I'm Back!

Dear Lower School Staff, Students and Parents,

I’m so happy to tell you that I am back from maternity leave. My little one is doing well and I am so touched by all the support this community has shown me. I am so thankful for Anna Johnson, Trish Neary, and Jamie Estill for filling in for me in my absence.

Please feel free to stop in or send me an email (gbucsko@sp-academy.org) if there is anything I should be aware of or can help your family with. I have lots of catching up to do but am very glad to be back doing a job that I love!

Thank you,
Gretchen Bucsko

All good things must come to an end…

In the spirit of Dave Letterman I have created a list of the top ten things I will remember about my stint as Lower School Director.

10. Taking a pie to the face. I only include this as a highlight because no students who actually attend SPA/LEPS put in tickets for the pleasure of pie-ing me. This means they like me or are scared of me...either way I’ll take it.

9. Rigamortis Rat. Admittedly gross, but I also don’t think I’ve laughed so hard. Also a mystery person left a rat decal under Gretchen’s chair and I know she HATES rats...the laughs just continue.

8. Dealing with discipline issues. Albeit not my favorite way to connect with students, but they are so sincere and willing to make amends with their friends it’s actually endearing.

7. Parent pick up patrol. I am happy to say that to date there have been no fender benders or fist fights. Nice work keeping things safe and sane out there folks...oh and not running me over.

6. Gretchen leaving things so organized that I have had time for the top 5!

5. Recess Duty. When I arrive each day classes are out at recess. I enjoy heading outside and watching all of the energy expelled when they play. I wish I had ¼ of that energy.

4. Being the Funistrator! I get to visit classrooms everyday and see all of the learning taking place. I have enjoyed being able to participate in the learning process (4th grade scavenger hunt, mystery writing, read-alouds, etc). However, what I enjoy the most is disrupting the learning to say hi.

3. Getting to know LS parents. I have been met with nothing but support during my time here. Support not only for me, but for students and the school as a whole.

2. The students. They have been a joy! I will miss seeing their smiling faces everyday. I’ll have to stop by to get a fix every now and again.

1. And the number one thing I will remember about my 8 weeks at the LS will be the staff. They have been amazing. These are some of the most dedicated professionals I have ever had the pleasure of working with. They are the heart and soul of the St. Paul’s community and I have enjoyed every minute I have had being here with them.

Anna Johnson

It’s the Little Things...Sometimes

Have you ever wondered if your children miss you when they are at school? The answer is a resounding, Yes. The emotions surrounding this absence plays out in a variety of ways and the Lower School teachers and staff have to adjust their approach accordingly. Sometimes a hug is all that’s needed, but there are other times when we need to be a bit more creative.

Sue Ann sees many students who have come to the office because they are “sick”. After she questions them and takes their temperature she uncovers that this phantom ailment is usually the result of missing mom or dad. I had to stop by one morning during a time I am usually at the Preschool when I came across two such students. One boy was resting on the “sick bed” while he had a little cry. I sat next to him and we talked all about how both of us would rather be at home than at school sometimes, but it was our job to be here. We shared what we like to do at home. He likes to hang out with his mom. I like to go for a run with my dogs. I let him know he was more than welcome to hang out in the office until he felt ready to go back to class. I also promised to check back in with him when I got there in the afternoon. This was all it took and he was fine for the rest of the day.

The same morning Sue Ann was comforting another student who was missing her mom because she was out of town. She was a mess. Lots of tears. Maybe some snot running. You get the idea. Sue Ann and I got her calmed down enough to go back to class and she and I made a date to color at 2pm. We wrote a letter to her mom and she drew a beautiful picture for her. Her main complaint seemed to be that dad made frozen pizza for dinner and nothing else...gasp. I shared that at our house when I’m gone there are times when my kids’ dad makes breakfast for dinner. This concept blew her mind and I think it made her realize her dad’s cooking wasn’t so bad. We made a deal that if she kept it together during class I would check in with her when I got to the Lower School and we could have another date if necessary.

It was pretty simple to change the day for these two students. They just needed a hug and someone to tell how much they love their parents. I know I said I’m not much of a hugger, but even a porcupine has a soft underbelly.



