Wildcat News - Special Edition
January 6, 2021
Message from Mr. Kieser and Ms. Montgomery
Hello Wildcat Families,
Recent events in the news have once again highlighted the challenge in talking about potentially stressful and scary events with our children. This can be difficult because often we as adults are still processing the information when our children ask us about it. We would like to share some resources that may be helpful in navigating these conversations:
NPR: What to say to kids when the news is scary
PBS Kids: Helping kids navigate scary news stories
beyondblue.org: Talking about scary stuff in the news
Some common threads in these articles include:
1. Understand we can't "news-proof" the environment-at least some tidbits of scary news events will filter through to our children eventually
2. Help them understand-use age-appropriate language, and think about what details are important for your child to know.
3. Model the response you want to see in your child-how we speak about the people involved, how to communicate opinions and emotions.
4. Provide reassurance-let them know they are safe, while acknowledging their feelings.
5. Don't forget self-care-we are presented with stressors so frequently that we really need to have a way of managing our own stress levels.
As always, please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher, our School Counselor, Mr. Kieser, or Principal Montgomery if you have any questions or need support. Our contact information is listed below.
Warmly,
Principal Montgomery & Mr. Kieser
Kari Montgomery
Gary Kieser, MA, LPC
School Counselor
Westridge Elementary School
503-534-2371, ext. 3932
LOSD Distance Learning Resources
Westridge Elementary
Email: kari.montgomery@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.losdschools.org/wr
Location: 3400 Royce Way, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 534-2371