BUBBLESrsquo BLOG

DECEMBER 2014 ampJANUARY 2015 NEWS FOR

S B BUTLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

UPCOMING EVENTS

Fri Dec 12th Report cards go home

Fri Dec 12th Polar Express Movie Night 6-8pm

Mon Dec 15th Chorus and Band Concert ndash gym 630pm

Wed Dec 17th Groton Strings Festival ndash FHS 630pm

Tue Dec 23rd Early Dismissal ndash Winter Recess 112pm

Wed Dec 24th ndash Fri Jan 2nd No School ndash Winter Recess

Fri Jan 16th Movie Night 6-8pm

Mon Jan 19th No School ndash Martin Luther King Day

Tue Jan 20th PTO Meeting ndash Media Center 630-730pm

Wed Jan 21st Dine Out at Dog Watch Cafeacute StoningtonSupports 5th Grade Trip

Thurs Jan 29th SBB Night Out at S amp P Oyster CompanyPTO Fundraising Event

Please remember to check the SB Butler website to keep up to date on your studentrsquos classroom current events and everything happening at school

httpwwwgrotonk12ctussitedefaultaspxDomainID=1084

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

As the calendar turns to December and we receive our first taste of winter weather thoughts turn to cold and snow during recess The CT State Department of Education guidelines for outdoor recess temperatures are as follows

Children can go outside when the temperatures are above 15 degrees Fahrenheit (including wind chill factor) and below 90 degrees Fahrenheit

Outdoor time should be limited to 20 to 30 minutes when temperatures are between 16 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit

Outdoor time in safe settings supervised by adults

As you can see the CT DOE deems it safe for children to go outside in temperatures down to 15 degrees including wind chill Here at Butler we will use the temperature of 20 degrees Fahrenheit including wind chill - as long as the outside temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or above students will be outside for recess We will use the Weather Channel as our official temperature with Mystic as the location All this being stated - children are expected to be properly dressed with coats hats and mittens or gloves during periods of extreme weather As in the past if there is snow on the ground children must be wearing boots and snow suits - including pants amp jackets to play in the snow

I would like to wish each and every one of our families all the very best during the upcoming holiday season On behalf of the entire S B Butler family we wish all of you a very happy safe and restful holiday season Monson LanePrincipal

Kindergarten registration for the 2015-2016 school year will begin December 15 2014 for Groton residents that have a child who will be five years of age on or prior to January 1 2016

Please contact our Central Registrar Office Mrs Gee Gee Ellis at gellisgrotonk12ctus or call 860-572-2197 to setup your registration appointment In order to ensure that your child is placed in the elementary school where they are districted to attend please register your child prior to April 15 2015

If your child is already enrolled in one of our Groton Public Schools elementary preschool programs and will be five years of age on or prior to January 1 2016 it is not necessary to register the student for Kindergarten for the 2015-2016 school year

Please contact our Central Registrar Office if you have any questions or need additional information

PreschoolMrs Field amp Mrs Mangelinkx

ldquoIt has been a wonderful Fall for our preschoolers and we have made some exciting progress becoming responsible members of our classroom community We have focused on developing independence in even our youngest students As we move into the winter months our focus will shift somewhat as we strive to engage the students in activities that will foster additional skill development in several areas including writing math and language Please continue to encourage your childrsquos independence at home Wersquove seen great carry-over between homeschool with these skills The preschool staff wants to wish each of our families a Happy and Healthy Holiday Seasonrdquo

KindergartenMrs Horler amp Mrs Whitten

December is a very exciting time in Kindergarten We will be exploring various cultures and holidays around the world Some other exciting days are

11th or 12th ndash Gingerbread Day

19th ndash Pajama Day23rd ndash Gift Book Exchange

Our Kindergartners will be continuing Unit 2 in math The following are the Math Skills for Unit 2

Exploring 5 groupsIdentify order and write numbers 6-10Identify and continue patternsIdentify two dimensional shapesAddition and Subtraction storiesIntroduce the nickel

At this point in the year all lowercase letters and sounds have been introduced We will continue to work on proper formation of these letters We are writing pattern books and will revisit small moments in January by focusing on including a beginning middle and end in our stories

We wish everyone a wonderful holiday season

First Grade

Mrs Celtruda amp Mrs Grigg

The first grade is continuing to work on addition and subtraction story problems in math

In science the children will continue to be learning about how animals survive winter They will be learning about hibernation migration and adaptation

We will be having our Hibernation Celebration on Monday December 22nd The children may wear their pajamas to school that day and bring a sleeping bag or blanket as well as a cuddly toy We will be having a special snack and watching a movie about hibernation

Second GradeMrs Bailey amp Mrs Cote

Whatrsquos Coming Up in Grade 2

Each class will enjoy a second visit to the Mystic Academy

In December we will begin a thematic unit on Bears

In January we will begin a thematic unit on Arctic Animals

In Math we will be working on measurement and shapes

In Writing we will focus on elaboration and adding specific details

We continue to build a positive classroom community through the use of Responsive Classroom

Third GradeMrs Gwaltney Mrs Westkott amp Mrs Zuliani

Predicting questioning connecting drawing conclusions and making inferences are the strategies that we continue to practice in reading TASS (turning the question around when answering open-ended questions with supporting details) is still a strategy we are using to help write complete open ended responses This can be a challenging but effective in writing complete answers

We continue to work on strategies for elaborative segments during writing An elaborative segment is a piece of writing that is highly descriptive The author stops the story action and describes a critical element in the story by using the five senses

We will be shifting our focus in Math as we move into Unit 3 Our area of focus will be on customary and metric measurement Our lessons will focus on volume mass and time There are lots of opportunities to practice these concepts at home Fun things you can do together include cooking timing a fun family activity and measuring big and small items around the home Have fun together

Fourth GradeMrs Genovese amp Mrs OrsquoConnell

In Lead 21 we will collaborate with the Mystic Arts Center for Unit 2 ldquoA Green Futurerdquo We had a wonderful field trip there in November to get our creative juices flowing They will visit us four times this month to assist our fourth graders with their creative Inquiry Projects

121 Mystic Arts Center visits Grade 4 (OrsquoConnell) 122 Mystic Arts Center visits Grade 4 124 Mystic Arts Center visits Grade 4 (Genovese) 129 Mystic Arts Center Visits Grade 4 1211 Mystic Arts Center Visits Grade 4

In Math we will be shifting our focus to division in Unit 3 which will focus on division of whole numbers interpreting remainders and using multiplication and division to solve word problems Please continue to have your child

practice multiplication and division facts daily Upcoming Events 1212 Report Cards Issued 1215 Winter Chorus and Band Concert

Fifth GradeMrs Burdick Mrs Hubbard amp Mrs Wilson

The fifth grade class would like to thank all who contributed to our very successful Annual Fifth Grade Bake Sale We raised $157100 A special thank you to our co-chairs ndash Mrs Niles Mrs Heller and Mrs OrsquoLeary for all of their efforts in coordinating this event We could not have done it without them

Our annual school-wide food-drive will take place during the month of December Watch for a flyer as to which class will be collecting what items to help the less fortunate Your donations are very much appreciated Thank you

Upcoming Events

January 21 2015 ndash Wednesday Dog Watch Cafeacute fundraiser ndash 15 of the proceeds of lunch dinner take out and bar will go to SB Butler for any customer mentioning SB Butler School

February 7 2015 ndash Saturday-800 am ndash Annual Applebeersquos Flapjack Breakfast fundraiser ndash A yummy good time for all members of the family So bring your brothers sisters moms dads grandmas grandpas and friends See you there

Have a safe holiday and winter

season

Special Education Teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists

Mrs Salovitz Ms Serus Mrs Buttermore amp Miss Kasparek

Winter is a wonderful time of year for language

The winter season is among us and it provides opportunities for indoor and outdoor activities to expand and grow your childrenrsquos language Here are some fun ideas and activities to do throughout the season

Nature Walk Get outside and talk about your five senses What do you hear What do you see What can you touch What can you smell And ndash Maybe even what can you taste if you bring along a fall treat Your senses help you learn about the environment around you and askingtalking about these senses can help your children make personal connections with classroom activities practice answering questions and expand their vocabulary

Time in the kitchen If your house is like our houses the kitchen becomes the central location throughout the season There is something appropriate for every age in the kitchen For younger children have them help you set the table You can target different concepts including ldquobiglittlerdquo ldquoaboveunderrdquo ldquorightleftrdquo ldquoonoffrdquo and ldquoemptyfullrdquo You can talk about categories and the variety of ways things can go together for example color shape size function senses For bigger children have them help you prepare something for dinner Sequence the steps you do as you go along ask questions about what was done first second or last Talk about cause and effect and the reasons why things are prepared a certain way Enjoy these times with your children they will learn so much through the fun times together

Indoor GamesActivities Donrsquot Break the Ice Apples to Apples Pictionary Treasure Hunt Clue Cariboo Blurt Catch Phrase Go Fish Memory

Health RoomMrs Grater amp Mrs Donnel

We are in the process of finishing up hearing and vision screening retests In the next few weeks if your child has failed a screening you will be receiving a referral letter from the health room If you have any questions about your childrsquos screenings please feel free to contact the office Our hours at school are 840am to 335pm

The weather has been getting colder winter is almost here Students have been showing up in the health room lacking proper winter attire Please send your child to school with warm clothes jackets hats glovesmittens and scarves There is still plenty of time to get your child a Flu shot If you are unable to find the flu vaccine please contact the health room

Practice good health habits Wash hand often Eat healthy Exercise Get rest as needed including getting

a good nightrsquos sleep

Happy Holiday Wishes to all our Butler Families

MediaMs Harper

Happy winter Students in the media center will be busy this winter PreK ndash Grade 1 will be hearing books about snow and all the fun activities you can do in the snow Second grade will still be studying Bill Peet and Chris Van Allsburg Third grade will be learning all about the Dewey Decimal System and the importance of nonfiction books Fourth grade will be studying an authorrsquos works using literacy response questions and will be writing to that author Individual and cooperative research projects will occupy the fifth graders for the next two months

January is National Mentoring Month If you are interested in becoming a mentor to a student in the Groton Schools training will be held in January

PEHealthMr DeMario

Motivating Kids to Get Fit

With childhood obesity increasing at staggering rates parents and caregivers must play an active role in protecting childrenrsquos health Eating healthy foods is a key factor in maintaining their overall well-being But this has to be balanced with regular physical activityChildren who are physically active on a regular basis will reap enormous benefits Studies have shown that they

Are less likely to become overweight

Have a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Have reduced blood cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure

Have higher self-esteem and reduced incidences of depression and anxiety

Are more likely to build strong bones and muscles

Are more attentive in school

Now that we know why children need to be active itrsquos time to get them up and moving Herersquos how

1 Focus on fun You donrsquot have to call it ldquoexerciserdquo just consider it an activity Find out which ones your child likes and encourage those

2 Limit TV and computer time The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than ldquotwo hours of daily media exposurerdquo for children ages two and older When they are watching or clicking make sure they take breaks and move around

3 Schedule play dates The key word here is ldquoplayrdquo Have your child get together with a friend and play a game of tag race down the block or kick a ball around

4 Get fit as a family Create some funny dance moves Put up a net and shoot hoops You could also visit a zoo play miniature golf or enjoy other activities where a lot of ground is covered on foot

5 Choose fitness-oriented gifts For your childrsquos next birthday consider giving him or her a jump-rope mini-trampoline hula-hoop mdash something that will encourage movement

6 Clean up Chores donrsquot have to be a bore Sing a silly song with your child as you both wipe tables and counters See how long both of you can hold a funny face while folding and putting away clothes Older kids can help wash the car On a hot day this can turn into water play

7 Skip the mall Go to the playground Sure most malls have kidsrsquo play areas But when the weather is nice enjoy a local park or playground instead Fresh air always does a body good especially a little one

8 Be a model of fitness Itrsquos much easier to motivate kids to be active if you lead an active lifestyle Whether you follow a structured fitness program or are lucky to get in some morning stretches let them see you moving It will likely inspire them to do the same

9 Encourage walking or biking whenever feasible This is easy to accomplish if you live near stores libraries or other places you visit regularly If you live in a remote area establish a safe route to tour on bike or on foot with your child

10 Be a fitness advocate at your childrsquos school Do you know how much physical activity your child gets at school Nowrsquos the time to find out If you donrsquot like the answer gather support from other parents to enforce positive changes

Notes The American Heart Association recommends

All children age 2 and older should participate in at least 30 minutes of enjoyable moderate-intensity physical activities every day These activities should be developmentally appropriate and varied

If your child does not have a full 30-minute activity break each day try to provide at least two 15-minute periods or three 10-minute periods in which they can engage in vigorous activities appropriate for their age gender and stage of physical and emotional development Any concerns about your childrsquos physical or overall health should be discussed with their pediatrician

From the website PBSparentscom

Reading SpecialistsMrs Fridinger amp Mrs Tasca

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

Searching for a gift for the special child on your list Here are some suggestions

1 Share the joy of reading Books make great gifts for children Select a few best -selling titles that your sondaughter might enjoy

2 Subscribe to a childrenrsquos magazine (Ranger Rick Time for Kids)

3 Consider tools for learning such as maps puzzles globes reference books pens and pencils

4 How about some games Concentration board games playing cards marbles Crazy Eights and number games to name a few These are a fun alternative to video games

5 Is your sondaughter creative There are a variety of markers crayons stickers rubber stamp sets paints glitter and paper to choose from Put together a fun art box

6 Model kits beginner chemistry sets and microscopes make great gifts

7 Jump ropes hula hoops rollerice skates never go out of style

WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON

Music Classes Are Making Lovely Music at SBB

Mrs Martelle Mrs Stevenson amp Mr Schneider

The first chorus and band concert of the year is coming up on Monday December 15th 630pm in the SB Butler Gymnasium The Advanced Orchestra will perform in the ldquoGroton String Festivalrdquo at Fitch High School on December 17th at 630pm Please watch for more details to come home from Mrs Stevenson if you are in the Advanced Orchestra This concert will feature all string players in grades 5-12 Even if your child is not performing in this concert I strongly encourage you to attend Hope to see you there

The Celebrate the Arts event at Northeast Academy will be on January 29th and 30th this year Some of our SB Butler students will showcase their talents at this event This yearrsquos performers will include 4th grade chimes 5th

grade band and 5th grade orchestra If your child is participating watch for more details to come home regarding specific performance times Even if you do not have a child performing you are welcome to attend the event at any time There will be many performances given by our district students and community members There will also be an art gallery to tour that features student and community artwork We hope you can get out and help us ldquoCelebrate the Artsrdquo

Mark your calendarsThe Chorus will once again be performing at a

Hartford WolfPack hockey gameFriday March 27 (early dismissal day) at 700 pm

vs Providence BruinsStay tuned for more details

Art With Ms Whitchelo

Warm-Up Worksheets and DrawingsStudents may be coming home with warm-up worksheets and drawings from art When students enter the art classroom they immediately start a worksheet or drawing assignment to get their brains moving These are always low pressure and get our fingers ready to work on the great projects you see below

