Hello Kindergarten to 4th grade families. Can not believe that we are in the home stretch before summer begins. We will have a unit on healthy choices. The healthy choices include factual information about alcohol tobacco/nicotine, healthy foods, peer pressure and what to do, empathy and finally revisiting their trusted adults that can keep them safe. Enjoy the moments of the last 23 days of school.
We are on the home stretch with our Howard Husky. During Life Skills this week, we are going to ask 3rd and 4th graders their ideas of what we need to do with our last few classes. We will take a short survey and then be able to share in a community circle "I am going to..." goal for the rest of the year by creating a human spider web.
Kindergarten to 4th grade will be exploring mindfulness. Mindfulness is the awareness of your emotions, thoughts and the world around you. You are present in the moment and focusing in on the here and now. Also, it helps in accepting your feelings and thoughts so that you can handle those moments that are difficult. K to 2nd grade will read the Lemonade Hurricane and explore their own happy place and breathing to use as a tool to help them deal with strong emotions or situations. 3rd and 4th grade will practice a few other tools to help be more mindful.
During life skills, we will remind 3rd and 4th graders that they are wise, strong, kind, brave and friendly. We will be doing yoga poses to give them another tool to remind them that they are in charge of themselves especially their superflex powers of defeating the unthinkable. After practicing the yoga poses, we will have some fun with clickers in tribes so they are practice being brave, strong, wise, friendly and kind. Hopefully, they will make connections that they can defeat any of the unthinkable thoughts with being brave, kind, wise, friendly and strong. We will watch the video attached to the picture to the right.
2nd week: we had so much fun learning how to connect yoga poses to reminding ourselves of being strong, kind, wise, friendly and brave that we didn't get a chance to explore our Superflex book and our clickers. The 3rd graders will have the chance to explore the clickers, then be able to make one of how to deal with anger.
2nd week: we had so much fun learning how to connect yoga poses to reminding ourselves of being strong, kind, wise, friendly and brave that we didn't get a chance to explore our Superflex book and our clickers. The 3rd graders will have the chance to explore the clickers, then be able to make one of how to deal with anger.
We have talked a lot about kind acts last week. We are going to explore how bullying is one of those issues that we need to show extreme amount of self control and kindness to ourselves and others. We will watch how others are able to empower each other to Stand up for Others and show self control so that we don't make the situation worse. 3rd graders are going to read the book called "The Juice Box Bully" to help empower them to stand up for others. We will then talk about a pledge that all will take to Stand up for Each other to continue our journey of helping each other out by being kind to each other.
3rd graders will be exploring what happens if a bully enters their life. We will see what happens at school, home and their community. Most students, if they have the support from family and school, they do well at school. Once a bully enters their life, they will see live what happens. We will talk about the difference between teasing, mean and bullying. Bullying is when someones targets a person, does the same act over and over again on purpose. They will explore ways of what to do. We will also go over the district sheet of what to do.
As you can see, we have snow and I thought it would be fun to have a snowball fight since we have been inside a LOT! I know what you are thinking, a snowball fight at school. Well... we will be using paper snowballs to go over expectations of our Howard Husky Way out at recess and indoor recess. We will be throwing them with our good ideas of how we follow the group plan so that we can be safe, respectful and responsible. We will also have an opportunity to share what is bugging us and have someone help us out. Also, click on the snowball fight kids... you will see a website that we are showing how people may feel in the inside when people are following expectations and when they are struggling with the expectations.
Welcome back from Winter break... Last year in life skills, we worked on choosing kind how to help each other out and work on the group plan of being apart of our Howard family. We will challenge the third graders to remember to choose kind and work together on a group plan with marshmallows and noodles. Their challenge will be to build the tallest tower as a tribe. They will need to work as a group and find a way to be safe, respectful and responsible while building it.
Welcome back from our break. Hope all enjoyed the time with your child. We are excited to see our students come back from break. We are going to be working on Choose Kind activities throughout the whole month of December. We are promoting Choose Kind and we will be utilizing activities from the book and movie Wonder. Our mission for our Howard Family is to instill Choose Kind and find Mindful Moments for them to reflect on their day to see how classmates and our family has truly made a difference.
During 3rd and 4th grade life skills this week, we are going to work on Size of your problem and the Size of my Reaction. I am a fan of "Big Bang Theory" and Sheldon, I mean Dr. Sheldon Cooper. He really helps show sometimes how people overreact to a problem and then others around him help him understand what he could have done instead. Also, how more problems arise as a result of the overreaction. This week, we will be focusing in on the chart to the left. This is a life skill that all of us need to explore and continue to master. We will start off by watching a video clip of the Big Bang Theory of how Dr. Cooper has a small problem but reacts BIG. We will be practicing in small groups by writing some problems down and together we will explore how big the problem is and how we should react. If my reaction size was the same as the problem or smaller, people usually don't think a new problem will be created. If my reaction size was bigger than my problem size, this often creates a new problem for the people around me. Does the reaction match the size of the problem?
Tap on the chart for the video we will be watching. Makes me laugh just watching it. However, in real life if this happens, many feelings are hurt and more problems arise.
Tap on the chart for the video we will be watching. Makes me laugh just watching it. However, in real life if this happens, many feelings are hurt and more problems arise.
2nd and 3rd graders will be watching a video called "Stranger awareness for kids... Billy to the Bus". We will be highlighting strategies of how to stay safe and 4 trusted adults to go and talk to if something would happen that is a big problem. We will also be talking about the swimsuit rule and how it is important that no one touches your swimsuit area unless it is a doctor/nurse. Sometimes a parent may need to to check if there is a concern but mainly at this age they should be able to bath/shower by themselves.
This week, all classrooms are going to learn the 3 basic safety rules:
This week, all classrooms are going to learn the 3 basic safety rules:
- We all have the right to feel safe.. all the time.
- Other people have the right to feel safe with us... all the time.
- Nothing is so awful that you can't talk to someone you trust
2nd to 4th grade will review what the zones of regulation are since they all were introduced to them last year and by their classroom teachers this year. It is a school wide system that we utilize to help students learn to self regulate and find tools for to help them with however they are feeling. We give students tools to help them read and the zones are tools to help them with their emotions. A letter will be going home in Wednesdays folder to give you some suggestions of how to incorporate the zones at home. Enjoy
Some of the third graders asked to do more with I can and I can't yet... Growth Mindset. Julia Cook has an amazing book called "Bubble Gum Brain... Ready, Get Mindset GROW!" We will have fun with some rocks and gum to show the 3rd graders the difference between I can (bubble gum brain: flexible, grow) and I can't (rock brain: stay the same, afraid to make mistakes and learn from them). Challenge yourselves and your child to have bubble gum brain. We will also see how we have Superflex powers to defeat Rock brain and be more like Rex Flexinator.
Welcome back unthinkables and thinkables. Some of the students have already asked if we will be having fun with the thinkables and unthinkables again this year. Absolutely!! We will be beginning with Space Invader. Space Invader tries to get people to break the rules of personal space so that they make not-so-good impression on others. Space Respecter helps people pay attention to and respect other's personal space bubbles. 3rd and 4th graders will enjoy some moving around and getting to know others while they practice space respecter. Hopefully, this will continue to support our number one goal this year to decrease physical aggression/contact at Howard elementary. We will discuss the Safe Zone to help someone regroup and calm down.
During Life Skills this week for all grades, we will be working on self control with our whole body listening. We will have a little fun with bubbles K-2 to actually feel what it is like to knowing you can do something but deciding you won't. We will be able to pop bubbles and then blow bubbles and just let them fall. It is SOOO hard to do but that is what self control is all about. Larry the listener will be helping us know that we need to sometimes use our whole body to have self control. To see the book, click on the picture to the left and view the book.
