K-8 Student Assistance Newsletter January & February 2020 Edition

By: Ms. Vanessa Hitchman, NCC, LAC SAC & Ms. Valerie Northey LCSW, LCADC, SAC

How to Set Effective Obtainable Goals with Your Child?

Defining Goal Setting

It is important that the child knows what goal setting is. A great way to help the child to relate to goal setting is linking it to something important to the child. Helping the child understand goal setting is working on something the child wants to improve or to accomplish. Use what motivates the child and connect it to defining goal setting and accomplishing his or her goal.

The Importance of Goal Setting Goal setting helps children to recognizes their achievements. It also helps to build up the child’s self-confidence. It teaches the child the advantage of striving toward future goals. It teaches the child how to effectively manage their time. Most of all it, it teaches him or her to take ownership for themselves.

8 Benefits of Goal Setting

v The child can identify what is significant to them and target it. v Goal setting assists the child in being aware of his or her strengths and

weaknesses. This helps the child to highlight what he or she is good at and build on his or her weaknesses.

v The child is able to take ownership of himself or herself and his or her actions. It also helps the child take the lead in shaping their future.

v Setting goals helps to enhances the self-image a child has of himself or herself.

v It provides guidance and direction to the child. v Goal setting enhances the child’s decision-making skills. v It teaches the child how to prioritizes his or her work. v It provides an experience of success for the child when he or she achieves their

goal.

Working to identify an effective obtainable goal with your child Goals may sometimes be overwhelming for children. It is important to make sure the child feels that the goal is obtainable and measurable.

Goal Setting for K-5 Grade Students The 6 Steps below will assist in making goals that the child can feel is

obtainable:

1. What? -Find out what your child is interested in accomplishing. 2. How? - Identify what resources or what actions your child is willing to go to achieve the

goal. 3. When? - Create a schedule with the child with the days and times the student is unwilling

to commit to this goal. Creating a realistic timeframe in which the goal will be accomplished by that is best suited for your child.

4. Where? - Pick a set, location will the student work on their goal. 5. Who? - Help the child identify the people and resources he or she can utilize to making

their goal a reality. 6. Why? - Assist the child in identifying why the goal is important to him or her.

Goal Setting for 6th – 8th Grade Students

Assist the student in making SMART goals. Goals that are specific, measurable, Achievable, relevant and time-bound.

S- Specific – Consider with your child what goal that he or she wants to accomplish that is beneficial to them. Discuss with your child what action steps the student is willing to take towards the goal. M-Measurable- Determine with your child what information you will wish to use to measure their progress towards their goal. What will you use to determine how well he or she is progressing? A-Achievable – Is this a goal the child can and is willing to accomplish? Does the student have the skills and resources needed to be successful in accomplishing this goal? R-Relevant- How does this goal connect with other goals the child has? What makes the accomplishment of this goal important for the student? T-Time –Bound – What is the timeframe that you and your child have decided for the child to accomplish the goal by?

Ways to track your child’s progress towards their Goal

Make the goal visible to your child so they are reminded of the goal each day. For elementary children, there can be a poster with the goal which is posted on a wall or the fridge. For middle school children, the goal can be posted on their computer or cell phone screen saver. With this visual the student can see their goal and monitor how they feel they are progressing towards their goal. Highlight the efforts you notice that your child is taking towards their goal. Encourage them with praises for the progress and efforts This will motivate them to continue to strive towards the goal. Provide the child with a notebook which they can log their progress and achievements. This will keep them invested and help track their own progress. Celebrating your child each time with a reward will inspire them to continually to strive to meet their goals. It is important the parent is continually following up with the process the student is making. It encourages the student to reflect and celebrate their successes. The parent reviews the information the child provides them with and help the child adjust their goal as needed.

7 Steps to Guide Children in making Good Informed Decisions

Decision making skills are skills children will utilize through their lives. These skills teach children how to make decision and think out the decisions that they make. Decisions students make are based on things such as their experiences and values. Decisions also can be made due to peer pressure. It is important that children know steps in making good choices. Below are a few steps to help children make effective decisions.

