Small Moments, a blog about school counseling at Armstrong Elementary School - Small Moments

3rd Grade Technology Safety

5/22/2017

Dear 3rd Grade Parents and Guardians,

This week, we are discussing technology safety. The range of devices and programs students use has increased dramatically in just the past few years, and while this has created new opportunities to have fun and connect with others, it also has created new safety risks. As part of our discussion, we are discussing a range of topics. They include:

Be wary of sharing personal information online. This includes your address, phone number, even the names of family members.
If something happens online that makes you uncomfortable, go immediately to a trusted adult.
Passwords are often the only thing protecting your online material. Work with your family to create strong passwords and never share passwords with other people, even close friends.
Be aware that information that is shared online is very difficult to delete. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing something with the whole school, don’t share it online.
Negative comments made online are just as hurtful as those made in person. Be a kind member of the online community and work to help others that are being mistreated or bullied online. And if someone starts saying hurtful things to you, stop communicating with them immediately and tell an adult.

As parents and guardians, you have the most important job when it comes to keeping our students safe online. As you think through supporting your children, please consider checking out Common Sense Media. It covers a range of topics, from age appropriate apps to internet safety and privacy.

Thank you for your help supporting this important lesson.

Sincerely,
David Starr
School Counselor, Armstrong Elementary School
PH: 508-836-7760 Email: starrd@westboroughk12.org

2nd Grade Bullying Awareness

5/22/2017

Dear Second Grade Parents and Guardians,

This week, we are discussing bullying in second grade. Given the Massachusetts bullying legislation, it is not only incredibly important for us to begin to educate our students on bullying at an early age, but is also the law.

For this lesson, students watched an episode from the show Arthur, a cartoon about the experience of a group of students in elementary school. In the episode, Arthur, the main character, who is usually nice to his peers, starts to make fun of a friend for the sweater she is wearing. It takes the work of his teacher, friends, and the target of the bullying for him to realize that what he thought was a joke was actually bullying.

As part of the lesson, the students took time to consider what made Arthur’s actions bullying. They learned that when a person continues to tease someone even after they have been told to stop, it’s bullying. The students shared their surprise that Arthur, who is usually a nice character, could become a bully. They learned that anyone can make the mistake of teasing someone repeatedly without realizing how hurtful it can be. We also highlighted the importance of the bystanders, the other friends who saw what was happening and worked to help the target. Students learned that bystanders have a lot of power in a bullying situation. They can make things worse by laughing at the actions of the bullying student. Or they can work to help resolve the situation.

If you have a moment, ask your child what they remember from the cartoon we watched. You can even review the questions we discussed. The episode can be found online by searching for “Arthur, So Funny I Forgot to Laugh,” and the questions we reviewed are:

What made Arthur’s actions bullying?
Were you surprised that a usually kind character like Arthur could become a bully, why or why not?
Why do you think he bullied the girl in the video?
In the end, who helped him figure out that what he was doing was wrong?

Thank you for your work reviewing this important lesson.

Sincerely,
David Starr
School Counselor, Armstrong Elementary School
PH: 508-836-7760 Email: starrd@westboroughk12.org

Kindergarten - What do I do if I am Being Bullied?

5/7/2017

This week, we are continuing our unit on bullying awareness in Kindergarten classes. Last time we met, students learned that bullying can occur when someone continues to do hurtful things to another person even after they have asked them to stop. For this lesson, we are focusing on what students can do if they think they are being bullied. We are reading a story called "Lucy and the Bully." The book shares how upsetting and scary it is to be bullied as well as how difficult it can be to ask for help. However, like other dangerous or destructive situations, students are learning that if they are being bullied, it is incredibly important to tell an adult they trust. We are working together to brainstorm different adults we can talk to both at school and at home.

If you have a moment, ask your child to tell you the adult they would turn to for help.

First Grade - Being a Bystander to Bullying

5/7/2017

In first grade, we are continuing our work on bullying awareness. During our last lesson, students learned that bullying can occur when someone continues to do hurtful things to another person, even after they have asked them to stop or have shown that they do not like what is happening. For this lesson, students learned about the role of a bystander in a bullying situation. Bystanders are students that see bullying happen. They have the power to support the victim, the person who is being bullied, by helping them walk away and get an adult. They can even talk to the person doing the bullying if they feel comfortable. Sometimes, simply sharing a kind word or including the person being bullied can be enough to help. It can be hard to be a bystander to bullying, but it is an incredibly important job.

For this lesson, students worked to brainstorm what they might do if they were a bystander to bullying. If you have a moment, ask your child to share some strategies they think might help.

Third Grade MCAS Assessments

4/9/2017

Dear Third Grade Parents and Guardians,

Over the next two weeks, third grade students here at Armstrong will be taking English Language Arts and Math assessments for PARCC, the Partnership Assessing Readiness for College and Careers. PARCC is a new assessment this year, replacing MCAS. It gives us as educators a chance to see how we are doing in comparison to other schools not just in Massachusetts, but across the country.

