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.
During life skills, we will continue to learn about bullying. Remember, bullying is when someone does something over and over again with the intent to make people feel bad and target them by using their power and control. We will go over the 4 types of bullying then brainstorm ideas again of how to deal with bullies.
4th graders will learn how just one person can impact the "bully cycle" (picture to the left). We will review all the roles of bullying and how if they stand together, the bullying will stop or at least someone will get help and not feel alone. Click on the picture and watch our theme of "breaking the chain" of bullying.
4th graders are getting ready for Lineville the last half of our year. They did an amazing job of sharing with me some ideas they would like to cover before going over to LV. We will start with how to deal with friends when their is a problem. We will go over several ideas of how to solve a problem and practice them in class. We will do 60 seconds of problem solving, friendship walk, It bugs me when, Group plan, and suggestion circle. We will do a rapid fire of different ideas and get feedback which one will work for each of them.
4th graders will continue to work on kind act along with our Howard Family by reviewing the Howard Husky Way. They will also watch the Life Vest Kind video (tap on the picture to the left). We will talk about words and acts in our tribes and how they can continue to be our leaders of kindness by being safe, respectful and responsible.
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.
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.
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
4th graders learned that “Say it forget it, write it regret it” We read the book called “The technolgy Tail’ and had some fun understanding that all of us have a technology tail trail. We can either share gifts with others or bandaids Your tail gets a gift when you post something kind or when you use nice words to help. When you post hurtful or mean things, you tail gets a bruise, scratch or tear in which it needs a bandaid to heal.
Did you know that every ONE put down a person gets, they need TEN pull-ups to feel better! What will you choose a bandaid or a gift?! We hope you choose to do more kindness than necessary!
Did you know that every ONE put down a person gets, they need TEN pull-ups to feel better! What will you choose a bandaid or a gift?! We hope you choose to do more kindness than necessary!
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
We are starting to do things to get ready for Lineville. We will be doing a strategy called left out. Individuals and groups will feel left out and then they will peer huddle to come with a group plan on how to deal with this issue. We will also review any questions they may have from our Healthy Choices unit. They had really good questions but we ran out of time. Getting facts are really important to make healthy choices.
During the next few weeks in Life Skills Class, students will be learning about making healthy and safe choices. Students in 4th 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 "what happened to Mr. Reynolds" and watch a you tub video on facts of alcohol and other drugs 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 "what happened to Mr. Reynolds" and watch a you tub video on facts of alcohol and other drugs 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 especially after spring break. 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, using the group plan of the Howard Husky Way. 4th graders will 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.
4th graders reviewed what a bully vs. someone being mean during last week's life skills in their new animal tribe. This week they will learn how just one person can impact the "bully cycle" (picture to the left). We will review all the roles of bullying and how if they stand together, the bullying will stop or at least someone will get help and not feel alone. Click on the picture and watch our theme of "breaking the chain" of bullying.
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. Ask them about the three ball toss we did to learn this week.
We are continuing to work on making recess, bus and other places that 4th graders tend to be at school a kinder place to be. 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 4th 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.
4th 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 in our tribes. 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
During life skills, we will remind 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.
Sometimes when we are feeling overwhelmed with thoughts (unthinkables), we need to learn to PIVOT. Click the picture to the left to see how we are going to start our life skills. Once we see the Friends video, we will discuss in tribes how we could use the tool "pivot" if we are stuck with our thoughts or have a big problem. Once we are done, we will explore our Superflex booklets and how we can defeat the unthinkable thought characters.
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 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. 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.
What happens when you are on a picnic and you see an ant? Usually you see more. 4th graders went on a picnic in class last year. 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 like pests 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 and practice the tools needed to squash the ANTS. This will be another zone tool we can use so they are ready to learn.
2nd week: We will share in tribes success stories of how they squashed their ANTS and then we will do a survey to see how Life Skills is going and what idea they want to cover before going to Lineville.
2nd week: We will share in tribes success stories of how they squashed their ANTS and then we will do a survey to see how Life Skills is going and what idea they want to cover before going to Lineville.
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 the school. Each of our tribes will be in charge of making a calm down bottle and then we will share with the whole building. It will be placed in our classroom safety zones as a tool to deal with our Zones.
The Calm down bottle will be a group project and will need to use their conflict resolution and problem solving tips especially if they don't agree on the color and who does what. It will be a fun way to review how we need to work together as a family.
The Calm down bottle will be a group project and will need to use their conflict resolution and problem solving tips especially if they don't agree on the color and who does what. It will be a fun way to review how we need to work together as a family.
