Pine Ridge Weekly
5/11/20
PR Families,
Good morning PR Families!
Happy Belated Mother's Day!
We sincerely appreciate all the kind notes, videos, and more last week! Thank you for acknowledging the efforts of our team. It means so much to us!
Build a fort inside or outside of your house! Take a pic with it and send it to Mrs. James at tjames@fhps.net.
Announcements/Reminders:
- FHPS Elementary Principals' response to the Remote Learning Family Survey below.
- Time to order school supplies for next year, see below!
- Ranger Ticket Video below.
- Ranger challenge of the week: Build a fort inside or outside of your house! Send pictures to me: tjames@fhps.net
- More books and chapters have been added to my Loom folders below. I will also add them to Mrs. Zietz's Google Classroom.
- Don't forget to visit the Counselor's Corner below. Kathy Wittland adds new strategies each week for the social and emotional support of all kids.
Video - Ranger Tickets Winners for May 8!
Order School Supplies Now For the Fall!
May 11, 2020
Hello Pine Ridge Families,
In previous newsletters, I have written about feelings/emotions. We are all dealing with many mixed emotions these days. I am hearing that some of our students and families are dealing more often with anger and frustration with all of the changes due to remote learning. We do understand that this is such a difficult adjustment. Please know that our staff will be available to help you if your child is struggling.
About a week ago, I was talking to a student who told me about a frustrating experience they had with an assignment given by one of the teachers. After this student threw a tantrum over not wanting to do the assignment, they went back to the assignment later and completed it very easily. The student told me this story to share that they had learned an important lesson. If they had just calmed down and gotten the work done when they got the assignment, a lot of frustration and hurt feelings would have been avoided.
I am attaching some information below that I hope will be helpful for your child if they are feeling frustrated. When frustration starts to build, remind your child of the following steps that we have talked about in our lessons.
STOP and THINK!
Name Your Feeling (example: “I am so angry!”)
Calm Down
Calm Down Strategies:
-Scribble on paper and then rip it up
-Write down your feelings in a journal
-Draw a picture of how you are feeling
-Chew gum
-Do jumping jacks, wall push-ups, or take a walk
-Listen to calming music
-Talk to a safe adult
-Blow up a balloon
-Belly breathing/Pretzel breathing/Figure 8 breathing/Five-finger breathing (choose one that works for you!)
- Walk away
-Use positive self-talk (example: “I can do this! I better walk away before I do something or say something I will regret later.”
-Cuddle with your pet
-Read a favorite book
-Work on a project, like a puzzle or Legos
-Ask for a hug
-Sing the alphabet, or count forward or backward
Videos for Students:
Big Problems and Small Problems (K thru 2nd Grade)
Size of the Problem (3rd thru 5th Grade)
I hope that this will be useful information for you. Please let your child’s teacher, Mrs. James, or me know if there are more ways that we can support you through this time.
Warmly,
Kathy Wittland
Pine Ridge School Counselor
4th Grade Fun
Whenever it is safe, we will have our traditional 4th-grade Noodle Ceremony!
Food Service Update:
- Free meal distribution for children ages 18 and under continues on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11a-1p at FHN and FHC. Children do not need to be in the vehicle to receive free meals.
- If your financial status has recently changed due to COVID-19, you may temporarily qualify for free or reduced-price meals for the first 30 days of the new school year. Visit www.lunchapp.com to fill out a confidential application. (This will also qualify you to receive the P-EBT benefits described below.)
- Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transaction (P-EBT) Program - Families on the free or reduced-price meal program will receive extra funds on their EBT card for each child in their household ages 5-18.
- March & April benefits - $193.80 per eligible child will be loaded on the EBT card by the end of April.
- May & June benefits - $182.40 per eligible child will be loaded on the EBT card at a later date.
- If you don't currently receive food assistance benefits, a pre-loaded card will be mailed to you. Benefits for all eligible children will be loaded onto one card.
Links to Books Read Aloud by Mrs. James - Updated
Previous Newsletters
Commonly Asked Questions- Forest Hills Public Schools Website
Please visit our website where you can see a Commonly Asked Questions page, all previous COVID-19 communications to families, and a list of resources to assist families during this challenging time.
District Instruction Office: More Instructional Resources
Dear FHPS Families:
We are sharing with you a page located on the district website with links to resources curated to offer high-interest low-stress ideas that families may choose to use with their children, in addition to the learning opportunities they are receiving from their teachers.
The goal is to offer new optional ideas and resources for students and families weekly. Click here to access it. We recommend that you bookmark the site for future access and updates.
Be safe, and stay well.
Forest Hills Public Schools
Great Resource For Routines!
- Routines - Children (and adults) do well with a routine. Here are some sample daily routines from Khan Academy, customized by grade levels.
Wifi Access For All Buildings in FHPS
Kindergarten Kick-Off POSTPONED
Resources for Talking About COVID-19 for Kids
Connect With Us!
Pine Ridge PTO Website: https://www.pineridgepto.com/
Pine Ridge Facebook Page: https: //www.facebook.com/PRfhps/
Other Helpful Links:
Forest Hills Public Schools Website- https://www.fhps.net/
School Messenger Notification- https://www.fhps.net/departments/technology/school-messenger-notifications/