Written by: Hailey Weaver (School Psychologist)

Happy 2024! Returning to social-emotional learning in the new year, our 4th and 5th graders have completed their Goal Setting units and have entered conversations about Emotion Management. Wellness Wednesday activities and conversations aim to increase our scholars’  ability to recognize and manage common but uncomfortable emotions, like stress, and to think about different ways to respond. Our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders continue to work on their Mindset and Goals units before turning to a deeper dive into preventing and responding to bullying later in January.

Has anybody else already bailed on their New Year’s Resolution? Or perhaps you’re sticking with it but realizing it might not be sustainable the way you planned it or pictured it. Or maybe you’ve kicked it into high gear and you’re feeling great about your new routines. All of these are an okay place to be. January is a perfect opportunity to learn about and encourage healthy goals and goal-setting at home too. 

As our scholars have learned and will continue to practice, goal setting and how we get to goals sometimes need revisions, and that’s okay! When goal-setting for yourself or alongside your child, remember:

• Keep goals attainable and take small steps

• Celebrate success, big and small

  • Especially the small wins!

• Model using setbacks to readjust and keep going

  • Setbacks on goals are not ‘failures’ - Life happens!

  • You, and your child, have permission to be flexible and to try again

  • Reflections on what worked and what didn’t are an essential piece of growing a new skill or developing a new habit.

• You don’t need to wait for a new year, new trimester, or new month to start a goal

  • You can start, or restart, a goal whenever you are ready.

Attached are two quick-read articles on how to work on healthy goals alongside your child. Don’t forget to take care of YOU along the way as well!

Healthy New Year’s Resolutions for Children and Teens - Dr. Lanre Falusi

How to Set Achievable Wellness Goals - Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Strong4Life

8th Grade Written by: Nola Q.  (8th Grade Student)

At the beginning of a new year, the media is often flooded with big goals and pressures, the “new year, new you” type of thing. But that can often be overwhelming and hard to wrap your head around. That's why, going into 2024, it's important to have a clear trajectory when setting New Year's resolutions, especially for students. 

When I sat in to listen to some of our 8th-grade students' goals, it seemed a lot were in the same position. They knew what they wanted to change, For example, “Getting focused” or “Fixing my sleep schedule” But there sort of seemed to be a lack of motivation behind the goals. This could be because general goals are hard to set. When you get more specific, they can be easier to achieve and more tailored to you, which creates a better outcome. 

When setting a New Year's resolution, you want to consider and map out how you're going to get there. Setting a really long-term goal and going in blindly is simply unrealistic. For students who are balancing a lot of out-of-school activities with not a lot of free time, this is just another thing to add to their plate. If you shift the mindset, you can think of New Year’s goals as something you are doing for yourself rather than a chore, you might be more compelled actually to go through with it. 

But students' goals don’t just have to be academic-focused. It can be something in any aspect of their lives like to work on time management skills. This you can apply anywhere, and will benefit you in the future. Or it can be an opportunity for students to try new things that have been in the back of their minds for a while. One of the questions that arose in the in-class discussion was, “When was the last time you tried something new?” Many couldn’t recall, but the ones that did remember because it often led to an amazing experience. The new year could lead you to discover a new passion!

Overall, just because it seems overwhelming at first doesn’t mean you should pass up on resolutions this year. If you take the time to set steps and timelines to achieve your goals, it could lead to something really amazing. Happy New Year!

Reminders for 8th Grade Families:

All 8th grade parents/guardians needed to complete new student online enrollment for Nicolet High School by Sunday, December 17th.. Should you have any questions or require assistance with the new student online enrollment process, please contact the following Nicolet High School personnel:

Alexis Terry, alexis.terry@nicolet.us, 414 351-7522 for general questions or Amy Lee, amy.lee@nicolet.us,  414 351-7520 for residency questions

New Student Online Enrollment website

February 19 - UWM Planetarium Field Trip, 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Students can request a bag lunch, bring a lunch, or eat at the Union. Permission slips will be sent home on Monday.

The Science Fair Project should be completed by January 25, 2024 - Please see the Student Schedule for other deadlines.

Space is still available on the Washington, DC, field trip (May 22-24, 2024) for 8th graders - don't miss the fun! Sign up today at worldstrides.com/signup by using Trip ID 210948.  Questions? Please contact Mrs. Michelle Young or Ms. Jessica Herkowski.

Written by:  Nyasia Timolien (6th/ 7th Grade Science Teacher)

Happy New Year! Students were excited to be at Glen Hill after winter break. While some wished for an extra day, others could not wait to see their friends and teachers. This week was spent going over norms, behavior expectations, and classroom weekly agendas. Scholars used their knowledge from SEL lessons to set specific and attainable goals for 2024.  In social studies, scholars are finishing up their DBQ essay research about chocolate in the Ivory Coast. Next week, they will begin writing their essays. In science, students completed their Unit 2 Thermal Energy test. Students worked in groups to design and test a flameless heater. We are also working on our science fair projects. In ELA and Math, scholars are preparing to take the STAR test. Please remember to check your child’s classroom weekly agenda for important dates and make sure that Chromebooks are being charged each night for a successful 2024 school year. 

Reminder for Families: The Glen Hills Middle School Spelling Bee will be taking place on Friday, January 12, 2024 at 1:30pm. 

Written by: Grace Kroeger, 6th Grade Teacher 

Hello 6th Grade families! We are so excited to continue working with your students for the remainder of the school year and get them ready for 7th grade! In ELA, we are just starting our Social Issues Book Clubs!  This is one of my favorite units because seeing the students make connections between their lives and the lives of the characters in their books reminds me why I became a teacher.  It brings out a level of maturity and growth that is beautiful to watch. I just love it!  

As always, thank you for being such a supportive group of caregivers!  It is appreciated beyond words.  Here’s to a strong 2nd half of the school year!