With the end of the school year upon us, we are excited about all the progress students have made and the ways they have matured this year. It's so fun for teachers and staff to see how far our students have come, academically as well as socially and emotionally. We hope that summer is a time of fun, rest and rejuvenation for you and your family. However, in the final week of school, remember this...
This quote, while not attributed to a single person, is a common saying and a concept widely understood in fields like psychology & child development. It reflects the idea that when individuals experience significant stress, they may revert to behaviors or emotional states characteristic of earlier stages of development. For example, a child might start exhibiting behaviors they had previously outgrown, or they may suddenly be arguing more with friends or family members. This can explain a lot of the behaviors we see at school near the end of the year.
Big changes in routines and schedules, such as the beginning and end of the school year, week-long breaks and even long weekends can be the undoing of some of our students (and adults). So, if your child comes home crying or angry more often or struggles more with friends at these times, you're in good company! You can help your child by talking about these changes in advance, reminding them that sometimes big emotions will surface and this is normal, and that we have the power to take control of our emotions, rather then letting them control our actions. You can reference resources about managing big emotions and much more on the CCE Counseling Website.
Happy Summer!
~Debbie
Positive Attitudes
With Kindergarten and 2nd graders I introduced the concept of seeing a glass half full, which is a positive or optimistic mindset, versus seeing it as half empty, which is more negative or pessimistic. We also looked at ways to think positive thoughts and find the bright side of gloomy or difficult situations. And finally, students completed a Favorite Things worksheet: "Whenever I'm felling down, I think of my favorite things to cheer me up." When we focus on positive thoughts it can help change the way we feel. Having a glass half full attitude can also help us learn and have healthier relationships.
Leadership & Collaboration
1st grade students participated in several activities that required the skill of "Noticing" and answered the question "Why do we need to pay attention before we act?" They learned that by paying attention to the rules of a game and to each other they can be more successful in their work together. Even a simple game like Simon Says can help children grow this skill which will benefit them academically and socially.
In 3rd grade, students worked together to list the many and varied activities they participate in that require teamwork. From sports to group projects and everything in between, there are skills that every successful team uses. The activity during this lesson involved each student working with a partner to draw an elephant. Teams had 2 minutes to draw, they weren't aloud to talk, and both members had to hold the same pencil together. The results were mixed and there was a lot of fun and laughter in the process. In the end, students all agreed that teamwork skills like communication, willingness to hear other ideas and let others lead are important elements for success. See a few of their drawings below.
Empathy
1st and 2nd grade students have learned about empathy in a variety of ways this year - including Wellness lessons, Wayfinder classroom lessons, and in counseling lessons. Not only are they learning that empathy means understanding how others feel but also how to respond or act from a place of empathy. First graders are playing Emotions Detectives this month to study pictures of children's faces to try and guess what they are feeling and how we might respond. And in April, our 2nd graders listened to the book "When Sophie's Feelings Are Really Really Hurt" by Molly Bang and discussed how the characters were feeling.
Healthy Habits
One of the standards we want our 5th grade students to come away with this year is "Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/ emotional and physical well-being". During lesson students watched this video about health habits, then had time for discussion as well as private journaling about the areas where they've already started to develop healthy habits, and areas where they still need to do some work. Each student was also given a copy of My Mental Health Plan to complete as a way of raising awareness of the many and varied ways we can take care of our mental health just like we take care of physical health. Click the PDF link below for a copy or check your student's backpack for the copy they filled out in class.
What you can do at home to support this learning!
Kindergarten-2nd grade:
For our younger students, supporting their learning about empathy can be as simple as asking them “how do you think they feel?”. Look for places to sneak this in while watching a show, reading a book, talking about situations at school, or any conversation that applies. Don’t be afraid to ask them to have empathy for adults as well. See if you can come up with feeling words that are specific. This ties back to our previous unit on feelings. Kindergarten-2nd grade students can name feelings such as frustrated, surprised, excited, angry, proud, and so on.
3rd-6th:
Ask your kids, “how do you think that person sees the situation?”, or “how do you think that person feels?” as well as “how can you show you care?” Model for them in real situations what perspective taking and empathy look and sound like. When they have a conflict with a friend at school, talk about it with these questions in mind. When someone they know has a big celebration, use the same questions. Having these discussions outside of school gives them the opportunity to apply what they have learned in Wellness.