4th and 5th Grade ndash One Point Perspective Drawing4th and 5th grade students are learning perspective drawing This is a way for us to illustrate dimension through a flat surface We are currently using basic geometric shapes and focusing on using our rulers to makes straight lines

3rd Grade-Falling into Space3rd grade students are continuing to learn about adding details to pictures We are now starting these fun (and big) falling into space drawings We are learning about the details of our shoes and hands and starting to talk about perspective

2nd Grade- Weaving in the Round2nd grade students are starting a weaving project We first started talking about the artist Wassily Kandinsky and painted our looms based on some of his amazing abstract art (art that is composed of line shape and color) We are now stringing our own looms and starting the process of weaving in the round

K amp 1 ndash Patterned TurtlesKindergarten and First Grade students are doing a

guided drawing of a turtle This helps us identify shapes within the picture and draw them together We will soon move on to discuss patterns and fill our turtle shell with wonderful patterns of our own

Pre-K CentersPre-K students are continuing to explore materials and working on motor skills with centers such as cutting bead stringing and tracing

PTO NewsTina McLoughlin amp Christina Connell Co-Chairs

Winter Break Read-a-thon

This exciting new activity will raise money for literacy programs both at SBB and abroad while encouraging our kids to read Sponsor forms and tracking grids will be sent home with your child Please help us by encouraging participation

Thank you for your continued support

United Way Mobile Food PantryDistribution Sites

Strategies for Teaching Important Social Skills to Young Children

Parents can help their children learn new behavior in a positive way by Practice Praise Prompting and Pointing out

One of the most important roles that parents play in their childs development is that of teaching their child social skills These skills include daily interaction skills such as sharing taking turns and allowing others to talk without interrupting The category of social skills can also be expanded to facets of self-control such as appropriate anger management For many children social skills are learned by observing how others in their environment handle social situations These children then imitate desirable responses such as turn taking and little thought is given to how the young child became so adept at playing board games cards or other activities that require a child to wait for others

For some children however more direct instruction is needed to help them develop appropriate social skills Such instruction is more effective than using a discipline strategy such as time out as the issue of concern is skill building and not compliance The conceptualization of social skills as skills to be taught may seem foreign to parents who are focused on the childs apparent ldquomisbehaviorrdquo

By helping parents look at social skills as just thatmdash skills that the child must learn like any others (eg riding a bike or playing the piano) parents may be better able to tolerate some deficits in their childs behavioral repertoire Of course the parent may also suffer from poor social skills in addition to inappropriate responses to the childs social efforts Thus parents also need to be informed about how their social behavior impacts the child requiring the parent to model more appropriate behaviors if he or she wants the child to do the same

The 4 Ps Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt

One framework that can be effective in teaching parents how to encourage their childs social skills development is referred to in our clinic as the ldquo4 Psrdquo approach The four Ps stand for Practice Praise Point out and Prompt The purpose of the four ldquoPsrdquo is to break down the skills into concrete components that the parent can easily teach to their child To illustrate this approach to building social skills we will use the common scenario of the child who interrupts during the parents telephone conversations to others

In our example the child is playing quietly in the other room while the parent makes a phone call A few minutes into the conversation the child enters the room and begins whining pulling on his mothers arm repeating his request over and over in an increasingly louder voice His mother pauses her conversation and asks the child to wait When her initial pleas to not interrupt are ineffective she eventually begins lecturing about how many times she has told him not to interrupt her while she is on the phone She may then request that the child go to time-out to punish him for interrupting only to find herself in the same situation as she places another phone call The telephone scenario really involves deficits in both the way the parent is handling the situation and in the way the child is handling the situation The parents strategies of repeating commands reasoning and time out for interrupting do not address the childs need for an acceptable alternative to interrupting In other words the child must build in a new skill of not interrupting that must be established and encouraged by the parent Strategies for applying the 4 P principles to interrupting are elaborated below The same process is effective for teaching skills such as sharing and taking turns We use a handout to supplement our verbal discussion of the childs individual issues

As mentioned previously the 4 Ps are Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt Parents should be told that the process of learning a new skill takes all children some time and can take some children longer than others Each step must be used consistently and repeatedly for the child to be successful Parents must also focus on the skill building aspect of learning versus punishment as many social skills usually do not get better in spite of repeated attempts to discipline children for not exercising them Finally parents must also have realistic expectations for their childs behavior The parent who expects to be able to make and complete a telephone call without being interrupted by her child may be asking too much of the child and may not be the most realistic option for the household The interrupting protocol not only teaches the child an interruption strategy it encourages the parent to interrupt their phone when the child uses an appropriate strategy

The 4 P strategies applied to interrupting are

Practice an appropriate behavior Tell your child you are going to try something new for when he wants to talk to you when you are talking to someone else Show your child how to gently place his hand on your forearm as the signal to gain your attention without interrupting In response put your hand over your childs hand so he knows that you have seen his signal Practice by pretending you are talking to someone and ask your child to use the signal prompting as much as necessary The moment he places his hand on your forearm stop your conversation gently place your free hand over his hand and immediately ask him what he wants You can then begin to extend the time between the signal and when you respond but certainly try to respond as quickly as you can so your child learns an alternative to interrupting An explanation about what you are doing without any negative references is appropriate periodically You can also practice by setting up conversations at home or in public with dad or other caregivers Phone conversations can also be contrived (eg grandma knows you will be calling and that you are working on the not interrupting skill) or you can simply pretend like you are talking to someone on the phone as another practice opportunity Continue to practice the new

skill (placing her hand on your forearm) a couple of times each day for the week or two that it takes to establish the new skill Over that time gradually extend the length of time between when the child places their hand on your arm and you place your hand on their hand and when you stop your conversation to ascertain what they want

Praise or reward the child for practicing Your child may not particularly enjoy learning this new skill and may resist your efforts to have her practice Thus incorporating a reinforcement system for practicing (and for eventually using the skill appropriately) is very important for the practice to work The reinforcement can be as simple as a ldquohigh fiverdquo during the practice but should also include rewards such as reading an extra bedtime story that day or playing a game with the child for cooperating with the practice sessions

Point Out the behavior in yourself and in others Most young children wont notice you waiting to take your turn in a conversation So if you are standing in line at the grocery store point out that you will wait until the lady in front of you has finished her conversation with the clerk before you start to talk to the clerk You can also point out examples on childrens television shows and in their storybooks Examples abound in the real world of people waiting for their turn to speak Prompt your child when the behavior would be appropriate As your child is learning the new skill of not interrupting prompt your child to use the new skills when you see opportunities for him to do so For example if daddy is talking on the phone prompt your child to go over to him place his hand on daddys forearm wait for daddy to place his hand on top as a signal that he will soon be asking the child what he needs Dad in turn would praise or reward the child for practicing the behavior

By presenting these skills as comparable to other skills such as learning to dress or riding a bike the provider may help take the emotional edge off of the social skill deficit that may be causing the parent such frustration The strategies discussed in this piece are practical for application with the majority of families seen in a primary care office Some parents however are quite deficit in their own social skills and some children have behavioral or learning problems that challenge these strategies A referral to a mental health practitioner is probably indicated when there is a history of depression or anger management problems in the primary caregiver when the caregiver is socially isolated and when there are co-morbid disorders such as ADHD ODD or learning delays

This information is excerpted from an article written by Edward Christophersen PhD and Susan Mortweet VanScoyoc PhD in the Developmental and Behavioral News

Dr Nancy Anderson school psychologist at Butler Elementary School provides consultation to any parent requiring help for issues related to their childrsquos educational achievement Dr Anderson can be reached at nanderson1grotonk12ctus

• Motivating Kids to Get Fit

PreschoolMrs Field amp Mrs Mangelinkx

ldquoIt has been a wonderful Fall for our preschoolers and we have made some exciting progress becoming responsible members of our classroom community We have focused on developing independence in even our youngest students As we move into the winter months our focus will shift somewhat as we strive to engage the students in activities that will foster additional skill development in several areas including writing math and language Please continue to encourage your childrsquos independence at home Wersquove seen great carry-over between homeschool with these skills The preschool staff wants to wish each of our families a Happy and Healthy Holiday Seasonrdquo

KindergartenMrs Horler amp Mrs Whitten

December is a very exciting time in Kindergarten We will be exploring various cultures and holidays around the world Some other exciting days are

11th or 12th ndash Gingerbread Day

19th ndash Pajama Day23rd ndash Gift Book Exchange

Our Kindergartners will be continuing Unit 2 in math The following are the Math Skills for Unit 2

Exploring 5 groupsIdentify order and write numbers 6-10Identify and continue patternsIdentify two dimensional shapesAddition and Subtraction storiesIntroduce the nickel

At this point in the year all lowercase letters and sounds have been introduced We will continue to work on proper formation of these letters We are writing pattern books and will revisit small moments in January by focusing on including a beginning middle and end in our stories

We wish everyone a wonderful holiday season

First Grade

Mrs Celtruda amp Mrs Grigg

The first grade is continuing to work on addition and subtraction story problems in math

In science the children will continue to be learning about how animals survive winter They will be learning about hibernation migration and adaptation

We will be having our Hibernation Celebration on Monday December 22nd The children may wear their pajamas to school that day and bring a sleeping bag or blanket as well as a cuddly toy We will be having a special snack and watching a movie about hibernation

Second GradeMrs Bailey amp Mrs Cote

Whatrsquos Coming Up in Grade 2

Each class will enjoy a second visit to the Mystic Academy

In December we will begin a thematic unit on Bears

In January we will begin a thematic unit on Arctic Animals

In Math we will be working on measurement and shapes

In Writing we will focus on elaboration and adding specific details

We continue to build a positive classroom community through the use of Responsive Classroom

Third GradeMrs Gwaltney Mrs Westkott amp Mrs Zuliani

Predicting questioning connecting drawing conclusions and making inferences are the strategies that we continue to practice in reading TASS (turning the question around when answering open-ended questions with supporting details) is still a strategy we are using to help write complete open ended responses This can be a challenging but effective in writing complete answers

We continue to work on strategies for elaborative segments during writing An elaborative segment is a piece of writing that is highly descriptive The author stops the story action and describes a critical element in the story by using the five senses

We will be shifting our focus in Math as we move into Unit 3 Our area of focus will be on customary and metric measurement Our lessons will focus on volume mass and time There are lots of opportunities to practice these concepts at home Fun things you can do together include cooking timing a fun family activity and measuring big and small items around the home Have fun together

Fourth GradeMrs Genovese amp Mrs OrsquoConnell

In Lead 21 we will collaborate with the Mystic Arts Center for Unit 2 ldquoA Green Futurerdquo We had a wonderful field trip there in November to get our creative juices flowing They will visit us four times this month to assist our fourth graders with their creative Inquiry Projects

121 Mystic Arts Center visits Grade 4 (OrsquoConnell) 122 Mystic Arts Center visits Grade 4 124 Mystic Arts Center visits Grade 4 (Genovese) 129 Mystic Arts Center Visits Grade 4 1211 Mystic Arts Center Visits Grade 4

In Math we will be shifting our focus to division in Unit 3 which will focus on division of whole numbers interpreting remainders and using multiplication and division to solve word problems Please continue to have your child

practice multiplication and division facts daily Upcoming Events 1212 Report Cards Issued 1215 Winter Chorus and Band Concert

Fifth GradeMrs Burdick Mrs Hubbard amp Mrs Wilson

The fifth grade class would like to thank all who contributed to our very successful Annual Fifth Grade Bake Sale We raised $157100 A special thank you to our co-chairs ndash Mrs Niles Mrs Heller and Mrs OrsquoLeary for all of their efforts in coordinating this event We could not have done it without them

Our annual school-wide food-drive will take place during the month of December Watch for a flyer as to which class will be collecting what items to help the less fortunate Your donations are very much appreciated Thank you

Upcoming Events

January 21 2015 ndash Wednesday Dog Watch Cafeacute fundraiser ndash 15 of the proceeds of lunch dinner take out and bar will go to SB Butler for any customer mentioning SB Butler School

February 7 2015 ndash Saturday-800 am ndash Annual Applebeersquos Flapjack Breakfast fundraiser ndash A yummy good time for all members of the family So bring your brothers sisters moms dads grandmas grandpas and friends See you there

Have a safe holiday and winter

season

Special Education Teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists

Mrs Salovitz Ms Serus Mrs Buttermore amp Miss Kasparek

Winter is a wonderful time of year for language

The winter season is among us and it provides opportunities for indoor and outdoor activities to expand and grow your childrenrsquos language Here are some fun ideas and activities to do throughout the season

Nature Walk Get outside and talk about your five senses What do you hear What do you see What can you touch What can you smell And ndash Maybe even what can you taste if you bring along a fall treat Your senses help you learn about the environment around you and askingtalking about these senses can help your children make personal connections with classroom activities practice answering questions and expand their vocabulary

Time in the kitchen If your house is like our houses the kitchen becomes the central location throughout the season There is something appropriate for every age in the kitchen For younger children have them help you set the table You can target different concepts including ldquobiglittlerdquo ldquoaboveunderrdquo ldquorightleftrdquo ldquoonoffrdquo and ldquoemptyfullrdquo You can talk about categories and the variety of ways things can go together for example color shape size function senses For bigger children have them help you prepare something for dinner Sequence the steps you do as you go along ask questions about what was done first second or last Talk about cause and effect and the reasons why things are prepared a certain way Enjoy these times with your children they will learn so much through the fun times together

Indoor GamesActivities Donrsquot Break the Ice Apples to Apples Pictionary Treasure Hunt Clue Cariboo Blurt Catch Phrase Go Fish Memory

Health RoomMrs Grater amp Mrs Donnel

We are in the process of finishing up hearing and vision screening retests In the next few weeks if your child has failed a screening you will be receiving a referral letter from the health room If you have any questions about your childrsquos screenings please feel free to contact the office Our hours at school are 840am to 335pm

The weather has been getting colder winter is almost here Students have been showing up in the health room lacking proper winter attire Please send your child to school with warm clothes jackets hats glovesmittens and scarves There is still plenty of time to get your child a Flu shot If you are unable to find the flu vaccine please contact the health room

Practice good health habits Wash hand often Eat healthy Exercise Get rest as needed including getting

a good nightrsquos sleep

Happy Holiday Wishes to all our Butler Families

MediaMs Harper

Happy winter Students in the media center will be busy this winter PreK ndash Grade 1 will be hearing books about snow and all the fun activities you can do in the snow Second grade will still be studying Bill Peet and Chris Van Allsburg Third grade will be learning all about the Dewey Decimal System and the importance of nonfiction books Fourth grade will be studying an authorrsquos works using literacy response questions and will be writing to that author Individual and cooperative research projects will occupy the fifth graders for the next two months

January is National Mentoring Month If you are interested in becoming a mentor to a student in the Groton Schools training will be held in January

