November 8, 2019
HOT OFF THE PRESS - JI NEWS NOV 2019 -
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MNSAA ANNUAL CONFERENCE -
On Monday, I was out of the building at conference in Lakeville. The theme of the conference was "Connections are Key!" Connections are something I see as very important in our small school community, and I think we do a great job with this! The conference consisted of professional development sessions and a keynote speaker. I attended a couple sessions with the keynote speaker, Dr. Jules Nolan. She was amazing! She was so knowledgeable, down to earth, genuine, and I learned a lot from her presentations. She has a Facebook page for parents that I encourage you to check out. Here are a few interesting things I learned or relearned from my conference.
- We need to take care of ourselves first. You can't give what you don't have. And we need to model to the children what it means to take care of ourselves.
- It is important to take deep breaths when feeling anxious or frustrated. It is important to a variety of calming strategies to be able to use when necessary.
- To maintain relationships we need a 4 to 1 ratio of positive to negative comments or feedback. To build relationships we need a 5 to 1 ratio. Our feedback must be authentic and consistent enough to make it believable.
- Our children (especially in their early elementary years) need a vast vocabulary to help name and identify feelings and emotions.
- We need to help our children build emotional resilience in their early years so they are better able to handle issues, conflicts, and challenges in their older years. We cannot protect them from everything. Being overprotective can actually cause more harm than good.
- Change our viewpoint of anxiety to our natural reaction to a stimulus. It is like a bell indicating we need to do something. We need to learn to tolerate the awkwardness and also have a variety of calming strategies to help us during these times.
- Recognizing thoughts and feelings rather than getting caught up in them
- Emotion passes in 90 seconds so pause and relax instead of getting caught up in a hamster wheel or tornado of thoughts and feelings.
- Children need to create connections within the school community. They need to know they are important and will be missed if they are not in school.
- Addressing the social/emotional and mental health of children are just as important (if not more important) to address as other safety issues in schools. Our children feel safer when they are cared for and have made connections with those around them.
REPORT CARDS -
These are in the Friday Folders today. I review all the report cards before they go home. I am very proud of the students' successes, and I enjoy seeing the progress they make from quarter to quarter. It is also important to identify the challenges and come up with creative ways to overcome these challenges. Thank you for your partnership in the education of your amazing children!
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES -
A letter and sign up sheet will be going home in the Friday Folders TODAY. Please return these by Tuesday. Conferences are November 21st and 26th. This is a great opportunity for parents and teachers to discuss strengths and challenges of the students.
Blessings to you!
Colleen Wenner
507.931.2810
