November classroom lessons were dedicated to the topic of GRATITUDE. Students learned how being thankful and grateful can brighten our days and help us to stay focused on all the positive things and people in our lives. Students shared something they were grateful for and were even challenged to try and start each day with saying something they are thankful for.
Helping children understand how to respond in social situations can be a tough task! Social skills are a learned skill and may require some practice. These are best taught in the moment so if you see your child interrupt, say something unkind, or struggle to initiate conversation, gently help them practice the social skill in real time.
Here are some ways you can help your child strengthen their social skills:
Act it out and have some fun!
- You don’t like the gift you receive. How can you respond politely?
- Start a conversation with someone you don’t know.
- Ask someone to play with you.
- Someone isn’t following the rules in a game. What do you do?
- You want to say something while someone else is talking.
Developing social skills is essential for interacting with others. For activity ideas on how to strengthen social skills check out this article: https://mentalhealthcenterkids.com/blogs/articles/social-skills-for-kids.
December Counseling Lesson Topic
For the month of December, most of our classes will be spending time learning about RESPECT. We will discuss the difference between respectful and disrespectful behavior and define ways we can show respect at school, at home, and within our community. Our middle schoolers will be diving back into executive functioning skills like time management, goal setting, and study skills.
Hospice of Washington County
Bereavement Resources for families, teens and children: https://hospiceofwc.org/grief-support/bereavement-services
Contact information for Mrs. Fortney
Email: klfortney@iu12.org
Website: https://www.iu12.org/
Phone: (717) 624 - 4616 x 6237