February was a month of unpredictable weather and lots of snow days! If you and your student(s) are like myself and my family, we had a difficult time finding a rhythm in February because of the snow days and the amount of snow that fell. I have never seen that much snow at one time; the amount of snow that fell in the area was unprecedented! I am proud of the way students and teachers handled being in and out of school in February. March was a busy month also as Croman students participated in Read-A-Thon and "National School Breakfast Week," activities, and the kindergarten team held in person registration this year for incoming students.

Spring break has officially come and gone already and we are in the home stretch of the school year. I hope your student is ready to take on the last two months of the school year.

To recognize Social Emotional Learning day in Pennsylvania, students created "worry worms" in class. Students used a pipe cleaner, small crafting beads, and a googly eye to create their "worry worm." This activity encouraged students to think about and express worries that they have. As students placed a bead on the pipe cleaner, students were asked to think about and share a worry that they have and to discuss appropriate ways to cope with that worry. The "worry worm" is an object that students can use as a reminder to talk about their worries, rather than holding them in. Students can also use their "worry worm" as an item to hold for comfort when they are worried.

Mr. Bellinger also hid approximately 100 printed emoji faces around the school. Students who found a hidden emoji face were able to bring it to Mr. Bellinger's office in exchange for a piece of candy. Many of the students who found emoji faces around the school had not seen Mr. Bellinger's office, so this was a great opportunity for them to see what Mr. Bellinger's office is all about!

Social-Emotional Learning is vital to students' academic, career, and social-emotional growth. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), Social-Emotional Learning has been proven to increase students' academic achievement and students who participate in Social-Emotional lessons have improved classroom behavior, can better manage stress and depression, and have a better attitude about themselves, others, and school.

Research also shows that students, administrators, and parents believe Social-Emotional Learning programs are necessary in school, although many would agree that more support, education, and training in this area is needed.

I am proud of the Troy School District for making Social-Emotional Learning programs a priority for its students. The current administration in the Troy district has specifically committed to this area by creating the Wellness program at Croman and by hiring Mr. Bellinger to provide individual and group counseling services to students.

For more information, check out the CASEL website at https://casel.org

In the month of April, students will participate in wellness lessons on the topics of kindness, bullying, and self-esteem. I have noticed that students take more information away from wellness lessons when we create something together, such as a craft. This month, I hope students enjoy creating something to bring home and show off!