Anna Johnson

Fall Festival, Halloween and Hidden Treasures

If you have somehow missed what time of year it is all you have to do is walk into the Lower School to be reminded. We are bursting with Halloween spirit! The 8th grade parents have spent hours decorating for tomorrow’s Fall Festival and it looks AMAZING! There will be new games, Thai food generously provided by On Rice and a pumpkin decorating contest to name just a few of the fun things you can expect. Rumor has it there will also be a “Pie in the Face” raffle where students can buy tickets to win a chance to toss a pie at the face of some of their favorite people. I may or may not have been nominated to participate although I can’t imagine a student who would want to throw a pie at me. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow night. I hope to see you there.

Part of the Fall Festival includes students being able to dress up in their Halloween costumes. Usually I just throw on a Halloween themed t-shirt and call it good. This year I am going to have to up my game and actually come up with a costume. Dressing up for Halloween is a much bigger deal here than at the preschool. How can I tell? Well because I get asked daily by students what I am planning on wearing. After a trip to Joann Fabrics I’m sure I’ll come up with something to pass muster. I am looking forward to seeing all of the kids in their costumes since I have been hearing about them for weeks.

The 4th grade classes were supposed to go to a corn maze on Thursday, but because of the wind and rain last weekend all the corn fell over and the field trip was cancelled. What a bummer! Our students were so disappointed to miss this annual tradition. As “The Funistrator” I needed to come up with a fun activity for them to do instead. So I wrote a scavenger hunt for each class. I asked the 4th grade teachers what they were working on in class and wrote clues based on these topics (skeletal system, place values, Washington State, Non-Fiction, etc). I thought it would maybe take them an hour to finish if I was lucky. However, I am happy to say that after an hour and ½ they’re still going strong. You’ll have to ask one of them if they had as much fun as going to the corn maze.

Another great week in the books!

Anna Johnson

Feelings, Rats and Leaves Oh My!

My resume continues to grow with each week and this week was no exception. Every day I have a chance to try something new to expand my professional skills. Not all of these experiences happen in the classroom, in fact this week some valuable lessons were learned in the gym, parking lot and lunch tables.

On Monday I spent much of the afternoon talking to students working through misunderstandings, hurt feelings and reinforcing the importance of listening to teachers and friends. Some of these conversations were easy reminders about using and listening to “I messages” and how a simple apology makes everyone feel better. Simple right? The harder talks surround feelings. Let's be honest, even adults struggle to deal with their own feelings let alone someone else’s. Try sitting at a table with 4 students where one of them feels like the others don’t like them. Letting them talk about it and reach an understanding was all they needed. All I had to do was facilitate the discussion to make sure everyone was heard. I started the week on a roll.

Tuesday must have been a full moon or maybe I was the target of a practical joke. As soon as I entered the building Sue Ann informed me that a parent complained about a dead rat in the parking lot and she couldn’t get a hold of Mr. Estill. So out to the parking lot I went donning a pair of rubber gloves and a garbage bag. The deceased was resting under a car, so I had to fish it out with a stick. Gross! I know, but someone had to do it. I left the body bag knotted by the main door. On a lighter note, Suzanne England almost opened it thinking it was decoration for the Fall Festival. Sue Ann stopped her in time, but the look on her face would have been priceless.

Not being one to shy away from hard work, on Wednesday I spent almost all of my time raking the leaves in the parking lot. All of those trees sure are spectacular in the Spring, but in the Fall not so much. In the Fall they become a sludgy slippery mess. So there I was dressed like I was out on work release and it took me over 2 hours to pile most of them up. When I left for the day I felt really good about all I had accomplished...until I came back on Thursday to see another blanket of leaves. **sigh**

Thursday was also the “Great American Shake Out” where every school practices their earthquake drills. After the drill we used the gym as our safe spot. To learn more about this event go to www.shakeout.org. The kids had some really good questions. You should ask them about it. Your students did a fabulous job.

I am almost afraid to see what Friday will bring. Wish me luck.

