Welcome Back!

Greetings, Bryan Elementary students and parents, and welcome back!

As your school counselors, our mission is to prepare students with the academic, social-emotional, and career readiness skills necessary for success. We are looking forward to our seventh year at Bryan Elementary and to serving the students, parents, teachers, and Bryan community.

Rachael Schroeder: PK-5 School Counselor

Sara Huard: 3-5 School Counselor

Catcher had an amazing summer! He welcomed his little sister into the world, human sister that is, and couldn't have been more excited to spend the summer serving as big brother. Although Catcher had a fantastic summer, he missed seeing his friends at Bryan Elementary and was super excited to see those smiling faces back at school. He looks forward to supporting students' social and emotional needs again this year and to providing a positive outlet to students each and every day.

You can find updates and photos of Catcher on his Facebook Page@ bcs-Catcher

As we enter another “Back to School” season, take a look at these six tips for preparing your children mentally, emotionally, and physically.

1. Get Social Again

If you haven’t already, get creative with ways your children can get reacquainted with friends. Set up virtual lunch dates, find interactive online games to play, or choose an engaging book they can read together. Or if you feel comfortable, set up a meet-up at a park where children can have a socially-distanced playdate.

2. Get Back on Schedule

Getting back to a full day schedule will be challenging, so start establishing a routine now. Set regular bedtimes; wake up at consistent times and get dressed; stick with a daily schedule with tasks to accomplish each day. Getting into this habit will be especially helpful if you will be supporting virtual learning in the fall.

3. Establish Good Habits

Encourage hand washing multiple times a day, as your children sing a song that is at least 20 seconds long. Have your children practice engaging with you while keeping space (show them what six feet actually looks like). Talk about limited contact with others and practice when out in public. If masks will be required in your children’s school, make sure they practice safe mask use and get used to wearing it.

4. Check In Regularly

No news isn’t always good news with kids. Frequently ask your children how they’re feeling and try to gauge how they’re handling the idea of going back to school. Feelings don’t need fixing; try to focus on listening and empathizing. If they are feeling anxious, try offering some coping strategies they can tap into, such as deep breathing exercises, squeezing something like a stress ball, or thinking about the words to their favorite song; send them to school with a picture of their family or pet they can look at when they feel lonely.

5. Teach Listening Skills

Listening in a classroom can be much more difficult for some than the small learning environment they have become accustomed to. Teach active listening skills through games like “Simon Says,” “20 Questions,” or “Telephone.”

6. Ditch the Technology

Maybe not completely, but try to cut down on its use while remote learning instruction isn’t happening. Whether children will be back to in-person school or will continue virtual learning, take the opportunity now to reestablish balanced screen time. For students who will be remote learning, it will be good to squeeze in a break from those devices.

Starting a new school year can be stressful at the best of times, let alone during a global pandemic. Remind your children that teachers and students from across the country have all been out of their school buildings for five months now – we’re all in this together!

The Ohio School-Based Center of Excellence for Prevention & Early Intervention (SBCOE) is thrilled to announce the launch of No Wrong Door – a growing online resource library offering curated mental health materials and early intervention tools you can use right away to support the mental health of children and young adults.

The other day, my 7-year-old son asked me a really good question: “Mom, why can't I watch TV all day?” I paused, thinking of a way to help him understand, because simply saying, “It’s not good for you!” doesn’t always work. Kids need to understand the why behind it. So, here’s what I did. I grabbed a few items from the kitchen (a pitcher with water and cups) and explained: “Think of our day like a pitcher of water . The pitcher represents our time, and each cup is an activity we do throughout the day. If we pour too much water into one cup, like screen time, there won’t be enough left for other important and fun things—like playing outside, reading, sleeping, or spending time together.” Then we talked about all the things he wanted to do during his day besides watching TV! What I didn’t expect was how my son’s perspective shifted after that conversation. To have a similar conversation with your child, check out this week’s parenting guide.

Alexander, Big Life Journal

The First Presbyterian Church has been offering ESL classes since 2022. They have served around 120 students and continue to serve students who are motivated to learn the language. The “new Interchange” curriculum has been an asset for all our volunteer teachers who are dedicated and love serving others.

Classes are on Tuesdays from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm and are free. Every student buys their own book.

Please contact:

Rev. Leo Pech

First Presbyterian Church

506 Oxford Dr

Bryan, OH 43506

419-636-4208

The CCFA provides services to address general mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, for children, adolescents and adults. In addition, the agency specializes in responding to, advocating for, and assisting in the healing of individuals who have experienced trauma and abuse.

Their mission is to empathetically nurture healthy relationships through education and prevention while providing individualized comprehensive treatment and advocacy to empower those we serve. The philosophy of The Center for Child and Family Advocacy, Inc. is to treat all clients with respect, help them to achieve self-determination, and to create an environment that fosters independence and is strength-based.

CCFA offers a variety of programs for students and parents.

The Ohio Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) Educational Savings Account program provides qualifying families with a $1,000 credit per child. These funds can be used to pay for a variety of educational activities designed to help accelerate learning for children impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is being offered through a contract between Merit International, Inc. and the Ohio Department of Education. To learn more, visit: https://www.aceohio.org/ or click on the link below.

Digital citizenship is the concept that we need to educate our students on how to be appropriate and responsible users of technology.

They need to learn how to keep themselves and their personal information safe. Void of emotion, they need to also learn how to be respectful to others online. This includes netiquette and how to deal with bullying, whether they're the target or a bystander.

Grades 3-5 will be learning more about the importance of digital citizenship this year through classroom guidance lessons.

