Talking to Kids About Coronavirus

These are some great resources to help guide you in talking with your children about coronavirus. For K-1 https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-coronavirus For K-2 https://www.brainpop.com/health/diseasesinjuriesandconditions/coronavirus/

Preferred Family Healthcare

PFH is offering online support and small groups for adults and children.

Calm

Calm is offering free resources at this time.  These practices can be helpful for both children and adults. 

https://www.calm.com/blog/free-resources

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.