WCSD Summer Newsletter

A check-in is a time to pause and assess how you are feeling during a particular moment in time. Noticing and naming emotions can help people of all ages to build important self-awareness skills. Checking in can lead to a better understanding of why we feel the way that we do and what we need in order to be our best selves.

There are many different ways to check-in with our feelings. At times, a visual tool can help us identify how we are feeling. Take a look at the images below. Which picture matches how you are feeling right now? Once you pick an image, say, “Right now I am feeling _____ and that is OK!” When filling in the blank, you can say the number of the image that matches how you are feeling, or you can pick a word to describe your current emotion.

Please keep in mind that this is something that people of all ages can do. Checking in is something that we do at school and it can become part of your daily routine at home.

Reward Desired Behaviors with Positive Feedback

When you see a family member following your home expectations, it is important for you to notice and name exactly what they did. When you reward people through positive feedback, they are more likely to repeat the behavior in the future. Please keep in mind that it is important to notice and name a person’s progress and attempts to follow the home expectations.

Positive feedback may sound something like this:

• When a person is kind, provide them with specific praise. For example, “Thank you for being kind by helping your sister with her chores.”

• You can provide someone with specific praise when you see them doing their best. For example, “It is great to see you doing your best work. I think you will be proud.”

• Remember to be as specific as possible and refer back to your home expectations. For example, “Thank you for keeping our family safe by washing your hands before you help in the kitchen.”

Thank you so much to all of the grown-ups who are supporting students as they complete i-Ready lessons at home. The work that you all are doing this summer will help our students to continue to grow in both math and reading. Just a reminder that the goal is for students to spend just fifteen minutes each day on their math and reading lessons. Below are a few tips to keep students motivated to learn through i-Ready throughout the summer:

• Encourage students to take each lesson and quiz seriously.

• Remind students that mistakes are part of learning, and they are okay.

• Remind students that they can take quizzes again if they don’t pass them on the first attempt.

I scream, you scream, we ALL scream for ice cream! Did you know that National Ice Cream Day is just around the corner? It is on Sunday, July 17th. How will you celebrate? This week’s newsletter is filled with ice cream related activities. Enjoy!

Have you ever wondered which ice cream flavor matches you the best? If so, click here to take a short quiz to find the answer!

• July 20 - Nature Connections to Literature

• June 21 - July 14 - Free Summer Meals at the Library

• June 20 - July 30 - Whittier Public Library Summer Reading Challenge

• August 16 - First Day of School (6th grade only)

• August 17 - First Day of School

We have technicians dedicated to supporting our WCSD families throughout the summer. For technical assistance, please visit our website at: https://www.whittiercity.net/apps/pages/techsupport for the most up-to-date information on how to receive support. You can also email parenthelp@whittiercity.net or call (562) 789-3183.