry Visits Gr. K a nd 1 Sc hool Counc il Meeting Nove mb er 11 No Sc hool – Vetera ns’ Da y Nove mb er 16-20Am eric a n Ed uc a tion Week Nove mb er 16 Sc hool Com mittee Meeting Nove mb er 18 Ea rly Relea se Da y FDK Info Session @ Wa m p a tuc k (for a ll) Nove mb er 19 PTO Prog ra m : Gr. 2 Anna w o n Visits FDK Informa tion Session @ Ha therly (for a ll) Nove mb er 20 REPORT C ARDS Nove mb er 25 Ea rly Relea se for Tha nksg iving (11:00 AM ) Nove mb er 26-29Tha nksg iving Brea k Nove mb er 30 PTO Prog ra m : Gr. 3 Ba y Colony Ed uc a tors Dec emb er 1-3 Kind erg a rten Registra tion Dec emb er 3 Ea rly Relea se Da y: Pa rent Conferenc es Dec emb er 4 Cushing “ Cool Ca ts” Ra lly Dec emb er 8 Winter Conc ert .QQM CV VJG YGD UKVG HQT 0WVTKVKQP 0WIIGVU /T 5CY[GT %WUJKPI 5EJQQN U 2J[UKECN 'FWECVKQP CPF )T *GCNVJ 6GCEJGT RTQXKFGU VJKU KPHQTOCVKQP 2NGCUG ECNN VJG UEJQQN CV DGHQTG #/ QP VJG OQTPKPI QH VJG FC[ [QWT EJKNF YKNN DG CDUGPV +H [QWT EJKNF JCU C EQPVCIKQWU KNNPGUU UWEJ CU VJG HNW UVTGR VJTQCV QT EQPLWPEVKXKVKU RNGCUG UVC[ JQOG CPF KPHQTO /TU /CTFGWU\ 9JGP ECNNKPI RNGCUG HQNNQY VJG RTQORVU RTQXKFGF D[ VJG OGUUCIG CPF UVCVG [QWT EJKNF U PCOG JQOGTQQO VGCEJGT CPF VJG FCVG [QWT EJKNF YKNN PQV DG KP UEJQQN +V KU UVKNN PGEGUUCT[ VQ UGPF C PQVG TGICTFKPI VJG CDUGPEG HQT QWT HKNGU WRQP [QWT EJKNF U TGVWTP VQ UEJQQN
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NO SCHOOL: Professiona l Develop ment Bourned a le Pa rent Informa tion Nig ht PTO Meeting Sc hool Com mittee Meeting 7:00 PM PTO Prog ra m : Gr. 5 Ba y Colony Ed uc a -