Dear Reader:

The opportunities for teaching and reteaching the Janssen Way is not only to set or re-establish our norms and expectations in a timely manner but also to approach happenstance in a similar way.  This past weekend we experienced our first 'snow storm' of the year.  Our first snowfalls are a great opportunity to remind our students about bringing their snow pants and snow shoes, walk and not run on the sidewalks, and be very careful when crossing and the crosswalks.  Sharing these reminders with students is all about building their competence to the Janssen Way by wanting them to be responsible and safe.  Out teachers will revisit these practices with our students throughout the week.

Our Morning Paws reflection for the week is:  "What goes around comes around"...i.e. if we are to say thank you to some one who helps us they too will say thank you the next time you help them.

Sincerely,
Mr. Nikolaou

Dear Reader:

Last week we held an all school assembly in honor of our students--more specifically to recognize our students for practicing our Janssen Way.   We took the time to acknowledge the efforts that our students put into the Janssen Way each and every day at school.  We showed them video samples of our How To Videos on the Janssen Way.  Our students were simply awesome in how respectful they were when adults presented and throughout the video clips.  Over 415 students in our large gym with no need to redirect or pause.

For me what was equally rewarding was the effect the assembly had on our staff.  Our staff were just as appreciative of the event, the recognition to our students, and the video clips.  As they were sitting with their students, I saw our staff's smiles and heard their laughter/applause in unison with our students'.  

Our Janssen Way has, is, and will continue to make a positive impact on our students, staff, and parents.  We believe it and see it, daily.  You too can see this impact...so if you can, pop in to see our Morning Paws or volunteer in your child's classroom.

Thank you,
Mr. Nikolaou

Dear Reader:
Our Janssen Way approach is only geared to the learning of our students.  Our staff members are continuously building their competency to best direct, guide, and facilitate student learning.  For our staff members at this time in the school year, the Classroom Matrix, is at the center of their learning.  The past week, came together for a training session--led by fellow staff members.  The premise for this training aligns with PBIS and the 4:1 ratio--4 acknowledgements:1 consequences.  Our facilitators did a fantastic job explaining a set of reward contingencies:  dependent, independent, and interdependent.  More importantly, our facilitators provided the setting to our remaining staff for them to make meaning through small group discussions on the intended learning.  Teachers' Classroom Matrices are formative processes that are being tweaked and boosted during the year.  With our staff members wanting to building their learning and understanding around the Classroom Matrix is another example of our commitment to grow as learners to better serve our students.
Mr. Nikolaou

I want to share two experiences that I believe our PBIS program has impacted the learning of our students to transfer their learning in community functions.  The first experience was during our all school Veterans' Day Program.  Our students easily transferred their understanding of being respectful when our veterans went through their ceremonial steps, including the rifle sequence outside at the end of the ceremony.  They were able to make meaning of the significance of being respectful throughout the program.  The second experience was during our Family Fun Night, during the selection of the prizes.  Our students practiced our body basics to the tee, just like they practice during our Morning Paws.  I am so proud of the students practice of the Janssen Way, especially in a social setting where the idea of winning prizes was so special to them.

Sincerely,
Mr. Nikolaou

As we continue to strengthen our culture on The Janssen Way, we look for multiple ways students learn (Gardner) to reach ultimately each child in them understanding and practicing The Janssen Way.   In an elementary school setting, providing spatial/visual stimuli for students provides them multiple direct and indirect opportunities to make meaning of The Jansssen Way.  This approach to learning is complimented by interpersonal learning in the classroom and intrapersonal learning during our Morning Paws.  We also integrated kinesthetic learning for our students during our Bulldog Olympics in September.  These are just some examples on how our staff is working together to build The Janssen Way culture.  I have attached our newest display (targeting spatial/visual learning)--located on the corner of Janssen Way and Paws Parkway (pic.twitter.com%2FieY5BO4z ) in our building.  Here is your link: pic.twitter.com%2FVOz2asgn.

Principal Nikolaou

It is so great to see our students in class, during transition time, using our Janssen Way body and line basics.  I have seen a decrease in transition times as students go from one learning experience to the next.  Our teachers, if needing to prompt, use the Janssen Way vocabulary to have our students building capacity on what to say around the focus of the Janssen Way.  Oh, almost forgot, bathroom basics, so awesome that our students are reducing their time and noise in the bathrooms.  They rock, WOOF! WOOF!

