Ebinport Elementary: Eagle Eye News
May 4, 2020
Important Dates
May 28: Virtual 5th Grade Celebration released
June 2: Report Cards Mailed
June 2: Families may come to Ebinport between 8:00am to 4:00pm to drop off supplies (laptops, library books, textbooks, etc.) and pick up personal items left at school.
https://smwalden.wixsite.com/ebinportart
password: ebinport (all lowercase)
What Do You Do When You See "It" in Your Child?
Social isolation has eliminated lots of distractions in our lives. We've been required to slow down and be with our family more. We've been able to take a long look at each other to notice what's really happening on the inside of them. That process has allowed us to see so much good in our kids and we definitely want to affirm that. But maybe...just maybe we've seen some things that are "growth opportunities." It could be a habit or attitude or trait that needs some work. We noticed "it" at first but maybe thought it would go away and...it hasn't. What do we do? How can we help our children during this time to work on the "it" that may need improvement?
1. Praise "it" when "it" is good or right. What get's rewarded is often repeated. If our child struggles with being responsible, try to catch them when they're taking a positive step of ownership and emphasize that appropriately and meaningfully. If they are getting "it" right in one area, help them connect that to another area. "You know, you get along well with your cousins. I think you can do the same with your sister." "You do a great job getting your schoolwork done. Let's think about doing the same with your chores at home."
2. Be a detective and listen well. You may see what your child needs to improve but he may not have noticed. Ask questions. "Is there a reason why you speak harshly to your brother?" "Why do you think this is happening?" "How do you feel when this occurs?" "What do you think you can do to solve this?" "Is there anything I'm missing or anything else you want me to know?" Your child may have great insight to not only what the problem is but also how best to solve it. As parents, we always want to seek to understand before being understood. Easy say and hard do.
3. Help them set a specific goal with appropriate positive and negative consequences. "You need to pick up your toys in the living room at 5:00 each day" is more helpful to a little person than "go clean up your mess." Help them know what happens if they do that and if they don't. Be sure to stay consistent and feel free to monitor and adjust the goals and consequences if they aren't working. Always keep the why behind the what in front of them. "The reason we want you to clean up your toys is so no one will step on them and get hurt. We don't want them to get broken. We want you to take care of the things you have so you can enjoy them for a long time."
4. Model it and call it out in others. This can be a little tricky. We definitely want to model good character and habits for our kids. It is hard for kids to "do what I say" if we're not doing what we're supposed to do. Kids do what we do. Within our family, it is OK to express appreciation and value when someone else models the behavior that our child needs to improve. That recognition just needs to be genuine and authentic and not have the message of "I wish you were more like him/her." Sometimes you can find good examples of the behavior in books and movies and discuss that with your child.
5. Show what you're working on, too. We are all works in progress. This "quiet time" in our culture may reveal to us some things we need to work on as well. Our children need to know that we're still trying to get better at life. During these training years of elementary school, one of the greatest messages we can convey is that growth and improvement is either wisely chosen or painfully imposed. I want Whitney and Joey to learn how to see their own blind spots before a boss or teacher or police officer points them out with greater consequences. This time of isolation presents so many financial, health, and emotional hardships. There is nothing easy about it. It can be a time, though, when we are better able to invest in our children in ways that will make a lifelong difference. Thank you for all you are doing to support your child and our school. Blessings and strength to you in these days.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Kelsey
Need Help?
Resources from the School Counselor
Resources for Speech Therapy, OT, and PT
Speech Therapy
Articulation Activity Calendar
Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy
Activities to Improve OT Skills
Improve Gross Motor Coordination
Storytime with Mrs. Sawczuk
Check out all of my read alouds here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR65JucQPEw1lZY2mSbM6Pg/videos
And please feel free to contact me through Dojo, Canvas, or at ssawczuk@rhmail.org.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sawczuk
Stay Connected
About Us
Email: ssawczuk@rhmail.org
Website: https://www.rock-hill.k12.sc.us/ebinport
Location: 2142 India Hook Road, Rock Hill, SC, USA
Phone: 803-981-1550
Facebook: facebook.com/Ebinport
Twitter: @EbinportES