-Anna Johnson

Funistrator

The best part of my job at the Lower School is that it is temporary. Before you start writing a scathing email let me explain. Everyone has THAT friend or family member. You know the one who buys your 3-year old a drum set, thinks that candy makes a reasonable choice for dinner, chocolate milk is just as healthy as regular milk and bedtimes are overrated and children will fall asleep on their own when they are tired (or keel over after the sugar high wears off). My family has two. We call them the “Fun Uncles”. The reason they can be fun all the time is because they get to leave when a responsible adult has to step in, when for example the homemade nunchucks you made for your 4-year old nephew left a gash in his sister’s head requiring five stitches to close. I am the “Funistrator”. I administer the fun.

As I have mentioned before, Mrs. Bucsko and her staff have the school running so smoothly I don’t have to worry about the part of administrative work associated with running a school (ok maybe a little bit). On Tuesday we had a fire drill and students and staff evacuated the building in a blistering 1 minute 28 seconds. This was by far the fastest time they have logged. I should also mention that the drill was executed in complete silence with no chaos. I was amazed and proud. The students were curious about their time as compared to the last fire drill. One thing I should probably admit about myself is that I am a bit competitive (maybe more than a bit). After learning about our epic time I had to share the good news with students. In true “Funistrator” fashion I went from room to room interrupting learning to congratulate each class. Was the fire drill time more important than the landmarks on the Washington State map Mrs. Stokes’ class were reviewing or stopping free-play time in the Kindergarten classes? No, but seeing their excitement about the dramatic improvement was awesome...and fun.

I enjoy visiting classes and trying to connect with as many students as I can while I am here. For me it’s fun. Your children are funny, smart, kind, caring, inquisitive, polite and fabulous. However, much like a weekend spent with the “Fun Uncles” your kids will be glad when Mrs. Bucsko returns. My kids beg for fruits and veggies when they get home from one of these weekend benders. By the end of November the students will be craving broccoli. I may have just compared Mrs. Bucsko to broccoli, but I mean it in the nicest way.

Sincerely,
Anna Johnson

The Joys of Being at the Lower School

I spend very little time sitting in Mrs. Bucsko’s office and my Fitbit shows just how much I am running around. I try to hang out out at recess every day making sure everyone is being a good friend and making safe choices. When accidents happen I am pleased to see our students make amends by apologizing and helping a friend up when necessary. The teachers do a wonderful job supervising without hovering to allow the children to work on resilience, empathy and forgiveness. It is important to practice these key life skills with their peers. Of course staff steps in to help negotiate an accord when peace can’t be worked out by the students, but for the most part the children handle these interactions on their own.

Classroom visitations are by far the best part of my days. This week Mrs. Galvin and Mrs. Hammock’s classes shared samples of their writing. They are working on descriptive writing and their essays were aimed at getting the reader to guess what was being described. I was literally sitting in the hot seat at the front of the room as the students read their work and I was to make guesses. It was a lot of fun and I was impressed with their word choices and ability to create a mental picture for the reader. I wrote my own essay last night and will put them on the hot seat today!

Last Friday both Kindergarten classes made applesauce and I was the taste tester for each…rough duty for sure. Each class used different apples and techniques for mashing them. There was no way to choose the best one. They were both excellent. I shared last week that Mrs. Owens’ class read bits of their writing journals to me. Well this week I was the subject of their journal write. They each wrote me letters asking questions, making suggestions and sharing about themselves. Most of them wanted to see pictures of my family and pets. Some would like to have a crazy hat or hair day and almost all of them would like me to bring them candy. I took a short video introducing them to my family and pets, wrote a letter answering their other questions, but told them they’d have to earn the candy.

As you can probably see I am really enjoying my time with your amazing children. I get to leave my job everyday with a smile on my face…not everyone can say that.

Sincerely,
Anna Johnson

Welcome

Welcome to Mrs. Bucsko’s blog written by Anna Johnson!

I spent my first afternoon at the lower school on the playground, wandering through classrooms, touching base with teachers and working as a Traffic Control Officer during pick up. While on the playground I was told all about the rules of ball tag and shown that teeth can be effective tools for removing splinters (not my first choice, but I applaud this sudent’s ingenuity).

