Dear Families,
We cannot thank you enough for your tremendous support with distance learning. We are truly partners in your child’s education. We see each day how you are managing, helping your child, trying to work yourselves, and running a household as we work with your child. You are amazing!
Some families are sharing that their little ones are experiencing anxiety about not seeing their friends and missing going to school. We are living in challenging times. The normalcy and routines created by distance learning are very important. Please see the Nayatt Contact information for our support staff, the nurse, school psychologist, and social worker. They have office hours and can provide support. Nayatt Contact Information
Some other ideas for keeping your child’s mental health positive are by keeping a journal of how they are feeling and talking about it with them. We know from our RULER (Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating). “If they can name it, they can tame it”.
Previously, I have shared Marc Brakett’s book, Permission to Feel. He is a psychological researcher and Founding Director at Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence. Visit his website for helpful articles and videos www.marcbrakett.com
Books that can ignite Emotional Intelligence conversations at home:
Questions: “What can we learn from this story? How can we apply this story to our own lives?
The Way I Act by Steve Metzger
The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
Visiting Feelings-Lauren Rubenstein
Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda
What to do when you worry too much-DH
Worries Go Away by Kes Gray
Michael Rosen’s Sad Book by Michael Rosen
Some other fun resources for off screen time are below:
Ms. Muccino’s Enrichment Explorations
Each week, Ms. Muccino uploads a Stem challenge into the Enrichment Explorations Folders in teachers’ google classrooms. It is accessible to all students in Grades 1-3. She offers grade level office time when students can visit and share their products and experiences. This week, I visited and saw and heard about the chairs students built from paper to hold their favorite stuffed animal.
This week’s challenge:
"Create a basket from paper bags using only scissors and tape. The basket must have handles and a flat base. It must be able to hold something heavy.Estimate the weight your bag can hold."
Celebrate Earth Week and Earth Day on April 22nd and use screen free time to observe nature and sketch birds, plants, or other sights in a notebook, clean up the yard, talk about recycling and have your child sort recyclables, have your child write and draw earth messages with chalk in the driveway or create an Earth Day poster.
Volunteer Appreciation Week
Special thanks to all of our wonderful parents, grandparents, and community volunteers. Please feel free to have your child make a poster, make a card, share a video and I will send these to Anita DiMatteo the BPS Volunteer Coordinator. Thank you.
In our partnership, we are taking feedback from families and working to make adjustments to best support distance learning and family needs. With this said, as teachers and specialists enter the fifth week of instruction, we would appreciate your help with a few things:
We ask that students avoid eating during online learning time, if possible. At school, students drink from their water bottles for proper hydration and this is still the case.
We ask that your child’s work spot is “toy free” during learning.
We open up our Zoom for Morning Meeting at 7:55 AM. We begin promptly at 8 AM. Please help your child to be on time.
We ask that you and your child plan for transitions back to learning. Your child’s late arrival can be disruptive to the flow of the lesson.
AM Snack/Recess is 30 min.
9:45-10:15 AM-MAC Blue
10-10:30 AM-Traditional K-3
Lunch/Recess is 60 min. (11:45 AM-12:45 PM)
Thanks again for all you are doing to support learning. We appreciate your time and attention to helping distance learning run smoothly and effectively for all. We really miss being in school and seeing your children.
If you have specific questions, concerns or needs for your family, please reach out to the classroom teacher and me learnedt@barringtonschools.org so we can problem solve and assist.
Have a great week!
Tracey
Tracey Learned, Principal
Nayatt School