Small Moments, a blog about school counseling at Armstrong Elementary School
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Third Grade MCAS Assessments

4/9/2017

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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  

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First Grade Bullying Awareness Lesson

4/2/2017

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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  

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Kindergarten Bullying Awareness Lesson

4/2/2017

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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
 

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    Author

    David Starr is the School Counselor at Armstrong Elementary School in Westborough, MA.

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