Happy New Year!

This week I started my classroom visits, and soon I will have visited every class from KG to 5th.  I look forward to interacting with all of the students again this year.  By August 30th, I'll have met all of our 1st-5th new-to-TAISM students.  During this first rotation in the classroom, my focus is on getting reacquainted with all of the kids, as well as reviewing one of our tried and true frameworks for dealing with peers...TALK-WALK-SQUAWK.  This is a simple set of steps for dealing with a peer that is bothering you.  Ask them about it!

Is your family getting enough sleep?

I put up a bulletin board this week, an effort I make once or twice per year.  It tends to get pushed down the priority list...much like keeping up with my blog posts.  This bulletin board is all about sleep, please have a look on the wall outside my office.  Here is a link to an article for further reading from The Slate:  In Defense of Absurdly Early Bedtimes



Since I've written last, my lessons have covered several topics:  Stress, Diversity, Moving, Career Awareness, and more.  During my moving lessons in the upper grades, we discussed the importance of "building a RAFT" to help you in your transition.  This is drawn directly from Pollack & Van Reken's work in "Third Culture Kids:  The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds."

R...for Reconciliation (resolve conflicts with friends prior to leaving)
A...for Affirmation (communicate how much your friends have meant to you)
F...for Farewells (explicitly saying good-bye)
T...for Think Destination (take time to do some research about your new home country & get excited)

We talk about how good-bye parties can be a healthy way to take care of both the "A" and the "F."  And, in all the grades, we discuss all of the emotions that moving can stir up:  sad, mad, excited, happy, nervous, anxious, lonely, surprised, confused, and more.  Hopefully, your kids will remember to talk to you about their feelings during your own time of transition, when that day comes.  

"Truly wonderful the mind of a child is." -Yoda
Teacher Appreciation Week here at TAISM!
Thanks, Parents!  Love it!

Notes from Mr. Everett...

Hello Parents!
Months have flown by since my last post, and I have been busy in the classrooms with the kids.  We recently finished a unit on Cooperation & Teamwork.  We used cooperative games to examine the following positive team member behaviors:

• Listen
• Share Ideas
• Encourage Others
• Do Your Part
• Lead & Follow (being flexible enough to do both)

The next rotation will focus on "personal safety" lessons. Students will be learning how to keep their bodies safe, and they will learn to differentiate between safe and unsafe touches. 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.  I have emailed you to inform you of the exact date that I will be discussing this topic with your child.  The picture below is part of our lesson to help the children identify trusted adults.  When you see this at home, ask them about their five adults they trust.  Also, flip this paper over and read my letter on the opposite side.  If you have any questions, please email me or stop by my office.

It's Terry Fox Time!

Hello Parents,

So far this year, the ES students and I have discussed the following topics during my classroom lesson times:  friendship, coping with teasing, learning to compromise, cyberbullying (2nd-5th), and I am now beginning to discuss perseverance. I use the context of the Terry Fox Run to talk to the kids about never giving up and trying even when things seem difficult.  On Nov 22, the Elementary School assembled in the Bosch Center to learn about Terry Fox and how they can help to raise money to continue funding research being conducted at the SQU Hospital here in Oman.  The fifth grade Ambassador group had fun helping me create the video you see linked below.  The theme this year is "DREAM BIG!"  See you on December 10th at the Terry Fox Run!

Into the Classrooms!

This week I started my classroom visits, and by early next week I will have visited every class from KG to 5th.  I look forward to interacting with all of the students again this year.  As you can see in the photo, my class schedule is posted outside my office as well as the schedule for all of my New Student Groups.  By September 6th, I'll have met all of our 1st-5th new-to-TAISM students.  During this first rotation in the classroom, my focus is on getting reacquainted with all of the kids, as well as reviewing one of our tried and true frameworks for dealing with peers...TALK-WALK-SQUAWK.  This is a simple set of steps for dealing with a peer that is bothering you.  Ask them about it!

"Happy New Year!"

Those of us that work in education often feel as if late August should be the time to greet each other with "Happy New Year!" instead of on January 1st.  It's an exciting time as we welcome back our returning students, and have the opportunity to meet new families joining our TAISM community.

I look forward to seeing you all during Registration which takes place on August 19-20 for new and returning students.

The presentation linked below describes my position at the school.
Elementary Counseling at TAISM

Elementary Ambassadors Help with Nepal Relief Effort

Earthquake in Nepal

This coming Tuesday, our TAISM Community will be implementing a fundraising campaign to assist those in need after the earthquake in Nepal. On May 5, the TAISM community will begin "re-building" in the cafeteria and collecting donations for the Earthquake Relief Fund that was set up by the Lincoln School. The ES Ambassadors will be helping manage this project during the elementary lunch periods.

