SECOND STEPS PROGRAM

Our latest Social Skills lesson included tips for how we manage strong feelings.  We remembered the first steps in Calming-Down when we have a strong or uncomfortable feeling:

• Put your hands on your tummy.
• Say "Stop."
• Name your feeling

Then, we added belly breathing to the steps.

• That's when you take two belly breaths and catch your breath.

(It's OK to feel that the way we do, but now you're calm enough to move on.
Remember to use positive self-talk and think of a kind way to solve the problem.

It's important that we practice these steps to calm down, so that our angry feelings don't get us in trouble when we act impulsively, without thinking.  We also know that it's never okay to be mean or hurt someone else.

Here are some scenarios to practice at home:

• Someone called you a mean name and you feel angry.
• Your shoelace keeps coming untied and you feel frustrated.
• Starting today, you're going to attend a different school and you feel worried and scared.
• Someone cut in line front of you and you feel angry.
• It's your birthday tomorrow, you can't sleep, and you feel over-excited.
• A friend on your team doesn't score a basket, and you feel angry and disappointed.
• A friend yells at you because you missed scoring in the soccer goal, and the other team won.  You feel sad you didn't make the goal and upset because your friend yelled at you.

Pajama Day added to our week's excitement!

We earned PJ Day from receiving many compliments from people outside of our classroom!

100th DAY CELEBRATION

Our day was filled with non-stop excitement with the 100 year old "visitors" to our classroom and the entire first grade!  Luckily, there were still some first grade students that kept us on our toes!

FEBRUARY MCMONTHLY NEWS

***School Spirit Day on Friday (Team Jersey or Ox Ridge colors)***

***100^th Day of School scheduled for Mon., 2/6/11***

***Dress up as if you are 100 years old!***

THEME

Incredibly, the 100th day of school should arrive on Monday, February 6th!  This month is filled with holiday celebrations and theme awareness such as Chinese New Year, Groundhog Day, Force and Motion/Shadows, the 100th Day, Valentine’s Day, and Presidents’ Day.  We don’t know how we’re going to squish in vacation!

LANGUAGE ARTS

We continue to learn long vowel sounds that are spelled in many different ways and review short vowel sounds.  We continue to increase our sight vocabulary!  Our

confidence in spelling new words will help us as we continue to do more non-fiction story writing!  We are excited to have our “How-To” Writers’ Celebration very soon.  We realized that we are experts at many activities!   Next focus:

“All About” stories.  (We know a lot about many things, so that should be exciting!)

MATH

We have been working hard to investigate how numbers go together in fact families.  We return to place value to help us make sense of some big numbers!  We will also study 3-D objects to understand geometry and measurement.

½ BIRTHDAYS (summer b’days)

Fri., Feb. 3:          Ryan Smith

BIRTHDAYS

Fri., Feb. 3:          James Kennedy

Fri., Feb. 17:          Shafay Salman

REMINDERS

Jan. 30 – March 2:  Daffodil Drive

 (Delivery week of March 19th)

Fri., Feb. 3:           Superbowl Spirit Day

(Wear your favorite team/sport jersey or Ox Ridge colors/gear)

Wed., Feb. 8:  Enrichment Program

       Shadows With High Touch/High Tech

Mon, Feb. 6:  100^th Day of School

Dress up as if you were 100 years old!)

Tues., Feb. 7: Scholastic Orders Due

Fri., Feb. 10:  2^nd marking period ends

Tues, Feb. 14:Valentine Celebration

Feb. 20 - 24:Presidents Week/

         Vacation

SPECIAL NOTES

·      I can’t thank you enough for sending in the mid-year supplies.  It has been so nice to restock some items that we have used up quite quickly, and it’s neat to have some new goodies too (ex: soft tissues!)  Thank you for your generosity!

·      Please remember to include all your classmates when you make/write your Valentines!

·      We will be making 100^th Day creations in class; no need to send in any goodies.

·      When the chilly/snowy weather comes, please label all cold weather gear and send to school with your child in some kind of “snow gear bag.”  Thank you for helping the children stay organized with their belongings!

·      Thank you for your support in sending in the “Box Tops for Education.” Please keep them coming! 

·      Thank you for your support in the Daffodil Drive!

• Continued thanks to our Room Moms, Missy Almy and Allison Melich and for all Volunteers!

SUPERBOWL commercial breaks:  Remember to check out Animal Planet’s PUPPY BOWL and Kitten Halftime Show.  Plays throughout Superbowl and repeats.  (The students have enjoyed discussing non-fiction topics like the Superbowl and animal facts.)  Enjoy!

JANUARY SIGHT WORDS

did

do

going

into

know

must

new

no

now

old

open

over

so

some

soon

those

too

use

will

with

    

BRAVE READERS

It was quite a treat to have some Kindergarten students visit our class and share their published stories with us!  We bet they felt a little nervous, but we welcomed them with open arms.

As an added bonus, we even had siblings of AD and OD join us.  OD and and her sister have helped us start out the new year right by joining us here at Ox Ridge!

2nd Steps Social Skills

STRONG FEELINGS

During the past few weeks, we've been practicing ways to recognize when we need to calm down, especially when our feelings are so strong.  We sometimes don't think clearly when we are super frustrated with something, so using calming-down techniques, helps us to engage the thinking part of our brain so we're able to deal with a situation in a calm way.

Here is a short "How-To" story on some TIPS to calm down when you're having strong feelings:


INTRODUCTION
Have you ever felt frustrated or so excited that you could barely think clearly?!?  Try these tips to help you calm down, so you can learn to work out your frustrations or enjoy what makes you so excited.


1.  First, put your hand on your tummy, pay attention to clues in your body and say, "Stop."  
2.  Name your feeling (For example:  "I'm frustrated!")  
It's OK to feel that way, but now you're calm enough for the next step.
3.  Catch your breath and use positive self-talk 
(For example:  "I know I can do this, but it's hard.  Can you help me?")

SCENARIOS TO PRACTICE AT HOME WITH A FAMILY MEMBER:

• Someone pushed you down on the playground and you feel angry.
• You can't sleep because there's an exciting field trip to the Science Center tomorrow.
• The principal asked you to come to his office.
• You are drawing pictures to go with your story writing, but you can't seem to get them right.  You tore a hole in your paper when you were erasing and feel frustrated.
• Your team almost made it to the Superbowl, but at the last minute the other team scored.  Some of your friends were rooting for the other team and you feel mad and disappointed.

OUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

pic courtesy of Newburyport Winter Carnival

I will try to sleep more and eat more fruit and veggies. – Mrs. Mc



I will read 5 long, chapter books! -AD


I would like to see the Raiders play somebody and I will play more football! – RA


I will try more snowboarding! – AT


I would like to see the Giants play the Patriots and do skiing better! – JK


I will help people! – AL


I will do more skiing! – BB


I will be nicer to my family! – IM


I will try to be better at karate! – SS


I want to make my sister happier by helping to put her to bed! – RS


I want to get better at Gymnastics and read all the Magic Tree House books this year! – PD


I want to read all the Magic Tree House books this year and be able to control Cinnamon, the horse! – KP


I would like to go backwards sledding on my Flying Saucer! – OS


I want to get up to 90 with my Brain Quest cards! – AM