Thursday, June 9, 2022

June 10, 2022

 


Love this tradition of ours to show our students that we are willing to take a chance and learn new things as well!! 

We made it!! Wow this was a year!! Have a great summer and see you in August! 

Please join us in welcoming Ebony Akins as our new Attendance Clerk in the Front Office!

Dina Gabbart thank you again for stepping up and ending the school year with us. We are so lucky to have you :)

Please make sure you share your gradebook with me before you leave. 


June 10- Last day of school; minimum day Field day 
June 17- Genentech Give Back day

Aug 6 - PD- buy back day - NEU 
Aug 15 - Welcome back staff meeting 

Aug 17 - First day of school

Friday, June 3, 2022

June 3, 2022

 


School is not out yet. Please still be teaching meaningful content and have written objectives on the board. If we do not teach until the very last day- parents and students start saying we are doing nothing in school except filling out worksheets and watching movies.

Ending the Year on a Positive Note
The Responsive Classroom had a couple of great ideas that gets our students to those higher levels of thinking and requires a performance task. (Think Common Core!) Here are a couple of great ideas….which you can revise and use with your class!
A few years ago I decided to make sure my class would have time for saying goodbye on the last day of school. To help them prepare, the night before I gave them “thinking homework,” asking them to reflect on what they remembered about the school year and to be ready to share their memories with the class.
Near the end of the next day, I shut the door and posted a "Do Not Disturb" sign on it so we wouldn’t be interrupted. People knew what we were doing must be important—it was the first time during the whole year that I’d closed the classroom door!
For about thirty minutes, we shared our "I remembers,” and I jotted down what the children said, everything from “learning to read” to “singing on stage at the holiday concert.” We hugged, laughed, and cried. Before the children left for the day I gave them copies of everyone’s “I remember” to take home. I have done this every year since. It has become a cherished way to end the year on a positive note.

Royal King Performance during the school day:
June 8: The performance for the school day will start at 10:00am and should take about 45 minutes. You can have classes bring out chairs or sit on blankets, it is up to you. We will perform on the blacktop and it will be set up similar to how we hold our teacher P.E. challenges. Classes will sit in a large oval and performance will be in the middle. If you have prep during that time the release teacher will take over your class. If you don't have yard duty during that time, yard duty will take over your class so you get your 10 minute break.

The evening performance will be the same where we are asking parents to bring lawn chairs if they want to sit.
Evening performance:
K-3 5:00
4th-7th 6:00

Field day:
If you have prep during field day the release teacher will take over your class. Yard duty will be walking around and giving you a 10 minute break.


Happy Retirement! Next Friday we bid farewell but maybe a see you later when you come visit or sub at our school to Patty Raina. It has been a privilege to work beside you the last 11 years. Thank you for all you have done for our school and our students. Thank you for bringing chickens to our school. We are dedicating our chicken coop to you and naming it Mrs. Raina's Coop, so we have a little of you on our campus every day

Monica Portigliatti Pomeri is taking full time position at the Preschool level. We appreciate the support and guidance you have provided our staff and students at SV!! We wish you the best!

Kelsey Jones thank you for spending your time at Suisun Valley. We appreciate your time on our campus with our students. We wish the best on your next adventures.

Cecily Dennehy thank you for nurturing our students and being a team player while you were at SV. We wish you the best at your next school.

Krista Gutierrez is taking a lead cafeteria position at Matt Garcia. Congratulations on your new position. We appreciate your time here at SV and wish you the best .

Jon Raina will be moving on from his yard duty position. We appreciate the support and relationships you built with our students while you were on our campus. We wish you the best.

Upcoming dates:

May 31- June 8 (no dancing on 6/3)  Royal King dance starts; 7:45 am teacher dance practice in the MPR 
June 3- AR party; Report cards due to Jas 
June 6- Intruder drill
June 7- Staff meeting/social 3:15 at Caymus in Suisun Valley
June 8 Dance performance K-3 5:00pm, 6:00pm 4th-7th on black top outside, tell parents to bring lawn chairs
June 9- In person promotion for 8th graders 10:00am in MPR 
June 10- Last day of school; minimum day Field day 
June 17- Genentech Give Back day

Aug 6 - PD- buy back day - NEU 
Aug 15 - Welcome back staff meeting 

Aug 17 - First day of school 

Friday, May 27, 2022

May 27, 2022

 

Maya just received her first letter in sports :)



We will hold all practices in the MPR. The school day performance on June 8th at TBD will be located on the black top. Do not invite parents to this performance. It will be set up similar to how we do our teacher P.E. challenges. Classes will sit in a large oval and the performance will be in the middle. The evening performance for parents will be the same. We will let parents know in our June's Dragon’s Breath to bring their own lawn chairs, if they would like, for the performance . You can also include this in your communication to parents. 



