Anderson Guidance

September 18, 2015

Dear Anderson Families,

Now that we are starting a new school year at Anderson, we are excited to announce a new initiative that we will be bringing to our K-8 classrooms this fall. The idea originated from our School Leadership Team (SLT) this past spring and after much research, we are thrilled to start implementing the practice of Mindfulness into our Anderson classrooms. We feel so strong about the necessity to bring this to our community that we have made this a school-wide goal for our CEP, Comprehensive Education Plan this school year.

Mindfulness is a practice that helps children, teens, and adults, learn to change impulsive reactions to thoughtful responses. It does this by teaching a particular way of paying attention and of purposefully bringing awareness to what is happening in the moment. Mindfulness can be applied to the five senses, thoughts, and emotions by learning the skill of focused attention.

Thirty years of research, combined with brain science, offers evidence to support the use of mindfulness in education. The skills learned for mindfulness by both students and educators have the potential to improve focus and concentration, reduce stress and anxiety, increase mental wellness and awareness of self and others, and improve relationship skills. The development of these crucial life skills will advance the social and academic successes of our students.

Our Kindergarten through Eighth grade students will have fifteen age-appropriate classroom lessons on mindfulness. For grades Kindergarten through Third, these lessons will take place during daily morning meetings, after lunch, and afternoon homeroom. For grades Four through Eight, our classroom and Advisory teachers will be leading our mindfulness lessons during Advisory classes, in addition to integrating mindfulness into all classroom practices and transition times here at Anderson.

Administrators, teachers, and all staff members will be active members in modeling and teaching mindful-behavior in our school community. Teachers will receive weekly training on mindful-practices, including awareness of breath, being present in the moment, and reaction vs. response. One of our intentions for bringing this program to Anderson is not only to teach these skills to the students and faculty, but also to support the integration of mindfulness into the daily school culture and community as a whole.

We feel bringing the practice of mindfulness to our school community aligns with our mission to provide a positive social and emotional environment for student development; the teachers and I are invested in this initiative and are very much looking forward to introducing mindfulness to our students. We are confident that by sharing these mindful-practices with our community, our students will develop a capacity for the life skills of focused attention, self-regulation, and empathy.

Sincerely,

Jodi Hyde

Gail Ridder

Nicole Chandonnet

December 2014

Dear Anderson Families,

This month we are learning about the character trait Courage, which comes in many shapes, sizes and forms.

Here are some ways you can reinforce the learning activities that are taking place in school:

• Throughout the month, ask your child to discuss the lessons done in class and what he or she learned from these character trait lessons.
• Encourage your child to show an actionable display of courage outside of school. When you see your child display this character trait in a positive way, commend him or her and have a discussion on the positive outcome.
• Have a discussion about courage. How does someone show courage throughout their life? Who are some historical figures that have shown courage in breaking barriers?
• Throughout the month look for your child showing courage. Make sure your child knows he or she has displayed this character trait of courage. Expressing your approval is a powerful way to reinforce courage.
• You are your child's most important teacher. He or she will learn a lot about showing courage from watching what we do outside of school.

There will be many opportunities throughout the month to celebrate this character trait. Any work that is done outside of school to support our initiative is a way to connect in class discussions. We leave you with the quote of the month to discuss with your child:

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill

Sincerely,
The Anderson SEL Team

Banana Splits is for children who have experienced divorce, separation or the death of a parent. The name, Banana Splits—“splits” is to describe the reality of the child’s circumstances and “banana” to suggest the supportive, forward-moving tone of the group. This program is not intended to be therapy. Rather, it is an opportunity to discover commonalities with peers and to get and receive help with problems others have already dealt with or are currently feeling. The group is appropriate for children whose”split” was a few years ago or for children who are currently involved in a split. It is helpful for children to see that they are not alone while also helping them build self-esteem by sharing coping strategies.

I will be running theses group meetings for children in grades K-4. Banana Splits groups are voluntary and will be held approximately twice a month during the lunch time. The rules for the meetings are simple. Children must attend the whole meeting if they come, they must behave in a way that allows everyone to help or be helped, and they must preserve confidentiality outside of the group. Children are encouraged to communicate with their families about the issues they raise in the group

If you would like more information about the group or would like to sign up your child, please email me at gridder@schools.nyc.gov. I will need a permission slip signed for each child that would like to participate.