Parents,
We will have a visit from scales and tails this Thursday. They will be doing a bird show for us. The show is from 11:30 to 12:30. We are asking that the afternoon kids be dropped off at 11:20 and that the morning kids be picked up at 12:30. Please email me if you have questions.
We will be talking about the plants and animals of the polar regions in Asia and doing an experiment with stems.
There is no school on Friday the 13th and Monday the 16th. Enjoy a long weekend!
This week we will be talking about Steven Covey’s 4th Habit of Happy Kids which is “Think Win-Win”. In this habit we will be moving from the private victory to the public victory. Our first 3 habits were all about bettering ourselves and improving our own lives. The first three habits are really the most attainable habits for our early childhood students who are still in the process of developing an awareness of others . However, the next four can be done with adult scaffolding and are certainly things children should be exposed to and practice on a daily basis. With “Think win-win” we will learn about 4 outcomes that are available when you interact with someone else; win-win, win-loose, loose-win, and loose-loose.
Win-Win- “Let’s find a solution that works for both of us.” These are people who search for solutions that make them happy and at the same time make others happy. People in this category have both the courage to say what they want and the consideration to listen to what others want. With win-win you think of cooperation, communication and seeking for mutual benefit.
Win-Loose- “I am going to beat you no matter what”. People who fit in this category are only concerned with themselves they want to win and make others loose. They have the courage to say what they want, but are low on consideration for others. With win-loose you think of competition, comparison, power, and position. This is actually a very common interaction in our society. As parents we naturally have position over our children and sometimes put our agenda over theirs. We must remind ourselves to constantly be on guard for situations in which we can change a win-loose to a win-win when interacting with children.
Loose-Win- “I always get stepped on”. People in this category have lots of consideration of others but they lack the courage to express and act on their own feelings and beliefs. Too much time in this category creates the victim mentality and people who just follow the crowd. They may bury a lot of their feelings, have no demands or expectations of others, and they are quick to please others even at the expense of themselves.
Loose-Loose- “If I’m going down, you’re going down with me.” People in this category are low on courage and consideration they envy and criticize others. They put themselves and others down. This situation can be the long term result of a win-lose.
In class we will talk about ways to make situations win-win.
We will be doing a project at the end of the month that requires toilet paper or paper towel rolls. If you could collect and send them by the 23rd of January that would be great! Thanks so much.
Have a great week!
Ms. Jen and Ms. Martha