Stoner Prairie Elementary
Fourth Grade
CONNECTION POINT
Blue Zone
THIS WEEK AT SPES
JUST A NOTE
CONNECTION
SCHOOL COUNSELING
Miriam Browman
Stoner Prairie - School Counselor
brownme@verona.k12.wi.us
This week we focused on the “Talk it Out” strategy for peaceful problem-solving. When we talk it out, we use three sentence starters: “I feel…”, “When you…,”, “Can you please…”
It’s important when we talk it out that we are clear about what we want the person to do instead: “can you please share,” “Can you please give me a turn.”
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.
Examples: Sad, Bored, Tired
Body Clues: Crying, Low Energy, Limbs feels Heavy
Helpful Strategies: Energizing
Try: Animal Yoga
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
We paired strategies with different scenarios. If a student is pulling on your arm and won’t let go, we should tell them to stop in a firm voice. If someone is bragging about this gaming system, we can ignore. If we accidentally take someone’s spot, we can apologize.
Talk to your student about why we want to solve problems peacefully. Our school feels better, we have stronger friendships, and we have a classroom where more learning and fun happens!
Stoner Prairie Elementary
Fourth 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.
Miriam Browman
Stoner Prairie - School Counselor
brownme@verona.k12.wi.us
We explored peaceful strategies for solving problems. Ideas we listed: ignoring, waiting and cooling off, talking it out, telling them to stop, taking turns and sharing, walking away, and apologizing.
Ignoring is especially useful for small problems where no one is getting hurt physically!