Counselor’s Corner
Please continue
reading Counselor’s Corner to learn about our comprehensive counseling program
at Wood Acres.
Click
here to see our first play at our Expectations Assembly!
Wood Acres WAVE &
Peace Program
2009-2010
Our WAVE Values this year are:
September: Introduction
& Review of School Expectations
October: Respect
& Moral Courage
November: Responsibility & Moral Courage
December: Fairness & Moral Courage
January: Self-Control & Moral
Courage
February: Caring & Moral Courage
March: Honesty & Moral Courage
April: Perseverance & Moral Courage
May: Pride & Moral Courage
June: EMPHASIS ON ALL WAVE VALUES
Because Moral courage is such an important value, it is
emphasized the entire school year!
Wood Acres' Peace Program:
Our goal for our 2009-2010 is to
obtain 60 days of school-wide Peace. Last year
we successfully reached and surpassed our goal of 50 days! The Peace
Program enables all our students to learn how to solve conflicts.
The ways that they can do this is
by:
·
Ignore Move Away Give an “I Message” Get Adult Help
Debug Strategies
(K-2)
·
Cool Down Give an “I Message” Brainstorm Solutions Affirm, forgive and /or thank
Win/Win Guideline
(3-5)
An “I Message” is an excellent tool for younger and older students. The “I Message” always begins with the student talking about his/her own feelings. This starts off the conversation in an appropriate manner – the student talks about himself rather than accusing the other person who is involved in the conflict. In order words, the problem is being attacked and not the other student involved. The correct way to give an “I Message” is:
I FEEL… (mad, sad, angry, embarrassed) WHEN YOU… (give me a put-down) WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP IT!
NO PUT-DOWNS
In
addition to problem solving strategies, the students also use No Put- Down
Strategies. The students are instructed to use these strategies when others are
giving them put-downs. Put-downs can be verbal (teasing, name-calling) and non
verbal (laughing when someone makes a mistake, rolling eyes at someone). The No
Put-Down Strategies are:
K-1: Fill A
Bucket 2-5: Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
To encourage
students to give “put-ups”, each classroom (all classroom teachers and every
specialist) have been given a book for their classroom library.
Both books are written by Carol
McCloud and illustrated by David Messing. These books encourage positive
behavior by teaching children the rewards of filling each others’ invisible
bucket. By expressing kindness, appreciation or simply by saying thank-you, the
children will understand the importance of being a bucket filler. To strengthen
the concept of giving put-ups and being a “bucket filler” (vs. “bucket
dipper”), each classroom has also been given a bucket. Each week students will
be writing down how someone in their class has helped them to feel positive and
comfortable while learning in the
classroom.
Over the summer, staff members
have enjoyed reading the adult version: How Full Is Your Bucket?
by Tom Rath.
At the
end of each day, each classroom will have a reflection time to discuss if
they have been successful in interacting with one another in a respectful
manner. They will be asked the following questions:
GUIDELINES FOR
EARNING A PEACE DAY
1-
Did I solve my problems by using my Debug or Win/Win Strategies? 2-
Did I solve my
problems at recess by talking to our Peace Mediators? 3-
Did I solve my problems by using our No Put-Down Strategies? 4-
Did I solve my problems by shoving, hitting or kicking?
PEACE MEDIATORS ARE COMING TO
WOOD ACRES!!
This year, students from grades 3
-5 will be trained to be Peace Mediators. These students will be working with
students to help them solve conflicts during recess.