SECOND QUARTER

The second quarter has started for the Unified Arts. The new semester brings new classes for all of us. The classes for Guidance are now; Carney, Rayner-Cyr, Longchamp, Renner, Sato, Rogers, Chittenden, Taylor, O'Neill, and Schroeder. I will be teaching the same lessons that are posted for the first semester classes.

Tools to Help Calm the Brain

Now that we understand alittle bit about the brain, how do we calm the brain so it has time to process something we hear, taste,smell, or feel before it responds?  How do we create a buffer between the input and the response or how do we go from a fuzzy brain to a clear one? A fuzzy brain is also referred to as a "puppy brain".
At the end of the first semester we started a toolbox of skills to calm the brain. The students are keeping a list of skills they are learning. This will go home the end of the second semester that they have guidance. Some examples are; counting to ten, exercising, doing a finger labyrinth, coloring a circular Mandala, smelling an aroma we enjoy(we tried the scent of an orange), and taking three deep belly breaths. I can not emphasize the importance of the breath. It not only calms the mind, but as an added bonus lowers blood pressure and heart rate. When breathing is deliberately regulated, the brain is primed to think first and then plan a response.  

Continued Care of the Brain-Meet Some Key Players

We certainly do not have time to delve into a deep study of the brain in Guidance, but we can meet some key players involved in our attention and focus as students in school.  The amygdala is a pair of almond shaped structures that reacts to fear, danger, and threat. The amygdala regulates our emotional state by acting as the brain's gatekeeper. When a student is in a positive emotional state, the amygdala sends incoming information on to the conscious, thinking brain. When a student is in a negative state, the amygdala prevents the input from passing along, basically blocking higher level thinking and judgment. Therefore there is an automatic response of flight, fight, or freeze from the brain. Examples might be, "I can't do this" or " I won't do this".
The hippocampus assists in managing our response to fear and threats and is a storage vault of memory and learning.Information is fed to the prefrontal cortex-the learning, reasoning, and thinking center of the brain. This area of the brain controls our decision making, focuses our attention, and allows us to learn to read, write, compute, analyze, predict, comprehend, and interpret-phew, that's alot to do.
If the amygdala triggers an alarm we go into fight, flight, or freeze without letting the parts of the brain that think about something  do their job. We also are unble to send information into the storage banks , the hippocampus and the the prefrontal cortex. How do we calm our brains in a stressful situation so we may store information and make good decisions? Stayed tuned as we next develop a toolbox to help our brains to work as best as they possibly can.

Learning to Love Your Brain or The Care and Feeding of the Brain

This semester the fourth and fifth grades are learning about the brain. The brain is nearly 3 pounds of gooey, slimey, gelatinous stuff that smells like blue cheese. It is grey and light pink, and about the size of two fists side by side. It is the control room that directs almost all your activities: thinking, moving, feeling, talking, and just keeping alive. It works 24 hours a day. So how do we take care of it and help it to work well. If you have a fourth or fifth grader in the first semester Guidance class ask them. Here are a few ideas: the brain needs blood, oxygen, good food, sleep, exercise, to be kept safe from head injuries(helmets, seat belts), water and happiness. Yes, happiness helps our brains work better. Two ways we can boost our happiness is with gratitude and with optimistic thinking. Each student made three links of things they are grateful for and combined made a very long chain, a chain of gratitude. Thinking on the "bright side" of life also is a happiness booster, so keep your sunnyside up and see the glass as half full not half empty.

THIRD GRADE GUIDANCE CURRICULUM-DIFFERENCE

The goal of this unit is for students to value themselves as unique and special individuals and as members of various groups. The lessons are based on the belief that before children can accept, value and understand others, they must first value and know themselves. Among other things students will have the opportunity to share their names, their likes and dislikes, and information about their families and where they have been with students in the class. They will each have an opportunity to bring home what they have shared, "What's in My Head?" Ask them to share it with you.
We also viewed an award winning short video, Small Differences. This video allows children, some with and some without disabilities to explore the realities and perceptions about people with disabilities with video cameras. Interviewing other children, parents, each other, and adults with disabilities they discover two basic things. One is that everyone is unique and the other is that most of us want the same things in life.

