Dear Sewanee Elementary Students and Families,
Hello! I hope the start of the new school year has been a successful one so far. September is National Attendance Awareness Month, which is a time to recognize the importance of school attendance. It is also a time for us to promote consistent attendance throughout the school year. Every day a student is in school is an opportunity to learn and build relationships. I am here to address our students' social and emotional wellbeing as well as provide support throughout the year. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me for help whether it's an academic, attendance, social-emotional or another issue affecting your student. Please refer to the attendance section in the Sewanee Elementary 2024-2025 Handbook for more information and/or contact the school if you have any questions.
Last month, I visited the 2nd through 5th grade classrooms and provided a brief introduction and overview of services and how I am available to assist them with any problems that may make it difficult to do well at school. Kindergarten and first grade students participated in a guidance lesson about services, which was Counselorus for kindergarten students and first grade students went on a Counseling Safari lesson. These guidance lessons provided students with information about what I do at the school and how I can help them be their very best. Our 2nd through 5th grade students' guidance lesson focused on coping skills. Our 2nd grade students participated in the Pineapple Posse lesson, which focused on helping them manage stress. They learned about the PINE in pineapple, which stands for Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Interact with Others, Note to Self, and Exercise. "A Pineapple a Day Keeps the Stress Away!" Our 3rd through 5th grade students read the book "I'm Stretched" by Julia Cook and students learned to identify things that could stretch them too far and strategies they can use to control how they stretch (manage their stress in a healthy and helpful way), such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, scheduling "me" time, saying "no" sometimes, mindful breathing, preparing ahead of time, and exercise. They also worked on developing an action plan when they are feeling stretched, which identifies the skills they can use and who they can talk to when they need help with their plan.
We look forward to seeing your smiling faces every day.
Kim Hasty, M.S.
SES Student Advocate
The September skills lesson will focus on self-control. Even though we have been in school now for one month, September still has that "back to school" feel, which is a perfect time to remind our students of self-control strategies that will help them all year. Self-control also ties in with many behavior expectations that are being taught at this point in the school year, such as controlling voice volume, taking turns, following directions, resisting the urge to blurt out in class, etc. Self-control is essential for a successful school experience. I will be focusing on the important value self-control has with respecting others.
Why is self-control important?
- Improve focus and attention in class.
- Build stronger relationships with peers and teachers.
- Make better choices in challenging situations.
- Achieve long-term goals by sticking with tasks.
In our guidance lessons this month, all grades will explore self-control through:
- Storytime: Reading the book "My Mouth is a Volcano" by Julia Cook, which highlights the importance of self control in everyday situations.
- Strategies: Identifying self-control strategies they can use when they feel their self-control slipping, like counting to ten, taking deep breaths, or walking away to calm down.
Kindergarten students will also participate in a Dino Classroom guidance lesson, Blurt-o-saurus and 1st grade students will learn additional self-control strategies through a Safari Classroom guidance lesson.
My goals for students this month are:
- Helping them learn to make decisions that are thoughtful rather than impulsive. They will learn to be a self-control STAR (Stop, Think, Act, and Reflect).
- Teaching them how to manage emotions by understanding and regulating their feelings especially in challenging situations.
- Keeping them focused by learning to concentrate on tasks and ignore distractions, which are crucial for academic success.
Here are some ways you can reinforce these skills at home:
- Model self-control: Let your child see you practicing self-control. Talk about situations where you had to use self-control and how it helped.
- Praise their efforts: Acknowledge and praise your child when you see them practicing self-control. Positive reinforcement can encourage them to keep using these skills.
- Set up practice opportunities: Create scenarios where your child can practice self-control, like taking turns in a game, waiting for a treat, or managing frustration when something doesn't go as planned.
