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Counseling Connection
bridgettecarter.weebly.com May 2019

Thank you for another great year!

Attached you will find a fun challenge to enjoy this summer. We have worked hard during the school year to
master the Choose Love social emotional skills. Don’t let that social emotional learning (SEL) disappear when
your summer fun starts. Start the Summer SEL Bingo challenge, a reminder of how to use kind, respectful
behavior during your summer break…or any time.

How to complete your Summer SEL Bingo:

1. For each social emotional skill listed, practice using that skill in a real life situation (at the park, working
on chores, in the car, on vacation)
2. Share in words, write a brief summary or draw a picture of what happened
3. When done, mark off that skill
4. After completing all the skills, congratulate yourself for working to become a kinder, more capable
person – yay for you!

Where can you practice your Choose Love skills? Anywhere.

Being able to use skills such as calming down, listening and communicating respectfully, and making
responsible choices is important whether you are at home, the movies, a friend’s house, on a family vacation
or just about anywhere.

When should you practice your Choose Love skills? All the time.
Practice the social emotional skills you learned in class throughout your day: getting ready for camp, playing
with friends, working on group projects, asking for help, meeting new people – any time.

Make Summer Learning a Family Affair

§ Develop social emotional learning (SEL) by completing the attached
Summer SEL Bingo challenge.
§ Participate in community service activities as a family.
§ Schedule daily reading times or have a family book club for the
summer.
§ Work on math activities together. Play games that require counting.
Board games and card games use math skills!
§ Develop a family writing project. Write thank you notes or write
letters to out of town family members.
Bridgette Carter | School Counselor, SK-7
Harding Academy of Memphis
1100 Cherry Road
Memphis, TN 38117
901-763-3280
carter.bridgette@hardingacademymemphis.org
Home&School
Working Together for School Success
May 2019
SHORT
NOTES
Being neighborly
Show your child how
neighbors can depend on each other.
If a package is delivered on a rainy day
and the family isn’t home, she could
write a note saying she’s holding it for
them. Or if someone leaves headlights
on, knock on their door together to let
the person know.
Everyday research
Sharpen your youngster’s research
skills by challenging him to use them
for practical purposes. Say he wants
a pet or wonders why he needs to go
to bed on time. Ask him to look into
what being a pet owner would require
or how sleep affects kids.
Growing up
As your child approaches puberty,
she might compare herself to others.
Explain that everyone develops at their
own pace. The tallest person in her
class right now may not be tallest
in a few months. Good hygiene can
boost confidence, so discuss routines
like showering and using deodorant.
Worth quoting
“It’s not what you look at that matters.
It’s what you see.” Henry David Thoreau
JUST FOR FUN
Q: Why do bees hum?
A: Because they forget the words!
© 2019 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
CONNECTION
Harding Academy
®
Bridgette Carter, School Counselor
Summer learning traditions
Your child has spent the entire
school year learning new
things. Help him hang
onto that knowledge,
and learn even more,
by starting summer
traditions like these.
STEM Olympics
Boost your young-
ster’s STEM skills with
a series of household
engineering competi-
tions. For the first contest,
each person could build a catapult
with craft sticks and rubber bands.
See whose catapult can launch a ball the
farthest. Next, maybe family members will on July 21 or a back-to-school celebration
compete to engineer a boat that carries the the last weekend of summer break.
most pennies without sinking.
Reading pals
Family celebrations For a fun way to stay in touch—and
Have your child use math to plan practice reading — help your youngster
special events, such as an Independence find a relative to be his reading pal.
Day cookout. Give him a budget, and let Maybe he and his grandfather will take
him look through grocery and dollar store turns reading chapters of a novel via
flyers for the best prices on ingredients video chat. Or record a video of your
and supplies. He should list items and youngster reading a book to send to a
prices, and add up the total. Next, perhaps younger cousin. The little one can do
he’ll host a National Ice Cream Day party the same to show her big cousin how
she’s learning to read.♥
Let’s limit screen time
For a healthier body and mind, your
youngster needs to fill her days with
something other than screen time. Here’s
how to encourage physical activity and
real-life interactions:
● Decide on a daily screen time limit that
is right for your family. Then, create rules to
enforce the limit, such as “Play outside every day” and “Screen
time ends at least one hour before bedtime.”
● Be a role model by putting away devices yourself. For example, avoid using
your phone when you’re talking to or playing with your youngster. Or turn off
the TV, and announce that it’s time for a walk together.♥
Home & School CONNECTION ®
May 2019 • Page 2

Beyond please Likewise, let her know to

acknowledge when they leave
and thank you by walking them to the door
and saying goodbye.
Whether your child is at home, in Share public spaces.
public, or at someone else’s house, When you use an escalator,
using good manners shows respect you might say to your
for others. Consider these tips. child, “We’re standing on
Acknowledge visitors. Explain the right side. The left side
how to welcome guests. If your is for walking.” Or while
youngster is playing a game and waiting for the elevator,
people visit, she should stop and chat. you could tell her, “Let’s
step back so people can

ACTIVITY
get off before we get on.”

