February 2023 Hawk Talk

Hello Maple Hill Hawk Families! Welcome to our February Hawk Talk. This newsletter is filled with information about what is happening at Maple Hill this month. There are also helpful links and resources for families.

This month's Hawk Character Trait is empathy. You might ask yourself what is empathy and how can you explain empathy to your child. Well, empathy is the awareness that other people have feelings and emotions. In younger children, it is important to point out emotions in other people and help them recognize body language and facial cues. In older children, it is essential to help them try to understand how someone might feel in a situation. You can do this using literature or even in movies and television shows. Below is a great short video that explains empathy. I hope this resource can help you begin to have conversations about how to build empathy in your child, which is an essential component of emotional intelligence and allows us to connect socially with others. As you scroll through this Hawk Talk look for more resources on empathy put together by our school counselor Mrs. Derry in her Counselor's Corner.

February is also Black History Month. Recognizing multicultural events, celebrating diversity, and striving for equity and inclusion help to create a sense of belonging for all students, staff, and families. Below are two wonderful resources. The first is an interactive slide deck created by a WVUSD teacher, Jade Williams. This slide deck has great information along with read-aloud and videos. The second resource is a list of children's literature books by black authors. Feel free to scroll through these resources and share them with your children as well.

I hope this information and resources are useful for your families.

With Love,

Mrs. McNeil

Principal

February 1- MHCC Meeting (see below)

February 2- Early out day- TK/K dismissed at 11:30 am and 1st -5th dismissed at 12:40 pm

February 6-10- Valentine Grams sold before and after school (see schedule below)

February 6- Fire Drill

February 6- First day of Chess Masters after school (see below)

February 8- Jump Rope for Heart (see below)

February 9- Early out day- TK/K dismissed at 11:30 am and 1st -5th dismissed at 12:40 pm

February 10- TK/K ONLY Minimum Day dismissal at 11:30 am

February 13- Chess Masters after school

February 14- HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

February 16- Early out day- TK/K dismissed at 11:30 am and 1st -5th dismissed at 12:40 pm

February 16- MHCC Skate Night (see below)

February 17- No School- Staff Development Day

February 20- No School President's Day

February 23- 5th Grade Panoramic Picture

February 23- Early out day- TK/K dismissed at 11:30 am and 1st -5th dismissed at 12:40 pm

February 24- Access Trimester 2 Report Cards on Parent Portal (see below)

February 27th- Chess Masters after school

MHCC Meeting Wednesday, February 1

Maple Hill Community Club Virtual Meeting

8:30 am - 9:30 am

Virtual Meeting

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/rjd-hiiq-tys

Everyone is welcome to join!

Our SEL enrichment lesson this month will be on Empathy. We will be learning about social awareness and what it means to look at things from others' perspectives. The lessons will include engaging activities and thoughtful discussion such as tone of voice, understanding others' feelings, and compassion. My hope is that your child will develop a better understanding of why it is important to think about and include others. I would love for you to discuss with your child what empathy is and why it is important to consider others.

Here are some strategies you can try at home to support your child’s social awareness development:

• Discuss what it means to be empathetic

• Discuss ways to be inclusive and how they can make others feel welcome

• Discuss what it means to be compassionate and understanding of others

Family Book Guide:

TK/K- I am Human: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9RxO3HG9bM

1st-3rd- The Invisible Boy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDMFX1__K2U&t=11s

4th-5th- Empathy Is Your Superpower: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9TCpbqohcI

Family Empathy Activities:

• Create a chart called “Ways to be a Buddy” and brainstorm things buddies say and do on the chart.

• Create a chart called “How to Include Others” and brainstorm things we can say and do to include others at school, in class, and on the playground.

• Create an “Appreciation Box” and can use it to write down positive messages, thank you notes, or messages of appreciation or encouragement to their family, friends, neighbor, teacher, or any person in their life.

Email: kmcneil@wvusd.org
Website: www.maplehillschool.org
Location: 1350 Maple Hill Road, Diamond Bar, CA, USA
Phone: 909-861-6224