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Kindergarten Whole Body Listening

11/19/2015

Dear Kindergarten Parents and Guardians,

This week, we are talking about whole body listening in kindergarten classes. Being the best listener you can be takes more than using your ears to hear. It takes your whole body to truly listen. As part of our lesson, we read the story “Whole Body Listening Larry at School,” by Elizabeth Sautter and Kristen Wilson. We then reviewed the phrase, “Give Me Five,” which is a reminder many teachers around school use to get the attention of their students. The five parts of “Give Me Five” are:

Eyes on speaker
Mouth closed and quiet
Body still and calm
Ears listening
Hands in lap and free of materials

If you have a moment, please ask your child to tell you what it means when a teacher asks them to “Give Me Five.” You can even use it as a way of getting your child’s attention at home.

Thank you for your help reviewing this important lesson.

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

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1st Grade Brain In

11/19/2015

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Dear First Grade Parents and Guardians,

This week, students are thinking about ways they can be a better learner. Here at Armstrong, everyone is taught the components of Whole Body Listening. This includes using your eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and body to ensure that all of your senses are focused on the person speaking.

Active listening involves more than utilizing these senses; it requires an individual to think about the information they see and hear. For this lesson, students are learning the concept “Brain In.” When your brain is in, you show that you are thinking about what is being said. Some “Brain In” behaviors include:

Thinking about what you hear and see
Asking questions
Sharing ideas
Following directions
Repeating what is said in your head

As part of this lesson, students cut out and colored brains, then wrote one “Brain In” behavior on their brain cutout. They should be bringing their brains home and sharing them with you throughout this week.

As your children grow and develop, try and find ways to help them build ownership of these strategies. They will help to make them a stronger student and member of our community.

Thank you for your help supporting this important concept.

Sincerely,

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

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3rd Grade Brainology Continued

11/15/2015

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Dear Third Grade Parents/Guardians,

Last week, we continued our work with Brainology. As you might recall, Brainology is a website that uses engaging cartoon characters to teach academic skills. For the second part of the Brainology curriculum, the program focuses on strategies you can use when you are feeling stressed about school. Stress is a natural part of life. The problem is that there are times when we get so nervous that we are unable to focus. At these points, certain strategies can help us to calm our bodies down.

The program describes a few different strategies. These include:

Calm your body. In previous grades, we spent time reviewing strategies to calm your body when you are upset. These include:

Take 3 deep breaths
Count slowly to 10
Think of something that makes you happy

These skills can work to help calm your body during a stressful academic situation as well.

Turn a negative thought into a positive one. For example, if you are thinking “I’m going to fail this test,” focus on changing your thoughts to “I studied, I prepared, and this is my time to show what I know.” This can work for any nerve-wracking academic situation.

If you have a moment, please review these strategies with your child/ren. And if you are finding that they are nervous about homework or an upcoming test or presentation, you can help them use these strategies to hopefully make things a little less stressful.

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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Personal Space

11/5/2015

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Dear Kindergarten and First Grade Parents/Guardians,

This week, I have been working with kindergarten and first grade classes on personal space. As part of the lesson, we defined personal space (the space we need to give each other so everyone feels comfortable) and discussed ways to talk to another student that is invading your personal space. We also talked about what personal space looks like on the rug, in line, and around school.

If you have a chance, ask your child:

How can you respectfully tell another student you need more personal space?

Answer: Be kind, but also clear about what you want. Some student examples include:
“Excuse me, can you please move over?”
“You are breaking my personal space bubble. Please give me some more space.”

How can you give personal space in line?

Answer: Face forward, hands by sides, just right space between you and other students.

What does personal space look like on the rug?

Answer: Give me 5, space between you and your neighbors, in your square (if your classroom rug is divided in this way).

You can even ask your child about places they can give personal space around the home, and what personal space might look like in those places.

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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Kindergarten Whole Body Listening

1st Grade Brain In

3rd Grade Brainology Continued

Personal Space

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