Hello from the Bridge Team!
Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. Please take a moment to read through, as we have included Team updates, information and a MHC from our District Counselor.
Check out GRMS Newsletter below for more!
Important upcoming dates/events:
Monday September 9th starts FAST Testing at GRMS. Please refer to Mr. Wilson’s newsletter and GRMS Homepage for more information.
September 18 (change from the 25th): SAC Meeting. Will meet every third Thursday of the month. GRMS Library at 3:15 pm
The Gamble Rogers Middle School Advisory Council recognizes that the education of students is a shared responsibility involving the school, students, their families, and members of this community.
Members of all these groups should, therefore, have the opportunity to advise in educational matters.
Your participation and input are valued 😊
Bridge Connect: Volume 2.4
GMRS office hours will be 7:00 am – 2:50 pm, Monday thru Friday.
General Announcements
We another great week of school for the team overall! Behavior continues to be on point, and we are working on students who are ready to take their next steps with an additional gen. ed. class! We are super excited to continue to work hard and see much success!
-Bridge Program Updates-
DOJO Points and Star Jar Rewards
DOJO points continue to fill our Star Jar for our Quarter 1 team incentive. Root beer floats! We have added over 60 stars this week! Keep up the good work! Students are now carrying their own daily points sheets in their backpacks. Please feel free to go over these with your student, as they are updated daily. The goal is to reach as close to 14 points by the end of the day. Students that have “out” classes earn a 2 for that period, unless we are contacted by the teacher that behavior was amiss. Please reach out if you have any questions!
Thank you to Ms. Geisel for stacking our rewards store! Students are able to buy snacks and treats during break time using their earned DOJO points. If you are interested in contributing to our store [which is always needed and appreciated, please email me!] Students did a wonderful job writing thank you cards for this cause!
How do student earn DOJO points? We focus on being seated and calm. Using kind words [appropriate language] and not being loud, on task/ participating and lastly transitioning in the hallways. These team “goals” will help students practice and implement affective and academic learning!
Students also have the opportunity to earn PURPLE PBiS tickets which can be used for our GRMS school wide positive behavior incentives. Students have done great with earning tickets and DOJO points! Keep working hard and being awesome!!
Phone Policy: TURNED OFF AND IN LOCKER/Backpack for the remainder of the day once on campus.
Students continue to do great with this new state law/school rule! Thank you, families, for your support with this!
Annual IEP meetings will begin at the end of this month. Please check your email that you have registered with HAC. Initial contact will be made this way. Please take some time and review the current plan with your student. This is a good opportunity to find out from their perspective what they feel is working, what they might need instead. Be on the lookout for an email in regard to meeting.
Questions? Please reach out!
ACADEMICS
Please check HAC (Home Access Center) grades are updated on Fridays for your child’s classes. December is a short month! Everything counts.
Fridays have been designated for summative assessments and for the chance for students to show what they know! Please check HAC with your child.
Social Perspectives
The focus of our program is to teach students alternative behaviors to replace challenging ones, helping students reach their academic and affective learning potential. The goal of the Bridge Program at GRMS is to gradually reintegrate students into the general education setting with minimal support.
Our social perspectives focus this week will be on EMOTIONS! Students this week will focus on different real-life situations were making good choices, at times, presents challenging, and more importantly, what to do when emotions are high and good choices are not made?? Together, we will work through real life situations and students will have an opportunity to problem solve and come up with solutions they can use!
Station Rotations
The small group setting allows students to work with peers and adults to ensure they are getting the support they need. Students will rotate through a Learning Strats Station, focusing on study skills, organizational and independent functioning skills, a Novel Study Station and for our Kinesthetic Learners, a Get Up and Move Station.
The Bridge Program at GRMS supports students that have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that includes specific goals in the Social/Emotional Behavior, Independent Functioning and/or Communication domains. Many students also benefit from a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) and counseling services.
The focus of our program is to teach students alternative behaviors to replace challenging ones, with data collected to monitor their progress. The ultimate aim of the Bridge Program at GRMS is to gradually reintegrate students into the general education setting with minimal support.
Ms. Racano: History, Science, Learning Strategies and Social Perspectives.
Mr. Arnold: ELA, Math, Learning Strategies and Social Perspectives.
Ms. Becka, Ms. Leggett, Mr. Jones and Ms. B: Teacher Assistants
Ms. Geisel: District Mental Health Councilor
Mr. Masters: District Behavior Specialist
Mr. Cooper: Assistance Principal
This week Ms. Geisel and Mr. Arnold facilitated a team building activity with students where they reviewed team procedures and expectations and were able to identify strengths and challenges. Students will continue to work on being successful in areas that they struggle with! It was great seeing students being able to advocate for themselves. We will continue to work on communication skills and flexibility when students are presented with different school based situations.
**Ms. Geisel has been a wonderful addition to the Bridge Team. You can find her readily participating in either of our classrooms on the daily or outside shooting hoops with the kiddos to help blow of some steam! We love having her as part of our family.
Since the start of the year, Ms. Geisel has focused on:
- Establishing rapport with students
- Supporting positive social interactions
- Supporting peer dynamics for students new to the Bridge Program
In the weeks ahead Ms. Geisel will be providing more individualized sessions for students.
conducting group activities focused on interest surveys and setting goals for push-out/general education time Identifying barriers to student success.
Role of the District Mental Health Counselor
When a student experiences emotional difficulty that limits the student’s ability to participate in the educational process, the student may benefit from counseling to overcome the difficulty. Counseling typically requires the student to be able to identify feelings and follow a train of thought to make connections related to coping strategies. When a student continues to struggle despite school level counseling or the student’s difficulty is beyond what is typically provided by school level counselors, the student may be referred for counseling from a district mental health counselor. Students in the Bridge Program receive DMHC as outlined in their IEP’s.
The district mental health counselor assesses the student’s need and collaborates with the student’s support network (school, home, community). CLICK FOR MORE SJCSD INFORMATION
Hello! My name is Jaci Racano, and I am thrilled to be a part of your child’s educational journey. I am originally from Union, New Jersey, in 2004 my family and I moved to Saint Augustine and have considered it home ever since! I hold a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.
This is my 28th year in education, with over 10 years of experience in Exceptional Student Education. I am a proud mother of three sons, in my free time, I enjoy spending quality time with my loved ones at the beach, reading books, and playing with our adorable puppies, Frankie, Dino and their friend George.
Should you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me anytime. [email protected]
Please consider donating to our class wish list:
I am looking forward to another great year!
Jaci Racano
The Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is composed of parents, educators, administrators, business representatives, and other interested community members concerned with the education of students with disabilities.
The purpose of the committee is to provide information to parents and input to district staff regarding our ongoing effort to continuously improve services for students with disabilities.
A link to join these meetings will be emailed prior to meeting date and will be posted on district and school websites.
For more information: Parent Advisory Committee – Exceptional Student Education (ESE) (stjohns.k12.fl.us)