In Full Swing!

Welcome new and returning parents to the 2012-13 school  year in full swing!  I have enjoyed the past several weeks of New Student Groups during recesses and lunch periods.  I invite all new students in grades 1-5 to these groups.  New students will have a chance to interact with a small group of students that are also new to TAISM, and participate in activities geared toward making new friends.  Typically, the students enjoy the experience of meeting new students from other classrooms in their grade level.  It allows them to make new friends in a small group setting. 

I have been in most of the classrooms three times, and will be having my first visits in the EC rooms this week.  The EC Teachers are working hard to establish their routines in the first month of school, and I like to wait until they feel comfortable before beginning my lessons with them.

In KG and first grade, I had one lesson about following directions.  But mainly in KG-5th, I have focused on strategies for handling problems with friends.  You might hear your child describe an easy-to-remember strategy called "Talk-Walk-Squawk."  In the event that they have a problem with another student, we encourage them to take these three steps:  1- TALK to the person that is bothering you.  2- WALK away if the person continues to bother you.  3- SQUAWK is a term I use because it rhymes, and refers to telling an adult in order to secure help with their issue.  I teach them to tell an adult after they have tried to solve it on their own.  I let them know that they can skip the first two steps and go directly to an adult, if they are being hurt or feel scared.  In the coming lessons, I will be introducing more strategies to build on the basic Talk-Walk-Squawk framework.  I call a collection of additional strategies their "Bag of Tricks." These strategies will help them cope with teasing or bullying behaviors they might encounter.  I look forward to the upcoming lessons with your child. 

Diversity

My lessons for the past couple of weeks have focused on differences between people.  Here are a few of the books I've used to stimulate our discussions:  Hooway for Wodney Wat by H. Lester , The Other Side by Woodson, The Big Orange Splot by Pinkwater, Let's Talk About Race by J. Lester, and The Adventure Begins:  First Day at Detinu International School by Munnerlyn.  We brainstorm all the differences between people:  skin color, eye color, size, abilities, nationality, preferences, and many more.  The depth of the discussion varies greatly according to their developmental level, but all grades discuss that it is not OK to judge someone based on their appearance.  In the older grades, we get into the topic on a deeper level and begin to define race and racism.  We also discuss the fact that as international school students, they are a unique group of kids, called "cross-cultural kids."  (Refer to earlier blog post about David Pollack's book, Third Culture Kids.)

Sparks

Peter L. Benson, PhD on "Sparks"
Click the above link to watch Dr. Benson discuss sparks, an individual's deepest passions and interests that give them meaning, focus, joy and energy.  Thanks to those who were able to attend the last Parent-2-Parent session this week, I enjoyed the discussion.  Click this link to see more information about Dr. Benson's book.
Sparks : How Parents Can Help Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenagers

Stress!

"Don't Pop Your Cork on Mondays!" -Moser

This month, I have been focusing on STRESS with the kids.  We are defining stress, talking about what causes stress for them, and finally practicing ways to reduce stress levels.  One of my favorite books is pictured above.    We discuss several methods for reducing stress:  exercise, talking to your family & friends, "square breathing," progressive muscle relaxation, using your imagination to picture yourself in a calm place, reducing the number of activities, and alone time.  I'm also using the book "The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Pressure."  I practiced the muscle tightening and relaxing technique with EC all the way up to grade 5.  It's fun to speak with all the students about this topic.  Please ask your child about their lessons with Mr. Everett!  

Happy 2012 !!

This week we are welcoming a lot of new students to TAISM, and my lessons are focusing on moving...what can we do when we have to move?  Or when our friends have to move?  Kids can often have very strong and varied feelings during relocation, and it's important to give them ways to cope with these feelings.

From Jan 15-22, I will be teaching my "Personal Safety" lesson in each classroom.   They will be learning how to keep their bodies safe, and they will begin to identify the adults in their lives that they can talk to if they have a problem. On the day that I teach your child, I will send home a handout to parents with specifics.  Talking about this lesson with your child will help to reinforce the points I cover.  If you have any questions beforehand, please email me or stop by my office.

Please feel free to attend the next "PARENT-2-PARENT" meeting on Monday, Jan 16 @ 10:00, in the Library Conference Room.  (This will follow the Parent Coffee at the same location with Steve Lake.)  I will be sharing what I've been doing in the classroom this week, as well as previewing next week's personal safety lesson.  And then we'll end with discussion about those topics.