September is attendance awareness month- Please join me in spreading this important message

http://awareness.attendanceworks.org/resources/videomultimedia/

The first week of school recommendations

I hope the first week of school went well.  It is wonderful to see the students' enthusiasm and excitement for their teacher, academics, and friends.  This is also a time of transition, earlier bedtimes, hectic after school schedules, and homework.  It is completely normal for both parents and kids to feel overwhelmed and tired.  This would be a good time to set up a routine your child can rely on in order to for them to find a daily rhythm.  Consistency is key.  Additionally, too many after school activities can be tough on a child.  Please read the following discussion on scheduling kids after school.  Kids do need time to just go home and relax, be creative, play, and read.  http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2014-9-2-extracurricular-activities-pros-and-cons-families
Have a wonderful day!

Social-emotional learning- What is it and why is it important?

http://www.cfchildren.org/second-step/social-emotional-learning

Second Step Overview

Check out Second Step and its 4 main components
All of your children will be learning a weekly lesson and GE would love your support in reinforcing these lessons at home
Social-emotional learning is just as important as academic learning.
http://www.cfchildren.org/Portals/0/SS_K5/K-5_DOC/K-5_Visual_Review_Research_SS.pdf

Common Sense Media

Dear Families,
Please check out the latest academic apps for your students to download to help them with school
commonsensemedia.org is an amazing resource for parents and students alike!

Click here to find out more

Welcome Back to School 2015

Welcome back!

It's back to school time!

August 2015

Dear Glenshire Elementary School Families:

It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome you and your children to the 2015-2016 school year
at Glenshire Elementary. I hope your summer was filled with exciting activities, time spent with
family and friends, and enjoyed at a relaxing pace. The start of the school year is always a
special time for me with all the positive energy that flows through the school!

Helping students succeed is a joint effort. Students are most successful when all of us—
the student, the family and the school are working together. As a collaborative team we are
striving for continuous improvement to create a culture of learning for all students. As a school
community we strive to:

Create an environment where every student feels recognized and valued.
Create opportunities to talk with students and, more importantly listen to them.
Create an understanding that students are active participants in their education and
learning.
Create an environment where students know that the school is dedicated to helping them
learn.

A few tips to help with a smooth transition from summer vacation to the school year are:

Teaching the importance of attending school every day and on time as a life skill
An early bedtime allowing for a solid nine hours of sleep
An alarm clock in your child's room across from the bed
A healthy breakfast to start each day
The backpack ready to go and by the front door
A lunch and snack prepared the night before and in the fridge
The outfit chosen the night before and laid out for the next day
The mode of transportation to and from school discussed the night before and reinforced in the morning
A family dinner, whenever possible, to discuss your child's highs and lows of the day
The week' s Second Step Lesson homework done and discussed as a family
A specific place to do the homework
An extracurricular plan developed by parent and child, looking at time and energy allotment of both

We hope you are looking forward to the start of the school year.  I look forward to seeing all of you on August 31st. 

Sincerely, 

Rachel Falk
Glenshire Elementary School Guidance Counselor

Bullying vs. Teasing: Is there a difference?

Bullying vs. Teasing:  Is there a difference?

By Rachel Falk- GE School Guidance Counselor

Bullying has become the new buzzword, which is unfortunate.  Bullying is a very serious act with a very definite definition.  The definition of bullying, according to stopbullying.gov, is to hurt or scare someone who is weaker or smaller, bother the same person repeatedly, and have malicious intent.  The definition of teasing, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is to laugh at and criticize in a way that is either friendly and playful or cruel and unkind.  There are laws surrounding the acts of bullying and legal ramifications that exist when an individual bullies another person.

So why am I choosing to write on this particular topic?  I feel it is important for all parents to understand the difference due to the hyper focus the media has given the word and action, bullying.  It has been in the media spotlight for several years now due to the increase in bullying behaviors due to technology and social media.  Therefore, it makes sense that families feel that bullying is ever present and are concerned when their child comes home with a story of harassment.

I believe, based on the research put forth from the Committee for Children, and Sources of Strength, that part of growing up is to work through problems and gain the resiliency needed to deal with social-emotional relationships.  Playground, lunchroom, and class time issues abound in all areas of the country.  It is never a comfortable situation to have one’s child come home and describe an incidence of being picked on at school that day.  However, it is extremely imperative that parents ‘respond,’ not ‘react.’  Children look to the adults in their lives to see what is appropriate and what is not.  If we respond by letting our child know we are sorry that the incident occurred and ask how they worked through it, we are letting our child know that we think they are capable and have the ability and knowledge to work through the problem.  If we get upset and start yelling, and let our child know that we will go right down to the school and ‘handle’ it, the message is one of incapability of the child, as well as taking the child’s power away and the belief that he/she can problem solve.

There are four types of bullying:  1. Physical; kick, punch, push, steal, or damage your belongings, 2. Verbal; call names, threaten, or hurt feelings, 3. Social; exclusion, gossip, rumors and 4.  Cyber bullying; takes place on the internet, through text messaging; and on cell phones.  People who bully others usually do it to:  Get attention; feel important; feel powerful; be in control; and make themself feel better by making others feel poorly.

What are we doing at Glenshire to create an environment that cultivates empathy, kindness, and inclusion?  We are entering our third year of teaching Second Step, the social-emotional learning program, TK-5th grades every Monday morning from 9:05-9:50.  This program teaches kids four main components:  1. Skills for learning; listening effectively, focusing one’s attention, using self-talk, and being assertive, 2.  Empathy; learning how to identify and understand one’s own and others’ feelings, take others’ perspectives, and show compassion for others, 3.  Emotion management; the ability to identify and manage our strong feelings, and how to calm down strong feelings, and  4.  Problem-solving; the ability to solve problems in safe and respectful ways, and develop skills for making and keeping friends.

We will always work with students who are making inappropriate choices and students who feel picked on and left out.  But research shows us that in order to make a long lasting climate change, there needs to be a common core of social-emotional learning and a common language.  Second Step has been adopted throughout TTUSD, TK-8, and taught to all employees, including our bus drivers, yard duty, paraprofessionals, secretaries, special education staff, school psychologists. . .  Therefore, when we work with your child in a social-emotional capacity we are all using the same language, the language he/she has already been taught in the classroom on Monday mornings.

How can parents support this process?  It is very important for the school and the parents to be a partnership, a team effort in the education of the whole child.   I will be having Second Step workshops for parents throughout the school year in order to teach you the program and how it can be implemented at home.  Please go to the Committee for Children website to learn all about this program and its importance.  Additionally, feel free to call me at 582-3720 ext.  27351 with any questions.