Letter From School Guidance Counselor Mr. Kriger

Dear Families,

During the month of April your child will be having guidance lessons focused on how they can stay safe.  Act 1 Section 3 of Vermont Law (V.S.A) states ALL Vermont schools (K-12) are required to provide instruction about how to recognize and prevent sexual abuse and sexual violence.  I know this is a sensitive subject, but this unit is a developmentally appropriate curriculum with an emphasis on equipping students with the skills needed to respond to unsafe situations.  Below you will find the topics covered for this unit according to grade level:  
• Kindergarten
o To use our words assertively to stay safe.
o Being safe out in the community: How to handle those situations when you may feel scared such as getting lost in a store.
o “Uh Oh” feeling and what those feelings tell us and how should we respond.
o Safe touch; some touches makes us feel good, some touches makes us feel uncomfortable like a push, punch, or when someone touches any of our body parts that are private.
• First Grade
o Personal safety concepts: being safe around people you know as well as around strangers, checking with a parent or caregiver before going anywhere.
o To be able to identify trusting adults in our lives and what things we need to tell them.
o Comfortable touch verses uncomfortable touch:  How to respond to uncomfortable touch.
• Second Grade
o People are like the weather:  We make an analogy between the weather and people, how the weather is safe most of the time.  There are those exceptions when the weather is not safe.  Just like the weather, most people behave in safe ways, but there are times when people act in ways that are not safe.
o How to tell the difference between good (happy) secrets and bad (uncomfortable) secrets, and the importance of telling secrets that make you feel uncomfortable to a trusted adult.
o Practice telling an adult about unsafe situations:  We’ll use role playing to practice telling trusted adults about unsafe situations.

If you have questions or concerns about this unit I will have detailed lesson plans posted on my blog or you can feel free to email me at krigerg@csdvt.org or give me a call directly at 264-5927.
                                                                               Sincerely,
      Greg Kriger

Exploring Balance and Motion

We have been having a blast exploring balance and motion! We have balanced paper crayfish on their noses, balanced pencils on their points and even created spinning tops! While we do these awesome experiments we are practicing writing like scientists. We have been making predictions, conducting experiments and reporting our results.

Make sure to ask your 2nd grade scientist about the experiments we have been doing!

Wonder of the Week - Why do bananas bruise?

This week we are wondering - Why do bananas bruise?

bananas because
bruise after
brown

I think bananas bruise because if they don’t get eaten often they start to turn brown. - Sam

I think bananas bruise when something hits them it’s just like our skin when something hits us we get a bruise. - Rylee

I think bananas bruise when they get exposed to air because they are supposed to be wet a little but when air gets to them they get a little brown. - Isabella

I think bananas bruise because they get weak after a while if they are not eaten and they start to turn brown. - Nick

I think bananas get bruises because sometimes when they are too old they fall. - Norman

I think bananas bruise because when they fall and they hit something really hard like the floor they get a big bruise. - Owen F.

Wonder of the Week: Why do we yawn?

I think we yawn because you might be sleepy. - Danielle
I think we yawn because it’s a warning that we might be tired. - Leah
I think we yawn because we might be tired from all of that playing. - Madison
I think we yawn because sometimes we are a little bit tired. - Norman
I think we yawn because we get tired. - Charlie

Is yawning contagious?

I think yawning is contagious because you can yawn and then someone else might yawn. - Charlie
I think yawning is not contagious because sometimes you just yawn. - Norman.

Wonder of the Week - Why do people make New Years resolutions?

What is a New Years Resolution?
Why do people make New Years Resolutions?
What is YOUR New Years Resolution?

Helpful Words:
resolution people
New Year
promise

I think a New Years Resolution is…

I think a New Years Resolution is like when someone says if they bite their nails they are going to stop doing it in the New Year. - Rylee

I think a New Years Resolution is a promise that you keep in the New Year. My New Years Resolution is to sign up for TaeKwonDo. -Nicholas

I think a New Years Resolution is when someone makes a goal like trying to get to the bus stop earlier. My resolution is to finish my series of Ivy and Bean books. - Isabella

For the big reveal on Wednesday we will check out Wonderopolis .

What Thanksgiving means to Room 7

I think thankful means…

I think thankful means to be happy for what you have. - Emma

I think thankful means to be nice to others. - Nate

I think thankful means to have a good family. - Sam

I think thankful means to be happy to have what your friends give you. - Isabella

I am thankful for…

I am thankful for my family who gives me food and toys. - Leah

I am thankful for my family because they are really nice to me. - Danielle

I am thankful for a nice life because if people didn’t protect me I wouldn’t be here right now. - Nick

Special Author Visit @ MBS

On Tuesday, November 18th, PPS and Union Memorial are hosting author and parenting coach Vicki Hoefle at Mallets Bay School from 6:00-8:00 pm.  Vicki Hoefle wrote the book Duct Tape Parenting, which gives parents a new perspective on what it means to be effective, engaged parents and to enable kids to develop confidence through solving their own problems.  This presentation is free and open to the public.  Free childcare is available and so is free pizza for dinner, but you need to register for both by calling Greg Kriger at 264-5927.