Zones Check In

In lots of classrooms at Forestdale, students are able to do a zones check in with their class and teacher. Now that everyone is home, we have to get creative in how we can do a zone check in. Sometimes we don’t like saying out loud which zone we are in and that’s OK. Check out this fun way to do a zone check in from home. 

You’ll notice that one LEGO person is in both Green and Yellow Zone. Maybe she is feeling happy and silly at the same time. If you have LEGOs at home, give this a try. If you don’t have LEGOs that’s ok too, maybe you could do this by drawing. Get your crayons or markers, or whatever you have at home and draw which zone you are in. 

Shout out to Ms. Tarintino for sharing this idea!

A message to caregivers AND teachers...

This has not been easy, take a moment to read the message below from the book Heart Talk by Cleo Wade. My Mom shared it with me during this difficult time in the world and now I pass it on to you. I hope you find some comfort in it. XoXo Ms. Darsch


We may not always have the power to control what shows up at our door, but we always, always, always have the power to decide what stays and what goes (Wade, Heart Talk 2018).

No matter how much work we do on ourselves, stress and anxiety will show up. Our work is not to avoid them; it isn't to wrestle with them or "cope" with them. Stress and anxiety are unavoidable visitors. Let us accept that. When they come, acknowledge their arrival, evaluate what invited them in, and recognize that they are guests, not permanent fixtures. They will leave, especially if we don't entertain them or pick a fight with them. No matter how overwhelming the feelings that come with stress and anxiety are, we must always remember that we are human, and though we may not be able to control their arrival, we always have the power to release them. Pause. Breathe slowly and deliberately. Think positively. Remember your strength. These feelings will eventually leave, because ultimately they know they have no home within your sacred self (Wade, Heart Talk 2018). <3

Stella practices social distancing too!

Stella enjoyed the beautiful weather yesterday going on a long walk with her dog mom, sister and friends.  She was practicing social distancing too!
Can you spot Brya in the picture too?  She is the sweet girl who comes to read wth first graders!

Make sure you follow Stella's example and get some exercise and practice social distancing.

BIG Problem

Hi Friends!

So we have talked about Small and Medium sized problems. Now lets chat about BIG problems. Big problems take a lot of time to fix and lots of people to help. It is expected that we have Big reactions to Big problems. That means it is OK to cry and feel scared during Big problems. In school, an example of a Big problem is if there really were a fire in the building. We know that the fire department and police would come and help. 

Right now in the world we are experiencing a BIG problem. Lots of people feel scared and worried. During Big problems it is really important that we support each other. We need to use our coping skills like deep belly breathing to help us feel calm again. 

Check out the video below about Small, Medium, & Big Problems:

How to handle your child's BIG feelings and changing behaviors

Hi Forestdale families!

I am so happy to be hearing from many of you about how your children are processing all of the changes this pandemic has caused.  Changes in behavior is expected and you are not alone!

Below I have attached an article that may be helpful for many parents and guardians.  As the weeks go by you may be noticing some behaviors in your child that are not typical or difficult to manage.  Enough time has gone by now that children (and let's face it- parents too!) are really out of our routines and it is starting to bring up some unexpected feelings.  As adults, we have the ability to handle most of our feelings with little effort and when we become too overhwlemed we know what copinkg skills help us best.  Children need lots of patience and guidance around handling their feelings.  They may not even be able to tell you exactly how they feel or why they are feeling upset.
This is a quick read and may give you some helpful tips.  If you want more information or would like to speak to me directly, please reach out!  I hope you find this article helpful.  Be well!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZwgBfNI4JUkABK3WNvN4PVe12XF7TZAo/view?usp=sharing

SEL Lesson for K. & Grade 2 week of 4/6

Hi Kindergarten and Second Grade Friends!

Our first Social Emotional Lesson is on controlling our worries that we have in the Yellow Zone. 

Worries can be really hard to control sometimes. In this lesson you will learn a really great coping skill that you can use to stop thinking about your worries. 

Try imagining a locked box in your mind. You can picture it as a sunken treasure chest or maybe even a toy chest! Get creative with how you want your box to look in your mind. I like to picture a sunken treasure chest protected by mermaids. 

So when I have worries in my head during the day, I imagine in my mind putting them in my treasure chest for the day. I lock the worry up in my mind until a later time in the day when I can talk to someone about it. 

Try setting up a worry time with a parent. Keep it at the same time every day, maybe after dinner. At first you'll notice you have lots of worries to talk about. But as you practice locking your worries in your box, you will notice sometimes you even forget what your worry was! This is a good thing! 

The idea is to not think about our worries all day because that can make us feel bad. 

Now you try at home! Grab a piece of paper and draw what your lock box in your mind looks like. 

Have a Super Week!

Love, Ms. Darsch <3

SEL Lesson for PreK AND Grade 1 week of 4/6

Hi Forestdale Friends!

What a beautiful Monday; the sun is shining and it is going to be a great day!

Here is a link to our Social Emotional Learning lesson for this week.  This one is great for both preK and Grade 1.

Enjoy!
I miss you!
Mrs. Pestilli

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1d20pks8g28n-XhQcYE9cOa-VGGAZASUF