PEHealthMr DeMario

Motivating Kids to Get Fit

With childhood obesity increasing at staggering rates parents and caregivers must play an active role in protecting childrenrsquos health Eating healthy foods is a key factor in maintaining their overall well-being But this has to be balanced with regular physical activityChildren who are physically active on a regular basis will reap enormous benefits Studies have shown that they

Are less likely to become overweight

Have a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Have reduced blood cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure

Have higher self-esteem and reduced incidences of depression and anxiety

Are more likely to build strong bones and muscles

Are more attentive in school

Now that we know why children need to be active itrsquos time to get them up and moving Herersquos how

1 Focus on fun You donrsquot have to call it ldquoexerciserdquo just consider it an activity Find out which ones your child likes and encourage those

2 Limit TV and computer time The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than ldquotwo hours of daily media exposurerdquo for children ages two and older When they are watching or clicking make sure they take breaks and move around

3 Schedule play dates The key word here is ldquoplayrdquo Have your child get together with a friend and play a game of tag race down the block or kick a ball around

4 Get fit as a family Create some funny dance moves Put up a net and shoot hoops You could also visit a zoo play miniature golf or enjoy other activities where a lot of ground is covered on foot

5 Choose fitness-oriented gifts For your childrsquos next birthday consider giving him or her a jump-rope mini-trampoline hula-hoop mdash something that will encourage movement

6 Clean up Chores donrsquot have to be a bore Sing a silly song with your child as you both wipe tables and counters See how long both of you can hold a funny face while folding and putting away clothes Older kids can help wash the car On a hot day this can turn into water play

7 Skip the mall Go to the playground Sure most malls have kidsrsquo play areas But when the weather is nice enjoy a local park or playground instead Fresh air always does a body good especially a little one

8 Be a model of fitness Itrsquos much easier to motivate kids to be active if you lead an active lifestyle Whether you follow a structured fitness program or are lucky to get in some morning stretches let them see you moving It will likely inspire them to do the same

9 Encourage walking or biking whenever feasible This is easy to accomplish if you live near stores libraries or other places you visit regularly If you live in a remote area establish a safe route to tour on bike or on foot with your child

10 Be a fitness advocate at your childrsquos school Do you know how much physical activity your child gets at school Nowrsquos the time to find out If you donrsquot like the answer gather support from other parents to enforce positive changes

Notes The American Heart Association recommends

All children age 2 and older should participate in at least 30 minutes of enjoyable moderate-intensity physical activities every day These activities should be developmentally appropriate and varied

If your child does not have a full 30-minute activity break each day try to provide at least two 15-minute periods or three 10-minute periods in which they can engage in vigorous activities appropriate for their age gender and stage of physical and emotional development Any concerns about your childrsquos physical or overall health should be discussed with their pediatrician

From the website PBSparentscom

Reading SpecialistsMrs Fridinger amp Mrs Tasca

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

Searching for a gift for the special child on your list Here are some suggestions

1 Share the joy of reading Books make great gifts for children Select a few best -selling titles that your sondaughter might enjoy

2 Subscribe to a childrenrsquos magazine (Ranger Rick Time for Kids)

3 Consider tools for learning such as maps puzzles globes reference books pens and pencils

4 How about some games Concentration board games playing cards marbles Crazy Eights and number games to name a few These are a fun alternative to video games

5 Is your sondaughter creative There are a variety of markers crayons stickers rubber stamp sets paints glitter and paper to choose from Put together a fun art box

6 Model kits beginner chemistry sets and microscopes make great gifts

7 Jump ropes hula hoops rollerice skates never go out of style

WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON

Music Classes Are Making Lovely Music at SBB

Mrs Martelle Mrs Stevenson amp Mr Schneider

The first chorus and band concert of the year is coming up on Monday December 15th 630pm in the SB Butler Gymnasium The Advanced Orchestra will perform in the ldquoGroton String Festivalrdquo at Fitch High School on December 17th at 630pm Please watch for more details to come home from Mrs Stevenson if you are in the Advanced Orchestra This concert will feature all string players in grades 5-12 Even if your child is not performing in this concert I strongly encourage you to attend Hope to see you there

The Celebrate the Arts event at Northeast Academy will be on January 29th and 30th this year Some of our SB Butler students will showcase their talents at this event This yearrsquos performers will include 4th grade chimes 5th

grade band and 5th grade orchestra If your child is participating watch for more details to come home regarding specific performance times Even if you do not have a child performing you are welcome to attend the event at any time There will be many performances given by our district students and community members There will also be an art gallery to tour that features student and community artwork We hope you can get out and help us ldquoCelebrate the Artsrdquo

Mark your calendarsThe Chorus will once again be performing at a

Hartford WolfPack hockey gameFriday March 27 (early dismissal day) at 700 pm

vs Providence BruinsStay tuned for more details

Art With Ms Whitchelo

Warm-Up Worksheets and DrawingsStudents may be coming home with warm-up worksheets and drawings from art When students enter the art classroom they immediately start a worksheet or drawing assignment to get their brains moving These are always low pressure and get our fingers ready to work on the great projects you see below

4th and 5th Grade ndash One Point Perspective Drawing4th and 5th grade students are learning perspective drawing This is a way for us to illustrate dimension through a flat surface We are currently using basic geometric shapes and focusing on using our rulers to makes straight lines

3rd Grade-Falling into Space3rd grade students are continuing to learn about adding details to pictures We are now starting these fun (and big) falling into space drawings We are learning about the details of our shoes and hands and starting to talk about perspective

2nd Grade- Weaving in the Round2nd grade students are starting a weaving project We first started talking about the artist Wassily Kandinsky and painted our looms based on some of his amazing abstract art (art that is composed of line shape and color) We are now stringing our own looms and starting the process of weaving in the round

K amp 1 ndash Patterned TurtlesKindergarten and First Grade students are doing a

guided drawing of a turtle This helps us identify shapes within the picture and draw them together We will soon move on to discuss patterns and fill our turtle shell with wonderful patterns of our own

Pre-K CentersPre-K students are continuing to explore materials and working on motor skills with centers such as cutting bead stringing and tracing

PTO NewsTina McLoughlin amp Christina Connell Co-Chairs

Winter Break Read-a-thon

This exciting new activity will raise money for literacy programs both at SBB and abroad while encouraging our kids to read Sponsor forms and tracking grids will be sent home with your child Please help us by encouraging participation

Thank you for your continued support

United Way Mobile Food PantryDistribution Sites

Strategies for Teaching Important Social Skills to Young Children

Parents can help their children learn new behavior in a positive way by Practice Praise Prompting and Pointing out

One of the most important roles that parents play in their childs development is that of teaching their child social skills These skills include daily interaction skills such as sharing taking turns and allowing others to talk without interrupting The category of social skills can also be expanded to facets of self-control such as appropriate anger management For many children social skills are learned by observing how others in their environment handle social situations These children then imitate desirable responses such as turn taking and little thought is given to how the young child became so adept at playing board games cards or other activities that require a child to wait for others

For some children however more direct instruction is needed to help them develop appropriate social skills Such instruction is more effective than using a discipline strategy such as time out as the issue of concern is skill building and not compliance The conceptualization of social skills as skills to be taught may seem foreign to parents who are focused on the childs apparent ldquomisbehaviorrdquo

By helping parents look at social skills as just thatmdash skills that the child must learn like any others (eg riding a bike or playing the piano) parents may be better able to tolerate some deficits in their childs behavioral repertoire Of course the parent may also suffer from poor social skills in addition to inappropriate responses to the childs social efforts Thus parents also need to be informed about how their social behavior impacts the child requiring the parent to model more appropriate behaviors if he or she wants the child to do the same

The 4 Ps Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt

One framework that can be effective in teaching parents how to encourage their childs social skills development is referred to in our clinic as the ldquo4 Psrdquo approach The four Ps stand for Practice Praise Point out and Prompt The purpose of the four ldquoPsrdquo is to break down the skills into concrete components that the parent can easily teach to their child To illustrate this approach to building social skills we will use the common scenario of the child who interrupts during the parents telephone conversations to others

In our example the child is playing quietly in the other room while the parent makes a phone call A few minutes into the conversation the child enters the room and begins whining pulling on his mothers arm repeating his request over and over in an increasingly louder voice His mother pauses her conversation and asks the child to wait When her initial pleas to not interrupt are ineffective she eventually begins lecturing about how many times she has told him not to interrupt her while she is on the phone She may then request that the child go to time-out to punish him for interrupting only to find herself in the same situation as she places another phone call The telephone scenario really involves deficits in both the way the parent is handling the situation and in the way the child is handling the situation The parents strategies of repeating commands reasoning and time out for interrupting do not address the childs need for an acceptable alternative to interrupting In other words the child must build in a new skill of not interrupting that must be established and encouraged by the parent Strategies for applying the 4 P principles to interrupting are elaborated below The same process is effective for teaching skills such as sharing and taking turns We use a handout to supplement our verbal discussion of the childs individual issues

As mentioned previously the 4 Ps are Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt Parents should be told that the process of learning a new skill takes all children some time and can take some children longer than others Each step must be used consistently and repeatedly for the child to be successful Parents must also focus on the skill building aspect of learning versus punishment as many social skills usually do not get better in spite of repeated attempts to discipline children for not exercising them Finally parents must also have realistic expectations for their childs behavior The parent who expects to be able to make and complete a telephone call without being interrupted by her child may be asking too much of the child and may not be the most realistic option for the household The interrupting protocol not only teaches the child an interruption strategy it encourages the parent to interrupt their phone when the child uses an appropriate strategy

The 4 P strategies applied to interrupting are

Practice an appropriate behavior Tell your child you are going to try something new for when he wants to talk to you when you are talking to someone else Show your child how to gently place his hand on your forearm as the signal to gain your attention without interrupting In response put your hand over your childs hand so he knows that you have seen his signal Practice by pretending you are talking to someone and ask your child to use the signal prompting as much as necessary The moment he places his hand on your forearm stop your conversation gently place your free hand over his hand and immediately ask him what he wants You can then begin to extend the time between the signal and when you respond but certainly try to respond as quickly as you can so your child learns an alternative to interrupting An explanation about what you are doing without any negative references is appropriate periodically You can also practice by setting up conversations at home or in public with dad or other caregivers Phone conversations can also be contrived (eg grandma knows you will be calling and that you are working on the not interrupting skill) or you can simply pretend like you are talking to someone on the phone as another practice opportunity Continue to practice the new

skill (placing her hand on your forearm) a couple of times each day for the week or two that it takes to establish the new skill Over that time gradually extend the length of time between when the child places their hand on your arm and you place your hand on their hand and when you stop your conversation to ascertain what they want

Praise or reward the child for practicing Your child may not particularly enjoy learning this new skill and may resist your efforts to have her practice Thus incorporating a reinforcement system for practicing (and for eventually using the skill appropriately) is very important for the practice to work The reinforcement can be as simple as a ldquohigh fiverdquo during the practice but should also include rewards such as reading an extra bedtime story that day or playing a game with the child for cooperating with the practice sessions

Point Out the behavior in yourself and in others Most young children wont notice you waiting to take your turn in a conversation So if you are standing in line at the grocery store point out that you will wait until the lady in front of you has finished her conversation with the clerk before you start to talk to the clerk You can also point out examples on childrens television shows and in their storybooks Examples abound in the real world of people waiting for their turn to speak Prompt your child when the behavior would be appropriate As your child is learning the new skill of not interrupting prompt your child to use the new skills when you see opportunities for him to do so For example if daddy is talking on the phone prompt your child to go over to him place his hand on daddys forearm wait for daddy to place his hand on top as a signal that he will soon be asking the child what he needs Dad in turn would praise or reward the child for practicing the behavior

By presenting these skills as comparable to other skills such as learning to dress or riding a bike the provider may help take the emotional edge off of the social skill deficit that may be causing the parent such frustration The strategies discussed in this piece are practical for application with the majority of families seen in a primary care office Some parents however are quite deficit in their own social skills and some children have behavioral or learning problems that challenge these strategies A referral to a mental health practitioner is probably indicated when there is a history of depression or anger management problems in the primary caregiver when the caregiver is socially isolated and when there are co-morbid disorders such as ADHD ODD or learning delays

This information is excerpted from an article written by Edward Christophersen PhD and Susan Mortweet VanScoyoc PhD in the Developmental and Behavioral News

Dr Nancy Anderson school psychologist at Butler Elementary School provides consultation to any parent requiring help for issues related to their childrsquos educational achievement Dr Anderson can be reached at nanderson1grotonk12ctus

• Motivating Kids to Get Fit

Third GradeMrs Gwaltney Mrs Westkott amp Mrs Zuliani

Predicting questioning connecting drawing conclusions and making inferences are the strategies that we continue to practice in reading TASS (turning the question around when answering open-ended questions with supporting details) is still a strategy we are using to help write complete open ended responses This can be a challenging but effective in writing complete answers

We continue to work on strategies for elaborative segments during writing An elaborative segment is a piece of writing that is highly descriptive The author stops the story action and describes a critical element in the story by using the five senses

We will be shifting our focus in Math as we move into Unit 3 Our area of focus will be on customary and metric measurement Our lessons will focus on volume mass and time There are lots of opportunities to practice these concepts at home Fun things you can do together include cooking timing a fun family activity and measuring big and small items around the home Have fun together

Fourth GradeMrs Genovese amp Mrs OrsquoConnell

In Lead 21 we will collaborate with the Mystic Arts Center for Unit 2 ldquoA Green Futurerdquo We had a wonderful field trip there in November to get our creative juices flowing They will visit us four times this month to assist our fourth graders with their creative Inquiry Projects

121 Mystic Arts Center visits Grade 4 (OrsquoConnell) 122 Mystic Arts Center visits Grade 4 124 Mystic Arts Center visits Grade 4 (Genovese) 129 Mystic Arts Center Visits Grade 4 1211 Mystic Arts Center Visits Grade 4

In Math we will be shifting our focus to division in Unit 3 which will focus on division of whole numbers interpreting remainders and using multiplication and division to solve word problems Please continue to have your child

practice multiplication and division facts daily Upcoming Events 1212 Report Cards Issued 1215 Winter Chorus and Band Concert

Fifth GradeMrs Burdick Mrs Hubbard amp Mrs Wilson

The fifth grade class would like to thank all who contributed to our very successful Annual Fifth Grade Bake Sale We raised $157100 A special thank you to our co-chairs ndash Mrs Niles Mrs Heller and Mrs OrsquoLeary for all of their efforts in coordinating this event We could not have done it without them

Our annual school-wide food-drive will take place during the month of December Watch for a flyer as to which class will be collecting what items to help the less fortunate Your donations are very much appreciated Thank you

Upcoming Events

January 21 2015 ndash Wednesday Dog Watch Cafeacute fundraiser ndash 15 of the proceeds of lunch dinner take out and bar will go to SB Butler for any customer mentioning SB Butler School

February 7 2015 ndash Saturday-800 am ndash Annual Applebeersquos Flapjack Breakfast fundraiser ndash A yummy good time for all members of the family So bring your brothers sisters moms dads grandmas grandpas and friends See you there