On Promotion Day, June 9th, classes Kinder - 7th will be sitting or standing along a path that will lead our 8th graders to the multi. The 8th graders will walk through the path so they can say goodbye to their buddies and former teachers. 8th graders will be headed to the MPR at 9:55am, so please have your class along the path before then. We will make sure a path will be marked with chalk.



Upcoming dates:
May 30  No School 
May 31- June 8 (no dancing on 6/3)  Royal King dance starts; 7:45 am teacher dance practice in the MPR 
June 3- AR party; Report cards due to Jas 
June 6- Fire drill
June 7- Staff meeting/social 3:15 at Caymus in Suisun Valley
June 8 Dance performance K-3 5:00pm, 6:00pm 4th-7th on black top outside, tell parents to bring lawn chairs
June 9- In person promotion for 8th graders 10:00am in MPR 
June 10- Last day of school; minimum day Field day 
June 17- Genentech Give Back day

Aug 8 - PD- buy back day - NEU 
Aug 15 - Welcome back staff meeting 

Aug 17 - First day of school 

 

Friday, May 20, 2022

May 17, 2022

 High anxiety, depression, and mental health issues are so significant throughout our organization.  It is hard to fathom and make sense out of yet another student tragedy.  This is impacting the adults in our organization as well as our students. Please NEVER hesitate to reach out for help!  Pass this along to others in need.

 
Suicide Hotline:  800-273-8255

If you or someone you know needs help before that time, please find additional information about accessing resources below:

If you or someone you know needs emergency help:
●   Call 911 or and request a Crisis Intervention Trained (C.I.T.) response
●   Go to the closest emergency room for support
●   Text “Hello” or “Home” to 741741 to connect with support
●   Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
○   English: 800-273-TALK
○   Español: 888-628-9454
○   TTYY: 800-799-4889
○   Online chat: suicidepreventionlifeline.org
●   Call Trevor Lifeline LGBTQQ+ Crisis Support at 1-866-488-7386
●   Call National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233
●   Call CA Youth Crisis Line at 1-800-843-5200 (Anonymous help/advice for ages 12-24)
●   Call Kaiser Mental Health Crisis Line at 1-707-428-1131
●   Call North Bay Medical Crisis Line at 1-707-646-4235 
 
Students, staff, and their families looking for community mental health services can utilize Care Solace, a complimentary and confidential service provided by our district.  This service is available free to all regardless of circumstances.  Care Solace will assist you in quickly finding available therapists or substance use treatment programs matched to your needs.  They will support you through the process of connecting to a mental health provider in our community.
 
To access Care Solace services:
●     Call 888-515-0595, any time 7 days a week
●     Visit https://www.caresolace.com/site/fsusdfamilies/ and either search on your own, OR click “Book Appointment” for assistance by video chat, email, or phone
●     Email weserve@caresolace.org with the following information:
○     Your name and contact information (cell phone number)
○     Your preferred language
○     A good time for Care Solace to contact you
 
Please take care of yourself and of others.  ðŸ’–


Please welcome to our Kinder team and Suisun Valley:
Hi!  My name is Chloe Tagawa and I am so excited to be joining the kindergarten team at Suisun Valley!  I have been teaching special education for the past few years, and worked as a resource teacher at Suisun Valley last year.  I truly loved teaching there, and am happy to be returning to the school to teach kindergarten!  I love working with students, collaborating with teachers, finding ways to help my students reach their goals, and making meaningful connections with my students.  I grew up in FSUSD, and am passionate about serving this community. I feel so fortunate to be teaching at Suisun Valley next year!

