The Cougar Pounce
staying connected @ShuksanMS
Announcements :: Week of Nov 8
Food and Book Pick Up on Tuesday 11/10 (not Wednesday!)
No School on Wednesday 11/11 (Veterans Day)
Rotation #3 Begins Thursday 11/12
- All students should look to TEAMs for new schedules and links
- Homeroom teachers will provide information for students about the shift to Rotation #3
November 8, 2020
Hello Families,
We use RULER in Bellingham Schools as a way to teach students how to recognize and regulate their emotions. We are learning with students how to recognize our emotions in order to regulate them.
We have many emotions to recognize and regulate. RULER suggests that when we label emotions we can use strategies to regulate them. This assures us that we are not powerless when strong emotions arise.
We don't expect stress to disappear. Yet, staying in stress can be dangerous and so we want to teach our students how to move through stress.
With RULER, students will learn about various strategies to help manage emotions. One major strategy is "Focused Breathing." RULER teaches that focused breathing can "help us deal with stress, anxiety, and other unpleasant emotions that we are likely experiencing during these times.
The breath is the only automatic bodily function we can control, and it is a powerful tool for emotion regulation. Breathing is a strategy that is always available to us, regardless of context or situation, so developing a practice of mindful breathing can be empowering for both students and adults who may feel powerless right now."
Here's a Simple Breathing Practice...If you've got 1-Minute..
Stop and feel the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe.
- Breathe in slowly. Pause for a count of three.
- Breathe out. Pause for a count of three.
- Continue to breathe deeply for one minute, pausing for a count of three after each inhalation and exhalation.
We hope you have some time to rest, recharge and breathe this weekend,
Matt & the SMS RULER Team
Matt Whitten
Shuksan Principal
Book PIck Up
There will be 3 Tuesdays in November for Book and Food Pick Up: Nov 10, Nov 17, Nov 24.
SCHOLASTIC Nov Book Order @theLibrary
Order books from Scholastic! You can ship them to your house for free with orders $25 and over.
Use this link to look at and order from the Scholastic Books catalog! Last day to order: Nov 30. Class code: XG624.
@theLibrary Website
BEATS :: TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS ONLINE
BEATS, which stands for Be at Shuksan, is our before and after school program funded by the 21st Century Learning Grant. BEATS is all about building relationships, trying new things, empowering students, and most of all having FUN!
During distance learning, BEATS meets Tuesdays and Thursdays via Zoom.
- From 3-4pm we provide BEATS Homework Support: A space for students to complete independent work with their friends and receive help from their BEATS mentors.
- From 4-5:30 we have our main BEATS Zoom session: A space for games, art, music, hanging out with friends, and anything else the students can dream up.
Ms. Cowan, Counselor
Ms. Besson, Counselor
SMS Counseling Team
Ms. Besson and Ms. Cowan are excited to connect with you and to support families and students in a variety of ways.
- Questions: schedule, community resources, or just want to chat, please contact Ms. Besson at (360) 746-4132 and Ms. Cowan at (360) 303-2818.
- Zoom counseling with students! Let us or your Homeroom Teacher know you'd like to do weekly check ins.
- Counseling referrals for Compass Counseling. Please contact us and we will walk you through a referral packet to get counseling started.
Emails:
Shuksan Middle School
Vice-Principal, Allison Chryst (Hancock)
Dean of Students, Nichole Lockhart
Email: matthew.whitten@bellinghamschools.org
Website: https://shuksan.bellinghamschools.org/
Location: 2717 Alderwood Avenue, Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone: (360) 676-6454
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shuksanmiddleschool/