Welcome back our Howard Husky Family. We are so excited to have everyone back and welcoming our new family members. At Howard, we want all of our Howard Huskies to feel safe, be respectful and responsible. It is our Howard Husky Way. We spend the first 10 days of the school year with Character Camp. Our Howard Family goes over what is expected and unexpected at school including the bus, recess, and the lunch room. During the first week of life skills, we will review the Howard Husky Way and introduce the concept of "What's Your Name". At Howard, we want all students and staff to get to know each other so we will start off by knowing each others' names. Each grade will have an interactive way of getting to know each other. Kindergarten will use a husky, 1st grade will use "Hot Husky", 2nd grade starbursts, 3rd grade pepper and water, and 4th balloons. We will emphasize in the older grades KYHFOOTY (keep your hands feet other objects to yourself) for safety. Have a great year.
Welcome Back 2017-18 School year
In K through 3rd Grade this week, we will be reading Soda Pop Head. It is a wonderful book showing how important it is for ALL of us to learn to control our fizz... things that start to upset us or think is not fair. Below are ideas from the book that we can do and teach our children to do. Enjoy.
Teach your child to control their fizz. When your child first starts to feel angry, teach him/her how to loosen their bottle cap before the pressure inside of them builds up. Techniques include:
1. Take five deep breaths.
2. Walk away and find a quiet place to sit down and relax your muscles.
3. Do the Push, Pull, Dangle (Push down on the seat of your chair while you count to ten; pull up on the seat of your chair while you count to ten; Dangle your arms at your side and feel all of your stress leave your body.)
4. Go into your room and play your music really loud.
5. If you feel the need to hit something, punch your pillow.
6. Get plenty of rest. (It’s hard to control your fizz when you are tired.)
7. Eat healthy. (It’s harder to control your fizz if your body doesn’t feel good on the inside.
8. Never screw your bottle cap on so tight you can’t loosen it. If you do your anger will build up inside and if it can’t come out through your cap, it will end up making you feel sick.
Teach your child to control their fizz. When your child first starts to feel angry, teach him/her how to loosen their bottle cap before the pressure inside of them builds up. Techniques include:
1. Take five deep breaths.
2. Walk away and find a quiet place to sit down and relax your muscles.
3. Do the Push, Pull, Dangle (Push down on the seat of your chair while you count to ten; pull up on the seat of your chair while you count to ten; Dangle your arms at your side and feel all of your stress leave your body.)
4. Go into your room and play your music really loud.
5. If you feel the need to hit something, punch your pillow.
6. Get plenty of rest. (It’s hard to control your fizz when you are tired.)
7. Eat healthy. (It’s harder to control your fizz if your body doesn’t feel good on the inside.
8. Never screw your bottle cap on so tight you can’t loosen it. If you do your anger will build up inside and if it can’t come out through your cap, it will end up making you feel sick.
During the next few weeks in Life Skills Class, students will be learning about making healthy and safe choices. Students in 3rd grade will be introduced to and participate in activities from the programs Here’s Looking at You as well as the Michigan Model for Comprehensive School Health Education. These programs are designed to prevent children from using nicotine, alcohol and other drugs. They are based on reducing children’s risky behaviors and promoting children’s healthy behaviors. Students at Howard will have two lessons from this program. They will review what a drug is: anything you put into your body that changes how you feel except for food and water. Howard Huskies will review what are Helpful and Harmful drugs.
Since alcohol and cigarettes are two choices that each student will eventually need to make a decision about, we focus prevention efforts in this area. We will discuss healthy choices for your body with food and exercise plus go over what is the most addicted drug (tobacco and nicotine) and most powerful drug (alcohol). We will look at healthy choices by discussing situations that they may be in and how they will plan ahead if they are ever in those situations. We will do an activity called Cilia Volleyball and watch "Monica and the powerful drug" and discuss plans if they are in a situation where they know they need to say no and choose a healthy choice.
The final lesson for students will be a lesson on personal safety. Students will identify early warning signals in their bodies that alert them to possible danger. If they don’t feel safe they are taught they need to get safe and talk with an adult. We will also review safe and unsafe touch. Students will learn about three different kinds of touches: good/safe touches, bad/unsafe touches (hit or pinch) and mixed up touches (a private part touch). Private parts will be defined as any area that is covered by a swimsuit. Students are taught to say no and talk to one of their five trusted adults.
Since alcohol and cigarettes are two choices that each student will eventually need to make a decision about, we focus prevention efforts in this area. We will discuss healthy choices for your body with food and exercise plus go over what is the most addicted drug (tobacco and nicotine) and most powerful drug (alcohol). We will look at healthy choices by discussing situations that they may be in and how they will plan ahead if they are ever in those situations. We will do an activity called Cilia Volleyball and watch "Monica and the powerful drug" and discuss plans if they are in a situation where they know they need to say no and choose a healthy choice.
The final lesson for students will be a lesson on personal safety. Students will identify early warning signals in their bodies that alert them to possible danger. If they don’t feel safe they are taught they need to get safe and talk with an adult. We will also review safe and unsafe touch. Students will learn about three different kinds of touches: good/safe touches, bad/unsafe touches (hit or pinch) and mixed up touches (a private part touch). Private parts will be defined as any area that is covered by a swimsuit. Students are taught to say no and talk to one of their five trusted adults.
We are on the home stretch with life skills... Where has the time gone. Last year in life skills, we worked on cooperation and how to help each other out during tough times. At the end of the year, it is hard to focus some times and work together as a team. Working cooperatively can mean taking turns, sharing ideas and finding out a solution to the problem and ultimately all agreeing on the outcome. We will again be working cooperatively and be given marshmallows and noodles to build the tallest tower in the class. They will have to pre-plan, be patient, may have to start over and ultimately be a good sport with whoever wins. Crossing fingers that they do well with this project! It is a good life lesson.
3rd and 4th graders will be exploring what happens if a bully enters their life. We will see what happens at school, home and their community. Most students, if they have the support from family and school, they do well at school. Once a bully enters their life, they will see live what happens. We will talk about the difference between teasing, mean and bullying. Bullying is when someones targets a person, does the same act over and over again on purpose. They will explore ways of what to do. We will also go over the district sheet of what to do.
We have talked a lot about kind acts last week. We are going to explore how bullying is one of those issues that we need to show extreme amount of self control and kindness to ourselves and others. We will watch how others are able to empower each other to Stand up for Others and show self control so that we don't make the situation worse. 3rd graders are going to read the book called "The Juice Box Bully" to help empower them to stand up for others. We will then talk about a pledge that all will take to Stand up for Each other to continue our journey of helping each other out by being kind to each other.
3rd graders will work on kind act along with our Howard Family. They will also watch the Life Vest Kind video (tap on the picture to the left). We will talk about words and acts we can do for others while we are tracing our hand and cutting it out. Then we will glue the hand on our backs and write on each other's hand something we like about that person. Then we will challenge the 2nd to 4th graders to throw kindness like confetti and do kind acts. Once they do, they can fill out the confetti sheets left with them and we will put it on the bulletin board. Enjoy
We decided to have fun with the glitter activity the 4th graders did... they enjoyed it!!
During life skills, we will remind 3rd graders that they are wise, strong, kind, brave and friendly. We will be doing yoga poses to give them another tool to remind them that they are in charge of themselves especially their superflex powers of defeating the unthinkable. After practicing the yoga poses, we will have some fun with clickers in tribes so they are practice being brave, strong, wise, friendly and kind. Hopefully, they will make connections that they can defeat any of the unthinkable thoughts with being brave, kind, wise, friendly and strong.
2nd week: we had so much fun learning how to connect yoga poses to reminding ourselves of being strong, kind, wise, friendly and brave that we didn't get a chance to explore our Superflex book and our clickers. The 3rd graders will have the chance to explore the clickers, then be able to make one of how to deal with anger.
2nd week: we had so much fun learning how to connect yoga poses to reminding ourselves of being strong, kind, wise, friendly and brave that we didn't get a chance to explore our Superflex book and our clickers. The 3rd graders will have the chance to explore the clickers, then be able to make one of how to deal with anger.
