Feeling Safe At School and Home

I hope you’re feeling okay and that you are treating yourself gently as you continue to support your students, families, and coworkers. I’m sure that many of us had similar experiences today. Somehow, it helped to know that even though we were miles away from each other, we were all working together in support of our school families, and of each other.

Today was a busy, overwhelming day, but I do feel like we made a good beginning at helping our students feel safe and able to express and help themselves with their feelings.

Talking with Students in Response to the Sandy Hook Shooting

I’m sure all of you are heartbroken over the tragedy of the shooting at Sandy Hook. I’m also sure that you’ve been very busy trying to prepare for your response at school tomorrow and in the following week. I too have been busy trying to make sure that we have all our supports in place at my school, while also supporting the new elementary school counselors in my district as they plan their responses. And also while trying to care for myself as I process this horrible situation and steady myself for the work I need to do.

One of the things I did was to create a script for my colleagues, outlining how and what I will say when I go into the classrooms tomorrow. In case that is also helpful for you, I have linked to it here.

First Grade Lessons for Sexual Abuse Prevention

My first grade sexual abuse prevention lessons revisit and build upon the skills and concepts covered in kindergarten. (See Kindergarten Lessons for Sexual Abuse Prevention.) For this series of three lessons you will need the books I Can Play It Safe by Alison Feigh, Your Body Belongs to You by Cornelia Maude Spelman, and Do You Have a Secret? by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos. For the activities you will also need some coloring pages, a Good Secrets Box, and Secrets Cards. (Find links for these resources below.)

More Career Role Models

In an earlier post, Role Models – on Paper!, I shared the fun  and informative Career Paper Dolls created by Hannah Holt of Lightbulb Books. Hannah has added more interesting career characters to her collection, and she even included some neuroscientists, which I had requested! (Learning about the brain is a BIG deal at our school!) The newly highlighted careers are neurologist, neurosurgeon, mathematician, post-doc computer programmer, large animal veterinarian, and helicopter pilot.