The first six weeks of school have been an important time for students and teachers to build solid relationships, develop trust and ensure safety in the class environment. This allows students to positively participate, collaborate and critically think in their daily lives at school. As adults we realize that today’s work world requires us to work effectively and collaboratively with teams or colleagues. Equally important is developing students’ ability to articulate ideas and their thinking about how they solve problems. Through our work this year, teachers will focus on developing these skills in multiple methods.

The first, is work with the Common Core Mathematical Practice Standards:

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them: Students actively pursue solutions to a variety of problems.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively: Students reason and adjust their thinking based on mathematical information.

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others: Students justify their choices.

4. Model with mathematics: Students use symbols and tools to help them make sense of and solve problems in reasonable ways.

5. Use appropriate tools strategically: Students actively use manipulatives and other learning tools when needed.

6. Attend to precision: Students use careful accurate definitions and perform computations carefully and appropriately.

7. Look for and make use of structure: Students identify, discuss, and use structure in ways to solve problems.

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning: Students look for and make sense of repeated reasoning.

Beginning at Kindergarten and building at each grade level, students will engage in tasks and activities that cultivate critical thinking in order to solve complex problems. Students will also learn how to communicate their ideas independently, as well as with their peers.

Secondly, students engagement in the Teachers College Units of Study Reading and Writing Curriculum, contribute to their ability to articulate their thinking by developing their ‘voice’, ownership and responsibility for their writing and expressing ideas and understanding of what they have read. When children are able to independently reason and explain their thinking, they gain produce. They gain strength and conviction. They take pride in the fact that they are capable and are learning how to take care of themselves.

WALTER HAYS CORE VALUE OF THE MONTH

Responsibility

We are accountable for our behavior, we honor our

promises, and we care for our earth.

Dear Walter Hays Families,

WALTER HAYS ELEMENTARY SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

5th grade student explains core values

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Related to this effort, last Thursday night Walter Hays, Addison and Duveneck Schools PTA’s sponsored author Julie Lythcott-Haims, former Stanford University Freshman Dean discuss her new book, How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success. Ms. Lythcott-Haims is also a member of our Palo Alto community and whose two children attend PAUSD schools. She spoke about her work as dean in which she “noticed a startling rise in parental involvement in students’ lives. Every year, more parents were exerting control over students’ academic work, extracurriculars, and career choices, taking matters into their own hands rather than risk their child’s failure or disappointment…as a result of hyper-attentive parenting, lacked a strong sense of self and were poorly equipped to handle the demands of adult life.”

Ms. Lythcott-Haims offered “practical alternative strategies that underline the importance of allowing children to make their won mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness and inner determination necessary for success”.

This growth and ability does not begin when they go off to college. It begins as they take their first steps, as they enter kindergarten, when they learn to read, when they raise their hand to answer a question in class, when they solve a conflict on the playground, when they run for student council, when they tell you they can ride their bike to school independently, when they take responsibility for doing their own homework, feeding the dog, clearing their own plates from the kitchen table and cleaning their rooms.

Our children are very capable of taking responsibility for their schoolwork and chores at home. They develop a sense of pride when they demonstrate this to you and their teachers. Ms. Lythcott-Haims claims that the irony of doing too much to support children actually sends a message to them that they are not capable of doing for themselves. It is truly an important consideration as we parent and teach.

You are invited to join our Walter Hays Book Club to discuss your thoughts about this book: How to Raise an Adult:  Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success, by Julie Lythcott-Haims Tuesday, October 20th at 7:00 pm, Walter Hays Library

Also, please be sure and attend the upcoming fun family event: Walter Hays Fall Fest Sunday, October 25, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

I look forward to seeing you at these events.

Fondly,

Mary

WALTER HAYS ELEMENTARY SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

Parent volunteers at popsicle welcome

Flag raising ceremony — first day of school

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Dear Students, Parents and Teachers,

Here we are in our seventh week of school. For many of us, we’re feeling like things are falling into place. Carpools have been arranged, soccer, ballet or art class has started and perhaps you have even taken your turn at snack duty for one of these activities! Things are under control – for now. For my family, October brings the kind of busy calendar that would make anyone shudder. During this busy time I often turn to my friends, or my family for the support needed to keep things moving along.

