December 2017 - Wellness (K, 1)

As we head into December and the holiday season, we will continue to discuss Zones, friendships, and feelings. An important part of every child's development is understanding differences. All kids can tell you differences that are visually apparent - hair, eye and skin color; tall or short; old or young for example. They also note a person in a wheelchair, or using braces to walk, or a guide dog. It is natural for children to ask questions about any or all of those observable differences, especially when it is something new for them.

What is less apparent to folks is when the differences lie inside us - an invisible condition like diabetes or a food allergy, or the way we learn and how our brains function. We will be discussing these concepts and assuring children that our differences are not really any more significant than the fact we all have a favorite food! We strive for acceptance of one another without judgment.

November 2017 Grade 3: Doing the Right Thing

Dear Families, 

November is the month that Americans are giving conscious thought towards giving thanks. Along those lines,  our social- emotional lessons are focusing on thinking how our behavior and interactions affect those around us.  Third graders are viewing a program called Doing the Right Thing: Building Character. This

program was designed to help children understand that there is a desirable way—and an undesirable way— to behave in various situations. The program presented scenes in which children had to decide what would be the right thing to do.

Ask your child what he or she learned from watching this program. Discuss how these examples of doing the right thing apply to situations in your home. Reinforce some of the points that your child learned in the program.

—Be responsible. If people are counting on you to do something, do it.

—Be honest. When you don’t tell the truth things that you don’t expect can happen.

—Be considerate. Treat others the way you would like to be treated.

—Don’t be afraid to stand up for a friend who is being treated unfairly.

Talk to your child about situations in which he or she is having trouble deciding what is the right thing to do. By discussing these problems, your child will be better able to distinguish right from wrong and make decisions about the “right” way to behave.

Suggested Reading

These books may help facilitate a discussion with your child about the importance of always trying to

do the right thing.

My Big Lie - by Bill Crosby.

The Bird Who Cried Wolf - by Kitty Richardo

November 2017 - Grade 4: Good Friends

During November, 4th graders viewed a short video called  What Does it Mean to be a Good Friend? .   By elementary school, most children are ready to explore the world of friendship in more complex ways. They already know the fundamentals of how to make friends, but often lack the more sophisticated skills that are needed to be a good friend to 
others. 

Showing empathy, communicating clearly, being able to compromise, having patience and demonstrating loyalty to friends are all traits that rank highly among the social proficiencies that children must hone during childhood. Unlike reading, math and science, friendship is not something that can be taught with a textbook. Instead, it is a skill that develops over time, through many life experiences. Ideally, most of a child’s interactions will be rewarding and positive, but there may also be hurtful or disappointing outcomes at times.

Being able to make—and keep—friends is one of the most valuable skills that children can learn. Having friends who care about them and enjoy spending time with them helps create a happy, optimistic, well-adjusted child. Having friends makes life more meaningful, more productive and, ultimately, more fun. 

 What Does It Mean to Be a Good Friend?  was created to help elementary school children understand how friends should behave toward one another and recognize why such behavior is important. Specific guidelines for how to behave in a friendship are described. These skills include listening when a friend speaks, being empathetic or looking at a situation through another person’s eyes, thinking before acting in anger and standing up for their friends in order to show support and loyalty.

The program encourages young people to assess their relationships and their behavior toward others. In this way, viewers are not only educated about the proper way for friends to behave, but they are also motivated to learn new, more complex friendship skills and put them into practice.

Ask your child to tell you about the stories in the program and the lessons the characters learned. Create an opening for discussion by asking if he or she has ever been in a situation like one of those dramatized. It’s important to remember that we model behavior for our children, and they watch our interactions for clues on how to treat one another.

November 2017 - Wellness (K,1)

This poster sums up our goal for November Wellness! Children come into school with a wide variety of social-emotional skills. While we would like to think friendship skills come naturally, the often do not. This month we will spend a lot of time discussing the qualities of friendship - listening, sharing, taking turns, apologizing, and of course keeping our hands to ourselves!

