Each year we have a new theme in the ELC and Junior School. For 2017 we are already enjoying the theme of Speak Up and Get Along. It’s based on a book written by the American author Scott Cooper who is a social skills expert.
School can be a lot of fun. It is great to learn new things and hang out with friends. School can also be hard and present with some tricky situations. Not just because you need to learn new things, like work with fractions or learn how to play C# on your musical instrument but also because you have to work, play and spend all your time (almost all of your time) with other kids and adults.
You have to get along with people!
Where do you need to get along with people?
- In class
- In the corridors
- Out in the playground
- On the bus
- Just about everywhere you go
Everyone has his or her own thoughts, feelings and needs. One way to get along with others is to show respect for others.
Respecting other people means…
- You are thinking of them as important individuals
- Accepting them
- Treating them the way you would like to be treated
- Showing respect for yourself is just as important as having it for others
- ALWAYS remember you are an important person
- If you treat others and yourself with respect, people will usually treat you with respect too.
This year we will teaching you to SPEAK UP for yourself and others in a respectful way…so you can GET ALONG with others AND yourself!
What do birds have to do with getting along?
Part of respecting others is not judging people before you know them. Some people think of bird watchers as people you wear high socks, funny looking hats and binoculars hanging from their necks. However, if you delve into this world more, we can discover that bird watching is an exciting world for us.
We are going to use birds to help us this year. Since learning about birds, I learned that most are good at communicating or telling each other things because they live in flocks or small groups. In other words they need to communicate to get along! They don’t use words but they use calls and songs that tell each other what they need and don’t need. All the songs and sounds are tools birds need to help them get along and take care of themselves
You know what?
Kids also need communication tools to help them get along with others and take care of themselves.
Over the year we will learning a different set of tools to help you with a different part of speaking up and getting along. Each topic is named after a different bird that is good at that set of tools.
Our first bird is the Blue Jay bird. Can you work out how he/she is a good communicator?
