Sanford Pride Elementary School

Hello Pride Families - Please see the link to this week's SPE Weekly Roar. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HUFKo8c8nZgN14qmUJSGxqwnpvwnDbfB/view?usp=sharing

The hallways of Sanford Regional Technical Center were filled with excitement as more than sixty 4th graders from Pride Elementary toured SRTC. Pride students visited six programs throughout the school with the help of guides Kat Randall, Finn Doughty, Neveah Gagne, Tyrese Ottey, Shawnty Harris, and Connor Rice. They got to see the students in action and also learned what the programs were all about from the instructors who taught them. SRTC is planting the seeds and getting kids excited about their future in education.

Hello Pride Families - The MCS Pride PTA is looking for a Pride parent/guardian to volunteer as the Event Leader to plan/organize the upcoming Sweetheart Dance, which is scheduled for 2/2. Without a SPE Event Leader, this event will be canceled. Please reach out to mcsptame@gmail.com by 1/12/24. Thank you in advance for your support.

The Maine Department of Education is now accepting nominations for Teacher of the Tear. Nominations can be made through a form on the Maine Teacher of the Year Website from now until 5:00 p.m. on January 31st, 2024. They are accepted by students, parents, caregivers, community members, school administrators, colleagues, college faculty members, and associations/organizations. Self-nominations and nominations from family members are not accepted. For more information, follow this link: https://www.mainetoy.org/nominate

Sanford Pride 4th graders are working to win the Golden Spoon Award. Two students who have shown good manners during lunch will be selected each day. On the final day of each school week, these students will sit at a special table decorated with a tablecloth, flowers, real plates, silverware, and glasses. The students will learn about setting a table and enjoy a “fancy” lunch.

Hello Pride Families - Please see the link to this week's SPE Weekly Roar.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h2gRdqUxQhliL18jNgsULjAfj9ReOoVX/view?usp=sharing

Hello Pride Families - Happy New Year! Please see the link to this week's SPE Weekly Roar. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YfeSucV_ApUACXV-vR8ja5wpCwP050fk/view?usp=sharing

Hello SPE Families - Please see the link to this week's SPE Weekly Roar. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n1snghXtc5cwC7Z5cdx19F3pQAhZRaWx/view?usp=sharing

Hello Pride Families - Please see the link to this week's SPE Weekly Roar. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NfpG8gRVBKAza2wSQmWQ7CelD4wPP6ae/view?usp=sharing

This year marks the 17th anniversary of the Student Support Room! Pride Elementary school is very fortunate to have a room dedicated to supporting students in a positive and proactive way at school. Hundreds of elementary students over the past years have been able to enjoy having a supportive space to come to for taking a break from the rigors and routines of daily school life. Breaks can be an essential part of an effective learning experience. Having to spend a full day at school is not always an easy task, especially for younger students. Even though school can be a fun experience for many students, some students simply don’t have the stamina to last out for a full day of schedules and tasks. Having a Student Support room, offers our young students a place to come and take a break by using other creative and challenging activities. These breaks are positive interventions that help to allow students a respite and a chance to recharge. There is now overwhelming research that supports how taking breaks at school can have very positive effects on student success, both academically and behaviorally. Studies also show that our brains need a break when learning new material. A brain break can help students retain information and new knowledge. Pride’s Student Support room doesn’t just offer breaks, it also offers positive support to all students who enter the room. Students are greeted with friendly smiles and asked to share how their day is going. The support staff is not a counselor, but acts as a mentor and supportive coach with the students-their goal is to help students do well at school. The support room’s environment is created to offer a peaceful classroom by playing soft instrumental music, and many smiley faces and posters are to be found all throughout the room. Fun activities challenge students to stay focused on solving puzzles that can earn them a sticker or a small prize. Our teachers are largely responsible for the success of our Student Support room because they are the ones sending students to use it. Students can use the room for breaks, fun lunches, positive reinforcement and interventions designed to help them be successful at school. Pride’s Student Support room is a very big part of our positive school culture.

Join Sanford Pride Elementary tonight in the cafeteria for Snapshots with Santa from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by the MCS Pride PTA. Don’t forget to bring your camera for photos!

