Recent ActivityInstructor: Mrs. Slater
Dear Parents,
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of you to St. Martin's Episcopal School and to introduce myself. My name is Cyndi Slater and I am the Guidance Counselor for Early Childhood and First Grade.
My responsibilities include working with teachers to assess behavioral and/or academic problems, assisting parents with necessary referrals, and providing Character Education to individual classes.
I am on campus Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. My office is located in Young Hall.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or questions 404.228.0725 or email cslater@stmartinschool.org.
I look forward to an exciting year!
Sincerely,
Cyndi Slater, LCSW
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of you to St. Martin's Episcopal School and to introduce myself. My name is Cyndi Slater and I am the Guidance Counselor for Early Childhood and First Grade.
My responsibilities include working with teachers to assess behavioral and/or academic problems, assisting parents with necessary referrals, and providing Character Education to individual classes.
I am on campus Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. My office is located in Young Hall.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or questions 404.228.0725 or email cslater@stmartinschool.org.
I look forward to an exciting year!
Sincerely,
Cyndi Slater, LCSW
Class Announcements A Learning Attitude: Use these tips to help your child in school .1. Encourage Curiosity: Encourage your child to explore new things and ask questions. Go to the library, museum, or on nature walks.
2. Cooperation: Show your child how to engage in teamwork by doing projects together. Choose who will work on each part to show how each role is important. 3. Motivation: Inspire your child to do their best by giving lots of encouragement. 4. Persistence: Praise your child for finishing what they start. Teach them that seeing a project through is something to be proud of. 5. Empathy: Teach your child to care about others. Decide together on a way to help someone in need. 6. Self-control: Praise your child for sitting still through dinner or sitting calmly in the car. 7. Be a Positive Role Model: Your child learns by watching you. You can teach your child positive behavior through your own daily actions. Speak politely to your child and others. Treat your child and others with respect. Have a positive attitude toward learning and school and your child is likely to follow your lead. Channing Bete Company HAPPY NEW YEARDear Parents,
I hope everyone enjoyed the Winter Break! I am happy to report that it appears that the break did everyone much good. Students have returned with a new air of maturity that is definitely welcome in the classroom. PreK classes continue to learn about Diversity and Acceptance. We enjoyed a book last week called This is How We go to School which introduced us to children from places like China, Norway, Russia and Mexico. We will continue with this global theme in the next few weeks by reading folk stories from Native American, African American, and Hispanic cultures. Students are always very excited about using the globe to find the location we are discussing! In Kindergarten classes, we continue with the adventures of Duso. We learned about Lefty the octopus and how he changed feelings depending on situations. The main theme in that story was to encourage children to express their feelings and not depend on people trying to guess. I introduced the children to a new character, Ruby the red fish who taught us that when a problem presents itself, don't give up and work together to find a solution. The pirates were also introduced. They helped students recognize that we often have different likes and dislikes from our friends but these should not hinder our friendships. Next week I will introduce yet another friend, Scrap the penguin who shares an important lesson on making mistakes and learning from them. PreFirst classes continue to hear stories from the Giraffe Project. They have learned about a woman who helps save animals as well as a group of women to help fix houses for elderly people on fixed incomes. Next week we will hear the story of Patch Adams, an unconventional Doctor who ran a free medical clinic in Arlington, Va and Christian Miller, a Florida boy who is dedicated to saving sea turtles. First Grade students continue to learn about Friendship Skills. We have been using the puppets to role play social situations that call for children standing up for themselves and others. Students are equipped with the words to use and begin learning about empathy for others. Research tells us that the best strategy to fight bullying is to empower students to stick up for each other. We will continue this theme for a few weeks. I will present a collection of books such as "My Secret Bully" and "Say Something". That is about all for now. Have a good month! Cyndi Slater December GuidanceI hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Break.
Just a few short weeks before we are off again for the Christmas Holidays. This week in Guidance PreK classes will begin the unit of Holidays Around the World. Many letters have already arrived from family members of our PreK students. I will read a book called "We All Have a Heritage" to introduce the unit. Then we will use a children's atlas to look up the places where our families have come from. If you have not sent in your envelopes, please do so as soon as possible. I hate for any child to be left out of the fun. Kindergarten classes will be hearing a book called "The Thank You Book". They will select someone to make a Thank you card for and deliver the card to that person. Pre-First classes will continue the Giraffe Project by hearing the story of Toni Cordell,a woman who dedicated herself to adult literacy. Some great ideas for giftsLooking for some great gift ideas for the holidays?
