Northwest Elementary principal recalls ʻseason rooted in the Promiseʼ
Northwest Elementary School principal Sherry Floss updated the El Dorado School Board on the school’s past and future events.
This year’s theme at Northwest is All Season Rooted in the Promise. Going along with the theme, when entering the school, a family tree is displayed that includes all of the teacher’s names.
Starting this year, all students at Northwest begin their day by eating breakfast in the classroom. From 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., the students participate in Roadrunner Power Hour, with half of the time being dedicated to math and the other half to reading.
“We use that time as intervention and acceleration,” Floss said. “I think that’s been amazingly helpful.”
In the kindergarten classes, teachers have provided alternate seating for the students. There are different types of chairs that the students rotate in, including seats designed like accordions, big yoga style balls and others.
“Research shows that this helps with better attention, focus and less restlessness because the students are able to move without being up and around the room, increasing participation and engagement,” Floss said. “Also on the side of physical activity, it improves their posture and their muscle tone.”
There are 20 chairs in each kindergarten room. “It’s been amazing what a difference when you go in a room where they’re using that,” Floss said. “All of the teachers haven’t bought into it yet, but we did start in one spot.”
During the week of Thanksgiving, Northwest had Family Tree Day. The cafeteria staff provided Thanksgiving meals to the parents and students, extending the lunch hour.
Parents were able to walk down the halls and see the different projects their children had been working on. Some of the projects included thumbprint trees and writing projects that were based off of their family’s careers.
The school also hosted an escape night called Escape Northwest, a fundraiser for Sea Camp. The families had to work together to figure out the escape boxes, which were customized by the teachers with things that they teach, including math or reading.
“We purchased the breakout boxes with Title I money,” Floss said. “It’s a good thing for your mind. You have to think outside of the box.”
Once a month, the students participate in Roadrunner Clubs, which include the gardening, reading and science clubs. Different community groups have also donated their time to attend Roadrunner clubs and teach the students, including Bravo Martial Arts Center staff and CrossFit coaches.
“It’s really neat to have those people come and partner with us once a month,” Floss said.
The Master Gardeners visit Northwest weekly to help students keep up the garden boxes that were planted. There are 17 boxes, all of which are sponsored by businesses or individuals. Each box has a stake displaying what entity sponsors it.
“(The Master Gardeners) came this last week and planted pansies with our students in our greenhouse, which is now covered,” Floss said. “They do a lot of work for us, it’s amazing.”
Northwest celebrated their 100th day of school with each grade participating in a different activity. The kindergarten students decorated hats with 100 items. The fourth graders dressed like they were 100 years old and the third graders took a picture where they all worked together to form the number 100.
“That was really working on incorporating those skills that they needed to get along and do that. It was amazing,” Floss said.
Coach Bass took on the role of Zero the Hero and dressed up and visited the students on every zero-day of school (10, 20, etc.). His last zero day was day 100 and the students and teachers were very sad to see him go, Floss said.
On his 100th day, he recited the poem, “I’m Zero the Hero, here on another tenth day. This is the big one so let me hear you count in a super fun way,” he said. Then the students counted from 10 to 100.
“I’m so proud of you and Northwest, it is time for me to say goodbye. Keep working hard. You are a hero and keep looking for zero,” he said.
Every “zero-day” he would read the students a poem and provide a snack shaped like a zero.
“That’s the first year we’ve done that, so obviously he made an impression,” Floss said.
The Daily Five is a reading program that goes with guided reading, but the students rotate through five different stations, the principal said.
The first is read to self, second is read to someone and third is word work, where they use a keyboard to type out words. The fourth station is for writing words and the students us an Etch-ASketch to spell words out. The last is where students listen to a book being read to them, usually using a tape.