During life skills for Kindergaren to 4th grade, we will be learning how to say we are sorry, mean it and work on steps of how we should have handled the situation better. Sometimes we make mistakes or intentionally hurt someone and we need to apologize and learn from the situation. Kindergarteners will continue to focus on how to be a good friend and this could be apart of being a good friend. To own when we make a mistake and truly be able to apologize is a life skill that all of us need.
1st through 4th will be starting off with watching the video of "Superflex and the thinkables and how to defeat the Unthinkables". Tap on the book "Sorry" and you will see the video. Some of our students are the main characters! There will be some of the Unthinkables in the book "Sorry" and how we can defeat them with the Thinkables help.
1st through 4th will be starting off with watching the video of "Superflex and the thinkables and how to defeat the Unthinkables". Tap on the book "Sorry" and you will see the video. Some of our students are the main characters! There will be some of the Unthinkables in the book "Sorry" and how we can defeat them with the Thinkables help.
Welcome back 3rd graders. We will be going over the Howard Husky Way in tribes. We will be creating pictures for the whole school to remind all of how we are as a family. While we are working, we will have fun reviewing voice volume with an app called "bouncy balls" Tap on the picture to the left to see.
If we have time, we will be working on phone ettiquette.
If we have time, we will be working on phone ettiquette.
What happens when you are on a picnic and you see an ant? Usually you see more. 3rd graders are going to go on a picnic in class. We will also be introduced to an anteater that will take care of the ants on the picnic. You are probably wondering why we are going on a picnic... I know I am getting "antsy" for winter break. Ha ha. Well, ANTS mean another life skill we have to deal with. ANTS are automatic negative thoughts... they just come into our heads and they can feel just like pests as ants on a picnic. We are going to discuss ways to deal with automatic negatives thoughts when they come up what we can do to deal with them. This will be another zone tool we can use so they are ready to learn.
2nd week: We will watch an inspirational video called "Never give up, don't quit". We will be making connections to if there are so many ANTS (negative thoughts in our head) what can we do. Tap on the picture for the video we watched. Then we will learn 5 ways to squash ANTS.
2nd week: We will watch an inspirational video called "Never give up, don't quit". We will be making connections to if there are so many ANTS (negative thoughts in our head) what can we do. Tap on the picture for the video we watched. Then we will learn 5 ways to squash ANTS.
Welcome back from our long break. Our Group plan is to review our Howard Husky way. Well instead of talking about it, we will be actually using being safe, respectful and responsible while completing a project for each student K-3rd grade. We will be making homemade Play Dough. They will need to demonstrate the Howard Husky Way to get our project complete. If that happens, all students will walk away with a small bag full of play dough to use as a tool throughout the day. They will be responsible to close the bag and use it appropriately. When they first get it, it is super warm. Love the feeling. No worries, all ingredients are edible. Hoping no one takes me up on that though. Tee hee.
Hello 2nd to 4th families:
This week we are going to venture into identifying our feelings and how to identify them. Feelings can be tricky but definitely all of them are ok as long as we deal with them in a respectful manner. We will start talking about what zones the feelings are in to help us find tools to deal with them. We will make connections of what zones they are in with what part of the brain they are in too. Again, all zones and feelings are ok as long as we deal with them. Wednesday in the family folder will be a parent guide to the Zones of Regulation. Enjoy! Click on the Green Zone picture for the video we will be watching to help us.
This week we are going to venture into identifying our feelings and how to identify them. Feelings can be tricky but definitely all of them are ok as long as we deal with them in a respectful manner. We will start talking about what zones the feelings are in to help us find tools to deal with them. We will make connections of what zones they are in with what part of the brain they are in too. Again, all zones and feelings are ok as long as we deal with them. Wednesday in the family folder will be a parent guide to the Zones of Regulation. Enjoy! Click on the Green Zone picture for the video we will be watching to help us.
Although all problems may feel big, we will be practicing how their are 3 different kinds of problems and three different kinds of reactions. If the problem equals the reaction size, than there will not be anymore problems. However, if they don't match, then more problems will happen. Look for how they solved those problems on the way to the commons area. They will be putting problems on different color huskies signifying the problem and then writing a way to deal with it on speech bubbles with starting with I can...
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2nd and 3rd graders will be watching a video called "Stranger awareness for kids... Billy to the Bus". We will be highlighting strategies of how to stay safe and 4 trusted adults to go and talk to if something would happen that is a big problem. We will also be talking about the swimsuit rule and how it is important that no one touches your swimsuit area unless it is a doctor/nurse. Sometimes a parent may need to to check if there is a concern but mainly at this age they should be able to bath/shower by themselves.
This week, all classrooms are going to learn the 3 basic safety rules:
This week, all classrooms are going to learn the 3 basic safety rules:
- We all have the right to feel safe.. all the time.
- Other people have the right to feel safe with us... all the time.
- Nothing is so awful that you can't talk to someone you trust
During 3rd and 4th grade life skills this week, we are going to work on Size of your problem and the Size of my Reaction. I am a fan of "Big Bang Theory" and Sheldon, I mean Dr. Sheldon Cooper. He really helps show sometimes how people overreact to a problem and then others around him help him understand what he could have done instead. Also, how more problems arise as a result of the overreaction. This week, we will be focusing in on the chart to the left. This is a life skill that all of us need to explore and continue to master. We will start off by watching a video clip of the Big Bang Theory of how Dr. Cooper has a small problem but reacts BIG. We will be practicing in small groups by writing some problems down and together we will explore how big the problem is and how we should react. If my reaction size was the same as the problem or smaller, people usually don't think a new problem will be created. If my reaction size was bigger than my problem size, this often creates a new problem for the people around me. Does the reaction match the size of the problem?
Tap on the chart for the video we will be watching. Makes me laugh just watching it. However, in real life if this happens, many feelings are hurt and more problems arise.
Tap on the chart for the video we will be watching. Makes me laugh just watching it. However, in real life if this happens, many feelings are hurt and more problems arise.
Welcome back unthinkables and thinkables. Some of the students have already asked if we will be having fun with the thinkables and unthinkables again this year. Absolutely!! We will be beginning with Space Invader. Space Invader tries to get people to break the rules of personal space so that they make not-so-good impression on others. Space Respecter helps people pay attention to and respect other's personal space bubbles. 3rd and 4th graders will enjoy some moving around and getting to know others while they practice space respecter. Hopefully, this will continue to support our number one goal this year to decrease physical aggression/contact at Howard elementary. We will discuss the Safety Zone to help someone regroup and calm down.
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During Life Skills this week for all grades, we will be working on self control with our whole body listening. We will have a little fun with bubbles K-2 to actually feel what it is like to knowing you can do something but deciding you won't. We will be able to pop bubbles and then blow bubbles and just let them fall. It is SOOO hard to do but that is what self control is all about. Larry the listener will be helping us know that we need to sometimes use our whole body to have self control. To see the book, click on the picture to the left and view the book. 3rd & 4th graders will also enjoy using our brain easel boards to really dive into the parts of the brains to help with self control. We will also focus in on whole body listening Larry by showing a video of staff demonstrating KYHFOOTY.
Welcome Back to 2016-17 School Year!!
Welcome Back to 2016-17 school year. Super excited to start life skills! 3rd graders are going to learn many ways in life skills how to handle life situations with perseverance, be patient and I can attitude. Our theme will be I CAN... In our first class, we will look at an experiment! We will have a dish similar above to show how if we all work together, we will be a family and STICK by each other. However, if we are physical with each other and not working as a team, we will be by ourself and school will not be as much fun or welcoming (look at the second picture above). We are in the middle of Character Camp and will review the Howard Husky Way, how to greet each other, say KYHFOOTY (pronounced Ka-Footy which means Keep Your Hands Feet Other Objects To Yourself) and how to see me if they need to throughout the year. BTW...When we say KYHFOOTY, it is a fun way to let someone know they are too close to them OR if you see someone getting angry, you can remind them to deal with it in another way. We will end by reading the book called "Invisible Boy". Fantastic book to show how important it is to be apart of the family and include everyone and allowing others to speak. Have a grand Year!