In life it is so helpful to be able to share celebrations with others. 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 feeling down, we can remember those moments to help lift us up. It was amazing and helping us find another tool for our Zones of Regulation!
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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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:
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.
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 the new year. So excited to start with our 4th graders in a creative way. We are in the middle of Character Camp which goes over our Howard Husky Way(HHW) of Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be Responsible. We will review HHW but shortly after, they will do it live by doing an activity called Co-op a walk. They will need the HHW in order to finish the task. It is very challenging but fun to highlight what is needed to have a successful school year. We will also talk about what KYHFOOTY (Keep Your Hands Feet Other Objects To Yourself). It is a fun word and way to let others know that they are too close to them. Lastly, I will leave a notebook in the teachers room on how to get in touch with me.
Welcome Back to 2016-17 School 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 wanted to continue to work on the success outside at recess, bus and the lunch room or anywhere 4th graders need to solve problems. We are going to do an acitivity called "Saving Sam". The scenario is that Sam (gummy worm) is stuck on a boat (the platic cup), can't swim and the life jacket (livesaver) is under the boat. Their only tools they can use are the paperclips. Sam, the boat or the life jacket can not be touched with their bare hands. As the 4th graders go through this, the hope is that they will learn how to problem solve and highlight cooperative learning. I am sooooo ready for this mission! I hope they are!
4th graders will be doing a play called What happened to Mr. Reynolds? It goes over many facts about smoking while they are doing a hands on activity. We will talk about living responsibly and being respectful will help them if they are ever exposed to drugs. Drugs are anything you put in your body that changes how you feel except for food and water.
2nd week: we will continue to give facts to students about another drug, alcohol. They will watch a movie called "Lots of kids like us"
2nd week: we will continue to give facts to students about another drug, alcohol. They will watch a movie called "Lots of kids like us"
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!
4th 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 be working in pairs with boards similar to the ones to the right to begin working on how I CAN work as a team and not to give up. Classmates will watch and help each other out how to solve the fun of walking and working with a partner.
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.
4th graders will be reading "No Excuses!" and really work on Growth Mindset of a goal they want to accomplish this year!
4th graders will be reading "No Excuses!" and really work on Growth Mindset of a goal they want to accomplish this year!
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. We will continue to work on the production of their group plan. They all have a great start of of group plan of how they want to showcase it. LEGACY takes time. This week we will finish and then film.
We are starting to do things to get ready for Lineville. We will be doing a strategy called left out. Individuals and groups will feel left out and then they will peer huddle to come with a group plan on how to deal with this issue.
Welcome back 4th Graders!! We had a long winter nap and we need to review our Howard Family Expectations especially out at recess, in the commons and on the bus. Instead of just talking about it, we will create a spider web. 4th graders will share what they remember about our Howard Husky Ways. Once the spider web is built, we will show how important it is to work as a team. If we don't, watch what will happen to our web. Ask your child about how strong we are as a family if we work together. We sure did miss all of you! 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.
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!
4th graders will be spending some time getting to know each other. A way we do this is by creating their name in a bubble letter formation as shown above. They will get a chance to make their name, put keys things about themselves, positive aspects about them, favorite things to do and how they are a good friend. In their tribes, they will share them. With doing this, hopefully this will be another way to unite against bullying.
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.
I know right! Yes we are going to have snowball fight!! WE are going to solve some small problems by putting down what bothers us on paper, smoosh it up and throw it!! Then we will be practicing "I statements". Afterwards we will show them how to do a "Friendship Walk" so that they can use this as a way of solving problems and compromising. Also, click on the Snowball Fight picture for a Recipe for Friendship.
4th graders spend some time last week reviewing the Howard Husky Way and introducing a classmate. We began to explore what is being a safe, respectful and responsible friend. We will continue to do this by reviewing our brain and where we need to be to be the best learner and friend. They will have some fun by using a easel brain to share their ideas. We hopefully will practice good attentive listening and helping each other stay focused.
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' 4th 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 4th 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!
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!!
What are the gifts we bring? We will be venturing into each of us have something to offer our Howard Family to help us finish strong the rest of the year. Instead of talking about it... they will be acting like a different culture while talking. It could be that they talk loudly, talk quietly, try to get really close to people, etc. All cultures do different things to show each other respect. We will discuss what happened and then discuss if people are acting differently how can we solve our problems respectfully.
We wanted to continue to work on the success outside at recess, bus and the lunch room or anywhere 4th graders need to solve problems. We are going to do an acitivity called "Saving Sam". The scenario is that Sam (gummy worm) is stuck on a boat (the platic cup), can't swim and the life jacket (livesaver) is under the boat. Their only tools they can use are the paperclips. Sam, the boat or the life jacket can not be touched with their bare hands. As the 4th graders go through this, the hope is that they will learn how to problem solve and highlight cooperative learning. I am sooooo ready for this mission! I hope they are!
