TdS' Cool Kids! Production A Success!

Guest Blog Post by Natalie Winspear, Executive Director of Pupil Services

This week I had the opportunity to see the production, Cool Kids. I was so impressed with the every aspect of Cool Kids! First, I want to shout out to Kellie Riganti and Darin Curtis for creating a relevant, meaningful, engaging and AWESOME show designed to teach and open a conversation about bullying.  There are so many positive things to say about Cool Kids. The TdS student actors and backstage crew were all professional and well organized.  They tackled a difficult topic with creativity and made students feel comfortable asking difficult questions.  The production was expertly layered to provide multiple opportunities for our elementary students to connect with older middle school students and ask questions/explore their experiences.  First was the "show" where the actors were in character and the acting was impressive.

The show was followed by middle school students breaking character and sitting on risers closer to the audience. Mr. Curtis facilitated this discussion while participants were able to ask questions to the actors about their feelings, the characters' feelings and about bullying. After about 20 minutes of Q & A, the middle school students came into the audience and "mingled" with the younger students, including signing autographs.  Finally, as each class left the auditorium, a few of the middle school students who were in the production went back to class with them to continue the Q & A.  Finally, students were able to respond to questions about bullying via an online survey created by Kellie and Darin.  I am so proud of our staff and students for tackling this difficult and important topic!

Making Perfect Pie Dough

A Chef Tip from Chef Jim Dumars, Lakeside Central Kitchen

Julian is famous for its apple pies but you can also make your own!

Begin by gathering up the equipment you will need:  a mixing bowl, a pastry cutter or two knives, a liquid measuring cup and a rolling pin.

Next, gather your ingredients.  You will need 2 ½ cups pastry flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 8 ounces cold butter and 3 ounces ice water.

Julian Apples
Photo Credit: Laura Russell

Combine the pastry flour, salt and sugar in the mixing bowl.  Cut the butter into small pieces, about ½-inch cubes.  Add the butter pieces to the dry ingredients and cut it in using the pastry cutter or two knives.  Your goal is to keep the butter as cold as possible so that is why you should avoid using your hands to work the butter into the flour.  To achieve perfect pie dough the trick is to work most of your butter into small pieces that are smaller than a pea and keep a portion about the size of corn flakes.

When all the butter is properly cut into the dry ingredients, add the water to finish the dough.  Be sure to keep the water over some ice cubes so you can have the coldest water possible.  Adding cold water will keep your butter cold and not undo your work of getting the butter into small particles.  Add just enough water to achieve a rough dough, a little bit of flour at the end of mixing is fine.  You can use your hands at this time to mix the dough together but be careful not to overmix as you want to keep your dough flaky.

Cut your dough into two pieces and use the rolling pine to shape them into circles.  Wrap each pieces of dough and refrigerate it for at least an hour to relax the gluten and firm up the butter.  Roll your pie crust out on a lightly floured surface until it is about ¼” thick.  Only reroll your pie scraps once to reuse as the dough will become too tough.

This will make enough for 2 9” pie shells.

Positive Behavior Has Its Rewards

Guest Blog Post By: Kay Little, Digital Learning Coach

Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is a district initiative to make schools safe and promote positive behavior.  The focus of PBIS is prevention, and not punishment. Students learn about what behavior is appropriate, and are taught social skills, including how to act in different settings. They may learn through role-playing or through actual lessons.

At Lakeside Farms School, the entire staff has implemented a lanyard program to encourage positive behavior. If a student goes above and beyond in being safe, responsible, or respectful, a staff member may put a PBIS lanyard around the student’s neck, and tells the student how they were being safe, responsible, or respectful. Throughout the day when other staff members or students see the child wearing a lanyard, they ask the student what they did to earn it. The student then reiterates what they did to earn the lanyard, which again reinforces the positive behavior.

According to Lakeside Farms Principal, Matt Thompson, there are two positive benefits to the lanyard program:

The child receiving the lanyard feels positive about receiving it, and has the opportunity to re-explain why they received it several times throughout the day to their classmates and staff members. Peers who see the students with the lanyards want to know what they did to receive it, which reinforces the positive behavior. It is also a great way to build the School/Home connection.  When parents ask their child how they earned the lanyard, the child once again reinforces safe, responsible, or respectful behavior by verbalizing why they received it.  

Mr. Thompson models the
Lakeside Farms lanyard.

The student takes the lanyard back to school the next day and turns it in to their teacher.  The teacher then gives the student a cougar paw to put on a bracelet or a backpack.

Lakeside Farms also has Possum Reward tickets that are given out to students for being safe, responsible, or respectful. The tickets are taken to their classroom where they are put in a basket. Teachers use the reward tickets in the classroom for class incentives, such as the opportunity to eat lunch with their teacher. Also once or twice a week the office calls for the tickets, and Mr. Thompson draws names for school wide incentives.  

PBIS has been very successful throughout the district. At Lakeside Farms, a student who earned a PBIS lanyard was so proud of it that he wore it to the grocery store and to his friend’s house. He even slept with it. He was so proud and excited!

Thanks to the UPS Store for printing and donating the PBIS lanyards for Lakeside Farms School.