News From Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 11/19  2nd Gr Field Trip (Hernandez, Hunger and Magee) to Katy Prairie Conservancy
Tuesday, 11/20  2nd gr Field Trip (Dao, Palmer, Servos) to Katy Prairie Conservancy; No after school activities
Wednesday, 11/21  Thanksgiving Holiday
Thursday, 11/22  Thanksgiving Holiday
Friday, 11/23  Thanksgiving Holiday
Thursday, 11/29  Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, Hosted by 4th gr; +Talk II: Social Connections - 7 p.m. Roberts Cafe

Welcome Ronnie Baker, Black Walnut Cafe
The Site-based Decision Making Committee is made up of representatives from the school community, and serves to advise the Principal on maters related to planning, budget, staffing patterns, curriculum, staff development and school organization.  Teachers, staff members, parents, community members and local business partners serve on this committee. 

Please join me in welcoming Ronnie Baker, from Black Walnut Cafe.  Mr. Baker will serve as our Business Member.  Black Walnut Cafe has been extremely generous over the last few years, donating all food for the annual school auction, and is a hub in our community.  We are thrilled to further our partnership with Black Walnut Cafe.

Pre-K Funding for 2013-14
As many of you know, education funding has been significantly reduced over that last few years.  It left Roberts in the position to do more with less.  Last year we cut $250,000 from our annual budget, the equivalent of 5 teaching positions.  To maintain a strong IB Primary Years Programme we had to make a number of changes to how we deliver the academic keystones of the program.  We are making it work because of the dedication and commitment our teaching faculty shows to the program.  I mention this, because it is important for you to know that with our very tight budget, our financial commitments must be to maintining a strong IB Programme, delivering a rigorous academic curriculum to all students, K-5.

Pre-K programs are designed to give at-risk children a head start in school. Children qualify for Pre-K programs either by living below the income threshold, or by demonstrating limited English proficiency.  The Pre-K program at Roberts, since its opening in 2007, has been attended, almost exclusively, by children with limited English proficiency. 

Pre-K programs are only partially funded by the State.  With funding cuts that took effect last school year, the District had to utilize Title I federal dollars to cover the funding gap for Pre-K programs.  Roberts does not qualify for Title I funds because of our extremely low rate of poverty within our enrolled student body.  The District does not have a funding source for the Roberts Pre-K program for next year. 

I met with the SDMC (Site-based Decision Making Committee) last week to discuss the loss of funding for the 2013-14 school year.  Without having the benefit of Title I funding to cover the funding gap, Roberts is unable to house the Pre-K program after this school year.  Families with Pre-K age children qualifying as limited English proficient will be directed to nearby campuses offering the appropriate program.   In late January, we will have a list of those programs for you to contact.  We expect applications to be available in early Spring.

News From Mrs. Graves

Upcoming Events
Monday, 11/5-9  Magnet Awareness Week, Tours Daily
Tuesday, 11/6  Election Day Bake Sale
Saturday, 11/10  Community Yard Sale, 10 a.m.-Noon
Tuesday, 11/13-15  Book Fair
Wednesday, 11/14  Early Dismissal, 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, 11/15  Picture Retakes; SDMC 3:30; Book Fair Family Night, 5-8 p.m.
Friday, 11/16  KNO, 6-10pm
Saturday, 11/17  Fall Community Night, 5:30 pm
Wednesday, 11/21-23  Thanksgiving Holiday
Thursday, 11/29  Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, Hosted by 4th gr; +Talk II: Social Connections, 7:00 p.m.



What is your specialty?  Please consider contributing a home baked or store bought item for the Election Day Bake Sale.  Proceeds go the 5th grade End of Year Fund.



 Safety
I have spent several mornings the last few weeks at different locations around school trying to remind moms and dads about safety.  I have seen some astonishing things that worry me, and I have received several emails (with pictures) lately from neighbors about our somewhat un-neighborly behavior. 

Some things I would like to point out:

• Please let your child out of the car on the curb side of the vehicle.  When your child exits the vehicle on the driver side of the car, you risk your child being hit by a passing vehicle.  If a younger sibling's car seat is on the passenger side, and obstructs exiting on the passenger side, please consider moving it.
• The only drop off area with assistance is at the Circle Drive.  Many continue to drop off on School.  If you are confident your children can get themselves into school, you may feel comfortable continuing to use that as a drop off zone.  Do not ever park on School Street to walk your child into school.  Parked vehicles create a safety issue as other cars have to pass you on the wrong side of the street.
• Remember there is no left turn from Addison onto School.  Addison is not a drop off zone.
• If you want to park, please use the legal parking zones on Swift and Addison, or on Montclair.  Please do not EVER block a driveway, sidewalk or crosswalk.  The city and RACS are issuing tickets for all of these violations.

Election Day

Tuesday will be busy around school and parking will be a challenge.  Please know that we are taking several precautions to ensure that our children are safe with so many visitors in the building.  Please help us by always checking in at Reception when visiting campus.

Spotlight on IB:  What is Action?

excerpt from Making the PYP Happen...

Action: how do we want students to act?  In the PYP, it is believed that education must extend beyond the intellectual to include not only socially responsible attitudes but also thoughtful and appropriate action.  An explicit expectation of the PYP is that successful inquiry will lead to responsible action, initiated by the student as a result of the learning process...

Action as Service.  The action component of the PYP can involve service in the widest sense of the word: service to fellow students, and to the larger community, both in and outside the school.  Through such service, students are able to grow both personally and socially, developing skills such as cooperation, problem solving, conflict resolution, and creative and critical thinking.  Moreover, these actions are ways in which the students exhibit their commitment to the attributes of the learner profile and to the attitutdes that we seek to engender within the PYP classroom.  In fact, the actions that the students choose to take as a result of the learning may be considered the most significant summative assessment of the efficacy of the programme. 

Is it possible for students to identify appropriate action in which to engage?  In the PYP it is believed that not only is it possible for students to identify appropriate action, but also that teachers have a responsibility to enable them to choose their action carefully, to facilitate this action, and to encourage them to reflect on the action they undertake.  This is viewed as an important part of the students' active participation in their own learning. 

Effective action does not need to be grandiose.  On the contracy, it begins at the most immediate and basic level: with self; within family; within the classroom, the hallways and the playground.  Even very young children can have strong feelings about fairness and justice, and teachers can facilitate positive expressions of these opinions.  Effective action can be a demonstration of a sense of responsibility and respect for self, others and the environment.