Guidance+Classes

The third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade will all have a unit on bullying this fall. I use the "Steps to Respect", a Bulliying Prevention Program from the Committee for Children, for this unit. The children learn the "Three Rs of Responding to Bullying". The three Rs are: Recognize the Bullying, Refuse the Bullying, and Report the Bullying. The definition that we use in order to recognize bullying is: **Bullying is unfair and one-sided. It happens when someone keeps hurting, frightening, threatening, or leaving someone out on purpose.** The three questions children can ask themselves if they think they are being bullied are: Is it unfair and one-sided? Does it keep happening? How do I feel when it happens? If bullying is happening, children are taught effective ways to refuse bullying, when it is safe to do so. They also learn to immediately report bullying behavior that does not stop, is unsafe, or involves the touching or showing of private body parts. It is stressed that the children should feel free to report bullying to an adult at anytime. The role of bystander is also addressed in bullying situations. A bystander knows that bullying is happening. The majority of children will at some point in their lives be a bystander to bullying. They are taught that if they see bullying happen, doing nothing is not an option. Bystanders can either be a part of the solution or a part of the problem.
 * Bullying Unit**

Here are links on the subject of bullying: [|www.stopbullyingnow.com/parents.pdf] [|www.bullying.org] [|www.cyberbully.org] [|www.eyesonbullying.org] [|www.netsmartz.org] [|www.wiredsafety.org]

The first grade class has begun the Second Step Program from the Committee for Children. This program has three components. Empathy, Problem Solving, and Anger Management. We are working on the Empathy component at this time. The children are taught how to identify the feelings of others. We have lessons on how feelings may change and how two people may feel differently about the same situation. Our empathy lessons are finished by learning what an I Message is and how to use I Messages. Here is an example of an I Message: **I feel** mad **when you** call me names, **and I want you to** please stop.
 * Second Step Program**

The second grade classes are doing Second Step lessons in addition to working on expanding their feeling vocabulary. Earlier in the school year we completed a listening unit.

The prep-kindergarten and kindergarten students are learning the importance of using good manners. The prep children have learned that We Listen to Each Other, Hands Are For Helping, Not Hurting, and Words Are Not For Hurting. Both classes are taught that manners matter both at home and at school. We have read books on manners and have practiced using important words like, please, thank you, you're welcome, I'm sorry, excuse me. Take time to look at the books we read on manners by using the "Books Used in Guidance Class" page.
 * Manners**