Character Ed

             Mrs. Ginny Riedman      School Counselor                  
                                                                  

Welcome to the Character Ed web page and to the 2018-2019 school year! I hope that you had a peaceful and fun summer!

This is my fourth year at St. Lawrence School as the school counselor, and character education teacher. I love my work! It is very rewarding to be able to support our students, in a variety of ways, so that they are successful in school. 

Character education lessons are provided for the students once a week. The lessons touch upon topics that address both social/emotional learning such as problem-solving and communication, as well as issues of respect, honesty and kindness. 

I also provide education around anti-bullying awareness through the use of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. Bullying described within the program is when " someone repeatedly and on purpose says or does mean or hurtful things to another person who has a hard time defending himself or herself."

Here are the four anti-bullying rules that we teach and discuss at St. Lawrence School:

1. We will not bully others.
2. We will try to help students who are bullied.
3. We will try to include students who are left out.
4. If we know that someone is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home


                                                                                                                              

I would also  like to offer parents a few suggestions in supporting younger children as they transition to school......

* Encourage your child to share his/her fears. Validate the underlying feelings.
* Along with reassurance, problem-solve and plan with your child what they can do if there is a     real concern.
*Role-play with your child this plan. It will help to make your child feel more confident in                problem-solving.
*Focus on the positive aspects. Redirect your child and ask, “What were three great things that    happened today at school?” or “What are you most looking forward to tomorrow?”
*Start a school day, morning routine and be consistent with it.
*For a younger child having difficulty separating, include a note in your child’s lunch or allow          them to bring a stuffed animal that reminds them of home.


                                           Recommended Resources For Parents

                                         123 Magic- Effective Discipline for Children
                                                Building Emotional Intelligence
                                                      The Whole Brain Child
                                                         Mindful Parenting

Parents, feel free to stop by my office, also. The parent library offers excellent resources for parents to borrow.

                
                   SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL-LEARNING

Social and emotional learning are important aspects of a child’s development. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, depending on the age of the child. With younger children, play is an important learning tool for these skills to develop. Older children gain these skills with sports, hobbies and positive interactions with peers. Skills that are a part of social-emotional development include:

• Self-confidence
• Emotional regulation
• Decisions making skills
• Resilience
• Ability to resolve conflict

The link below is to a wonderful resource for younger children, with information on ways to help develop their social-emotional capabilities. I hope you find it helpful!

 

https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/mental-health-matters/social-and-emotional-learning


   
    "Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best     hope for the future." John F. Kennedy