Dear HunneBates,
I’d like to thank our faculty and staff, students and families for your extraordinary teamwork during a challenging week of weather. In responding to the very hot temperatures and the Friday afternoon thunderstorm, our community showcased our strength and flexibility! Thank you to our families for your patience during dismissal on Friday as the Bates staff worked to get students safely dismissed. I am relieved to see the forecast next week predicts cooler temperatures, but we are ready for anything!
During these first days of school we are working hard to ensure we are laying the groundwork to create a strong school community. Teachers are creating opportunities for students to get to know one another and all of their teachers, as we know relationships are the foundation of good teaching and learning. We are explicitly teaching social skills and reinforcing those skills all day long. At Bates we teach the importance of following the “3 Bs” which are:
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Be Responsible
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Be Respectful
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Be Safe and Kind
Being kind and respectful to one another is essential to a positive school environment. We teach students to demonstrate kindness and respect to every child and adult in our school. We demonstrate what this looks like so students can make good choices, and we reinforce positive behaviors so students know their efforts are appreciated. At the start of the year we begin by helping students to greet one another with kindness and respect. Students practice this skill during Morning Meeting each day. A greeting may sound like a small thing, but we’ve found that it’s very important. Ask your child what the morning greeting looks like in their classroom!
We look forward to our first full week of school and full days for our kindergarten students next week. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
All the best,
Toni Jolley
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