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Visit the TeacherWeb® videos to learn about the features, modifications, and customizations available on your website. Click here to learn more. Announcements small medium large From the School Counselor 5/11/12 I know that many families are making arrangements for their children’s summer enrichment. I’d like to recommend a special opportunity. The Hartford Area Career and Technology Center (HACTC) is again offering its Summer Technology Camp for students entering grades 7 through 9. (In other words, this is for current 6th, 7th and 8th graders.) The dates are June 25th-29th from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Lebanon High School students are able to attend HACTC during their junior and senior years and receive training for a skilled career. Some of the classes offered at HACTC may be taken for college credit. Attending the HACTC camp is great way to have fun doing hands on projects in: • Auto Technology, • Building Trades • Culinary Arts • Design Illustration • Media Arts • Engineering • Architectural Design • Industrial Mechanics • Welding • Natural Resources • Business Administration Exploring these fields is not only enjoyable but can be an excellent way to think about potential career choices. Plainfield students who’ve attended in the past have given the camp very enthusiastic reviews. Parents are responsible for transportation but in the past have been able to arrange car pools. The cost of $25.00 includes a t-shirt. Application forms are available in my office. From the School Counselor 5/4/12 Science NECAP Grades 4 and 8 The spring NECAP Science Assessment was designed to measure your child’s progress in meeting the basic Science Curriculum Targets that are highlighted within New Hampshire’s Grade Span Expectations, or GSEs. The GSEs define the knowledge and skills a student should have mastered in science by the end of grade spans K-4, 5-8 and 9-11. This year the tests will be administered on the following dates: 4th grade Monday May 7 at 8:10 (90 minutes) Monday May 14 at 8:10 (90 minutes) Monday, May 21 at 8:10 (120 minutes) 8th grade Thursday May 17 at 8:10 (90 minutes) Thursday May 17 at 1:15 (90 minutes) Friday May 18 at 8:20 (60 minutes) The NECAP is one of the important tools available to parents and educators to determine how well our schools are helping students meet standards and grade span expectations. In every assessment, scores are only as meaningful as the effort students put into the test. Encourage your child to take the test seriously and to give his or her best effort. You can best help your child prepare for the assessment by making sure that she or he is rested on the days the tests will be given. And, as with every day, it is critical that students have a good breakfast before heading off to school. Thank you for supporting your child and our school during the testing period. Thank you. Please call me if you have any questions. Coping with Tragedy A few students have voiced fears and sadness relating to the recent gun violence all over NH and particularly the tragic death of Natalie Perriello. We’ve reassured the affected students that everyone is safe, and encouraged them to talk about any feelings of anxiety or sadness. Sometimes hearing of a heartbreak like Natalie’s death can trigger feelings from other losses. Sometimes the feelings will surface as physical symptoms such as stomach aches, headaches, or insomnia. Encouraging children to talk about the feelings can be helpful. Please let me know if you would like me to sit down with your child. Safety Curriculum As it happens, May is a time when I address a number of safety issues during guidance classes. This week in the 8th grade the topic was healthy relationships and the prevention of abusive dating interactions. The 7th grade is currently reviewing healthy communication and conflict resolution. Topics ahead in the next few weeks include domestic violence, anger management, and coping with depression. In the sixth grade this week we talked about Internet, stranger and phone safety. As always I welcome your questions and concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor From the School Counselor 4/11/12 Grades 2, 3, 4 A guest speaker from the nonprofit organization Turning Points Network, (formerly Women's Supportive Services), has been part of our yearly guidance programming for a number of years. This year these visits have taken place in grades 2, and 3/4 on consecutive Tuesdays, April 3 and 10. The guest teacher, Anne Rawson, is reinforcing the messages of respect and appropriately assertive communication that we work on all year long. Information about the services offered by Turning Points is available at http://www.free-to-soar.org/. We are grateful to the PTO for funding this visit. Grade 8 Eighth graders have completed their Lebanon high school registrations and spent some time in a guidance class developing a four-year plan so that they could have an overview of where their coursework would fit over time. We went over the recommended coursework to suit a variety of future plans ranging from work right after high school to admission to a competitive college. Following up on our recent work regarding future job applications, we also looked at some ethical dilemmas that could arise in the workplace. Grades 7, 6, 5 Seventh grade classes have completed a unit on preventing, recognizing and coping with stress. Fifth and sixth graders have completed three sessions on career exploration and spent a class reviewing stress management techniques. Most recently we have been focusing on communication including listening skills and delivery of appropriately assertive statements. Grade 1 First graders have spent several sessions on empathy training, recognizing their own and othersï¿½ feelings. This week each student put together a feelings wheel illustrating that feelings change and that there are potential coping strategies for each feeling. Summer/future scholarship for 7th graders As you work on your plans for summer, parents of 7th graders may be interested in looking into a scholarship specifically for this age group. Information is available at http://www.jkcf.org/about-jkcf. The scholarship can be used for summer enrichment experiences and (as I understand it) may lead to funding for a private high school education. The deadline to apply is next week, so time is of the essence. Game Research Study On Wed. May 2 during the advisory period, students in 7th and 8th grade will have the opportunity to participate in a fun research study being done at Dartmouth. The study involves playing an educational game relating to everyday social and academic situations. Permission slips will be going home on Monday April 23 and will need to be returned by Friday April 27 if the student is to be allowed to play. Participation will provide a glimpse into the work of research scientists and game designers, of possible career interest to some. IMPORTANT: Science NECAP Testing Dates The 4th and 8th graders will again be taking the federally mandated standardized science testing in May. The 4th grade is scheduled to test on these dates: Monday May 7 at 8:10 (90 minutes) Monday May 14 at 8:10 (90 minutes) Monday, May 21 at 8:10 (120 minutes) The 8th grade is scheduled to test on these dates: Thursday May 17 at 8:10 (90 minutes) Thursday May 17 at 1:15 (90 minutes) Friday May 18 at 8:20 (90 minutes) It is very helpful when students arrive on those days well rested and nourished. We ask that parents avoid appointments and trips that conflict with these dates as make-ups are hard to schedule and stressful for students. Wishing you a delightful school break, Gail Malsin School Counselor 469-3250 x225 gmalsin@plainfieldschool.org From the School Counselor 3/16/12 Iï¿½d like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of our Internet Safety and bullying awareness evening. Iï¿½m grateful to Ellen Langsner for organizing the evening, to peer mediators Emily Ball, Abby Chellis, CJ Courtemanche, Gabrielle Guarino, J.D. Pixley, Coulston Rogerson, and Joslin Wainwright for their spirited portrayal of how to deal with conflicts and harassment, to all of you who attended, to Stephanie Schell and the PTO for sponsoring the event, and to our outstanding visitor Officer Jennifer Frank for providing such vital information with much humor and understanding. I have a number of booklets called NET CETERA- Chatting with Kids About Being Online and would be happy to send one home with your child if you missed the chance to pick one up the other evening. Stress Management Curriculum In several grade levels the topic has recently been stress management. The 7th grade classes have spent 3 classes looking at different types of stress and how to manage it. Weï¿½ve discussed and explored the following strategies: o Positive thinking or ï¿½talking backï¿½ to the worry thoughts. o Deal directly with the problem that is stressing you. For example: study for the test instead of worrying about it. o Try effective communication to relieve a stressful relationship. Use ï¿½Iï¿½ messages instead of angry accusations. o Use calming music, recordings of nature sounds, or guided visualizations. o Get plenty of exercise and sleep and practice good nutrition. In the 3rd/4rth classes we approached the topic through a story: ï¿½David and the Worry Beastï¿½ which covered much of the same material only geared for younger students. We did a guided visualization and made paper bag monster puppets on which students wrote thoughts to conquer their worries. Career Development and Getting Along The 5/6th classes have been doing some career exploration, learning about their Holland codes (a theory of vocational types) and some careers that match. Weï¿½ve also continued to touch on relationship issues as theyï¿½ve arisen. I am extremely proud of the interpersonal progress that has been made in these grades. Students have been standing up for themselves and others, have taken responsibility for relationship mistakes theyï¿½ve made, and have practiced being more accepting of each other. One student pointed out that while we continue to work on getting along, we are never going to be perfect, since itï¿½s part of being human to be fallible. However, we can keep trying. