Hi Families,

Yay, summer! As this school year is coming to a close, and we look forward to later mornings and a looser schedule, take a moment to acknowledge that endings are hard sometimes. 

Many of us are feeling various emotions as this school year ends. There have been many changes that unfolded this year within our community, most notably the blend with Valley View Elementary, the end of the Spanish Immersion program, and the fact that many of our students will be moving to different schools next year. Our 5th grade parents are processing how their babies, who were five and starting kindergarten yesterday, are finishing elementary and preparing to the move to middle school. And maybe there are other changes going on in life for you and your family that make these school changes feel more intense.

During this time of transition, it's helpful to remember that the end of one thing means the beginning of a new thing. And the new will bring it's own adventures, gifts, and opportunities. 

Here are two things to remember during a time of transition: 

1) Take care of yourself. Do whatever it is that helps you work through emotions - journal, talk to a friend, take walks - so you can approach the next thing with open arms.

2) Help your kids process change, too. Here are some ideas:

• Make a list of all the things they will miss about the old thing the way it was, and then a list next to it of the things they are excited about (or at least curious about) for the new. You can get a big poster board and add to it as new ideas come up. Decorate it together and name it something like, "Our Big Changes List!"

• Create a piece of art that commemorates the old thing. This can be done individually or as a group on one canvas - ask your kid(s) what they want!

• Say a special goodbye to the old, leave a trinket like a painted rock, and then go explore the new place.

• Allow your kids to talk freely about how they're feeling when it comes up.

Check out the book shown in the picture called, The End, by John Bray. As you go through your summer, you can keep talking about the helpful message in the book--

“THE END of one thing is the beginning of something else. And the beginning of one thing is THE END of something else. And that’s okay.”  

Happy Summer to all our Blue Jays! We hope you rest, relax, and have fun. And we look forward to welcoming our new Valley View friends into this special community soon!

-Your BCE Counselors

TEAMMATES AT BCE!

"Teammates at Barton Creek make a positive impact through keeping bodies safe, keeping hearts safe, and helping each other learn and grow."

These words are being used throughout the school to help students, teachers, and all staff have common language for how we treat each other at school. A teammate is anyone you come into contact with at school; we may not be friends with everyone, but we are all teammates. Here are some examples of the words of teammate behavior:

If a student has a conflict at recess, for example, in which someone was hit, we might say,

"That is not your best teammate behavior because you did not keep his body safe."

OR, if someone told a joke that hurt someone's feelings, we might say, 

"Jokes aren't jokes unless they're funny to everyone, and that hurt her feelings. You weren't keeping her heart safe."

OR, if someone is tapping their pencil loudly during a lesson and has not stopped after being asked, a teacher might say,

"Please stop tapping your pencil, that is making it difficult for your teammates to learn and grow."

OR, if a student says he's the worst and feels dumb because he can't understand the lesson, a counselor might say,

"Let's be a good teammate to ourselves and not use those hurtful words. I want you to protect your own heart."

We would love it if our families used the same language at home so that these words can become integrated into their daily lives.