Psyched About School

Something that many of us may not give much thought to is the ability to get ourselves and our children dressed in the morning before heading out to school or work.  While we may spend some time thinking about this shirt or that pair of shoes, individuals with disabilities may have to focus more on how accessible the clothing is.  For example, individuals with some disabilities may have difficulty with zippers, snaps or ties.  Clothing manufacturer Tommy Hilfiger has recently introduced a line of "adaptive clothing" for children that may help overcome these obstacles, by including magnets, velcro or other systems to improve accessibility.  We love to see companies take active steps to include children with differences.  To read more about this clothing line, follow the link below: Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive Clothing Line

We all wonder what to do on a rainy day with our young children to keep them engaged and learning. There are so many great resources on the web but here are just a few to help get through those rainy days (or spring break) until they go away. These sites offer an engaging experience for students to experience the world and beyond. They are appropriate for children PreK through 5th grade. Check them out and see what adventure your children will take you on! PBS Kids Lab National Geo KIDS Smithsonian Kids collecting Explore Dinosaurs NASA quest My wonderful world TIME for kids

When I came across this article in the Winston-Salem Journal, I had this "why didn't I think of this" moment.  During my years in this school system, I have worked with many families who wanted to be involved in their children's education but numerous obstacles stood in their way.  Thanks to an amazing idea from Javier Correa-Vega and Denise McCoy, those families will find it a little easier to support the educational needs of their children.  To find out more about this idea and how the school system hopes to implement it, visit  http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/no-ride-no-problem-renovated-bus-brings-school-to-the/article_d31ed780-da0a-5375-b765-e5703a9130a9.html

Supporting our preschoolers independence and encouraging their SELF-HELP skills is essential to their development. Here is an easy acronym for teachers to assist the young learners in developing these skills: S-Select appropriate prompts. E-Establish a routine L-Learning rather than time should be the focus F-Find appropriate rewards H- Help from related professionals is critical E-Expect positive outcomes L- Learning should be embedded in the curriculum P- Parent involvement is the foundation for success. For more information check out the article: http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=676

As the common core and end of the year testing season approaches us (although it never seems like it left), we may see an increase in children with anxiety. Sometimes kids that are seemingly holding it together, the added pressure from teachers, parents or peers can set them over.   Worry Wise Kids  offers a great deal of information for parents, teachers and others who work with students who face anxiety. It provides information about what is typical and to be expected along with Red Flags for when a child may require additional support. Anxiety in childhood is the most prevalent childhood mental health disorder, but it is also the most treatable. Check out their website for more information and ways to help and advise our parents and teachers on how to access help for our students. http://www.worrywisekids.org/

Love is in the air so it is also an important time to remind our students that love doesn't have to hurt. The APA released a pamphlet for our teenagers on being in healthy relationships. Some important facts in the flyer, state that nearly 1 in every 10 high students experience physical violence from some one they are dating.  The pamphlet provides students and educators with information about how to get help if you are a victim, perpetrator or friend of someone being hurt. It also offers resources on to our students. Lets make sure to remind our students about healthy relationships! http://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/love-teens.pdf

Camp Carousel has now posted their 2016 summer dates: Camp Carousel will be held from Monday July 18 through July 22. Most of us have heard of Camp Carousel and refer our students and their families there when they have lost a loved one, or are grieving the death of a loved one. If you have not heard of it Camp Carousel it is offered through the Hospice and Palliative Care Center in Winston Salem. It is an annual week long retreat for children (6 and up), teens and adults. The camp utilizes a multitude of therapies to assist those in coping with the loss of a loved one. We are fortunate to have such a great resource locally. Several aspects of HPCC’s Camp Carousel—in addition to its longevity—make it unique:  Camp Carousel is open to children (rising first graders through rising high school seniors), teens, and adults who are mourning the death of a loved one. Camp Carousel is offered throughout the course of an entire week, giving participants the opportunity to “practice”...

Having the appropriate types and quantities of toys and educational materials encourages and enhances hands-on learning throughout all the developmental areas. Ensuring that are students have open and easy access to materials that stimulate their social emotional, cognitive, physical and language development is essential in providing adequate support to them. Here are some tips to help pick out and design appropriate materials for our children and ways to store and clean up.  http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=222

On this site, we have posted numerous blogs about the stress facing our students.  Although this is certainly a huge problem for many children, what about the stress that teachers experience?  As I was talking with a school counselor today, she mentioned that we had a teacher out this week because she was having difficulty coping with the stress at work.  Earlier this year, a teacher told me her doctor had written her out of work for a week because the doctor felt the teacher's medical problems were the result of stress. These are just a few examples of a fairly common problem.  Teachers and other school support staff experience many of the same anxieties their students face. Because there isn't time to complete all of their job responsibilities during the school day, many end up bringing those tasks home.  Sadly, that leaves them little time to relax and leave the stress behind.  In honor of all of these hard working individuals, we thought it was time to ...

Now that my first-born child is finishing up middle school, I can hardly remember how difficult his toddler years were.  Although he was a pretty easy-going little guy, those years were still challenging as a new mom.  Since he was my first born (I still call him my "trial and error baby"), I tried to learn as much as I could ahead of each stage.  When we got to middle school, I realized there were many challenges, really big ones, I had not anticipated.  According to this article from the Arizona State University Department of Psychology, many mothers feel the same way.  The article reviews a recent study suggesting that the middle school years are actually the most difficult stage for mothers. To learn more about that study, visit  https://psychology.clas.asu.edu/content/moms-you-think-babies-are-tough-wait-until-middle-school Fortunately, many parents have forged the way for us and have wonderful advice to share.  I particularly like this article ...

We posted about the Screenagers Documentary last month.  Sherwood Forest Elementary School will showing it Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. in the gym if you would like the opportunity to see it.  Screenagers is a new documentary developed by Dr. Delaney Ruston, the mother of teenagers who has lived with the struggle over screen time herself.  "Screenagers" explores the science of how the use of devices can affect young brains.  In the documentary, one researcher cites information about how dopamine, a pleasure-producing brain chemical, may be released whenever people find or seek out new information on their devices.  Although it is wonderful how we can "google" unknown information whenever needed, what is happening to the brains of teenagers who spend an average of 6.5 hours on devices each day?  To learn more about the documentary, visit  http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/screenagers-documentary-examines-impact-screens-tech-kids-development/story?id=367035...

Lately, it seems like many students referred for academic concerns also have chronic absenteeism.  I often feel like a broken record when I stress to caregivers how important attendance is for student motivation and learning.  Just as alarming as the high absenteeism rates is the significant number of tardies accumulated by many students.  When a child comes in late, they often miss important information and find it difficult to get back on track for the day.  This article in the Huffington Post reviews a study of kindergarten students who rode the bus in their first year of formal education.  The findings suggested that riding the bus can improve the student attendance in families of all income levels.  To read the entire article, visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/school-bus-study_us_56d49dc8e4b0871f60ec46c3