Weekly Lessons
November 17 - November 21
Embedded Files
No Touch November PBIS Challenge
No Touch November PBIS Challenge
This month, our school participated in No Touch November, and all of you worked so hard to practice personal space. We are proud of your efforts!
Congratulations to the classes that earned 10 stars:
Ms. Turner’s class
Ms. Schweers’s class
Mrs. Nelson’s class
A special shout-out to Ms. Cowie’s class, who went above and beyond by earning more than 10 stars!
Great job, everyone! Keep up the amazing work!
Empathy
Students will learn ways to show others they care and how to respond to them in a caring manner. They will practice establishing and maintaining positive, respectful, and supportive relationships with peers and demonstrate empathy.
Why this is important:
Learning to show care and empathy helps young children build friendships, manage emotions, and feel connected at school. These early skills lay the foundation for cooperation, kindness, and positive classroom behavior.
What to do at home:
Encourage your child to use caring words like “Are you okay?” or “Do you want to play?”
Model empathy by talking about feelings during everyday moments.
Praise acts of kindness you notice, even small ones.
Read books together about friendship and caring, and talk about how the characters feel.
Taking Turns
Students will understand how to share and take turns and will practice doing so in a variety of activities. They will also demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem.
Why This Is Important: Learning how to share and take turns helps first graders build positive friendships and makes the classroom a safer, happier place. These skills teach children patience, kindness, and respect for others. Practicing coping skills helps them stay calm, solve problems peacefully, and bounce back when things don’t go their way.
How to Practice at Home
Take Turn Games: Play board games, card games, or simple “my turn, your turn” activities.
Model Sharing: Show what sharing looks and sounds like—“I’m done; would you like a turn?”
Use Coping Strategies Together: Practice taking deep breaths, counting to 10, or asking for help when something feels frustrating.
Talk Through Problems: When a small problem comes up, guide your child to identify how they feel and choose a solution.
Praise the Effort: Notice and celebrate moments when your child shares, waits patiently, or uses a coping strategy.
Perseverance & Self-Talk
Students will practice noticing negative or unhelpful thoughts about learning and replace them with helpful self-talk. They will develop a positive attitude toward schoolwork and gain confidence in their ability to succeed.
Why It’s Important: Learning to manage thoughts helps children stay motivated, handle challenges, and believe in themselves. Positive self-talk builds resilience and supports a lifelong love of learning.
At Home:
Encourage your child to say, “I can try this” or “I will keep practicing” when faced with a challenge
Model positive self-talk aloud when solving problems.
Praise effort and persistence, not just results.
Share examples of times you overcame mistakes by thinking positively.
Empathy
Students will identify others’ emotions and build positive, supportive relationships by showing empathy.
Why It’s Important: Recognizing feelings helps children communicate, prevent conflicts, and strengthen friendships.
At Home:
Ask how characters in books or shows might feel.
Model caring responses when someone is upset.
Encourage kind words like, “Do you need help?”
Check in daily about feelings and celebrate empathetic actions.
Personal Space
In this lesson, students will learn about personal space and why it’s important in maintaining respectful friendships. They will identify examples of behaviors that respect or cross personal space boundaries and practice using I-messages to speak up when someone gets too close or makes them uncomfortable.
Why this is important: Understanding personal space helps students build trust and show respect for others. It also helps prevent conflicts and promotes a safe, comfortable learning environment for everyone.
What to do at home: Talk with your child about what personal space looks like at home and in public. Practice role-playing situations where they might need to ask for more space or respect someone else’s space. Praise them for using kind, assertive communication.
Peer Pressure
In this lesson, students will learn the difference between helpful and unhelpful peer pressure and practice strategies for making good choices when faced with it.
Why this is important: Fifth graders are beginning to rely more on friends, and knowing how to handle peer pressure helps them stay safe, confident, and true to themselves.
What to do at home: Talk about times when friends may encourage them to make choices—good or bad. Practice simple ways to say “no,” and remind them that they can always come to you or another trusted adult for help.
Self-Management
Self-Management
6th grade: Understanding Strengths and Challenges
Students will identify their individual strengths and challenges and share interesting facts about themselves.
Why This is Important: Understanding our strengths and challenges helps us build self-awareness, confidence, and resilience. It allows students to celebrate what they do well while recognizing areas for growth. Sharing interesting facts fosters connection and empathy among classmates.
What to Do at Home: Encourage your child to talk about their strengths and challenges with you. Ask them to share something unique or interesting about themselves. You can also model by sharing your own strengths and challenges, which helps children see that everyone has areas to grow and things that make them special.
7th grade: Emotional Awareness
In this lesson, students will increase their emotional vocabulary and will consider, discuss, and identify their own emotions.
Why this is important: Middle school is a time when emotions become more complex and intense. Students often feel strong feelings but don’t always have the words to express them. Expanding their emotional vocabulary helps them better understand what they’re experiencing, communicate their needs more clearly, and manage conflict in healthier ways. When students can accurately name their emotions, they’re more likely to make thoughtful choices instead of reacting impulsively.
What to do at home: Encourage your child to name their feelings when they talk about their day.
Model using specific emotion words yourself (for example, “I feel frustrated because…” instead of “I’m just mad”).
Ask open-ended questions like, “What emotion best describes how you felt in that moment?”
Validate their emotions by reminding them that all feelings are okay—it’s what we do with them that matters.
Practice calm problem-solving together when big emotions come up.
8th grade: Aspirations for the Future and Self-Advocacy
In this lesson, students will identify and discuss their hopes and dreams for the future. They will identify the steps it will take to achieve their goals and learn how to self-advocate for themselves.
Why this is important: Thinking about future goals helps students stay motivated, make responsible choices, and build confidence in their abilities. Learning to self-advocate teaches them how to speak up for their needs, ask for help, and take ownership of their success — important skills for high school and beyond.
What to do at home: Talk with your child about their goals and dreams. Ask what steps they think are needed to reach them, and encourage them to share when they need help or support. Celebrate their efforts and remind them that setting goals is a process that takes patience and persistence.
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