The Janssen Way At Home

When you have our students sharing with the entire Morning Paws crowd how they use the Janssen Way at home, it just shows you that they are finding value with what we are working with them at school.  It is also important to mention the lens through which our teachers are seeing the Janssen Way.  In other words, they are seeing these practices at school easily connect to the home, and more importantly initiate the connections with families to allow for students to make the transfer knowing about the Janssen Way and using it.  It is when you hear our students using the Janssen Way vocabulary in their neighborhoods that we see evidence of transfer--and it is happening in pockets of neighborhoods.

Thank you!
Mr. Nikolaou

Our principal chair has found its way to the 3rd grade.  Our practice is to select from our dog bones a winner on Friday and that students gets to sit in the principal's chair for a week.  I will come in the classroom and have another student take a picture of the recipient and myself.  I will send the photo to the parents via email with an explanation of how the student becomes the recipient of the principal's chair.  Our students truly enjoy the experience and our parents are very grateful for sharing this experience with them.  

In working within the premise of The Janssen Way--PBIS, parent communication/awareness is essential.  We are making connections between The Janssen Way and homes by having our students transfer their meaning and ask them to include their parents to reflect how they use The Janssen Way concepts in their home.  During our Morning Paws our staff members will be modeling this connection by informing our students how our staff uses The Janssen Way in their homes.

Finally, I would like to share the impact that our Morning Paws is having on our tardies.  Last year at this time, 8% of our students received at least 1 tardy to start of the school day.  For this year, we have started off very strong with only 4% of our students receiving at least 1 tardy.  We have no students who have received 2 or more tardies at this time.  One of the purposes for Morning Paws, since its inception three years ago was to reduce morning tardies.  Based on the data that I have shared, we are seeing the positive impact Morning Paws is having with our students.

Sincerely,

Mr. Nikolaou

Every day we come together as a school during our Morning Paws.  Each week a community values theme is delivered and shared with our students.  Our premise is to continually prompt our students thinking for them to secure their background knowledge on our 4 Community Values:  Honesty, Kindness, Respect, and Responsibility.  Securing their background knowledge yields making meaning of why it is important to practice the Janssen Way through these values.  More importantly we want our students to be able to transfer this background knowledge independently when making decisions--to make good decision.   Our Morning Paws on a daily basis reminds, encourages, and teaches making good decision for one's self and others.  The impact is seen in the decreasing office referrals for our upper elementary students and a more keen awareness from our lower elementary students.  This process we have is valued by our staff, thus their daily commitment to 'remind, encourage, and teach' our students is embedded in what they do for our students.  Over the last three years, we have built a critical mass, as a staff, around the Janssen Way.  Our Morning Paws is one example of our commitment to better serve students. 

Thank you!   Mr. Nikolaou

Janssen's Closing Ceremony

With the closing ceremonies of the Bulldog Olympics, our purpose for teaching our students our behavioral expectations and having our students practice them came to light. Each grade level was given a topic.  Each class within each grade level created a banner highlighting the importance of the selected topic in relation to making good decisions.  Representatives from each class read their messages to the entire student body.  The atmosphere was electric.  Over 450 people gathered in our gym to celebrate our learning around teamwork, sportsmanship, winning, losing, and perseverance.  Adding to the excitement were two special guests--two members of our high school varsity football team.  They also shared with our students  the importance of the messages presented.  

I wish to thank all staff who volunteered their time to make this work--not just closing ceremonies but the entire two week Bulldog Olympics.  Their efforts are just another reason why Janssen Rocks, Woof!  Woof!

The "Countries"/Classroom Banners

Janssen Elementary School is in its second year of implementing and practices PBIS--what we refer to as the JANSSEN WAY.  This is an all staff effort to provide the best and safe environment for our students.  By working together as a school, we use the same language and agree upon the same expectations based on the developmental ages of our students.  Our JANSSEN WAY strengthens our school culture by bringing a positive energy within our building.  Our activities for teaching our students our expectations are engaging and our acknowledgement system rewarding for our students.  We are greatly impacting our students through PBIS as they too are using the same vocabulary as they sort through making good decisions for themselves or when helping others.

It's SO GREAT to be a Janssen Bulldog because of what we have in place.  We will always continue to reflect and refine how we serve our students.

Sincerely,

Mr. Nikolaou