October 2017 - Wellness (K, 1)

During October, Wellness will be introducing all kindergarten and 1st graders to the Zones of Regulation. A quick 'cheat sheet' is pictured below.  The purpose behind this program is to give all of our youngest students an easy means to recognize and communicate their feelings, as well as take notice of other people's feelings.
This is from the introduction of the book:

Self-regulation is something everyone continually works on whether or not we are cognizant of it.  We all encounter trying circumstances that test our limits from time to time.  If we are able to recognize when we are becoming less regulated, we are able to do something about it to manage our feelings and get ourselves to a healthy place.  This comes naturally for some, but for others it is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. This is the goal of The Zones of Regulation (or Zones for short). ​

As children mature, they will be able to better understand nuanced feelings and contextual context of reactions. At this early stage we are introducing them to the concepts of self-reflection and developing skills sets to self-regulate.

Oct 2017 Gr 3: Self Esteem

Dear Families,

October’s third grade Social-Emotional-Learning lesson involves  viewing a program called My Best Me: All About Self-Esteem. We have learned that self-esteem is determined by how much we value ourselves and our abilities. Many children today struggle with feeling helpless, and not good enough. The weight of the world can sometimes appear to be on their shoulders.

The program is composed of these four main points:

1 . All Your Talents: Assessing your own strengths and weaknesses helps give you a better sense of where you can excel, and feel good about yourself. Accept who you are.

2. Your Best: Doing your best is what really matters. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and must acknowledge that we may have to work harder at some things than others.

3. Being Different is Good: Taking pride in your personal identity is an important way to gain good self-esteem. Be true to yourself.

4. Choose Who You Listen To: Rely upon the people who accept you. Never let other people’s negativity keep you from pursuing your goals.

Talk to your child about what self-esteem means. Share your own experiences with your child.

Have you ever experienced low self-esteem? What helped you regain your self-esteem? Are there

things that your child wishes to improve? Work together to develop a reasonable, step-by-step

action plan that will help your child use his or her strengths.

Thank you for helping us as we examine this important topic!

October 2107 Gr 2 - Personal Space

One of my favorite 2nd grade lessons! Personal space is the area of space that closely surrounds our bodies. Generally, you can measure your personal space by extending your arms out—the space between your fingertips and body is your personal space.

Being respectful of someone’s personal space is a social skill. Individuals who have difficulty showing appropriate social skills may unknowingly invade personal space. Conversely, individuals with social-skill difficulties or sensory issues may be extremely opposed to anyone being in their personal space. It is also important to keep in mind differing cultural ideas about personal space.

Some children have difficulty following the rules of personal space. This can present problems in the school setting where children are constantly surrounded by others.  

We discussed that there are several components to personal space in addition to physical proximity. Seeing space incorporates when something/someone is too close, or blocking our view. Hearing space can be violated when we are too loud while in close range. Property space is respecting the boundaries of one another's work space or personal belongings. 

There are several strategies to help a child learn the rules of personal space. Here are some examples:

Model good body language – Stand at an appropriate distance from your child and let her see you stand at an appropriate distance from others.

Teach social cues for body language  – Explain and demonstrate facial expressions, eye contact, or body movements someone might make if he/she is uncomfortable with you being in his/her personal space. These can include turning your head, backing away, crossing your arms, etc. Have your child identify these cues and practice responding appropriately to them.

Look at pictures  – View pictures of appropriate and inappropriate personal space. Compare the pictures with the child and have him/her label the body language (e.g., “He is too close,” “That kid looks uncomfortable”). 

Practice personal space – Have your child stand up and hold out his/her arm to “see” personal space.

Have a discussion about personal space  – Explain what personal space is, why it’s important, and how to  respect the personal space of others.

Give breaks to a child who needs personal space  – Allow a child who has sensory issues with others in his/her space to have breaks from groups during the day.

May 2017 - Grade 4: Defining, Discussing Diversity

This month we are watching a powerful DVD about diversity. I save this lesson for the end of the school year because the subject matter is more serious in nature than some of our other topics. The children in each clip are not actors - they are kids sharing their personal stories.
Below is a detailed description from HRM, the producers of this video:

Walk This Way

Each video in Walk This Way: Exploring Tolerance, Diversity and Difference features three young people relating personal stories about discrimination and intolerance. In their own words, they share their struggles to overcome challenges and learn more about kindness and understanding.

