Eagle Eye Tribune

This week in the library Mrs. Phaneuf’s Kindergarten learned all about how to use a library and library expectations. They completed a scavenger hunt to find different colored books in the library. Kindergarten through Second grade also began their technology curriculum during their second special time. Third and fourth graders will start next week. Ask your kids all about how AES Eagles S.O.A.R. online!

Book Checkout Procedures

Kindergarten: One book a week to remain at school.

First Grade: One book at a time to remain at school for now. I will likely begin allowing them to take books home halfway through the year.

Second Grade: One book at a time to take home or leave at school. The book should be returned when it is finished or returned/renewed at the beginning of the next library rotation. I will send home book reminders at the beginning of each library rotation.

Third Grade: Two books at a time. One book can go home and the other will stay at school. The books should be returned when they are finished or returned/renewed at the beginning of the next library rotation. I will send home book reminders at the beginning of each library rotation.

Fourth Grade: Two books at a time for either home or school reading. The books should be returned when they are finished or returned/renewed at the beginning of the next library rotation. I will send home book reminders at the beginning of each library rotation.

If you have any questions please email me at cbrett@conval.edu or call.

Happy reading,

Ms. Brett

Ms. Lawler’s Kindergarten students have been busy exploring and learning in our new math centers. We’re practicing using geoblocks, pattern blocks and connecting cubes to create buildings of our own or to create models based on pictures. We’re also using picture books to practice counting.

Mrs. Phaneuf’s class has been busy learning our letters. We are almost finished with our letterland character introduction. We have been learning new games and doing new activities to help build our knowledge and confidence in letter names and sounds. This week, we created letters out of playdough, made letters in sand, and drew letters in shaving cream. We had a blast!

Third grade has had a busy, and fun week! We’re continuing to practice multiplication and division by making arrays to solve word problems. We enjoyed showing our array of city buildings at the community meeting last Friday. We’re also working on our phonics in the afternoons with Mrs. Hartshorne. We’ve reviewed skills learned in second grade and are practicing syllabication rules and fluency to help us read harder words. We’re becoming word wizards! The most exciting part of our week was welcoming four baby painted turtles to the classroom on Tuesday! We’ll be taking care of these turtles over the winter as part of the Harris Center and Zoo New England’s Hatch Turtle Program. Students will learn about turtles and their life cycles, weigh and measure the shells biweekly, and observe their behaviors. In late May, we’ll release the turtles back to their nesting site where they’ll have a much better chance of survival.

In Muzart this week students worked on their Art to Remember fundraiser pieces. When these pieces are finished they will be sent out to Art to Remember, who will provide codes so students’ grown ups may buy things with their student’s art on it!

The link below connects you to the Art to Remember website where you can look at products you can get with your student’s art on it!

https://arttoremember.com/

~Mrs. Harvey

• CLASSROOM LESSONS (K-4):

  
  

  Kindergarten: In this week’s lesson, your child learned that paying attention means watching, listening, and thinking carefully about something. They practiced different ways of showing they’re paying attention. Ask your child to show you how they can pay attention, for example, when you are reading a story with them or explaining how to do something.

  
  

  1st grade: In this week’s lesson, your child learned that paying attention can look different depending on the situation (i.e., listening to the teacher during a lesson, or looking both ways before crossing the street). Ask your child to show you how they can pay attention, for example, when you are reading a story with them, explaining a task, or crossing the street.

  
  

  2nd grade: In this week’s lesson, your child learned that their best skills have developed as a result of practicing, trying hard, and asking for help. Ask your child to share with you what they’re good at and how they became good at it. Share with them something you’re good at and what you did to practiced and try hard, and who you asked for help.

  
  

  3rd grade: In this week’s lesson, your child learned that when they learn something new, the brain changes as different parts of the brain begin to send messages to each other. Ask your child to explain what happens in their brain when they learn something for the first time.

