Pacifica Wednesday Weekly

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October 10, 2007

IMPORTANT CALENDAR DATES

If you have items to add to the calendar, please e-mail the date and time along with a description to calendar@pacificaschool.org

EARLY RELEASE DAY THIS FRIDAY

Friday 10/12 is a half day. Pick up is 12:45. Extended after-care is available for those students whose parents are unable to pick them up at 12:45. Pre-enrollment and pre-payment for this service is required. The fee is $10 for care up until 3:20. After 3:20, regular aftercare billing kicks in. See Carmen in the office to sign your child up and make your payment. Thanks!

COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Our first Community Gathering/mixer on October 4th was a lot of fun! Thanks to all who attended, and if you missed it, be sure to join us next time!

Next Community Affairs Committee Meeting

Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, October 18th at 5:30 pm, where we’ll be discussing our next community event – please bring snacks! For more information, contact Deva at 310-622-3660 or Donna at 310-204-3256.

AIDS Walk

The Community Affairs Committee has chosen the AIDS Walk as Pacifica’s community event. The event takes place on Sunday, October 21st. To sign up, or for more information, please contact Agnete at 310-801-1400.

SITE COMMITTEE UPDATE

The Workday a few weeks ago was FANTASTIC! We had almost 40 people and got a whole heck of a lot done. Notice the shade in the 6/7/8 space: it is very nice! (We also worked on the picnic tables in the 6/7/8 area, sanding down and priming one. We will finish it up and work on the other on the next workday). We collected over $285 from the very generous 6/7/8 parents to pay for supplies and I spent $221.91 buying the shade material. I plan to take the extra $63.09 and use it for supplies for the next workday (I would apply it first to any work happening in the 6/7/8 area and secondly to shade material to be put over the sandbox, which is our next big project). Donors, if you gave me a check I will make sure you get a thank you letter for tax purposes.  If you gave me cash and would like a letter, just drop me a note in the BRONSON box (or the site box in the office) (and be sure to tell me how much you gave me). Darby

“LOST LITTLE STUFF”

Have you noticed small classroom stuff around the yard? Like pencils, game pieces, craft materials that wandered out in the hands of some small kid and got left in the dust.  I am putting some small boxes around the yard labeled “Lost Little Stuff” in high up places so you can return things and they end up back in the class and not in the trash.  Darby

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUBS

October order forms have been distributed. Please have any orders in the WEISSE family box by Friday 10/12. Thank you all families who ordered in September! Pacifica Community Charter School will receive $99 worth of free books and software already!

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING

The Communications Committee will be meeting on campus this Saturday, October 13th at noon. We’ll be discussing a draft policy revision on the uses of The Loop, and the efficacy of having an internet-based “bulletin board” system, among other topics of interest. The Publicity and Tech Committees will have breakout sessions immediately following the general meeting. Everyone in the community is welcome to attend! For more information, contact Glen at glen@pacificaschool.org

Big Feelings

By Laura Weaver, Communication Specialist at Pacifica

On September 15, 2007 many of us attended the “Big Feelings” workshop presented by Melody Elder, our independent study teacher who is also a parenting coach, and Laura Dotson, a family therapist. Much of the discussion focused on anger, both adult’s and children’s. I wanted to follow-up with some information about what happens with “big feelings”, particularly anger, that children might have while they are at Pacifica.

Our goal is to support a child in expressing feelings in a way that is both physically and emotionally safe for that child and others, while also keeping personal and school property safe.  If a child is unable to maintain safety limits, or his or her expression of feelings is too distracting to the learning process of other students, s/he may be asked to move to another location. At this point, the classroom staff may call for my assistance in supporting the child.

Regardless of the emotion being expressed, our first tool of choice is empathetic listening. We may listen attentively but silently. We may reflect what we hear the child saying and help them identify feelings and needs. If a child expresses a desire for physical comfort, we may sit with an arm around them. We may call a parent or family member to connect with and comfort the child over the phone. Occasionally, if a child is extremely upset or unable to move through the feelings, we may ask that s/he be picked up to receive connection and attention at home.

We acknowledge that some children may need to physically express an upset. At Pacifica, this could involve walking, running, jumping, getting on the swing, throwing or kicking a ball, digging in the sandbox or garden, etc.  Sometimes, we might offer bubble wrap to pop or newspapers to tear or crumple.

