Stone Oak Elementary School
FAMILY SPECIALIST & COUNSELOR NEWS / OCTOBER 2021
MISSION STATEMENT
FAMILY SPECIALIST NEWS
Family Specialist
Juan A. Velasquez
NEISD Family Specialist
Stone Oak Elementary School
https://www.neisd.net/stoneoak/family
21045 Crescent Oak, San Antonio, TX, 78258
(210) 407-7849 Office
(210) 269-8899 Cell
OCTOBER CLASSES
ESL Class / Canyon Ridge Elementary
MONDAY & WEDNESDAY 9:00-11:30 AM
English as a Second Language (ESL) is a program of instruction designed to help individuals achieve competence in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension of the English language. Beginners, intermediate, and advanced levels welcome. Classes for adults who do not speak English as their first language
ESL Class / Stone Oak Elementary
MONDAY & WEDNESDAY 12:00-2:30 PM
English as a Second Language (ESL) is a program of instruction designed to help individuals achieve competence in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension of the English language. Beginners, intermediate, and advanced levels welcome. Classes for adults who do not speak English as their first language
Family Garden Club / Canyon Ridge Elementary
TUESDAY 3:00-4:00 PM
Come and learn how to plant your own family vegetable garden! You will learn gardening tips to maintain healthy plants! We will discuss what types of plants and vegetables are good starting points! We will share nutrition information along the way and will provide materials for you to get started! This is a great activity to maintain a healthy mind and a healthy body! We hope you will join us!
Daddy or Mommy & Me / Virtual
THURSDAY 10:00-11:00 AM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://neisd.zoom.us/j/4538139520
Do you have a 2–5-year-old that is not in school? We have a great interactive program for you! Join us for this web series starting on October 21st! Each week we will read books and participate in educational activities! Students will receive FREE books during each session and can meet other preschoolers.
Coffee & Breakfast With Counselors / Stone Oak Elementary
TUESDAY OCTOBER 26th 8:30-9:30 AM
Provides parents with information and resources to help parents develop a support network. We recognize that many parents have similar questions regarding how to navigate through their child's everyday life. Our class is a great venue to meet other parents who share common experiences.
COUNSELOR NEWS
Counselor
Counselor
Stone Oak Elementary School
https://www.neisd.net/stoneoak/counselor
21045 Crescent Oak, San Antonio, TX, 78258
(210) 407-7828 Office
Counselor
Erika Benton
Counselor
Stone Oak Elementary School
https://www.neisd.net/stoneoak/counselor
21045 Crescent Oak, San Antonio, TX, 78258
(210) 407-7829 Office
Spanish Stories Are Here!
What Selfies Are Doing to Self-Esteem
Help Kids Fight Cyberbullying and Other Mean Online Behavior
Most kids will encounter mean behavior at some point in their digital lives. For some kids, this experience is a blip that's easily forgotten, while for others it can have deep, long-lasting effects. For parents, the key is staying involved in kids' lives -- both online and off -- so they can step in and offer help if necessary. With guidance from parents and educators, kids can learn how to dodge the drama and stand up for others.
Define your terms.
Make sure kids understand what cyberbullying is: repeated and unwanted mean or hurtful words or behavior that occur online (through texts, social media posts, online chat, etc.).
Check in about online life.
Just like you'd ask your kid about their sleep, exercise, and eating, stay on top of their online life. Who are they chatting with? How do people treat each other in the games and on the sites they're using?
Role-play.
If kids feel like they might have trouble removing themselves from digital drama, experiment with some different ways they can make a graceful exit. Talk through words they can use, ways they can steer conversations in positive directions, etc.
Encourage upstanding.
Let kids know that supporting a friend or acquaintance who is being bullied can make a big difference. If they feel safe confronting the bully, they should. If not, a private message to the victim can be enough to help someone through a tough time. Speaking up against hate speech is important, too.
Take breaks.
If you notice your kid getting pulled into digital drama, help them take a break. It's great if they can determine for themselves when they need to step back, but they might need some help setting limits. Putting devices to bed at a specific time, plus breaks for mealtimes and face-to-face connection, can help kids recharge.
Review worst-case steps.
Walk through what to do if your kid is being bullied online. First, step away. Ignoring a bully can be very effective. If the bullying continues, take screenshots or print out evidence. Then block the person. If it gets worse, report the behavior to a trusted adult. Talk about who those people are and make sure your kid has their contact information.
The Power of Words: Treating Word Choice Like Salt
Most people have heard the saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well, that is a big LIE! Words are being used more than ever to hurt people in the world today. Have you ever said something that you wish you could take back? We all have. In fact, there have been times when that little voice in my head has advised me, “Don’t say it, you’re going to regret it…” and I still spoke those words. Usually, an argument begins when I could have avoided it with words of kindness or no words at all.
Positive or negative, WORDS are powerful! When someone says something unkind or unloving to us, it’s very difficult to forget. When someone lashes out in anger, we find ourselves flashing back to those words in our minds even years later. Yes, we can forgive others but that does not always erase the power of the words said to us.
With the permanence of words in mind, “Garbage in, garbage out” can be helpful in managing the words we speak. So many kids consume a diet of cultural garbage (music, social media, home environment, etc.) that it will soon become part of their vocabulary and speech. I am not able to keep my students from hearing/listening to every negative influence, but I can emphasize the importance of self-regulating appropriate boundaries and how the input affects output.
I like to use the apostle Paul’s instruction (Colossians 4:6) to keep the words we speak “seasoned with salt.” Having children think of their words as salt is a good way to help them identify the many situations where their words can be used for positive.
Salt enhances the flavor. A pinch of salt can bring out all the wonderful flavors around food. The same is true for words. It doesn’t take much, but positive words can enhance a conversation through compliments and respectful responses.
Salt melts ice. People can sometimes be cold when speaking to each other. Do our words help melt the ice or add to the chill? Remind children if they are given the cold shoulder by someone, they can try to warm things up with kind words.
Salt was once used to slow infections. Remind kids when they hear rumors or gossip about others, it can spread like an infection. Help them understand they have a choice to either refuse to participate or use their words to spread the rumors (infection).
Salt preserves. Kids can definitely see how our world is moving further away from love and kindness toward each other. Encourage kids to ask themselves if their words are preserving their morals of good character as well as treating others with respect.
Salt is best used in small amounts. Remind kids to keep their words positive, respectful, and brief. Just a few kind words in a difficult conversation can increase the chance that the listener will be responsive to what we say and give them more space to speak. Remember: quick to hear and slow to speak.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Clothes Closet
Additional FREE parent trainings.
San Antonio Food Bank
210-431-8326
Neighbor Helping Neighbor Response Effort
Sign up for emergency food at upcoming mobile food distribution.
The Diaper Assistance Program focuses on providing families access to diapers, wipes, and other healthcare items through the Texas Diaper Bank facilities or partner agencies. In addition to basic baby needs, this program also offers educational parenting and health classes, all free of charge.
The City of San Antonio has been working to create tutorial videos for WSA to include how to register for unemployment benefits and how to register for Work In Texas.
YouTube Channel – WSA Video Library
https://youtu.be/pszGs8h5bp8 - Register for Work In Texas
https://youtu.be/--F2zbav2y0 – Apply for Texas Unemployment
Work Solutions https://www.workforcesolutionsalamo.org/business-services
Work in Texas https://www.workintexas.com/vosnet/Default.aspx
FLYER https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-FCAckBFpgO1blbt0BwQ3AtX28EZA9fl/view?usp=sharing
Endeavors is providing services to military and their families.