Can not believe it... this is the last week of life skills for all grades. We will be reviewing Summer Safety tips. Please look for the ABC's of safety to come home next week so you can review your family summer safety expectations! Have a fabulous summer
We are on the home stretch with life skills... Where has the time gone. Last year in life skills, we worked on cooperation and how to help each other out during tough times. At the end of the year, it is hard to focus some times and work together as a team. Working cooperatively can mean taking turns, sharing ideas and finding out a solution to the problem and ultimately all agreeing on the outcome. We will again be working cooperatively and be given marshmallows and noodles to build the tallest tower in the class. They will have to pre-plan, be patient, may have to start over and ultimately be a good sport with whoever wins. Crossing fingers that they do well with this project! It is a good life lesson.
We will learn about the most addictive drug, tobacco and nicotine, mainly found in cigarettes. We will see a model of a cigarette and show some of the harmful chemicals in a cigarette. Then the students will enjoy being cilia, the hair that is found in lungs. Hopefully they will remember what they felt like before trying cigarettes. It will show that the cilia in lungs slowly die off from the chemicals making it hard for the lungs to stay healthy.
2nd week: we will watch a movie called Monica and the powerful drug. We will find out the powerful drug and find out facts so we continue to make healthy choices.
2nd week: we will watch a movie called Monica and the powerful drug. We will find out the powerful drug and find out facts so we continue to make healthy choices.
Third and Fourth graders will begin State testing and other testing over the next several weeks. Life skills will be happening less due to needing to assist with the tests. SOOOO we are going to have some fun with reminders of bucket filling. We will watch a few short videos about how their actions can be either bucket filling or dipping. Then we will make the cups to the right so they can fill each others buckets during this time.
Attached to the picture, is a message from Kid President about 20 things we need to say more often. Enjoy!
Attached to the picture, is a message from Kid President about 20 things we need to say more often. Enjoy!
Welcome back spring breakers. This week, we need to go over our Howard Husky Way and we are going to review by working together on a hula hoop activity. We will need to work together as a family to accomplish our goal of getting the hula hoops around the circle of friends with encouraging words and if someone gets stuck, how to help them. While we accomplish this goal, we will review how to be safe, be respectful and be responsible. We have missed our Howard Family.
K to 4th grade have been working hard at finding ways to change our I can't thoughts to I can or I can't yet. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be introducing some cartoon characters called Unthinkables. The Unthinkables are characters that people can connect to when they get stuck. When they can identify their Unthinkable, they will be able to use their superflex powers to get unstuck. We will introduce the Thinkables to help them defeat those unthinkables to help be flexible, productive thinkers.
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This week in life skills K-4, we will be working on Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset. Growth Mindset is changing your brain/mind through effort and practice their skills and having the belief that "you can change". Fixed Mindset is believing that your talent/skills are NOT able to change even with effort.
3rd graders will read the Fantastic Elastic Brain and use rubber bands to show how our brain can growth when you challenge it even if it is scary or hard work.
3rd graders will read the Fantastic Elastic Brain and use rubber bands to show how our brain can growth when you challenge it even if it is scary or hard work.
We have been working hard on using self control especially with our thoughts. We worked on Think before you Speak. This week we will all wear paper capes so others can share appreciations or a positive thought about that person. Then they will be able to take it off and share with their tribe their favorite one on the backs of their capes. Sometimes when we are down on ourselves, we need to remember the positives and classmates are going to help us be super heros with writing them on their backs. We need to color each others' world with kind words and acts.
As you can see below, 3rd graders had fun going on a picnic. Unfortunately, ANTS came along. Ekkkk... however, our 3rd graders are smart. We learned that ANTS can be handled and we came up with over 20 ways to get back on track. This week, we are going to share ideas of how we squashed our ANTS over the week. Plus, we will learn about the Mindful Minute. Really taking some time between the Event>Take a minute before reacting by filtering thoughts>Then Reacting. We will have fun with some filters to visual show what this means.
What happens when you are on a picnic and you see an ant? Usually you see more. 3rd graders are going to go on a picnic in class. We will also be introduced to an anteater that will take care of the ants on the picnic. You are probably wondering why we are going on a picnic... I know I am getting "antsy" for spring. Ha ha. Well, ANTS mean another life skill we have to deal with. ANTS are automatic negative thoughts... they just come into our heads and they can feel just as pesky as ants on a picnic. We are going to discuss ways to deal with automatic negatives thoughts when they come up what we can do to deal with them.
Sometimes during the day, we have distractions and others are really not following the group plan. A group plan is when everyone is thinking about and doing the same things especially when they are directed to do so. This week during life skills for all grades, we will be working on practicing group plans. K-2 will be reading the book and then doing activities with apples and eggs to show how important it is to follow the group plan. 3rd & 4th will watch a 1st grader reading the book and then discussing in their tribes what a group plan is. 3rd will watch what they created last week and point out how they know people are following the group plan and when they are not following, what to do. 4th will create a plan how they will follow the group plan or do reminders when students are not following.
Third graders are going to do a Group Plan with their tribes. They will either come up with a calming trick, expectation or how to solve a problem. We will film them and be able to share with other grades throughout the year. I am excited to see what they come up with! 3rd graders have been very creative in the past and want to continue their expertise in how to solve problems and be able to share with the other grades.
Welcome back 3rd graders. We missed you. As you can see, we have gotten a lot of snow and I thought it would be fun to have a snowball fight! I know what you are thinking, a snowball fight at school. Well... we will be using paper snowballs to go over expectations of our Howard Husky Way especially in the commons, out at recess and on the bus. We will be throwing them with our good ideas of how we can work together as a team so that we can be safe, respectful and responsible. Also, click on the snowball fight kids... you will see a website that we are showing how people may feel in the inside when people are following expectations and when they are struggling with the expectations. it is a lot like the movie "Inside Out" which we watched right before the break. Happy January!
3rd & 4th graders will be exploring more of the size of the problem and then discuss how you should react. We will be using our ipads and playing a game called Kahoot! Usually they would all be able to play on their individual devices, but we want to work on life skills with them. They will be in tribes (small group) and have to share the device and also agree on the right answer. They will be able to learn the size of the problem but also be able to work out problems live by playing with each other. (so far they have done well especially when we have had tech difficulties. Remembering to smile and taking deep breathes help!!)
Welcome back 3rd and 4th graders. Break was well deserved and hopefully a lot of fun and relaxation. Coming back from break can be hard for many even staff. How thoughts and feelings can be all over the place when we first start. It is important to think about our thoughts and feel our feelings in order to have appropriate/expected behaviors. We will continue to work on that concept by reviewing size of the problem and size of the reaction especially when our feelings get involved.
Click on the picture to the right and watch a short video to have our brain remember what we learned last week. Happy first week back.
Click on the picture to the right and watch a short video to have our brain remember what we learned last week. Happy first week back.
During 3rd and 4th grade life skills this week, we are going to work on Size of your problem and the Size of my Reaction. I am a fan of "Big Bang Theory" and Sheldon, I mean Dr. Sheldon Cooper. He really helps show sometimes how people overreact to a problem and then others around him help him understand what he could have done instead. Also, how more problems arise as a result of the overreaction. This week, we will be focusing in on the chart to the left. This is a life skill that all of us need to explore and continue to master. We will start off by watching a video clip of the Big Bang Theory of how Dr. Cooper has a small problem but reacts BIG. We will be practicing in TRIBES by writing some problems down and together we will explore how big the problem is and how we should react. If my reaction size was the same as the problem or smaller, people usually don't think a new problem will be created. If my reaction size was bigger than my problem size, this often creates a new problem for the people around me. We will explore, if the line went "up" to the bigger reaction size, the new problem could be_______.
Tap on the chart for the video we will be watching. Makes me laugh just watching it. However, in real life if this happens, many feelings are hurt and more problems arise.
Tap on the chart for the video we will be watching. Makes me laugh just watching it. However, in real life if this happens, many feelings are hurt and more problems arise.