Upcoming dates:
May 25- PC mtg. 
May 26- AR deadline
May 30  No School 
May 31- June 8 (no dancing on 6/3)  Royal King dance starts; 7:45 am teacher dance practice by the mural of the Dragon 
June 3- AR party; Report cards due to Jas 
June 6- Fire drill
June 7- Staff meeting/social 3:15 at Caymus in Suisun Valley
June 8 Dance performance K-7th 5:00pm
June 9- In person promotion for 8th graders 10:00am in MPR 
June 10- Last day of school; minimum day Field day 
June 17- Genentech Give Back day

Aug 6 - PD- buy back day - NEU 
Aug 15 - Welcome back staff meeting 

Aug 17 - First day of school 

Friday, May 13, 2022

May 13, 2022

NOTICING THE GOOD FOR OURSELVES

I think there are lots of avenues we can travel in locating our very distinct examples of teaching/learning goodness. The suggestions here serve as a sort of starter pack for collecting your own shining moments and to train your eyes to see more of the bright spots. Some of these can be done on your own, yet many might be fun and enlightening to try with a friend or colleague.

OBSERVING AND LISTENING:

  • Describe a winning moment/event you observed in someone else’s classroom.
  • Describe a winning moment/event in your own classroom.
  • Be on the lookout for bright spots in your learning community. Consider documenting them in a journal or through other means.
  • When dealing with a student behavior you find difficult, later consider asking: What have you seen the student do well? When is the student most likely to set the difficult behaviors aside?
  • When something makes you laugh out loud when you are with students, write it down afterwards. What was it? What was the source of the humor?
  • When a student gives you a compliment, listen carefully. Which compliments do you hear from students most often? What do your students love about you?
  • When parents express gratitude, listen carefully. What are parents grateful for? How have you served them and their children?
  • When colleagues ask for your advice or input, think about what allows them to trust and value your contribution.
Today is Miura's last day for the school year. She will be back at the beginning of next year. Dina Gabbart will be subbing for her for the rest of the year. Welcome back Dina. We are happy to have you back, and Miura we wish you a speedy recovery! 

Upcoming dates:
May 17- Grade level mtg. 
May 19- ELAC mtg. 
May 24- UC Davis math coaching
May 25- PC mtg. 
May 26- AR deadline
May 30  No School 
May 31- June 8 (no dancing on 6/3)  Royal King dance starts; 7:45 am teacher dance practice by the mural of the Dragon 
June 3- AR party; Report cards due to Jas 
June 6- Fire drill
June 7- Staff meeting/social 3:15 at Caymus in Suisun Valley
June 8 Dance performance K-7th 5:00pm
June 9- In person promotion for 8th graders 10:00am in MPR 
June 10- Last day of school; minimum day Field day 
June 17- Genentech Give Back day

Aug 6 - PD- buy back day - NEU 
Aug 15 - Welcome back staff meeting 

Aug 17 - First day of school 


Friday, May 6, 2022

Student Behavior/Adult Responsibilities
As we enter our last weeks of school (who is counting?), it is absolutely critical that we consistently reinforce our expectations, routines/procedures. We are seeing spikes in incidents of student behavior. As the adults on campus, it is imperative that we are supervising all students at all times as we escort students to/from class and reinforce our expectations about lining up, etc. Please make sure that adults are at their assigned duty areas, not congregating. We are required as professionals to monitor and supervise our students' safety on the playground and we gather in groups as adults when we are supposed to be supervising, we are putting the school and the employee in potential liability. Additionally, it is also the adults responsibility to monitor students if you send them outside to work.


What I Wish I Had Known Before . . ..
I wish I had know that my student’s behavior was a language- that their actions and words were telling me something what they were feeling or thinking. I wish I’d remembered that they did not get up in the morning plotting to do things to frustrate me.
I wish I’d known that meltdowns and explosions usually meant my students were tired, or hungry, or bored or frustrated themselves. I wish I’d known that they needed an adult to help them find the words to express what was troubling them. But they sure didn’t need a frustrated adult.
I wish I’d known more about child development, brain development and behavior. I wish I’d known that growing up is a slow process. I wish I’d known how each development stage has its own way of seeing the world. I wish I’d known that most times they saw things differently from me.

I wish I’d listened more to what was true about their hearts and spirits and personalities.



