North Side News
Week of February 17th - 21st, 2020
Our newest North Side family member - Oliver James! Isn't he beautiful? Congratulations Jordyn!!!!
Inspire, Engage, Empower!
Learning the phases of the moon
Partner reading
Guided Reading in Action
"Creating a trauma-responsive school isn't about teachers becoming therapists. It's about creating an environment that focuses on relationship, trust, and emotional safety." -Heather Forbes-
Students social emotional well being - I can't get enough!
Our emotional wellness is based on two things: Safety and belonging. When children have high anxiety or trauma, they become unregulated which we see as an explosion in emotions and behaviors. This is NOT a form of disrespect to us, it is their innate biological response of fight or flee the scene. If these aren't options, they will freeze and shut down.
Student "Dysregulation" is about the brain! We have 3 parts of our brain, the reptilian brain which is our brain stem and this develops first. The next part of our brain is the Limpic Brain. It is our emotions and feelings section. The final part is the Neocortex and this develops last. Our Neocortex is responsible for thinking and as we all know, Executive Functioning. Most children in dysregulation due to trauma and toxic stress are stuck in the Limpic Brain and are not able to access their Neocortex.
When working with a dysregulated student, we ourselves must be regulated. If we are not regulated, we need to ask someone else to take over with the child.
So, how do we help our students from becoming dysregulated? Well, the number one thing we must do is......MAKE CONNECTIONS with the student! We must build solid relationships with our students to let them know we care and it is safe to talk to us.
Did you know that emotions are processed anywhere from 200 to 5,000 times faster than our thoughts? Wow! Students can't stop to think things through before their emotions get the best of them. We MUST focus on the emotion behind the behavior, not on the behavior itself.
So, what can we do about this? here are some take-aways from the conference, article and webinar:
1. Lead by example - Model "aliveness", not stagnation in classroom
2. Use the Zones of Regulation (Melissa uses this with her students), sensory baskets, breathing techniques, positive thinking, brain breaks
3. Have water available - give to students to metabolize the cortisol.
4. Give them space and time to calm down
5. Listen and Validate them - they engage in behavior that reinforces their inner self
6. Make connection, not correction
7. Provide a 10:1 ratio of positive to negative comments
8. Provide a snack or meet their needs, whatever they may be
9. Yoga or exercise or mindfulness activities
10. Have a quiet spot they can lay down and look up at the ceiling, provide a calming picture for them to look up at.
What proactive approaches can we put in place? Interestingly enough, at the conference on Tuesday, the speaker suggested a 2x10 Connection Activity. This is a similar "Assignment" to the one I gave classroom teachers last Monday morning at collaboration. This activity is to choose 1-2 students that you do not have connections with or that cause some difficulty and take two minutes daily for 10 consecutive days to talk with them and get to know them - MAKE THAT CONNECTION! My assignment last Monday was for teachers to choose 1 child per week to talk with and make connections until the end of the year. Once connections are made, it is much easier to maintain them for the remainder of the school year.
I CHALLENGE EVERY STAFF MEMBER HERE AT NORTH SIDE TO ONE OF THE ABOVE ACTIVITIES. For those of you without a class, think of those students that challenge you often or are very quiet and reserved, connect to them and give them a sense of belonging here at North Side!
If you are interested in reading the article, here is the link: https://www.penbaypilot.com/article/problems-are-bigger-school-midcoast-educators-tackle-increase-dysregulated-behavior/128920
and the webinar can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYB-ZrlcFhI&feature=youtu.be
5th grade activities on Valentine's Day
working well with others
2nd grade being creative with manipulatives
February 17th - 21st: *Random Acts of Kindness Week*
NO SCHOOL, In Observance of President's Day
Tuesday, February 18th:
NEON DAY
10 a.m. - Stephanie to attend Lemonade Day meeting with JA
3 p.m. - PBIS Team Meeting (Cory's office)
3:30 p.m. - Staff Baby Shower (library)
Wednesday, February 19th:
TWIN DAY
3-4 p.m. - Trimester 2 Gallery Walk open to public (gym)
6 p.m. - Board Meeting @ ALC
Thursday, February 20th:
CAMO DAY
8:15-10:15 a.m. - Classes choose own time to visit Gallery Walk with class
10:15-10:45 a.m. - Pick up items from Gallery Walk
Friday, February 20th:
JERSEY DAY
*End of Trimester 2*
"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle." -James Keller-
February 24th - 28th:
PD - 5 Essentials
2:30-6:30 p.m. - Blood Drive (Gym)
Tuesday, February 25th:
8:30 a.m. - Report Cards due to the office
Wednesday, February 26th:
3 p.m. - Mural Committee Meeting (Sarah's room)
Thursday, February 27th:
3:30-7:30 p.m. - P/T Conferences
Friday, February 28th:
PBIS Monthly Reward
*Send any remaining report cards home with students