Have a safe holiday and winter

season

Special Education Teachers and Speech-Language Pathologists

Mrs Salovitz Ms Serus Mrs Buttermore amp Miss Kasparek

Winter is a wonderful time of year for language

The winter season is among us and it provides opportunities for indoor and outdoor activities to expand and grow your childrenrsquos language Here are some fun ideas and activities to do throughout the season

Nature Walk Get outside and talk about your five senses What do you hear What do you see What can you touch What can you smell And ndash Maybe even what can you taste if you bring along a fall treat Your senses help you learn about the environment around you and askingtalking about these senses can help your children make personal connections with classroom activities practice answering questions and expand their vocabulary

Time in the kitchen If your house is like our houses the kitchen becomes the central location throughout the season There is something appropriate for every age in the kitchen For younger children have them help you set the table You can target different concepts including ldquobiglittlerdquo ldquoaboveunderrdquo ldquorightleftrdquo ldquoonoffrdquo and ldquoemptyfullrdquo You can talk about categories and the variety of ways things can go together for example color shape size function senses For bigger children have them help you prepare something for dinner Sequence the steps you do as you go along ask questions about what was done first second or last Talk about cause and effect and the reasons why things are prepared a certain way Enjoy these times with your children they will learn so much through the fun times together

Indoor GamesActivities Donrsquot Break the Ice Apples to Apples Pictionary Treasure Hunt Clue Cariboo Blurt Catch Phrase Go Fish Memory

Health RoomMrs Grater amp Mrs Donnel

We are in the process of finishing up hearing and vision screening retests In the next few weeks if your child has failed a screening you will be receiving a referral letter from the health room If you have any questions about your childrsquos screenings please feel free to contact the office Our hours at school are 840am to 335pm

The weather has been getting colder winter is almost here Students have been showing up in the health room lacking proper winter attire Please send your child to school with warm clothes jackets hats glovesmittens and scarves There is still plenty of time to get your child a Flu shot If you are unable to find the flu vaccine please contact the health room

Practice good health habits Wash hand often Eat healthy Exercise Get rest as needed including getting

a good nightrsquos sleep

Happy Holiday Wishes to all our Butler Families

MediaMs Harper

Happy winter Students in the media center will be busy this winter PreK ndash Grade 1 will be hearing books about snow and all the fun activities you can do in the snow Second grade will still be studying Bill Peet and Chris Van Allsburg Third grade will be learning all about the Dewey Decimal System and the importance of nonfiction books Fourth grade will be studying an authorrsquos works using literacy response questions and will be writing to that author Individual and cooperative research projects will occupy the fifth graders for the next two months

January is National Mentoring Month If you are interested in becoming a mentor to a student in the Groton Schools training will be held in January

PEHealthMr DeMario

Motivating Kids to Get Fit

With childhood obesity increasing at staggering rates parents and caregivers must play an active role in protecting childrenrsquos health Eating healthy foods is a key factor in maintaining their overall well-being But this has to be balanced with regular physical activityChildren who are physically active on a regular basis will reap enormous benefits Studies have shown that they

Are less likely to become overweight

Have a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Have reduced blood cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure

Have higher self-esteem and reduced incidences of depression and anxiety

Are more likely to build strong bones and muscles

Are more attentive in school

Now that we know why children need to be active itrsquos time to get them up and moving Herersquos how

1 Focus on fun You donrsquot have to call it ldquoexerciserdquo just consider it an activity Find out which ones your child likes and encourage those

2 Limit TV and computer time The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than ldquotwo hours of daily media exposurerdquo for children ages two and older When they are watching or clicking make sure they take breaks and move around

3 Schedule play dates The key word here is ldquoplayrdquo Have your child get together with a friend and play a game of tag race down the block or kick a ball around

4 Get fit as a family Create some funny dance moves Put up a net and shoot hoops You could also visit a zoo play miniature golf or enjoy other activities where a lot of ground is covered on foot

5 Choose fitness-oriented gifts For your childrsquos next birthday consider giving him or her a jump-rope mini-trampoline hula-hoop mdash something that will encourage movement

6 Clean up Chores donrsquot have to be a bore Sing a silly song with your child as you both wipe tables and counters See how long both of you can hold a funny face while folding and putting away clothes Older kids can help wash the car On a hot day this can turn into water play

7 Skip the mall Go to the playground Sure most malls have kidsrsquo play areas But when the weather is nice enjoy a local park or playground instead Fresh air always does a body good especially a little one

8 Be a model of fitness Itrsquos much easier to motivate kids to be active if you lead an active lifestyle Whether you follow a structured fitness program or are lucky to get in some morning stretches let them see you moving It will likely inspire them to do the same

9 Encourage walking or biking whenever feasible This is easy to accomplish if you live near stores libraries or other places you visit regularly If you live in a remote area establish a safe route to tour on bike or on foot with your child

10 Be a fitness advocate at your childrsquos school Do you know how much physical activity your child gets at school Nowrsquos the time to find out If you donrsquot like the answer gather support from other parents to enforce positive changes

Notes The American Heart Association recommends

All children age 2 and older should participate in at least 30 minutes of enjoyable moderate-intensity physical activities every day These activities should be developmentally appropriate and varied

If your child does not have a full 30-minute activity break each day try to provide at least two 15-minute periods or three 10-minute periods in which they can engage in vigorous activities appropriate for their age gender and stage of physical and emotional development Any concerns about your childrsquos physical or overall health should be discussed with their pediatrician

From the website PBSparentscom

Reading SpecialistsMrs Fridinger amp Mrs Tasca

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

Searching for a gift for the special child on your list Here are some suggestions

1 Share the joy of reading Books make great gifts for children Select a few best -selling titles that your sondaughter might enjoy

2 Subscribe to a childrenrsquos magazine (Ranger Rick Time for Kids)

3 Consider tools for learning such as maps puzzles globes reference books pens and pencils

4 How about some games Concentration board games playing cards marbles Crazy Eights and number games to name a few These are a fun alternative to video games

5 Is your sondaughter creative There are a variety of markers crayons stickers rubber stamp sets paints glitter and paper to choose from Put together a fun art box

6 Model kits beginner chemistry sets and microscopes make great gifts

7 Jump ropes hula hoops rollerice skates never go out of style

WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON

Music Classes Are Making Lovely Music at SBB

Mrs Martelle Mrs Stevenson amp Mr Schneider

The first chorus and band concert of the year is coming up on Monday December 15th 630pm in the SB Butler Gymnasium The Advanced Orchestra will perform in the ldquoGroton String Festivalrdquo at Fitch High School on December 17th at 630pm Please watch for more details to come home from Mrs Stevenson if you are in the Advanced Orchestra This concert will feature all string players in grades 5-12 Even if your child is not performing in this concert I strongly encourage you to attend Hope to see you there

The Celebrate the Arts event at Northeast Academy will be on January 29th and 30th this year Some of our SB Butler students will showcase their talents at this event This yearrsquos performers will include 4th grade chimes 5th

grade band and 5th grade orchestra If your child is participating watch for more details to come home regarding specific performance times Even if you do not have a child performing you are welcome to attend the event at any time There will be many performances given by our district students and community members There will also be an art gallery to tour that features student and community artwork We hope you can get out and help us ldquoCelebrate the Artsrdquo

Mark your calendarsThe Chorus will once again be performing at a

Hartford WolfPack hockey gameFriday March 27 (early dismissal day) at 700 pm

vs Providence BruinsStay tuned for more details

Art With Ms Whitchelo

Warm-Up Worksheets and DrawingsStudents may be coming home with warm-up worksheets and drawings from art When students enter the art classroom they immediately start a worksheet or drawing assignment to get their brains moving These are always low pressure and get our fingers ready to work on the great projects you see below

4th and 5th Grade ndash One Point Perspective Drawing4th and 5th grade students are learning perspective drawing This is a way for us to illustrate dimension through a flat surface We are currently using basic geometric shapes and focusing on using our rulers to makes straight lines

3rd Grade-Falling into Space3rd grade students are continuing to learn about adding details to pictures We are now starting these fun (and big) falling into space drawings We are learning about the details of our shoes and hands and starting to talk about perspective

2nd Grade- Weaving in the Round2nd grade students are starting a weaving project We first started talking about the artist Wassily Kandinsky and painted our looms based on some of his amazing abstract art (art that is composed of line shape and color) We are now stringing our own looms and starting the process of weaving in the round

K amp 1 ndash Patterned TurtlesKindergarten and First Grade students are doing a

guided drawing of a turtle This helps us identify shapes within the picture and draw them together We will soon move on to discuss patterns and fill our turtle shell with wonderful patterns of our own

Pre-K CentersPre-K students are continuing to explore materials and working on motor skills with centers such as cutting bead stringing and tracing

PTO NewsTina McLoughlin amp Christina Connell Co-Chairs

Winter Break Read-a-thon

This exciting new activity will raise money for literacy programs both at SBB and abroad while encouraging our kids to read Sponsor forms and tracking grids will be sent home with your child Please help us by encouraging participation

Thank you for your continued support

United Way Mobile Food PantryDistribution Sites

Strategies for Teaching Important Social Skills to Young Children

Parents can help their children learn new behavior in a positive way by Practice Praise Prompting and Pointing out

One of the most important roles that parents play in their childs development is that of teaching their child social skills These skills include daily interaction skills such as sharing taking turns and allowing others to talk without interrupting The category of social skills can also be expanded to facets of self-control such as appropriate anger management For many children social skills are learned by observing how others in their environment handle social situations These children then imitate desirable responses such as turn taking and little thought is given to how the young child became so adept at playing board games cards or other activities that require a child to wait for others

For some children however more direct instruction is needed to help them develop appropriate social skills Such instruction is more effective than using a discipline strategy such as time out as the issue of concern is skill building and not compliance The conceptualization of social skills as skills to be taught may seem foreign to parents who are focused on the childs apparent ldquomisbehaviorrdquo

By helping parents look at social skills as just thatmdash skills that the child must learn like any others (eg riding a bike or playing the piano) parents may be better able to tolerate some deficits in their childs behavioral repertoire Of course the parent may also suffer from poor social skills in addition to inappropriate responses to the childs social efforts Thus parents also need to be informed about how their social behavior impacts the child requiring the parent to model more appropriate behaviors if he or she wants the child to do the same

The 4 Ps Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt

One framework that can be effective in teaching parents how to encourage their childs social skills development is referred to in our clinic as the ldquo4 Psrdquo approach The four Ps stand for Practice Praise Point out and Prompt The purpose of the four ldquoPsrdquo is to break down the skills into concrete components that the parent can easily teach to their child To illustrate this approach to building social skills we will use the common scenario of the child who interrupts during the parents telephone conversations to others

In our example the child is playing quietly in the other room while the parent makes a phone call A few minutes into the conversation the child enters the room and begins whining pulling on his mothers arm repeating his request over and over in an increasingly louder voice His mother pauses her conversation and asks the child to wait When her initial pleas to not interrupt are ineffective she eventually begins lecturing about how many times she has told him not to interrupt her while she is on the phone She may then request that the child go to time-out to punish him for interrupting only to find herself in the same situation as she places another phone call The telephone scenario really involves deficits in both the way the parent is handling the situation and in the way the child is handling the situation The parents strategies of repeating commands reasoning and time out for interrupting do not address the childs need for an acceptable alternative to interrupting In other words the child must build in a new skill of not interrupting that must be established and encouraged by the parent Strategies for applying the 4 P principles to interrupting are elaborated below The same process is effective for teaching skills such as sharing and taking turns We use a handout to supplement our verbal discussion of the childs individual issues

As mentioned previously the 4 Ps are Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt Parents should be told that the process of learning a new skill takes all children some time and can take some children longer than others Each step must be used consistently and repeatedly for the child to be successful Parents must also focus on the skill building aspect of learning versus punishment as many social skills usually do not get better in spite of repeated attempts to discipline children for not exercising them Finally parents must also have realistic expectations for their childs behavior The parent who expects to be able to make and complete a telephone call without being interrupted by her child may be asking too much of the child and may not be the most realistic option for the household The interrupting protocol not only teaches the child an interruption strategy it encourages the parent to interrupt their phone when the child uses an appropriate strategy

The 4 P strategies applied to interrupting are

Practice an appropriate behavior Tell your child you are going to try something new for when he wants to talk to you when you are talking to someone else Show your child how to gently place his hand on your forearm as the signal to gain your attention without interrupting In response put your hand over your childs hand so he knows that you have seen his signal Practice by pretending you are talking to someone and ask your child to use the signal prompting as much as necessary The moment he places his hand on your forearm stop your conversation gently place your free hand over his hand and immediately ask him what he wants You can then begin to extend the time between the signal and when you respond but certainly try to respond as quickly as you can so your child learns an alternative to interrupting An explanation about what you are doing without any negative references is appropriate periodically You can also practice by setting up conversations at home or in public with dad or other caregivers Phone conversations can also be contrived (eg grandma knows you will be calling and that you are working on the not interrupting skill) or you can simply pretend like you are talking to someone on the phone as another practice opportunity Continue to practice the new

skill (placing her hand on your forearm) a couple of times each day for the week or two that it takes to establish the new skill Over that time gradually extend the length of time between when the child places their hand on your arm and you place your hand on their hand and when you stop your conversation to ascertain what they want

Praise or reward the child for practicing Your child may not particularly enjoy learning this new skill and may resist your efforts to have her practice Thus incorporating a reinforcement system for practicing (and for eventually using the skill appropriately) is very important for the practice to work The reinforcement can be as simple as a ldquohigh fiverdquo during the practice but should also include rewards such as reading an extra bedtime story that day or playing a game with the child for cooperating with the practice sessions

Point Out the behavior in yourself and in others Most young children wont notice you waiting to take your turn in a conversation So if you are standing in line at the grocery store point out that you will wait until the lady in front of you has finished her conversation with the clerk before you start to talk to the clerk You can also point out examples on childrens television shows and in their storybooks Examples abound in the real world of people waiting for their turn to speak Prompt your child when the behavior would be appropriate As your child is learning the new skill of not interrupting prompt your child to use the new skills when you see opportunities for him to do so For example if daddy is talking on the phone prompt your child to go over to him place his hand on daddys forearm wait for daddy to place his hand on top as a signal that he will soon be asking the child what he needs Dad in turn would praise or reward the child for practicing the behavior

By presenting these skills as comparable to other skills such as learning to dress or riding a bike the provider may help take the emotional edge off of the social skill deficit that may be causing the parent such frustration The strategies discussed in this piece are practical for application with the majority of families seen in a primary care office Some parents however are quite deficit in their own social skills and some children have behavioral or learning problems that challenge these strategies A referral to a mental health practitioner is probably indicated when there is a history of depression or anger management problems in the primary caregiver when the caregiver is socially isolated and when there are co-morbid disorders such as ADHD ODD or learning delays

This information is excerpted from an article written by Edward Christophersen PhD and Susan Mortweet VanScoyoc PhD in the Developmental and Behavioral News

