Eagle Eye Tribune

Dear AES Families,

Happy first full week of school! It has been a wonderful start at Antrim Elementary! Walking through the classrooms, halls and playground, it has been such a joy to see students playing, laughing, and working hard together.

We were lucky enough to see a butterfly hatch and one preparing to transform this week. Students gathered in the Secret Garden to say their goodbyes and watch as she soared out to the big world. Our days together often remind me of the transformation from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. Just as our students were amazed watching this process in nature, we too feel that same sense of wonder as we begin a new year—watching our children grow, learn, and spread their wings throughout the months ahead.

Thank you to Percy and Heather Hill for leading our students and staff in thoughtful lessons on kindness, respect, and belonging. Their visit was both inspiring and impactful—

A heartfelt thank you to the families who joined us for our first Community Meeting, where our fourth graders proudly welcomed the kindergarteners as Eagles. Community Meetings take place every other Friday from 8:50–9:15 AM, and we warmly invite families to join us in celebrating our students, our community, and our school. Watch upcoming newsletters for community meeting dates and announcements of what grade will be presenting their work at each meeting.

We are also excited to announce that Bikes for Books is back! The Masons will once again be partnering with us this year to encourage and reward reading. Students will have the opportunity to enter a raffle for bikes at the end of the school year in recognition of their hard work and dedication to reading. We kicked this off today during Community Meeting. Students earn a raffle ticket for every ten books read. Over 3,000 books were read last year and we are hoping we break that record this year!

Looking ahead, please mark your calendars:

• Picture Day – Monday, September 22nd

• Title I Annual Meeting - Thursday, September 25th - 5:00-5:30

• AES Open House – Thursday, September 25th - 5:30-6:30

We can’t wait to share more wonderful moments with you as the year continues!

As always, if you have any questions or would simply like to check in, please feel free to reach out to me at bgibney@conval.edu or 603-588-6371.

Beth Gibney

Principal
Antrim Elementary School

9/22 - Picture Day 📸

9/25 - Annual Title I Family Meeting 5:00-5:30 pm

9/25 - Open House 5:30-6:30 pm 🏫

9/26 - Community Meeting 8:50 am

Thank you to all the parents who have completed their on-line first day paperwork! It helps us have the most accurate information regarding your child. There are several parents who have yet to complete this paperwork. We ask that you complete it this weekend so that our records are complete and up-to-date! If you need any help with completing this paperwork, please call us and we are happy to help. Thank you.

End 68 Hours of Hunger

It has been brought to our attention that End 68 Hours of Hunger is requiring all families who are interested in registering to do so directly with them.

If you registered for this program when you completed your First Day Packet forms, it is necessary to register directly with End 68. Clicking the link or QR Code below will take you directly to their registration page.

https://registration.end68hoursofhunger.org

Our youngest learners hard at work. Playing and practicing social learning.

We’ve been busy in first grade with learning new routines, listening to stories, beginning to read, beginning math and social studies. After reading the story Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen, we created our class promises to hold ourselves accountable for our actions. We review this every morning, then continue with our day. We also had some movement time and cooperative games with Mr. and Mrs. Hill, starting off how to work with, encourage, and congratulate each other.

This week, our class released our very own Monarch butterfly, named Sunflower. We had so much fun watching the chrysalis every day, learning about its amazing changes, and even studying the dried empty chrysalis after Sunflower hatched. While we will miss our colorful friend, we are excited to know Sunflower is off on a big adventure. Safe travels, Sunflower!

This week students in Muzart read the book “The Dot” and created their own dot artwork for International Dot day, which is Monday 9/15. Dot Day celebrates creativity and grit in all artists. AES will be decorated with dot art works for the occasion!

~Mrs. Harvey

This week in the library first and second graders went on a scavenger hunt to find books they wanted to read. Third and Fourth graders took reading surveys to tell me more about themselves as readers. Preschool and Kindergarten learned about following directions and practiced library routines. We also started Discovery Block. During Discovery Block Kindergarten made Pigeon puppets. First through Fourth Grade learned about coding a sequence and practiced collaborative coding.

