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The Art of Listening

Sixth graders have had days filled with excitement with the National Anthem exams and pictures being taken; they really looked elegant on Friday, wearing their formal uniforms.

This week, we´ll be learning about the art of listening as being part of growing in self- confidence. Listening to other people is a way to show respect, not only hearing the words they say but understanding the meaning behind the words. Students will demonstrate in skits prepared by themselves that verbal and nonverbal behaviors may interfere with listening.

Value of the month: patience

In May, we'll start learning about patience. Being patient involves strength and serenity to overcome difficulties while waiting or working for a desired goal, where the goodness achieved compensates the hard time of "waiting".

During this week, students will make posters about patience and will work on presenting short skits to illustrate this important virtue.

watch this video about the patience of a legendary rock climber, Lynn Hill.

Earth Day

We'll be celebrating Earth Day this week. Middle school students will have a assembly with special presentations and a speaker from the Asociation A Mi Tigra.

Class presidents will be invited to a special ceremony where principals will plant trees.

All teachers will engage students in activities to help them understand the importance of conservating our planet.

In order to support a vivid experience, every student will receive a young tree to take home and take care of it. If a student does not have a place where to plant the tree, he may bring it back to school and we'll surely find it a place.

Just imagine, there'll be more than 1000 trees planted in our surroundings after April 22!...

The Value of Humility

As April goes by, we´ll learn about the new value of the month: humility.

Humility is about knowing your great worth as a person, but accepting that others have the same value as you do. It is about considering yourself with satisfaction,not too low, yet not too high. It´s about accepting your mistakes with simplicity, and correcting them. More than this, humility is not bragging about what we are or have, and accepting that others can be better than us in any aspect like foot ball, science, cooking, etc.

This week, students will work in groups to represent their ideas on humility. They´ll write an essay and do posters.

Here´s a video we´ll watch in class. It´s about the last inning of a girls´ softball game where two players humbly admit the greatness of a home run hit by a player of the oponent team; they even "help her make the home run". The video is inspired on a true story.

Self-confidence

The next couple of classes will be dedicated to learn about self-confidence. This is a concept that is very important for adolescents because they need to feel well about themselves to find new and positive possibilities in their lives.



We should be ready to discuss about ways we can show respect for ourselves, since this is a core foundation of self-confidence. Respecting oneself helps us make positive decisions that will enable us to have a safe growth.

These are some issues that we should think about, regarding this topic: Do I have friends who like me just as I am? Do I let peers make my decisions for me? Do I exercise frequently? Do I get the sleep I need? Do I eat healthy food? Do I do my best?

It is a wise decision to slowly and thoughtfully build up our self-confidence; it will be one of the most helpful weapons we may have in the journey of adolescence.


Don't forget to remind your parents that this Tuesday, March 23, we have a school wide presentation. The topic is "Preparing Ourselves for Our Children's Adolescent Years".

Working as a group

Kids have been working in developing skills to reinforce how to work as a group. Listening to each other and using body language, like turning towards the speaker are things that sometimes we all forget. Listening is an art that is achieved only through practice. It is a wonderful way of letting others know that we care about them and that we think they are important. It´s all about respect.

This week we´ll start a special group project. Students will work in small groups to make banners allusive to Earth Day. The best banner will be given an award, and kids are excited to carry out their work.

We are trying to reinforce in kids the abilities to work together, and at the same time make them think and work for something as noble as helping spread the word that we all need to collaborate to keep our planet green.

Please save this date on your calendar:

Earth Awareness Project

This month we start to learn about the value of responsibility. sixth graders will focus this week on ways to be responsible of the wellness of our planet Earth. As preparation to celebrate Earth Day, on April 22, students will participate in a baner contest.

this project will concentrate two aspects, saving water and not littering our planet.

Here is a video about the reasons to save water.

Responsibility

This month we'll be learning about the value of responsibility. This value is considered to be the outmost objective of education because when someone acts responsibly, he is also telling others and himself about his level of maturity, and acquisition of character. Knowing how to make good desicions and facing the consequences of those desicions is a core life skill. Liberty and responsibility form a binomial concept; they go together, hand in hand. No wonder it has been said that beside the statue of liberty there should be a statue of responsibility.