Dr Nancy Anderson school psychologist at Butler Elementary School provides consultation to any parent requiring help for issues related to their childrsquos educational achievement Dr Anderson can be reached at nanderson1grotonk12ctus

• Motivating Kids to Get Fit

The winter season is among us and it provides opportunities for indoor and outdoor activities to expand and grow your childrenrsquos language Here are some fun ideas and activities to do throughout the season

Nature Walk Get outside and talk about your five senses What do you hear What do you see What can you touch What can you smell And ndash Maybe even what can you taste if you bring along a fall treat Your senses help you learn about the environment around you and askingtalking about these senses can help your children make personal connections with classroom activities practice answering questions and expand their vocabulary

Time in the kitchen If your house is like our houses the kitchen becomes the central location throughout the season There is something appropriate for every age in the kitchen For younger children have them help you set the table You can target different concepts including ldquobiglittlerdquo ldquoaboveunderrdquo ldquorightleftrdquo ldquoonoffrdquo and ldquoemptyfullrdquo You can talk about categories and the variety of ways things can go together for example color shape size function senses For bigger children have them help you prepare something for dinner Sequence the steps you do as you go along ask questions about what was done first second or last Talk about cause and effect and the reasons why things are prepared a certain way Enjoy these times with your children they will learn so much through the fun times together

Indoor GamesActivities Donrsquot Break the Ice Apples to Apples Pictionary Treasure Hunt Clue Cariboo Blurt Catch Phrase Go Fish Memory

Health RoomMrs Grater amp Mrs Donnel

We are in the process of finishing up hearing and vision screening retests In the next few weeks if your child has failed a screening you will be receiving a referral letter from the health room If you have any questions about your childrsquos screenings please feel free to contact the office Our hours at school are 840am to 335pm

The weather has been getting colder winter is almost here Students have been showing up in the health room lacking proper winter attire Please send your child to school with warm clothes jackets hats glovesmittens and scarves There is still plenty of time to get your child a Flu shot If you are unable to find the flu vaccine please contact the health room

Practice good health habits Wash hand often Eat healthy Exercise Get rest as needed including getting

a good nightrsquos sleep

Happy Holiday Wishes to all our Butler Families

MediaMs Harper

Happy winter Students in the media center will be busy this winter PreK ndash Grade 1 will be hearing books about snow and all the fun activities you can do in the snow Second grade will still be studying Bill Peet and Chris Van Allsburg Third grade will be learning all about the Dewey Decimal System and the importance of nonfiction books Fourth grade will be studying an authorrsquos works using literacy response questions and will be writing to that author Individual and cooperative research projects will occupy the fifth graders for the next two months

January is National Mentoring Month If you are interested in becoming a mentor to a student in the Groton Schools training will be held in January

PEHealthMr DeMario

Motivating Kids to Get Fit

With childhood obesity increasing at staggering rates parents and caregivers must play an active role in protecting childrenrsquos health Eating healthy foods is a key factor in maintaining their overall well-being But this has to be balanced with regular physical activityChildren who are physically active on a regular basis will reap enormous benefits Studies have shown that they

Are less likely to become overweight

Have a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Have reduced blood cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure

Have higher self-esteem and reduced incidences of depression and anxiety

Are more likely to build strong bones and muscles

Are more attentive in school

Now that we know why children need to be active itrsquos time to get them up and moving Herersquos how

1 Focus on fun You donrsquot have to call it ldquoexerciserdquo just consider it an activity Find out which ones your child likes and encourage those

2 Limit TV and computer time The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than ldquotwo hours of daily media exposurerdquo for children ages two and older When they are watching or clicking make sure they take breaks and move around

3 Schedule play dates The key word here is ldquoplayrdquo Have your child get together with a friend and play a game of tag race down the block or kick a ball around

4 Get fit as a family Create some funny dance moves Put up a net and shoot hoops You could also visit a zoo play miniature golf or enjoy other activities where a lot of ground is covered on foot

5 Choose fitness-oriented gifts For your childrsquos next birthday consider giving him or her a jump-rope mini-trampoline hula-hoop mdash something that will encourage movement

6 Clean up Chores donrsquot have to be a bore Sing a silly song with your child as you both wipe tables and counters See how long both of you can hold a funny face while folding and putting away clothes Older kids can help wash the car On a hot day this can turn into water play

7 Skip the mall Go to the playground Sure most malls have kidsrsquo play areas But when the weather is nice enjoy a local park or playground instead Fresh air always does a body good especially a little one

8 Be a model of fitness Itrsquos much easier to motivate kids to be active if you lead an active lifestyle Whether you follow a structured fitness program or are lucky to get in some morning stretches let them see you moving It will likely inspire them to do the same

9 Encourage walking or biking whenever feasible This is easy to accomplish if you live near stores libraries or other places you visit regularly If you live in a remote area establish a safe route to tour on bike or on foot with your child

10 Be a fitness advocate at your childrsquos school Do you know how much physical activity your child gets at school Nowrsquos the time to find out If you donrsquot like the answer gather support from other parents to enforce positive changes

Notes The American Heart Association recommends

All children age 2 and older should participate in at least 30 minutes of enjoyable moderate-intensity physical activities every day These activities should be developmentally appropriate and varied

If your child does not have a full 30-minute activity break each day try to provide at least two 15-minute periods or three 10-minute periods in which they can engage in vigorous activities appropriate for their age gender and stage of physical and emotional development Any concerns about your childrsquos physical or overall health should be discussed with their pediatrician

From the website PBSparentscom

Reading SpecialistsMrs Fridinger amp Mrs Tasca

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

Searching for a gift for the special child on your list Here are some suggestions

1 Share the joy of reading Books make great gifts for children Select a few best -selling titles that your sondaughter might enjoy

2 Subscribe to a childrenrsquos magazine (Ranger Rick Time for Kids)

3 Consider tools for learning such as maps puzzles globes reference books pens and pencils

4 How about some games Concentration board games playing cards marbles Crazy Eights and number games to name a few These are a fun alternative to video games

5 Is your sondaughter creative There are a variety of markers crayons stickers rubber stamp sets paints glitter and paper to choose from Put together a fun art box

6 Model kits beginner chemistry sets and microscopes make great gifts

7 Jump ropes hula hoops rollerice skates never go out of style

WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON

Music Classes Are Making Lovely Music at SBB

Mrs Martelle Mrs Stevenson amp Mr Schneider

The first chorus and band concert of the year is coming up on Monday December 15th 630pm in the SB Butler Gymnasium The Advanced Orchestra will perform in the ldquoGroton String Festivalrdquo at Fitch High School on December 17th at 630pm Please watch for more details to come home from Mrs Stevenson if you are in the Advanced Orchestra This concert will feature all string players in grades 5-12 Even if your child is not performing in this concert I strongly encourage you to attend Hope to see you there

The Celebrate the Arts event at Northeast Academy will be on January 29th and 30th this year Some of our SB Butler students will showcase their talents at this event This yearrsquos performers will include 4th grade chimes 5th

grade band and 5th grade orchestra If your child is participating watch for more details to come home regarding specific performance times Even if you do not have a child performing you are welcome to attend the event at any time There will be many performances given by our district students and community members There will also be an art gallery to tour that features student and community artwork We hope you can get out and help us ldquoCelebrate the Artsrdquo

Mark your calendarsThe Chorus will once again be performing at a

Hartford WolfPack hockey gameFriday March 27 (early dismissal day) at 700 pm

vs Providence BruinsStay tuned for more details

Art With Ms Whitchelo

Warm-Up Worksheets and DrawingsStudents may be coming home with warm-up worksheets and drawings from art When students enter the art classroom they immediately start a worksheet or drawing assignment to get their brains moving These are always low pressure and get our fingers ready to work on the great projects you see below

4th and 5th Grade ndash One Point Perspective Drawing4th and 5th grade students are learning perspective drawing This is a way for us to illustrate dimension through a flat surface We are currently using basic geometric shapes and focusing on using our rulers to makes straight lines

3rd Grade-Falling into Space3rd grade students are continuing to learn about adding details to pictures We are now starting these fun (and big) falling into space drawings We are learning about the details of our shoes and hands and starting to talk about perspective

2nd Grade- Weaving in the Round2nd grade students are starting a weaving project We first started talking about the artist Wassily Kandinsky and painted our looms based on some of his amazing abstract art (art that is composed of line shape and color) We are now stringing our own looms and starting the process of weaving in the round

K amp 1 ndash Patterned TurtlesKindergarten and First Grade students are doing a

guided drawing of a turtle This helps us identify shapes within the picture and draw them together We will soon move on to discuss patterns and fill our turtle shell with wonderful patterns of our own

Pre-K CentersPre-K students are continuing to explore materials and working on motor skills with centers such as cutting bead stringing and tracing

PTO NewsTina McLoughlin amp Christina Connell Co-Chairs

Winter Break Read-a-thon

This exciting new activity will raise money for literacy programs both at SBB and abroad while encouraging our kids to read Sponsor forms and tracking grids will be sent home with your child Please help us by encouraging participation

Thank you for your continued support

United Way Mobile Food PantryDistribution Sites

Strategies for Teaching Important Social Skills to Young Children

Parents can help their children learn new behavior in a positive way by Practice Praise Prompting and Pointing out

One of the most important roles that parents play in their childs development is that of teaching their child social skills These skills include daily interaction skills such as sharing taking turns and allowing others to talk without interrupting The category of social skills can also be expanded to facets of self-control such as appropriate anger management For many children social skills are learned by observing how others in their environment handle social situations These children then imitate desirable responses such as turn taking and little thought is given to how the young child became so adept at playing board games cards or other activities that require a child to wait for others

For some children however more direct instruction is needed to help them develop appropriate social skills Such instruction is more effective than using a discipline strategy such as time out as the issue of concern is skill building and not compliance The conceptualization of social skills as skills to be taught may seem foreign to parents who are focused on the childs apparent ldquomisbehaviorrdquo

By helping parents look at social skills as just thatmdash skills that the child must learn like any others (eg riding a bike or playing the piano) parents may be better able to tolerate some deficits in their childs behavioral repertoire Of course the parent may also suffer from poor social skills in addition to inappropriate responses to the childs social efforts Thus parents also need to be informed about how their social behavior impacts the child requiring the parent to model more appropriate behaviors if he or she wants the child to do the same

The 4 Ps Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt

One framework that can be effective in teaching parents how to encourage their childs social skills development is referred to in our clinic as the ldquo4 Psrdquo approach The four Ps stand for Practice Praise Point out and Prompt The purpose of the four ldquoPsrdquo is to break down the skills into concrete components that the parent can easily teach to their child To illustrate this approach to building social skills we will use the common scenario of the child who interrupts during the parents telephone conversations to others

In our example the child is playing quietly in the other room while the parent makes a phone call A few minutes into the conversation the child enters the room and begins whining pulling on his mothers arm repeating his request over and over in an increasingly louder voice His mother pauses her conversation and asks the child to wait When her initial pleas to not interrupt are ineffective she eventually begins lecturing about how many times she has told him not to interrupt her while she is on the phone She may then request that the child go to time-out to punish him for interrupting only to find herself in the same situation as she places another phone call The telephone scenario really involves deficits in both the way the parent is handling the situation and in the way the child is handling the situation The parents strategies of repeating commands reasoning and time out for interrupting do not address the childs need for an acceptable alternative to interrupting In other words the child must build in a new skill of not interrupting that must be established and encouraged by the parent Strategies for applying the 4 P principles to interrupting are elaborated below The same process is effective for teaching skills such as sharing and taking turns We use a handout to supplement our verbal discussion of the childs individual issues

As mentioned previously the 4 Ps are Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt Parents should be told that the process of learning a new skill takes all children some time and can take some children longer than others Each step must be used consistently and repeatedly for the child to be successful Parents must also focus on the skill building aspect of learning versus punishment as many social skills usually do not get better in spite of repeated attempts to discipline children for not exercising them Finally parents must also have realistic expectations for their childs behavior The parent who expects to be able to make and complete a telephone call without being interrupted by her child may be asking too much of the child and may not be the most realistic option for the household The interrupting protocol not only teaches the child an interruption strategy it encourages the parent to interrupt their phone when the child uses an appropriate strategy

The 4 P strategies applied to interrupting are

Practice an appropriate behavior Tell your child you are going to try something new for when he wants to talk to you when you are talking to someone else Show your child how to gently place his hand on your forearm as the signal to gain your attention without interrupting In response put your hand over your childs hand so he knows that you have seen his signal Practice by pretending you are talking to someone and ask your child to use the signal prompting as much as necessary The moment he places his hand on your forearm stop your conversation gently place your free hand over his hand and immediately ask him what he wants You can then begin to extend the time between the signal and when you respond but certainly try to respond as quickly as you can so your child learns an alternative to interrupting An explanation about what you are doing without any negative references is appropriate periodically You can also practice by setting up conversations at home or in public with dad or other caregivers Phone conversations can also be contrived (eg grandma knows you will be calling and that you are working on the not interrupting skill) or you can simply pretend like you are talking to someone on the phone as another practice opportunity Continue to practice the new

skill (placing her hand on your forearm) a couple of times each day for the week or two that it takes to establish the new skill Over that time gradually extend the length of time between when the child places their hand on your arm and you place your hand on their hand and when you stop your conversation to ascertain what they want

Praise or reward the child for practicing Your child may not particularly enjoy learning this new skill and may resist your efforts to have her practice Thus incorporating a reinforcement system for practicing (and for eventually using the skill appropriately) is very important for the practice to work The reinforcement can be as simple as a ldquohigh fiverdquo during the practice but should also include rewards such as reading an extra bedtime story that day or playing a game with the child for cooperating with the practice sessions

Point Out the behavior in yourself and in others Most young children wont notice you waiting to take your turn in a conversation So if you are standing in line at the grocery store point out that you will wait until the lady in front of you has finished her conversation with the clerk before you start to talk to the clerk You can also point out examples on childrens television shows and in their storybooks Examples abound in the real world of people waiting for their turn to speak Prompt your child when the behavior would be appropriate As your child is learning the new skill of not interrupting prompt your child to use the new skills when you see opportunities for him to do so For example if daddy is talking on the phone prompt your child to go over to him place his hand on daddys forearm wait for daddy to place his hand on top as a signal that he will soon be asking the child what he needs Dad in turn would praise or reward the child for practicing the behavior

By presenting these skills as comparable to other skills such as learning to dress or riding a bike the provider may help take the emotional edge off of the social skill deficit that may be causing the parent such frustration The strategies discussed in this piece are practical for application with the majority of families seen in a primary care office Some parents however are quite deficit in their own social skills and some children have behavioral or learning problems that challenge these strategies A referral to a mental health practitioner is probably indicated when there is a history of depression or anger management problems in the primary caregiver when the caregiver is socially isolated and when there are co-morbid disorders such as ADHD ODD or learning delays

This information is excerpted from an article written by Edward Christophersen PhD and Susan Mortweet VanScoyoc PhD in the Developmental and Behavioral News

