april

All Things April!

Jenna Sladek

April 7, 2022

From the Desk of Dr. Sladek:

We have reached the month of April in the 2021-2022 school year. We have SO MUCH FUN planned this April and I am going to do my best to prepare you for it ALL:

  • School Store Fundraiser: This started last week and all the excitement is about the mystery “hugger” participation prize and the prize meter online when you earn points. THE GOAL of this fundraiser is that any money raised goes right back into the teacher’s classrooms. The school office does not see any profit from them it is centered around your child’s classroom and allowing them funds to purchase all the unique materials they use to learn in so many different ways. This fundraiser does not have a window to achieve a certain goal… it simply will be continuing (you can continue to earn points) until the last day of school!
  • Book Blast Fundraiser: This will start Mid-April and this will have A LOT OF EXCITEMENT because at the end of this fund raiser a name is drawn for an IPAD! THE GOAL of this fundraiser is to put books in every student’s home before the summer months’ hits. Students will raise money online and at the end of the TWO WEEK fundraiser EVERY STUDENT will receive a personal bag of brand new books JUST FOR THEM TO TAKE HOME! The idea is that every student can raise up to $100.00 to earn ALL TEN BOOKS. If a student raises over $100.00 than anything over that will go in a general pot for other students to make sure every student at least receives ONE book even if they choose or are not able to participate. I imagine the book delivery day at Truman Elementary to pretty close to Christmas morning. Having kiddos excited and opening a bag of books just for them is music to my ears! thinking of the excitement and giggles!
  • Truman Tribe’s Trip Around Town: MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR SATURDAY APRIL 30TH and tell all your family and friends [even if they aren’t a part of our Tribe!] This is a FREE EVENT for our families and staff to have a day of fun. More info to come…but the idea is that you will arrive to Truman and get a booklet. You will then be sent around Pacific, Mo to 8 local business. At each stop you will have an activity to accomplish and then you will earn a letter. By the end of your Trip Around Town you will discover a mystery message – you will bring your completed booklet back to Truman for a prize! THE GOAL of this event is to intentionally carve time our to see our families, staff and students intermingle and have some fun, as well as, support our local community businesses!

         

          The month of April, across our entire district of #MVNation, we are focusing on one of

the 8 Pillars, Resilience! Continue reading below to enjoy this article on Resilience:

Positive Psychology: 30+ Tips for Building Resilience in Children

  You can find all things April on our website [https://www.mvr3.k12.mo.us/o/truman/news]

 

Please be sure to contact me if you feel the need at any time!

Jsladek@mvr3.k12.mo.us or 636-346-6156

16 Resilience Activities for Kids

  1. Do Volunteer Work: When it comes to encouraging resilient, compassionate and empathetic kids; there really is no substitute for helping others in need. Service work draws thoughts away from the self toward concern for others. This altruistic mindset promotes responsibility and autonomy while making a difference in society. Truly, what better way is there to add meaning and purpose to a young person’s life than to support others?
  2. Get a Job: If employment is feasible for the teen’s lifestyle and schedule, having a job fosters resilience by building a sense of independence, self-efficacy, and the type of pride that comes from taking on responsibility and earning one’s own money.
  3. Get Involved in Extracurricular Activities: Engaging in fun and rewarding activities promotes youth resilience by enhancing mastery, social interaction, and joy.
  4. Practice Self-care: Healthy self-care behaviors such as adequate sleep, good eating habits, and physical exercise promote resilience by encouraging a balanced lifestyle that provides young people with the strength and energy to deal with stressful situations.
  5. Be Optimistic: Optimism is a recurrent theme in the resilience literature, as seeing the positive in a situation is an important way to encourage young people to have a resilient mindset that supports adaptive coping.
  6. Try Relaxation: Given that relaxation is incompatible with stress, techniques that involve deep breathing and relaxation are important and manageable methods that kids and teens can apply on their own in order to support emotional balance.
  7. Listen and Learn from Others: Young people who know how to solicit and learn from guidance offered by others benefit from additional resilience resources they can utilize when needed.
  8. Try New Things: While trying things that may be unfamiliar or scary, it also leads to the discovery of rewarding and enjoyable activities. Taking such risks also supports a youth’s self-esteem, autonomy, and mastery.
  9. Practice Empathy: As noted earlier, empathy is exceedingly important for fostering resilience in young people because it supports a compassionate and giving mindset with less emphasis on one’s own problems.
  10. Set Reasonable Goals: Young people, particularly adolescents, often find themselves stressed due to feeling overworked, overscheduled and unable to meet desired goals. Teens have greater amounts of resilience when they experience a sense of pride that comes with achieving manageable objectives.
  11. Take Breaks: Many young people feel enormous academic pressures and are often extremely driven toward achievement. While dedication is positive, it is also important for healthy psychological and physical health to take necessary breaks.
  12. Establish a Consistent Routine: Maintaining structure is an important way for young people to feel in control and to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
  13. Form Meaningful Friendships: The peer connections made by kids and teens are key influences on involvement in healthy versus risky activities. Resilience is enhanced when young people establish meaningful, prosocial bonds with peers.
  14. Be Aware of Stressors: Young people are not always aware of the underlying stressors that make life more difficult. For example, an adolescent whose grades are suffering, may not realize the connection between his/her declining grades and a schedule characterized by low sleep and poor study habits. By identifying these stressors, a teen is able to make life changes that promote resilience.
  15. Accept Change: By learning that change is an inevitable part of life, young people will develop the mental stamina to accept transitions as learning experiences.
  16. Find your Passion! Adults and adolescents alike enjoy more fulfilling lives when they participate in meaningful activities. It is by discovering these underlying passions that a life of resilience and joy becomes possible.


A Take-Home Message

The following idea represents the primary message for readers to take away from this article:

Resilience is a powerful protective construct that is also malleable; it is a learned behavior. In other words, if you or your children are not particularly resilient today – there is still plenty of hope! You cannot always control what happens, but how you respond is up to you. In fact, it is empowering to know that there are MANY things that can be done to minimize risk and to promote healthy youth development and wellbeing.

This article provides numerous evidence-based qualities and activities that support the goal of building-up resilience in kids and teens. Promoting these resilience-enhancing tools among young people is instrumental for helping them to build invaluable emotional armor – armor that will enable them to actually thrive in the face of major obstacles.

Best wishes on your journey toward a life of optimism, meaning, and resilience!

View the entire article here: https://positivepsychology.com/resilience-in-children/