Breathe

March 11, 2024

February 28, 2024

February 1, 2024

November 2, 2023

October 10, 2023

Dear Easthampton families, 

We wanted to reach out and to express our sadness regarding the events in Israel and Gaza this past weekend. As the SEL staff, we can imagine how devastating this news can be to children, parents, caregivers, and staff in our community, particularly to those with international ties to those in the area. This resource from the National Association of School Psychologists might be helpful if your child is experiencing any worry or uncertainty. 

Our thoughts, healing wishes, and prayers are extended to all near and far affected by these tragic violent events. Please let our administrators, counselors, or any member of the SEL team know if your child requires additional support in the days ahead. 

September 6, 2023

Welcome back to Mountain View School. We hope you have had a wonderful first three days. This year one of our district's Social Emotional initiatives is to have Second Step taught in every grade from prek-8th grade.  This will enable teachers and students to streamline social-emotional language, coping skills, and other tools  to help children develop more social, emotional and cognitive competencies. Please take a look below and reach out to your student's teachers or any member of the social emotional team for more information: 

https://www.secondstep.org/families 

May 17 , 2023

May SEL Updates/Newsletter:

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which has been observed in the United States since 1949. Mental Health is incredibly important for overall health. With a growing number of Americans experiencing mental health symptoms, it is important as a community to recognize mental health concerns and advocate for those who need assistance. You could do something small by reading a book to your child about anger management strategies, go on a nature walk to focus on your self care, or reach out to a mental health worker or mental health nonprofit and thank them for all they do for the community.

In Ms. Baj’s 8th Grade Guidance class students have received “Advice from my 8th Grade Self” from students at Easthampton High School and then worked together to list some “Advice to my 5th Grade Self” to share with fifth graders. A reminder to all families that all 8th graders are invited to Step Up Day on June 9, 2023 to visit Easthampton High School. Ms. Baj passed out permission slips during the Guidance period. If you need another permission slip, please see Ms. Baj in room 202A.

Summer resources:

• ADHD Support Group In Northampton: https://www.napeds.com/workshops-and-events/adhd-support-group/

• Easthampton Community Center: https://easthamptoncommunitycenter.org/

• Whole Children: https://www.pathlightgroup.org/whole-children/

                                                                                                                       April 18, 2023

April SEL Updates/Newsletter:

This month we hosted a Curriculum / Social Emotional Learning family engagement night. We welcomed our community into the school to show families what kinds of curriculums of social emotional learning we do. Currently our curriculums include, Zones of Regulation, The Spot Books, Second-Step, Caring School Community and more! If you are curious about the curriculums and missed our family engagement night, please feel free to contact your child's school counselor or Heather Dean, SEL Coordinator. Students in Mrs. Baj’s 8th grade Guidance Special have been focused on high school planning and using Xello to research factors of different careers (career cluster, salary, workplace environment, core tasks, majors) to make career posters to share with the Mountain View community. A lot of big feelings come up for middle schoolers in the spring. Mr. Norman and Mrs. Baj are here to help middle school students and guide them as they prepare for summer and the following school year!

Monthly Tip:

Emotion-Coaching Brief:  Validate and support 90 second strategy

• Step 1:  Validate – convey understanding of their emotional experience and prove that “it makes sense” from their perspective. It has nothing to do with you agreeing. “Hang out on their island”

• What it’s not:

• Invalidate negative

• Invalidate positive

I can understand why you might feel ________ (emotion, experience, or pain word)match their emotionality (e.g., tone/volume of voice)

BECAUSE______________

BECAUSE______________

BECAUSE______________

• Step 2:  Support – emotional need and practical need. 60-90 seconds.

• Emotional Need:  Offer comfort, reassurance, or space.

  • Protect the fear (presence of actual danger), soothe/comfort the sadness, assert boundaries for anger, reassure shame, help to challenge anxiety

• Practical Need:  Redirect/help problem-solve

  • Set limits, redirect, problem-solve, take over

March 21, 2023

March SEL Updates/Newsletter:

In March we celebrate SEL (social emotional learning) day which is on March 10th. This year's theme is uplifting hearts and connecting minds. Each classroom is assigned one paper heart. On the heart every student wrote one thing, drew one picture or phrase that is related to SEL. The hearts are going to be hanging on the windows in the front of the school. 

School Counselors have been working with a community outreach program called Helping Hands Society. Helping Hands Society supports Easthampton Families with emergencies.  Easthampton families in need of emergency financial support please call Helping Hand Society at 413-527-0510 to see if they can assist. 

Easthampton families with children in need of camperships to camp Nonotuck, Easthampton or athletic youth sports scholarships including all recreational Easthampton sports and any other assistance in extracurricular activities please write to Helping Hand Society PO Box 423 Easthampton MA 01027 .

In the month of March all 8th grade students focused their Guidance period on high school readiness and scheduling. They have had guest visitors from the high school visit including their future school counselors, Ms. Soverow and Ms. Collins! Eighth grade students will also be working on a "High School Passport". Schedules should be completed on Xello and turned into Mrs. Baj before March 29th but if additional questions are needed, please email her at hbaj@epsd.us.

Monthly Tip: Tips to calm a child’s body and mind

Grounding (May need to do with an adult-coregulation)

1. 5 things you see

2. 4 things you can touch

3. 3 things you hear

4. 2 things you smell

5. 1 thing you taste

February 14, 2023

February  SEL Updates/Newsletter:

February 17th is World Kindness Day. Here at Mountain View School we are making kindness count everyday! Each day will be a new kindness challenge, for example to smile at 25 people, give out 5 compliments, or hold the door for a teacher or friend.