Each story is framed by colorful animation and a poetic story about peace, hate and the universal power of difference.

Part 1

We are introduced to Massimo, a young person with a bi-racial background. He talks about the importance of diversity in the world and the value of his own unique identity. Massimo’s mother also shares a story about neighborhood kids and their reaction to Massimo’s skin tone.

Next we meet Jessica, a young girl with an adopted African-American brother named Alexis. Jessica explains that Alexis is her brother in every way, even though they are not related by blood. She talks about the doubts of others who believe that a family is limited to people who are physically related.

In the final story, we meet Carl, a 9-year-old diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Carl shares his feelings of sadness and frustration as he describes the way other students teased him. After he is diagnosed with ADD, Carl is treated medically and makes great improvements at school.

Part 2

In the first segment, we meet twins Matthew and Justin. Justin has cerebral palsy. He gets a lot of special care from his family members. Matthew explains that Justin can communicate with smiles, not words. Justin feels pain and joy like everyone else.

In the next story, we are introduced to Melissa, a young girl who lost her hearing as a baby. Melissa has learned to communicate through sign language, although she still faces challenges. She shares her insecurities about meeting hearing people, while her sister talks about the challenges of living with someone who is deaf.

In the third segment, we meet Yanili, a girl who moved to America from a Spanish-speaking nation. Since she couldn’t speak English, Yanili had a hard time making friends. Then Patricia, a girl who moved from Mexico, introduced herself to Yanili and began teaching her English. Both girls talk about the importance of friendship and the ability to learn new things.

Part 3

First we hear the story of Alice, whose grandmother was raised in China during a time when men controlled everything. Alice explains her shocked and angry reactions to the stories told by her grandmother. She admires her grandmother’s triumph over sexism, even as she sees examples of the same problem in her own life.

In the second story, we meet Anthony, a boy who is teased because of his clothing. With the support of his grandmother, Anthony learns to respect himself for who he is, not for the clothes he wears.

Finally we are introduced to Nicole, an 11-year-old girl who describes her reaction to a hate crime in her

town. After seeing “KKK” painted on a nearby house, she realizes that racism exists almost everywhere, even

in a town that seems peaceful and happy.

HRM ©

Walk This Way: Exploring Tolerance, Diversity and Difference covers a wide range of social and emotional issues. To ensure that students are not overwhelmed by the material, each subject area has been carefully designed to create a clear, lasting impression. Through a mixture of individual reflection, classroom discussion and creative activity, students will gain a better understanding of the character traits necessary for a caring, tolerant society.

While using Walk This Way: Exploring Tolerance, Diversity and Difference, students will:

• explore social problems such as racism, sexism and stereotyping.

• learn to recognize descrimination, prejudiced attitudes and the unfair treatment of others.

• understand the responsibility of all people to work toward a society of tolerance.

• investigate strong feelings such as fear, sadness, anger, joy and love.

• practice positive ways to deal with difficult people and situations.

• learn how to strengthen their self-image and build good character traits.

• discover their own biases and unhealthy behaviors.

• gain perspective on the importance of good character over looks, money, popularity, etc.

• develop healthy judgement skills and problem-solving techniques.

• recognize the importance of respecting diversity.

• understand how differences can enrich our lives.

• develop pride and respect for their families.

• understand the potential of all people, including those with disabilities.

• develop healthy communication methods.

• recognize the value of friendship.

• relate the lessons to situations in their own lives.

HRM ©

April 2017 - Kindergarten: TattleTales!

In April, Kindergartners watched  a program called When Telling Isn’t Tattling. Children tattle to adults for many reasons. They may want to prove they know right from wrong. They may be looking for attention or an adult’s approval. Or they may be trying to get another child in trouble.

This program has been designed to help children understand the difference between tattling and telling, and be able to distinguish the times when it’s important to tell. Tattling doesn’t solve anything, can get another child into trouble, and can undermine friendships. After presenting several examples of children tattling, the program makes clear through a series of scenarios when telling is the right and necessary thing to do.

