The month of November I visited classrooms and talked with students about kindness. Kindness is the character trait for December, however with Thanksgiving in November, I like to encourage students to think about what what wonderful things they have in their lives and how they can use that gratefulness to spur them on to show kindness to others.
In most grades I read a story about kindness and did various activities to help students critically think about how to show kindness to others. Many students made the connection to our building-wide service projects we have done recently, including a food drive that we did during Red Ribbon week at the end of October for our business partner Abundant Life's food pantry. Recently our Cafeteria Staff hosted a clothing drive for Hope House, a local Domestic Violence shelter located in Lee's Summit. 3rd grade is my leadership spotlight of the Month. See the pictures below to experience how 3rd grade learned about showing kindness to others.
In the month of December I will be visiting classrooms and talking about Habit 1: Be Proactive. Students will have a plan to keep their bodies safe from wrong or unsafe touches.
In the month of October, all students will receive lessons on Conflict Resolution using a new curriculum: Kelso's Choice. Please see the letter below to explain more about what all students will be learning on how to resolve conflicts on their own rather than asking an adult to solve their problems for them. These skills are being reinforced where problems regularly occur at school: the playground. Resource Aids know about Kelso's Choice and there is a large Kelso's Choice wheel outside where Resource Aids will be referring students to think about how they can solve many problems on their own. Please also use these skills at home to help our students learn this valuable life skill!!
In September students are receiving lessons on how to treat one another with kindness and respect at school, using Habit 1: Be Proactive and Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood.
Kindergartners read the story "Crayon Box that Talked" by Shane DeRolf. They learned that we should treat everyone with kindness and respect even when they are different from us. They learned that being different is something to celebrate, that we are able make a more colorful picture when we are different than if all the same color. They depicted this by coloring a picture using only one crayon, then coloring the same picture using all of the crayons in their crayon box.
1st graders watched this video below from the website The Ned Show. Students discussed recipes for friendship, and discussed what are the ingredients they are putting into their friendships (i.e. honesty, trust, kindness, etc). Students completed a cut and paste color page of the successful ingredients for friendship.
2nd graders read the book "ONE" by Kathryn Otoshi and discussed how to stand up to bullying or unkind behavior. They each identified that it takes courage to stand up when they see others being treated unkind or being bullied. Students colored a cut-out of the number "1" and put it somewhere to remind them to be the "1" to stand up. Each class received a poster stating "Sometimes it takes just 1--Stand Up" to also help them remember to create a classroom free of bullying or unkind behavior. To hear this book by the author please see the video below.
In 3rd grade, students are listening to the book "Juice Box Bully" by Miranda Dismondy. Students identified ways that bullying was occurring in the book. In the book students are empowered to stand up to bullying and all agree to a promise or contract of behavior that creates a positive school and classroom environment and does not stand by and encourage bullying behavior. Students brainstormed the bullying behavior that is seen in the book. They then decorated a footprint with an empowering action they can choose to be proactive and "Stand Up to Bullying. See the poster below Ms. Fortney's class poster of this activity!
4th graders read the book "Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun" by Miranda Dismondy, a story about having the courage to be who you are. Students identified that the school and classroom environment has to utilize Habit 5: Seek First to Understand and then to be Understood in order to allow students to truly be who they are. In order to accept one another even when they are different, we have to be willing to understand who they are by getting to know them. Students then created a Venn Diagram with a partner to compare and contrast how they are alike and different. 4th grade is my Leadership Spotlight for September; see below for an example of their work.
Students in 5th grade also received a lesson on the book "One" by Kathryn Otoshi. Students spent the lesson discussing who in history was "the ONE" to stand up and make a significant difference in the world. Then students brought this concept to their own life and thought about an individual in their personal life who took a stand and made a difference to them, personally. Students then wrote about how they can be "the ONE" to stand up and make a difference in the life of someone else or even dream as big as being "the ONE" to change the world! They are my Leadership Spotlight for the month of October:
6th graders received a lesson on their reputation. Students learned that they are very much able to shape how others view them by their words, actions, and choices. Students spent time thinking about and discussing what a reputation is and watched the video below, which illustrates how people will speak to our reputation when given a chance. Students were challenged to think about what would others say about them? They then created a reputation wheel on their Chromebooks to help them think about what values they have and what they would like others to say about them--how they are shaping their reputation.