CORNER Answer politely. “Would

you like pretzels or grapes?” When your child is offered options
What’s in the at someone else’s home, she may think it’s good manners to
reply, “Either one.” Point out that it’s more helpful for the host
newspaper? if she says what she wants. (“I’d like grapes, thank you.”)♥
A newspaper brings plenty of learning
opportunities to your youngster’s door- Q Musical experiences
step. Take advantage of the paper with &
A school.
these activities. Q: My daughter loves music class in
Alphabet grab bag She said she’ll miss it this
Let your child cut out individual let- summer. Any ideas for “music class” at home?
ters from headlines and use them to A: It’s great that your child likes music. In
spell as many words as possible. He addition to bringing lifelong enjoyment,
might also make sentences using upper- music can improve math and language skills
case and lowercase letters. by helping her recognize patterns and build vocabulary.
Comic relief Luckily, music is everywhere. Explore styles by listening to different radio sta-
Your youngster tions in the car. Or let her ask your smart speaker to play everything from rock
can put events in and jazz to classical and bluegrass. Encourage your daughter to discover favorite
a logical sequence genres and songs and to sing and clap along.
with this idea. Cut If your community has a summer concert series, plan to attend a few shows
out comic strip panels, mix them up, together. She’ll get to see and hear a variety of instruments — not only guitars and
and ask him to arrange them in the right drums, but perhaps banjos, bagpipes, or accordions.
order. For a bigger challenge, mix up Also, check the parks and recreation department for low-cost music classes.
panels from several comic strips for him Maybe she’ll learn to read music, sing harmonies, or even play the ukulele.♥
to sort and put in order.
Picture this
Have your child practice critical think- PARENT Appreciating teachers
ing. Cut out a newspaper photograph TO
PARENT
During a recent top note, he wrote, “Thank you for
and show it to him without the caption
PTA meeting, par- teaching me to write!” Since his art
or article. Can he figure out what the arti-
ents were brainstorming low-cost gift teacher’s favorite color is yellow, he’s
cle is about? He could write a caption for
ideas for Teacher Appreciation making her a yellow-
the photo, then read the article to see if
Week May 6–10. I wanted my themed goody bag with
his caption makes sense.♥
son Aiden to recognize dollar store items—
O U R P U R P O S E what his teachers do for including highlighters
To provide busy parents with practical ideas him, so I wrote down the with a note saying, “You
that promote school success, parent involvement,
and more effective parenting. suggestions for him to shine bright!”
Resources for Educators, choose from. Aiden is enjoying
a division of CCH Incorporated My son decided to put putting together the
128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630
800-394-5052 • rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com candy, pencils, and sticky gifts. He can’t wait
www.rfeonline.com notes into a jar for his class- to hand them out and
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room teacher. On the pad’s express his appreciation.♥
© 2019 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
 SUMMER SEL
IDENTIFY YOUR
BINGO CALM DOWN FOLLOW DIRECTIONS
OWN FEELINGS STRONG FEELINGS
Focus your attention and listen.
“What am I feeling?” Stop. Name your feeling. Breathe. Listening helps you
All feelings are natural. Some are Say “Stop” and name your feelings have fun and stay safe
stronger than others. to begin calming down.

OFFER A SINCERE APOLOGY BE KIND SOLVE PROBLEMS

“I’m sorry for pushing you down. I hurt Be friendly, generous, “How should I do this?”
you and that was wrong. Next time I will and think of others. Find solutions to challenges.
ask for what I want instead of pushing. Kindness is compassion in action!
Do you want to play with the Legos?”

BE ASSERTIVE PLAY FAIR EMPATHIZE

“Please don’t push me in line.” Play together. Trade. Take turns. “I know how you feel.” Understand
Respectfully say what you need or Follow the rules. Share. Invite other’s people’s feelings.
stand up for others without being others to play.
mean or hurtful.