In life it is so helpful to be able to share celebrations with others. 3rd and 4th graders this week worked on Celebration Circles. Celebration Circles are a circle of people who you can go to and share what you are proud of and what you are doing well without them thinking you are just showing off. Sometimes if you go outside of your circle, it is seen as bragging and that you are "shoving" it in their faces. Some of my brilliant students made several connections in life. One student stated "I think this is what is happening in football and kickball at recess. The students are celebrating what they did well but some of them are not in their circle and there are hard feelings going on which results in the fights. WOWZER! We will explore that more outside. The key to celebration circles is letting the people you picked know that they are in your circle. Also, the kids realized it is important to share the good things we do in life because when we are feelling down, we can remember those moments to help lift us up. It was amazing!
This week we will talk about how third graders can handle most of their day at school, home and in the community if they are following the Howard Husky Way. However, if a bully enters the picture, they will see live how it affects their day. In their tribes, they will come up with ideas of what to do and write one idea on their paw to they can remember what to do. We will display the paws in the building to remind them.
Click on the picture to the left for a quick idea of what to do.
Click on the picture to the left for a quick idea of what to do.
This week in all grades we will be working on Unity Day... make it orange! Make it End. The National Bullying Prevention Center is setting aside October 21st, 2015 to promote unity for kindness, acceptance and inclusion. We will all be working on what kind of things we can say and do to be kind. The older grades will be focusing in on heart words that show someone that you care about them and respect them. Remember bullying is when someone targets someone to make them feel bad and does it over and over and over again.
2nd and 3rd graders will be watching a video called "Stranger awareness for kids... Billy to the Bus". We will be highlighting strategies of how to stay safe and 4 trusted adults to go and talk to if something would happen that is a big problem. We will also be talking about the swimsuit rule and how it is important that no one touches your swimsuit area unless it is a doctor/nurse. Sometimes a parent may need to to check if there is a concern but mainly at this age they should be able to bath/shower by themselves.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
We will be using Tribbles to talk about situations that occur at recess and how to handle the isses. We will reivew small vs. big problems and what to do in those situations. We will also point out that different situations affect different people. The 2nd & 3rd graders will walk around and pick how they feel about the situations and then brain storm what to do with the Howard Husky Hints. Look for the Howard Husky Hint booklet to come home next week. We will have a can outside called "I can" and will have all of the Howard Husky Hints plus more ideas of how to solve small problems.
The 3rd graders were really ready for life skills. Fantastic start to our year. The giggles and laughter had to been the best from these classes. LOVED. WE will be utilizing brain easel boards to review the brain and what part of the brain they should be in to make the best choices they can. Then we will be exploring friend situations and what part of the brain they are in, but more importantly what to do in these situtaions. Can't wait to see their eyes light up when they discover their own ideas and crossing fingers will have a good plan if something happens with a friend.
WE spent some time on how our brain works and whole body listening, we just started to have some fun with our "brains" and reviewing and learning about how to be a good friend. We will continue to do so in hope that it will help them at recess and in the lunch room to help solve their problems respectfully with our Howard Family members.
WE spent some time on how our brain works and whole body listening, we just started to have some fun with our "brains" and reviewing and learning about how to be a good friend. We will continue to do so in hope that it will help them at recess and in the lunch room to help solve their problems respectfully with our Howard Family members.
Welcome back to school. We are so excited to have all our our Rockin' 3rd graders back. This year we are starting off with getting to know each other and how to be a good friend. Coming back from summer sometimes can be intimidating and we want to find some ways to help them with old friends and greeting new friends. Click on 3rd Grade Rocks to see a video on Friendship Soup... a recipe for being a good friend.
We will be learning about KYHFOOTY is... Ask them!
Welcome Back to 2015-16 School Year!!
The last day of school is coming soon. We are counting the days as we make them count. This week is our last life skill class for all. We will be taking a student survey to see what they think of our Howard Husky Way... they will share what they like, would change and what ideas they have for us. Then we will spend the rest of them time either them being able to ask any question they may have or play a game to finish the year. Can't wait to hear their ideas!
As we are JUST starting to get nice weather, we are going to go over ABCs of safety as they venture outside more. Also, with summer coming, we wanted to make sure that they have ideas of how to keep themselves safe. Please look for a handout to come home to help you open the conversation about your safety rules at home during the spring/summer months. We will touch base on the importance of the 3W's too... who are you going with, where are going and when will you return. Can't wait to see them back next year safely!!
3rd graders are going to explore how we all have gifts no matter what we look like on the outside. We will show them two boxes like to the right and ask them which one they would want for their birthday. Most kids pick the nicely wrapped one. Shhh don't tell them but it is filled with rocks. The other one is wrapped in newspaper and filled with M & Ms... they change their minds really quickly when they see what is on the inside. We are trying to work on finishing strong... so we will discuss if they get into an argument or see things differently, how can they solve their problems... one way is to think that they have gifts and remind yourself of that... they will also get to enjoy a couple of the M & Ms.
We are on the home stetch with life skills... we only have 4 more to go until the end of the year. Where has the time gone. Last year in life skills, we worked on cooperation and how to help each other out during tough times. At the end of the year, it is hard to focus some times and work together as a team. Last week, they knew exactly what it meant to work as a team doing spider web activity. Working cooperatively can mean taking turns, sharing ideas and finding out a solution to the problem and ultimately all agreeing on the outcome. We will again be working cooperatively and be given marshmellows and noodles to build the tallest tower in the class. They will have to pre-plan, be patient, may have to start over and ultimately be a good sport with whoever wins. Crossing fingers that they do well with this project! It is a good life lesson.
Welcome back 3rd & 4th Grade spring breakers
in the beginning of the year, we did an activity called spider web and showed how if we work as a team and support each other, the class would be a better place to be. 3rd & 4th graders will explore this week how they can be successful coming back from break by reviewing expectations of classroom, bus, recess and any other part that will help them work as a team for the rest of the year. We will share one thing that each can do to be well behaved so they can learn.
Continuing to work on this lesson this week. We will figure out what bubbles and make them fizz inside. Then they will pick some ideas to have a plan of how to deal with it.
In K through 3rd Grade this week, we will be listening to Soda Pop Head. It is a wonderful book showing how important it is for ALL of us to learn to control our fizz... things that start to upset us or think is not fair. Below are ideas from the book that we can do and teach our children to do. Enjoy. Tap the picture of the book and you will see what we are reading.
Teach your child to control their fizz. When your child first starts to feel angry, teach him/her how to loosen their bottle cap before the pressure inside of them builds up. Techniques include:
1. Take five deep breaths.
2. Walk away and find a quiet place to sit down and relax your muscles.
3. Do the Push, Pull, Dangle (Push down on the seat of your chair while you count to ten; pull up on the seat of your chair while you count to ten; Dangle your arms at your side and feel all of your stress leave your body.)
4. Go into your room and play your music really loud.
5. If you feel the need to hit something, punch your pillow.
6. Get plenty of rest. (It’s hard to control your fizz when you are tired.)
7. Eat healthy. (It’s harder to control your fizz if your body doesn’t feel good on the inside.
8. Never screw your bottle cap on so tight you can’t loosen it. If you do your anger will build up inside and if it can’t come out through your cap, it will end up making you feel sick.
In K through 3rd Grade this week, we will be listening to Soda Pop Head. It is a wonderful book showing how important it is for ALL of us to learn to control our fizz... things that start to upset us or think is not fair. Below are ideas from the book that we can do and teach our children to do. Enjoy. Tap the picture of the book and you will see what we are reading.
Teach your child to control their fizz. When your child first starts to feel angry, teach him/her how to loosen their bottle cap before the pressure inside of them builds up. Techniques include:
1. Take five deep breaths.
2. Walk away and find a quiet place to sit down and relax your muscles.
3. Do the Push, Pull, Dangle (Push down on the seat of your chair while you count to ten; pull up on the seat of your chair while you count to ten; Dangle your arms at your side and feel all of your stress leave your body.)
