DLB Elementary Newsletter
February 25, 2021
Parenting Event
Chris Scheufele will be speaking to the elementary students and staff on Wednesday, March 3. He will also have a special session for parents that evening at 6:30 over ZOOM. Chris will address all of the major issues facing students today and how parents and school staff can work together to help facilitate the growth of resilience in their children using simple, psychologically-proven techniques and fun audience participation. Attendees will leave with a fresh perspective on social conflict and be able to join efforts to address these issues.
See how schools and parents can work together to help build resilient students
Discover the various facets of student aggression
Understand why students are mean
Learn how to help students squash conflicts instantly
To RSVP, please respond at the link below.
School Counselor Classroom Visits – Mrs. Fischer
The classroom lessons I teach are an extension from what the teachers are teaching through our social emotional curriculum, Second Step. In the last month, we have been practicing Calm Down Steps a bit deeper.
1) Stop - Use Your Signal: To practice our first step, we have been playing games such as Simon Says, Balloon Toss, Giggle-Snort, Freeze Dance, and Name that Color game. Using a “pause signal” when we notice our bodies feel strong emotions, it takes a lot of self-control just like you need in these games.
2) Name Your Feeling: The upper grades learned the connection from our brain to our emotions and the importance of engaging the thinking part of the brain, the cortex. When you name your feeling, it engages your cortex.
3) Calm Down: We can calm down by taking deep breaths, counting, and using positive self-talk. Pre-K – 1st grade practiced taking deep breaths by putting an object on our bellies watching it rise and fall as we filled our bellies with air. 2nd-6th grade students practiced breathing through mindful guided focus on our breath. They also learned how counting can be used along with breathing and as a distraction. 1st -4th grade students practiced positive self-talk by brainstorming examples of self-talk for several strong feelings. We made it fun by adding them to fortune tellers to keep as a reminder. 5th and 6th graders learned that our thoughts are the boss of our feelings. When our thoughts change, our feelings change. They practiced using scenarios.
March is Reading Month
Beginning the second week in March, we will be begin reading the novel, Nim's Island. We realize the value of family time, so we will be encouraging families to read a chapter together each night. Each student in grades 1-6 will receive a copy. In school we will have trivia and activities to go along with the book. We will even have a special visit from some animals from the zoo.
Porter the Hoarder
Next Tuesday your kiddo will be bringing home very special homework to do with their family. We can't wait to share the excitement with you. After reading the story, parents will be asked to complete a short survey to help author, Sean Covel, write even more Porter books. Each child whose parent completes the survey will be entered in a drawing for a set of Porter the Hoarder books.
No School
Families Experiencing Homelessness
- Homelessness can happen for a variety of reasons. If you find yourselves without permanent housing, your school-age children may qualify for certain rights and protections under the federal McKinney-Vento Act.
- In a shelter or in a motel or campground due to the lack of an alternative adequate accommodation
- In a car, park, abandoned building, or bus or train station
- Doubled up with other people due to loss of housing or economic hardship
Your eligible children have the right to:
• Receive a free, appropriate public education.
• Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment.
• Enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents.
• Enroll in the local school; or continue attending their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled),
if that is your preference.
* If the school district believes that the school you select is not in the best interest of your children, then the district must provide you with a written explanation of its position and inform you of your right to appeal its decision.
• Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if you request this.
• Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to your children’s needs.
If you need further assistance with your children’s educational needs, contact the National Center for Homeless Education: 1-800-308-2145 * homeless@serve.org * http://nche.ed.gov
or Mrs. Kranz, the district Homeless Liason at 701-839-7135.