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.
This lesson when so well forK through 3rd Grade, we will be listening to Soda Pop Head in 4th grade too. 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.
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.
Well, last week we decided to watch a different video... "Lots of Kids like us". The message is that there are things in our children's lives that they can NOT control but they can definitely find a way to cope with them. So we spent time talking about what Ben and Conrad (two main characters) did to cope/deal with their situation. So we decided that we need to spend time talking about how to say No in many different ways so that kids know what to do. They will be brainstorming ideas so that they continue to make really good healthy choices.
4th graders will be watching a video called "Drug Abuse Education... It's a Fact!". The video emphasizes living responsibly and being respectful will help them if they are ever exposed to drugs. Drugs are anything you put in your body that changes how you feel except for food and water. The clip talks about being It's your choice and really important to listen to the clues before you choose. Sgt. Williams teaches them about the affects of three drugs. The last part is a catchy tune really reminding kids to think about it before making choices. Click on the picture that says... It's A FACT! to see the video>
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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. 4th graders will look into making healthy choices by getting facts about cigarettes and alcohol. 4th grade will start exploring the reasons why people choose to use drugs, alternatives to them and how to say "no" when others are making poor choices. We will review what is a drug and then spend time going over facts about healthy activities, foods and alcohol and cigarette smoking. Click on the picture to the left to see the seniors.
This week we will be reading a book called "No Excuses! How what you say can get in your way!". Then we will write a goal in our 4th grade schoology account. Then to help them remember their goal, they will pick a flower to the left of what could remind them of what they are doing for the year to make Howard a better place. For example, my goal this year is to remain positive even with my running as I am unable to run as fast this year. So to remind me of it, I have chosen the purple flower... No excuses! It means no matter what comes my way, I will prevail! For more information, go to Fellow Flowers website.
We will continue to review their goals and flower power in the schoology account. They had a good start and want to continue to find ways to make Howard better. We had a little hiccup... they first had to take a survey for me. So we will be able to work solely on their goals and be able to share them in tribes. Can't wait to hear them. |
We will continue to work on self control. Please encourage your child to use self control with their words and actions. We will practice self control with our words by giving each other a pat on the back. Each student will trace their hand, and then randomly will be given to another student who will write a kind word on their finger. We will continue to do so until all is filled. Click on the picture to the right to see how we work together, we will color each others world.
This week we will continue to explore how they patted someone else on their back when they were secret agents. If they had completed 7 acts, they will get tickets from me. However, hoping that they felt something after completing the act of kindness... joy, filling their own bucket or even colored their worlds.
This week we will continue to explore how they patted someone else on their back when they were secret agents. If they had completed 7 acts, they will get tickets from me. However, hoping that they felt something after completing the act of kindness... joy, filling their own bucket or even colored their worlds.
We will continue to explore ways to use self control. We will do an activity called "Left Out". We will explore ways of how they can deal with these feelings, find others to hang out with and ways to help others who are standing by themselves to feel like they are apart of the group. We will touch on how they can all make a difference if we use self control and work together and make a pledge to NOT start bullying. WIth showing respect with our actions and words, we will do well during the month of January and February with our behaviors.
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.
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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.
***4th graders will put these on our schoology account so that they can see how others are dealing with red thoughts and changing them by saying I can't... YET! They will be able to go back on their ipad and look so they can get unstuck quicker.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.
***4th graders will put these on our schoology account so that they can see how others are dealing with red thoughts and changing them by saying I can't... YET! They will be able to go back on their ipad and look so they can get unstuck quicker.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.
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4th graders worked really hard at focusing, listening to directions and asking questions when they needed clarification. We worked on those things to see if this would help them get their homework done. We are have way and we have 53 late assignments ALREADY... we really need to figure out a way to improve our homework completion. Good news, it seems to be less people having late assignments but a few struggle with completing their homework every night. A 4th grader stated as his reflection of the lego lesson "We need to imagine that homework is the building block of life!" We will be doing an activity to follow directions and then making a goal on our "I can" schoology account to get more completed homework.
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After hearing all of the missing homework, I thought it would be helpful to test their listening skills and following directions. 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 following directions with legos while others will be working on observational skills.
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.
4th graders 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 be there "Go To Group" outside at redess. If they followed directions, each student is guaranteed at least one friend they chose in their tribe. Once we get into tribes, we will have them sit by each other to help them get out on our "I can help others" schoology account. Can't wait to see all the expressions on their faces.
