Classroom Lessons
August
ALL GRADES
Meet the Counselor
Student Learning Objective: I know who my school counselor is, what a school counselor can do for me, and how to get in touch with my school counselor.
Each year, your NPE School Counselor's showcase the role of the school counselor, the services we provide to student's and their families, and helping students understand how to get in touch with us if they need us to see them. School Counselor's strive to be available and visible to all students.
September
Kindergarten & 1st:
Book: Bubble Gum Brain by Julia Cook
There are two types of mindsets:
Growth Mindset = Bubble Gum Brain
Likes having fun adventures, learning new things, and doesn’t worry about making great mistakes
Fixed Mindset = Brick Brain
Believes that things are just fine the way they are and there is not much he can do to change them, so why try?
In this story, Brick Brain realized that their mindset has been stuck. And in order to grow, there are choices they needed to make. Brick Brain needed to become a more hopeful thinker, and make some great mistakes. Brick Brain learned that they must look outside the box, because becoming is better than being!
When Bubble Gum Brain shows Brick Brain how to peel off their wrapper, Brick Brain begins to realize just how much more fun school .... and life ... can be! Without the wrapper, HOPE can start to GROW! and what you’re learning becomes a lot more important than what you already know!
We need to tell ourselves its OK to make a lot of great mistakes. It’s not about how much talent you have or how much stuff you can do. What matters most is how hard you work, at becoming a better YOU!
2nd - 5th Grades:
Did you know that our mindset, the way we think, REALLY matters? Our mindset controls how we feel & the choices we make!
There are two types of mindsets:
Growth Mindset : The belief that when we try our best, we can do anything we set our minds to! With effort, practice and learning, we get better and better at the things we want to do
Having a Growth Mindset is like having a Bubble Gum Brain! Bubble gum is stretchy, light, flexible, and can change shapes. Those with Bubble Gum Brain like to chew on their thoughts, flex, bend and stretch their brain, and expand the way they think! They make great mistakes that help them learn.
Fixed Mindset : The belief that even when we try our best, we can’t get better at the things we want to do. We’re born with certain abilities and can’t grow or improve even with practice and effort
Having a Fixed Mindset is like having a Brick Brain. Bricks are hard, heavy, inflexible, and cannot change shape. Those with a Brick Brain think things are the way they are... and they’re probably not going to change much. They believe they are the way they are... and that’s just how it is.
Identifying our thoughts and changing our mindsets:
Fixed Mindset I already know it all --------------> Growth Mindset I want to learn!
Growth Mindset is important because:
We can learn more
We can develop stronger friendships with others
We can be stronger when faced with challenges We can achieve our goals
We can be better problem-solver
We need to tell ourselves its OK to make a lot of great mistakes. It’s not about how much talent you have or how much stuff you can do. What matters most is how hard you work, at becoming a better YOU!
October
ALL GRADES
RED RIBBON WEEK: Be Kind to Your Mind
Red Ribbon Week is aimed at educating individuals, especially youth, about the dangers associated with drug use and encouraging a drug-free lifestyle. The campaign also seeks to foster a spirit of unity among people against drug misuse. It’s a perfect time for parents, schools, and communities to come together, share resources, and pledge to stay drug-free.
Here at New Providence Elementary we focus on choosing a healthy lifestyle!
The Importance of Parent Involvement:
As a parent, your involvement can make a significant impact on your child's understanding and perception of drug abuse. Here are a few steps you can take:
Educate Yourself and Your Child: Learn about substance abuse, and its dangers, and discuss these topics openly with your child.
Participate in School and Community Activities: Engage in Red Ribbon Week activities within your community and your child’s school to show your support.
Lead by Example: Maintain a drug-free lifestyle, demonstrating the values of healthy living to your child.
Encourage Open Dialogue: Foster a supportive environment where your child feels comfortable discussing the challenges they face, especially concerning peer pressure and substance abuse.
Red Ribbon Week is a crucial initiative aimed at promoting healthy, drug-free living. By understanding its significance and actively participating, parents can play a crucial role in shaping a drug-free future for their children and their communities.
November
ALL GRADES
What is Erin's Law?
Erin’s Law requires instruction on sexual abuse and assault awareness/prevention education in schools. South Carolina is one of nearly 40 states where the law has passed.
RESOURCES FOR PARENTS | RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS | FAQ
Specifically, the law requires that public schools implement a program that teaches:
Students (preK-12) age-appropriate techniques to recognize child sexual abuse and tell a trusted adult
School personnel about child sexual abuse
Parents and guardians the warning signs of child sexual abuse, plus needed assistance, referral or resource information to support sexually abused children and their families
The law is named after childhood sexual assault survivor and activist Erin Merryn
December
ALL GRADES
We teach students how to identify and explore their emotions, as well as offer a variety of copings strategies that can help students to regulate their emotions.
In this lesson, we teach that emotions are feelings we have when good and bad things happen. Both types of feelings are important because they keep us aware of our world.
We need to recognize what feelings we are having and learn the best way to handle themWe cannot stop our feelings or emotions, but we can control how we handle them!
We explore our emotions by differentiating between easy and hard feelings. Good things cause feelings that are easy and make us happy. Easy feelings help us learn and work better. Bad things cause feelings that are hard for us and make us sad. Hard feelings, like anger and fear, warn us of dangers and threats and help us protect ourselves.
The we discuss some ways to handle hard feelings because it is important that we do so in a positive way.
Coping skills are a helpful tool to use when we don't like an emotion we are feeling. Filling our toolkit with Coping Strategies that students can easily use will help them to better identify, understand, and regulate their emotions.
Examples of Coping Skills/Strategies are:
Deep Breathing
Taking a Break
Drinking water or eating a snack
Using a Fidget
Writing, Drawing, or Coloring
What we encourage students to remember is that bad things sometimes happen. We cannot change that, but we can change: How We Feel, What We Say, and How we Behave
We encourage parents to have fun trying these Coping Strategies with their children at home!
January
ALL GRADES
Betsy Moore, the district Elementary Career Specialist went into every class to do a career based lesson. Each lesson is catered around job skills using the power skills.
February