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor From the School Counselor 2/15/12 Suicide Prevention Following the news of the shooting incident in Walpole last week, I would like to offer information about the suicide/self-harm prevention efforts here at Plainfield. Starting in the early grades the students repeatedly review the need to tell an adult if a friend is in any kind of physical or emotional trouble, and students name the adults they would tell. Beginning in 5th/6th grade we specifically talk about what to do if a friend expresses the wish to hurt him or herself and students know that they should tell an adult right away. In 7th and 8th grade we look at symptoms of depression and what can be done about it. From time to time I do hear from students about friends who talk about death and though we can never guarantee that we will prevent every tragedy, this gives me some degree of comfort that students are aware of what to do. You might like to know our procedure when we learn of a student expressing thoughts of self-harm. I interview the child to assess the situation and I involve the principal and the nurse. If there appears to be any depression or suicidal thinking we require the parents to take the child for an emergency risk assessment with a mental health professional. When in doubt as to the seriousness of a threat we always play it safe. It's better to be accused of overreacting than to miss a dangerous situation. Sometimes adolescents will confide in a teacher or a friendï¿½s parent. At a workshop in Lebanon last week the recommended response was ï¿½Iï¿½m so glad you told me.ï¿½ Iï¿½ve occasionally found out about at-risk students through a parent, and am always grateful for the information. If your child should hear about what happened in Walpole and feel worried please let me know. Reassure your child that most students at Plainfield know to tell an adult right away if a friend is in trouble. Curriculum Seventh graders have turned in their career research projects and will be participating in a mini career fair during advisory the week after vacation. The vast majority of the students have done a very nice job and I am proud of their efforts, as are they. Eighth graders seemed to enjoy filling out practice applications for a fast food job last week. In March we will role-play job interviews. In the first and second grade weï¿½ve completed a lesson on the touching safety rule ï¿½No one should touch the parts of your body covered by a bathing suit except to keep you clean and healthy.ï¿½ The students know to say ï¿½NO,ï¿½ get away, and tell an adult if they ever are touched inappropriately. March 14 We are busy planning for our evening Internet Safety/Bullying evening for families with students in grades 4-8. Students now in grades 5-8 very much enjoyed Jennifer Frankï¿½s presentation last year and Iï¿½m delighted that she is able to return and work with you. Wishing you an enjoyable presidentï¿½s day week with your children, Gail Malsin School Counselor From the School Counselor 2/3/12 Peace, Justice and Kindness Video What a great time we had on January 25 during our ï¿½partner upï¿½ time! Students in grades 5 through 8 had selected and prepared books relating to peace, justice or kindness (PJK for short.) At the designated hour, the upper grade students first read to their partner (in grades K-4) then led a discussion. Together each pair identified the theme of their book and came up with a P, J or K thought for the school wide PJK video. They rehearsed before videotaping their statement. The older students led the sessions with impressive intelligence and poise, generating smiles all around. A great team of staff members planned this meaningfully fun collaboration involving every student. Our technology integrator, Mary Cantlin, is hard at work putting the clips into one movie that we are eager to see. We are also making every effort to make sure that students who were absent have the chance to be included. Weï¿½ll let you know when the first screening will be! Bullying Prevention The 5th and 6th grade classes have continued to focus on harassment/bullying. This week we had fun practicing light, humorous comebacks to insults, coming up with simple responses that donï¿½t escalate a provoking situation but rather deflect it. In the 3rd and 4th grade we read a book, Bully Beans, about having the courage to stand up to ï¿½bullies,ï¿½ and the importance of bystanders who can help by siding with the victim. Student volunteers demonstrated the power shifts that occur when the bystanders align with a ï¿½target.ï¿½ We also practiced responding to would-be ï¿½bulliesï¿½ with a strong ï¿½Back off!ï¿½ We then went on to practice ï¿½pull-upsï¿½ since it can take ten pull-ups for a person to recover from one put-down. This lesson was fun and seemed to reach the students. My hope is that students can use assertiveness strategies along with knowing to tell an adult if they find themselves the target of mean behavior. Career Development Seventh graders are working on researching a career of their choice. Their research project is due on February 15. We are spending considerable time in class but some of the students may need to supplement with a bit of work at home. The point isnï¿½t for students to lock into a career but rather to develop self-knowledge and to begin to understand what is out there in the world of work. I let them know that seventh graders are not finished with their personal development and will need to keep an open mind as they continue along their paths. I hope they are coming to understand that education/ training is part of every career path and that often a higher level of education/training leads to higher pay. Another important insight should be that other values (such as time for family or job satisfaction) are often as important as monetary compensation. Next week the 8th graders will be looking ahead to potential part time employment, exploring job applications and job interviews, which we will role-play. In other counseling news, small groups and the Big Brother/Sister program are going well. I check in with certain students individually on a regular basis, and see others as the need arises. Iï¿½ve been seeing an increased incidence of student ï¿½melt-downs.ï¿½ It seems that the winter weather ups and downs, cancelled plans and restricted recesses are taking their toll. Most often students are able to quickly regroup using simple strategies such as deep breathing or a guided relaxation exercise. Having our FAST program back today should do wonders for everyoneï¿½s feelings, too. As always I welcome your questions and concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor From the School Counselor 1/13/12 Next week is Peace, Kindness and Justice week in honor of Reverend Martin Luther King. While these themes are constantly interwoven into our school days, this year we plan to focus on the concepts through a school wide project. We are hoping to produce a video in which students in pairs (younger with older) will describe what peace looks, sounds and/or feels like. Stay tuned for further information as this inspirational project develops and if you get a chance, you might consider having a family conversation about peace. In the 5/6 guidance classes weï¿½ve begun a several week unit looking at the phenomenon of harassment. The students completed a detailed survey; saw a short movie called "Harassment Workshop;" answered some questions as a group; and had a discussion on examples of harassment they have witnessed. The film covered different types of harassment and the three basic roles: ï¿½bully,ï¿½ bystander, and victim. Afterwards I expressed my feeling of dislike for the term ï¿½bullyï¿½ which locks individuals into a negative stereotype. Along with many others, I prefer to look at harassment from a more multi-faceted perspective, looking at the many factors involved. As part of the discussion I talked about how seriously kids can be impacted by harassment, and the potential legal consequences. In coming weeks we will be developing the discussion along the following lines: ï¿½ How bad is it? Figuring out what events are minor, which are more serious ï¿½ Relational aggression and what to do if you are a target ï¿½ What if you are a ï¿½bully?ï¿½ ï¿½ How to defuse/respond to insults with light humorous come backs ï¿½ Gender bias and sexual harassment ï¿½ Self-esteem ï¿½ Judging others My hope is to elevate 5/6th gradersï¿½ consciousness and foster skills that will support a healthy relational dynamic. The 7th grade guidance classes are in a several week unit on career exploration and development. The students explore their interests, values, and preferences and discover what work is aligned with those. Each student then selects a career to research and has time to do most of the research in school. Research projects will be due the Wed. before vacation; the week we come back the students will present their projects in a mini career-fair for the entire 7th and 8th grade. In just a couple of months the 8th graders will be choosing their high school classes. Hoping to provide motivation to help the students soar on their way to graduation, we spent a class period looking at inspirational stories of teens whoï¿½ve overcome great obstacles. One of the stories was of the girl who went from homeless to Harvard. The students expressed that compared with challenges of that magnitude, most Plainfield students have a relatively easy life. We reviewed strategies that can help overcome difficulties: goal setting, discipline, communication, organization and positive risk-taking. In the lower grades the lessons have continued on empathy training and decision-making. In December the third and fourth grade reviewed the touching safety rule: ï¿½No one should touch the parts of your body covered by a bathing suit except to keep you clean and healthy.ï¿½ We talked about what adults they could tell if they ever encounter a violation of this rule. Students in the primary grades will have this lesson in a couple of weeks. It is a privilege and a delight to work with your children on all these meaningful topics, and as always I welcome your questions and concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor gmalsin@plainfieldschool.org 469-3250 ext. 225 From the School Counselor 12/1/11 I am grateful for the opportunity to work with our students. There are some challenging issues and situations, but I like challenges, and there are many rewards. For example, two second graders so appreciated their peer mediation that they asked for a check-up from their mediators this week. In the session new strategies were chosen for continued improvement in the relationship. Then there is the comment overheard on the playground at recess: ï¿½Donï¿½t you remember Guidance? Youï¿½re supposed to think of the other personï¿½s feelings!