All+About+SSG

 Overview of Small School Gathering

 * 3 // All School Gathering s //, 1 //Small School Gathering per month //
 * Once a month, all professionals will meet with group of about 15 students
 * Paraprofessionals will be strategically placed to provide teacher support
 * Special Ed paraprofessionals will be paired with their students
 * Students will report to assigned teacher’s room or designated meeting spot
 * 4th and 5th graders will help Kindergarten and Primary children find their Small School Gathering locations
 * Kindergartners will be paired for SSG groups

Compelling Purposes for Small School Gatherings

• To identify issues and topics that are of importance to everyone
= **Hopes and Dreams** = ** • SSG Leader will become an advisor, confidant and guide throughout all of the years that the student is at PFE ** ** • Peer mentoring will occur ** ** • SSG may help with the transitions from Kindergarten to 1st grade, 2nd grade to 3rd grade and 4th grade to 5th grade **

Dear PFE Friends, We are excited to share a new idea for All-School-Gathering/Small-School-Gathering. We have had the idea of using one of the established All School Gathering Tuesday afternoons for Small School Gathering meetings. Here are our thoughts: Each group leader will work with a group of K-5 children. Ideally, each adult will maintain the group of K-5 children throughout the students' entire PFE career, and the group leader will be a mentor/advisor to around 15 students during their years at PFE. Once per month, all groups will be engaged in similar activities, which will be provided. We hope to use our "Tools for Citizenship" book as a guideline, and these lessons will provide a flexible framework. • October 20th - Getting to Know You/Team Building Activities/Name Your Team/etc. • November 17th - Team Building Continued? • December 14th - • January 26th - • February 23rd - • March 30th - • April 27th - • May 25th - Celebration of Small School Gathering Successes - may have some sort of certificate/pin/etc. given to each team member. During the week of the Small School Gathering, the group leader will give the Tools for Citizenship award to any of their students who are receiving one instead of the award being held until the next All School Gathering. Please come to our Wednesday, September 2nd In-Service Meeting with ideas and questions regarding Small School Gathering. We thank you greatly for your help and support in strengthening our school community. Sincerely, Marion Wheland Jackie Watson Melinda Pugliese Lisa LaDriere-Konan Terri Del Real Liz Cullin Donnan Stoicovy Jaime Goldkrantz Gail Romig Jen Cody Lori Valent
 * __ SMALL SCHOOL GATHERING DATES __**

Thank you to everyone for making the first Small School Gathering a success. The students were buzzing everywhere I went. Lots of them told me how much fun it was! I just loved seeing the 5th graders holding hands with the kindergartners taking them to their SSG. I even managed to snap a few pictures!

My session (in spite of three absentees) went very well! We did introductions then I talked about SSG and what it is. Then we did some Trust-building/Team building games. I hope that your session was as successful. I left them all with smiles on their faces!

Stephanie wanted me to thank the six teachers who agreed to have observers in their spaces especially when this was the first time doing something! They were buzzing as they left PFE about how great it was! She also asked me to remind people to place any of the Informed Consent forms in the box in the office (near the mailboxes). She is going to bring extras for your conferences so you can get any who may have lost them. She also still needs your forms. Please return them to the brown box in the mailroom.


 * Florence - please add Asia to your list as being in my SSG. I will keep her with me since she is new and we did not have her assigned anywhere.

Thanks to the many name tag makers for our rush job to have them ready. The ordered labels did not arrive in time for us to have them printed on the computer. The old adage applied "Many hands make light work!". We had them ready in less than 30 minutes! THANK YOU!!!!

Kudos also go to everyone who help with all aspects of preparation - 4th and 5th grade teachers for making sure that your students knew the rooms that they would be going to for younger students; teachers for getting your children excited and ready to go; paraprofessionals for helping students get to where they needed to go; 4th and 5th graders for taking care of the younger members of our school community, Mollie, Marion and Helen (and Jean Ross for the bulk of the entry) for getting the data base ready for us; etc. It is because of all of your help that today was successful! THANK YOU!

If you have any feedback, input or ideas for the SSG Team, please forward it to anyone from our team (Jaime, Lori, Jackie, Gail, Marion, Melinda, Terri, Lisa, Jen, Liz and Donnan. If you would like to join our team, it is always open to anyone.

SSG Team - we need to schedule a meeting prior to the next staff meeting (11/16) and the next SSG (11/17) to provide the lessons for those who may need them. I'll send out a doodle poll. thanks!

Thank you again! You are the best community anyone could ever work with!

Donnan pics that are of importance to everyon