During my classroom visits it was fun for me to see some of my former Little Epistles students. I was amazed by their academic growth. One of the best things about working at a Pre-K thru 12 school is to witness that progress first hand. Mrs. Owen’s class was eager to read their journal entries to me. These were notes written by each student. Was every word spelled correctly? No. Did they use punctuation marks correctly or at all? No. But they were so proud of what THEY had written and listening to each of them was definitely a highlight of my day.

The system of picking up at the Lower School is new to me. At the Preschool all parents have to come into the building and sign out their child…not so at the Lower School. Fortunately, I had the help of Mr. Estill. He worked the area by the fence coming into the “pick up zone” and I waved cars forward and ensured that others could easily pass if they needed to bypass the line. Needless-to-say, I was a bit sweaty after all of our efforts, but I am happy to report it seemed to go smoothly. At least there were no fistfights or fender benders, so in my book that’s a win.

Enjoy your weekend!

Anna Johnson

Thank You

Thank you so much for “showering” me last Friday. I really appreciate the support and well wishes from all the students, staff, and parents.

I will be gone on maternity leave from whenever this baby comes until right after Thanksgiving. There will be numerous people covering for me in my absence. Jamie Estill (our Head of School) will be covering the morning section of the day, Trish Neary (our Upper School PE teacher) will be helping supervise our recess time, and Anna Johnson (our Pre-School Director) will be supervising the afternoons.

Sue Ann Crockett is also your go-to gal on all things Lower School and can help direct you to the person who can best answer any question you may have. Here is the contact information for all of these people:

Jamie Estill- jestill@sp-academy.org or (360) 733-1750

Trish Neary tneary@sp-academy.org

Anna Johnson ajohnson@sp-academy.org

Sue Ann Crockett scrockett@sp-academy.org

Problem Solving Tools

On Tuesday we had our first lower school assembly. Our theme was “tools to fix problems.” No matter what grade they are in, school they go to, or how many friends they have your son or daughter will encounter a problem when navigating the social world of school. Our job as educators is to not just teach the skills for academic success but to also teach the tools for social success.

The teachers pitched in to help me teach the main elements of social/emotional learning by performing skits on each of these topics; delivering an I message (also known as using your words to explain what is upsetting you), creating a win-win situation, learning how to cool off and gauge your emotional thermometer, being respectful of friends boundaries, and how to compliment your friends and make them feel good.

These are all skills that we will continue to work on throughout the school year. It is important that our students learn that although adults are here to help it is important to try and use a tool or two to try and fix a problem first. Students who develop the skills early on that allow them to successfully navigate the social aspects of school not only are happier but all are able to focus better on their academics.

Welcome Back!

 Welcome to another exciting school year! I like to use the descriptor of 'exciting' when talking about the first week of school because excitement is radiating out of all of the students. When I asked a Kindergartener what he liked about school so far he said, ”Everything!” This of course was teamed with a giant smile and jumping up and down.

That is how I feel when school starts. After a summer of planning, cleaning, training, and preparing, having students here again is the culmination of all that work. It is also the beginning of a year of academic and social growth, friendships, and community.

This blog is designed to dig a bit deeper into the education, events, and excitement happening at St. Paul’s Academy Lower School. Each week I will give you a bit more behind the scenes information about our school.

Knowledge brought in

It is always exciting to go on a field trip. In fact, the 4th grade just returned from the Lynden Pioneer Museum on Wednesday where they expanded their knowledge and study of Pioneer America. Field trips are a great way to expand our students’ knowledge of a particular subject matter. But another way we do this is by bringing experts into our school.

This week we had two dads visit that are also scientists (one is a geologist and one is a neuroscientist). Having someone who is an expert in the field of study allows our students to hear real world applications of their learning and have the opportunity to ask questions. Often our visitors bring real tools from their job to show students. Being able to touch a rock pick is much more fun than reading about one!

No matter if it is a field trip to learn about a time in history or a visit from a real scientist, bringing the outside world into the classroom is a great addition to any unit of study and is usually the part that our students remember the most.

If you have a talent that relates to something your child is learning, please let your child's teacher know -- we are always looking for guest speakers!