Our Howard Husky 4th graders will be helping me figure out what I can do to help them be more successful. They will take a survey and share their ideas. They have so many good ideas. Then we will talk about who they could work with in a small group and to be a go to group if they needed someone outside. They will be able to choose at least one friend in that group. At the end, we will discuss some issues we are having in a community circle and see what their solutions are going to be to help our Howard Community.
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. 4th graders will STOMP out bullying by creating Heart words to show someone that you care about them and respect them. We will show how the mean words wrinkle someone's heart and then display all words that are kind and respectful to use and be a Helpful Howard Husky.
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.
"LOOK at what I CAN DO" to find ways to solve my own problems. They developed ideas on husky dogs to remind them of what they CAN do to solve their problems. We put all the ideas in one can and will have them out at recess for friends to choose a Howard Husky Hint to solve their problems!!! Such strong leaders!
Bus Expectation Assembly...
Click on bus Picture and enjoy
I can 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 CAN deal with the stress of school, recess and friendships so that we can be the best learner at Howard. Click on the word stress to watch how we are not suppose to deal with stress. Then do to third grade and tap on the word overload to see what we CAN do.
4th 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 be working in pairs with boards similar to the ones to the right to begin working on how I CAN work as a team and not to give up. Classmates will watch and help each other out how to solve the fun of walking and working with a partner.
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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
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!!
We will spend time reviewing their imovies they created with the whole class. Then if we have time after that we will go over any questions and/or concerns for Lineville. 26 more days and we are getting sad to see the 4th graders home. We want them to stay!!
We will continue to explore ways to get ready for Lineville. We will do an activity called "Left Out". Sometimes when meeting new people, one may feel left out. We will explore ways of how they can deal with these feelings, find others to hang out with and ways to help others who are standing by themselves to feel like they are apart of the group. Our students will go from knowing about 60 students to about 400... we want them to be ready to get to know others in a respectful way.
4th graders will spend time using kiwis for an experiment on seeing the what is on the outside of something, can be totally different on the inside. We will be talking about judging others and how to make friends even if they appear to be different from them. This lesson is to prepare them to get ready to meet others at Lineville and how to do this respectfully.
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. 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 homemade 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.
4th grade will start exploring the reasons why people choose to use drugs, alternatives to them and how to say "no" when others are making poor choices. We will review what is a drug and then spend time going over facts about healthy activities, foods and alcohol and cigarette smoking. Then next week we will learn will explore a deeper understanding of when others in our lives choose alcohol how we can cope and what to do if they are being affected by this issue in their family.
4th graders are going to be our live savers at Howard. The last two weeks, they talked about how they could be live savers and make a difference in respects to our bus behaviors and ideas to stand up/step up to bullying/mean people. They will continue to explore how they can make an I movie with their animal tribe. Once the movie is complete, they need to share it with me before it is published! I am so thrilled to see the excitement. Watch for pictures next week on them working towards I movies! Attached to the picture of livesavers is one of many ideas that the 4th graders could do... they will continue to explore and start their movies. Update...some of the students spent last week on the bus filming. This week we will film in class and some times during recess to finish!! It taking some time but we can't rush the final product.
While working out this weekend, I was distracted by a young lady's t-shirt (Picture to the left) . I was thinking that we really need to do something creative with this saying for our 4th graders. They are such a well behaved and creative class, I knew we needed to take a picture. We took a picture of it and it will inspire our life skills classes for the next several weeks. 4th graders will be put to task about how they can "Stand UP and Stand OUT" in respects to bullying and bus behaviors. They will be able to choose either one to create a I-movie to share with the other grades to give them helpful tips on bullying and expectations for the bus. Super excited to see the end product. LOOK for their I-movies on the weebly in the future!
4th Graders working hard to
solve problems together respectfully and creatively
solve problems together respectfully and creatively
We wanted to continue to work on the success outside at recess, bus and the lunch room or anywhere 4th graders need to solve problems. We are going to do an acitivity called "Saving Sam". The scenario is that Sam (gummy worm) is stuck on a boat (the platic cup), can't swim and the life jacket (livesaver) is under the boat. Their only tools they can use are the paperclips. Sam, the boat or the life jacket can not be touched with their bare hands. As the 4th graders go through this, the hope is that they will learn how to problem solve and highlight cooperative learning. I am sooooo ready for this mission! I hope they are!
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.
4th graders reviewed what a bully vs. someone being mean during last week's life skills in their new animal tribe. This week they will learn how just one person can impact the "bully cycle" (picture to the left). We will review all the roles of bullying and how if they stand together, the bullying will stop or at least someone will get help and not feel alone. Click on the picture and watch our theme of "breaking the chain" of bullying.
