No School Friday, February 16 - Monday, February 19
Please remember that there is no school Friday, February 16, or Monday, February 19, for our mid-winter break. Classes will resume on Tuesday, February 20.
Behavior Expectations Poster Contest Results
Thanks for supporting your child with their behavior expectations poster! It was evident that a lot of thought and effort went into the submitted posters. We will be displaying the posters around the school. Congratulations Brooklyn Carlson for being the overall winner! Also, congratulations to our grade level honorable mention winners! They are Broden Arens & Xavier Carlson (grade 5), Marlee Dague (grade 4), Maggie Gath & Echo Johncox (grade 3), Ava Anderson (grade 2), Reagan Cieslak (grade 1), and Ella Luker (representing grade BK/K).
Spring PIcture Day
We're excited to announce that Spring Picture Day is just around the corner on
Tuesday, March 5th. Unlike our fall picture day, for spring picture day, we will only be photographing students who are ordering pictures. To make the process easier, we encourage you to pre-order your child's pictures online. Simply visit https://my.lifetouch.com/mylifetouch/#/ and enter the Picture Day ID: EVTQKCJS8. If you would like your child to have their spring pictures taken, please inform your child’s teacher at your earliest convenience.
Begindergarten and Kindergarten Registration for the 2024-2025 School Year
Begindergarten and Kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school is now open at HowellSchools.com/KDG. Join us on March 7, 6-7 p.m., for an informative night at your child's elementary school to meet educators and explore the school. Additionally, we're accepting applications for Academia Bilingüe's Spanish immersion kindergarten class until March 22. Discover the bilingual journey at HowellSchools.com/DualLanguage and attend the parent night on February 21 at Three Fires Elementary to learn more.
Counselor’s Corner: Jeanie Nemeth
Research shows that friendships are critical for social and emotional health: they can decrease stress and tension, help us develop empathy, and strengthen our defenses. To kids, though, choosing friends is a little simpler - they likely connect with people they have the most fun with. For a child, having even one good, dependable friend can make a huge difference. When those friendships change, children can really feel a sense of loss. There are three basic, social skills that are critical for making and keeping friends, whether you are 5 or 55: 1) Breaking the ice with kids/people you have not met before 2) Acting positively and appropriately with others 3) Managing conflicts/problems constructively. Here are some strategies for teaching these important friendship skills to our children:
- Do a self-assessment and make sure you are modeling and showing the behaviors we are hoping to see in our children. Do you make friendships a priority? Are you friendly to new people? Are you open-minded and respectful when problems arise with others?
- Pay close attention to how your child behaves with same-age peers. Point out his/her strengths (“I noticed you let Lilly go first - that was very thoughtful!” or “When Stuart tried to argue with you, you calmly walked away - that was a good choice.”).
- Take note of what skills s/he needs to practice. For instance, does your child often interrupt others or boss them around? Is your child shy and afraid to try new activities, or hesitant to join a group?
- Come up with creative ways to practice the skill. When it’s not the heat of the moment, talk about what that skill looks like. Go to the park and role play different scenarios. Check out books from the library that illustrate children using these skills. Talk with your child about your strengths and weaknesses, and work together to form and strengthen your personal relationships together.
- Be patient. Teaching social skills takes time and lots of practice.
New Offering from ParentGuidance.org
Thanks to our partnership with ParentGuidance.org, we are pleased to offer families in Livingston County a new initiative called "Ask a Therapist Live." This is a no-cost event designed specifically for families in our community. "Ask a Therapist Live" provides an opportunity to receive expert answers to any questions you might have about your child's mental health or your parenting journey. You can submit your questions anonymously via the webinar chat or through their interactive tools. Alternatively, you may choose to listen to questions from other parents and the responses provided by our live therapist. The next session is scheduled for Wednesday, February 21, at 8 p.m. Please register at https://bit.ly/49bJ9la. To learn more about "Ask a Therapist Live,” please visit https://bit.ly/48iX9bu.