News From Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Dates

Monday, Sept 17 Fall Holiday - No School

Tuesday, Sept 18                Room Parent Meeting, 8:15 am, Cafe

Thursday, Sept 20              +Work Parent Coffee, 9:30 am, Southside Place Community Center

Monday, Sept 24                  Bond Information Meeting, 6 pm, Bellaire HS

Wednesday, Sept 26 Early Dismissal, 12:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept 28                     KNO, 6 pm

Building a Strong Relationship with Your Child's 

Teacher

Experts will tell you that a strong  partnership between parents and teachers will benefit your child.  As parents, you should feel like you sit on the same side of the table as the teacher, and the teacher should feel similarly. 

A favorite article for parents can be found online at PBS Parents. 

I think the trap we fall into most often is that we try to guess about why a teacher says or does something, or why a teacher assigns a particular activity, or even assigns a particular grade.  Many times it feels safer to reach out to another parent or even a former teacher.  The only person who can really tell you the answer though is the teacher who made the decision.  When we reach out to others, at birthday parties, on the playground or even via facebook, we damage the parent and teacher partnership.  Go directly to the teacher. 

Maintaining a strong relationship takes work on the part of the teacher and work on the part of the parent.  PBS Parents gives good advice on building and maintaining a strong relationship.  It’s worth doing!

What is the IB Learner Profile?

An excerpt from IB Learner Profile Booklet…

The IB learner profile is the IB mission statement translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century. The attributes of the profile express the values inherent to the IB continuum of international education: these are values that should infuse all elements of the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme and, therefore, the culture and ethos of all IB World Schools. The learner profile provides a long-term vision of education. It is a set of ideals that can inspire, motivate and focus the work of schools and teachers, uniting them in a common purpose.

IB programmes promote the education of the whole person, emphasizing intellectual, personal, emotional and social growth through all domains of knowledge.  By focusing on the dynamic combination of knowledge, skills, independent critical and creative thought and international-mindedness, the IB espouses the principle of educating the whole person for a life of active, responsible citizenship.

IB learners strive to be:

Inquirers.  They develop their natural curiosity.  The acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning.  They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning with be sustained throughout their lives. 

Knowledgeable.  They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance.  In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

Thinkers.  They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators.  They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication.  They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

Principled.  They act with integrity and honestly, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities.  They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.  

Open-minded.  They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feeling of others.  They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

Risk-takers.  They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies.  They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced.  They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

Reflective.  They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience.  They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

+Parenting

Bullying: A Process -- Not a Person

an excerpt from +Parenting, pg 20

Dr. Stuart Twemlow, international bullying expert and co-author of Why School Antibullying Programs Don't Work, believes bullying behavior can be understood as a struggle for power--between students; between teachers; between parents and teachers; and between parents and their children.

At +Works, we believe that bullying is a social process--not a person. The process typically involves a bully, a target and a bystander; and these are roles we all play during any given day.  The question is: can we learn to recognize these situations for the power struggles that they are, and act in a way that promotes peace and respect?