Month: November 2019

Next week we get to celebrate Thanksgiving, and as a result, students will have four school days off. Including the weekend, it will be a six day break. If you are wondering what to do with that time, you are in luck. I have a few ideas!

As your student to read to you. Our public library system is amazing! You can spend a lot of time just browsing, reading, talking, and doing whatever craft is set up for the week. Check the library’s website for more events too!

Another website that is AWESOME for finding ideas is Macaroni Kid. They always have a list of events with information including the cost. Many of their activities are free too!

Did you know?

 

Did you know the heart generates electrical amplitude and the electromagnetic field of the heart extends 10 feet out from the body? A person’s heartbeat can actually be measured in another person’s brainwave and a connection is created.

This is very powerful when thinking of working with students. When an emotionally regulated and calm adult is next to, or gently touches the should of a dysregulated and disruptive student, an energy exchange happens. Thus, it is imperative that the adult’s emotional state be positive. This can create “heart coherence,” driven by a state of love, gratitude, and happiness, the waveform is ordered and stable.

 

 

However, when someone is angry and resentful, the waveform is disordered, jagged, and unpredictable. This feeds negativity and fear into an interaction between an adult and student.

 

Adults’ emotions cannot be suppressed; they have to be processed and acknowledged, otherwise they will show up in resentment and anger. It is critical for adults to monitor their thoughts, reactions, and feelings while around stude

Each month, I get to go into classrooms for a lesson. I love this part of my job for many reasons, but one is that I get to interact with each student monthly.

Throughout first semester, we use the Second Step bullying curriculum for our lessons. So far, all grade levels have had a lesson on what bullying is and what to do if you see bullying. We consider bullying to be more than just someone being mean or arguing with someone else. For it to be considered bullying, it needs to happen more than once and be one-sided. Thus, two students would not “bully each other” because the implication is that both are being unkind. Rather that would be an argument/problem/conflict that needs to be resolved. Bullying is when one student continues to be unkind to another.

We discuss that you need to report bullying to an adult whether it happens to you or you are a bystander and see it happen to someone else. We have identified who those adults are that we could report to as well as practiced how to report bullying if we see it. Kindergarten through 2nd grade will be practicing how to refuse bullying during this month. Third through fifth grade, instead, will discuss and practice how to be a helpful, supportive bystander. As always, look for handouts to come home this month.

I love books and I love shopping, so a book fair is right up my alley. I always am so excited to see those Scholastic boxes show up because they signal, “Book Fair Time!” If you can find time to stop in this week before or after school, you will find a wonderful selection of books available. They are usually fairly inexpensive too. Go see Mrs. Anderson at the BOOK FAIR!

Tonight we start with our first night of parent-teacher conferences for the 2019-2020 school year! It is always such a great opportunity to see what your student is learning, ask questions, and learn about how you can continue to support your student in school. We always look forward to meeting with families, and encourage students to come along so they can be part of the conversation. If you need to reschedule your conference, please just let your student’s teacher know and you can work together to find a time to reschedule.