4. Go into your room and play your music really loud.
5. If you feel the need to hit something, punch your pillow.
6. Get plenty of rest. (It’s hard to control your fizz when you are tired.)
7. Eat healthy. (It’s harder to control your fizz if your body doesn’t feel good on the inside.
8. Never screw your bottle cap on so tight you can’t loosen it. If you do your anger will build up inside and if it can’t come out through your cap, it will end up making you feel sick.
We are focusing on them being role models by making healthy choices. Over a two week time frame, were talking about what is a drug? The more you know when you come across the most powerful drug, the better prepared they will be. We will begin by watching a movie called Monica and the powerful drug. The 3rd graders will know what the most powerful drug is after watching the movie…
We will continue to talk about healthy choices after we had five Senior Bayport Basketball players come over and talk about healthy choices. They sent really good healthy messages about attendance, homework, sleeping, brushing teeth, and exercise. We will learn about the most addictive drug, tobacco and nicotine, mainly found in cigarettes. We will see a model of a cigarette and show some of the harmful chemicals in a cigarette. Then the students will enjoy being cilia, the hair that is found in lungs. Hopefully they will remember what they felt like before trying cigarettes. It will show that the cilia in lungs slowly die off from the chemicals making it hard for the lungs to stay healthy. Click on the picture to the left to see the seniors.
During the 2014-15 school year, the 3rd graders have started a new journey... the world of one on one devices. 3rd graders have access to ipads during and after school hours. With this adventure, comes responsibility. Many of our students are doing very well with going to the sites that they are suppose to and completing homework. However, our tech violations have almost doubled from last year and we need our super hero powers and team work to find some solutions to the problem. I believe that the 3rd graders have some ideas of how to do this... we will see what they come up with. We have found that they are harder on themselves than we are and come up with very creative ideas! Can't wait to hear!
THEY came up with some really good ideas... we are going to implement one in class... we are going to spend time putting games in a folder that states, "NO playing until homework is done". Also, if they downloaded other games that should not be on, delete them. Then give them a card to see who could be ipad partners when we work on ipads so they stay on the appropriate site.
They were brilliant this week in class... not only did we put a folder for using these apps after homework, we also put a folder for Do NOT Use... meaning only if a teacher would tell them to go explore. We are ready to go out on our schoology account! This is an after homework account that they as a 3rd grade community can help each other solve small problems after hours! Big problems need a Big person will be discussed. The schoology account called "I am going to help solve problems together" is ONLY for small problems. We will work in tribes to make sure that each other are on the appropriate site and using respectful words.
THEY came up with some really good ideas... we are going to implement one in class... we are going to spend time putting games in a folder that states, "NO playing until homework is done". Also, if they downloaded other games that should not be on, delete them. Then give them a card to see who could be ipad partners when we work on ipads so they stay on the appropriate site.
They were brilliant this week in class... not only did we put a folder for using these apps after homework, we also put a folder for Do NOT Use... meaning only if a teacher would tell them to go explore. We are ready to go out on our schoology account! This is an after homework account that they as a 3rd grade community can help each other solve small problems after hours! Big problems need a Big person will be discussed. The schoology account called "I am going to help solve problems together" is ONLY for small problems. We will work in tribes to make sure that each other are on the appropriate site and using respectful words.
We have been working hard on using self control. This week we will all wear paper capes so others can share appreciations or a positive thought about that person. Then they will be able to take it off and share with their tribe their favorite one on the backs of their capes. Sometimes when we are down on ourselves, we need to remember the positives and classmates are going to help us be super heros with writing them on their backs. We need to color each others' world with kind words and acts. Click on super hero student to the right to see video we are viewing.
We will continue this week on putting some more kind words on their super hero caps. Then we will practice what it means to bucket fill or dip out of others buckets.
We will continue this week on putting some more kind words on their super hero caps. Then we will practice what it means to bucket fill or dip out of others buckets.
We have talked a lot about self control last week. We are going to explore how bullying is one of those issues that we need to show extreme amount of self control. We will watch how others are able to empower each other to Stand up for Others and show self control so that we don't make the situation worse. 3rd graders are going to read the book called "The Juice Box Bully" to help empower them to stand up for others. We will then talk about a pledge that all will take to Stand up for Each other to continue our journey of helping each other out.
Welcome back after our long WInter break... coming back from break is hard for all of us to get back into routine and know what is expected with our Howard Family. We will spend time going over the Howard Husky Way by having a Snowball FIGHT! Yes you are seeing it right! We will be having a snowball fight in class... with paper though! It is a fun way of going over expectations but also remind them of something learned already. When they are bugged by something or someone, they can use their words by saying... "It bugs me when, and I wish...". We need to start to work on Self Control ideas as these next couple months become difficult for our kiddos.
1st through 4th graders will spend time really applying the learning of I can or I can't yet or I can't thoughts (green, yellow, and red thoughts). We will have them work in groups and go over situations. We will point out that all individuals do not react the same with their thoughts however, we all need to handle situations respectfully. Thought this would be helpful to practice as we come up to a joyous time of year but stressful at times... Winter Break!
Many of the students shortly after our lesson on Green thoughts (I can) and Red thoughts (I can't) utilized the strategy we worked on last week. As one of my students shared with me, when a red thought came to his head stated, "I shoved it out and put a green thought in"! Priceless... we will continue to work on these thoughts. We will remind ourselves of things we can do and then change one of the red thoughts to state I can't... YET! This will allow the students or adults that are struggling with something in their life but still can change it and want to change it. It is a simple way of remembering how to do it. We were unable to watch the video we were suppose to so it is linked to the picture to the right. Enjoy the many ideas on the video to help with red thoughts.
After hearing all of the missing homework, I thought it would be helpful to test their listening skills and 3 step direction. We will start off by taking a test. IF they read the directions carefully, they will just read the assessment and DO NOTHING. However, the students are usually in a hurry so they end up doing the whole test. Then, they realize they didn't have to do anything and hopefully remind them to listen and read carefully! Afterwards we will practice the 3 step directions with others working on observational skills.
2nd week: we learned many lessons from our taking a test and following directions activity. Here is what we learned... we need to slow down and read directions, listen to all the directions before we move, take a couple seconds before we start to make sure we have all the directions and trust your own instinct even if you see others doing something else especially if you know it is right. We will continue to practice this... we have 42 missing assignments and we are at the half way mark. We will be setting goals on a post it note to put in planner so we stay below 100 for the month.
2nd week: we learned many lessons from our taking a test and following directions activity. Here is what we learned... we need to slow down and read directions, listen to all the directions before we move, take a couple seconds before we start to make sure we have all the directions and trust your own instinct even if you see others doing something else especially if you know it is right. We will continue to practice this... we have 42 missing assignments and we are at the half way mark. We will be setting goals on a post it note to put in planner so we stay below 100 for the month.
Welcome back after a long weekend. We will be looking at ways that our students can be successful at school. We will begin by looking at their homework completion. Our 3rd and 4th graders have been struggling with completing homework... In October alone, 55% of 3rd graders and 62% of 4th graders are missing more than 1 assignment. We will figure out ways to show our "Awesome" and decrease late assignments and get them out at recess more often. Click on the homework picture to the left to see what we will be viewing to get our brains thinking of some ideas.
2nd & 3rd graders this week will be getting into their animal tribes. The animal tribes are a group of about 4 individuals in their class that they will work with during life skills and their "Go To Group" out at recess. If they followed directions, each student is guaranteed at least one friend they chose in their tribe. Once we get into tribes, we will review behavior expectations and their goals to make their year better and what is the "Go To Group". Also continue to work on solving small problems I can Handle. Can't wait to see all the expressions on their faces.
During our STOMP out bullying week, one of our classes played out what would happen if someone was being picked on or bullied. Some stood up with words, some stood by and just with their presence were powerful, some moved away which is another good way of dealing with bullying and some were scared and not sure what to do. All seem to know what to do after our class. Very proud of how they stood up to the bully and knew what part of the brain they need to stay in to help themselves and others!
