Weekly Newsletter
Dear Keystone Families,
We hope that everyone is having a marvelous school year, as we begin to enter the fourth week of school!
This past week consisted of school wide assemblies to review our school's code of conduct and SWPBIS program. In addition students in grades first through fifth grade visited various stations around the building to listen to explanations of the school rules for each of the following areas; bus, playground, cafeteria, all purpose room, steps for dismissal for car riders, library for walker dismissal, and bathroom.
We will continue to celebrate our "Student of the Month" with monthly character traits. The character trait for the month of October will be respect. Teachers and staff members will be on the look out for students displaying good manners, treating others with kindness, and being considerate of other people's feelings.
As always, thank you for your continued support, kindness, and dedication to continuing to make Keystone Elementary a great place to be! Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. We hope everyone enjoys the last week of September!
Respectfully,
School Principal: Mr. Mark Wilicki
Email: mark.wilicki@bristoltwpsd.org
Assistant Principal: Crystal Smith-Herman
Email: crystal.smith-herman@bristoltwpsd.org
Special Education Supervisor: Jessica Kelch
Email: jessica.kelch@bristoltwpsd.org
Principal's Secretary: Mrs. Marianne Mensinger
Email: marianne.mensinger@bristoltwpsd.org
Assistant Principal's Secretary: Mrs. Donna Meehan
Email: donna.meehan@bristoltwpsd.org
School phone: 267-599-2470
School fax: 215-788-1041
To ensure the safety and well being of our students, as per the District Wellness Policy, no outside foods may be brought in by students for classroom parties or birthday celebrations. Shared snacks are not permitted in district schools.
If you would like to send something in to celebrate your child's birthday or for a classroom party, you may send in non food items such as stickers, pencils, play dough etc.
Protect Your School Device!
Pay your 2023-2024 tech fee here
• Click on school store
• Click Shop
• Add the technology fee to cart
If you're not able to log into the parent portal please email Icampus.Portal@bristoltwpsd.org.
4 Things to Do When Your Child Is Worried
The anxiety that children experience in most cases is normal and common. Even so, worry can be confusing and scary for young children. When kids feel worried, adults may want to distract them from or fix these hard feelings. But understanding and coping with worry are important skills for children to learn — and as grown-ups, we can help them.
The worries of childhood can pop up in many situations. A child can feel nervous when joining a new sports team, when left with a babysitter, when they don't know what to expect in their day, or at a particular time of day such as bedtime.
Parents can think of themselves as "emotion coaches," suggested Alyssa Caldbeck, a licensed social worker and play therapist who helps kids and parents manage anxiety. Caldbeck said our job is to help kids feel safe when they worry by helping them understand their feelings and think through what to do next.
When your child feels worried, you can help them uncover their worries, too. Here are four things you can do to help your child understand and work through worries:
1.Name the feeling.
Helping your child identify and name the feeling is the first step in helping your child work through their worries.
Caldbeck suggested helping your child name the feeling by using “you” statements. When you sense that your child is feeling worried or scared, try saying something like, “you are having trouble sleeping,” or “you have a lot of wiggles in your body right now.” You can also just say, “you seem worried.”
2.Explain and explore the feeling.
Everyone feels worried sometimes! You can let your child know that it’s okay to feel worried. Worry can be a confusing feeling, but talking about what it can help! For toddlers and preschoolers, Caldbeck suggested focusing on how worry feels for them. You might say, “worry is making your tummy feel funny.” You can also read books or tell stories to help young children understand their big feelings.
For elementary-age kids, you can add more information to conversation, Caldback said. You may say, “a worry is when you don’t want something to happen, and you think about it a lot.”
Worry often happens with other feelings, like sadness, fear, or anger. When you and your child talk about worry, it’s also a good idea to talk about these other feelings. When we notice and care for other hard feelings, it can also help with the worry, Caldbeck noted.
3. Find the source
To help kids with anxiety, we need to know where it’s coming from. Caldbeck challenges parents not to assume why their child is worried.
Once you know the source of the worry, you can comfort your child. Their worry may not seem reasonable to you, but remember that it probably feels very real to them. Continue asking questions, listening, and reminding them that they’re safe.
4.Manage the worry.
Sometimes, all your child needs to overcome their anxieties is to name their worry and talk about it. Other times, they may need some more ways to cope. Focus on coping with — not fixing — your child’s distress, said Caldbeck.
Try different strategies to find what works to help your child. (They can even come up with their own ideas!) For example, if your child feels worried about going somewhere new, talk through your plans together.
Most anxiety will get better when kids learn to work through their worries with loving grown-ups. If worries get in the way of daily activities or nothing seems to help, reach out for help from a professional.
Information above was shared from the pbs.org website;
https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/4-things-to-do-when-your-child-is-worried