ï¿½ This was a first grader demonstrating understanding of Mondayï¿½s lesson. I was very impressed. Another source of satisfaction happened when Al Flory from the Hartford Area Career and Technology Center visited the 8th grade for advisory before Thanksgiving. About three quarters of the students indicated that they have some ideas about the work they would like to do some day, demonstrating that the career development work we have done is paying off. Guidance Classes Classes have been going well. As mentioned above, the first grade is working on empathy training through read-aloud books, discussion, and the Second Step program. The second grade is continuing to work on problem solving also through books, discussions and Second Step. The third and fourth graders have been doing some more sophisticated empathy training. I was very pleased with some of the examples they provided (two weeks ago) of understanding how someone else feels by connecting the otherï¿½s experience to their own. The fifth and sixth graders finished a several week unit on resisting peer and other pressures. The work involved values clarification, discussion, and skits. We looked at clips from mainstream movies for one of our discussions. This week we returned to the topic of school success skills and played a game to review. The seventh grade completed a drug and alcohol prevention unit, which reviewed the negative consequences of substance abuse and the ways to resist pressure to do things we know we shouldnï¿½t do. Their favorite activity is usually performing skits to illustrate the concepts. This week we played a game called ï¿½Acceptance and Rejection.ï¿½ and discussed the hidden rules for being accepted at Plainfield School. The students were candid and perceptive. The eighth grade has guidance once a month. This week we used the Naviance online career exploration software to profile each studentï¿½s interests, look at potential careers and plans of study, and to begin to build a resume for future part time job applications. Next week I will begin training a new group of Big Brothers and Sisters. I have received suggestions from teachers for students in grades 1-4 who would benefit; and parents may also suggest their child. I would need to hear from you right away: ideally no later than Wed. Dec. 9. As always I welcome your questions and concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin, School Counselor 469-3250 ext. 225 gmalsin@plainfieldschool.org From the School Counselor 11/8/11 Drug Prevention, School Success Iï¿½ve just come from a great conversation with one of the 5/6 classes. At this grade level weï¿½ve been working on tobacco and drug prevention for a couple of weeks, and practicing peer refusal skills. These students shared some great stories of difficult decisions, bad decisions and pressured decisions theyï¿½ve made. My hope is that through this discussion and practice they will become more conscious about the choices they make. When the time comes to turn down the first illegal cigarette/drink they are offered they will know what peer pressure is and some ways to resist that pressure. We tie these refusal skills to current every day situations such as the temptation to go along with someone who is making fun of another, or to accept an invitation to do something dangerous. Seventh grade has also been reviewing peer refusal skills and has learned some of the more significant hazards of alcohol abuse. Weï¿½ve recently wrapped up the school success unit. I will be working with some of the students in smaller groups to practice organizational and other school success strategies. Suicide Prevention Last week in 8th grade guidance we discussed teen depression and suicide prevention. One class had a longer class period so had time to create some skits of responses to a friendï¿½s expressions of depression. The skits were remarkably well done; I was very impressed. Itï¿½s rewarding to witness the growth in these students over the last three years. I will be talking with the seventh grade about suicide prevention in a few weeks. Communication, Problem Solving, Feelings, and Friendship The third and fourth grade classes involved a discussion of conflicting feelings and how to communicate these. We expressed our differing preferences and discussed the importance of respecting our differing needs and desires. In second grade we are working with the Second Step program on problem solving skills. We also reviewed ways to calm down and I read a story called The Worst Day of My Life Ever by Julia Cook. The plot revolves around the importance of listening and following directions. Friendship and feelings were our theme in first grade last week. I read Enemy Pie by Derek Munson and students shared their own experiences of turning ï¿½enemiesï¿½ into friends. I was amazed to hear how many have already overcome friend problems in this way. Small Groups Several counseling groups will begin or resume this week or next. These include boys and girls groups in 5/6, school success groups in 7/8 and a couple of smaller groups in 3/4. The current session of the Big Brother/Big Sister program will end the first week in December with the end of the trimester and in January there will be new pairs. As always, I hope you will call or email with your questions or concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin 469-3250 extension 225 gmalsin@plainfieldschool.org From the School Counselor 10/28/11 NECAP testing has been completed smoothly; we will receive the results at the end of January. Some students were interested to learn that the school results are usually published in the newspaper. They agreed that theyï¿½d prefer to see Plainfield compare favorably with neighboring communities, and for some the idea of comparison provided a little extra incentive to try even harder to do their best. The relatively serene testing process was possible because of the remarkable collaborative community effort. All those involved cheerfully tolerated the disruption to our regular program. Teachers, students and families adjusted their schedules. Volunteers prepared math manipulatives and provided some of the extra snacks, as did the PTO and the teachers. Thank you, everyone! During the testing we quietly held the annual ï¿½Mix it Up at Lunchï¿½ day. Teachers organized students by such categories as birth order or birthday to try sitting in new groups at lunch. This event is a nationwide school-based effort to promote social equality and is promoted by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Further information is available online at tolerance.org. Elsewhere in this newsletter, please note information about our annual holiday food and gift drive. If you would like to meet with me during conferences, please phone or drop me a line. I can attend conferences at your request or meet with you before or after your conference, barring conflicts. Sincerely, Gail Malsin, School Counselor From the School Counselor 10/21/11 Jasmine Rogersï¿½ suicide has precipitated strong feelings of sorrow and loss. We are reeling from her untimely death and wanting to explain what cannot be explained. As was eloquently noted by co- pastors Susan and John Gregory-Davis, it is important that as we try to make sense of this tragedy, we practice loving forgiveness and drop the need to assign blame. Many of us feel that there must have been something we could have done to prevent this death. We need to acknowledge this natural sense of regret and use it to move forward with increasing love for every human who crosses our path. We need to let go of self-blame and turn it into a simple self-awareness that will allow us to be more fully present for everyone whose life touches ours. During the grieving process a wide range of responses to strong feelings is normal. Some may express feelings openly while others will prefer not to. Some will find grief from previous losses returning. Sometimes emotional responses can be felt as bodily symptoms such as a stomachache or insomnia. It is important to help young people identify and name feelings, which may be more complicated than sadness or anger. Asking ï¿½What is your biggest worry?ï¿½ and ï¿½What would help you feel safe?ï¿½ can help open a meaningful conversation. In guidance classes at all levels we often talk about coping strategies. These can be very helpful for dealing with waves of worry or sadness. Some of the strategies weï¿½ve talked about are: ï¿½ Taking deep breaths and/or counting to 10 ï¿½ Visualizing being in a favorite calm place ï¿½ Talking to a friend ï¿½ Reading, music or movies ï¿½ Exercising In guidance classes we talk about the children having trusted adults they would tell something that is bothering them. I have the children name some of the trusted adults. By 7th and 8th grade I ask the students to name at least five adults they would be willing to talk to about a problem. Occasionally a student will not be able to name five people; the staff makes extra efforts to connect with these students and with their parents. The vast majority of our students name their parents as ones they would talk to, but as adolescence proceeds teenagers are trying to be more independent and may find it easier to speak with a friendï¿½s parent, a coach, a neighbor, or a teacher. Students know that they are always welcome to speak with me or with our nurse Karen Heaton who will refer students to me as needed. I have a number of resources in my office that are available for parents including simple handouts on talking about suicide and about grieving. Please be in touch if you are interested. With much appreciation for the caring strength in this community, Gail Malsin School Counselor From the School Counselor 10/14/11 This has been a difficult week for our community. We are all struggling with our thoughts and feelings as we try to make sense of the tragic death of our beloved former student. The 7th and 8th guidance curriculum includes mental health, depression, and suicide prevention. We discuss much of what our principal has outlined for you in her newsletter. We also touch on these issues in 6th grade. Although I let the students know that this kind of tragedy could happen anywhere, students often express a belief, that there is no way that a teenager would take his or her own life in our community. Facing the tragic reality that indeed no community is immune, we begin the task of recovering from the shock and start to work through our grief. I will write about trauma and grief in more detail next week, in the meantime I hope that you will contact me with any questions or concerns. Robert Bryant of Second Growth will be offering a free six-week workshop for parents at the Meriden Congregational Church. I will provide you with the details as soon as I learn these. Robert is known in the Upper Valley for his work in the area of suicide prevention and other issues facing teenagers. I encourage any interested parents to take advantage of this opportunity. Gail Malsin School Counselor From the School Counselor 9/23/11 8th Grade School Success Group Iï¿½m postponing the start of the 8th grade after school success group for a week, to Thursday September 29, in order to allow a little more time for the sign-ups. If you missed the information on this, please give me a call. Peer Mediation Team The Peer Mediation program is continuing this year on an ï¿½on callï¿½ basis with several of