  
  

  4th grade: In this week’s lesson, your child’s class worked together to set a two-week goal that’s specific, challenging, and doable. Ask your child to describe their class goal and explain what makes it challenging and doable for their class. Tell your child about a goal you recently set and what makes it challenging and doable for you.

  
  

  
  

  Community Counseling

  Interested in finding a therapist for your child or family? A list of providers can be found here. Please contact the providers directly to discuss insurance and scheduling. ConVal Schools does not endorse any of these providers. This list is provided as a convenience for families.

  Helping Children Deal with Grief

  (from https://childmind.org/article/helping-children-deal-grief/)

  Most young children are aware of death, even if they don’t understand it. Death is a common theme in cartoons and television, and some of your child’s friends may have already lost a loved one. But experiencing grief firsthand is a different and often confusing process for kids. As a parent, you can’t protect a child from the pain of loss, but you can help them feel safe. And by allowing and encouraging them to express their feelings, you can help your child build healthy coping skills that will serve them well in the future.

  Kids grieve differently

  After losing a loved one, a child may go from crying one minute to playing the next. Their changeable moods do not mean that they aren’t sad or that they’ve finished grieving; children cope differently than adults, and playing can be a defense mechanism to prevent a child from becoming overwhelmed. It is also normal to feel depressed, guilty, anxious, or angry at the person who has died or at someone else entirely. Very young children may regress and start wetting the bed again or slip back into baby talk.

  Encourage a grieving child to express feelings

  It’s good for kids to express whatever emotions they are feeling. There are many good children’s books about death, and reading these books together can be a great way to start a conversation with your child. Since many children aren’t able to express their emotions through words, other helpful outlets include drawing pictures, building a scrapbook, looking at photo albums, or telling stories.

  Be developmentally appropriate

  It is hard to know how a child will react to death or even if they can grasp the concept. Don’t volunteer too much information, as this may be overwhelming. Instead, try to answer their questions. Very young children often don’t realize that death is permanent. Older, school-age children understand the permanence of death, but they may still have many questions. Do your best to answer honestly and clearly. It’s okay if you can’t answer everything; being available to your child is what matters.

  Be direct

  When discussing death, never use euphemisms. Kids are extremely literal, and hearing that a loved one “went to sleep” can be scary. Besides making your child afraid of bedtime, euphemisms interfere with their opportunity to develop healthy coping skills that they will need in the future.

  Attending the funeral

  Whether or not to attend the funeral is a personal decision that depends entirely on you and your child. Funerals can be helpful in providing closure, but some children simply aren’t ready for such an intense experience. Never force a child to attend a funeral. If your child wants to go, make sure that you prepare them for what they will see. Explain that funerals are very sad occasions, and some people will probably be crying. If there will be a casket, you should prepare them for that, too.

  Keep in mind that even the best-prepared child might get upset, and their behavior can be unpredictable. If you decide that a funeral is not the best way, there are other ways to have a goodbye. Planting a tree or sharing stories can be good alternatives for providing closure to a child.

  Discussing an afterlife

  If you have religious beliefs about the afterlife, now is the time to share them. If you aren’t religious, you can comfort your child with the concept that a person continues to live on in the hearts and minds of others. You can also build a scrapbook or plant something that represents the person you have lost.

  Don’t ignore your own grief

  Children will often imitate the grieving behavior of their parents. It is important to show your emotions as it reassures children that feeling sad or upset is okay. However, reacting explosively or uncontrollably teaches your child unhealthy ways of dealing with grief.

  Stick to routines

  Children find great comfort in routines, so if you need some time alone, try to find relatives or friends who can help keep your child’s life as normal as possible. Although it is important to grieve over the death of a loved one, it is also important for your child to understand that life does go on.

  Treating serious problems

  If you notice that your child seems unusually upset and unable to cope with grief and loss, they may need additional support. It is a good idea to consult your child’s doctor if you feel that your child isn’t recovering from a loss in a healthy way.