Stoner Prairie Elementary
Oct. Part Three
CONNECTION POINT
Blue Zone
THIS WEEK AT SPES
JUST A NOTE
CONNECTION
SCHOOL COUNSELING
Examples: Sad, Disappointed, Low
Body Clues: Head dropping, shoulders dropping
Helpful Strategies: Energizing
Remind your learner that when they line up efficiently, it makes more time for fun! Lining up for gym? If students line up quickly and safely, they get more gym time! We can ignore and move away from others who are bugging us in line.
Miriam Browman
Stoner Prairie - School Counselor
brownme@verona.k12.wi.us
This week in guidance we talked about lining up. Lining up means using a safe body to move to your spot and wait your turn so everyone can move safely together. You listen to the directions and keep personal space. We make sure there is a gap between our bodies and others.
Responsibility means doing what needs to be done and owning our choices. It builds confidence and smooths days at school and at home, like starting work and returning materials at school, and getting ready and cleaning up at home. If you want to help your child, pick one daily job for two weeks, teach it when calm, add a picture cue, give one short prompt, then notice effort.
CONNECTION POINT
Yellow Zone
JUST A NOTE
THIS WEEK AT SPES
Stoner Prairie Elementary
Oct. Part 2
CONNECTION
SCHOOL COUNSELING
Miriam Browman
Stoner Prairie - School Counselor
brownme@verona.k12.wi.us
Examples: Excited, Frustrated, Silly
Body Clues: High energy, tense muscles, fast breathing and heart rate
Helpful Strategies: Calming
Try: The Body Scanner
This week in guidance we talked about transitioning to the next activity. This means we stop our body and brain, listen, and then move. At home you can use tools such as timers, verbal countdowns, and visuals to help your student transition.
You can ask your student to help you make a plan: “In five minutes it will be time to leave for school, what is the first thing you’ll need to do? Then what comes next?
Help your child build a growth mindset with a simple routine. When you hear “I can’t do it,” pause and prompt them to add “yet.” Practice the full sentence together: “I can’t do this yet.” Explain that “yet” means we are still learning. Praise effort and strategy. “You kept going and tried a new way.”
Stoner Prairie Elementary
Oct. Part One
CONNECTION POINT
Blue Zone
THIS WEEK AT SPES
JUST A NOTE
CONNECTION
SCHOOL COUNSELING
Examples: Sad, Bored, Tired
Body Clues: Crying, Low Energy, Limbs feels Heavy
Helpful Strategies: Energizing
Try: Animal Yoga
Have you noticed your child doing something kind or helpful? Saying it out loud helps them see it, too. You might say, “I saw you hold the door open for your sister,” “You were really patient when I was on the phone,” or “I noticed you gave your friend a turn without being asked.” These everyday moments might feel small, but noticing and naming them helps your child build a habit of kindness and see themselves as someone who cares for others.
Remind your learner that it’s important to tell someone when they are leaving the group for whatever reason. If they want to change what activity they are playing, they can thank the person they were playing with an explain that they are trying something else.
Miriam Browman
Stoner Prairie - School Counselor
brownme@verona.k12.wi.us
This week in guidance we talked about the importance of staying with the group. For safety, staying with the group means adults know where we are. For learning, it means we learn our best. For friends, it show we care when we stay with them!
CONNECTION POINT
Yellow Zone
JUST A NOTE
If your child shares a tricky friend moment, ask follow-ups like, “What do you wish you had said?” or “What would you do differently next time?” You can also model boundary-setting by saying, “It’s okay to ask for space” or “You can say no kindly.” When reading or watching stories that involve friendship, pause to talk about fairness, kindness, or hurt feelings to build real-world friendship skills.
THIS WEEK AT SPES
Stoner Prairie Elementary
Sept. Part 2
CONNECTION
SCHOOL COUNSELING
Miriam Browman
Stoner Prairie - School Counselor
brownme@verona.k12.wi.us
Examples: Excited, Frustrated, Silly
Body Clues: High energy, tense muscles, fast breathing and heart rate
Helpful Strategies: Calming
Try: Rainbow Breathing
This week in guidance we talked about how being a first-time listener includes following directions. We pause our thoughts, look at the speaker, think about their words and then act. It shows we care when we listen and we feel cared for when others listen to us
At home, show them how being a first-time listener means that there is more time to do fun things. When we listen right away we can transition efficiently and get more fun time!
Stoner Prairie Elementary
First Grade
CONNECTION POINT
Blue Zone
THIS WEEK AT SPES
JUST A NOTE
CONNECTION
SCHOOL COUNSELING
Examples: Sad, Bored, Tired
Body Clues: Crying, Low Energy, Limbs feels Heavy
Helpful Strategies: Energizing
Try: Salamander Yoga
You probably have lots of questions about how your child’s new school year is going, but “How was school?” often leads to a one-word answer. Try asking something more specific like, “What felt easy today?” “What’s something you learned?” or “Who did you sit with at lunch?” If they’re not ready to talk right away, give it time and try again later - maybe while they’re having a snack or getting ready for bed - when they may be more open to sharing.
Being a First-Time Listener fits in with our “Big Four” of Being Kind, Responsible, Safe, and a Problem-Solver. We feel cared for when others listen. We can do our learning jobs better when we listen. We can stay safe in emergencies by listening, and we keep problems small when we listen!
Miriam Browman
Stoner Prairie - School Counselor
brownme@verona.k12.wi.us
This week in guidance we talked about the importance of being First-Time Listeners! Being a first-time listener helps create a class community that everyone wants to be a part of. We talked about keeping our eyes watching, ears listening, voices quiet, and bodies calm.