Conflict Resolution

     Third graders at Murray have been working on a Conflict Resolution unit.  We started by talking about the importance of self control and making sure you are in control of your emotions first.  We studied the parts of our brain that react when we are angry.  If you want to be able to successfully think through a problem your wise owl needs to be on the nest (prefrontal cortex) and not your barking security dog (amygdale).

 Next we worked on I-messages as a way to respectfully start a conversation and then active listening to ensure both people get to speak and be heard.  We finished up with some practice in brainstorming.

CARES: Self-Control

February's theme is Self-Control.  Kindergartners had a blast trying to see if they could keep from jumping up to pop bubbles or avoid eating one marshmallow to earn 2!  We will also be reading a really fun book - My Mouth Is A Volcano.  Louis has a difficult time with erupting (interrupting) and learns some self control strategies to control his words.

In 1-2, we're talking about self control in regards to Peer Pressure.  Wagner finds himself in a tough spot when some of his classmates are encouraging him to make a bad choice.  He doesn't want to be left out, but he wants to do the right thing too.  Can he use self control and keep from going with the pressure?

Check out CM's thoughts on Self Control

3rd & 4th graders are looking at self -control with big emotions.  We talked about what happens in our brains when we are faced with stress or fear or frustration and why it's hard to be in control. But, we also talked about how our amazing bodies give us signals to warn us so we have time to make choices that help us stay in control.
5th graders are looking at self control and how it plays into their work habits - controlling distractions and setting priorities to meet responsibilities.

Too Good For Drugs

4th graders at both schools have just started a unit called Too Good for Drugs (TGFD).  All schools are required to have some sort of Drug Education program.  TGFD is the program that ACPS has adopted for our 4th graders.  This unit covers both School Counseling (EP8, EP9, EP10, EP11) and Health (4.2, 4.3) SOLs for 4^th grade.
      The goals of this program are 1. to develop some safety skills that help them make smart choices in uncomfortable or tempting situations; and 2. to have some background on what a drug is and why they can be dangerous.

     This can be an uncomfortable topic for both parents and students (giggling not uncommon).  I try hard to make the lessons engaging and enjoyable without undermining the seriousness of the topic. Here is an outline of the lessons and some notes on my "spin" on them.  I invite you to contact me at ANY time if you are unclear or unsure about any of these lessons.

1. Goal setting (having goals and things that matter to you give you reasons to make good choices)
2. Goal boosters/busters (make good choices about who you choose to spend time with)
3. Decision-Making (plan your actions, evaluate your choices and problem-solve using the steps for responsible decision-making.  Students will also discuss when decisions should be made alone or with the help of a responsible adult)
4. Managing Emotions (recognizing and managing emotions with healthy strategies)
5. Effective Communication (skills for resolving conflict, sharing ideas, and working cooperatively)
6. Relationships (healthy and unhealthy friendships)
7. Peer Pressure (what it is - why is effective and then 6 strategies to stand up to it)
8. Effects of Alcohol
9. Effects of Tobacco
10. Safe use of Over the Counter Medicines & Prescriptions

CARES: Empathy

January's theme  is Empathy. In the lower grades we've discussed how empathy is when you can imaging how someone else might feel or what it's like to be in their shoes.  Kindergartners loved watching the Sesame Street clip with Murray trying to figure out what it is (and his subsequent "Happy Dance").  We've watched clips from popular animated movies and looked for examples of empathy - like when Lightning McQueen gives up a win in the race to help his friend when he realizes he is hurt. We also played the game "How Would You Feel?"  In the upper grades, we've explored it through the lens of decision-making and how thinking about the consequences for both yourself and others can lead to better decisions for everyone.

CARES: Responsibilty

December's theme is Responsibility.  In Kindergarten, we read Responsible Rascal. We look at all the ways he is irresponsible and then how he turns it around to do what he needs to do.  The story stresses doing what you say you will and making sure your jobs get done. It also touches on how that's an important skill for later.  Because bosses don't want to hire people that don't get their work done.

In 1-2, we're starting a unit with Wagner the Dog and discussing how responsible students know how to think about consequences before they make choices.

In 3-5 we've been goal setting.  We talked about how responsible learners reflect regularly on where they are and where hey want to go.

3rd graders at Murray discussed responsible problem solving, especially around being in control of your emotions and using I-messages to start a problem-solving conversation.

Stop & Think

1-2 students at Red Hill and 2nd graders at Murray have been having some fun with Stop & Think!  They've been hanging out with Wagner the dog the last month or so.  Wagner finds himself in some tough spots when he doesn't stop & think about consequences.  They are teaching Wagner the Stop & Think song and next we'll play a game showing they can think ahead to what could happen. We'll continue to practice Stop & Think strategies with Wagner as we talk about handling frustration, problem-solving, and friendship.

CARES: Respect

The theme for November is Respect.  In Kindergarten we're talking about respectful words.  We read Chrysanthemum and every time someone used words that hurt her heart we would wrinkle our paper heart.  Then we discussed how we couldn't completely make it better, even with a lot of sorries! We decided the based way to avoid a wrinkled heart was to choose kind words from the start!

Ks and 1s had some fun comparing the Silly School and the Super School.  In the Silly School words and behaviors were not very respectful, while in the Super School - they were.  We decided it would be hard to learn in a silly school and made our own super school book.

Third graders are beginning to work on respectful problem solving.  We started with understanding our emotional reactions to conflict and thinking about how we approach a problem if we're feeling angry (not an easy task for anyone!)