Mother's Day

With Mother’s Day fast approaching I want to share with the parent body that I too, will be becoming a mother soon. My husband and I are expecting our first child in October. I will be returning to St. Paul’s Academy next year and hope to return back to work as soon as possible after the birth.

Those of you who know me, know that children bring me immense joy. I am so blessed to have a job I love. I think that each child is truly special and I am so glad to be part of your child’s life.

I am also so grateful for all of the wonderful mothers we have at our school. Know that the energy and effort you put forth is noticed and appreciated. I hope that when the time comes I will follow in the footsteps of all the great mother role models we have here.

Have a wonderful Mother’s Day! You deserve it!

Create

Some may think that the goal of our core commitment “Create” is to urge students to advance in their artistic talents. While this is encouraged, we also want students to use their creativity to make the world a better place.

Americans are notorious for inventing some of the world’s most useful and important items (e.g. the light bulb, airplane, personal computer). In this age of technology, companies are always looking for the next big thing. My hope is that this will come from a St. Paul’s student who was told throughout their schooling that they could create anything they put their mind to.

Second Graders show off their recent inventions

Grandparents Day

The saying "it takes a village to raise a child" is especially appropriate today because it was Grandparents Day. This day should really should be called "VIP" Day because our school was full of very important people in the lives of our students. Feelings of joy, excitement, and pride showed on the face of every student as their toured their "VIP" around.

Grandparents play a vital role in the life of a child and they all provide our school with a lot of support. We are lucky to have so many grandparents that help our school in a variety of ways. Some make financial donations to get our school going strong, some come and read with students, some are there when we have a sick student who needs to be picked up, some drop off their grandchildren every morning, and some are just there when a child needs them. No matter the capacity, it is always appreciated. That is why we have Grandparents Day each year -- it is our small way to say thank you!


If you are a grandparent who would like to attend next year but did not receive an invitation in the mail, please send me an email (gbucsko@sp-academy.org) with your name and the name of your grandchild so that I may add you to our list.

Teacher Evaluation

One of the best ways we can demonstrate the power of lifelong learning to our students is by our teachers modeling this for them. One way this happens at St. Paul’s Academy is through teacher evaluations.

I conduct at least one formal observation and evaluation of each of our staff members each year (along with frequent informal observations throughout the year). The purpose of formal evaluation is to ensure that our teachers truly fit the vision of our school. We want our students to have the best education possible; which means we also want top quality staff members.

Unlike public institutions that may formally evaluate new staff members but then decrease their oversight as teachers receive tenure, we look at staff members each year and provide constructive feedback to him or her. We then send our teachers to workshops, purchase different books or programs so they can improve weaknesses and heighten their strengths. We only want top-tier teachers.

You may think this is a stressful process for teachers, but most of them relish the opportunity to show off their great teaching and diverse skill sets.


Observing our staff reinforces how proud I am of our school. St. Paul’s Academy is truly a special place to learn. We have fabulous, talented teachers who model lifelong learning by being willing to grow and expand their knowledge just like they ask students to do.

Stepping back in time

The Internet has changed the way students access historical facts. What was once taught in a textbook is now easily accessible online. Instead of the previous need for rote memorization, our fourth grade teachers have designed a way for each student to not only learn about a historical time period but also interact with that period through the lens of a person who lived it.

Our fourth grade students start with choosing historical fiction and forming a book group. They then research the period featured in their text (e.g. World War II, 1900's) and create a vision board to teach others about the setting of their book. They conclude the project by giving presentations in which they teach parents, peers, and younger students about the book and that historical period.

The result of this project is that our students do not just memorize a date in history, but instead place themselves in a different time period by slipping into the main character's shoes. This allows them to develop a deeper understanding and compassion for what life was truly like at that time.

Reading Week

Celebrating a great author is one way we show our students the power of a good book. There is no author that takes our minds to wackier places than Dr. Seuss, which is why we spent our week celebrating him and his many (many) books.

The 100th Day of School

Can you believe it is the 100th day of school already? Our Kindergarten, first, and second grades held lots of celebrations Thursday to mark this momentous day in our school calendar.