Stress!!

Hello TAISM Parents!

Things have been busy in the Counseling Office, as they always are this time of year.  There are many families going through transitions.  Some are just arriving to our community, and some are just beginning to process the news that they will have to leave Muscat soon.  Academic demands are in full swing.  Many of our kids are involved in extra-curricular activities, lessons, sports, and perhaps they are learning lines for the upcoming Elementary Musical.  Also, February and March tend to be extra busy in Oman, with everyone trying to cram weekends full with outdoor opportunities and trips...knowing that the end of the beautiful weather will soon come to a close.  And, this seems to be birthday party season as well, with sometimes 2 or 3 kids' birthday parties per weekend!  I haven't even mentioned other tough issues, such as family conflicts, illnesses, or losses.  With all of this rushing around, the effects of stress are evident.  Kids and families are finding it harder to cope with the normal challenges of their day.

My class lessons for the past two rotations have focused on STRESS.  We define it, we talk about its causes, how it makes us feel, and what we can do to reduce stress in our lives.  We practice square breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery.  We also discuss how sleep, exercise, and talking about our problems are all important in reducing stress.  In the 5th grade, we also discuss time management, as they will soon be learning to use planners in middle school...which is only five months from now!

 What can you do as a parent to help?

Take a look at these articles:

7 Tips for Helping Your Kids Manage Stress (link)

Coping with Stress (scroll down to pg. 3 of the PDF linked here)

Don't have time to read these articles?  Too stressed?  Here are a few common points in all of the articles I read:

• Be a role model.  Model healthy stress management in your own life.
• SLEEEEEEP!  Be vigilant about protecting your child's sleep time.
• Exercise, stay active.
• Learn relaxation techniques.
• Play time, "down" time is important.

Counselor Lessons Lately

Hello Parents,

So far this year, the ES students and I have discussed the following topics during my classroom lesson times:  friendship, coping with teasing, learning to compromise, being a cooperative member of a team, and perseverance.  

Today begins the "personal safety" lessons. Students will be learning how to keep their bodies safe, and they will learn to differentiate between safe and unsafe touches. 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.  I have emailed you to inform you of the exact date that I will be discussing this topic with your child.  The picture below is part of our lesson to help the children identify trusted adults.  When you see this at home, ask them about their five adults they trust.  Also, flip this paper over and read my letter on the opposite side.  If you have any questions, please email me or stop by my office.

Screen Time & Kids

“So, your kids must love the iPad?” I asked Mr. Jobs, trying to change the subject. The company’s first tablet was just hitting the shelves. “They haven’t used it,” he told me. “We limit how much technology our kids use at home.”

Click on any of the three articles links highlighted in this post.  The first link above about Steve Job's kids is from The New York Times, the second one below is from the AAP, and the final link is from the Mayo Clinic.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents establish "screen-free" zones at home by making sure there are no televisions, computers or video games in children's bedrooms, and by turning off the TV during dinner.  

Research has linked excessive screen time to:  obesity, behavior problems, irregular sleep, violence, impaired academic performance, less time for play...

What can we do as parents??  Click on this link for advice from the experts at the Mayo Clinic.  Poor habits can be difficult to break, but you have to start somewhere for the health of your kids.  Sometimes the hardest place to start is with our own screen time habits!

Raising Caring Kids: Richard Weissbourd
Click on the link above for an interesting video about raising caring, respectful and courageous children. Interesting to think about what our kids would say, if asked "What's most important to your parents?"  Do we value our kids' achievements and their happiness over everything else?  Also, I think that his last comments about asking for feedback are the most challenging.  Have a listen...it's under 4 minutes!

2014-15 Begins!

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!

Welcome to TAISM!

And for some...

Welcome to Oman!

It's a very exciting time of year as we welcome back all the returning families, and welcome brand new families to our community.  This week, I started my New Student Groups with all the new TAISM 1st through 5th graders.  I will be meeting with them for the next several weeks.  It's great to meet all of the new students from all over the world, and rewarding to facilitate the development of new friendships between those students.  If you are a new TAISM parent, please feel free to stop by and introduce yourself.  If we have met, you are welcome to stop by as well! My office is two doors down from the main ES Office.  It is pictured above.   If you have any concerns about your child's adjustment to Oman or TAISM, email me, and we can set up a time to meet.

Starting on the rotation of Sep 3-10, I will begin to visit all of the KG-5th classrooms for my lessons.  I'll start by making sure they are familiar with my role in the school, then we'll do some "get to know each other" activities.  After this first rotation, we'll begin to talk about Friendship and how to treat each other.  I'm looking forward to the school year ahead!  

Thanks, TAISM!

