Bryant Blizzard News
April 23, 2020
Stay Connected & Informed
- Please make sure you have up to date contact information on file with the school. As we are sending out emails and phone calls we want to make sure we are using the correct information.
- We will reach out with information regarding students' belongings in the building as soon as we are able.
We're in this together
A Note From Mrs. Hennessey
Hello Blizzards!
Our District's Elementary School Counselors have been working to develop and provide meaningful and useful Social Emotional Learning lessons during this time. Some students and families have shared that they didn't realize that the Specialist or this tab were available under the "more" tab. good news - these rich resources are still available! Not required, but available - and maybe helpful. Here are some direct links to those lessons:
This week's topic is Managing Big Feelings:
Grades 3rd-5th: CLICK HERE
Grades K-2nd grades: CLICK HERE
Last week's topic was Stress, Anxiety, & Worries:
Grades 3rd-5th: CLICK HERE
Grades K-2nd: CLICK HERE
For next week's lessons we chose to focus on the Safety Rules from our Child Protection Unit from Second Step. It will cover the main concepts of ways to to stay safe and more calming, breathing, and mindfulness strategies that kids (and adults - I use them too!) can use to stay emotionally balanced. The main focus will be:
*Ways to Stay Safe:
Recognize when something is unsafe,
Refuse to participate,
Report anything unsafe to an adult.
*The Always Ask First Rule: Always ask the grown-up in charge first before going somewhere, doing something, or accepting something from someone.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month - During this time of year we would typically start teaching Protective Behaviors Lessons to help students identify ways to Recognize, Report, and Refuse safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches. Connecting how to use an assertive voice and identifying trusted adults to whom we can report broken safety rules. We will revisit these concepts next school year. If you would like to start this important and sometimes uncomfortable conversation with your child(ren), check out this resource. I highly recommend taking the time to look at the signs of abuse and what to do if the unthinkable happens. And even though I can't directly educate our Blizzards from this distance, I am here to support you and them if you have any questions or concerns.
Here's a great video about consent for kids:
Sending lots of love and support from my home to yours!
Carrie Hennessey
From the SEL Team
Bryant has a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Team who works together to offer additional support to our students and staff. This team includes Speech and Language Pathologist - Mary Balcer, Special Education Teachers and Interventionists - Amanda Van Damme & Teri Thatcher, and School Counselor - Carrie Hennessey. Here is an added message from them:
This week’s Social Emotional Learning Team’s topic: sharing “I feel statements”.
We can use “I feel _______ when _______ can you please_______ statements” when there is conflict. It is important to value the other person’s words and be willing to listen. This validates their feelings. Remember, you will get a chance to share too in order to come up with a solution to the conflict. During this time of uncertainty there are a lot of big feelings happening and this is one tool we can use to support our family members at home.
Work together
Make "I" statements, like:
"I feel hurt when..."
"I need to feel or be..."
"I hear what you are saying, but I feel..."
Say what you feel without blaming the other person, e.g. "I feel sad when you shout" is better to say than "Your shouting makes me feel sad."
Take turns at speaking. You might even want to decide on a time limit for each person to speak before you get started. That way everybody gets the same chance to say what he or she wants.
Talk quietly. It's hard to keep your voice down when you feel upset, but a quiet firm voice is far better than someone shouting. A loud nasty voice makes everyone upset and unwilling to listen.
Write down what you each see as the problem and then read what the other person has written.
Do some active listening (show the person that you are listening) by:
looking at them, to show that you are giving your full attention. Don't overdo it though. Staring hard at someone makes that person feel uncomfortable.
making 'listening noises' (but not interrupting). You know the sort of thing - "Uh huh", saying "yes" or "no" in the right places.
repeating what you heard. When they've finished, say what you think you've heard from them, eg. "So, your problem is that I haven't tidied my part of our room?"
Find the solution
Once you have listened to each other and found what the problem is, then you need to look for a solution.
Brainstorm together to think of ways in which you could resolve the conflict. Think of as many solutions as you can, even if they seem silly at first.
Another person may be helpful to write down your ideas or suggest ways of making your ideas work so that you can resolve the conflict.
All of our information (and additional information) can be found on this website.
Thank You,
The Bryant SEL Team
Stay Busy
FREE Educational Websites
At-Home Projects
We hope you had a happy Earth Day! Here is a fun project that Mrs. Winkle would like to share:
1 - Fold a paper towel in half
2 - On the outside, draw something with a permanent marker
3 - Color the inside with washable markers
4 - Put some water on a plate
5 - Fold the paper towel and put it on the water
6 - See the magic
Virtual Scholastic Book Fair
Visit the Bear's Den from home
Virtual Talent Show
Youth Frontiers Virtual Event
Bryant Elementary School
School Secretary - Anne Schultz, ext 20100
Counselor - Carrie Hennessey, ext 20228
School Nurse - Carrie Gallagher, ext 20103
Email: LeAnn.Egnash@superior.k12.wi.us
Website: www.superior.k12.wi.us
Location: 1423 Central Ave, Superior, WI, United States
Phone: 715-394-8785
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Bryant-Elementary