September 2013 Kindergarten and Grade 1

Dear Families,

Welcome to a new school year! This is the time of year when we're all adjusting to the structure of being in school, and learning our classroom and school rules. I feel it's important to explain the 'why' of rules here at school, so that children have an understanding that there are very good reasons rules are in place.

For our first  Developmental Guidance lesson of the school year in Kindergarten and 1st grade, your child viewed a short program called I Can Follow Rules by Sunburst  Visual Media. This topic is one that is import to all age groups because rules are a part of our everyday lives. It is especially important to discuss this topic with your child, because failure to follow the rules can often create unfair, unkind, or unsafe situations. Here are some questions you can ask your child to help open a discussion:

• What are some of the rules that you have to follow in school?
• Are there any rules that you don’t understand? What are they?
• Is it hard for you to follow any of the rules? Which ones, and why?

Here are some tips about following rules that you can reinforce through discussion of this topic with your child:

• Rules are important because they help to keep things fair for everyone, they help keep us safe, and they remind us to treat each other with respect.
• People who break the rules may cause harm to others as well as to themselves.

Reinforce with your child the techniques that were suggested in the program to make it easier to follow rules:

• Talk to yourself about why you should follow the rule.
• Use self-control and wait your turn.
• Pay attention so you can follow directions.

Let your child know that you are always available to talk about any problems he or she may have with a particular rule – why it is important, whether or not it is fair, how best to follow it.

Books you might read with your child: Doug Rules by Nancy E. Krulik, Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss.

 

Yours truly,

 Ms. Cahill