the students who were trained two years ago. Their dedication is commendable! Lunch Groups for Students in 3 and 4 During the fall trimester I am inviting the students in grades 3 and 4 to meet with me over lunch, rotating through the classes so that each student will have the opportunity to participate four times. The object of these groups is to build community, air out any difficulties, and cultivate coping skills for everyday situations. We also have fun! I will meet with girls on Tuesdays and boys on Wednesdays. This week I met with the students in Mr. Wolkinsï¿½ class; next week it will be Mrs. Taberï¿½s turn and the following week it will be Ms. Johnsonï¿½s. Counseling and Guidance Wish List The counseling office is looking for a ï¿½Connect 4ï¿½ game and a few legos, especially people and wheels, to supplement those already in the bins. If you have these items and are no longer using them, I would love to have them Guidance classes are going well; I look forward to filling you in as to content next time. Wishing you a glorious fall weekend, Gail Malsin School Counselor From the School Counselor 9/30/11 Iï¿½d like to give you an overview of guidance curriculum from the last couple of weeks. The first graders have begun empathy training. I am using the Second Step curriculum, which provides large photograph cards to prompt discussion, reflection and interactive role-plays. I also use this curriculum with second grade. This week our lesson focused on ways to calm down and think before acting impulsively or melting down. We talked about taking deep breaths, thinking calming thoughts, counting backwards from 5 or 10, and using positive self-talk. Positive self-talk would be for example saying to yourself ï¿½I can figure this outï¿½ instead of ï¿½I canï¿½t do this.ï¿½ Our lesson concluded with a relaxing visualization. In third and fourth grade we discussed the role of the counselor, and the students completed a self- esteem inventory. The students and I are enjoying the rotation of lunch groups mentioned in last weekï¿½s newsletter. Getting to know each other better and airing out every day concerns is both fun and useful. Fifth and sixth grade followed our work on planner use with a session on leadership, trust, and doing your share. We used film clips from The Lord of the Rings, Apollo 13, and Antz to stimulate the discussion. This week we connected this work to Maslowï¿½s hierarchy of needs, and students are making posters to illustrate these principles. The underlying theme is that in order to reach for our highest potential our basic needs must first be met. Seventh grade is continuing with our study skills curriculum. Next week we will be working on the inspirational quote project and towards the end of October we will be wrapping up the school success unit. At the suggestion of the homeroom advisors, eighth graders demonstrated their understanding of assertiveness by creating skits during the advisory period. The objective is for students to fully understand our CARES rubric. By eighth grade the students have practiced assertiveness skills often in guidance classes; I was proud to see how well they were able to demonstrate their knowledge. As always I welcome your questions and comments. The counseling office library contains a number of parenting resources that I am happy to lend out and if a topic isnï¿½t included we can look into acquiring what is needed. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor 8th Grade School Success Group I'm postponing the start of the 8th grade after school success group for a week, to Thursday September 29, in order to allow a little more time for the sign-ups. If you missed the information on this, please give me a call. Peer Mediation Team The Peer Mediation program is continuing this year on an ï¿½on callï¿½ basis with several of the students who were trained two years ago. They are: Emily Ball, Jack Davini, Gabrielle Guarino, Coulston Rogerson, Abby Chellis, Chris Courtemanche, Sophia Lurie, Jacob Pixley, and Joslin Wainwright. Their dedication is commendable! Lunch Groups for Students in 3 and 4 During the fall trimester I am inviting the students in grades 3 and 4 to meet with me over lunch, rotating through the classes so that each student will have the opportunity to participate four times. The object of these groups is to build community, air out any difficulties, and cultivate coping skills for everyday situations. We also have fun! I will meet with girls on Tuesdays and boys on Wednesdays. This week I met with the students in Mr. Wolkinsï¿½ class; next week it will be Mrs. Taberï¿½s turn and the following week it will be Ms. Johnsonï¿½s. Counseling and Guidance Wish List The counseling office is looking for a ï¿½Connect 4ï¿½ game and a few legos, especially people and wheels, to supplement those already in the bins. If you have these items and are no longer using them, I would love to have them Guidance classes are going well; I look forward to filling you in as to content next time. Wishing you a glorious fall weekend, Gail Malsin School Counselor From the School Counselor 9/16/11 NECAP TEST DATES Every student in grades 3 through 8 is required by the state to take all tests. If a student is absent he or she will need to make up the tests during regular class time, which can be stressful. It is very helpful when parents are able to avoid appointments during the testing dates. Grades 5/6 Reading & Math: Mon-Tues-Wed Oct 3-4-5 (2 sessions each day) Grade 5 Writing: Thurs-Fri Oct 6-7 (1 session a day) Grades 3/4 Reading and Math: Thurs-Fri-Tues-Wed-Thurs-Fri (1 session a day) Grade 7 Reading & Math: Tues-Wed-Thurs Oct 11-12-13 (2 sessions a day) Grade 8 Reading & Math: Fri-Mon-Tues Oct 14-17-18 (2 sessions a day) Grade 8 Writing: Wed Oct 19 If you have any questions, please call me. Sincerely, Gail Malsin From the School Counselor 9/9/11 We all seem to be getting into the swing of the school year. Today Iï¿½m writing to let you know about some of the ways in which the counseling program seeks to provide opportunities for all students to attain their full potential as learners. School Success Groups The last two years Iï¿½ve offered ï¿½7th Upï¿½ school success groups for seventh graders identified by teachers as needing some support. These were solution-focused groups aimed to provide guided peer support as well as a place to celebrate successes and to trouble-shoot difficulties. Each student had unique strengths and weaknesses thus each student was able to offer secrets of achievement in some area. I was very impressed with the way that the students quickly adopted new strategies and were able to report increasing success in the subjects targeted. Some of the students confessed that knowing they would have to report to the group motivated them to work harder. We closed most sessions celebrating successes with some sort of simple interactive game. This year I will again hold these weekly group sessions for 7th graders during one of their study halls, beginnning in a few weeks. A number of the ï¿½7th Upï¿½ students from two years ago wanted to continue meeting last year during their 8th grade but scheduling during the day wasnï¿½t possible. The students and I agreed to meet for ï¿½8th Upï¿½ after school twice a month or so. Parents generously provided transportation and sometimes the snacks. This year I would again like to make available an 8th grade school success group on certain Thursdays beginning September 22. If you would like your eighth grader to be involved, please call, email or send me a note. I will require that the students commit to attendance for a trimester. I am in the process of identifying times and themes for a number of other counseling groups. If you are interested in suggesting a student or theme, please give me a call. Guidance Curriculum This year I am teaching 5th, 6th and 7th grade every week, and 8th grade once a month. Our first classes will focus on team building and school success skills. I am starting with use of the planners and will share with students a rubric describing the ideal. In the 7th and 8th grade the planners this year include a supplement on ï¿½The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Teens,ï¿½ which will be included in our discussions. Students should be using their planners every day and bringing these home. In 5th through 7th grade the planner is also packed with suggestions for study habits. I am in the process of scheduling classes in the lower grades. We will start with conversations about friendship and the role of the counselor. New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) Beginning October 3 and running through October 25 we will be administering the state-mandated standardized testing. All students in grades 3 through 8 will participate in 3 sessions each of reading and math testing. Grades 5 and 8 will also have two sessions of writing. Please avoid student appointments or trips during these weeks, as the scheduling is very complicated and make-ups are stressful for the students. As soon as we have a detailed schedule I will make it public. As always, I hope that you will feel free to get in touch with your questions and concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor gmalsin@plainfieldschool.org 469-3250 extension 225 9/2/11 Dear families, Iï¿½m again very gratified to be starting the school year in this exceptional school. One of things Iï¿½m excited about is the weeklong Responsive Classroom (RC) workshop I recently attended with several colleagues. The Responsive Classroom approach has already been implemented in several of our Plainfield classrooms and is based on the idea that social and academic learning are interdependent. We believe that every child wants to learn and is capable of doing so. Through Responsive Classroom practices students learn the school success strategies of Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-control (CARES.) Student needs for belonging, significance and fun are met through morning meetings in which students share news and make a structured, interactive transition into the school day. Responsive Classroom is related to the Developmental Designs (DD) approach implemented in the upper grades the last two years. Responsive Classroom and Developmental Designs share several elements including the morning message, greetings, sharing and community-building activities. Classroom rules are student-generated, and desirable behaviors are modeled and practiced in detail. This leads to a safe, serene and confident student group. In the upper grades Iï¿½ve seen how DD has fostered a phenomenally caring community. As a result, fighting, relational aggression and other disciplinary issues have declined impressively in the three years Iï¿½ve been your school counselor. Another caring program here at school is our in-school mentoring program, which