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Now that we have reviewed two big problems in life skills, we will be spending time on how to solve our own problems with our Howard Husky Hints. Then we will get a chance to choose at least one person that could be in a small group that we will work with the rest of the year. Also, they can be a group that they will be able to go to at recess if they are struggling and play with them. Hopefully this will help them to stand up to others and together.
STOMP out bullying... is the theme for all classes this week. October is national bullying prevention month and this week we are honoring that mission and completing different activities that will help STOMP out bullying.
When someone states hurtful words especially over and over again, individuals have a hard time dealing with it. 3rd graders are going to spread the word of Stomping out bullying by "Being a Buddy not a Bully". They will see live what happens when you say or do things over and over again. We will focus on spreading the word on paper feet on what words they can say if someone bullies them or just kind words to be a buddy.
Click on the picture to the right for 17 ideas of how to deal with bullies!
Think Safe... Be Safe
Howard, we tell the students that our number one job is to keep them safe and their job is to keep it that way. This week, all classrooms are going to learn the 3 basic safety rules:
Howard, we tell the students that our number one job is to keep them safe and their job is to keep it that way. This week, all classrooms are going to learn the 3 basic safety rules:
- We all have the right to feel safe.. all the time.
- Other people have the right to feel safe with us... all the time.
- Nothing is so awful that you can't talk to someone you trust.
MOVIE STARS... small groups created their own calming trick or a way to show the class how to calm down and move on!! Then they had a chance to show the class but also be filmed to show the rest of the school how to keep calm and use your brain! Look next week for a few of the movie stars!
Bus Expectation Assembly...
CLICK ON BUS PICTURE AND ENJOY
I am going to deal with stress if I know how to stay in the front part of my brain called the frontal lobe. Stress can bring us to other parts of our brain that makes it difficult to focus, learn or even say how we are feeling. Over the next couple of weeks we will learn and review many ways that we are GOING TO deal with the stress of school, recess and friendships so that we can be the best learner at Howard. Click on the picture to review the video we watched in class.
Welcome back to my 3rd Howard huskies...
Welcome back to third grade... in our first "life skills" class we reviewed the "Howard Husky Way" agreements of "Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible" better known as being attentive listeners, being respectful to themselves/others/things and being a good participant (TRIBE agreements).
The third graders experienced a fun activity called Spider Web... we used yarn to create a human spider web and showed how if we work as a team and support each other, the class would be a better place to be. In order to do that, your child made a goal for the year to be apart of the Howard Team.
The third graders experienced a fun activity called Spider Web... we used yarn to create a human spider web and showed how if we work as a team and support each other, the class would be a better place to be. In order to do that, your child made a goal for the year to be apart of the Howard Team.
Welcome back to 2014-15 School Year. We are super excited to have you apart of our Howard Family. The first week of school, I helped students get back into school routines which we call Character Camp. Character Camp is the first 9 days of school that we as a Howard Family really focus in on school expectations and routines. We practice many things that will help your child be successful. Every staff member is on hand to help assist all of our students know where to go so they are safe, how to get their respectfully and what to do when they get there so they are responsible Howard Huskies! We hope you enjoy our Howard Family.
BELOW ARE CLASSES FROM 2013-14 SCHOOL
"You can't always control the wind but you can control your sails"... this is a quote that will be on this week's lesson for 3rd graders. The 3rd graders are the best of the best for behavior this year at Howard and we want to take some time to celebrate how they were able to show such great self control on the playground, bus, commons, and in the classroom. Since it is spring and it is GREAT flying weather for kites, we are using that theme to display their ideas of how they have shown self control. We will put them by the west and north doors for the remainder of the year to remind others of how to show self control. They will be fantastic reminders.
As we are JUST starting to get nice weather, we are going to go over ABCs of safety as they venture outside more. Also, with summer coming, we wanted to make sure that they have ideas of how to keep themselves safe. Please look for a handout to come home to help you open the conversation about your safety rules at home during the spring/summer months. Can't wait to see them back next year safely!!
Third grade will continue to explore the gifts they bring to help deal with ANTS in their head. We will realize with our lesson that even though we are all looking at the same picture or situation, we all see them differently sometimes. We will explore how to work through these times. The other lesson we will learn is that even though we may look different we need to remember that all are specials.
We will continue to be superheros... we will make the catcher clicker and practice what the statements are inside. There are suggestions such as "you will say a kind word just because". This will help the third graders add to their super hero caps they have hanging on their desk from last week. The best thing is that all will have a clicker that they can use at recess or at hope to have a little extra fun. Enjoy
We have been working hard on getting rid of our negative thoughts. This week we will all wear paper capes so others can share appreciations or a positive thought about that person. Then they will be able to take it off and share with their tribe their favorite one on the backs of their capes. Sometimes when we are down on ourselves, we need to remember the positives and classmates are going to help us be super heros with writing them on their backs.
Welcome back from Spring Break... since we have been gone for awhile, we will be working at all levels of how to deal with others "bugging" us and "wishing" they would do something else. We will practice by going over ways to deal with our ANTS in our heads. Once those automatic negative thoughts(ANTS) enter their brain, we will go over ways that "I can..." deal with them. Look for a sheet coming home with the ideas we will go over. If we have time we will use thought bubbles and turn them into what we should be saying that is appropriate. We all know that at times we have things we just want to say to someone but we need to stop and think of an appropriate way to say it... we will use home made dry erase speech bubbles to practice. The students struggled a little with I messages so we will continue to practice them with thought bubbles and go over ways to deal with ANTS in our heads.
What happens when you are on a picnic and you see an ant? Usually you see more. 3rd graders are going to go on a picnic in class. We will also be introduced to an anteater that will take care of the ants on the picnic. You are probably wondering why we are going on a picnic... I know I am getting "antsy" for spring. Ha ha. Well, ANTS mean another life skill we have to deal with. ANTS are automatic negative thoughts... they just come into our heads and they can feel just as pesky as ants on a picnic. We are going to discuss ways to deal with automatic negatives thoughts when they come up what we can do to deal with them.
3rd Grade success on bus & Playground
in the beginning of the year, we did an activity called spider web and showed how if we work as a team and support each other, the class would be a better place to be. 3rd graders are showing that they are reaching their goals. We will explore this week how they have been so successful at school especially the bus and playground. I can't wait to learn from them to help the others in our building.
We will continue to talk about healthy choices. Last week we learned about the most powerful drug, alcohol. This week we will learn about the most addictive drug, tobacco and nicotine, mainly found in cigarettes. We will see a model of a cigarette and show some of the harmful chemicals in a cigarette. Then the students will enjoy being cilia, the hair that is found in lungs. Hopefully they will remember what they felt like before trying cigarettes. It will show that the cilia in lungs slowly die off from the chemicals making it hard for the lungs to stay healthy.
Third graders have been working really hard at being role models. They spent time over the last week doing random acts of kindness. We will be focusing in on them being role models by making healthy choices. We will start a two week time frame of talking about what is a drug? The more you know when you come across the most powerful drug, the better prepared they will be. We will begin by watching a movie called Monica and the powerful drug. The 3rd graders will know what the most powerful drug is after watching the movie…
Third graders will be working on kind acts. They will start by sharing in their animal tribe kind words or actions that they know about that person. Then they will have a Random Act of Class Kindness jar to see how many can accomplish this. When someone does, they can write their name on the act...we will definitely make a difference doing those kind acts.(CLICK ON THE LIFE VEST TO SEE HOW RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS CAN BE A PAY IT FORWARD ACTION. WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND... ENJOY)
Third graders will finish their posters with "the Promise" on them. While we were working hard on creating their own commitment of the promise, we talked about making a difference. The majority of 3rd graders thought they did NOT make a difference. So when we are done with the posters we will discuss how they can make a difference!! Because they DO!
3rd Graders want to make a difference. After signing "The Promise" to the left, they creatively came up with the idea that they should make up their own promise. So this week in life skill, they will create a promise within their animal tribe, sign it and decorate it so that we can display them all over our Howard Family building and on the bus!