Some of the things your child learned from the program are:

• Telling is tattling when a situation is none of your business.

• Telling is tattling when nothing bad is going to happen.

• Telling is tattling when the only outcome is to get someone into trouble.

• Telling is not tattling when they or someone else is being picked on or bullied.

• Telling is not tattling when they or someone else is in an unhealthy, unsafe or dangerous situation.

Talk with your child about the situations that might justify telling, such as if someone is really in trouble or in danger or can’t solve a problem alone. To reinforce the program’s message, you might find it helpful to share the following books with your child: Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown. How to Be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them. Marc Brown Reprint, 2001. Kathryn M. Hammerseng. Telling Isn’t Tattling. Parenting Press, 1995.

March 2017: Grade 3 - Teasing

 

For our first Social-Emotional lesson in third grade, I introduced a new book - The book The Tease Monster . This is a story teaching children to identify the difference between teasing and bullying. This is such a difficult topic since there can be a fine line, and what feels mean to one child, may be funny to another. Understanding the difference can help develop friendship skills and advance social emotional learning. Children must learn how to react to both types of teasing -- when to laugh along with it, ignore it, or get help from a trusted adult when it becomes bullying. Kids also learn how their own words can be misunderstood or hurtful and to watch what they say.

In the story the character (the number 1 named "One of Kind!!"), runs into several problems at school. He tells his mother the things that happened at school and how he feels. Mom explains the difference between a "nice tease" and a "mean tease." This book helps students identify the difference by using specific examples. The mother then gives her son advice on how to handle each kind of situation and identify whether it may be bullying, mean teasing or nice teasing. It is helpful for kids to see a few examples of how to handle real-life examples of bullying and teasing.

March 2017 - Grade 1: Don't Blow Your Top!

In elementary school, we spend a lot of time helping children learn how to identify and manage powerful emotions. Anger can be an overpowering feeling, and for many children it is the Achilles Heal of their school day. There are just so many things that can happen that seem unfair! First graders are listening to "Soda Pop Head" by Julia Cook this month. 

His real name is Lester, but everyone calls him Soda Pop Head.Most of the time he is pretty happy, but when things seem to be unfair his ears gets hot, his face turns red and he blows his top! Lester’s dad comes to his rescue by teaching him a few techniques to loosen the top and cool down before his fizz takes control.  Lester struggles when things feel unfair to him - people cutting him in line, his sister using his video game. His reaction when presented with these situations is WAY out of proportion to the problem. 

This is made worse when other children see him start to lose control and 'push his buttons'. We discussed what that expression means, and how we can be better classmates by not aggravating others and adding to an already difficult situation. 

Classes are also working on identifying : 

February 2017 - Kindergarten, Grade 1 Wash Those Hands!

Mrs. Petrucci, our school nurse, does a great job teaching kids the 'hand washing song'! As an elementary school, germs and bugs are readily spread through classrooms and school. This March seems to be a prime month for colds, flu and other contagious conditions, so a video called "Brush Up on Hygiene" is a nice visual to remind and educate students about the importance of some basic skills.

Many students may already know that germs are microscopic living things that can cause illnesses. However, they may not understand how germs are related to other aspects of hygiene—such as contagious illnesses like conjunctivitis or the common cold. Students need to understand that they can play a large role in maintaining their own health. They can reduce their risk of being sick in many simple daily ways: they can wash their hands with warm water and soap often, avoid sharing anything that goes into their bodies, eat healthy foods, get enough rest and exercise and have regular checkups.

Studies have shown that the simple act of washing our hands with soap and water reduces a person’s chances of contracting a cold or flu virus. Similarly, by sneezing into a tissue, we can reduce the number of active germs on a surface by 80 to 90 percent. Such basic practices are essential for all people to learn and implement in their daily lives.

The program Brush Up on Hygiene was developed to raise awareness, expand knowledge and assist young people in the identification and understanding of disease prevention and proper hygiene. The animated germs help get the point across in an engaging manner, and we hope that all our students can do their best to stay healthy all year!