The Seven steps to Decision Making are listed below:

Step 1: The child defines their core values In this step, the child determines what is important and valuable to them. The child creates a list prioritizing what he or she feel is the most significant to him or her. The child can hold a conversation with an adult regarding what he or she feel is important .He or she can measure it to the potential decision that he or she is considering to make. Step 2: The child determines what circumstance may need a decision to be made. The child thinks about the problem in the situation and talks to a trusted adult about it. The adult can help the child consider what situation may need to be resolved. Step 3: The child thinks of different ideas to resolve the situation. The child has knowledge of the problem. With this knowledge, he or she creates different options he or she can use to resolve the problem. The child thinks of their values and compares them to the list of options he or she has drafted. Step 4: The child finds out as much information they can about the situation and possible solutions. The child does research and find out as much as they can about the situation. They should talk to all the people involved in the situation. Consider the viewpoints of other people in the situation. Step 5: The child considers the potential outcome of their decision. The child thinks about what may happen as a result of their actions and decision. They consider the positive and negative consequences that may occur. Step 6: The child makes a decision and acts on that decision. The student uses their viewpoint, values and information they gathered and make the best decision they can. The child makes a decision based on what is most important to them. They take ownership and responsibility for their actions. The student uses their decision as a way to learn what to do and what not to do in their future decisions. Step 7: The child analyzes and reflects on their decisions. After the child makes a decision, they reflect on the decision. They consider if it was a positive or negative decision to the problem. The child also considers how they could have improved on their decision making.

Resources: Calabrese, P. A. (2011, May 9). 7 Simple Steps to Effective Decision-Making Promote Personal Responsibility. Retrieved from https://patch.com/pennsylvania/plum-oakmont/7-simple-steps-to-effective-decision-making-promote-p58c85c24ff. How to Teach Kids Goal-Setting and Perseverance. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/2017-12-26/how-to-teach-kids-goal-setting-and-perseverance. SMART Goals: A How to Guide - University of California ... (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ucop.edu/local-human-resources/_files/performance-appraisal/How to write SMART Goals v2.pdf. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. (n.d.). Decision-making process. Retrieved from https://www.umassd.edu/fycm/decision-making/process/.

Student Assistance Program News

From 11/14/19 to 12/6/19 ,our middle school Connections students at both Franklin Middle School campuses ran a holiday drive. This drive was initiated to provide holiday gifts to the residents of Spring Hills Assisted Living Center. Our Connections students and advisors visited the Spring Hills Assisted Living Center on December 11, 2019 to spend time with the residents. There were 15 Connections students that contributed to making this drive and trip a huge success. The students played the piano, sang and danced with the residents. They also spent time in conversation with the residents. This was a great experience for the students, the residents and

advisors. The holiday drive and trip were led under the leadership of Ms. Valerie Northey, Ms. Vanessa Hitchman, Mrs. Christine Juchnevicius and Ms. Crystal Jenkins.

Pine Grove Elementary School

January & February Activities at PGM • Bullies to Buddies Program: Connie Palmer, Certified Bullies to Buddies Trainer, will be coming

to PGM to present to staff on January 13th and two student assemblies on February 4th. The Bullies to Buddies mission is to decrease hostility and increase harmony amongst children by promoting the practical application of the Golden Rule.

• Brotherhood Program: The FHS/PGM mentoring program continues to meet once a month on January 29th and February 26th to foster positive relationships between PGM students and FHS peer leaders.

• The FHS R.E.B.E.L. Anti-Tobacco Club will be coming to present to PGM’s third graders on February 12th.

• The PGM Student Ambassadors will hold a drive during the month of February to collect donations for the Franklin Animal Shelter.

• PGM’s School Counselor will deliver classroom lessons to all classes on Responsibility for the month of January and Fairness for the month of February.

Conerly Road School

January & February Activities at CRS Counseling lessons for January focus on respect and for February the theme is caring.

