Superstar Snapshots
February 2020
Changes
At St. Helens, we continually examine our practices and look for ways to improve them so that we are providing the very best for our Superstars and their families. One area that we have been looking at is our end of the day dismissal procedures.
Beginning today, you will see red flags for each grade level. That is where you will find your student for dismissal. To keep our school entrance and walkways clear, please refrain from waiting in either location for your child. If you are coming into the school for either a meeting or to receive help in the office, please stop by the window to see our school secretary, Mrs. Lafrenz, before going down the hall.
Please remember that, if a student is picked up by an adult other than the parent, the adult must be on the emergency contact list or the parent must call the school to notify them of the adult picking up their child. If the adult is a new face, identification will be checked in order to match the name given. If a parent does not call and it is an unfamiliar adult picking up the child, a call will be made to the parent to assure that it is okay.
Our goal is to keep all Superstars safe. Thank you in advance for following these new changes.
BELIEVE YOU CAN ACHIEVE!
Conscious Discipline
This has been a wonderful start to a New Year, here at St. Helens. We continue to work on reading, math, writing and everything in between! Our students have been taking many assessments to check their growth and wow it has truly been amazing to see and hear about how much they have grown just since October! Ask your student how much they have grown!
Although we focus and talk most about academics, we as a school family also work really hard on social and emotional skills. So far this year, we have worked and continue to work on composure, kindness, choices, positive intent and empathy! For the month of February, we have focused on assertiveness. Assertiveness is having the ability to say, “No” while setting limits in a respectful manner. As a staff, we often say, “Use your big voice” meaning you can tell someone no, with a firm, strong voice! We then have the students take another step and tell the other person what they want them to stop doing. For instance, if a student keeps poking another student, we encourage them to say firmly, “Stop, I do not like it when you poke me, I want you to stop.” There is no yelling or screaming, yet the student is able to set effective and respectful limits. This may not always be easy, but we work on this skill daily, you may want to ask your student about how or if they use their big voice at school!
Our students are simply wonderful! Thank you for sharing them with us each and every day.
Kim Childers
Climate /Culture Coach
Read Across America
Counselor's Corner
Hello Parents! We hope that you are well and that the transition from Winter break has gone smoothly. This month we have focused on the skill of Assertiveness or how students can respectfully problem solve and set limits with others. Conscious Discipline teaches that assertiveness “…is clear communication that paints a picture of what we want others to do.”
One way to help your student develop Assertiveness is have them practice using ‘I-Messages’. This sounds like, “I don’t like it when you _____I would like you to_____”. Or, “I feel sad when you call me names. I want you to call me by my name, .”
These are examples of how they can respectfully stand up for themselves and let others know how they would like to be treated. It also helps them develop their communication skills and see that their words have power! Join us in helping them with this important skill.
Joel Thomas
School Counselor
Conferences
Thursday, Mar 5, 2020, 12:00 PM
St. Helens Elementary School, 27th Avenue, Longview, WA, USA
About Us
Email: steel@longview.k12.wa.us
Website: sthelens.longviewschools.com/
Location: 431 27th Avenue, Longview, WA, USA
Phone: 360575-7362