Dr Nancy Anderson school psychologist at Butler Elementary School provides consultation to any parent requiring help for issues related to their childrsquos educational achievement Dr Anderson can be reached at nanderson1grotonk12ctus

• Motivating Kids to Get Fit

PEHealthMr DeMario

Motivating Kids to Get Fit

With childhood obesity increasing at staggering rates parents and caregivers must play an active role in protecting childrenrsquos health Eating healthy foods is a key factor in maintaining their overall well-being But this has to be balanced with regular physical activityChildren who are physically active on a regular basis will reap enormous benefits Studies have shown that they

Are less likely to become overweight

Have a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Have reduced blood cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure

Have higher self-esteem and reduced incidences of depression and anxiety

Are more likely to build strong bones and muscles

Are more attentive in school

Now that we know why children need to be active itrsquos time to get them up and moving Herersquos how

1 Focus on fun You donrsquot have to call it ldquoexerciserdquo just consider it an activity Find out which ones your child likes and encourage those

2 Limit TV and computer time The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than ldquotwo hours of daily media exposurerdquo for children ages two and older When they are watching or clicking make sure they take breaks and move around

3 Schedule play dates The key word here is ldquoplayrdquo Have your child get together with a friend and play a game of tag race down the block or kick a ball around

4 Get fit as a family Create some funny dance moves Put up a net and shoot hoops You could also visit a zoo play miniature golf or enjoy other activities where a lot of ground is covered on foot

5 Choose fitness-oriented gifts For your childrsquos next birthday consider giving him or her a jump-rope mini-trampoline hula-hoop mdash something that will encourage movement

6 Clean up Chores donrsquot have to be a bore Sing a silly song with your child as you both wipe tables and counters See how long both of you can hold a funny face while folding and putting away clothes Older kids can help wash the car On a hot day this can turn into water play

7 Skip the mall Go to the playground Sure most malls have kidsrsquo play areas But when the weather is nice enjoy a local park or playground instead Fresh air always does a body good especially a little one

8 Be a model of fitness Itrsquos much easier to motivate kids to be active if you lead an active lifestyle Whether you follow a structured fitness program or are lucky to get in some morning stretches let them see you moving It will likely inspire them to do the same

9 Encourage walking or biking whenever feasible This is easy to accomplish if you live near stores libraries or other places you visit regularly If you live in a remote area establish a safe route to tour on bike or on foot with your child

10 Be a fitness advocate at your childrsquos school Do you know how much physical activity your child gets at school Nowrsquos the time to find out If you donrsquot like the answer gather support from other parents to enforce positive changes

Notes The American Heart Association recommends

All children age 2 and older should participate in at least 30 minutes of enjoyable moderate-intensity physical activities every day These activities should be developmentally appropriate and varied

If your child does not have a full 30-minute activity break each day try to provide at least two 15-minute periods or three 10-minute periods in which they can engage in vigorous activities appropriate for their age gender and stage of physical and emotional development Any concerns about your childrsquos physical or overall health should be discussed with their pediatrician

From the website PBSparentscom

Reading SpecialistsMrs Fridinger amp Mrs Tasca

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

Searching for a gift for the special child on your list Here are some suggestions

1 Share the joy of reading Books make great gifts for children Select a few best -selling titles that your sondaughter might enjoy

2 Subscribe to a childrenrsquos magazine (Ranger Rick Time for Kids)

3 Consider tools for learning such as maps puzzles globes reference books pens and pencils

4 How about some games Concentration board games playing cards marbles Crazy Eights and number games to name a few These are a fun alternative to video games

5 Is your sondaughter creative There are a variety of markers crayons stickers rubber stamp sets paints glitter and paper to choose from Put together a fun art box

6 Model kits beginner chemistry sets and microscopes make great gifts

7 Jump ropes hula hoops rollerice skates never go out of style

WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON

Music Classes Are Making Lovely Music at SBB

Mrs Martelle Mrs Stevenson amp Mr Schneider

The first chorus and band concert of the year is coming up on Monday December 15th 630pm in the SB Butler Gymnasium The Advanced Orchestra will perform in the ldquoGroton String Festivalrdquo at Fitch High School on December 17th at 630pm Please watch for more details to come home from Mrs Stevenson if you are in the Advanced Orchestra This concert will feature all string players in grades 5-12 Even if your child is not performing in this concert I strongly encourage you to attend Hope to see you there

The Celebrate the Arts event at Northeast Academy will be on January 29th and 30th this year Some of our SB Butler students will showcase their talents at this event This yearrsquos performers will include 4th grade chimes 5th

grade band and 5th grade orchestra If your child is participating watch for more details to come home regarding specific performance times Even if you do not have a child performing you are welcome to attend the event at any time There will be many performances given by our district students and community members There will also be an art gallery to tour that features student and community artwork We hope you can get out and help us ldquoCelebrate the Artsrdquo

Mark your calendarsThe Chorus will once again be performing at a

Hartford WolfPack hockey gameFriday March 27 (early dismissal day) at 700 pm

vs Providence BruinsStay tuned for more details

Art With Ms Whitchelo

Warm-Up Worksheets and DrawingsStudents may be coming home with warm-up worksheets and drawings from art When students enter the art classroom they immediately start a worksheet or drawing assignment to get their brains moving These are always low pressure and get our fingers ready to work on the great projects you see below

4th and 5th Grade ndash One Point Perspective Drawing4th and 5th grade students are learning perspective drawing This is a way for us to illustrate dimension through a flat surface We are currently using basic geometric shapes and focusing on using our rulers to makes straight lines

3rd Grade-Falling into Space3rd grade students are continuing to learn about adding details to pictures We are now starting these fun (and big) falling into space drawings We are learning about the details of our shoes and hands and starting to talk about perspective

2nd Grade- Weaving in the Round2nd grade students are starting a weaving project We first started talking about the artist Wassily Kandinsky and painted our looms based on some of his amazing abstract art (art that is composed of line shape and color) We are now stringing our own looms and starting the process of weaving in the round

K amp 1 ndash Patterned TurtlesKindergarten and First Grade students are doing a

guided drawing of a turtle This helps us identify shapes within the picture and draw them together We will soon move on to discuss patterns and fill our turtle shell with wonderful patterns of our own

Pre-K CentersPre-K students are continuing to explore materials and working on motor skills with centers such as cutting bead stringing and tracing

PTO NewsTina McLoughlin amp Christina Connell Co-Chairs

Winter Break Read-a-thon

This exciting new activity will raise money for literacy programs both at SBB and abroad while encouraging our kids to read Sponsor forms and tracking grids will be sent home with your child Please help us by encouraging participation

Thank you for your continued support

United Way Mobile Food PantryDistribution Sites

Strategies for Teaching Important Social Skills to Young Children

Parents can help their children learn new behavior in a positive way by Practice Praise Prompting and Pointing out

One of the most important roles that parents play in their childs development is that of teaching their child social skills These skills include daily interaction skills such as sharing taking turns and allowing others to talk without interrupting The category of social skills can also be expanded to facets of self-control such as appropriate anger management For many children social skills are learned by observing how others in their environment handle social situations These children then imitate desirable responses such as turn taking and little thought is given to how the young child became so adept at playing board games cards or other activities that require a child to wait for others

For some children however more direct instruction is needed to help them develop appropriate social skills Such instruction is more effective than using a discipline strategy such as time out as the issue of concern is skill building and not compliance The conceptualization of social skills as skills to be taught may seem foreign to parents who are focused on the childs apparent ldquomisbehaviorrdquo

By helping parents look at social skills as just thatmdash skills that the child must learn like any others (eg riding a bike or playing the piano) parents may be better able to tolerate some deficits in their childs behavioral repertoire Of course the parent may also suffer from poor social skills in addition to inappropriate responses to the childs social efforts Thus parents also need to be informed about how their social behavior impacts the child requiring the parent to model more appropriate behaviors if he or she wants the child to do the same

The 4 Ps Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt

One framework that can be effective in teaching parents how to encourage their childs social skills development is referred to in our clinic as the ldquo4 Psrdquo approach The four Ps stand for Practice Praise Point out and Prompt The purpose of the four ldquoPsrdquo is to break down the skills into concrete components that the parent can easily teach to their child To illustrate this approach to building social skills we will use the common scenario of the child who interrupts during the parents telephone conversations to others

In our example the child is playing quietly in the other room while the parent makes a phone call A few minutes into the conversation the child enters the room and begins whining pulling on his mothers arm repeating his request over and over in an increasingly louder voice His mother pauses her conversation and asks the child to wait When her initial pleas to not interrupt are ineffective she eventually begins lecturing about how many times she has told him not to interrupt her while she is on the phone She may then request that the child go to time-out to punish him for interrupting only to find herself in the same situation as she places another phone call The telephone scenario really involves deficits in both the way the parent is handling the situation and in the way the child is handling the situation The parents strategies of repeating commands reasoning and time out for interrupting do not address the childs need for an acceptable alternative to interrupting In other words the child must build in a new skill of not interrupting that must be established and encouraged by the parent Strategies for applying the 4 P principles to interrupting are elaborated below The same process is effective for teaching skills such as sharing and taking turns We use a handout to supplement our verbal discussion of the childs individual issues

As mentioned previously the 4 Ps are Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt Parents should be told that the process of learning a new skill takes all children some time and can take some children longer than others Each step must be used consistently and repeatedly for the child to be successful Parents must also focus on the skill building aspect of learning versus punishment as many social skills usually do not get better in spite of repeated attempts to discipline children for not exercising them Finally parents must also have realistic expectations for their childs behavior The parent who expects to be able to make and complete a telephone call without being interrupted by her child may be asking too much of the child and may not be the most realistic option for the household The interrupting protocol not only teaches the child an interruption strategy it encourages the parent to interrupt their phone when the child uses an appropriate strategy

The 4 P strategies applied to interrupting are

Practice an appropriate behavior Tell your child you are going to try something new for when he wants to talk to you when you are talking to someone else Show your child how to gently place his hand on your forearm as the signal to gain your attention without interrupting In response put your hand over your childs hand so he knows that you have seen his signal Practice by pretending you are talking to someone and ask your child to use the signal prompting as much as necessary The moment he places his hand on your forearm stop your conversation gently place your free hand over his hand and immediately ask him what he wants You can then begin to extend the time between the signal and when you respond but certainly try to respond as quickly as you can so your child learns an alternative to interrupting An explanation about what you are doing without any negative references is appropriate periodically You can also practice by setting up conversations at home or in public with dad or other caregivers Phone conversations can also be contrived (eg grandma knows you will be calling and that you are working on the not interrupting skill) or you can simply pretend like you are talking to someone on the phone as another practice opportunity Continue to practice the new

skill (placing her hand on your forearm) a couple of times each day for the week or two that it takes to establish the new skill Over that time gradually extend the length of time between when the child places their hand on your arm and you place your hand on their hand and when you stop your conversation to ascertain what they want

Praise or reward the child for practicing Your child may not particularly enjoy learning this new skill and may resist your efforts to have her practice Thus incorporating a reinforcement system for practicing (and for eventually using the skill appropriately) is very important for the practice to work The reinforcement can be as simple as a ldquohigh fiverdquo during the practice but should also include rewards such as reading an extra bedtime story that day or playing a game with the child for cooperating with the practice sessions

Point Out the behavior in yourself and in others Most young children wont notice you waiting to take your turn in a conversation So if you are standing in line at the grocery store point out that you will wait until the lady in front of you has finished her conversation with the clerk before you start to talk to the clerk You can also point out examples on childrens television shows and in their storybooks Examples abound in the real world of people waiting for their turn to speak Prompt your child when the behavior would be appropriate As your child is learning the new skill of not interrupting prompt your child to use the new skills when you see opportunities for him to do so For example if daddy is talking on the phone prompt your child to go over to him place his hand on daddys forearm wait for daddy to place his hand on top as a signal that he will soon be asking the child what he needs Dad in turn would praise or reward the child for practicing the behavior

By presenting these skills as comparable to other skills such as learning to dress or riding a bike the provider may help take the emotional edge off of the social skill deficit that may be causing the parent such frustration The strategies discussed in this piece are practical for application with the majority of families seen in a primary care office Some parents however are quite deficit in their own social skills and some children have behavioral or learning problems that challenge these strategies A referral to a mental health practitioner is probably indicated when there is a history of depression or anger management problems in the primary caregiver when the caregiver is socially isolated and when there are co-morbid disorders such as ADHD ODD or learning delays

This information is excerpted from an article written by Edward Christophersen PhD and Susan Mortweet VanScoyoc PhD in the Developmental and Behavioral News

Dr Nancy Anderson school psychologist at Butler Elementary School provides consultation to any parent requiring help for issues related to their childrsquos educational achievement Dr Anderson can be reached at nanderson1grotonk12ctus

• Motivating Kids to Get Fit

Reading SpecialistsMrs Fridinger amp Mrs Tasca

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

Searching for a gift for the special child on your list Here are some suggestions

1 Share the joy of reading Books make great gifts for children Select a few best -selling titles that your sondaughter might enjoy

2 Subscribe to a childrenrsquos magazine (Ranger Rick Time for Kids)

3 Consider tools for learning such as maps puzzles globes reference books pens and pencils

4 How about some games Concentration board games playing cards marbles Crazy Eights and number games to name a few These are a fun alternative to video games

5 Is your sondaughter creative There are a variety of markers crayons stickers rubber stamp sets paints glitter and paper to choose from Put together a fun art box

6 Model kits beginner chemistry sets and microscopes make great gifts

7 Jump ropes hula hoops rollerice skates never go out of style

WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON

Music Classes Are Making Lovely Music at SBB

Mrs Martelle Mrs Stevenson amp Mr Schneider

The first chorus and band concert of the year is coming up on Monday December 15th 630pm in the SB Butler Gymnasium The Advanced Orchestra will perform in the ldquoGroton String Festivalrdquo at Fitch High School on December 17th at 630pm Please watch for more details to come home from Mrs Stevenson if you are in the Advanced Orchestra This concert will feature all string players in grades 5-12 Even if your child is not performing in this concert I strongly encourage you to attend Hope to see you there

The Celebrate the Arts event at Northeast Academy will be on January 29th and 30th this year Some of our SB Butler students will showcase their talents at this event This yearrsquos performers will include 4th grade chimes 5th

grade band and 5th grade orchestra If your child is participating watch for more details to come home regarding specific performance times Even if you do not have a child performing you are welcome to attend the event at any time There will be many performances given by our district students and community members There will also be an art gallery to tour that features student and community artwork We hope you can get out and help us ldquoCelebrate the Artsrdquo

Mark your calendarsThe Chorus will once again be performing at a

Hartford WolfPack hockey gameFriday March 27 (early dismissal day) at 700 pm

vs Providence BruinsStay tuned for more details

Art With Ms Whitchelo

Warm-Up Worksheets and DrawingsStudents may be coming home with warm-up worksheets and drawings from art When students enter the art classroom they immediately start a worksheet or drawing assignment to get their brains moving These are always low pressure and get our fingers ready to work on the great projects you see below