Middle School students, need solid anchors or limits and the security that they will grow into wonderful, talented,independent adults. this is the time to think about values and observe those of parents, or people they admire. Mistakes are natural, mostly in this phase of life; just think that every day is brand new start!

Life is full of choices and young adolescents have to learn how to be in control of their choices. this is a big challenge, but it can be achieved by setting specific and reasonable goals and persist until they are attained.

Here are two questions for students:

Do you apologize when wrong?
Do you keep your commitments?

Understanding Adolescence

This coming week the Lions-Quest course will continue to focus on the changes that kids go through in adolescence. The important thing is to make them understand that the physical, social and emotional, and intellectual and academic changes they face, are normal. Also, we want them to know that they can have the time of their lives!

Also, our school is helping locally to save the hungry by making bowls which will be sold on Empty Bowl's night. Kids are supporting this activity by making bowls and buying t-shirts.

Exploring the Changes of Early Adolescence

This week we'll start taking a look at some of the changes and challenges of the early years in adolescence. Adolescence is a unique period of time in our lives that takes place before adulthood. sixth grade students are in the middle of their early adolescence, which includes approximately the ages of 10 to 14.

Kids can expect changes in their physical, intellectual, social, and emotional areas, as they develop. feeling surprised, embarrassed, excited, or confused about these changes is absolutelly normal.

The purpose of the lesson is to make kids understand these changes they're going through, in order for them to be able to use this information to help them in school, with friends, and at home. Another maing goal of the lesson is to help kids clarify doubts and concerns they might have about this important phase of life.

This is the time for parents to be more vigilant of their children and "be there" for them. Here's a video that illustrates this idea.

Building a classroom community

This past week we have been working with students in creating a classroom community that is nice to be in because it's a place to learn. One of the things that we covered is the fact that sometimes students tear each other down instead of building each other up. Words and actions may hurt people, and students need to have more build-ups and fewer put-downs in their lives to become all they can be.

Friendship week ended with a general assembly for Middle School students, where sixth graders presented skits related to the topic, a seventh grader sang "I"ll be there for you", and we also had a speaker refer to the topic. Besides, students exchanged friendship bands.



Next week, students will continue building a classroom learning community by getting to know each other better and deepening their relationships. They will explore what things they have in common, and also they'll identify their interests,and differences in the hope that they their friendships improve.

A New Lions-Quest Course

Last week, with the beginning of the third quarter, we started the new Lions-Quest Course with the second half of the students in sixth grade.

"Skills for Adolescence from the Lions-Quest Program is designed to fulfill requierements to respond to the changing world faced by young people and their families. The program helps to create the meaningful experiences, opportunities, and relationships young people need to be caring, capablem, and contributing members of society." (Program Guide, p.8)

Your child will be learning skills that will give him/her the basis to grow in self-discipline, responsibility, respect and a decision making process.

On the other hand, next week we'll be celebrating "Friendship Week" as a school wide campaign. Students from the Lions-Quest Course have been engaged in preparing activities for that week, for example, making wrist bands for themselves and others, and practicing skits for the general assembly, on Friday the 5th.

Growing in Responsibility

This week we are focusing on responsibility, trying to learn how to recognize responsible and irresponsible behaviors. Another aspect of the lesson is to think of the reasons why people act responsibly, and examine the positive influences that shape behavior. Also, the lesson includes the positive consequences of acting responsibly and the negative consequences of being irresponsible.

A good point that is being stressed is the fact that parents and families can give us wise direction and a solid foundation, but, it is each person who will decide in the end, who they will become.

Some ways to practice being responsible are:
* Making smart and healthy decisions
* Doing chores at home
* Being on time
* Keeping promises
* Showing respect
* Doing what you're supposed to do
* Showing initiative
* Being dependable
* Being trustworthy

Respecting Yourself and Others

This week, we'll be praccticing in class how to show respect to others. Respect is one of the aspects of self-confidence; we'll encourage students to demonstrate respect toward others, starting with their classmates. It is also important for students to learn to recognize individual differences. Parents can set the example of respect by doing practical things like listening carefully to their kids. We can show appreciation with words,by having eye contact, giving a pat on the back, or a smile. Remember that letting our kids know that they are appreciated and respected will help them increase their self-confidence! Here is a video I found in watchknow.org, which contains some information about the art of listening.