Whitmore Bolles School Social Worker

Happy October everyone. It’s officially Fall, one of the greatest months in my opinion! A new month, brings us to another Leader in Me Habit to focus on for the month of October.

Habit #2: Beginning with the end in mind.

Having the end in mind is all about helping your child achieve their goals. Children have many goals, like learning to ride a bike, doing well on a math test, scoring a touchdown on their football team, learning a new instrument, or making a new friend. We have goals for our children too, like teaching them to be kind, self-motivated, respectful, well-mannered, and helpful around the house. Children often focus on the present, which can make goal attainment a challenging task. The key to accomplishing goals, whether big or small, is creating a plan.

Help your child meet their goals by breaking them down into smaller, achievable steps. This helps your child focus on specific tasks, while understanding that learning something new or getting what they want takes patience and commitment. A reward system such as a marble jar is a great way for children to work on small steps toward a larger goal.

Marble Jar Examples:

Reading: A marble could be earned by reading a book, or a chapter for older students.

Chores: Earn a marble by completing chores (Compete with self or siblings to see how fast you can fill the jar before the month is over).

School behaviors: Earn a marble every day after school for certain behaviors successfully completed during the day.

Have the full jar represent the goal that the child is working towards. This could be mastering a skill or working towards a fun activity. The marble jar is an effective example, but there are many more ways to involve your child at home. You could reward small steps by using stickers on a calendar, a color-in thermometer, giving puzzle pieces for small accomplishments, receiving a letter in a designated prize word, and many more.

By using reward systems, children can complete the small steps involved in their personal, or your family’s larger goal. This gives them a tool to observe their progress while keeping the end in mind, all while having some fun in the process. Remember, a goal without a plan is just a wish. Have some fun with your kids this month working towards something great!

Submitted by Ally DeMaagd, Social Work Intern

Games are a really great way to have fun and bond with your kids.  I’d like to share a game called:  “Who Am I?”  It is a game you can play one-on-one with your child or as a group with anyone that would like to join.  In “Who Am I,” you are gathering information about yourself and sharing it with others.  Through sharing, you are promoting self-awareness and positive feelings towards yourself and each other.

Materials:

Sheet of paper with t-shirt outline: Two for each person

Markers

Other decorative supplies

Directions:  Give each person two sheets of paper with t-shirt outline – one for the front of the shirt and one for the back.  On the front of the shirt, write what people know about you – things that on the surface are obvious (Girl, brown hair, green eyes, 3^rd grade, etc.).  On the back of the shirt, you are going to write things that are deeper than the surface, or not known to the general public  (Afraid of the dark, doesn’t like broccoli, gets upset when people interrupt them).

Discussion:  After you do this, have each person share with the group or the other person what they put on each side of the shirt and why.  Then, have a discussion about what similarities and what differences we might have with each other and how we respect each other with this knowledge.  It might also be important to impart to your child that we won’t always know each person we encounter as well as the people in the group, but that everyone has their own unique perspective on the world just like we do.  This game is a great way that we can teach respect for ourselves, and others.

Submitted By: Grace Jackson, Social Worker Intern

Entering a new school year, Whitmore-Bolles is beginning its third year as a Leader In Me School. The school at large has chosen to further implement the eight habits by focusing on one of the habits every month. As the school year unfolds, we will strive to integrate all the habits as they are added month by month. School is a great place for your child to work on developing healthy habits and leadership roles. We are excited to see students implement these habits and progress over the school year. However, we cannot do it alone. As a parent, you can help further develop these skills by encouraging these habits at home.

September: Habit #1 Be Proactive

For the month of September, we are starting from the top with Habit #1: Be Proactive. Being proactive means taking responsibility for your own choices and behaviors. Students are learning to gain control over their own thoughts, feelings, and emotions, while assuming responsibility for their actions. Proactivity involves control over one’s reactions. In comparison to a bottle of water, a bottle of soda will fizz and explode when shaken vigorously. Students are encouraged to act like the bottle of water when encountering a difficult task, a mean remark, or an unexpected outcome, instead of exploding like the bottle of soda.