Claremont Elementary School

January & February Activities at CES Winter is an exciting time at CES! We recently participated in the “Thank You Cards Campaign” and delivered 1,080 cards to our veterans overseas! This January, our third graders will be participating in the REBEL Anti-Tobacco program, and our fourth graders will learn about gang awareness with Officer Dawn. Our K-5 students will participate in Junior Achievement in February. Please see below for our upcoming winter PBS events and a photo from our military. We wish all of our CES families a safe and joyful holiday and a Happy New Year!

Hillcrest Elementary School

January & February Activities and Themes:

New Year’s Resolutions

Soar to Success Store Character Education Counseling Lessons

Expectations Assemblies- Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Kind! Making Good Choices

Week of Kindness- Kindness Challenge! Me and My Dance

Elizabeth Avenue School

January & February Activities at EAS The counseling department has been hosting “Student of the Month” celebrations, each month having its own theme. So far, the themes have included Equality and Kindness and in the new year we will celebrate Conflict resolution and Responsibility. Prek-5 students are nominated by their teachers and celebrate with music, prizes, and a certificate.

In January, we will be implementing the SMILE program in which students who display the need for additional behavioral support are paired with a mentor and check in and out with teachers. The counseling department will be having a “Friendship Group” in which 5th grade girls meet to talk about what it means to be a friend and a positive influence on others. The counseling department will also be participating in the “Kindness Challenge” in which students are challenged to complete as many kind acts as possible through the month of January. Students and classes are given prizes for their acts of kindness and kindness posters. The month concludes with a fun pep rally all about kindness and doing the right thing.

Franklin Park School

January & February Activities at FPS • Character Education Lessons focusing on Responsibility and Fairness • We will have our monthly Peacemaker recognition lunch where a student from each

classroom will be recognized for exhibiting “Responsible” character during the month of January and “Fair” character during the month of February

• In January, we will have our annual PBSIS Booster Assembly • On January 30th Franklin High School REBEL Anti-Tobacco Club will present to our

3rd graders their infamous "Nic, Nicotine & Friends" Puppet Show! This interactive educational program is designed to educate elementary school children about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

• In February, the Tender Smiles Dental Clinic will be visiting to help us make good choices for our teeth

• Also, in February our PTO will be selling Valentine’s Day Grams! An opportunity for students to show someone they care through a Valentine Gram.

Franklin Middle School One School

Two Campuses

Franklin Middle School at the Hamilton Street Campus

FMS@HSC Activities

January & February College & Career Activities

January

Alumni Day 1.7.2020 Financial Literacy Lunch & Learn 1.15.2020

January Omega Leadership Information Session 6-8th Grade 1.10.2020

February

Law & Public Safety Lunch & Learn 2.19.2020 College Funding Coach 2.12.2020 (Parent Engagement)

Social Emotional Learning Activities

SEL Dates: January 6, 2020 and February 3, 2020

The SEL topic is Social Awareness.

Franklin Middle School at the SGS Campus

FMS@SGS January & February Activities

“PEACEFUL WARRIORS” Program: Students engaging in Acts of Kindness continue to be recognized as “Peaceful Warriors”. Career Café guest speakers: -1/6/20 Franklin High School Alumni -2/19/20 Somerset County Courts Presentation “Tuesday Talks” “Social Emotional Learning” questions are discussed every Tuesday 1/7/20- 1/9/20 Naviance lessons on College & Career Readiness 1/10/20 RIME Bridge Building Competition 1/15/20- 1/16/20 FHS counselors visit the 8th graders to discuss course selection for 9th grade 1/22/20 Trip to Amazon Fulfillment Center for selected group of students 1/30/20 Junior Achievement Program presented by FHS JROTC students to

students of Leadership Mindset, Social Emotional Leadership and Pathways to College & Career Readiness classes. Curriculum will focus on “Economics for Success”.

2/4/20 and 2/7/20 Counselors will visit EAS, CES and FPS 5th grade students to begin the

transition to FMS, including discussion of electives. 2/10/20-2/14/20 Counselors will visit the 6th and 7th graders to discuss elective choices for

2020-2021. 2/13/20 FMS@SGS Open House (6:00pm- 7:30pm)