I will be starting my classroom counseling lessons next week with students in Kindergarten through fourth grade. We will start the year reviewing the role of a school counselor then we will move into learning more about the Zones of Regulation with the new digital curriculum!

Here are several trusted resources to support families and caregivers in navigating a wide range of developmental and social-emotional topics. These organizations offer valuable information, tools, and guidance to help promote children's well-being:

• The Kids Mental Health Foundation
• Worry Wise Kids
• Nemours KidsHealth
• Child Mind Institute
• Big Life Journal
• Center on the Developing Child – Harvard University
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

I encourage you to explore these resources as you support your child's growth and mental wellness. There are many more resources available on my website.

(from https://pedsdoctalk.com/what-is-restraint-collapse/)

What is restraint collapse in kids?

Kids commonly do this when they start group childcare or school (especially for the first time). They are on their “best” behavior in a group setting—listening, following directions from a new person, and trying to do all the things—and when they see you they just want to cry. Some children may hit, yell, or scream. They also may have restraint collapse because of the overstimulation of the day. Listening to their teacher and the noises of the day can make some children feel more vulnerable and overstimulated and they have a meltdown when they come home–to their safe space.

Is restraint collapse more common in some kids?

Restraint collapse can be more common in children who are generally more sensitive and are bigger feelers. We all have different temperaments. This can last a couple days to a few months, but it should improve. Restraint collapse is more than a tantrum. A tantrum is usually defined as a child crying, whining, or pleading to get something they want or that was taken away. Restraint collapse is essentially a meltdown or a moment of dysregulation. I like to call it emotional discharge. They’re letting out all those feelings they didn’t feel comfortable letting out during the day with new people.

Tips to reduce the chance of restraint collapse

• Normalize if this happens and normalize if it doesn’t.
• Talk about what they’re looking forward to in their routine AFTER childcare or school.
• Try to give more connection in the morning even if it’s just for 5 minutes.
• For children prone to restraint collapse, try not to over-schedule their evenings while they are still adjusting to school.
• If your child is prone, send a picture of you or the family to school so it brings them some familiarity. A security item is also okay with the permission of the school.

When it’s time to pick them up:

• Try to give them physical affection or a hug when you pick them up to show the physical connection and “I see you moment.” Ideally, it’s best to do this as soon as you see them whether this is at school/childcare or at home before they meltdown.
• Try to provide 1:1 on time in the evening, even if just 5-10 minutes.
• If your evening schedule and weather allows, try to allow nature play. Water and nature have a way of relaxing our body and regulating our big emotions.

What to do during a meltdown:

• Some kids will experience such extreme restraint collapse where they will throw or push you away. If you can’t give them a hug, just sit with them in the same room and say phrases like “You had a very long day” and “I see you trying to adjust” and “I am here for you.” And then. Be quiet. HOLD SPACE. Holding space means we just give them their moment and don’t leave the room. It shows them that you’re not scared or irritated by their big feelings and are allowing them to feel. If they get physical or violent, hold the boundaries to protect you and others.
• Try to avoid screens during a meltdown. Their brains are currently dysregulated and using a device during periods of dysregulation can make them more upset when the screen turns off.

What to do after:

• Once they calm down, speak about what happened during the bedtime routine. This is more helpful for kids who are more verbal, but remember verbalizing also helps us calm ourselves, too, after big feelings.
• Always let your child know that you love them for whatever feelings they have. Restraint collapse can be overwhelming for you too and sometimes adults may get frustrated and it’s okay to admit this. But, always remind them that you love them for all of their emotions.
• If this happens often, see the schedule at school. If they didn’t eat an afternoon snack, it may be beneficial to have one on hand if dinner will be a while.

10 School Street

Antrim, NH 03440

Phone: (603) 599-6371

Email: aesoffice@conval.edu

Web Page: https://aes.conval.edu/en-US

Social Media: AES Facebook

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