Character Ed

             Mrs. Ginny Riedman      School Counselor                  
                                                                  

                                                 

              Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year! I am looking forward to an exciting year of learning and growth at St. Lawrence School. As the Character Education teacher and school counselor, I offer character ed classes once a week, addressing topics with the children such as Problem-Solving, Self-Esteem, Social Skills, Respect for Others and other life skills. As the counselor I offer support around a variety of  issues and am always open to speak with parents if a need arises.

At this time I would like to share 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, (with teacher's permission).
                 

                                                   

     

                                            The following is a list of children’s literature
                                 that support both character education and social-emotional
                                       learning. Reading with your child during the summer
                                   is one good way to support your child’s social-emotional
                                                                development.

            A Rainbow of Friends (Ages 4-8)                Words Are Not For Hurting (Ages 3-6)
                   The Rainbow Fish (Ages 3-8)                       Listen and Learn (Ages 3-6)
                 We Are Best Friends (Ages 4-7)                  Talk and Work It Out (Ages 4-8)



                                                             



                                    Below are a few ideas for supporting your
                   young child with self-regulation skills. You can best support your child
                        with these as they are interacting with friends or siblings in
                                                    a playful environment.

• Redirect inappropriate words or actions when needed
• Provide a structured and predictable daily routine and schedule
• Anticipate transitions and provide ample warning
• Role play with your child, or using puppets, how to act or what to say in certain situations they may encounter
• Use of time out, if necessary ( 1 minute for every year of the child’s age)

 
                    Relevant language to teach your child that supports self-regulation skills.

                                                          Can you play with me?
                                                         Please stop doing that.
                                                              I don’t like that.
                                                 I would like to play with that too.
                                                   Can I play when you are done?


                                                                                                                      
                                                    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

        Below are a few ideas for supporting  young children with self-regulation skills. This can                   be easily accomplished as they are interacting with friends or siblings in
                                                    a playful environment.

• Redirect inappropriate words or actions when needed
• Provide a structured and predictable daily routine and schedule
• Anticipate transitions and provide ample warning
• Role play with your child, or using puppets, how to act or what to say in certain situations they may encounter
• Use of time out, if necessary ( 1 minute for every year of the child’s age)

 
                    
                                                          Can you play with me?
                                                         Please stop doing that.
                                                              I don’t like that.
                                                 I would like to play with that too.
                                                   Can I play when you are done?

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!

                                                         http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/

                     
                                            Olweus Anti-Bullying Program


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


                                    

                                         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.

                

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