Dear Blossomwood Families,
We had a fantastic first week at Blossomwood! Everyone is settling into his/her new classroom well, and the students are learning the school’s expectations and procedures.
Thank you for your patience as we continuously improve a few things at the beginning of the year. Carline is moving quicker, and the buses seem to improve daily, too. Thank you to the faculty and staff who have all pitched in to help in the mornings and afternoons. We are definitely off to a successful start!
We have a few carline tips that will help us with efficiency and safety:
- Pull all the way up until you reach the front of the line or the car in front of you before releasing or picking up your children.
- No cell phone use in the car line. We want all eyes on students and the other cars.
- If your child needs assistance buckling, please pull forward to do so, so we can load/unload more cars behind yours while you buckle. We want everyone buckled up safely!
- At pick up time, if you will leave your car name card up until your child is in the car, it will help the teachers know which child to look for when you pull up.
- When dropping off your child in the morning, it would be helpful if he/she is ready to get out of the car with backpack in hand and you have said your goodbyes before the door opens.
Lastly, a reminder if you do not have a car name card, you will be asked to pull around the front to show a picture I.D. in the front office in order to pick up your child.
How Was Your Day?
Recently, I reread an article by Elena Aquilar in coordination with the George Lucas Educational Foundation, and she suggested a number of questions that draw out pertinent information during conversations with children.
With slight modifications, the following questions can be helpful with children from various age groups:
- What was your favorite part of your day?
- Tell me about a moment today when you felt excited about what you were learning.
- Think about what you learned and did in school today. What's something you'd like to know more about? What's a question you have that came from your learning today?
- Were there any moments that you felt proud of yourself?
- Tell me about a conversation you had with a classmate or friend that your enjoyed.
- What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
How and when we ask these questions can make a difference in the response we receive. For example, we would not want to ask all of the questions on the same day. Perhaps, you could ask one or two of the questions and with time you might be able to determine which ones produce quality responses. In addition, dinner time and during the ride home are often excellent opportunities for these conversations.
Lastly, here are a few additional suggestions to help produce positive conversations with our children:
- Avoid interrupting.
- Ask for more. ('Tell me more about that...' or 'I'd like to hear more about that...')
- Ask about their feelings. ('How did that make you feel?')
- Validate feelings. (Let them know whatever he/she feels is normal.)
- Share personal stories from your life experiences.
Have a great week and appreciate conversations with your child.
Sincerely,
Bradley A. Scott, Ed.D.
Principal