Our society and culture is filled with competition. From our sports activities to the shows we watch, competition is ingrained in us as Americans. Competition builds character, develops teamwork, and teaches life lessons when it is appropriately coached and monitored. But there is a dark side to competition, and we sometimes see that dark side spill over into our schools and other social activities. We sometimes see our children embroiled in competition and peer interactions that can be hurtful and difficult to explain to a small child. What do you say to a six year old, when someone doesn't want to play with them or sit by them at lunch? What do you say to an eight year old that doesn't make the best grade in class no matter how hard they try? As parents and educators we are obligated to teach our children how to navigate this tricky world of competition and getting along with others. But at what point does a normal, healthy life lesson become something more? At what point does not wanting to play turn into bullying or harassment? How do we know when to step in and intervene, and when do we let our children work through these inevitable situations on their own? I recommend three excellent books on this topic that may give you insight on how to handle these difficult situations. Building Moral Intelligence by Michele Borba, The Bully, The Bullied, and the Bystander by Barbara Colorosa, and Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. You can learn more by clicking on the links below the book covers. Birdville also has resources through our counseling department. Click on the link below to learn more.http://www.birdvilleschools.net/safetyzone/coreindex.htm
At Walker Creek, we are committed to keeping all children and staff members physically and emotional safe every day. We encourage you to maintain open communication with your teacher and always let them know when there is a situation they need to be aware of. Our counselor, Dee Ann Knight, and our adminstration has an open door policy if you have any needs or concerns.
The state of Texas is instituting a new accountability test beginning this spring. The STAAR will replace TAKS which has been in place for the past ten years. The new STAAR is closely aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and is expected to be more rigorous than its predecessor. In general, the STAAR is designed to test how well our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade scholars understand the TEKS at an in depth level. Virtually all tested TEKS are introduced in the primary grades. STAAR will have a rating system that will begin with the 2012 - 2013 school year. Campuses and districts will not be rated this year under STAAR. To better understand what STAAR is testing and how it is structured, I have included some resources below you can check out.