Tomorrow Saint James School will host its first ever virtual field day.  Mr. Green has put together SEVEN fun events that can be done at home independently or with a parent/sibling.  We understand there may be some parent involvement required for the younger students, so it can certainly be done over the weekend if tomorrow does not work for your family.  If your child/ren participate, please send a picture or email to their homeroom teacher and we will award them with a participation ribbon.

The following video from Mr. Green shows all the events and how to complete them: https://youtu.be/gN5eL58S9f4

Here are the items you will need:

* A water bottle with a little bit of water in it;

* Six PLASTIC cereal bowls or small containers;

* Six scraps of paper numbered 1 – 6;

* One pair of socks to make a sock ball out of;

* Laundry basket;

* Tennis ball or small ball;

* Towel;

* A ball (or several balls) made by balling up a piece of paper;

* Home-made Paper airplane (Folding instructions can be found HERE if needed).

Today we wanted to share information on Social-Awareness, another one of the 8 critical areas of importance for well-being.  As noted in our earlier emails, studies show that developing and nurturing important skills in our children can help them become happy, productive, and successful adults as they appreciate how to think and act in stressful or challenging situations.

The purpose of these activities is to remind children that the skills we all use to build and maintain strong, healthy relationships are learned. We develop them by thinking about how we want others to receive us, and then by actively working to be open, caring, and supportive as we interact with others.

Here is some information about Social-Awareness and how to use the “Grow Your Empathy” strategy to promote active listening to appreciate each other and the world around us:  Social-Awareness Info & Tips

Keep In Mind:   You are a powerful model for the young people in your life. Hearing stories of times when we’ve been strong enough to forgive, as well as times when we’ve been humble enough to accept forgiveness, sends a strong message. When our children hear the thinking behind why we act the way we do, it’s easier for them to pause and think about their own actions. When they see us live our lives from a place of generosity and optimism, they can imagine themselves growing up to be the same kind of person.

Here are some creative ways to practice and encourage Social-Awareness in your home:

* Have your child invite an older, trusted person discuss these questions:  When was a time in your life when you’ve chosen to forgive someone? What do you think that was like for them? What was it like for you? Is there anything you wish you’d done differently?

* Practice these components of being a good listener with your child:

1. Look the speaker in the eye
2. Encourage the speaker with smiles, nods, and “uh-huhs”
3. Pay attention to the facial expressions and body language as well as the words
4. Remain interested in understanding the speaker

* Talk about the Golden Rule and role play different situations with your child.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in our our Distance Learning Spirit Days over the past several weeks.  If you chose to participate, we hope you have had fun picking out attire with your child/ren and then viewing everyone’s pictures.

Tomorrow will be our final Spirit Day of this very unique school year.  Our theme for tomorrow will be Beach Day/Tacky Tourist in honor of our upcoming summer break!   Floral shirts, sun glasses, fanny packs, straw hats, sandals with socks, or zink-covered noses – we look forward to seeing our students diving head-first into summer.  If you would like to share pictures, please send them to aguenther@saintjamesschool.net by 2:00pm tomorrow (Wednesday).

Thank you again for sharing the smiles of your wonderful children with us!