Celebrating the 100th day of school is a great way to get kids excited about math. Establishing number sense is extremely important in our earliest grades. Some wonderful activities I saw K-2 teachers doing this day incorporated all mathematics concepts. For example, there was counting by 2, 5, and 10s to 100, counting coins to a dollar (or 100 cents), recording a hundred seconds of time, graphing 100 items, writing equations that equaled 100 and much, much, more.


The 100th day of school is not only a signal that our students are “100 days smarter,” it is also a way to help them fall in love with mathematics!

Keeping Kids Home

This week I would like to write a thank you letter to all the parents who have emailed us to say they are keeping their kids home because they are sick. In the Lower School we encourage the kids to learn the important concept of sharing…. unfortunately, this often leads to sharing germs also.

Our policy is that we ask you to keep your son or daughter home until they have been fever and/or vomit free for at least 24 hours. I know that it is hard for some students to stay home (and working parents, too) but it is an important part of keeping our healthy students healthy and helping our sick students feel better faster.

Here are some other things to teach your child in order to keep them healthy (Taken from the article “So Long Sniffles” by Cheryl Lock) :

1. Wash Hands Like a Pro. It’s not enough to just tell your child that she should wash her hands after using the bathroom, before and after eating and any time she comes in contact with someone who is sick. You should demonstrate the correct way to wash hands. Wet your hands under warm running water (warm is more effective than cold at removing dirt and germs) and use liquid or bar soap to lather up. Scrub for 15 to 20 seconds (tell young kids to hum “Happy Birthday” in their heads twice through). Also: Teach them to keep their hands away from their noses and mouths after touching anything that could be contaminated, until they can wash them properly.

2. Preach “The Three Nos.” Teach your child to avoid putting her hands near her eyes, nose and mouth, whether or not she thinks she’s touched anything suspect. This is especially important to prevent the spread of pinkeye, a common infection kids get … and spread.

3. Perfect the Elbow Sneeze. Show your child how to cover up a sneeze by sneezing into his elbow, so he won’t transmit any germs he may be carrying to his hands.

Taking Chances

One of my favorite quotes for students is when Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus says, “Take chances, make mistakes.” This is a quote that applies to so many aspects of growing up.

It is important to St. Paul’s that our students are well-rounded individuals. However, in order to be exposed to many different situations, it also means they must push themselves out of their comfort zones. Each year for Winter Fitness the Lower School picks one fitness activity to try. We are going ice skating this year. For some this is old hat and for others it is an opportunity to try something new.

Learning a new skill set like ice skating can be scary for some students. We are not looking for anyone to become the next Michelle Kwan or Wayne Gretzky. We are instead hoping they will “take chances, make mistakes” and learn the important skill of perseverance when things may be new or difficult, whether it's a new sport, or the pursuit of a new concept in the classroom.

 

MLK Celebration

This week students at the Lower School celebrated the life and lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Grades K-4 engaged in a variety of projects, presentations, and research. Our Chaplin Matt McCoy used Dr. King's life to teach about bringing peace in conflict.

Helping students learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and his impact on the Civil Rights Movement not only teaches an important part of American history, but it also teaches someone how to be a good person.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day inspires and reminds all of us to reflect on inclusion, equality, and acceptance. These are traits we should encourage our students to exhibit not only on MLK day, but throughout the entire year.

Happy New Year!

Once all the delicious Christmas candies and cookies have been devoured, our minds turn toward heath and fitness. Lucky for us, the Lower School has a fabulous gym teacher (Delica Van Harmelen) who helps our students stay active all year.

Recently, students and teachers competed to see “who could walk farther than a 4th grader." The first day I had to ask why all the teachers were stomping while they made copies. Luckily they were not angry, they were just trying to win the challenge by making sure their pedometers recorded steps. The first class to "walk" the amount of steps it would take to go from our school to Olympia won. When I asked one third grader about the competition she said, "Turns out we can't walk farther than a 4th grader because they won!"

This week, fourth grade held the Golden Sneaker high in the air to celebrate their victory of being the first to walk to Olympia!

The true victory is that our students and teachers learned that being active is a fun and important part of life.