Hello E'tude Parents and Families,
I was so happy to meet many of you at the open house/meet your teacher night last week. Thank you very much for all the supplies provided to help our students be successful this year. I know the kids are excited for the school year, as am I!
This week we did many community building activities including: spiderweb, circle sharing, cross the line, greetings, and more. Ask your student to explain some of these exciting activities, and share connections they made with other students in the class.
We also had an amazing field trip to the John Michael Kohler Art Center, yesterday. We thoughtfully observed and discussed an installation piece, and talked through the parts, purpose, and complexities of it. The school project will allow students to create their own snow globe based on some of the ideas gained during this experience.
Yesterday we introduced a spot in the room I call "take a break", or "chill chair". The purpose of this spot is to allow students who may be out of control in any capacity (this includes high anxiety or stress), to simply take a break. As adults, we understand that things can get overwhelming at times, and sometimes even we need a break. This spot is a great way to get kids to recognize when they are in need of a break (for whatever reason). There may be times when I ask a student to take a break, because sometimes the child may not be aware of the need for a break because they are not focused on the task at hand. When I ask a student to take a break, they should simply go to the "take a break" spot without talking. Should they argue back or not do so, a Buddy teacher will come ask the student to take the break in their classroom. Usually this helps, since they may just need a break from the students or this particular classroom, in general. In rare instances, if they are not willing to go with the Buddy teacher, they will be asked to go to the office. If a student is asked to go with a Buddy teacher, I will be sure to let you know. This will help students talk through it at home, and perhaps better recognize why they needed a break, and what some solutions for this could be.
Again, thank you parents and families for all you do to support our kiddos! I am over the moon excited for this year!
Don't forget to check each Friday for my new blog!
Amanda Hernandez