4th and 5th Grade ndash One Point Perspective Drawing4th and 5th grade students are learning perspective drawing This is a way for us to illustrate dimension through a flat surface We are currently using basic geometric shapes and focusing on using our rulers to makes straight lines

3rd Grade-Falling into Space3rd grade students are continuing to learn about adding details to pictures We are now starting these fun (and big) falling into space drawings We are learning about the details of our shoes and hands and starting to talk about perspective

2nd Grade- Weaving in the Round2nd grade students are starting a weaving project We first started talking about the artist Wassily Kandinsky and painted our looms based on some of his amazing abstract art (art that is composed of line shape and color) We are now stringing our own looms and starting the process of weaving in the round

K amp 1 ndash Patterned TurtlesKindergarten and First Grade students are doing a

guided drawing of a turtle This helps us identify shapes within the picture and draw them together We will soon move on to discuss patterns and fill our turtle shell with wonderful patterns of our own

Pre-K CentersPre-K students are continuing to explore materials and working on motor skills with centers such as cutting bead stringing and tracing

PTO NewsTina McLoughlin amp Christina Connell Co-Chairs

Winter Break Read-a-thon

This exciting new activity will raise money for literacy programs both at SBB and abroad while encouraging our kids to read Sponsor forms and tracking grids will be sent home with your child Please help us by encouraging participation

Thank you for your continued support

United Way Mobile Food PantryDistribution Sites

Strategies for Teaching Important Social Skills to Young Children

Parents can help their children learn new behavior in a positive way by Practice Praise Prompting and Pointing out

One of the most important roles that parents play in their childs development is that of teaching their child social skills These skills include daily interaction skills such as sharing taking turns and allowing others to talk without interrupting The category of social skills can also be expanded to facets of self-control such as appropriate anger management For many children social skills are learned by observing how others in their environment handle social situations These children then imitate desirable responses such as turn taking and little thought is given to how the young child became so adept at playing board games cards or other activities that require a child to wait for others

For some children however more direct instruction is needed to help them develop appropriate social skills Such instruction is more effective than using a discipline strategy such as time out as the issue of concern is skill building and not compliance The conceptualization of social skills as skills to be taught may seem foreign to parents who are focused on the childs apparent ldquomisbehaviorrdquo

By helping parents look at social skills as just thatmdash skills that the child must learn like any others (eg riding a bike or playing the piano) parents may be better able to tolerate some deficits in their childs behavioral repertoire Of course the parent may also suffer from poor social skills in addition to inappropriate responses to the childs social efforts Thus parents also need to be informed about how their social behavior impacts the child requiring the parent to model more appropriate behaviors if he or she wants the child to do the same

The 4 Ps Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt

One framework that can be effective in teaching parents how to encourage their childs social skills development is referred to in our clinic as the ldquo4 Psrdquo approach The four Ps stand for Practice Praise Point out and Prompt The purpose of the four ldquoPsrdquo is to break down the skills into concrete components that the parent can easily teach to their child To illustrate this approach to building social skills we will use the common scenario of the child who interrupts during the parents telephone conversations to others

In our example the child is playing quietly in the other room while the parent makes a phone call A few minutes into the conversation the child enters the room and begins whining pulling on his mothers arm repeating his request over and over in an increasingly louder voice His mother pauses her conversation and asks the child to wait When her initial pleas to not interrupt are ineffective she eventually begins lecturing about how many times she has told him not to interrupt her while she is on the phone She may then request that the child go to time-out to punish him for interrupting only to find herself in the same situation as she places another phone call The telephone scenario really involves deficits in both the way the parent is handling the situation and in the way the child is handling the situation The parents strategies of repeating commands reasoning and time out for interrupting do not address the childs need for an acceptable alternative to interrupting In other words the child must build in a new skill of not interrupting that must be established and encouraged by the parent Strategies for applying the 4 P principles to interrupting are elaborated below The same process is effective for teaching skills such as sharing and taking turns We use a handout to supplement our verbal discussion of the childs individual issues

As mentioned previously the 4 Ps are Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt Parents should be told that the process of learning a new skill takes all children some time and can take some children longer than others Each step must be used consistently and repeatedly for the child to be successful Parents must also focus on the skill building aspect of learning versus punishment as many social skills usually do not get better in spite of repeated attempts to discipline children for not exercising them Finally parents must also have realistic expectations for their childs behavior The parent who expects to be able to make and complete a telephone call without being interrupted by her child may be asking too much of the child and may not be the most realistic option for the household The interrupting protocol not only teaches the child an interruption strategy it encourages the parent to interrupt their phone when the child uses an appropriate strategy

The 4 P strategies applied to interrupting are

Practice an appropriate behavior Tell your child you are going to try something new for when he wants to talk to you when you are talking to someone else Show your child how to gently place his hand on your forearm as the signal to gain your attention without interrupting In response put your hand over your childs hand so he knows that you have seen his signal Practice by pretending you are talking to someone and ask your child to use the signal prompting as much as necessary The moment he places his hand on your forearm stop your conversation gently place your free hand over his hand and immediately ask him what he wants You can then begin to extend the time between the signal and when you respond but certainly try to respond as quickly as you can so your child learns an alternative to interrupting An explanation about what you are doing without any negative references is appropriate periodically You can also practice by setting up conversations at home or in public with dad or other caregivers Phone conversations can also be contrived (eg grandma knows you will be calling and that you are working on the not interrupting skill) or you can simply pretend like you are talking to someone on the phone as another practice opportunity Continue to practice the new

skill (placing her hand on your forearm) a couple of times each day for the week or two that it takes to establish the new skill Over that time gradually extend the length of time between when the child places their hand on your arm and you place your hand on their hand and when you stop your conversation to ascertain what they want

Praise or reward the child for practicing Your child may not particularly enjoy learning this new skill and may resist your efforts to have her practice Thus incorporating a reinforcement system for practicing (and for eventually using the skill appropriately) is very important for the practice to work The reinforcement can be as simple as a ldquohigh fiverdquo during the practice but should also include rewards such as reading an extra bedtime story that day or playing a game with the child for cooperating with the practice sessions

Point Out the behavior in yourself and in others Most young children wont notice you waiting to take your turn in a conversation So if you are standing in line at the grocery store point out that you will wait until the lady in front of you has finished her conversation with the clerk before you start to talk to the clerk You can also point out examples on childrens television shows and in their storybooks Examples abound in the real world of people waiting for their turn to speak Prompt your child when the behavior would be appropriate As your child is learning the new skill of not interrupting prompt your child to use the new skills when you see opportunities for him to do so For example if daddy is talking on the phone prompt your child to go over to him place his hand on daddys forearm wait for daddy to place his hand on top as a signal that he will soon be asking the child what he needs Dad in turn would praise or reward the child for practicing the behavior

By presenting these skills as comparable to other skills such as learning to dress or riding a bike the provider may help take the emotional edge off of the social skill deficit that may be causing the parent such frustration The strategies discussed in this piece are practical for application with the majority of families seen in a primary care office Some parents however are quite deficit in their own social skills and some children have behavioral or learning problems that challenge these strategies A referral to a mental health practitioner is probably indicated when there is a history of depression or anger management problems in the primary caregiver when the caregiver is socially isolated and when there are co-morbid disorders such as ADHD ODD or learning delays

This information is excerpted from an article written by Edward Christophersen PhD and Susan Mortweet VanScoyoc PhD in the Developmental and Behavioral News

Dr Nancy Anderson school psychologist at Butler Elementary School provides consultation to any parent requiring help for issues related to their childrsquos educational achievement Dr Anderson can be reached at nanderson1grotonk12ctus

• Motivating Kids to Get Fit

Art With Ms Whitchelo

Warm-Up Worksheets and DrawingsStudents may be coming home with warm-up worksheets and drawings from art When students enter the art classroom they immediately start a worksheet or drawing assignment to get their brains moving These are always low pressure and get our fingers ready to work on the great projects you see below

4th and 5th Grade ndash One Point Perspective Drawing4th and 5th grade students are learning perspective drawing This is a way for us to illustrate dimension through a flat surface We are currently using basic geometric shapes and focusing on using our rulers to makes straight lines

3rd Grade-Falling into Space3rd grade students are continuing to learn about adding details to pictures We are now starting these fun (and big) falling into space drawings We are learning about the details of our shoes and hands and starting to talk about perspective

2nd Grade- Weaving in the Round2nd grade students are starting a weaving project We first started talking about the artist Wassily Kandinsky and painted our looms based on some of his amazing abstract art (art that is composed of line shape and color) We are now stringing our own looms and starting the process of weaving in the round

K amp 1 ndash Patterned TurtlesKindergarten and First Grade students are doing a

guided drawing of a turtle This helps us identify shapes within the picture and draw them together We will soon move on to discuss patterns and fill our turtle shell with wonderful patterns of our own

Pre-K CentersPre-K students are continuing to explore materials and working on motor skills with centers such as cutting bead stringing and tracing

PTO NewsTina McLoughlin amp Christina Connell Co-Chairs

Winter Break Read-a-thon

This exciting new activity will raise money for literacy programs both at SBB and abroad while encouraging our kids to read Sponsor forms and tracking grids will be sent home with your child Please help us by encouraging participation

Thank you for your continued support

United Way Mobile Food PantryDistribution Sites

Strategies for Teaching Important Social Skills to Young Children

Parents can help their children learn new behavior in a positive way by Practice Praise Prompting and Pointing out

One of the most important roles that parents play in their childs development is that of teaching their child social skills These skills include daily interaction skills such as sharing taking turns and allowing others to talk without interrupting The category of social skills can also be expanded to facets of self-control such as appropriate anger management For many children social skills are learned by observing how others in their environment handle social situations These children then imitate desirable responses such as turn taking and little thought is given to how the young child became so adept at playing board games cards or other activities that require a child to wait for others

For some children however more direct instruction is needed to help them develop appropriate social skills Such instruction is more effective than using a discipline strategy such as time out as the issue of concern is skill building and not compliance The conceptualization of social skills as skills to be taught may seem foreign to parents who are focused on the childs apparent ldquomisbehaviorrdquo

By helping parents look at social skills as just thatmdash skills that the child must learn like any others (eg riding a bike or playing the piano) parents may be better able to tolerate some deficits in their childs behavioral repertoire Of course the parent may also suffer from poor social skills in addition to inappropriate responses to the childs social efforts Thus parents also need to be informed about how their social behavior impacts the child requiring the parent to model more appropriate behaviors if he or she wants the child to do the same

The 4 Ps Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt

One framework that can be effective in teaching parents how to encourage their childs social skills development is referred to in our clinic as the ldquo4 Psrdquo approach The four Ps stand for Practice Praise Point out and Prompt The purpose of the four ldquoPsrdquo is to break down the skills into concrete components that the parent can easily teach to their child To illustrate this approach to building social skills we will use the common scenario of the child who interrupts during the parents telephone conversations to others

In our example the child is playing quietly in the other room while the parent makes a phone call A few minutes into the conversation the child enters the room and begins whining pulling on his mothers arm repeating his request over and over in an increasingly louder voice His mother pauses her conversation and asks the child to wait When her initial pleas to not interrupt are ineffective she eventually begins lecturing about how many times she has told him not to interrupt her while she is on the phone She may then request that the child go to time-out to punish him for interrupting only to find herself in the same situation as she places another phone call The telephone scenario really involves deficits in both the way the parent is handling the situation and in the way the child is handling the situation The parents strategies of repeating commands reasoning and time out for interrupting do not address the childs need for an acceptable alternative to interrupting In other words the child must build in a new skill of not interrupting that must be established and encouraged by the parent Strategies for applying the 4 P principles to interrupting are elaborated below The same process is effective for teaching skills such as sharing and taking turns We use a handout to supplement our verbal discussion of the childs individual issues

As mentioned previously the 4 Ps are Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt Parents should be told that the process of learning a new skill takes all children some time and can take some children longer than others Each step must be used consistently and repeatedly for the child to be successful Parents must also focus on the skill building aspect of learning versus punishment as many social skills usually do not get better in spite of repeated attempts to discipline children for not exercising them Finally parents must also have realistic expectations for their childs behavior The parent who expects to be able to make and complete a telephone call without being interrupted by her child may be asking too much of the child and may not be the most realistic option for the household The interrupting protocol not only teaches the child an interruption strategy it encourages the parent to interrupt their phone when the child uses an appropriate strategy

The 4 P strategies applied to interrupting are

Practice an appropriate behavior Tell your child you are going to try something new for when he wants to talk to you when you are talking to someone else Show your child how to gently place his hand on your forearm as the signal to gain your attention without interrupting In response put your hand over your childs hand so he knows that you have seen his signal Practice by pretending you are talking to someone and ask your child to use the signal prompting as much as necessary The moment he places his hand on your forearm stop your conversation gently place your free hand over his hand and immediately ask him what he wants You can then begin to extend the time between the signal and when you respond but certainly try to respond as quickly as you can so your child learns an alternative to interrupting An explanation about what you are doing without any negative references is appropriate periodically You can also practice by setting up conversations at home or in public with dad or other caregivers Phone conversations can also be contrived (eg grandma knows you will be calling and that you are working on the not interrupting skill) or you can simply pretend like you are talking to someone on the phone as another practice opportunity Continue to practice the new

skill (placing her hand on your forearm) a couple of times each day for the week or two that it takes to establish the new skill Over that time gradually extend the length of time between when the child places their hand on your arm and you place your hand on their hand and when you stop your conversation to ascertain what they want

Praise or reward the child for practicing Your child may not particularly enjoy learning this new skill and may resist your efforts to have her practice Thus incorporating a reinforcement system for practicing (and for eventually using the skill appropriately) is very important for the practice to work The reinforcement can be as simple as a ldquohigh fiverdquo during the practice but should also include rewards such as reading an extra bedtime story that day or playing a game with the child for cooperating with the practice sessions

Point Out the behavior in yourself and in others Most young children wont notice you waiting to take your turn in a conversation So if you are standing in line at the grocery store point out that you will wait until the lady in front of you has finished her conversation with the clerk before you start to talk to the clerk You can also point out examples on childrens television shows and in their storybooks Examples abound in the real world of people waiting for their turn to speak Prompt your child when the behavior would be appropriate As your child is learning the new skill of not interrupting prompt your child to use the new skills when you see opportunities for him to do so For example if daddy is talking on the phone prompt your child to go over to him place his hand on daddys forearm wait for daddy to place his hand on top as a signal that he will soon be asking the child what he needs Dad in turn would praise or reward the child for practicing the behavior

By presenting these skills as comparable to other skills such as learning to dress or riding a bike the provider may help take the emotional edge off of the social skill deficit that may be causing the parent such frustration The strategies discussed in this piece are practical for application with the majority of families seen in a primary care office Some parents however are quite deficit in their own social skills and some children have behavioral or learning problems that challenge these strategies A referral to a mental health practitioner is probably indicated when there is a history of depression or anger management problems in the primary caregiver when the caregiver is socially isolated and when there are co-morbid disorders such as ADHD ODD or learning delays

