News From Mrs. Graves

Upcoming This Week
Monday, 9/16
Tuesday, 9/17  New Kinder Class Welcome Party; +Talk I: +PlayWell, 7:00 pm
Wednesday, 9/18  5th Gr Day of Service at Houston Food Bank
Thursday, 9/19  PTO Staff Appreciation Luncheon; SDMC Meeting, 3:30 pm
Friday, 9/20

Monday, 9/23
Tuesday, 9/24
Wednesday, 9/25  Early Dismissal, Professional Development, 12:30 pm
Thursday, 9/26
Friday, 9/27

+Works Mini-Documentary featuring Roberts Elementary
Entering our third year with +Works, we have seen a great improvement in how our children respond to the hurtful behaviors of friends and classmates.  Our Student Coalition made real strides last year in learning how to speak up, and how to empower others to speak up against bully behaviors.  We are confident their work will reach more children this year.

Have you had an opportunity to find out how +Works is impacting Roberts?  Take a few minutes and watch the mini-documentary filmed last spring that highlights the work of Roberts and Kolter.

Raising +Children 

Raising +Voices 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Works/113377495365084

http://www.youtube.com/user/PositiveWorksVideo



+Talk I: +PlayWell
Tuesday, September 17th, 7:00 pm
St. Vincent de Paul

What is the School Improvement Plan?
Each year we complete a comprehensive needs assessment to determine areas of strength and areas in need of improvement.  Each year we identify a goal for improvement in reading, math, attendance and safety. With the implementation of the district wide survey last spring, we will also be considering areas for improvement related to the perception of effectiveness by stakeholders (students and parents).

The School Improvement Plan is reviewed and approved by the Site-based Decision Making Committee (SDMC) and the PTO leadership.  After approval, the school improvement goals are shared with the full school community.  Next week the school improvement goals for the 2013-14 school year will be shared with you.  It takes the whole community working together to show the most improvement.

Spotlight on IB:

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.