Many children have fears and worries, and may feel sad and hopeless from time to time. Strong fears may appear at different times during development. For example, toddlers are often very distressed about being away from their parents, even if they are safe and cared for. Although fears and worries are typical in children, persistent or extreme forms of fear and sadness could be due to anxiety or depression. Click the button below to learn more about anxiety and depression in children from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Online screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition. Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common, and treatable. Mental Health America provides a variety of resources for understanding and living with mental health concerns. Click on the link below to take a mental health screener.

The Safer Ohio School Tip Line is Ohio’s free, statewide resource to anonymously report school safety concerns. Ohioans can call or text 844-SAFEROH (844-723-3764) at any time of day.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has rolled out a new 988 website. The website is designed to serve as your one-stop-shop for 988 resources from SAMHSA, including a 988 partner toolkit. The partner toolkit is intended for SAMHSA’s 988 implementation partners (crisis call centers, state mental health programs, substance use treatment providers, behavioral health systems, and others) to provide key messages, FAQs, and more information about what 988 is and how it will work. As a reminder, you can find Ohio-specific planning and implementation progress and resources on the OhioMHAS website.

Bear Bags are available to any Bryan student who may need additional food to supplement what they have at home. Bear Bags will be sent home every Friday and only one bag per household will be sent. Please contact your child't teacher for details.

Our mental health is in constant flux and ebbs and flows on a daily basis. Many things can impact this including our physical health. The connection between our physical body and our mental health is important and may be something worth exploring when thinking about staying mentally healthy. Learn more about whole health and what you can do to improve your overall wellness by visiting Mental Health America.

For additional information on Mental Health America:

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The internet has transformed the ability to access content. Many apps that children use are dependent on user-generated content which can encourage freedom of expression, imagination and creativity. However, due to the sheer volume uploaded every day, it can be difficult for platforms to regulate and moderate everything, which means that disturbing or distressing images, videos or audio clips can slip through the net. That’s why we’ve created this guide to provide parents and caregivers with some useful tips on keeping children safe online. Visit the National Online Safety website for an additional resources on how to keep your children safe.

Ohio Department of Education Parent Resources

Ohio's Learning Standards

Parents Guide to Student Success

Stop Bullying

Stomp Out Bullying

The Cool Spot

7 Mindsets

Second Step Learning

Zones of Regulation

The Character Tree

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning

Many families may have concerns that extend beyond the educational needs of their children. If you need help finding resources in our community such as food, financial assistance, health care, and mental health services, please let us help you.

Williams County Resource Guide

United Way of Williams County

Williams County Health Department

Unemployment Benefits

Utility Assistance

Northwest Ohio Community Action Coalition

JFS Financial Assistance

Toledo Northwest Ohio Food Bank

Williams County Resource Guide

Williams County Referral Resource Guide

Ohio Mental Health Resource Guide

Wellness Kit

Mental Health America

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Council for Behavioral Health

Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction

Ohio Department of Health

Self Injury

You Matter

OhioRISE

Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation

Four County Suicide Prevention Coalition

Suicide Prevention Life Line

Suicide Prevention Life Line: 800-273-8255

Crisis Line: 1-800-468-4357

Call 988 for suicide and crisis lifeline

Williams County Resource Guide

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Drug Free

Too Good For Drugs

SAMHSA National Hotline: 1-800-662-4357

Triple P is a parenting program. The three Ps in ‘Triple P’ stand for ‘Positive Parenting Program’. It is designed to prevent – as well as treat – behavioral and emotional problems in children and teenagers. It aims to prevent problems in the family, school and community before they arise and to create family environments that encourage children to realise their potential.

Specifically, Triple P is designed to help parents:

• Raise happy, confident kids
• Set rules and routines that everyone respects and follows
• Encourage behavior in their children that they like
• Prevent and manage misbehavior
• Take care of themselves
• Feel confident they’re doing the right thing

The Triple P program is evidence-based, with more than 35 years of ongoing research.

• More than 650 international trials, studies and published papers, including
• More than 340 evaluation studies, which also includes
• More than 170 randomized controlled trials

Triple P draws on social learning, cognitive behavioral and developmental theory as well as research into risk factors associated with the development of social and behavioral problems in children. It aims to equip parents with the skills and confidence they need to be self-sufficient and to be able to manage family issues without ongoing support.

At the Parent Project®, we believe that parents are the answer. In our 30 plus years, we have worked with over 1.5 million parents raising difficult or out-of-control children. Our programs are based on their experiences and successes. No matter how difficult the situation may be, we can help. “Little miracles”. It’s what we do!

There are three highly-effective Parent Project® programs serving families:

Loving Solutions is a 10-week program written for parents raising difficult or strong-willed children, 5 to 10 years of age. Designed for classroom instruction, this program has special applications to ADD and ADHD issues, and was written for the parents of more difficult children.

Changing Destructive Adolescent Behavior is a 10- to 16-week program designed for parents raising difficult or out-of-control adolescent children, ages 10 and up. Also designed for classroom use, “Changing Destructive Adolescent Behavior” provides concrete, no-nonsense solutions to even the most destructive of adolescent behaviors.

Preparing Our Kids for Success is a 2.5-hour truancy intervention parent class. This class is “Trauma Informed” and specifically designed to augment the S.A.R.B. and local Truancy Abatement efforts. Like all Parent Project programs, Preparing Our Kids for Success is based on cooperative learning norms and activity-based instruction. When you have parents and other caregivers at a S.A.R.B. or truancy abatement meeting, give them the tools they need to help their children succeed.

Email: rschroeder@bryanschools.org

Phone: 419-633-6249

Email: sahuard@bryanschools.net
Phone: 419-633-6229