This information is excerpted from an article written by Edward Christophersen PhD and Susan Mortweet VanScoyoc PhD in the Developmental and Behavioral News

Dr Nancy Anderson school psychologist at Butler Elementary School provides consultation to any parent requiring help for issues related to their childrsquos educational achievement Dr Anderson can be reached at nanderson1grotonk12ctus

• Motivating Kids to Get Fit

United Way Mobile Food PantryDistribution Sites

Strategies for Teaching Important Social Skills to Young Children

Parents can help their children learn new behavior in a positive way by Practice Praise Prompting and Pointing out

One of the most important roles that parents play in their childs development is that of teaching their child social skills These skills include daily interaction skills such as sharing taking turns and allowing others to talk without interrupting The category of social skills can also be expanded to facets of self-control such as appropriate anger management For many children social skills are learned by observing how others in their environment handle social situations These children then imitate desirable responses such as turn taking and little thought is given to how the young child became so adept at playing board games cards or other activities that require a child to wait for others

For some children however more direct instruction is needed to help them develop appropriate social skills Such instruction is more effective than using a discipline strategy such as time out as the issue of concern is skill building and not compliance The conceptualization of social skills as skills to be taught may seem foreign to parents who are focused on the childs apparent ldquomisbehaviorrdquo

By helping parents look at social skills as just thatmdash skills that the child must learn like any others (eg riding a bike or playing the piano) parents may be better able to tolerate some deficits in their childs behavioral repertoire Of course the parent may also suffer from poor social skills in addition to inappropriate responses to the childs social efforts Thus parents also need to be informed about how their social behavior impacts the child requiring the parent to model more appropriate behaviors if he or she wants the child to do the same

The 4 Ps Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt

One framework that can be effective in teaching parents how to encourage their childs social skills development is referred to in our clinic as the ldquo4 Psrdquo approach The four Ps stand for Practice Praise Point out and Prompt The purpose of the four ldquoPsrdquo is to break down the skills into concrete components that the parent can easily teach to their child To illustrate this approach to building social skills we will use the common scenario of the child who interrupts during the parents telephone conversations to others

In our example the child is playing quietly in the other room while the parent makes a phone call A few minutes into the conversation the child enters the room and begins whining pulling on his mothers arm repeating his request over and over in an increasingly louder voice His mother pauses her conversation and asks the child to wait When her initial pleas to not interrupt are ineffective she eventually begins lecturing about how many times she has told him not to interrupt her while she is on the phone She may then request that the child go to time-out to punish him for interrupting only to find herself in the same situation as she places another phone call The telephone scenario really involves deficits in both the way the parent is handling the situation and in the way the child is handling the situation The parents strategies of repeating commands reasoning and time out for interrupting do not address the childs need for an acceptable alternative to interrupting In other words the child must build in a new skill of not interrupting that must be established and encouraged by the parent Strategies for applying the 4 P principles to interrupting are elaborated below The same process is effective for teaching skills such as sharing and taking turns We use a handout to supplement our verbal discussion of the childs individual issues

As mentioned previously the 4 Ps are Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt Parents should be told that the process of learning a new skill takes all children some time and can take some children longer than others Each step must be used consistently and repeatedly for the child to be successful Parents must also focus on the skill building aspect of learning versus punishment as many social skills usually do not get better in spite of repeated attempts to discipline children for not exercising them Finally parents must also have realistic expectations for their childs behavior The parent who expects to be able to make and complete a telephone call without being interrupted by her child may be asking too much of the child and may not be the most realistic option for the household The interrupting protocol not only teaches the child an interruption strategy it encourages the parent to interrupt their phone when the child uses an appropriate strategy

The 4 P strategies applied to interrupting are

Practice an appropriate behavior Tell your child you are going to try something new for when he wants to talk to you when you are talking to someone else Show your child how to gently place his hand on your forearm as the signal to gain your attention without interrupting In response put your hand over your childs hand so he knows that you have seen his signal Practice by pretending you are talking to someone and ask your child to use the signal prompting as much as necessary The moment he places his hand on your forearm stop your conversation gently place your free hand over his hand and immediately ask him what he wants You can then begin to extend the time between the signal and when you respond but certainly try to respond as quickly as you can so your child learns an alternative to interrupting An explanation about what you are doing without any negative references is appropriate periodically You can also practice by setting up conversations at home or in public with dad or other caregivers Phone conversations can also be contrived (eg grandma knows you will be calling and that you are working on the not interrupting skill) or you can simply pretend like you are talking to someone on the phone as another practice opportunity Continue to practice the new

skill (placing her hand on your forearm) a couple of times each day for the week or two that it takes to establish the new skill Over that time gradually extend the length of time between when the child places their hand on your arm and you place your hand on their hand and when you stop your conversation to ascertain what they want

Praise or reward the child for practicing Your child may not particularly enjoy learning this new skill and may resist your efforts to have her practice Thus incorporating a reinforcement system for practicing (and for eventually using the skill appropriately) is very important for the practice to work The reinforcement can be as simple as a ldquohigh fiverdquo during the practice but should also include rewards such as reading an extra bedtime story that day or playing a game with the child for cooperating with the practice sessions

Point Out the behavior in yourself and in others Most young children wont notice you waiting to take your turn in a conversation So if you are standing in line at the grocery store point out that you will wait until the lady in front of you has finished her conversation with the clerk before you start to talk to the clerk You can also point out examples on childrens television shows and in their storybooks Examples abound in the real world of people waiting for their turn to speak Prompt your child when the behavior would be appropriate As your child is learning the new skill of not interrupting prompt your child to use the new skills when you see opportunities for him to do so For example if daddy is talking on the phone prompt your child to go over to him place his hand on daddys forearm wait for daddy to place his hand on top as a signal that he will soon be asking the child what he needs Dad in turn would praise or reward the child for practicing the behavior

By presenting these skills as comparable to other skills such as learning to dress or riding a bike the provider may help take the emotional edge off of the social skill deficit that may be causing the parent such frustration The strategies discussed in this piece are practical for application with the majority of families seen in a primary care office Some parents however are quite deficit in their own social skills and some children have behavioral or learning problems that challenge these strategies A referral to a mental health practitioner is probably indicated when there is a history of depression or anger management problems in the primary caregiver when the caregiver is socially isolated and when there are co-morbid disorders such as ADHD ODD or learning delays

This information is excerpted from an article written by Edward Christophersen PhD and Susan Mortweet VanScoyoc PhD in the Developmental and Behavioral News

Dr Nancy Anderson school psychologist at Butler Elementary School provides consultation to any parent requiring help for issues related to their childrsquos educational achievement Dr Anderson can be reached at nanderson1grotonk12ctus

• Motivating Kids to Get Fit

Strategies for Teaching Important Social Skills to Young Children

Parents can help their children learn new behavior in a positive way by Practice Praise Prompting and Pointing out

One of the most important roles that parents play in their childs development is that of teaching their child social skills These skills include daily interaction skills such as sharing taking turns and allowing others to talk without interrupting The category of social skills can also be expanded to facets of self-control such as appropriate anger management For many children social skills are learned by observing how others in their environment handle social situations These children then imitate desirable responses such as turn taking and little thought is given to how the young child became so adept at playing board games cards or other activities that require a child to wait for others

For some children however more direct instruction is needed to help them develop appropriate social skills Such instruction is more effective than using a discipline strategy such as time out as the issue of concern is skill building and not compliance The conceptualization of social skills as skills to be taught may seem foreign to parents who are focused on the childs apparent ldquomisbehaviorrdquo

By helping parents look at social skills as just thatmdash skills that the child must learn like any others (eg riding a bike or playing the piano) parents may be better able to tolerate some deficits in their childs behavioral repertoire Of course the parent may also suffer from poor social skills in addition to inappropriate responses to the childs social efforts Thus parents also need to be informed about how their social behavior impacts the child requiring the parent to model more appropriate behaviors if he or she wants the child to do the same

The 4 Ps Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt

One framework that can be effective in teaching parents how to encourage their childs social skills development is referred to in our clinic as the ldquo4 Psrdquo approach The four Ps stand for Practice Praise Point out and Prompt The purpose of the four ldquoPsrdquo is to break down the skills into concrete components that the parent can easily teach to their child To illustrate this approach to building social skills we will use the common scenario of the child who interrupts during the parents telephone conversations to others

In our example the child is playing quietly in the other room while the parent makes a phone call A few minutes into the conversation the child enters the room and begins whining pulling on his mothers arm repeating his request over and over in an increasingly louder voice His mother pauses her conversation and asks the child to wait When her initial pleas to not interrupt are ineffective she eventually begins lecturing about how many times she has told him not to interrupt her while she is on the phone She may then request that the child go to time-out to punish him for interrupting only to find herself in the same situation as she places another phone call The telephone scenario really involves deficits in both the way the parent is handling the situation and in the way the child is handling the situation The parents strategies of repeating commands reasoning and time out for interrupting do not address the childs need for an acceptable alternative to interrupting In other words the child must build in a new skill of not interrupting that must be established and encouraged by the parent Strategies for applying the 4 P principles to interrupting are elaborated below The same process is effective for teaching skills such as sharing and taking turns We use a handout to supplement our verbal discussion of the childs individual issues

As mentioned previously the 4 Ps are Practice Praise Point Out and Prompt Parents should be told that the process of learning a new skill takes all children some time and can take some children longer than others Each step must be used consistently and repeatedly for the child to be successful Parents must also focus on the skill building aspect of learning versus punishment as many social skills usually do not get better in spite of repeated attempts to discipline children for not exercising them Finally parents must also have realistic expectations for their childs behavior The parent who expects to be able to make and complete a telephone call without being interrupted by her child may be asking too much of the child and may not be the most realistic option for the household The interrupting protocol not only teaches the child an interruption strategy it encourages the parent to interrupt their phone when the child uses an appropriate strategy

The 4 P strategies applied to interrupting are

Practice an appropriate behavior Tell your child you are going to try something new for when he wants to talk to you when you are talking to someone else Show your child how to gently place his hand on your forearm as the signal to gain your attention without interrupting In response put your hand over your childs hand so he knows that you have seen his signal Practice by pretending you are talking to someone and ask your child to use the signal prompting as much as necessary The moment he places his hand on your forearm stop your conversation gently place your free hand over his hand and immediately ask him what he wants You can then begin to extend the time between the signal and when you respond but certainly try to respond as quickly as you can so your child learns an alternative to interrupting An explanation about what you are doing without any negative references is appropriate periodically You can also practice by setting up conversations at home or in public with dad or other caregivers Phone conversations can also be contrived (eg grandma knows you will be calling and that you are working on the not interrupting skill) or you can simply pretend like you are talking to someone on the phone as another practice opportunity Continue to practice the new

skill (placing her hand on your forearm) a couple of times each day for the week or two that it takes to establish the new skill Over that time gradually extend the length of time between when the child places their hand on your arm and you place your hand on their hand and when you stop your conversation to ascertain what they want

Praise or reward the child for practicing Your child may not particularly enjoy learning this new skill and may resist your efforts to have her practice Thus incorporating a reinforcement system for practicing (and for eventually using the skill appropriately) is very important for the practice to work The reinforcement can be as simple as a ldquohigh fiverdquo during the practice but should also include rewards such as reading an extra bedtime story that day or playing a game with the child for cooperating with the practice sessions

Point Out the behavior in yourself and in others Most young children wont notice you waiting to take your turn in a conversation So if you are standing in line at the grocery store point out that you will wait until the lady in front of you has finished her conversation with the clerk before you start to talk to the clerk You can also point out examples on childrens television shows and in their storybooks Examples abound in the real world of people waiting for their turn to speak Prompt your child when the behavior would be appropriate As your child is learning the new skill of not interrupting prompt your child to use the new skills when you see opportunities for him to do so For example if daddy is talking on the phone prompt your child to go over to him place his hand on daddys forearm wait for daddy to place his hand on top as a signal that he will soon be asking the child what he needs Dad in turn would praise or reward the child for practicing the behavior

By presenting these skills as comparable to other skills such as learning to dress or riding a bike the provider may help take the emotional edge off of the social skill deficit that may be causing the parent such frustration The strategies discussed in this piece are practical for application with the majority of families seen in a primary care office Some parents however are quite deficit in their own social skills and some children have behavioral or learning problems that challenge these strategies A referral to a mental health practitioner is probably indicated when there is a history of depression or anger management problems in the primary caregiver when the caregiver is socially isolated and when there are co-morbid disorders such as ADHD ODD or learning delays

This information is excerpted from an article written by Edward Christophersen PhD and Susan Mortweet VanScoyoc PhD in the Developmental and Behavioral News

Dr Nancy Anderson school psychologist at Butler Elementary School provides consultation to any parent requiring help for issues related to their childrsquos educational achievement Dr Anderson can be reached at nanderson1grotonk12ctus

• Motivating Kids to Get Fit

skill (placing her hand on your forearm) a couple of times each day for the week or two that it takes to establish the new skill Over that time gradually extend the length of time between when the child places their hand on your arm and you place your hand on their hand and when you stop your conversation to ascertain what they want

Praise or reward the child for practicing Your child may not particularly enjoy learning this new skill and may resist your efforts to have her practice Thus incorporating a reinforcement system for practicing (and for eventually using the skill appropriately) is very important for the practice to work The reinforcement can be as simple as a ldquohigh fiverdquo during the practice but should also include rewards such as reading an extra bedtime story that day or playing a game with the child for cooperating with the practice sessions

Point Out the behavior in yourself and in others Most young children wont notice you waiting to take your turn in a conversation So if you are standing in line at the grocery store point out that you will wait until the lady in front of you has finished her conversation with the clerk before you start to talk to the clerk You can also point out examples on childrens television shows and in their storybooks Examples abound in the real world of people waiting for their turn to speak Prompt your child when the behavior would be appropriate As your child is learning the new skill of not interrupting prompt your child to use the new skills when you see opportunities for him to do so For example if daddy is talking on the phone prompt your child to go over to him place his hand on daddys forearm wait for daddy to place his hand on top as a signal that he will soon be asking the child what he needs Dad in turn would praise or reward the child for practicing the behavior

By presenting these skills as comparable to other skills such as learning to dress or riding a bike the provider may help take the emotional edge off of the social skill deficit that may be causing the parent such frustration The strategies discussed in this piece are practical for application with the majority of families seen in a primary care office Some parents however are quite deficit in their own social skills and some children have behavioral or learning problems that challenge these strategies A referral to a mental health practitioner is probably indicated when there is a history of depression or anger management problems in the primary caregiver when the caregiver is socially isolated and when there are co-morbid disorders such as ADHD ODD or learning delays

This information is excerpted from an article written by Edward Christophersen PhD and Susan Mortweet VanScoyoc PhD in the Developmental and Behavioral News

Dr Nancy Anderson school psychologist at Butler Elementary School provides consultation to any parent requiring help for issues related to their childrsquos educational achievement Dr Anderson can be reached at nanderson1grotonk12ctus

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