These games are fun and interactive, but also help to develop cognitive skills. Any family member can feel proud in giving a gift that is productive and enjoyable at the same time. -Apples to Apples (Executive Processing, Inductive Reasoning, Logic and Reasoning, Planning, Problem Solving) -Battleship (Logic and Reasoning, Planning, Problem Solving, Working Memory) -Bejeweled (Logic and Reasoning, Processing Speed, Sensory Motor Integration, Sustained Attention, Visual Processing) -Blink (Numerical Concepts, Processing Speed, Sensory Motor Integration, Visual Processing, Working Memory) -Blokus (Logic and Reasoning, Planning, Problem Solving, Sequential Processing, Visual Processing) -Bop-It Extreme (Auditory Processing, Executive Processing, Inductive Reasoning, Logic and Reasoning, Numerical Concept, Numerical Fluency, Planning, Processing Speed, Selective Attention) -Brain Age(Auditory Processing, Divided Attention, Math Computations, Processing Speed, Selective Attention, Sensory Motor Integration, Visual Processing, Word Attack, Working Memory) -Chess or Connect 4 (Divided Attention, Executive Processing, Logic and Reasoning, Planning, Problem Solving, Sequential Processing) -Legos (Deductive Reasoning, Executive Processing, Planning, Problem Solving, Sequential Processing) -Logic Links (Logic and Reasoning, Planning, Problem Solving, Sensory Motor Integration, Visual Processing) -Mancala(Logic and Reasoning, Numerical Concept, Numerical Fluency, Planning, Problem Solving) -Scrabble (Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Long-Term Memory, Problem Solving, Sequential Processing, Short-Term Memory, Simultaneous Processing, Visual Processing, Word Attack) -Simon (Deductive Reasoning, Executive Processing, Inductive Reasoning, Math Computations, Numerical Concept, Numerical Fluency, Planning, Processing Speed, Selective Attention, Sequential Processing, Short-Term Memory, Sustained Attention, Visual Processing) -Sudoku (Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Logic and Reasoning, Numerical Concept, Numerical Fluency, Planning, Problem Solving, Sequential Processing, Short-Term Memory, Working Memory) -Tetris (Logic and Reasoning, Long-Term Memory, Numerical Concept, Numerical Fluency, Planning, Processing Speed, Problem Solving, Selective Attention, Sequential Processing, Short-Term Memory, Simultaneous Processing, Sustained Attention, Visual Processing) -Uno (Logic and Reasoning, Numerical Concept, Numerical Fluency, Short-Term Memory, Sustained Attention, Visual Processing, Working Memory) -Where's Waldo (Divided Attention, Selective Attention, Visual Processing) Happy Holidays from LearningRx! Sincerely,
Susie McDaniel, DPT LearningRx Atlanta-Buckhead NOVEMBER GUIDANCEI hope everyone had a great Halloween. I enjoyed seeing everyone in their costumes.