I often hear what an amazing community Walter Hays is. I agree, and have told anyone that will listen that I too think we have something special at Walter Hays. While we are part of a larger Palo Alto community, we come together by riding our bikes or walking to school each day. For some, afternoon pick-up

brings a similar routine. We volunteer in the classrooms and the library, we sign up to bake treats for the teacher lounge, and we help at noon art and various PTA activities. Teachers and parents are working together for the good of the school, for the good of the students. We come together in the Fall and plan our largest fundraiser, Fall Fest. Willingly we donate our time in so many ways. We are a diverse group, all doing our part to help make this school, Walter Hays, such a special place. Along the way there are deep

friendships made and memories that fill our hearts.

During this busy time of year I want to remind everyone that our Walter Hays community is special because of all of you! When you are asked in the next month to dig deeper for more of your time for various school events like the Bike Rodeo, the Big Play Date, Fall Fest and so many other great events, or even asked to bring a meal for a sick family, help another family with childcare or lend a hand when someone needs a child picked up from soccer do it because these efforts are what makes our community so amazing.

“Without a sense of caring, there could be no sense of community.” Anthony J. D’Angelo

Thanks for all you do each and every day,

Laura Lindstrom Sandy Liu PTA Co-Presidents

PTA Matters

Mary with Superintendent Max McGee

WALTER HAYS ELEMENTARY SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

Sandy Liu, PTA Co-President Laura Lindstrom, PTA Co-President

Ken Bunton, PE teacher

W A L T E R H A Y S C U L T U R A L F E S T I V A L

A big thank you to all of our amazing table

hosts, volunteers and performers.

This event could not have happened without you!

WALTER HAYS ELEMENTARY SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

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WALTER HAYS ELEMENTARY SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

How to Raise an Adult with Julie Lythcott-Haims

“Stop cutting their meat!”

Through a joint venture with Walter Hays, Addison and Duveneck Elementary schools, we had a special opportunity to hear Julie Lythcott-Haims speak on the topic of overparenting and how this can undermine our children’s ability to become successful, free-thinking adults. “Across a decade as Stanford University’s dean of freshmen, Lythcott-Haims noticed a startling rise in parental involvement in students’s lives. Parents were exerting control over students’ academic work, extracurricular activities, and career choices, taking matters into there own hands rather than risk their children’s failure or disappointment.” She calls this the “checklisted childhood” where everything is safe, selected and

arranged for kids. As a result, Lythcott-Haims saw young adults who resembled “robots or Stepford children” looking to parents for guidance on everything and lacking the ability to make decisions on even small issues. Not only did the author see this in her work at Stanford, but so have other educators and employers throughout the country.

Lythcott-Haims is a mother of two children in Palo Alto. During the talk it was apparent how much she empathized with parents’ concern for their children’s futures. In her book she writes, “I know that love is the foundation for all we do as parents, but based on research, interviews with more than a hundred people and my own personal experiences, I’ve come to the conclusion that we define success too narrowly. And what’s worse, this narrow, misguided definition of success has led us to harm a generation of young adults - our children.” She feels that caregivers must allow room for children to make mistakes and their own decisions in order to become resilient, confident people who can advocate for themselves. Many young adults lack this ability.

Problems resulting from overparenting

• When parents over-help it undermines our kids’ ability to make their own way.

• Kids can tell us what they have achieved but not what matters to them or who they want to be. Children lack basic skills such as independent decision-making.

• Abundant evidence shows that overparenting creates higher rates of anxiety and depression.

Advice • Trust your kid and let them

make their own decisions • Let them struggle or even fail.

This will build confidence and basic life skills (remember: this is how our kids learned to walk. They had a fall. We couldn’t do it for them).

Lythcott-Haims mentioned 4 basic steps on how to teach your child to become an adult:

1. DO FOR the child (such as holding an infant or toddler while crossing the street);

2. DO WITH (hold hands while crossing the street, while telling the child the rules of the road);

3. WATCH AND HELP. Allow child to walk across the street, while parent stays close to protect and advise as needed;

4. DO ALONE. Child now knows a skill and can take pride in their own ability to accomplish a task.

The hallmark of being an adult is when one can make one’s own way... without calling mom and dad.