will resume soon. Seventh and eighth grade students who choose the Big Brother/Big Sister elective will each be paired with a student in grades 1 through 4. The younger students are selected based on teacher input and participation is voluntary. I do my best to honor parental requests as well. The junior high students are trained and brainstorm activities before the first get-together with their ï¿½littles,ï¿½ which probably be towards the end of September. The activities take place once a week during the younger studentsï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ lunch and recess time for a trimester. This is a very rewarding program allowing the older students to practice responsibility and the younger students to connect with an older friend and role model. As always, I hope you will feel free to contact me anytime with your concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor gmalsin@plainfieldschool.org 469-3250 extension 225 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the School Counselor 6/10/11 Career Day is rapidly approaching. On the afternoon of Friday June 17th we will welcome an impressive variety of community members to speak with 7th and 8th graders about their work. I am asking the 7th and 8th graders to dress in ï¿½business casualï¿½ style to reflect the professional nature of the symposium and to help students think about appropriate attire for a job interview. For boys I would like to see a collar shirt and long pants and for girls either something similar or a conservative skirt or simple dress. Iï¿½m hoping not to see t-shirts, shorts or jeans. However, Iï¿½m definitely not asking for anyone to go buy new clothes. Iï¿½ve learned that there are still spaces at the Hartford (HACTC) technology camp Happening four mornings during the week of June 27. I highly recommend that rising 7th, 8th and 9th graders take advantage of this opportunity! For $10 each student receives a t-shirt and has fun expanding his or her technological horizons. We already have ten Plainfield students attending and I would love to see more. Call me if youï¿½d like an application. Please note that if the $10 is an issue I will find you a scholarship. The Peer Mediation Program is winding down for the year. Recently we worked on publicizing the program by making some posters and presenting some skits to promote understanding of what is offered. The six graders who participated as mediators this year will be invited to continue on an ï¿½on callï¿½ basis in 7th grade and interested rising 6th graders will be added to the roster later in the year. The mediators have been wonderfulï¿½highly skilled and dedicated. Our only frustration has oddly enough been wishing for more conflicts to solve, which in part may be due to growing success at teaching students to solve their own conflicts. Some of the 5th, 6th and 7th grade end of the year classroom guidance classes have involved simulations that help students look at behavior. The activities at various levels have included ï¿½Ism Cliffï¿½ dealing with stereotyping, ï¿½Escape from Planet Dilemmosï¿½ to examine ethical dilemmas, ï¿½Lost on the Moonï¿½ to analyze group roles, and ï¿½Acceptance and Rejectionï¿½ to raise consciousness about the hidden rules for belonging to a particular group. The second grader recently received special remote control facsimiles to color. The idea comes from the story ï¿½Hunter and the Amazing Remote Control.ï¿½ In class we talked about the uses for each button. Here are some examples: ï¿½Change the Channelï¿½ is for bringing attention back to class when daydreaming, ï¿½pauseï¿½ and ï¿½slow motionï¿½ are to help curb impulsivity, ï¿½rewindï¿½ is to redo something that was a mistake, ï¿½fast forwardï¿½ is to look ahead and see consequences of choices, and ï¿½zapperï¿½ is to zap negative thoughts. Each student shared which button he or she would be most likely to use. Some of the students in my groups have also received these special remotes. Isnï¿½t it great to be enjoying some good weather at last? I hope you have a wonderful weekend with your families. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor From the School Counselor 5/20/11 Career Development Work awareness and career development is a major guidance curriculum area that weaves through all the grades. In 3rd and 4th grade last week, we talked about people who are happy in their jobs. All the students knew a number of people who are like their work. We then went through an exercise to demonstrate that gender should not be a factor in choosing careers: boys can be nurses and girls can be pilots. We looked at some short video clips of a variety of jobs. I heard one boy in the hall afterwards remark, ï¿½I want to be a glazier, and cut glass!ï¿½ Weï¿½ll look at a few more jobs another day. In March 5th graders completed a booklet of activities to develop awareness of their individual aptitudes and interests. The booklet, provided by the New Hampshire Higher Education Foundation (NHHAEF), also aims to increase understanding of the value of education past high school. In April and May 6th graders increased their understanding of the Holland Code through a more sophisticated inventory and discussion. The Holland Code is a theory that interests can be sorted into six categories that can be related to specific jobs and career paths. An individualï¿½s ï¿½Holland Codeï¿½ is made up of their top three categories. Through these activities the students started a career portfolio to be continued in 7th and 8th grades. As previously noted, the 7th graders completed a variety of career-related activities, and did a research project. The 8th graders have used the Naviance online software extensively to support their self-exploration and career investigation. In 5th, 6th and 7th grade I stress that itï¿½s important not to lock into a career too early and that they should instead be gathering information about themselves and about many possibilities. By the end of 8th grade students start to have a bit of a direction and to keep this direction in mind as they choose their courses. Both 7th and 8th grades will enjoy a career afternoon on Friday, June 17. Thanks to Stephanie, this very informative and enjoyable event is a biennial opportunity for our upper grade students. Stephanie Schell is recruiting for volunteers to come in and share information about their jobs that day. If you are interested, please let her know! Other Recent Guidance Topics The 7th graders have been doing a very nice job of tackling a variety of topics. We recently explored a decision-making model, and spent two classes looking at anger management. This week we are revisiting conflict styles. The 5th grade recently discussed body image: the importance of accepting oneï¿½s appearance and that of others. Next week we will be playing a game called ï¿½Ism Cliffï¿½ to raise awareness of stereotyping issues. In the primary grades weï¿½ve continued to work on empathy and communication through the Second Step program. The students are wonderfully expressive when we do simple role-plays. Iï¿½ve continued to meet with a number of small groups. Iï¿½m gratified to report that a good number of students have shown progress with their friendship skills, anger management, and conflict resolution strategies. Iï¿½ve been meeting with groups of selected 7th graders to work on school success skills in our ï¿½7th Upï¿½ group. These students excel at supporting each other! A group of 8th graders so enjoyed last yearï¿½s meetings that they are voluntarily meeting a couple of times a month after school. HACTC Camp The deadline has been extended for the Hartford technology camp taking place the week after school gets out. There are still a few slots remaining for rising 7th, 8th and 9th graders. I highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity! For $10 each student receives a t-shirt and has fun expanding his or her technological horizons. Call me if youï¿½d like an application. NECAP Science This week the 4th and 8th graders have had three sessions each of New England Common Assessment Program science testing, and have worked very hard. Congratulations go to the fourth graders and their parents: every 4th grader was present for each test! This is the first time that Iï¿½ve seen any class accomplish perfect attendance for any NECAP series. Very sincere thanks go to the parents for your support in making this happen. Makeups for 8th graders who missed will be taking place early next week. As always, I welcome your questions and concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin, M.Ed School Counselor From the School Counselor April 29 Summer will be here before we know it, and Iï¿½m writing to let you know about a couple of exceptional summer opportunities for the middle school students. The Hartford Area Career and Technology Center is again holding its camp right after school gets out. The program takes place four mornings June 27 through 30. The cost is only $10 and includes a t- shirt. Students entering 7th, 8th, or 9th grade enjoy hands-on experiences in auto technology, building trades, culinary arts, design illustration and media arts, engineering and architectural design, industrial mechanics and welding, natural resources, and robotics. Several of our students attended last year and reported having a fabulous time. There will again be several Plainfield students attending, so car pools are possible. As the school counselor I get very excited about the idea of students becoming inspired about their future. Brochure/applications are available in my office. It would be wise to send in the application ASAP before the enrollment closes, since quite a number of area schools are involved but attendance is limited to 80. Kimball Union Academy is hosting a girlsï¿½ leadership camp this summer that sounds fabulous. The dates are August 7-13. I have a couple of brochures, or you could email Brook Wheeler at KUA. (bwheeler@kua.org) I have some other camp brochures in my office and would be happy to share those if that would be helpful. We are busy preparing for the kindergarten screenings and the science NECAP tests to be administered in grades 4 and 8 the week of May 16, and a number of other end of the year projects. Next week Iï¿½ll write about current guidance curriculum. From the School Counselor 4/8/11 Yesterday I attended a conference entitled ï¿½Friendship, Social Power and Bullying: Where to Draw the Lines.ï¿½ The speaker was Michael /Thompson, PhD, author of a number of popular books including "Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children." Dr. Thompson stressed the importance of preventing social cruelty through structured community building with approaches such as Developmental Design, Responsive Classroom and classroom guidance. I came away feeling very good about our efforts here at Plainfield School where we are increasingly using these strategies with remarkable results. I was also pleased that Dr. Thompson emphasized something that I believe: that the word bully is problematic since itï¿½s a name-calling stereotype. Dr. Thompson prefers to use the terms ï¿½social crueltyï¿½ and ï¿½social power.