Week of Sept. 5th

 


Dear Parents

I am so pleased to be able to have the opportunity to create a blog every week and provide a small glimpse into our classroom. I am happy to be teaching your child this year and excited about all of the wonderful things we get to learn and explore together. 



Peacemakers 



                                                                      Peace takers 

To help establish our classroom as a safe and caring learning environment, it is important to take the time to establish what a peaceful classroom is. To do this we used the terminology of being a "Peacemaker" and a "Peacebreaker". We made an anchor chart about "Peacemakers" and "Peacebreakers" and we decided that we all are peacemakers. No one wants to be the "Peacebreaker" so we used the wonderful books "David Goes to School" and "David Gets in Trouble", by David Shannon to discover how this character is challenged to make the choices required to create a peaceful environment for himself and others. We also used the book "What Can a Citizen Do" by Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris to promote the values of helping your neighbour/classmate and sends the message that citizens aren't born but are made by actions taken to help others and the world they live in. 




We discussed that "Peacemakers" are better able to solve problems, get along with others and support the creation of a positive atmosphere. This is not about avoiding conflict, but learning how to solve problems peacefully using empathy, understanding other points of view, and actively coming up with strategies to make things right in a fair way while respecting others and themselves. We also understood that this is not always easy and we need to support each other as we take the time to explicitly learn and practice positive communication skills such as using I-messages, positive self-talk, and active listening techniques. As our time together continues to unfold we will also engage in activities that teach and integrate strategies that develop peaceful habits of mind.

Have a wonderful week. 

Please do not hesitate to connect with me should you have any questions.

Kindest regards,

Sabine Harris 

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