As adults, we also need to be proactive by monitoring our reactions. A long work day, a defiant child, transportation issues, and a spilled cup of coffee are only a few of the common difficulties many frequently encounter. Just like these students are learning, we can only control ourselves and our reactions to these events. Mindful parenting is a term used to encourage parents to understand your own thoughts and emotions before reacting to a situation. Susan Kaiser Greenland address this topic in her book, The Mindful Child. She stresses the importance of taking time to recognize what is going on within you in order to better understand what is happening to you. This is an awesome book if you are looking for practical ways to use mindfulness in your home, while improving your child’s behavior. Children are perceptive. By modeling proactive habits in your home, they will learn to better monitor their own emotions and react in a way that positively involves everyone around them. In this way, you will teach them to be leaders by leading by example.

Putting it to Practice:

• Saying you’re sorry: Being proactive means taking responsibility. Encourage your child to take responsibility for their actions and apologize accordingly. Take time to lead by example by saying you’re sorry when you may have reacted inappropriately to or around your child. In this way, your child will learn to apologize by watching you.
• Role play: Take on the role of a classmate or a teacher. Help your child navigate their thoughts and emotions in response to common issues of bullying, sharing, differences in opinion, and teacher expectations.
• Do something fun: Enjoy the beautiful weather and do something fun. Take your child to the park, go out for lunch, or meet another family for a play date. Interacting with your child outside of the home will give you opportunities to continue to model proactive behavior, while spending quality time together.

The Mindful Child https://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Child-Manage-Happier-Compassionate/dp/1416583009/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317654802&sr=1-1

Submitted By: Allison DeMaagd, Social Worker Intern

Hello!

Below is a flyer with information regarding an upcoming Provider Fair.  At this event, there will be information for summer camp, recreation, and enrichment opportunities for students with special needs.  There will be applications for summer programs available in the area for your student!

Provider Fair Flyer

Please attend this great event!

Ms. Johnston

Good Afternoon,

Jo Brighton is hosting a life planning educational workshop for families who have children with special needs on May 11th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Below is the flyer with more detailed information. I  highly encourage you to attend this informational event regarding transitional services for our special needs students and children.

Life Planning for Children with Special Needs

Thank You!

Ms. Johnston

YUM!! Make sure to head over to Yogurtopia on Monday, February 27th! Part of the sale supports Whitmore-Bolles!

Happy New Year!

Please see the link below in order to encourage families with special needs children to register their children with the Special Needs 911 Registry of Dearborn.

Special Needs Registry

Thank you!

Ms. Johnston

Hello!

There will be a winter coat give-away on Sunday, December 18th.  Please see the flyer picture below!

Hello!

Winter resources are available.  If you are in need of winter coats, gloves, or hats, please contact me at johnstk@dearbornschools.org or 313-827-7292.

Stay warm!

Ms. Johnston

Good Morning!

The Dearborn Police and Fire Departments are reaching out to best serve all Dearborn residents.  In an effort to improve service to Dearborn residents with family members with mental health issues or intellectual or physical impairments, the Police and Fire departments have initiated a program so that these special needs can be registered in advance, in case an emergency occurs.  Called the Special Needs 911 Registry, this voluntary program allows residents or family members to alert public safety responders that individuals with special needs live in their home.  Among the conditions that may mean special care is needed from public safety responders are Autism, Alzheimer’s Disease, Down Syndrome, and physical disabilities.

The Special Needs 911 Registry form can be found on the City of Dearborn website.  You can type “disabilities” into the search box on the website as well.  Registration forms can be obtained and submitted at the front desk of the Police Department – 16099 Michigan Avenue.  Police, Fire, and EMS Staff can be more equipped to serve people with special needs if helpful information is known before they arrive at a scene.  It also enhances the safety for all residents.

Here is the link to the City of Dearborn and registry form:

https://www.cityofdearborn.org/services/public-safety/dearborn-special-needs-registry

Hope this is helpful!

Ms. Johnston