The excitement was contagious as the students and parents enjoyed the parade. November Guidance Classes: PreK classes will enjoy a book called "Nobody Likes Me' about a dog who thinks he has no friends. Upon further reflection, he is able to see how others see him and is able to make some changes to appear more friendly. I will then ask students what they can do to be friendly to others. Next week I will present "I Like Me" and will ask students to share something they like about themselves. Kindergarten classes are enjoying the book "Alexander and the Terrible, No good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst. Students are then asked to draw a time they had a bad day and then share what they did to change it into a good day. The goal is to teach children healthy coping skills and also empower them with the knowledge that there is something they can do for themselves to feel better. Resilient children have mastered this skill. Kids who remain frazzled and can't recover from anger or frustration have difficulty with peers and adults. Next week I will present "A Blue Day Book for Kids" and ask students to draw 4 coping skills to help them recover from negative feelings. I suggest that students keep this work in their room to use next time they are feeling angry, sad, or frustrated. PreFirst classes will hear their first Giraffe Story about Ray Buchanan and Ken Horne, who noticed that local Virginia farmers were destroying potatoes because "ugly" potatoes would not sell in the market. These two gentleman asked the farmers if they would donate the potatoes to people who could not afford food. The Potato Project has spread to all 50 states thanks to the caring, brave and persistence of Ray and Ken. First Grade will continue to work on Friendship Skills. We have spent weeks identifying positive friendship traits and role playing them. Now the students will complete a friendship survey to recognize those peers who demonstrate these skills. Awards will be presented on 11/19. Please do not miss out on this opportunity to see Michael Thompson here at SMES on Nov.17. He is an entertaining and knowledgeable speaker and I am sure everyone will walk away with some tool to help your child (or you) navigate the social scene at school. In the field of education, Michael Thompson has celebrity status (think Bruce Springsteen). Please come. Invite your friends. Making our school a better place depends on you! Hope to see you there. October 22, 2009Update for the next few weeks:
PreK classes enjoyed the story "Cat up a Tree" by John and Ann Hassett. The book tells a funny story about Nana asking for help from her community, but ultimately solving her own problem. Our discussion emphasized the importance of problem solving and independence. Students also got to predict the ending and pick up subtle nuances in the story. All EC classes will participate in my Poison Control Presentation during the last week of October. My goal is to educate students about the dangers of ingesting any substance without a parents’ permission. Also, many medications that you keep around the house can be confused with candy. I reinforce the importance of asking an adult when in doubt.
First Grade completed their Kindness Quilt. Please come by to admire it on the bullitan boards and ask your child about their work. The lessons for the next few weeks will involve continuing to teach friendship skills and recognize members of the class who excel in this area. Enjoy Halloween and be sure to create some special memories for your family. October 15,2009THE STAR POLISHER
I have a great job in the universe of occupations.
What do I do? I’m a “star polisher”.
It’s a very important job.
If you want to know how important, just go out at night
and look at the stars twinkling and sparkling.
You see, I am a teacher.
The stars are the children in my class.
My job is to take them- in whatever shape they come- and shine and buff them and then send them out to take their places as
bright, twinkling beacons in the sky.
They come into my room in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they’re bent, tarnished, dirty, crinkly, or broken.
Some stars are cuddly and soft.
Some are prickly and thorny.
As I buff and polish, I train and teach my little stars:
I tell them that the world cannot do without them.
I tell them that they can do anything they set their minds to do.
I tell them that they can be the brightest, shiniest stars in the sky
And the world will be a better place because of them.
Each night as I look at the sky, I’m reminded of my very important job and awesome responsibility.
Then I get my soft buffing cloth and my bottle of polish in preparation for tomorrow… for my class of little stars.
Leah Becks
October 5, 2009 Fall is in the Air!The chill in the air and the arrival of pumpkins and Halloween costumes tell us that Fall is here.
Last week PreK classes enjoyed watching a Todd Parr movie entitled "Prickly Partner" which tells the story of a porcupine who had trouble square dancing without injuring his partner. The students learned about problem solving and about accepting others regardless of physical differences. This week I will present the book "Toot and Puddle" by Hollie Hobbie. We will learn about the global adventures of Toot while Puddle prefers to stay close to home. We then discuss how close friends can often have different likes and dislikes and still appreciate each other. Kindergarten enjoyed watching another Todd Parr movie entitled "Venus Ice Cream Trap" which tells the story of a plant who was mistakenly labeled as mean and dangerous. The kids in the movie have to look beyond the label and learn that the plant is really kind and caring, but maybe too enthusiastic about eating ice cream! This week I will present "The Feel Good Book" and ask students to draw the best thing that has ever happened to them. Ask them to share this assignment with you. PreFirst classes heard the second story of the series about how giraffes grew such long necks. We continue to discuss the three characteristics of being brave, caring, and persistent. This week I will read the story "The Little Engine that Could", followed by a discussion of the benefits of being persistent. Students will then draw about a time that they were persistent even though they may have been a little scared. Most children find that they were later happy that they were persistent when they have enjoyed a fun activity that may have seemed a little frightening. First Grade classes will enjoy the book "The Kindness Quilt" and we will be making our own quilt which will be displayed outside First Grade classrooms. Information from Girl Wars by Cheryl Dellasega Ph.D.Bullying, or "relational aggression" is a term that refers to using a relationship to hurt peers. According to the book "Girl Wars" by Cheryl Dellasega "It encompasses starting rumors, spreading gossip, teasing, creating or joining cliques, deliberately excluding another girl or boy and it exists on a continuum from mild to extreme". Although most readers of my site are parents of young children, you may be surprised to know that these behaviors are evident in preschool. Research tells us that for students in grades 3-6 relational aggression is a strong predictor of future maladjustment. So I think we as parents and educators can start early by planting the seeds of friendship and encourage healthy social skills.