We have talked a lot about bullying. 3rd and 4th graders are going to start to discover the power of their words and actions. 3rd graders are going to read the book called "The Juice Box Bully" to help empower them to stand up for others. We will then talk about a pledge that all will take to Stand up for Each other to continue our journey of helping each other out.
We are continuing to work on making recess, bus and other places that 3rd graders tend to be at school. One of the issues that seems to surface at this time of year is rumors. Students try to solve problem by sharing their frustrations with a friend. However, the friend tells someone who tells someone else and then it sometimes gets back to the original person. The story that is told is more than likely not true. To highlight working on rumors with 3rd graders, we played "telephone". Usually by the time we get through all the kids, the message is changed. We read the book Mr. Peabody's Apple and had fun with a "feathered" pillow to highlight how difficult it is to clean up rumors if they are spread. Ask your child what they learned from the Magic bag "feathered" pillow.
Welcome back to the new year!! It has been an interesting start especially taking a few more days off with the chill in the air. This week, we are ALL going to have the same lesson. This lesson has been inspired by many individuals... a teacher, a former family and a former teacher in our district all recommended this lesson. With everyone letting me know, I decided to do it. It is quite simple... Christian Bucks (pictured with his family) decided to introduce the "Buddy Bench". The Buddy Bench is located out on the playground and when an individual is not sure what to do or can't find someone to play with, he/she sits on the bench. Others at recess will come up to them and ask them to play. If two individuals are there, they find something to do together. We already have a bench outside so I made a sign like pictured and that is how simple the lesson is!!! So excited and hopeful this will be helpful outside. Click on picture to see how Christian came up with the idea. Priceless.
We will spend time on ways to handle a bully and unwanted teasing. We worked hard last week understanding the difference between someone being a bully and someone being mean. We will trace our own hands and puts ideas on our fingers so we are prepared to handle these situations. Click on the hand to see the video we will be watching to get our brains going on ideas to deal with bullies.
No the third graders are not going to learn how to juggle but they will learn what it is like to have a bully enter their life. It feels like you are trying to juggle A LOT. We will do a hands on activity called three ball toss with the whole class and figure out what to do if they are being bullied or witnessing it. We will continue to do work on bullying ideas for the next couple of weeks. Remember that sometimes kids are just being mean too. Bullying is if someone or people are targeting an individual or group of people and doing it over and over again. There are four kinds of bullying that we will review... physical, verbal, non-verbal and cyber.
Hope your Thanksgiving break went well... 1st through 3rd graders this week will be getting into their animal tribes. The animal tribes are a group of about 4 individuals in their class that they will work with during life skills. If they followed directions, each student is guaranteed at least one friend they chose in their tribe. Once we get into tribes, we will review behavior expectations and their goals to make their year better. Can't wait to see all the expressions on their faces.
Welcome back... state testing is wrapping up so we are starting life skill classes again. So excited to be back. We will start again this week by remembering the importance of filling buckets. The book to the left is the book we will read and we will practice what it means to fill someone's bucket. The theory is that everyone has an invisible bucket. If it is full, we feel happy and content. If someone does something mean or disrespectful, then someone not only dips out of that individuals bucket but their own too. We will discuss how we learn best when our bucket is full. We will also talk about when people are mean, one can put a lid on their bucket so others can't dip. The difficult lesson is when to put it on and off.
WKCE Testing starts next week...
We will be getting 3rd graders ready for the WKCE state testing. We will review test taking tips this week. They will get a sheet with all kinds of test taking tips from 4th graders last year. Please have your child to school on time, get a good night sleep and help them be positive about the test... they get a chance to show us what they know. They will do FANTASTIC!
We will be getting 3rd graders ready for the WKCE state testing. We will review test taking tips this week. They will get a sheet with all kinds of test taking tips from 4th graders last year. Please have your child to school on time, get a good night sleep and help them be positive about the test... they get a chance to show us what they know. They will do FANTASTIC!
Solving Problems on the Bus... And more!
The third graders came up with really good ideas to solve the problems on the bus... ignoring, please stop, I don't like that, move away when the bus is stopped, talk it out, let it go or make a deal if someone is being mean. We discovered that when we are on the bus, there are some big problems so we reviewed what adults they could talk to... bus driver, Mrs. Zimmerman, closest adult, parent, Mrs. Dassler and teacher. They worked really hard to tackle one of our biggest problems at school. This week, 3rd graders will get a chance to write down problems that they are having and we will solve some together. First thing we will discover is "how big is this problem?" If it is a big problem we need to get a big person. If it is a small problem, I can handle it with 3 different Howard Husky Hints.
The third graders came up with really good ideas to solve the problems on the bus... ignoring, please stop, I don't like that, move away when the bus is stopped, talk it out, let it go or make a deal if someone is being mean. We discovered that when we are on the bus, there are some big problems so we reviewed what adults they could talk to... bus driver, Mrs. Zimmerman, closest adult, parent, Mrs. Dassler and teacher. They worked really hard to tackle one of our biggest problems at school. This week, 3rd graders will get a chance to write down problems that they are having and we will solve some together. First thing we will discover is "how big is this problem?" If it is a big problem we need to get a big person. If it is a small problem, I can handle it with 3 different Howard Husky Hints.
Howard Husky Hints
Third graders are working hard at controlling themselves and some of them even have made videos to show to the Howard Family their made up calming tricks. They are so proud of their accomplishment. The third graders are going to put their thinking caps on this week and use the Howard Husky Hints to help the 4th graders solve another issue defined by them... it is the bus. If you are willing to help us, go over your expectations for the bus. The top three things we need students to do is to put their back packs on their lap, volume 2 or less and keep hands and feet to self. So thrilled to see how they can give suggestions to the bus concerns.
Third graders are working hard at controlling themselves and some of them even have made videos to show to the Howard Family their made up calming tricks. They are so proud of their accomplishment. The third graders are going to put their thinking caps on this week and use the Howard Husky Hints to help the 4th graders solve another issue defined by them... it is the bus. If you are willing to help us, go over your expectations for the bus. The top three things we need students to do is to put their back packs on their lap, volume 2 or less and keep hands and feet to self. So thrilled to see how they can give suggestions to the bus concerns.
Think Safe... Be Safe
Howard, we tell the students that our number one job is to keep them safe and their job is to keep it that way. This week, all classrooms are going to learn the 3 basic safety rules:
Howard, we tell the students that our number one job is to keep them safe and their job is to keep it that way. This week, all classrooms are going to learn the 3 basic safety rules:
- We all have the right to feel safe.. all the time.
- Other people have the right to feel safe with us... all the time.
- Nothing is so awful that you can't talk to someone you trust about it.
WE will continue to find ways to deal with our stress
we will review calming tricks & make our own!!
Many of the third graders found ways to deal with their stress. We have worked on over the years with help from Shubert, the lightening bug how to do the calming tricks. We will review them and then... the 3rd graders will work with others to come up with their own calming trick or way to keep calm and move on. They will perform them for us all to continue to work as a team to make Howard a better place to be!
Who is in charge?... we are in charge of our own brain
We spend some time going over the parts of our brain again so that 3rd graders knew that they are in charge of their own brain. We viewed a short clip (tap on the picture to view it) to see how come it is so important to deal with stress and to get calm and move on. Discussed ways to stay in the most important part of their brain to learn... the frontal lobe!
Welcome back to my 3rd Howard huskies...
Welcome back to third grade... in our first "life skills" class taught by Mrs. Zimmerman, we reviewed the "Howard Husky Way" agreements of "Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible" better known as being attentive listeners, being respectful to themselves/others/things and being a good participant (TRIBE agreements).
The third graders experienced a fun activity called Spider Web... we used yarn to create a spider web and showed how if we work as a team and support each other, the class would be a better place to be. In order to do that, your child made a goal for the year to be apart of the Howard Team.
The third graders experienced a fun activity called Spider Web... we used yarn to create a spider web and showed how if we work as a team and support each other, the class would be a better place to be. In order to do that, your child made a goal for the year to be apart of the Howard Team.