This week, I am going into third grade classes to discuss PARCC and answer student questions. We are taking time to talk about ways to relax your body during the test, as well as the importance of getting a good night’s sleep and eating a healthy breakfast. We are also reading the book, “The Biggest Test in the Universe,” by Nancy Poydar. It talks about the fictional experience of a student going through his first state assessment.

You can help your child be as prepared as possible for PARCC:

Ask your child about strategies they can use to relax their body during the test. These strategies include:
- Count slowly to 10
- Take 3 deep breaths
- Think of something that makes you happy

Make sure your child goes to bed at an appropriate time the night before the test. If they are having trouble sleeping, encourage them to use some of the relaxation strategies we talked about in class.

Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast the morning of the test. Because of state rules, students will not be eating snack until after the test. Therefore, it is especially important that students eat a filling breakfast.

Please make sure your child arrives to school on time. The test will begin promptly at nine, and it is essential that all students are in their classrooms for the test to start. Students arriving after nine will not be allowed to take the test with their class.

If you have any questions about PARCC, do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

David Starr
School Counselor, Armstrong Elementary School
PH: 508-836-7760, Email: starrd@westboroughk12.org

First Grade Bullying Awareness Lesson

4/2/2017

Dear First Grade Parents and Guardians,

This week, we are discussing bullying in first grade. Given the continued goal of improving bullying prevention and response in schools, it is not only incredibly important for us to begin to educate our students on bullying at an early age, it is also the law.

In our lesson, we defined bullying as repeated mean behaviors directed at another student. Often, these actions make the target, or victim, feel scared, angry, upset, even powerless.

We read the book, “The Bully Blockers Club,” by Teresa Bateman. In it, the main character tries a number of different strategies to get another student to stop bullying her. In the end, asking for help from other students as well as her family and teachers ends up being the best strategy to solve the problem. We connected bullying to our discussion on dangerous and destructive behaviors from last week, and realized that when someone is hurting our feelings and we cannot solve the problem on our own, reaching out to friends and family is an important next step.

If you have a moment, please take time to review the definition of bullying with your children and remind them that if someone is ever hurting their feelings and they cannot get them to stop, it is important to tell a friend or adult.

Thank you for your help supporting this important lesson.

Sincerely,

David Starr
School Counselor, Armstrong Elementary School
PH: 508-836-7760, Email: starrd@westboroughk12.org

Kindergarten Bullying Awareness Lesson

4/2/2017

Dear Kindergarten Parents and Guardians,

This week, we are discussing bullying in kindergarten. Given the continued goal of improving bullying prevention and response in schools, it is not only incredibly important for us to begin to educate our students about bullying at an early age, it is also the law.

In our lesson, we defined bullying as repeated mean behaviors directed at another person. Often, these actions make the target, or victim, feel scared, angry, upset, even powerless.

We read the book “One,” by Kathryn Otoshi. The book says that when it comes to resolving a bullying situation, everyone counts. Bystanders play an important role. They can be nice to the victim, help the victim get an adult, or even tell the student who is bullying to stop if they feel comfortable speaking up. Students had a chance to write about and illustrate ways they could help someone who is being bullied.

If you have a moment, please review the definition of bullying with your children and encourage them to be active bystanders, people who do something to help those who are being bullied.

Thank you for your help reinforcing this important lesson.

Sincerely,

David Starr
School Counselor, Armstrong Elementary School
PH: 508-836-7760, Email: starrd@westboroughk12.org

Second Grade Teaches Yoga, Part Four

3/26/2017

Over the past several weeks, second grade students have been using the Explain Everything app on the ipad to create "How To" projects that teach others different yoga poses and breathing strategies. Below you can see the projects created by the students in Ms. Peterson's second grade class.

You can learn the poses yourself. Just press play on the video and have fun!

2nd and 3rd Grade Problem Solving Continued

3/26/2017

Dear Second and Third Grade Parents and Guardians,

This week, students are continuing their work on problem solving. The last time we met, we learned about and reviewed “I feel” and “you feel” statements. They look like this:

I feel __________ when you ________. I would like you to __________.

You feel _________ when I _________. You would like me to _________.

For more information on our I feel statement introduction lesson, please scroll down to my post from March 5th.

For this lesson, students continued to work with this problem solving strategy. They brainstormed different I feel and you feel statements they might use to resolve different conflict situations. We will take this practice and apply it during our next and final lesson on problem solving, when students will work in teams to plan and present conflict situations and utilize I feel statements to resolve them.

Please continue to encourage your children to try this strategy at home. Practice is important for many things, including (and perhaps especially) problem solving.

Sincerely,

David Starr
School Counselor, Armstrong Elementary School
PH: (508) 836-7760 Email: starrd@westboroughk12.org

Second Grade Teaches Yoga, Part Three

3/21/2017

Over the past several weeks, second grade students have been using the Explain Everything app on the ipad to create "How To" projects that teach others different yoga poses and breathing strategies. Below you can see the projects created by the students in Ms. Casciano's second grade class.

You can learn the poses yourself. Just press play on the video and have fun! I'll be sharing more videos like these over the coming weeks.