Elementary students joined the entire TAISM community last week in the Terry Fox Run.  Our community raised over 4000 Rials for leukemia research at SQU Hospital.  Thanks to all who participated!  In my lessons, I focused on "Perseverance."  The kids were able to grasp what it means to never give up, even when things are difficult.  We read The Little Engine That Could by W. Piper, and the older grades also heard Terry Fox:  A Story of Hope.  Ask your child about telling yourself "I think I can!" when things get tough.  We were also treated to a visit by Terry's sister, Judith, who ran with the EC students on their run, as well as the entire school later that day.  The K-12 pep rally before the run was exciting, with the MS Band playing, teachers dancing, and kids cheering.  It's always inspiring to see our community come together for such a good cause.

During our Discover Oman weeks, I will be teaching my "Personal Safety" lesson in each classroom from Feb 4-10.  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.

Cooperation

KG and 1st graders attempt to stand together on an island that keeps shrinking and shrinking...

Teamwork is essential for kids in school, and learning to work effectively on a team will be a valuable skill for their entire lives.  My most recent unit for kids in EC through 5th grade has been all about cooperation. For 2nd through 5th grades, I break it down into these 5 effective team member behaviors below.  In the early years, I focus on the first three:

1. SHARE IDEAS...being able to articulate your thoughts to your team.
2. LISTEN...making an effort to listen to your teammate's ideas.
3. DO YOUR PART...sticking with the group's task, and doing the jobs assigned to you by the group.
4. ENCOURAGE OTHERS...being positive toward the others in your group, treating your team members kindly, lifting them up.
5. LEAD AND FOLLOW...being aware of your role in a group.  Asking yourself the question, "Do I normally lead or do I normally follow?"  Then, challenging yourself to take the other role occasionally.

I spend the rest of lesson time on experiential activities.  I believe they best learn by practicing teamwork.  Then, during and after each activity, I ask them to compliment each other on the above behaviors.  I also ask them to reflect about how they are doing with these behaviors.    They are quite aware of how others on their team are doing, and are quite reflective about their own roles in a group.

Students using their "octopus" device...made from a rubber band and string...to make a pyramid out of paper cups.  They had several restrictions to overcome in this task, for instance, they were not allowed to touch the cups at all.  They had to accomplish the task using only the "octopus" device.

"You're right! My shirt is very ugly."

Hello Parents!
My lessons are underway this year in all of the ES classrooms, EC-1 all the way up to grade 5.  All of the students should be familiar with "Talk-Walk-Squawk" now, as seen to the right.  This is an overall framework which allows students to solve problems with peers.  In the first step, "Talk" refers to voicing their concerns to their classmate.  For example, "Please stop doing that" or "I don't like it when you do that."  The "Walk" refers to moving away when the classmate does not stop the behavior.  "Squawk" refers to asking an adult for assistance.  I also mention that students can always seek help from an adult, or "squawk," right away if they are not feeling safe, feel hurt, or threatened in any way.

In KG-5th grades, I teach them about the "Bag of Tricks."  Inside the bag of tricks, are strategies for coping with teasing, displayed with an orange background.  (So?, Agree, Stand up for Yourself, Move Away, Make a Joke, Respond with a Compliment, Ignore)  Also, you will see a few strategies with a dark green background.  These strategies are for other kinds of issues they may have with peers, when the problem is not teasing.  (Apologize, Compromise, Take Turns, Flip a Coin/Rock, Paper, Scissors)  Two of the strategies can be used in any situation:  I-Messages & Ask an Adult for Ideas.  One of the rectangles in the bag is blank.  This allows for a discussion about the fact that they may be able to craft a response that is just as effective as the ones I listed. During my lessons, kids have opportunities to act out scenarios and practice using these strategies.  For example, two students would come up to the front, one the teaser, one the teased.  "Your shirt is ugly!" the teaser says.  "Why yes it is!  This is the ugliest shirt I've ever seen! (points to his own shirt.)  I emphasize that it's important to keep your anger or sadness in check when you are teased, because this will only invite more teasing.  I also relay that teasing back undermines the effectiveness of the strategies I list.  The goal of this unit is to empower students to cope with everyday peer situations, and to create an environment where we can talk openly about teasing and aggressive behaviors.  I believe it helps keep TAISM a safe place for kids.  My next unit will be on Cooperation.

Never Give Up!

Elementary students joined the entire TAISM community last week in the Terry Fox Run.  Our community raised over 3000 Rials for leukemia research at SQU Hospital.  Thanks to all who participated!  In my lessons, I focused on "Perseverance."  The kids were able to grasp what it means to never give up, even when things are difficult.  We read The Little Engine That Could by W. Piper, and the older grades also read a biography picture book about Terry Fox.  Ask your child about telling yourself "I think I can!" when things get tough.

From Jan 29-Feb 5, 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.

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