4th graders 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 bullying and the four kinds and ideas of what they can do if this is occuring. Can't wait to see all the expressions on their faces.
Hope everyone had a peaceful Thanksgiving. We ended last week with one of the most memorable events that has happened at Howard Elementary. The 4th graders were introduced to one of our former students, Kesler De Ruyter, who came in and shared his journey since attending Howard Elementary. Kesler shared many things with the kids, but one of the most memorable ones was his message to go after your dreams no matter what others say. Kesler, pictured above, is going after his dream to be a country singer. So this week we are reading the book "No Excuses!" by Wayne Dyer. The story is really similar to Kesler's. We will work on how the 4th graders are in charge of their lives and the choices they make now can help their future. We will focus on setting a goal and write down steps they will need to take to accomplish it. So excited. They will be hearing a song that Kesler played for them last week. Click on Kesler's picture above to hear his song! (Sorry video currently down)
Welcome back... state testing is almost done so we are starting life skills class again. We will be focusing in on what we do affects others' day. Some of the older students are reporting to me that others are being mean. So we are going to work hard in 4th grade having a "Good Brainy Day" vs. a "Bad Brainy Day". Good brainy day is when you perform kind words & actions, your brain “lights up” and it is easier for us to learn. When we use unkind or mean words, it harms the brain of others. No one's brain “lights up”. Instead the brain gets dimmer and the “light” dies off. Neither are ready to learn. We will practice what to do so we are ready next time someone is mean.
WKCE testing... should we wait until the last minute??
The answer is NO WAY... they are too good to wait until the last minute to prepare. This week we will be getting the 4th graders ready for all 10 of their tests. We will give them practice tests and in life skills we will go over test taking tips. The 4th grade class has been doing so well this year working as a team that we are really excited to see how they can support each other during state testing. Please have them well rested, be to school on time and eat a healthy breakfast. They will do well!
SPT sharing Howard Husky Hints with each other & solving other problems
Last week, we went outside and went over the rules for football and kickball that seemed to be causing some problems for our 4th grade friends. They did such a good job we even had time to go over ideas for the bus. This week, we are going to explore the Howard Husky Hints some more and put out our favorite way to solve small problems on Solving Problems Together (SPT) Schoology. Then when we are out on our SPT, we will share good ideas to help each other & solving more problems.
Last week, we went outside and went over the rules for football and kickball that seemed to be causing some problems for our 4th grade friends. They did such a good job we even had time to go over ideas for the bus. This week, we are going to explore the Howard Husky Hints some more and put out our favorite way to solve small problems on Solving Problems Together (SPT) Schoology. Then when we are out on our SPT, we will share good ideas to help each other & solving more problems.
Howard Husky Hints
Believe it or not it is October... where did the time go... We have started our Solving Problems Together (SPT) and found ways to support each other. According to our students from our discussion on SPT, the football and kickball games are creating some tension. SOOOOO, we are going to go outside during life skills and go over The Howard Husky Way on the playground. Also, now that we know how to have some self control and the importance of safety, we need to work on how to solve problems with others. We will also review the Howard Husky Hints booklet. The kids are keeping the book at school to put in their book box. Some of the 4th graders are taking some pride in helping each other out so I am excited to see how we can work together at recess time.
Believe it or not it is October... where did the time go... We have started our Solving Problems Together (SPT) and found ways to support each other. According to our students from our discussion on SPT, the football and kickball games are creating some tension. SOOOOO, we are going to go outside during life skills and go over The Howard Husky Way on the playground. Also, now that we know how to have some self control and the importance of safety, we need to work on how to solve problems with others. We will also review the Howard Husky Hints booklet. The kids are keeping the book at school to put in their book box. Some of the 4th graders are taking some pride in helping each other out so I am excited to see how we can work together at recess time.
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.
Solving problems together... a little hand from our
ipads & working together after school!!
The fourth graders worked really hard to find ways to deal with their stress. We are going to continue to help each other by keeping calm and moving on... you wonder how we will do this? Well in life skills we are going to go out to the schoology site and they will join my course called "Solving Problems Together". Once they are a part of the course, they will use their ipads to join a discussion board. They will understand that no names will be used and should start with "someone or some people" then write the problem. Others will be able to reply with suggestions by typing them into the discussion board. We will solve problems together and be able to keep calm and move on. It is that simple.
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 4th 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!
Setting goals to make howard a better place!!
Welcome back to fourth 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 fourth 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 fourth 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.