Upcoming dates:

May 9- May 27 - MAP testing
May 10- SSC mtg. 
May 11- Dairy cow visit 9-11
May 17- Grade level mtg. 
May 19- ELAC mtg. 
May 24- UC Davis math coaching
May 25- PC mtg. 
May 26- AR deadline
May 30  No School 
May 31- June 8 (no dancing on 6/3)  Royal King dance starts; 7:45 am teacher dance practice by the mural of the Dragon 
June 3- AR party; Report cards due to Jas 
June 6- Fire drill
June 7- Staff meeting/social 3:15 at Caymus in Suisun Valley
June 8 Dance performance K-7th 5:00pm
June 9- In person promotion for 8th graders 10:00am in MPR 
June 10- Last day of school; minimum day Field day 
June 17- Genentech Give Back day

Aug 6 - PD- buy back day - NEU 
Aug 15 - Welcome back staff meeting 

Aug 17 - First day of school 


Friday, April 29, 2022

April 29, 2022


Dragon Teachers
When I began your class I think I knew
The kind of challenges you'd make me face.
You gave me motivation to pursue
The best, and to reject the commonplace.
Your thinking really opened up my mind.
With wisdom, style and grace, you made me see,
That what I'd choose to seek, I'd surely find;
You shook me out of my complacency.
I thank you now for everything you've done;
What you have taught me I will not outgrow.
Your kind attention touched my mind and heart;
In many ways that you will never know.
I will remember you my whole life through;
I wish that all my teachers were like you.
By Joanna Fuchs

Thank you for being the best all year long!!!


Upcoming dates:

May 2- May 6 - Staff appreciation all week long!! Staff luncheon on Wednesday BBQ chicken/ribs catered by Mankas 
May 3- Staff mtg. 
May 6- Fire drill 
May 9- May 27 - MAP testing
May 10- SSC mtg. 
May 11- Dairy cow visit 9-11
May 17- Grade level mtg. 
May 19- ELAC mtg. 
May 24- UC Davis math coaching
May 25- PC mtg. 
May 26- AR deadline
May 30  No School 
May 31- June 8 (no dancing on 6/3)  Royal King dance starts; 7:45 am teacher dance practice by the mural of the Dragon 
June 3- AR party; Report cards due to Jas 
June 6- Fire drill
June 7- Staff meeting/social 3:15 at Caymus in Suisun Valley
June 8 Dance performance K-7th 5:00pm
June 9- In person promotion for 8th graders 10:00am in MPR 
June 10- Last day of school; minimum day Field day 
June 17- Genentech Give Back day

Aug 6 - PD- buy back day - NEU 
Aug 15 - Welcome back staff meeting 

Aug 17 - First day of school 

Friday, April 22, 2022



2022 California Green Ribbon School Award and 2022 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School 

Suisun Valley School, Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, Solano County

Suisun Valley School (SVS) enriches its educational program with agriculture and science on its two-acre farm. A full-time agriculture and science teacher designs and coordinates lessons and project-based learning activities to engage students in caring for all aspects of the school’s garden. SVS combines food, nutrition, and physical health education in a partnership between the agriculture and science teacher and the physical education team. Teachers link what students are growing and eating in the garden to health education focused on nutrition and movement. Students participate in the entire farm-to-fork cycle, directly linking healthy soil, healthy produce, healthy food choices, healthy humans, and a healthy planet.

All campus landscape is xeriscape, and site irrigation uses targeted drip systems, allowing for specific areas to be watered while maximizing water conservation and absorption. Sixth-grade students designed and currently maintain two 2,500-gallon cistern rain harvester systems that function with solar and wind energy. In 2019, SVS built an 8,000-square-foot library, office, staff workspace, and Innovation Lab complex using state-of-the-art materials and systems with an emphasis on plumbing, insulation, natural lighting, natural colors, and views that allow the building’s occupants to connect with the surrounding landscape. In 2021, the complex received the Outstanding Project award from Learning by Design Awards of Excellence.



LOVE THIS VIDEO OF GETTING STUDENTS EXCITED!! 

*TESTING STARTS MONDAY!!!  PLEASE continue to encourage your students to DO THEIR BEST!  Remember to give mint 20 to 30 minutes into testing.

Please remember a few important links and reminders:

Test Administrator Resources for Summative Assessments


Please remember: 
*Students DO NOT log into Chrome Books!  They go to the bottom left corner to "APPS" and select AIRSecureTest.
*Technical issues during testing: Let Jas and Kristin know first, then Call 399-5100

*Please be mindful during recesses during testing. The basketball courts will be closed for the next two weeks until 12:25. Students will not be able to hang out on the blacktop near rooms 21, 22, 23.