It is becoming more commonplace for elementary-age children to access social media websites and apps.  Common Sense Media is a great resource for parents and educators.  The link below gives suggestions on helping our children navigate some of the negative interactions that can arise on social media.  In the upcoming weeks, our technology director Tim Brown will be visiting third through fifth grade classrooms to talk with children about online etiquette and digital footprint.

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/social-media/how-can-i-help-my-kid-avoid-digital-drama

Dr. Shefali Tsabary has written several books about mindful parenting and living.  Enjoy her TEDx talk Conscious Parenting.

Updates from Guidance

Kindergarten & First Grade

In guidance lessons this month we have worked on naming and recognizing emotions in ourselves and others.  Learning to identify emotions is critical to children's development.  Once they can recognize their feelings, children are better able to calm themselves.  We have also begun to introduce the Zones of Regulation, a common language we use at Hudson to categorize feelings and responses.

Second & Third Grade

After reviewing what they might already know about the Zones of Regulation, we have delved deeper into this curriculum that supports students' development of emotional regulation skills.  "The Zones is a systematic, cognitive behavioral approach used to teach self-regulation by categorizing all the different ways we feel and states of alertness we experience into four concrete colored zones.  The Zones framework provides strategies to teach students to become more aware of and independent in controlling their emotions and impulses, manage their sensory needs, and improve their ability to problem solve conflicts." 

Fourth & Fifth Grade Book Clubs

This year fourth and fifth grade students are participating in book clubs during guidance.

Students at this age are developing the skills they need to navigate more complex relationships and friendships.  They begin to reflect on their own identity, values they hold important, and the way that they want to be in the world.  Our books were chosen to prompt discussion and thought around these themes.

Hixson is hosting a Speaker Series on September 26th from 5:30-8:30 pm.  All parents are welcome to attend; talks will be geared toward families of 5th through 12th graders.

Topics will include:

• Anxiety & Depression
• Social Media
• The Adolescent Brain
• Trauma
• Vaping & Drugs
• Eating Disorders

Click here for more details!

Annie's Hope

This year we have the opportunity to partner with Annie’s Hope, a bereavement center that supports children grieving the death of a loved one.  An Annie’s Hope counselor and I will facilitate a six-week group for students this year.  Our group must have a minimum of six students with a maximum of ten.  Whether the group takes place this fall or next spring depends upon the response and need of our school community.  If, for any reason, we are not able to support the group, I will contact families directly with information about the programs Annie’s Hope offers at their center on Lockwood and Berry.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out.  If you are interested in having your child participate, please contact me by September 10, 2019.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to the 2019-20 school year!  We are so excited to see your students.  We have had a wonderful day! As a parent, I have two very different kids...one will tell me everything down to the last detail of her day.  My son will tell me everything was "good."  Here are some ideas for striking up conversation about school from Motherly:

• What did you eat for lunch?
• Did you catch anyone doing something funny?
• What games did you play at recess?
• What was the funniest thing that happened today?
• Did anyone do anything super nice for you?
• What was the nicest thing you did for someone else?
• Who made you smile today?
• Which one of your teachers would survive a zombie apocalypse? Why?
• What new fact did you learn today?
• Who brought the best food in their lunch today? What was it?
• What challenged you today?
• If school were a ride at the fair, which ride would it be? Why?
• What would you rate your day on a scale of 1 to 10? Why?
• If one of your classmates could be the teacher for the day who would you want it to be? Why?
• If you had the chance to be the teacher tomorrow, what would you teach the class?
• Did anyone push your buttons today?
• Who do you want to make friends with but haven't yet? Why not?
• What is your teacher's most important rule?
• What is the most popular thing to do at recess?
• Does your teacher remind you of anyone else you know? How?
• Tell me something you learned about a friend today.
• What was your favorite subject to study today? Why?
• What is one thing you did today that was helpful?
• When did you feel most proud of yourself today?
• What rule was the hardest to follow today?
• What is one thing you hope to learn before the school year is over?
• Which person in your class is your exact opposite?
• Which area of your school is the most fun?
• Which playground skill do you plan to master this year?
• What made you smile (or laugh) today?Tell me about the best part of your day.
• What was the hardest thing you had to do today?
• Did any of your classmates do anything funny?
• Tell me about what you read in class.
• Who did you play with today? What did you play?
• What's the biggest difference between this year and last year?
• What rules are different at school than our rules at home? Do you think they're fair?
• Who did you sit with at lunch?
• Can you show me something you learned (or did) today?