💛 Welcome to 3rd Grade Advocacy!

Dear Families,

Advocacy is a special time in our school day where students have the opportunity to build relationships, feel connected, and learn important social-emotional skills. It is a time for students to feel known, valued, and welcomed as a member of our classroom and school community.

As your child's Advocate, I will be an important point of connection between home and school. Please feel comfortable reaching out to me with questions, concerns, celebrations, or anything you feel would help me better support your child. I am excited to get to know your child and advocate for them throughout the school year!

🌟 August Advocacy Theme: RRISE

At Westgate, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is part of our Whole Child Education program. Throughout the year, we explicitly teach and practice the behaviors and values that help our school community thrive.

At Westgate, we RRISE!

💛 R — RESPECT

What does respect look like?

Being kind and considerate toward people, property, and ourselves. We will practice listening to others, using kind words, taking care of our classroom, and treating everyone with dignity.

💪 R — RESILIENCE

What does resilience mean?

Being able to keep going when things are difficult. We will learn that mistakes and challenges are part of learning and practice finding ways to bounce back and try again.

❤️ I — INTEGRITY

What does integrity mean?

Doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. We will talk about being honest, making responsible choices, and taking ownership of our actions.

🛡️ S — SAFETY

What does it mean to be safe at school?

Making choices that help keep ourselves and others safe. This includes using materials appropriately, keeping our bodies to ourselves, and making responsible choices in different school settings.

💙 E — EMPATHY

What is empathy?

Understanding and caring about how someone else may be feeling. We will practice noticing other people's feelings, listening to their perspectives, and showing kindness when someone needs support.

🏡 RRISE at School & at Home

Throughout the year, we will continue coming back to these five values and talk about what they look like in real-life situations. Students will have opportunities to practice, recognize, and celebrate RRISE behaviors throughout our school day.

We encourage families to use the same language at home! You might ask:

“How did you show RRISE today?”
“Which RRISE value was challenging today?”
“How could you show empathy in that situation?”

Our goal is not for students to simply memorize five words, but to understand what these values look like and live them out in our classroom, school, homes, and community.

I am so excited for this school year and look forward to partnering with you to help your child grow into a kind, responsible, resilient, and confident third grader!

With appreciation,
Ms. Michielli 💛