Eighth grade students have had guest speakers in their Guidance period. Sargent Kyle Gribi came to talk to students about how stress reduction techniques help him as an officer who deals with a high-stress job that requires a lot of quick and rational thinking. Thank you Sargent Kyle again for your wisdom and taking the time to visit!

Check In With Your Heart: 

This is a great way to talk to your child about how they can make a difference in others lives. Here are two questions that you can ask at dinner, in the car, or before bed.

1. How did you help someone in the past day?

2. How were you kind to yourself?

January 14, 2023

January SEL Updates/Newsletter:

Since returning from our winter break, the SEL team implemented a reset on our school wide rules. Here as Mountain View School we are respectful, responsible and safe. Focusing on those three points, we have hung posters around the school. On those posters it talked about how to be respectful, responsible and safe in five different areas of our school (hallway, cafeteria, bathroom, bus and playground). Mrs. Nash and Mrs. Rodrigue went into kindergarten, first and second grade going over posters that were hung in the school. Ms. Eklund and Mrs. Howard will be going into third, fourth and fifth grade later in the month to go over these school wide rules as well. Mr. Norman, Mrs. Baj and Mrs. Dean will be going into sixth, seventh and eighth grade to go over the expectations. Focusing on these rules will help build our community to be stronger. The three main points in middle school will focus upon respect, perspective, and kindness to themselves and in the community. This month the 8th grade Guidance period is focusing upon appropriate self-advocacy skills and perspective taking and how those two skills will help students progress in high school and beyond. 

Monthly Tip:

A love for literature is important, even if you are not reading with your child, you can still talk about books with them. As your child matures certain topics in books may mature as well. Even if they read independently, ask them about the books they enjoy reading and why they enjoy them in a non-judgmental way.

December 13, 2022

 Mrs. Nash and Mrs. Eklund,  are two of the key members of the SEL team here at MVS. Mrs. Nash is the preschool to second grade school adjustment counselor. Mrs. Eklund is the third grade to fifth grade school adjustment counselor. One of Mrs. Nash’s roles this year is teaching kindergarten students all about the Zones of Regulation. Each week, she visits the Kindergarten classes and teaches a lesson about one of the zones, including how to identify emotions and how to work with our feelings. Mrs. Eckland has been spending time in classes teaching students the key components of The Talk It Out program, a conflict resolution strategy.  Mrs. Nash and Ms. Eklund will continue to provide resources to teachers to help students in the classrooms.  To round out our elementary SEL team, Mrs. Rodrigue (prek-2nd grade) and Mrs. Howard (3rd-5th grade) are the two elementary school psychologists. As part of the SEL team they consult with teachers and other social emotional support staff and teachers to improve student social emotional learning outcomes. Here are a couple tips to help with social-emotional functioning over the upcoming winter break:

I-Message:

Model how to use I-Messages when you are problem solving with your child. 

I feel __ when you ___ can you please  ___. 

Example: I feel mad when you don't share your crayons, can you please share?

Check In With Your Heart:

This is a great way to talk to your child about how they can make a difference in others lives. Here are two questions that you can ask at dinner, in the car, or before bed.

1. How did you help someone in the past day?

2. How were you kind to yourself?   

November 10, 2022

As we have come together at the beautiful Mountain View School over the last two and a half months, we've all had a chance to experience the positive changes  that happen when three buildings become one.  

April 13, 2021

As we enter spring and move toward the end of this school year, it's natural to reflect on how far we have come over the last twelve months.  It has been a period of seemingly unending transitions and adaptions to circumstances beyond our control.  We have all made many challenging choices to protect the physical and emotional health of ourselves and our loved ones.  Our ability to empathize with the choices others make for themselves may have been stretched to the max.  We have become survivalists.  With a little hope and a little light, we can start to shift from surviving to thriving.  Taking with us what we've learned serves us well and leaving behind what does not - setting new goals and priorities.  Our SEL team has learned our students are both vulnerable and resilient in ways that we might never have understood in other circumstances.  We recognize we are the navigators to a great deal of their emotional growth and have chosen to prioritize connection and relationship building as the key elements of this.  It has been our absolute pleasure to share space with your children, both virtually and in-person over the last year.  As we look toward the next 10 weeks, we welcome you to continue to make us aware of the challenges they're facing, as well as stories of success to help us continue to support them through June and beyond.  As always - take good care.  Your SEL Team. 

The events at our nation's Capitol Building yesterday were deeply shocking. As the nation and world watched, there was an attack on American Democracy. These events provoke many emotions and feelings from all who witness them, regardless of their party affiliation. Our district and our community support peaceful discourse and conflict resolution. We do not condone violence. 

It is critical to support staff, families, and students today and in the coming weeks. Please remind your children and students that they are safe. Have a discussion and allow them to ask questions and to feel what they are feeling. As educators and support staff, it is our job to report on history. We do not share our personal views with students and families, but we do support inquiry and facts. Please reach out to any of the staff on the SEL team, teachers, or administrators in the district. We are here to support all of the Easthampton School Community. In our school community we strive to build a shared community that teaches and promotes tolerance and acceptance. 

These are difficult times and we are here to support you. The resources attached below may help guide conversations with your family and students.   They were gathered from Dr. LeClair's message to families and staff last night, as well as those researched by Hannah Elliot and the Social Justice PLC.  Please reach out directly if you need additional support.

Sincerely, 

The Easthampton  Elementary SEL Team