Positive Behaviour for Learning
Welcome back CPS families!
As I said in the last newsletter, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our next batch of bronze Learner badges. The students are aware that they will receive their badge as soon as it arrives. But more importantly the students know that the lack of a physical badge does not take away from their achievement. It is the sense of pride and self worth which is the whole driving force behind these positive behaviour changes we are seeing at Campbell and nothing can take that away from our students.
This shipment is taking a little longer as we are busily designing the final badge - the badge to trump all badges... The Stanley Stag badge! So keep an eye out for its reveal when it arrives. We want it to be perfect, so he is taking a little longer than anticipated.
Now it is time to celebrate this fortnight’s newest recipients.
Social Emotional Learning as part of our PBL
As you may recall from our last newsletter, we have been focusing on Positive Coping in SEL.
Across the school the main focus has been looking at positive coping strategies to assist in dealing with ‘big’ feelings. Each year group has had slightly different focuses, so I thought it may be better to break it down.
Kindy
This has been the beginning of looking at ‘self talk’. We have learnt about implementing the phrase ‘I think I can’ when we find something difficult. We have been examining how our body feels when we have lots of energy running through it and how it feels when we calm it down. Finally we discussed different things we can do to calm down when hit with the ‘big feelings’.
To support this learning at home, encourage your child/ren to use the “I think I can” rhyme when they feel a task is too difficult. As well as implementing positive coping strategies when their emotions are getting the best of them. Discussing these before it happens is key.
Year 1/ 2
The focus of this unit has been managing emotions. What things can we do to cheer ourselves up, calm us down, help face our fears and manage our anger.
To support this learning at home, discuss all of this with your child/ren. What works for them and what works for you. Having a checklist on display is a great visual to assist when the time comes. When the ‘big feelings’ subside, it is a good time to start helping your child/ren identify what they feel in their bodies as the feelings get big. When these ‘warning’ signs begin is the best time to use one of our coping strategies.
Year 3 /4
This topic has had students look at the intensity of emotions and have them develop their emotion vocabulary. For example, feeling upset is not the same as feeling devastated. We have looked at events which match the emotion intensity. We have reviewed some positive coping strategies, particularly when angry and how to make a proper apology.
To support this learning at home, discuss appropriate emotional language to describe our feelings and expose children to the range of vocabulary they can use to better help explain what they are feeling. Discussing this helps you better understand how they feel and what they need from you to support them. Discuss positive coping strategies for things that get tough and ask how you can support your child/ren during these times. Finally encourage them to make proper apologies at home highlighting what they are apologizing for, how it might have made the person feel, what they are committing to in the future and if there is anything they can do to help fix this situation. But most importantly, mean what you are saying. This helps develop empathy and strengthen relationships.
Year 5 /6
This is a big topic for our older students, examining self talk. We have been examining both positive and negative self-talk and the impact it has on our feelings and actions, both short and long term. We have stretched looking at ways to curve our negative self talk and look at situations with more logic and less emotion so we can handle them better.
This is such a crucial topic when it comes to our students heading into adolescence. The way we view ourselves as a person can have a huge impact on our mental health. At home, it is vital to keep the lines of communication open between you and your child/ren so they know that you are always there to help them. If you hear your child/ren using negative self talk or suspect they are using it internally, speak to them about it. Tell them how you turn our talk around, help them identify their amazing qualities and view situations (particularly with their friends) with a reasonable and logical approach so they don’t always head to a negative space.
I hope you find some of these ideas useful.
Next week I will share some work to celebrate the end of our unit on Positive Coping
Nicole Carney