ï¿½ He pointed out that social pain is not necessarily bullying, and that rejection is a normal part of life. We need to teach people how to own their personal social power: how to be appropriately friendly and how to choose friends who in some cases may not be the most ï¿½popularï¿½ or socially powerful. He also noted that a number of years ago when families tended to be bigger kids used to be less sensitive as they were exposed to bickering, name-calling and power plays with their siblings. The practice with squabbling was useful for understanding that conflict is a part of life. We teach kids to stand up for themselves and their friends and to try to work out problems on their own. We also make sure they know to get help when they need it. We insist on restorative justice when we find that students actually have been cruel. We want every individual in our school community to feel respected, safe, and valued, and we know you want this too. As always I welcome your questions and concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin, M.Ed. School Counselor From the School Counselor 3/18/11 Stress This week the combination of daylight savings adjustment, NWEA testing, and end of term have combined to create coping challenges for many. At most grade levels weï¿½ve noticed instances of teary meltdowns. Iï¿½ve been happy to see how caring the students are in their responses to friends, and proud of the ways that students are helping themselves. In the upper grades particularly Iï¿½ve loved seeing the developing assertive communication skills as students ask for extra time and/or help to complete assignments. Weï¿½ve reminded students that the best stress relief is to get the work done instead of worrying about it, and we also review stress relief techniques such as breathing, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, visualizations, and exercise. NAEP Testing A couple of weeks ago the 8th graders participated in the National Education Assessment Program testing. The testing took a couple of hours on March 1. This is a national assessment of educational progress in every state. We were selected among schools in NH to take part in this program. In the past NH has ranked within the top five states and I feel confident that our students again represented NH very well. We received compliments from the NAEP team on the serious and uncomplaining attitude of our students as they each took a (randomly assigned) math, reading, or science test. High School Lebanon High School has needed to move the date of their presentations to the 8th grade parents and students. The parent night will be Monday March 28 at 6:30 in the high school cafeteria. The student presentation will be during the advisory time on Wednesday, March 30. This year the course catalogs will be handed out at school instead of mailed. Weï¿½re also very proud of our many 8th graders who have been accepted to KUA. I look forward to sharing further counseling and guidance news next week, and to hearing from you if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the School Counselor 3/10/11 The weather related cancellations and problems seem to be reminders to practice flexibility and positive thinking. When due to potholes I ran into some expensive and time-consuming car problems. I said to myself: ï¿½If this is the worst thing that happens this week, I am doing well. ï¿½ Some of the younger students Iï¿½ve worked with will recognize this as a bandaid for a ï¿½boo boo thought.ï¿½ The seventh graders practiced this kind of positive thinking in detail as part of the stress management unit. The career day originally scheduled for March 23 has been rescheduled for June 17, a Friday. Stephanie Schell is recruiting volunteer presenters for that day. Meanwhile, the seventh graders are working on their career research brochure/posters and will share with each other at a mini-career fair on March 23 during the advisory period. The project deadline has been extended to the end of next week. The topic for third grade guidance this week was conflict resolution, shielding oneself from mean people. We also looked at questions so that each student could determine ï¿½Am I a bully?ï¿½ Thanks for generous support from the PT0 the Turning Points Network will visit grades 2, 3, and 4 on Fridays April 8 and 15. As always, I hope you will contact me with your questions and concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor gmalsin@planfieldschool.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From the School Counselor 3/3/11 One of the things I truly love about working at Plainfield School is the way that our efforts as staff interconnect. Here are just a few examples: ï¿½ Thursdayï¿½s assembly echoed a motivational story that the eighth graders had looked at their last guidance sessions: the story of ParaOlympics basketball gold medalist Jennifer Howitt who became wheelchair-bound as a result of an accident. ï¿½ The eighth graders also looked at Liz Murrayï¿½s history. You have probably heard how Liz went from homeless to attendance at Harvard as the result of her own determination and willingness to take risks. One of the obstacles Liz overcame was the loss of her mother to AIDS; looking at this true story connects with our excellent Health curriculum. ï¿½ The goal setting, reading and writing that 7th and 8th graders are doing supports the counseling and guidance curriculum in the areas of identity formation and career development, academic success, communication, coping, and conflict resolution skills, to name just a few. The trimester is coming to an end in two weeks and the current Big Brothers and Sisters will have to say farewell to each other. New partnerships will be formed once the third term settles in. If your child could benefit from a seventh grade big sister or brother and hasnï¿½t had the opportunity this year, drop me a line or give me a call and Iï¿½ll do the best to accommodate your request. As you know, the recent snow days have wreaked havoc, and as a result the Career Symposium scheduled for March 24 will be postponed. Stay tuned for the new date. The due date for seventh grade career research projects has been extended a bit to the week of March 14. As always I hope you will feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor From the School Counselor 2/24/11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Career Development curriculum We are into career exploration season in the upper grades. The seventh grade guidance classes are working on a research project due March 10, with class time provided to explore both Internet and library resources. The product will be a brochure, poster or booklet to be shared with peers later in the month. The current eighth graders did an outstanding job with this last year and I expect that the results will be equally wonderful with this group! The afternoon of March 24 the seventh and eighth graders will benefit from the work experiences of community members during the career symposium organized by Stephanie Schell. Thinking about the future will be timely for the eighth graders who will meet with high school representatives the afternoon of March 23 to prepare for high school course selection. When we look at studentsï¿½ future employment choices we also think about life choices as they relate to values, quality of life, and the development of roles outside of work. Geographic considerations for job availability and issues of time versus money come into the discussion. It can be hard for adolescents to recognize that the choices they make today will impact their futures so we try to help them see the importance of training and education starting right now. The fifth and sixth grades will spend two or three guidance classes on career exploration in a few weeks. Currently these grades are working on the mediation process (5th) and understanding/coping with harassment (6th.) Iï¿½ll look forward to sharing further information about the counseling and guidance world next week. As always, feel free to call me with your questions and concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor gmalsin@plainfieldschool.org, 469-3250 extension 225 From the School Counselor 1/27/11 Texting We have recently discovered that some students are texting each other late at night, even going so far as holding their cell phones in their hands when going to bed so not to miss a text coming through. This habit has the effect of depriving students of much needed sleep which of course affects their ability to learn in school. We know how wonderful it must feel for kids to be able to connect with their peers whenever and wherever they want. It is an incredible temptation to be texting into the night. Since it can be a silent activity, parents might not be aware of the amount of texting their child is doing. We strongly recommend that parents monitor and limit access to all forms of technology (including cell phones) in such a way that kids are supervised and get enough fresh air, exercise and sleep. Here are some facts about texting found on an interesting website called Common Sense Media created for parents and teachers. http://www.commonsensemedia.org/responsible-text- messaging-tips ï¿½Texting is the #2 use of cell phones -- after checking the time. ï¿½Teens send an average of 3,146 texts per month, and kids ages 9 to 12 send 1,146 (Nielsen, 2010). ï¿½75% of 12 to 17 year olds own cell phones and 88% of them use text messaging (Pew, 2010). ï¿½64% of parents look at the contents of their childï¿½s cell phone and 62% of parents have taken away their childï¿½s phone as punishment. (Pew, 2010). Parent Book Club A small group of parents has gotten together for a two-part book discussion on parenting teens. Weï¿½ve had constructive conversations and laughed a lot too. If you missed the book group, but would like to borrow Get Out of My Life, But First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall, please let me know. Guidance Curriculum First grade is continuing with the Second Step curriculum exploring communication, particularly about feelings. First graders are very good at finding clues to othersï¿½ feelings, and some are already expert at communicating those feelings! In second, third and fourth grades this month we looked at a short DVD called Intricate Minds III. It is a charmingly done presentation featuring commentary by children with learning differences about what itï¿½s like to be them. The students responded very sensitively to this video. The second graders also put together a feelings wheel to illustrate how