THIRD GRADE GUIDANCE CURRICULUM

As children grow into socialization, the need to make and keep friends becomes a major issue for them. Friendships play a critical role in their lives, shaaping their social skills and helping them forge a sense of identity and a feeling of belonging. Friends matter to children. The rewards of friendship-a mutual relationship built on understanding, trust, sharing, and concern for one another-can be great, but for children whose social skills are still evolving friendships can be a source of anxiety.
The lessons provided in Guidance are designed to help children develop skills for building and maintaining friendships. Friendship is the first topic of third grade guidance.

First Quarter Classes

For the first quarter which ends October 25th I have the following classes: DiMercurio, Bonfigli, Laurent,Ellingson, DiGrande, Miller, Galati, Buswell, Cioffi, Hunt, and Cheney.
The third grade classes will address friendships; how to make and keep friends and of course the importance of having peers in our support network.
The fourth and fifth grades will intially work on techniques for improved focus and attention. We will then shift gears and address bullying in schools.

Welcome back to school

I would like to welcome all our wonderful students back to school for the 2013-2014 school year. I am looking forward to a terrific year in guidance. This year I will be the only school counselor here at Malletts Bay. If you have any questions about the guidance curriculun, which will be in my next post, please give me a call. If you would like to refer a student to me for any school issues please e-mail, call me, or have the student visit the guidance room. My e-mail is Routsongl@csdvt.org and phone number is 264-5898. The guidance room is in the green wing and is Room 122.

Safety Unit

Included in our third semester guidance work is a unit on safety, which includes the prevention of sexual abuse to children. I thought it would be important for you as caretakers to have information in case your child discloses that he/she has been sexually abused. What follows are guidelines compiled by the state of Vermont. Please feel free to call me if you have any follow-up questions or call the Department of Child and Family Services at 800-649-5285.

If your child has been sexually abused:

• Find a private place to talk
• Stay calm.
• Believe what your child tells you.
• Thank your child for telling you and praise his/her courage. Let them know it is NOT their fault.
• Be careful at this time not to make negative comments to your child about the abuser. This is likely someone your child knows.
• Do not continue to question your child repeatedly, as this could jeopardize an investigation. If they want to talk about the abuse, listen carefully.
• At this time do not correct your child's language if he/she does not use the proper terms for private body parts. Use their language.
• Respect the feelings your child is experiencing. Each child feels differently.
• Tell your child you will be taking action to keep her safe, but be careful not to promise things you can not control.
• Call Department of Child and Family's 24-hour Child Protection hotline to report the abuse-1-800-649-5285. DCF staff will work with law enforcement to address the situation and will help you figure out the next steps.

February

I will be out on sick leave from February 4-22. If you need to speak with a school counselor while I am out please call Greg Kriger, 264-5899. He is in on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursday morning.
Looking forward to seeing everyone when I get back.

Protecting Children From Dangerous Situations

• Be aware of who spends time with your child. Unwanted touch may come from someone you like and trust. Get to know the adults and older children who are close to your child.
• Check references, talk with other parents, and trust your feelings when choosing babysitters and daycare providers.
• Refuse to leave your child in the company of anyone you do not trust. Pay attention to what your child says and does around people, especially if he or she talks about feeling uncomfortable or unsafe.
• Make sure your child can identify signs of trouble before it happens.
• Set up a password for you and your child to use as a secret clue. If it is safe for your child to go with someone, tell that person the password. Tell your child to ask for the password before he or she agrees to ride with someone. Instruct your child not to go with anyone who does not know the password.
• Know where your child is at all times. If you allow him or her to go some places in public ask them to stay with a buddy.
• Teach your child about internet safety. Children should never give out information about themselves. Tell your child to tell you right away if someone he or she meets online wants to see them in person.