Kindergarten

Students in all grade levels will have age-appropriate lessons in the following areas:

Self- Awareness

Identifying Feelings 

Identifying Traits

Social Awareness

Recognizing others feelings

Empathy

Disagreeing with others

Respect for other people’s feelings and belongings

Self- Management

Monitoring Stress and coping skills

Growth Mindset - Developing Grit

Showing Self Control 

Goal Setting

Responsible Decision Making

Communicating 

Appropriate behavior

Following rules

Safety

August/September 2023:

Do you know what a school counselor does?  In our first lesson, Kindergarten students will learn what a school counselor does in their school.  We will take a look at our friend Mrs. Potato Head to understand how a counselor listens, teaches, and helps in the school when students are facing challenges that are too big and getting in the way of learning.

Students will learn ways to practice good listening in school and home.  Students listened to the story of Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen by Howard Binkow to help them understand the listening rules that keep him and his class safe.  

To reinforce some of the listening skills taught in class, the We Do Listen  website provides games, songs and activities to help young children understand how listening is respectful and keeps us safe!!

October:

In early October, Kindergarten students listened to a video about  how to make mistakes!  We learn how to turn mistakes into opportunities in life.  Students were given a piece of paper with various blemishes, including random scribbles, tears, or holes.  Students were tasked with the opportunity to turn the mistake into a masterpiece.  Students stretched their creative minds with fun drawings and creations - sharing some of their favorite things.  

Students have been practicing to identify different feeling words that describe what we are feeling when we need help or we just need to be understood.  Students listened to the story, Sad Monster Glad Monster.  Students identifies times they have felt glad, sad, scared, silly, angry and loved!  

In the end of October, students in Kindergarten talked about the word Unique.  Unique means special and one of kind.  We explored the qualities we have that make us unique, including not only the external qualities of hair color and eye color but also the personality traits that make us truly special.  Students shared their favorite foods and activities.  Student then listened to the story of Spookley the Square Pumpkin.  Spookley, like many kids everywhere experienced some unkind behavior from his friends because he was born different.  These differences eventually are revealed as gifts and teach students of bullying, forgiveness, and confidence in themselves.  Students then created their own unique pumpkins, some square, some oval and all other sorts of shapes.  Students decorated the inside of their unique pumpkin with qualities they are proud of!  Mrs. Moyer's class was even lucky enough to have this lesson read to them by the Assistant Principal, Mrs. Sharp!