Please see the information below regarding upcoming Love and Logic classes. You can also find information under the Parenting Forms tab on the right hand side of this blog.
Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun
Beginning, Monday’s, September 14 through October 12
Great Beginnings Early Childhood Center
908 NE Bluestem
Parenting the Love and Logic Way
Beginning, Thursday’s, September 17 through October 15
Westview Elementary School
200 N Ward Rd.
The cost for either class is $42 per participant and includes program materials. There is no cost to
return to the program and scholarships are available to residents who live within the Lee’s Summit,
R-7 school district boundaries. Both classes run from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. For more information and registration
materials visit www.LSCARES.Org or contact Bev Hatley at 816-347-3259.
This program is made possible through a partnership between Lee’s Summit CARES, the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District and ReDiscover.
I want to extend a warm welcome to the 2015-2016 school year to all HPE families! I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Meet the Teacher this evening. Please take a moment to review important Guidance and Counseling information in my 2015 welcome letter under Parenting Links at the right hand side of my blog. There is also information listed there regarding this year's Love N Logic classes provided by Lee's Summit Cares.
Another easy way to access my welcome letter is by clicking here.
I am looking forward to another great school year!
March and April were dedicated to MAP testing. Our first year of online testing went smoothly! I am relieved to have that behind me!
In May I have been visiting classes to help students "Begin with the End in Mind" (Habit 2). Students experienced various activities, many online and through technology, to do career research on a future career that interests them.
Please check back soon for a summary of what I have been doing in your child's classroom on this topic!
In January and February I visited classrooms to discuss Conflict Resolution. We focused on Habit 5: Seek First to Understand and then to be Understood and Habit 4: Think Win-Win to resolve conflicts when the arise.
2nd graders were my Leadership Spotlight this month. They heard the book "Enemy Pie" by Derek Munson via storylineonline.net and created a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the two main characters in the story. Students also identified the problems and solutions that were presented in the story. Students identified that using Habit 5 helps us to understand others before making judgments of them thus eliminating many problems and arguments.
Students in Kindergarten read the book "Don't Squeal Unless it's a Big Deal" by Jeanie Franz Ransom. Students learned that many problems that happen with their friends are "kid sized problems" that they can solve on their own rather than running to an adult for help. As a group we discussed many different scenarios and students decided whether the problem was an emergency that they needed to tell an adult right away, or if the problem was one they could solve on their own. We came up with many different ways to solve the problems ourselves rather than always tattling to an adult.
Students in 1st grade listened to "Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen" by Howard Binko. Students learned that they can use Habit 1: Be Proactive and being a good listener helps prevent many problems from happening. Students learned many ways to be a good listener and also identified many different ways to help solve problems when they occur rather than fighting or arguing.
3rd graders learned how to create "I-messages" to solve problems when they have them. Students worked in groups to create an "I-message" for many different scenarios that they may have. An example is: "I feel left out when you don't let me play. Please let me have a turn." Students then read the story "Trouble Talk" by Judy Ludwig and identified how an I-message could have helped the characters in the story solve the problems they were having rather than arguing and fighting.
Students in 4th grade learned about Habit 4: Think Win-Win. They identified the barriers to thinking win-win and how using this habit can help them work together better with others as well as be more productive. Students watched a video about a team of hikers who climbed Mt. Everest with a blind member. Students identified how Think Win-Win helped them to achieve this goal together rather than causing them to "fail" when they faced hardships on the journey. Students then applied the concept of Think Win-Win to scenarios that they may face at school or home as a 4th grader.
Students in 5th grade received a Lee's Summit Cares Bullying presentation from Kerri Gray as their lesson this month.
6th graders also learned about Habit 4: Think Win-Win and how this can be used in the face of conflict to help them solve the conflict by allowing everyone to have a bit of success rather than a "winner" and "loser." Students watched a video about the Lego Company and how they used Think Win-Win when they were faced with "hackers" who were getting into a new online system they had created. Students discussed how new and innovative ideas can come when one looks at conflict as a potential win-win rather than a win-lose. Students also applied the concepts of Think Win-Win to scenarios they may face at school or home as a 6th grader.
