Counselor's Corner
March News 2023
March Classroom Lessons
KINDERGARTEN: We Can Say The Problem!
Students will learn how to apply their emotion management skills to solve interpersonal problems and demonstrate strategies for effectively dealing with interpersonal conflict. With adult support, students will be able to state or repeat the problem in a given scenario.
FIRST GRADE: How To Say The Problem
Students will learn how to apply their emotion management skills to solve interpersonal problems and demonstrate strategies for effectively dealing with interpersonal conflict. With adult support, students will be able to state a problem respectfully in a given scenario.
SECOND GRADE: The Way to Say a Problem
Students learn how to apply their emotion management, communication, and empathy skills to solve interpersonal problems and demonstrate strategies for effectively dealing with interpersonal conflict. Goals of our lessons include being able to state the problem clearly and without blame in a given scenario, generate multiple solutions to solve a given problem, and identify which solutions work better than others for a given problem.
THIRD GRADE: STEP by Step
Students learn how to apply their emotion management, communication, and empathy skills to solve interpersonal problems and demonstrate strategies for effectively dealing with interpersonal conflict. Students will be able to recall the STEP process they can use to solve problems.
FOURTH GRADE: A Good Problem Solver
Students learn how to apply their emotion management, communication, and perspective-taking skills to solve interpersonal problems and demonstrate strategies for effectively dealing with interpersonal conflict. Students will be able to explain what they can do to be a better problem solver.
FIFTH GRADE: Beginning to STEP
Students learn how to apply their emotion management, communication, and perspective-taking skills to solve interpersonal problems and demonstrate strategies for effectively dealing with interpersonal conflict. Students will be able to explain how to begin the STEP process in order to be good problem solvers.
Say Something Week March 13-17
Dear Family Members,
During the week of March 13 through March 17, your child will be taking part in Say Something Week throughout the Strongsville City School District. We will be discussing how to recognize warning signs, signals of danger and bullying behavior. Students will learn how important it is to remember if they see something, they should say something, and they will stop something.
As a parent/caregiver, we know it can be hard to know how your child is feeling. Today, many children turn to online channels to express themselves, their thoughts and hopes, and their anxieties and personal feelings. Some even go as far as hinting at hurting themselves or someone else. Their friends and peers are the eyes and ears of the school and community, and they may see and hear these communications, but may not always understand or know what to do with that information.
Say Something teaches all of this.
We encourage you to talk to your child about Say Something and share what they are learning. Not only will this conversation help you to recognize any signs in your own child’s expressions, but it demonstrates to them that you also take this subject seriously and can be one of the trusted adults your child turns to if they suspect someone may need help. We know that schools are meant to be safe places. Say Something will help equip our young people to do their part to keep our school community safe. For more information on Say Something, please visit: http://www.sandyhookpromise.org/saysomething.
Furthermore, Strongsville City Schools is fully committed to curbing student bullying and school violence, and providing a positive learning environment for all students that enhances personal safety and promotes respect, dignity, and equality among students. We believe our schools play an important role in helping faculty, staff and parents prepare students to be respectful and responsible citizens. As part of our commitment, the district is initiating a new, integrated program, developed by former school officials, that provides:
Online and telephone reporting tools for students, parents and staff.
Student training regarding the need to speak up about safety and bullying issues.
Staff training in recognizing and responding to incidents of bullying and violence.
Administrative systems to manage incidents and document district and school responses to reported concerns of bullying or violence.
You can find the Stay Safe, Speak information by visiting the Strongsville City School home webpage.
Say Something is a national initiative developed through Sandy Hook Promise. This week compliments Start with Hello week that was held during September. During the national week there will be theme days (noted below) and morning announcements.
Tuesday: Wear Sunglasses/Glasses (See Something-Don’t Look Away)
Wednesday: Wear Clothing with Words on It-Speak Up for Those Who Can’t (Say Something)
Thursday: Wear Red-(Stop Something and be an “Upstander”)
Friday: Wear Strongsville or School Apparel for We Stand United against Bullying
HOME LINKS
Home links are fun activities that encourage interaction between your child and adults at home. The activities provide students with a chance to practice Second Step skills outside of school and help families learn about the skills so that they are able to utilize them at home.
We have been focusing on empathy, identifying their own and others' feelings, noticing and respecting same and different feelings, and showing you care about how someone else is feeling. This leads into our diversity and inclusion lessons this month. When students can understand and respond in a caring way to how someone else is feeling, it creates a positive school climate.
Please click the links below which teach specifically about empathy and why it is important. These links also include fun activities to do with your child at home to help them identify feelings and practice empathy and compassion.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
BOOKS TO SUPPORT PROBLEM SOLVING THIS MONTH
Kinsner Elementary Counselor
Email: mmedlock@scsmustangs.org
Location: 19091 Waterford Pkwy, Strongsville, OH 44149, USA
Phone: 440.268.5445