Dear Parents and Families: I am writing to let you know we had a lockdown drill today. This drill included conversations with students about what to do in certain situations such as barricading doors or evacuating the building. If you recall, this is part of the ALICE training (ALICE is short for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate). The students did a great job during the drill. Please contact with me any questions. Susan Inman, Principal

Hello Pride Families - Please see the link to this week's SPE Weekly Roar. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IWiJYBcSZ3GB4Lgw8NwEZoE8HFVqC_nF/view?usp=sharing

Please don't forget to take advantage of the two fundraisers currently running at SPE! 1st Place Spiritwear gives 10% of all purchases back to SPE. Take advantage of the holiday sale going on. All purchases made by 12/8 have a guaranteed delivery by 12/23. 1st Place Spiritwear Website - https://1stplacespiritwear.com/schools/ME/Sanford/Sanford+Pride+Elementary?utm_source=109049&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=school-direct Maine Made Christmas is also sharing a percentage of its sales with SPE. Please support this fundraiser by purchasing a holiday wreath, kissing ball, or centerpiece for yourself or as a gift. All products are shipped directly to you or the gift recipient. When purchasing, don't forget to use the Promo/Discount code - SanfordSchool. Maine Made Christmas Website - https://mainemadechristmas.com/ Ordering Procedure - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aWH4UcI0eV4L5SJgUcsPDoW_Fyti1ZXb/view?usp=sharing Funds from both fundraisers will be put toward the SPE student activity fund. Thank you in advance for supporting our fundraising efforts.

Hello Pride Families - Please join us on Tuesday, December 5th, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM for the free family event - Snapshots with Santa. This event is sponsored by the MCS Pride PTA. *Don't forget to bring your camera for photos.

Using Creative Thinking to Solve Problems Submitted by Mr. Benham Many people believe that you are either creative or you aren’t. Well, guess what? Creativity is a skill that can be improved with practice. This week third grade students practiced the skills of creative thinking. We warmed up our brains by coming up with many ideas (fluency), we added to our ideas (elaboration), and we saw things in a new way (flexibility). Using a well known tool called SCAMPER, students were challenged to redesign the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to solve the problems of wind, hard to control balloons, balloons that can rip, and avoiding obstacles in the parade route. Ideas included smaller balloons, sticky gloves for holding the straps, driveable balloons, street lamps wrapped in pillows, and even using sled dogs or robots to pull the balloons! What creative solutions do you have?

The MCS Pride PTA is in need of volunteers for the events listed below. If you are interested in helping out, please email mcsptame@gmail.com. Snapshots with Santa at Pride Elementary - 12/5 5:00-7:00pm Snapshots with Santa at MCS Elementary - 12/13 5:00-7:00pm

Hello Pride Families - Please see the link to this week's SPE Weekly Roar. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EdKKtc6KAl6XpoTR9kNSDJGURMR3yeTv/view?usp=drivesdk

The MCS Pride PTA is in need of volunteers for the events listed below. If you are interested in helping out, please email mcsptame@gmail.com. Snapshots with Santa at Pride Elementary - 12/5 5:00-7:00pm Snapshots with Santa at MCS Elementary - 12/13 5:00-7:00pm

The SPE Library has been very busy these past few months. Students have been enjoying many of the new books that arrived in September. They have also enjoyed getting to know Mrs. Caswell, the new library ed tech. She brings a lot of fun and whimsy to the library with her eye catching displays and excitement for books. Second, third and fourth grade students have started participating in Fab First Chapters where Mrs. Caswell shares the first few chapters of a new books and provides students with read-alike titles to check out. This has been a great way to introduce new genres and get students to try books that they may not have noticed before. Kindergarteners are now taking books home after learning how to care for library books and first graders helped create a “Wild About Books” bulletin board on the ramp to show off their artistic talent. All students have also enjoyed the different Makerspace activities that the library offers. Makerspaces allow students to use different materials to build, make, decorate, or play with and students can work with these materials on their own or with classmates. Makerspaces encourage collaboration, problem solving and creativity. Some students have been able to participate in Makerspace challenges as well. One challenge was to build a Thanksgiving dinner table out of craft sticks and blocks that will hold all of the dinner plates while another had students make boats out of tinfoil that would hold ten “passengers” without sinking. These activities had students working together and persevering to meet the challenge. When Mrs. Sullivan is in the building she has been teaching students how to be safe, respectful and responsible when using technology and going online. Many students are on their way to becoming great Digital Citizens! After Thanksgiving break, students will be introduced to fantasy books and as always when we come back after December break, it will be time for Chickadee books. There are 10 new, exciting nominees that we can’t wait to share with everyone.