One thing we don’t do is have children hit or kick objects either with their hands or sticks or bats, i.e., we don’t offer punching a pillow as a way to release anger. At Pacifica we want to teach skills that can carry our students through a lifetime. The fact is that this method is not supported in research literature as effective. In fact, researcher Brad Bushman from Iowa State University found that this method is the least effective way of reducing anger. It may actually prolong anger and does nothing to reduce anger towards the other person. Another researcher found that while venting aggressively does create pleasurable feelings for some, again, it does not reduce the aggressive feelings towards the other person. In fact, the more pleasure derived from aggressive venting behavior, the more aggressive the person acts towards others. The classic sitcom example of throwing darts at someone’s picture or imagining an enemy’s face on a punching bag seems to increase anger and may actually contribute to feeling more hostile the next time that person is met face-to-face.

Dr. Carol Tavris, a social psychologist and author of Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion looked at hundreds of research studies, and also concluded that venting, and even aggressive play, increases the likelihood of more anger, rather than reducing it.

Tavris doesn’t advocate repressing or ignoring feelings of anger, but rather expressing them directly to the other person if this is like to lead to resolution rather than retaliation.

Which brings us back to what we do at Pacifica: If a child’s “big feelings” are a result of a conflict or interaction with another child, we bring them together when both are able to safely discuss the situation. We help them express feelings and needs to each other and make agreements about future interactions.

If a child’s “big feelings” were the result of something not involving anyone else, we might spend some time problem solving or discussing whatever it was, to come up with strategies. For example, a child might make a plan to ask the teacher for more time to complete an activity, rather than becoming angry about being asked to go to P.E.

It can take families some time to understand and to get used to our process. If you ever have any questions or concerns about how we process feelings at Pacifica, please feel free to speak with me.

CHARTER EXTENSION UPDATE

Last year’s test scores (2007) came in recently, and Pacifica's API (test scores number) went up 34 points. Our official target was 8 points so the district considers this a significant improvement (the district average improvement was around 7 points). Also, we recently had a surprise visit from our LAUSD charter coordinator, who made many positive comments (all the students are engaged, the school is so calm and it's only the second week, etc.). Ms. Porter, the charter coordinator, has apparently passed along her positive impressions of the school to others at LAUSD.

Mary Sue introduced herself to Greg McNair (head of the Charter Schools Division) at the LAUSD Principal's meeting and now has a lunch appointment scheduled for October 11. At Ms. Porter's, suggestion, we drafted a request to revise our new charter to extend it for four additional years, and Mary Sue will give that to Mr. McNair when they meet. 

Since test scores are the main focus of LAUSD’s evaluation of success, we expect to go before the Board in the very near future to extend Pacifica #2’s charter for the full five years we originally requested.

Thank you all again for your tremendous support through the charter renewal process last year!

Questions or comments? Contact Janin or Beth.

KNOW YOUR COUNCIL!

As part of our continuing series of introductions of members of Pacifica’s Organization Council, this week, meet your Enrollment Chairperson:

Heidi Rudd

“I'm Brennen's mom (K-1) and Gwendolyn's mom (pre-Pacifica age). I work as the office manager at Westwood Presbyterian Church Preschool where my daughter now attends. This will be Brennen's second year at Pacifica. I became involved with Pacifica even before Brennen started here. Before I turned in an application, I volunteered a day in the office to check it out. Then, when Brennen was accepted that summer, the previous enrollment chair went on vacation and I helped her with some acceptance letters. Well, she didn't come back, so I jumped right in! I am so excited to have a committee this year, and I'm hoping to get a ton of stuff set into motion.”

ENVIRONMENTAL TIPS

Thanks to Janin for providing the following tips:

Stop Junk Mail

Go to www.dmachoice.org/cgi/offmailing list. There you can register with the Mail Preference Service to reduce the amount of junk mail you get. Each year, the average U.S. household receives about 1.5 trees' worth of junk mail. It costs a buck, but it's worth it. 

Lose the Phone Book

If you use an online directory anyway, call to stop the delivery of your traditional paper phone book, Telephone books make up almost 10 percent of the waste at dump sites. (from The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time. www.greenbook.com

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