Debbie Cumbie and Lori Barkley
FRC Team
Recruiting for the Village Dads Program
The Village Dads Program is designed to bring more positive male role models into the Jessamine Early Learning Village. A Village Dad can be a father, grandfather, or a non-related adult such as a community leader, youth pastor, business owner, etc. Village Dad’s will be volunteering during Specials in the Gym and Library. They may read to students, help with small groups, or lead a station in the gym.
*All men in this program must complete a Child Abuse and Neglect background check, a criminal background check and a 20-minute training about scheduling and expectations.
*Call Debbie Cumbie in the Family Resource Center at 859-887-0567 with questions.
FRC Advisory Council Meetings
The FRC Advisory Council meets several times during the school year and is open to the public. If you would like to attend a meeting please call the FRC at 859-887-0567 to verify the time and day. Meetings are at 3pm in the FRC on the following dates: November 15, 2023, January 17, 2024, February 21, 2024 March 20, 2024 April 17, 2024 and May 15, 2024.
Dear Families,
Over the past few weeks all the Kindergarten classrooms have been learning about feelings. The Preschool classrooms will be starting to talk about feelings over the next month. They are all learning how to identify feelings in themselves and others.
Topics Discussed About Feelings
• If you can name your own feelings, it will help you figure out how other people feel
• Some feelings are comfortable and some are uncomfortable
• Physical clues can help you identify others feelings
• Situational clues can help you identify others feelings
What Can You Do at Home?
• Ask your child to show you a happy face, sad face, etc.
• Ask them if the feeling is comfortable or uncomfortable
• Ask how does my face show I am happy, sad, etc.?
• Model identifying your own and others feelings from the situation
Identifying Anger
Student’s have also learned how to identify anger. They have been taught it is natural to feel angry, but it is not okay to be mean or hurt others.
Calming Strategies
Talk to your child about how they might help themselves calm down when they are feeling angry or mad. Demonstrate calm down skills.
Arm squeezes
Counting
Deep breathing (Smell the flower, blow out the candle)
Take a walk
Remind your child that they have control over how they feel, and they can make positive choices even when they are having feelings they don’t like. As we continue working with the students we are committed to helping your child learn about their own feeling’s and other people’s feelings too. When a student is aware of how they and other people feel, they will be better able to help themselves and others.
Heather Kidd, MSW, CSW School Counselor
heather.kidd@jessamine.kyschools.us
Stephanie Taylor, M. Ed, School Counselor
stephanie.taylor@jessamine.kyschools.us
Last month we highlighted Articulation as an area that Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) work on in the school setting. Another area of development that SLP’s provide services for is Language.
Language is broken down into Receptive and Expressive Language.
Expressive Language is how the child uses words to communicate (verbalizing wants and needs, answering questions, retelling, etc)
Receptive Language refers to words the child understands (following directions, vocabulary, concepts, comprehension)
Strategies that are often used in the classroom to help strengthen language skills:
• Use slow rate of speaking
• Use wait time and give child plenty of time to respond when asking questions or giving directions.
• Use short, simple directions
• Expand on the child’s utterances (child: car go; adult: you did make the car go fast)
Thank you,
Laura Nolan, Erin Brown, Devon Gordon, Amanda Howard, and Jennifer Fint
