February Guidance Lessons

This February our NCADA liaison Debra Townsend visited with students weekly. NCADA recognizes that fostering positive social skills in students supports children's resiliency as they grow older and are faced with the challenges of adolescence.  The curriculum builds upon itself as students move through grade levels at Hudson.

NCADA programs:

• Build resiliency skills in youth, kindergarten thru college;
• Create better learners and more cooperative students;
• Develop skills to refuse peer pressure, build healthy friendships, and make low-risk choices.

Kindergarten:  Winning FriendshipsThis four (or five)-lesson unit promotes language and behaviors that build friendships and provide skills to handle uncomfortable feelings such as anger and conflict. 

First Grade: Caring 4 Classmates
This four-lesson unit helps young children develop social competency skills: self-respect, sharing, and reaching out to friends.

Second Grade:  Friendship Rules 
This four-lesson unit introduces children to four friendship rules: 1) Friends laugh and play together, 2) Friends Include others, 3) Friends give others a chance, and 4) It’s okay for friends to be different. 

Third Grade:  Building You, Building Me 
This four-lesson unit explores social competency by focusing on language and behaviors that can either build or wreck friendships.

Fourth Grade: Taking Charge of Me
This four-lesson unit promotes important ways to be in charge of yourself: recognizing and respecting the uniqueness of self and others; setting goals for yourself; and taking responsibility for your actions. 

Fifth Grade:  Standing Up For Me 
This four-lesson unit develops skills in managing conflict and anger effectively and solving problems peacefully.

 

Girls on the Run is an after-school program designed for 3rd-5th grade girls. Despite the name, your daughter does not need to be a runner to participate! 

The program is designed to encourage girls to use running/physical activity as a means of empowerment and motivation. GOTR is so much more than a running program; it is a youth development program which helps empower girls. 

Practices include curriculum-based discussions on topics designed to boost self-esteem as well as games to encourage physical activity. We start from the absolute basics of walking/running and work our way up to a 5K run by the end of the season. The culminating event at the end of each season is the Girls on the Run St. Louis 5k in downtown St. Louis to celebrate the girls’ accomplishments. This season’s 5k is on May 12.

There is a program fee of $125 which includes 20 lessons conducted by trained Girls on the Run coaches, Girls on the Run program T-shirt, registration for the Girls on the Run St. Louis 5k, a water bottle, and a healthy snack at each practice. Payment plans, scholarships, and sibling discounts are available. 

Practices are held at Hudson from 3:00-4:30 on Tuesdays and  Thursdays. 

Contact Meagan Wade (meagsw@gmail.com) or Danielle Zuroweste (zuroweste.danielle@wgmail.org) for more information.

Go to Girls On The Run to register today!

Parent Information Night 2/26/2019

Webster University Diversity & Inclusion Conference

http://www.webster.edu/diversity-inclusion/2019-diversity-conference.html

January Guidance Lessons

In kindergarten, first, and second grade classes, we have finished our lessons on the Zones of Regulation.  Beyond recognizing our own feelings and how to deal with them, we have moved into discussions of empathy and how to respond to others.  This article from Educational Leadership shares research and thoughts on cultivating empathy in our children:  Nine Competencies for Teaching Empathy

In third, fourth, and fifth grade classes, we continue to discuss relational aggression. It can be tricky for kids to figure out how to handle these situations.  At school, we emphasize including others and being kind.  When they are then faced with relational aggression, kids can sometimes struggle with how to respond.  We have been practicing how to stand up for ourselves in a way that is both strong and respectful.   Last week students wrote about the experiences that they have had.  Reading through these reflections made me think about what we can do as parents.  This article from Very Well Family shares some thoughts on how to support our kids.

Happy Holidays

As adults, we often feel our level of stress rise with the expectations of the holiday season.  Our kids feel that stress, too.  For families who live with mental illness or neuropsychological differences, the impact of the holidays can feel even heavier, even amidst  the joy and thanksgiving of the season.  

The American Academy of Pediatrics has several recommendations for families:

• During the busy holiday time, try to keep household routines the same. Stick to your child's usual sleep and mealtime schedules when you can, which may reduce stress and help your family enjoy the holidays.

• Take care of yourself, both mentally and physically. Children and adolescents are affected by the emotional well-being of their parents and caregivers. Coping with stress successfully can help children learn how to handle stress better, too.

• Make a plan to focus on one thing at a time. Try a few ideas to balance the hustle and bustle of things like shopping, cooking, and family get-togethers during the holidays: Stop and pay attention to what is happening at the moment, focus your attention on one thing about it, and notice how you are feeling at the time. Withhold immediate judgment, and instead be curious about the experience.

• Give to others by making it an annual holiday tradition to share your time and talents with people who have less than you do. For example, if your child is old enough, encourage him or her to join you in volunteering to serve a holiday meal at your local food bank or shelter, or sing at a local nursing home. Help your child write a letter to members of the armed forces stationed abroad who can't be home with their own family during the holidays.

• Remember that many children and adults experience a sense of loss, sadness or isolation during the holidays. It is important to be sensitive to these feelings and ask for help for you, your children, family members or friends if needed.

• Don't feel pressured to over-spend on gifts. Consider making one or two gifts. Help your child make a gift for a parent, grandparent, or other important adults and friends. Chances are, those gifts will be the most treasured ones and will teach your child many important lessons.  

• Most important of all, enjoy the holidays for what they are -- time to enjoy with your family. So, be a family, do things together like sledding or playing board games, and spend time visiting with relatives, neighbors and friends.

These tips may be excerpted or printed in their entirety, with attribution to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
​© 2018 - American Academy of Pediatrics​

Thank You!!

This winter season Hudson collected supplies for Camp Circle Star.  CCS is funded by the Erin Eickmeier Foundation, a local non-profit that serves children with developmental disabilities.  CCS provides an individualized, unique camp experience for children and young adults who might not enjoy a traditional camp setting. Each child receives one-on-one support and a tailored experience to meet their needs.  Check out CampCircleStar.com for more information!