Parent Education Speaker Event

Book Club with Mary Reminder that we will be discussing the book ‘How to Raise an Adult’ at Mary's Book Club on Oct 20th at 7pm at Walter Hays Library. We encourage people to read the book but please join us either way.

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Core Values Support Social and Emotional Learning

The Core Values Committee is a team of teachers, staff and parents who are passionate about social and emotional learning (SEL). We intend to support our school community in integrating the Walter Hays Core Values into all aspects of learning and play, including the detailed and rich SEL curriculum designed to enhance social

thinking in our children. Each month our school focuses on a different Core Value, and we’ll provide the community with inspiration in this newsletter, in addition to school-wide activities and resources.

Core Values Integrate with SEL

Why is it important that we integrate our Core Values into school-wide activities?

Research shows that SEL programs yield strong benefits in academic accomplishment, with up to 50% of children showing academic improvements. SEL programs also make schools safer, increase attendance, and significantly increase positive behavior in 63% of the students. (And we’re probably all aware of how important social and emotional skills can be in the workforce!)

Most importantly, improved social interactions help kids learn in the classroom, and as our kids learn to navigate relationships, they naturally incorporate the Core Values as part of the conflict resolution process. It's great, a gift really, for us to have a common language for understanding how to translate feelings and emotions into actions. For example, Responsibility—the Core Value for September— is an important first step, because it’s only when a person truly takes responsibility for their part, do they learn positive changes. Ultimately, the more at ease kids feel in their environment, the more they can focus on what they’re learning, academically and otherwise.

One acts responsibly when one does the job required of

one’s role. What is the parent’s role in integrating Core Values at home? If we want our children to engage the world with a sense of self-worth, then doesn’t that mean we ourselves must engage the world from the same place? As researcher Brené Brown points out in her book Daring Greatly: How The Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead, our children learn that they are worthy of love, belonging, and joy every time they see us practice self-compassion and embrace our own imperfections and failures. It’s a tall order, to be that vulnerable, with our children especially!

Here’s a quote about responsibility to share and discuss with your children at the dinner table: “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”~Abraham Lincoln

What are you willing to start today so that you are the adult you eventually want your children to become?

Oh, and here’s another great quote to consider by our parent education speaker in September: “Professional success in life comes from having done chores as a child.”~ Julie Lythcott-Haims

For books with responsibility themes, Walter Hays Library has a great book list. Please ask Mr. Ambrose, Librarian.

If you are interested in learning more, or attending Core Values meetings, please contact: Jami Milton at jamilynn@gmail.com or Vikas Bhatia at vikasbhatia1010@gmail.com

By Jami Milton and Vikas Bhatia

WALTER HAYS ELEMENTARY SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

CALENDAR  OF  CORE  VALUE  FOCUS  

September - Responsibility October - Integrity

November - Initiative December - Respect

January - Perseverance February - Resilience

March - Empathy April - Inclusion

May - Cooperation

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OUR CORE VALUES

RESPECTWe honor others by treating them with

kindness, courtesy, and fairness.

PERSERVERANCEWe put forward our best effort and work,

especially when we are challenged.

COOPERATIONWe agreeably work together to solve problems,

and we unite to create a supportive environment for everyone.

EMPATHYWe accept and support others and acknowledge

their feelings.

INCLUSIONWe include others in activities and games with a

welcoming spirit.

INTEGRITYWe make positive and responsible choices that

come from within ourselves.

RESPONSIBILITYWe are accountable for our behavior, we honor

our promises, and we care for our earth.

INITIATIVEWe are leaders and speak up, even when it is

unpopular.

RESILIENCEWe remember that there are always other opportunities, and we hold a hopeful spirit.

WALTER HAYS ELEMENTARY SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

save the date

FALL FEST 2015 OCTOBER 25 1:00-4:00 pm

Mark your calendars! Fall Fest 2015 is fast approaching and it is our main Walter Hays PTA FUNdraiser. During the festival, kids participate in a variety of fun activities such as

• cakewalks • obstacle courses • wacky hair • water balloon toss • many more fun activities

while parents sign-up for parties to attend throughout the year. The parties are not only fabulous but an excellent means to make new friends. Also for the parents are wonderful auction items to win. This is a huge event and we need your help to make it a success.

Please sign up to volunteer via uptous.com.

Can't wait to see you there!

Teacher Ken’s awesome PE class!