Weekly Launch
Feb. 25-March 1
Reminders/Announcements
Important Dates
TELPAS opens
4th grade reading assessment-10:00
Fire Drill
C4-3rd
Watch DOG-Mr. Horacefield-Connor-Rathburn-PE
February 26-
Benchmark-5th math
Buckels out in a.m.
CIIC-3:30 p.m.
C4-4th
February 27th-
Benchmark-5th reading-4th grade Writing
SBG Chat-3rd grade
Faculty Meeting
C4-4th
February 28th-
3rd grade reading assessment-8:30(TELPAS)
4th grade listening/speaking tutorial-1:00 (TELPAS)
Lockdown Drill 2:15
C4-Block
Watch DOG-
March 1st-
Alpha
Watch DOG-Mr. Peavler-Lucas-Bach-PE
District initiated Fire Drill
Character Corner
Word of the Month-Trustworthiness
Morning Announcements-Steiger
Word of the Week-infer
Shout Outs
Shout out to the staff for helping make Fit Night a success!!!
Shout out to Shara for the fun butterfly making session! We can't wait to see the finished product!!!
Compliment Corner
This compliment is for Dawn McIntyre because she organized and ran a wonder Chili Cook-off! Thank yo for all the notes, reminders, coordinating entertainment and judges-Stephanie Hirsch
This compliment is for Monique and Jody because they helped me get through all the technology/sound issues when trying to Skype for World Read Aloud Day. They fixed everything BEFORE we had ikds in here trying to connect with a live author! Thanks so much! Terri May
Calming Corners
When students experience stress or trauma at home or are overwhelmed in school, their nervous systems respond. Some students become extremely activated while others shutdown. Activation comes in reactions such as inattention, difficulty sitting still and hyperactivity. Shut down looks like daydreaming, falling asleep in class or not responding to others bids to connect. With both activation and shut-down, cognition is impaired and learning is difficult. Calming corners can help with both. When activated, a calming corner provides an opportunity for students to reset or re-regulate and when shut down, a calming corner provides opportunity for engagement.
A calming corner is a small, designated space located within a classroom. The purpose of a calming corner is to help support self-regulation while keeping students in the classroom if they need a break from instruction time or a group activity. The use of calming corners can transform the culture of the classroom because calming corners are not consequence-based but rather used as an opportunity, driven by a student’s choice to feel better. Calming corners are private enough to allow the student to maintain dignity, however, they should be within eyesight of the educator so the student maintains a feeling of safety.
Teachers should introduce calming corners in their classrooms as safe places. They are not for students who are “in trouble,” but rather for all students in the classroom. Invite all students to “try out” the calming corner when it is implemented. At first, the calming corner will be a novelty and every student will want to try it out. This is normal. As time goes on, only the students who really need to use it will ask to do so. If there is more than one student who wants to use the calming corner, the use of timers is helpful. Typically, after 5 minutes in the calming corner, students are ready to join the rest of the class.
A calming corner can be a safe place for students to do peer lead restorative circles or to just process through issues. Classrooms can create calming corner passes or a simple signal individualized by each student to alert the teacher that student needs to process or calm down.
For school-age children, a small nook or space set apart from the rest of the room that offers privacy is perfect. Provide seating with beanbags, pillows, a small table and chairs. Some teachers use a tapestry or some sort of “roof” to cover the calming corner space. Peaceful lighting and colors are a bonus. And, post the purpose of the calming corner. As children enter middle school and high school – a small area with a desk, beanbag or comfortable chair will do the trick. Some like to call these areas “chill-out corners”.
List of items you might want to include in your calming corner:
- Different kinds of timers
- Squishy "stress" ball
- Small bottles of water
- Glitter ball or glitter jar
- Emotional feelings sheet to help identify and record emotions
- Mirror to help identify emotions
- Blank paper, pens, and crayons, markers,, write a letter, or to reflect on strategies used in the peace corner
- Hoberman breathing sphere
- Soft, small blanket or even a weighted blanket for sensory reasons
- Soft rug
- Relaxation CD and player
- Headphones
- Books, magazines
- Low partitions/dividers for privacy
- Tapestry for “roof”
- Visual calming strategies