May Social Skills Lesson

May Social Skills Lesson

Teaching about Tolerance and Accepting Difference

This month we will be teaching students about tolerance and accepting differences. Students will be reading a story and watching a video clip on why it is important to be tolerant towards others. We will also be presenting problem solving strategies to use when a child is not feeling accepted.  We will be discussing how each individual is unique in their own way and when put together in their classroom community they are like a box of crayons. 

Giraffes Can't Dance 

by Giles Andreae. 

This story is about a giraffe being different and not being able to dance, but with a little encouragement from his jungle friends, he is able to dance to his own tune. 

Video clip about tolerance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS-rJcm7jyQ

Activity:

Students will draw a self portrait on their crayon and have the option to share something that makes them unique. 

April Social Skills Lesoon

April Social Skills Lesson

Self-Esteem

This month we will be discussing self-esteem with each classroom. We will be focusing on topics such as bragging, exclusion, bullying, and teasing and how it can hurt someone's self-esteem. 

Students will be reading the story I Like Myself by: Karen Beaumont. 

After we read and discuss the story, the students will play a game where they will give compliments to each other and receive compliments from their peers. They will be able to feel how good it feels to not only have someone say something nice about them but they will feel how good it feels to say something nice about someone else.

We will discuss the self-esteem remote control and how to use it. 

Students will each create an "I Like Myself" flower. They will pick 5 things that they like about themselves. They will decorate their flower and take it home with them to share with their families. 

3rd, 4th, and 5th graders:

What you BELIEVE can make a DIFFERENCE!

March Social Skills Lesson

March Social Skills Lesson

Introducing Body Language and Tone of Voice

This month, we will be visiting classrooms to teach students about body language and tone of voice. They will be learning how to read people using verbal and nonverbal communication. Students will be learning how thoughts, intentions, or feelings are expressed by physical behaviors, such as facial expression, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and the use of space. They will also be talking about how the tone of someone's voice can impact their message delivery. 

Students will be looking at pictures and discussing what emotions are being represented in each picture.

   

    

  

 Students will be role playing using common sayings to hear what their voices may sound like when expressing different emotions and tones.

February Social Skills Lesson: Perception

February Social Skills Lesson

Perception

Do you see a frog or a horse?

This month we are going into the classroom to discuss perception and perspective taking. We will talk about how students may perceive situations differently. We will be reading a story, discussing examples, and showing images during our lesson. 

We will be showing the students different images to help show how people might view something differently. 

For Example: Some of you may see a duck in this picture but others may see a rabbit. 

                              Is it a 6 or a 9?

Two faces or a vase?                    

We will be reading the story Hey, Little Ant

The story is about a boy and an ant. The boy wants to squish the ant but the ant convinces him not to squish him. It is a great lesson to teach character education and fostering tolerance and respect for diversity in children of all ages. 

After reading the story, we will be discussing the kid's perspective and the ant's perspective. 

Then we will give the students the opportunity to explain what they would do if they were the kid and the ant. 

We will end our lesson discussing some examples during the school day in which students might perceive certain situations differently. 

A woman's face or a saxophone player?

January Social Skills Lesson: Reporting Bullying

Bullying: Reporting
This month we will be teaching students about the importance of reporting. They will learn all of the different ways to report bullying if they are being bullied or if they see someone else being bullied. We want to make sure that students know how serious bullying is and what you should do if you see it happening.

Grades 1-3

In first-third grade, students will be going over "What to do if you are being bullied".

They will also be having discussions and role playing scenarios on what to do if you are being bullied or if you see bullying happening. 

Students will become familiar with the acronym TAG.

T ell them to stop

A sk them to stop

G et an adult

BE A BUDDY

NOT A BULLY

Grades 4 and 5

Forth and fifth graders will also be going over "What to do if you are being bullied". They will be learning about the BUSTER Bystander Skills. These skills will teach them about the different ways to report bullying. 

Students will also go over the bullying circle. They will become aware of all of the steps that occur when bullying takes place. 

Students will be role playing bullying scenarios and practice what they can do to help. They will also watch a a video.

http://www.bystanderrevolution.org/watch/Bystander+Revolution+%7C+What+Can+One+Person+Do+To+Help%3F/-yl3nmon59w

Holiday Donations

Memorial School Holiday Donations

This holiday season, Memorial School partnered with the Burlington Food Pantry to help support Burlington residents in need. We organized charity events to help raise money and collect donations.

The Memorial School Student Council collected a number of items over the last month donated by Memorial School families to help support Burlington residents during this holiday season. We donated unexpired, non-perishable food and other items towards the Christmas/Holiday bonus.

Memorial School 4th and 5th graders organized a bake sale to help raise money to donate to the Food Pantry. The bake sale was held the night of the Memorial School Winter Concert. The girls collected $365.00 and proceeds were donated to the Burlington Food Pantry. 

Memorial School wishes you a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

December Lesson: Bullying

What is Bullying?

This month we will be teaching students about bullying. They will be learning the state definition and the criteria that outlines bullying. We will be discussing the difference between bullying and teasing. The students will be reading stories and watching a video. Please ask your child what they learned about bullying and continue these conversations at home to help prevent bullying.  

State Definition:

Bullying is the repeated use by one or more students [aggressor(s)] of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at a target that: (i) causes physical or emotional harm to the target or damage to the target's property; (ii) places the target in reasonable fear of harm to him/herself or of damage to his/her property; (iii) creates a hostile environment at school for the target; (iv) infringes on the rights of the target at school; or (v) materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school. For the purposes of requirements related to this law, bullying shall include cyber-bullying.

Bullying Criteria (RIP):

• Repeated

• Intentional (i.e. harming someone else on purpose)

• Imbalance of Power (2 against 1, difference in age, size, ability)

Howard B. Wigglebottom

Learns About Bullies

The Bully Blockers Club

When the Going Gets Scruff 
Video about Bullying

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqf9ekNbYAU