Newsletter: Sept. 7

Well, school certainly felt “real” this week.  As predicted, we got our share of tears and sleepyheads (not just the teachers). 

     The big change to our schedule was the addition of math classes.  After lunch each day, the kids head off to math class.  Some are with their homeroom teacher, but about half of the kids go elsewhere.  Please ask your child who their math teacher is.

     The whole school is focusing on a program called “zones of regulation.”  We are learning that different emotions can be categorized into different zones.  In the red zone, you might feel angry or be yelling.  In the green zone, you might be calm and listening well.  The other zones are yellow and blue.  Perhaps your child can tell you about those.

     The reason we’re learning about zones is so we can learn how to help ourselves move to ones that are optimal for learning.  Specifically, we are working on practices that help us move away from intense feelings that make it hard to learn.  We have practiced “doing dots,” “squeezies,” “smell the flowers and blow out the candle.”  Your child can demonstrate these to you.

     A special request from Mrs. Lewis across the commons.  She is collecting paper towels for a project and needs a ton of them.  If you’re willing to help out another class, please send paper towel tubes next week.

Some choice tidbits from this week:

Teacher:  “Can you count to 10 for me?

Child:  “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10”

Teacher:  “Great job.  Now…do you know what comes next?”

Child:  “Christmas!”

To be clear, Mrs. Shaw and Mrs. Wold share many things, but NOT everything.  Mrs. Wold’s husband came to help in class this week.  A kindergarten girl looked him over really well and then asked Mrs. Shaw, “So… is that guy in the black shirt YOUR husband too?”