State Street Scoop
Issue 11 - December 1st
Principal's Corner
Dear Parents with of Children with Big Emotions,
Can you relate? I can! As a parent of four children, I’ve seen my fair share of “big emotions.” At State Street School we have almost completed our instruction on the Zones of Regulation! The Zones of Regulation is a process where we learn to self-regulate. I noticed that our children were struggling to name their feelings. This program helps to not only identify emotions, but also to recognize the signals in our body that help us to identify when we are becoming disregulated. The best part is that we are all learning tools to utilize to get us in the “green” zone.
Why do we teach self-regulation? According to the authors of Zones,
Regulation is something everyone continually works on whether we are aware of it or not. We all encounter trying circumstances that can test our limits. If we can recognize when we are becoming less regulated, we are able to do something about it to manage our feelings and get ourselves to a healthy place. This comes more naturally for some, but for others it is a skill that needs more attention and practice. This is the goal of The Zones of Regulation.
More to come each week on the Zones of Regulation at SSS! We hope through our weekly newsletters you will become familiar with the language we use here at school and can support your children as they learn self-regulation strategies. I know I’ve learned quite a bit in supporting my own children and even identifying my own strategies and tools!
Have a great weekend,
Audrey Faubert
Principal
Zones of Regulation
Regulation Station Grade K
Zones of Regulation
Regulation Station Grade 1
Zones of Regulation
Regulation Station Grade 2
Celebrations Around the World
Tolerance – At Home and In School
This month I decided to write my topic on tolerance. I couldn’t wait to write on the topic, until I sat down to write. It was very difficult. I did a lot of research and this is what I would like to share. Tolerance is an ongoing process. It’s not something we learn in a single moment in time. We need to talk about social differences with our children so they are comfortable talking to us about them. The holiday season is the perfect time to talk about social differences. Here at State Street School we are fortunate to have a diverse student body. Our teachers do a wonderful job teaching the children about different cultures and traditions. We will decorate our main entrance with every holiday that we know our children celebrate. What better way to teach tolerance than by allowing the children to talk about what they celebrate or don’t celebrate? The children then have a better understanding of each other, their similarities and differences. They begin to accept each other for who they are and who they will become. They now know that being different is good and they can each make the world a better place to live in. We, as parents, need to reinforce that everyone’s culture and traditions are important even though they may be different from our own. They make us who we are. The more knowledge and education children have about why we are different the more tolerant they will become. We need to allow our children to learn as much as they can about each other and from their teachers. Someday, they will see their differences as assets to be celebrated. Our children at State Street School already accept each other and celebrate together. We, as parents, can learn this attitude and behavior from our children. With that in mind, whatever you celebrate with your family this holiday season, I wish you happiness and joy, now and for the coming New Year.