ROCKY BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Celebrates World Kindness Day
November 2020
Rocky Branch students all participated in World Kindness Day 2020 by designing kind messages on notecards to be hidden in our library books. Student Voice Organization members tucked these notes into library books. Over 350 books in the Rocky Branch library have a kind note hidden in them for students to discover as they check out books from the school library!
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Rocky Branch Character Education
The character education theme at Rocky Branch is "Growing with Character"
to connect to mission of ECO Day each year!
Special Surprise for
Rocky Branch Students! After reading about the Rocky Branch Kindness Rocks project in the River Falls Journal, Craig and Kathy Miles of the Wings Foundation treated all Rocky Branch students and staff to ice cream sandwiches as a reward for promoting "Kindness" in our community. Mr. and Mrs. Miles started the Wings Foundation in honor of their son who passed away in 2006. The Wings Foundation mission is to support various causes in western Wisconsin that help promote initiatives making compassion and caring a part of who you are. Through our Kindness Rocks project, the Rocky Branch students are bringing hope, thoughtfulness and inspiration to others as we live the ideals of our Character Education program. |
Sharing Kindness Rocks in River Falls!
Rocky Branch students had a wonderful time distributing Kindness Rocks around the community! Here are a few examples of deliveries that took place duringthe last few weeks of the 2016-2017 school year: Mrs. Bruesewitz's first grade class took a walking field trip to Our Neighbor's Place and each student presented a rock to the staff to share kindness with the community members who visit this important organization. The students also learned about the ways that Our Neighbor's Place spreads kindness in River Falls! Mrs. Hanson and Mrs. Henk's K/1 Multi-Age classes took a bus tour around the school district to deliver Kindness Rocks to all of the SDRF schools! Students shared info with staff members from each building. Third grade students delivered Kindness Rocks to various locations in River Falls, including the River Falls Area Hospital, the River Falls Food Pantry, the Second Chances group room, the River Falls Public Library, Veteran's Park, and the White Pathway. Keep your eyes open for Kindness Rocks around town! Fourth grade students delivered Kindness Rocks to the University of Wisconsin River Falls, specifically to the Counseling Services Department, Student Involvement Center, and in some planting beds around campus. Students learned about KindRF, an organization at UWRF that spreads kindness too! We were surprised by a special guest, Freddy the Falcon! |
The Kindness Rocks Project
As one way to focus on Growing with Character, "The Kindness Rocks Project" was introduced. This project began with all students learning about kindness at Rocky Branch. To spread kindness beyond our school and into the community, our learning culminated with all students and staff painting rocks with inspirational messages to be delivered throughout the River Falls community.
The River Falls Journal ran an article about the project:
http://www.riverfallsjournal.com/news/education/4253391-kindness-rocks-rocky-branch
Pictures and additional information can be found through our Kindness Rocks website:
https://sites.google.com/a/rfsd.k12.wi.us/kindness-rocks/
As one way to focus on Growing with Character, "The Kindness Rocks Project" was introduced. This project began with all students learning about kindness at Rocky Branch. To spread kindness beyond our school and into the community, our learning culminated with all students and staff painting rocks with inspirational messages to be delivered throughout the River Falls community.
The River Falls Journal ran an article about the project:
http://www.riverfallsjournal.com/news/education/4253391-kindness-rocks-rocky-branch
Pictures and additional information can be found through our Kindness Rocks website:
https://sites.google.com/a/rfsd.k12.wi.us/kindness-rocks/
A Lesson on Kindness
This photo was taken during a 4th grade guidance lesson. We did a science experiment to learn about "ripples of kindness." We observed the ripples that form when an object is dropped into water. The objects each student dropped represented something that one person does for another. The ripples in the water represented the way a person's actions spread to others. Students decided that they would rather be at a school where people spread kindness, instead of a school where people are mean to one another. In a school where students are kind, one kind action leads to another kind action, and so on.
GOT CHARACTER?
ROCKY BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
CHARACTER KICK-OFF FOR JANUARY--"PERSEVERANCE"
January 2016
GOT CHARACTER?
ROCKY BRANCH GIVING TREE
Students and Teachers Donate Over 300 Presents to Families in Need
December 2015
GOT CHARACTER?
ROCKY BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
"COOPERATION KICKOFF VIDEO"
October 2015
MR. Eaton Earns Prestigious Award
WISCONSIN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
"ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR" AWARD WINNER
Mr. Eaton is the 2015, Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education "Administrator of the Year" award winner. Mr. Eaton was nominated by Sara Windjue, Aleisha Miller and Mike Noreen for his on going support of Environmental Education at Rocky Branch and in the River Falls School District. Over the years, Mr. Eaton has been involved in a number of significant projects that have helped to keep students and staff focused on their roles in the stewardship of our resources and the world we live in. With the help of others, he has lead the charge to have the school board adopt the Sustainability Proclamation highlighting the importance of being a significant collaborator to community efforts to responsible and sustainable decision making. Through the use of the Cool Choices game, Rocky Branch has developed staff awareness of ways to develop and share individual practices promoting "green habits" throughout school buildings. Throughout all the activities and events, Mr. Eaton's greatest pleasure has been the development of many friendships which has made the work of environmental education and the pursuit of sustainable practices so much fun over the many years.
GOT CHARACTER?
ROCKY BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES
ECO DAY at Rocky Branch--May 1, 2015
Rocky Branch is connecting environmental stewardship with our character development program. Every student and their teachers participated in some way to make our environment a better place for us and the ecosystem we are apart of.
GOT CHARACTER?
ROCKY BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
"PINK OUT" AT ROCKY BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL--February 3rd, 2015
ROCKY BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
CHARACTER IN ACTION
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION FOR CHARACTER EDUCATION
2012 State Promising Practice Award: "Stepping Stones to Character"
Imagine walking into a school where hallways are named for character traits and the Black Eyed Peas “I Got a Feeling” is played at the monthly character assemblies? At Rocky Branch Elementary, students are introduced to character traits at energetic school-wide assemblies. They use multi-sensory approaches to engage students- from the music of the Black Eyed Peas to watching You Tube video clips that show what the character trait looks like. The students also recite their Touchstone and perform their “character flash mob dance”. As lively as the assembly is, character learning does not stop when the assembly is over- follow-up activities are done in classrooms, the character trait is incorporated into existing curriculum, and the trait is infused in other aspects of their daily life in school. They are teaching student’s character in a creative approach that excites and engages them.
Imagine walking into a school where hallways are named for character traits and the Black Eyed Peas “I Got a Feeling” is played at the monthly character assemblies? At Rocky Branch Elementary, students are introduced to character traits at energetic school-wide assemblies. They use multi-sensory approaches to engage students- from the music of the Black Eyed Peas to watching You Tube video clips that show what the character trait looks like. The students also recite their Touchstone and perform their “character flash mob dance”. As lively as the assembly is, character learning does not stop when the assembly is over- follow-up activities are done in classrooms, the character trait is incorporated into existing curriculum, and the trait is infused in other aspects of their daily life in school. They are teaching student’s character in a creative approach that excites and engages them.