Research also shows that girls are more likely to show relational aggression within their own friendship group, whereas boys tend to agress outside their friendship circle. Also, children who are relationally aggressive are less likely to show empathy for others. Plan: think about how you can model healthy friendships in front of your children. How can you encourage friendly behavior towards all children in your child's peer group? How can you model and emphasize empathy? Ask questions like : How do you think that person feels? or "What would you do if you were him/her?. I encourage parents to educate themselves about social issues as they relate to their children. If your kids are in school and interacting with others, it is never too early. September 23,2009Thanks to all of our parents who have attended the EC Coffees. I hope you are learning more about how your children spend their days here at St. Martin's. I appreciated the feedback that several parents would like to see weekly updates from Guidance. So here is goes:
Pre-K classes will focus on "Diversity and Acceptance" as it pertains to friendships throughout the year. Last week I read a book called Heartprints by P.K. Hallinan. We learned that a heartprint is formed when you do something kind, much like a fingerprint might be left behind. The book describes several ways to leave a heartprint. We then practiced some of these ideas on each other. Then each student shared how they could leave a heartprint today. This week I will be reading Todd Parr's book It's Okay to be Different". The book will explore differences in color, sizes, special features and special needs. I will ask each child what they think is special and different about themselves. I use a lot of Parr books and movies because they have such powerful messages and the pictures are very engaging for young children. Kindergarten classes are enjoying Duso's visits. They met Sophie, the sea otter during a lesson that focused on the concept of being unique. We then shared how each of them are unique, yet have many things in common. Last week we played the "Happy/Sad" game where I read a scenario and students decided how they might feel empathy). Then kids got to volunteer to show us non verbally how they could feel. Most of the kids love acting and we had fun with reading nonverbal messages. This week we will continue helping students identify their feelings. I will read "My Many Colored Days" by Dr. Seuss and students will explore and relate to the many different affective states. Pre-First classes have met Stan and Bea Tall. We learned about giraffe facts and each child has drawn a picture to add to our class scrapbook. This week they will begin to hear the stories that Stan and Bea's ancestors told them about how giraffes got their long necks. Students will be introduced to the three main characteristics of giraffes which are being brave,persistent, and caring. Please try to find ways to incorporate these words into your conversations with your children. First Grade classes have been learning about friendship skills. They are visited by Tony, a bear and Pat, a lion who will teach children how to make good choices in how they treat their friends. Students worked together as a group to identify positive friendship skills that are important to them as a whole. We followed this lesson by creating their own individual ideal friends, complete with characteristics and names. These should have gone home last week. If you missed it, please ask your children to see it. This is a great opportunity for children to reflect on what kind of friend do they want to have and what kind of friend do they want to be. Next week I will be in New York on Wednesday and Thursday, taking my 11year old daughter to the Big Apple for the first time! Shaun Rogers will sub for me. Have a great week! Cyndi Slater ONE MONTH IN...
A Special WelcomeDear Parents,
It is wonderful to see the students learning the ropes and making new friends. I think everyone has made a nice transition from summer to our exciting school routine. Only two criers on the first day, and both of them were parents (just kidding). But honestly, young children are excited and enthusiastic about attending school. They have an "instinctual enthusiasm" towards expanding their horizons, learning, and meeting new friends. The partnership between parents and educators is critical to keep that enthusiasm high throughout their educational careers. Communication is the key to that partnership, so I hope that all parents will invest in getting to know their teachers and providing our students with the support they deserve. I will be introducing my role and curriculum at both EC and EL Back to School Nights. Please be sure to attend as it is a great opportunity to learn about the school and meet fellow parents. Sincerely, Cyndi Slater, LCSW Thoughts at the Bottom of the Beanstalk
Discussion Topics |
||||||||||
