Weekly Update

December 6, 2024

Parents,

We hope each of you had a happy Thanksgiving. As we look to the rest of December, it is sure to be a quick couple of weeks. Our PTO has 2 events this week. We will have our December meeting via Zoom at 6:30 on Tuesday evening ( a link will be sent home next week). We also have a fundraiser at Carrettas in Twin Oaks on Thursday. More information about that may be found below.

We will have our next early release day next Wednesday. We will dismiss at 12:30.

We hope you have a great weekend!

Katie & Chris

Focus on Character

Acceptance

We will focus on acceptance this week. We define acceptance as recognizing, appreciating and celebrating differences in each other.

Tips on how to teach acceptance:

Teach kids to acknowledge differences - Teaching children to see similarities is important, but the goal is not to eliminate our differences. By acknowledging differences and similarities simultaneously, kids will find they can learn from people who aren’t like them. Studies show that ignoring differences actually makes discrimination worse.
Cultivate empathy and community - It can be hard for kids to see themselves in people who are different, which is why it’s important to encourage children to get to know people unlike themselves. Review your child’s media and related influences. Does it include diverse individuals and oppose cultural stereotypes? When kids see “different” people in a positive light, they are better prepared to challenge harmful stereotypes. It’s helpful to encourage children to make friends who aren’t like them.
Know your child is listening - Is may seem easier to shield children from challenging issues, such as racism, bigotry, or oppression. But the reality is children will be confronted with these issues through the media, in day-to-day conversations, or with their peers. Generally, young people are able to recognize when somebody is being treated differently. Seize the moment to model empathy and make it clear that it’s unacceptable to treat somebody poorly because they are different. Be thoughtful about your own words, too. Young people mirror what they hear.

These are just a few ways to begin teaching young people how to accept and value others for their difference.

Taken from: https://www.poehealth.org/celebrating-differences/