Tiger Times ~ Cecilton Elementary
Week 5
Emotional Literacy
First, Thank you to all of the families that came to our Open House to learn more about our school and curriculum. We appreciate your interest and support. Also, Thank you to our amazing PTO for the delicious spaghetti dinner.
As we begin October and continue to learn more and more about our students, Mrs. Martino and I have observed firsthand the incredible emotional growth—and the intense, overwhelming moments—that our elementary students navigate each day.
When big feelings like frustration or anxiety take over, it helps to remember that a child's brain is still under construction. Dr. Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson, authors of The Whole-Brain Child, explain this helpful visual: "Think of your child’s brain as a house with an upstairs and a downstairs. The downstairs brain... controls basic functions... and reactions like fight, flight, or freeze. The upstairs brain... handles thinking, planning, and regulating emotions. When a child flips their lid, the upstairs brain loses connection with the downstairs brain." In those dysregulated moments, logical reasoning simply cannot reach them until they feel safe and grounded.
To help your child navigate these big emotional waves, Siegel and Bryson suggest a "connect before you correct" approach. Validate their experience first by naming the emotion—whether it is anger, disappointment, or feeling overwhelmed—before trying to problem-solve or discipline. Research highlighted in The Whole-Brain Child emphasizes this strategy: "Connect and redirect... when a child is upset, logic often won't work until we respond to the right brain's emotional needs."
Taking a few slow, deep breaths together, offering a supportive hug, or quietly sitting beside them allows their "upstairs brain" to come back online. Once the storm passes, you can reflect together on what happened and brainstorm helpful strategies for next time. Thank you for partnering with us as we guide our students in building resilience and self-regulation both at school and at home!
Have a great week,
Dr. Kubek & Mrs. Martino
The School Day
- Student day begins at 8:45 am and students are considered late at 9:00 am.
- If you are arriving at 9:00 am or after, your student must be signed into the Main Office. Please park and walk your student into the building.
- Students will begin being dismissed at 3:30 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. As a reminder, Wednesday is an earlier dismissal, beginning at 1:30 pm.
Electronic Emergency Card Process
Once again this year the county is asking families to update their contact information using our online enrollment platform, PowerSchool Enrollment. If information changes, please remember to update your emergency cards.
Cecilton Events
PTO Fundraiser is Still Active see the PTO section for more information.
October 5-10, 2026 -Fire Prevention Week
October 5-9, 2026 - PTO Sponsored Boo Grams
October 6, 2026 - CCPL Reading Buddies Program Week 2
Friday, October 9, 2026 - PTO Sponsored Fall Fest 5pm-7pm
Monday October 12, 2026 - Multilingual Family Night
October 13, 2026 - CCPL Reading Buddies Program Week 3
Thursday October 15, 2026 - Grade 5 field trip to FHNC
Wednesday October 21- PTO Monthly meeting
Friday, October 23, 2026 - Trunk or Treat
CES is a Community School.
As a Community School, there are key practices that we use to provide necessary supports to families and students.
- Integrated system of support
- Expanded, enriched learning opportunities
- Powerful student and family engagement
- Collaborative leadership, shared power and voice
- Culture of belonging, safety, and care
- Rigorous, community-connected classroom instruction
In being a Community School, Cecilton has a Community School Advisor; Kim Morris. As CES Community School Advisor, Ms. Morris is responsible for the implementation, integration, alignment, and coordination of the community school model. She works to coordinate strategic partners and services for children and families, addressing the social-emotional-environmental issues that interfere with student's academic performance. As a Community School we align all community-based resources, programs, and services to support student and family needs.
CES is fortunate to house a state funded Judy Center Early Learning Hub. The Judy Center works with families and children ages prenatal to age 5, not yet in school, to prepare them for school and help to provide wrap around services.
Check out the Cecilty Judy Center Newsletter! Judy Center News
