GUYS WITH TIES & GIRLS WITH PEARLS GAZETTE Volume 3, Issue 1 October 2015

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1 GUYS WITH TIES & GIRLS WITH PEARLS GAZETTE Volume 3, Issue 1 October 2015 The Guys With Ties & Girls With Pearls Gazette Welcome to this year s first edition of the GT & GP Gazette. The Gazette was created to share information with parents about the information covered at our monthly meetings with the students. Students will bring home a monthly Gazette after each student meeting each month. Please read all of the information carefully. We will be including important meeting updates and topic information. This year we are continuing kid friendly articles in our Courteous Kids section. Please let Mrs. Carver know if there is something you would like to see included in the newsletter. Dress For Success Thursdays This year we will be continuing Dress for Success Thursdays. Everyone, in all grades, will be encouraged to dress nicely on Thursdays. This could include a button down shirt, tie, dress pants and a belt for boys and a dress or dress pants for girls. Students do not have to participate every Thursday, but the students in Guys with Ties and Girls with Pearls are asked to dress up for the monthly meetings. Girls in the group will be given a string of pearls to wear around their neck or wrist for the day, and any boys who need a tie can pick one from the large selection Mr. Dunaway has in his office. The boys will be learning to tie a tie at the first meeting and this will give them the opportunity to practice what they have learned. If your child is concerned about participating in recess or PE on Thursdays, they can bring a pair of tennis shoes to change into and the girls can wear a pair of shorts under their dresses. We feel that when the children come to school dressed for success that they tend to make better behavior choices and they present themselves in a positive manner to others. Attendance Requirements There are eight after school student meetings this year. The dates of the meetings are listed on the next page. We want all students and parents to be aware that students MUST attend six out of the eight meetings in order to attend the Tea (this would count as one of the 6) and to receive a completion certificate. If there is an emergency that keeps your child from attending a meeting, please send in a note explaining the absence to Mrs. Carver. Please remind your child that they have made a commitment to be in this program and that commitment includes attending all of the meetings. We are working to instill personal responsibility in all of our students and attendance is a form of responsibility. Page 1

2 Meeting Dates and Topics Listed below are the afterschool meeting dates and the topics that will be covered at each meeting. October 1: Dress for Success how to tie a tie and overall appearance for boys, walking and sitting like a lady for the girls, Behavior and Attendance Contract, Pre-Assessment November 5: Basic etiquette, welcoming a guest, introducing yourself, shaking hands and conversation December 3: Table manners January 7: Parents to present on manners in their culture February 4: Being a respectful listener and speaking effectively March 3: Students present their 3 minute speeches April 7: Communication etiquette internet and phone May 5: End of the year Tea, Certificates This date may change. Want to Help?? We are looking for individuals, businesses & companies to sponsor Guys with Ties & Girls with Pearls! Parents can make contributions. Also, if you know of a company that might be willing to make a donation to the group or contribute items for some of our meetings, please contact Mrs. Carver at [email protected] or Program is Recognized! Each year the Maryland Center for Character Education at Stevenson University holds an annual Awards Program to honor schools throughout MD who have instituted, developed, and are continuing comprehensive character education initiatives in their school communities. It is a goal of MCCE@SU to promote Character Education throughout the state of Maryland. Our Guys with Ties & Girls with Pearls Program has been chosen to receive a Maryland Center for Character Education at Stevenson University (MCCE@SU) School of the Year Award. Mr. Dunaway and Mrs. Carver will be attending the awards program on October 8, At the program they will be presented with a School of the Year banner and certificate. We are very proud of this recognition and appreciate the support of faculty, staff, students and parents. You can find out more information at: Page 2 Page 2

3 Ladies and Gents Some of our fifth grade students participated in Guys with Ties & Girls with Pearls last year and we plan to have those students help us as we cover the topics each month. These students will be designated as our Ladies and Gents. The Ladies and Gents will be given a special button to wear on their school lanyards that identify them as either a lady or a gent. We are excited that so many students are participating for a second year! Talking Points to Review with Your Girls: How to sit in a chair in a dress posture, ankles crossed, hands folded Walking like a lady Toes out, stand up straight, head held up How to pass or get around someone politely Say Excuse me, Don t rush How to allow someone to go ahead of you In an elevator, hallway, entrance to a building or room Page 3

4 Talking Points to Review with Your Boys: Tying a tie Use the diagrams included to practice tying a tie Business Attire Tuck in your shirt, wear a belt, tie your shoes Page 3 Speakers Needed! We have MANY different countries and cultures represented by our students and their families at Shady Spring Elementary. At our January meeting we need parents or relatives to speak to our students about manners in their native country. In past years we have had 3-4 presenters. If you are interested in presenting about your country and the manners and customs you learned as a child, please contact Mrs. Carver at [email protected] or PEARLS OF WISDOM: Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use. Emily Post Page 4

5 Student Behavior & Attendance Contract We are very proud of our Guys with Ties & Girls with Pearls program and it is important that all of the students involved maintain the positive reputation we have worked hard to create. It is our hope that the students in the program will use the skills and manners that they are taught in the program on a daily basis at home and at school. We need our Gents, Guys, Ladies and Girls to make positive choices throughout each school day. When they make poor behavior choices, this reflects poorly on them and our group. We do not expect perfect behavior, but we do want the students to practice what we are teaching them because their behavior influences those around them. If all of the 85 students in Guys with Ties and Girls with Pearls would use their manners daily it would have a BIG impact on the atmosphere at Shady Spring Elementary. Today a Behavior and Attendance Contract was explained to your child. In order to continue to be in our program each student was asked to sign the contract and to make a commitment to be their best each day. The contract is attached. Please read it over and contact Mrs. Carver if you have any questions. Students who do not keep their agreement can be put on probation or suspended from the program for specified periods of time which is explained in the contract. We know you will support us as we work to teach our students personal responsibility and respect. Guys with Ties & Girls with Pearls This year we have a showcase outside of Mr. Kihn s room where we can post meeting dates, copies of the Gazette, pictures and other important information. The Sharp Eyed Students monthly winners are posted next to the showcase. Please stop by and see our display the next time you visit Shady Spring Elementary. Page 5

6 Courtesy Kids In this section there are more kid friendly articles, comics and activities. There will also be a monthly Sharp-Eyed Student contest. You can read about it below! Sharp-Eyed Student Contest Each month there will be a list of sparkler words for you to find in the Gazette. The first 5 girls and 5 boys to highlight all the sparkler words and return their Gazette to Mrs. Carver will have their name displayed on the Sharp-Eyed Student display in the hallway outside Mr. Kihn s room. This month s words are: Personal Effectively Elevator Diagrams Stevenson Without strong roots of CHARACTER we could struggle and make bad decisions. Be a leader of character and let your example stand tall and strong like a tree. Page 6

7 Mr. Manners Matter Video Check out this link to watch a video on manners. How about I Didn t Mean to Burp! Just a silly song about burping (and saying Excuse Me!). Page 7