our feelings can change and what some coping mechanisms are for dealing with feelings. In third grade we have also taken a look at the difference between tattling and telling an adult when there is a real need. We read a story called "A Case of Tattle Tongue," and discussed situations in small groups, deciding how each situation fit within the guidelines: ï¿½ Tell a trusted adult if a person or animal is in danger. ï¿½ If a problem involves you directly, try as hard as you can to find a solution yourself. ï¿½ Figure out whether the problem can wait until later. ï¿½ MYOB: Donï¿½t tattle if the problem isnï¿½t dangerous and it doesnï¿½t involve you. Fourth grade this week addressed the topic of body image: being happy with how we look. Fifth graders are learning about peer mediation. Sixth graders are working on understanding and coping with harassment. Seventh graders are finishing a three-session unit on stress management and will be starting the career development unit. The eight graders will be taking a look at overcoming obstacles and will be organizing their career portfolios. Other Happenings in the Counseling Office Academic success counseling, friendship issues, deaths in the family, stress at home: these are a few of the issues that individual students have worked on this week in my office. The peer mediators are ï¿½on callï¿½ and have been very helpful with younger students. A group of 8th graders meets with me after school regularly to support academic success, a continuation of meetings that took place last year. I hope you will feel free to contact me with any questions or if I can help in any way. ------------------------------------------------------------------- From the School Counselor 1/6/11 Parenting Book Discussion Group: Itï¿½s not too late to sign up! The dates for the "Get out of my life, but first could you take me and Cheryl to the Mall" book discussion group have been changed due to scheduling conflicts. The new dates are Thursday, January 13, and Thursday, January 27 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. We currently have four parents signed up and would love to have more. If childcare issues are in the way, please let me know and Iï¿½ll see if I can recruit a babysitter or two to be here at school for the hour. Light refreshments will be provided. High school preparations for Eighth graders Weï¿½ve been busy this week working on the paperwork for a significant number of eighth graders who applying to KUA. Reflecting on student growth and progress as I write references, Iï¿½m excited to know that all the eighth graders have entered their graduation year and will be in high school before we know it. We are doing everything we can to get them ready! Curriculum notes in brief for this week: 3rd: learning differences 5th grade: conflict resolution and peer mediation 7th grade: suicide prevention 8th grade: healthy relationships v. abusive relationships Sixth, second, first and fourth grades are due to meet for guidance in the next two weeks. Wishing you health, wealth and prosperity for 2011! Sincerely, Gail Malsin M.Ed. School Counselor From the School Counselor 12/9/10 Private School Applications We are expecting to receive transcript and recommendation requests no later than the day before vacation, Dec. 21. Considering the odd chance that we could have a snow day it would be wise to get those in even sooner. Weï¿½re pleased to note that one of our eighth graders was so organized with the application process that she has already been accepted! Stranger Safety On Wednesday at the end of the day the teachers did a quick review of stranger safety. I was very happy to observe that the students readily remembered the safety procedures weï¿½ve gone over in guidance classes. Parenting Discussion Group Right now it looks as if our January 6 and 20 discussion group for "Get Out of My Life But First Could You Take Me and Cheryl to the Mall" will be small and intimate which can be lovely. On the other hand, please donï¿½t hesitate to join us if you are thinking about it. If you have any questions, please give me a call. Iï¿½ll write about curriculum next time. With appreciation for all you do, Gail Malsin School Counselor From the School Counselor Dec. 1, 2010 For Parents of the Class of 2011 We urge eighth graders who are planning to apply to KUA or another private school to submit transcript and recommendation requests no later than Dec. 21, the day before vacation. Quite a few students will be applying this year and we would like to ensure time to give each application our most careful attention. Please use the ï¿½common applicationï¿½ forms whenever possible and particularly when applying to more than one school. Parenting Sessions Itï¿½s not too late to sign up for the Book Discussion Group for parents of middle school students. The meetings will be held on Thursdays, January 6 and 20, 2011 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. The book is Get Out of My Life But First Would You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall? (A Parentï¿½s Guide to the New Teenager) by Anthony E. Wolf. Please let me know ASAP if you would like to attend. Curriculum Guidance classes at all levels have been going very well. With the first grade classes I have been using the research-based Second Step curriculum for development of emotional literacy, empathy, and communication. The children seem to enjoy identifying and practicing how various feelings are expressed and expanding their understanding of these feelings. These lessons form a platform for a number of topics to follow. Second grade classes are also working with the Second Step curriculum and expanding their feelings vocabulary. Next week we will be talking about personal safety and appropriate physical boundaries, a topic covered in all grades at some point in the year. Third grade guidance this week focused on dealing with ways to cope with worries. In fourth grade we are continuing to cultivate tolerance for differences. Fifth grade has completed a mini-unit on advertising pressures and this week discussed a movie on coping with a variety of emotions. The sixth grade has been doing some group team building and processing these activities. For example, students provided an acknowledgement for each of their classmates and discussed which recognition felt the most sincere and thoughtful. We will soon turn our attention to decision-making. The seventh graders this week looked at ways to cope with the everyday phenomenon of gossip and rumors. In advisory we also discussed HIV and AIDS using curriculum provided by Karen Heaton, R.N., our Health Educator. The eighth grade is piloting the middle school version of Naviance (an online guidance tool also used at the high school) to clarify interests, practice building a resume, explore future careers and generally prepare for high school. Grades six and seven will also have the opportunity to use this software later in the year. The Giving Tree We were amazed by the speed with which the mittens on the giving tree flew out of the foyer this week and we hope that the students (who were certain their parents would want to participate) have remembered to follow through. If by any chance a mitten reached your house without your OK, please send it back to the tree for someone else to take. I am very thankful for your support of our efforts and I hope that you will feel free to contact me at any time with your questions and concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin, M.Ed. School Counselor Plainfield School Counseling and Guidance ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Book Discussion Group for parents of middle school students Thursdays January 6 and 20, 2011 6:30 to 7:30 PM Get Out of My Life But First Would You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall? By Anthony E. Wolf A Parentï¿½s Guide to the New Teenager ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Parenting Discussion RSVP Please Return by Nov. 23, 2010 Name(s)_______________________________________________________________ Please check one: o I would like to buy the book. My check for $10.00 payable to Plainfield School is attached. o I would like to borrow the book from the counseling office. o I have my own book. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the School Counselor 11/10/10 Mix it Up Day ï¿½Mix it Upï¿½ at lunch day was good as always thanks to teachers providing ice breaker topics for discussion and arranging for students to sit in new groupings. In many classes mixing at lunch takes place more often than weekly; in fact the 5/6 teachers do ï¿½Mix it Upï¿½ every week. Since in a small school we tend to know each other rather well we do sometimes get stuck in certain social patterns, so itï¿½s great to break out of patterns from time to time. Classroom Guidance In grades 1 through 4 weï¿½ve been working on developing empathy, the ability to feel what another is feeling. In the first and second grade we exploring what facial expressions and body language reveal about what someone is feeling, as well as learning what bodily sensations go with a particular feeling, and what situations tend to produce that feeling. In third and fourth grade we looked at a videotaped series of common scenarios and discussed the points of view of the children involved, as well as possible empathic responses. This learning is very helpful for development of strong friendships and happy classroom relationships. I very much enjoyed hearing about a second graderï¿½s empathic response to a classmate following the lesson. The 5th graders completed our two session unit on advertising, and the 7th graders are wrapping up the study skills unit this week. Iï¿½m planning a January book discussion group for parents of 6th through 8th graders. We will meet on two Thursdays, January 6 and 20, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. The book is Get Out of My Life But First Would You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall? (A Parentï¿½s Guide to the New Teenager) by Anthony E. Wolf. The books will be available in time for the December break so that people have time to read. I will have a few office copies to loan and will also order copies you to buy. The cost is $10. Please drop me a line or give me a call to let me know that you would like to attend so that I can order the books. I need the replies by Nov. 23. Please come if you are interested! I figure that two evenings is a manageable commitment and I promise that you wonï¿½t regret coming. Perler Beads Needed The Big Brothers and Sisters are looking for perler beads and frames for a project so if you are getting ready to give yours away, please sent them to the counseling office! Thank you! Thank You PTO And speaking of help from parents, I would like to express my gratitude to the PTO for their generous funding of the guidance feelings frogs, the books for students who are moving away, and the Turning Points Network presentations to be scheduled later in the year. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with your children and hope that you will call me with any concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor From the School Counselor Nov. 1 Internet Safety Assembly This week grades 5 through 8 attended a presentation on the subject of Internet safety. Investigator Jennifer Frank from Plymouth State College, a police officer and former social studies teacher who visits schools around the state warned about the dangers of social networking websites, and provided students with guidelines for a safer Internet presence. Red Ribbon Week Last week was Red Ribbon week highlighting drug prevention. In sixth and seventh grade we reviewed refusal skills, and in seventh grade this week students received information about the negative effects of alcohol and drugs on the developing brain. I was very happy to find that both sixth and seventh graders have successfully absorbed lessons on the difference between assertive, aggressive and passive responses to difficult situations. Seventh Grade Study Skills Seventh graders have completed or are completing a ï¿½take home testï¿½ on school success. I am available for individual school success counseling if students need more attention in this area, and will be forming a seventh grade school success group soon. ï¿½Mix it Up Dayï¿½ Tuesday, November 9 "Mix It Upï¿½ is a nationwide campaign that supports students who want to identify, question, and cross any social boundaries that separate them from each other and seeks to help build inclusive, welcoming learning environments. Building inclusive communities is something that we as educators work on constantly. The Responsive Classroom and Developmental Design approaches are examples of this type of work, which also takes place through such approaches as curriculum integration of tolerance themes, and the classroom cooperative learning strategies used by our teachers. From time to time we to focus on inclusion as a school, as we will on Tuesday, November 9, "Mix it Up" day 2010. As in the past, Plainfield staff will be helping to mix student seating at lunch and providing conversation starters. For further information about ï¿½Mix it Upï¿½ day please visit www.tolerance.org. Peer Mediation Program The sixth grade peer mediators are on a roll with facilitating conflict resolutions and serving as peace-making role models, and were honored with a celebration book called Why Are You Picking on Me? The mediators who served during our first round of mediations are Abby Chellis, Olivia Balise, Emily Ball, Jack Davini, Alieke Feid, Noah Forman, Gabrielle Guarino, Erin Gregory-Davis, Leigha Keller, Sophia Lurie, Jacob Pixley, Coulston Rogerson, Chris Schell, Julia Surgenor, Joslin Wainwright, and Taylor Williams. Chris Courtemanche has joined for the second round. These students are giving up their recess time about once a month in order to provide this service. Stay tuned for further guidance news next week! Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor RED RIBBON WEEK Once again PES will celebrate National Red Ribbon Week during the last week in October. Red Ribbon Week is dedicated to Federal Drug Enforcement Agent, Enrique Camarena, who was killed by drug traffickers in Mexico in 1995. In response to his death, angered parents across the country began wearing Red Ribbons to symbolize their commitment toward the creation of a drug-free America. In 1988 congress officially proclaimed the first National Red Ribbon Week, October 23-31. The Red Ribbon has become a symbol for the drug-free movement. In an effort to encourage students at an early age to live a drug free lifestyle, students are encouraged to celebrate this week by participating with the following: Monday, Oct. 25th ï¿½ ï¿½Be Proud to Make Healthy Choicesï¿½ (Students are encouraged to wear red.) Tuesday, Oct. 26th ï¿½ ï¿½Say Peace Out to Drugsï¿½ (Students are encouraged to wear tie-die) Wednesday, Oct. 27th ï¿½ ï¿½Show Your Spirit ï¿½ Drug Freeï¿½ (Students are encouraged to wear school colors) Students will receive Red Ribbons to wear throughout the week. Ribbons in grades K-3 say, ï¿½Make Footprints Worth Followingï¿½ and grades 4-8, ï¿½Hawks Stay on Track for Success Drug Free.ï¿½ As part of Red Ribbon week, the student council will be collecting nonperishable items beginning on Monday, October 25th through Friday, November 19th. The donations will be given to families within our community. From the School Counselor 10/20/10 The New England Common Assessment Program tests have finally been completed, sorted, packaged and sent for scoring. Students in grades 3 to 8 demonstrated commitment and grace in their dedication to this time consuming task, as did the staff at every grade. Every schedule and room in the building was impacted by the testing procedures yet everyone maintained a positive attitude in the face of these disruptions to our schedule. Itï¿½s gratifying to work with such outstanding students and flexible professionals. We also appreciate all the efforts parents made to insure well-rested and nourished test-takers present in school. Iï¿½ve received many requests for Big Brothers and Sisters for first through fourth graders. Due to some extra (and very special) electives being offered this year, there are many fewer ï¿½Bigsï¿½ available right now and I have not been able to honor every request. However, in December we will begin a new trimester and new partnerships will be formed. The peer mediation program is experiencing some wonderful success. On Fridays at lunch/recess trained sixth grade volunteers are having the rewarding experience of helping younger students resolve conflicts. The mediation program builds on the communication skills introduced in every grade through guidance and classroom curriculum. Students are asked to practice using ï¿½I messagesï¿½ to let another know how they are feeling about something that has happened, and to follow up this statement with a request. We stress the importance of a respectful demeanor and tone of voice. This topic was addressed recently in second grade along with a conversation about the difference between tattling and telling. In preparation for Red Ribbon Week next week, fifth graders have begun learning to be thoughtful consumers and to be aware of the messages in advertising. When we meet again on November 1 students will be bringing home some fun activities to share with their families. Seventh graders are finishing or have finished their motivational quote projects this week. Weekly guidance class time is also a time when I am available to answer any questions the students may have about emotional or academic issues affecting the individual or group. Youï¿½ll be glad to know that overall this seventh grade is responding remarkably well to the transition to the challenges of an increased workload and a greater variety of teachers. Iï¿½ve been receiving many phone calls and emails from parents and am pleased to know that you feel comfortable to approach me with your concerns. If you would like to schedule an appointment at conference time, please let me know. Sincerely, Gail Malsin From the School Counselor 10/1/10 Our October standardized testing has begun. For your convenience, the schedule is outlined below: NEW ENGLAND COMMON ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (NECAP) TESTING SCHEDULE 2010 GRADE 3: Oct. 14, 15, 18, 19 GRADE 4: Oct. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 GRADES 5/6: Oct. 12, 13, 14 GRADE 5 Writing: Oct. 15 GRADE 7: Oct. 6, 7, 8 GRADE 8: Oct. 1, 4, 5, 12, 13 We are hopeful that we can avoid absences on test dates, which will make the experience much more serene for all concerned. In addition to a determination to bring a serious but calm attitude to the sessions, the best preparation for these tests is a good nightï¿½s rest and practicing good nutrition, including a healthy breakfast, lunch and snack. For your advance planning: the fourth and eighth grades will have Science NECAP testing in May. Peer Mediation Program The 6th graders whoï¿½ve volunteered to serve as mediators have received the first monthï¿½s schedule and the first four teams have gone out at Friday recess. I am very proud of the poise and commitment of these young people. It will take a little while for the program to become established but weï¿½ve made a great start! Classroom Guidance A schedule for guidance lessons is now in place for the lower grades. Stay tuned for more information as the fall proceeds. Eighth grade guidance meets monthly: next weekï¿½s session will focus on bullying prevention from a number of angles, a review and extension of all the work we did last year. Seventh grade is continuing with the study skills unit, thinking about organizational strategies, time management, and homework completion. As a hands-on exercise to supplement our conversation about how to keep ourselves committed to our goals, seventh graders have an assignment (due in two weeks) to produce an attractive 8x10ï¿½ poster incorporating a motivational or inspirational quote. The students will receive a magnet on which to mount their poster for display on or in their lockers. The students will have one class period to work on this; the rest will need to be done outside of class. Sixth graders received the Creating Peace, Building Community booklets that we will be using in class for some of our sessions. We reviewed the mediation/conflict resolution process that they studied in depth last year, and used our new feelings frogs to do a quick share. Fifth grade classes are learning stress management, relaxation, and other ways of taking care of ourselves. We met last week and will meet again next. For Parents I was delighted to have a parent join me for the PBS movie Inside the Teenage Brain. The next parent evening will be high school night at a date yet to be arranged; Iï¿½m waiting to hear from the high school about dates when they could come down. Most likely this will be at the end of October. Iï¿½m also planning to offer a How to Talk so Kids will Listen, and How to Listen so Kids will Talk series for parents, and a book discussion group on Get out of My Life (but first could you drive me and Cheryl to the mall?) Iï¿½m looking at the November calendar and thinking about dates. With appreciation, Gail Gail Malsin, M.ED. School Counselor. From the School Counselor 9/17/10 Parenting Resources There are a few new parenting books in the guidance office, and they are available to sign out. The titles include Get Out of My Life, But First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall? (ï¿½A parentï¿½s guide to the new teenagerï¿½), Have A New Kid by Friday (ï¿½How to Change Your Childï¿½s Attitude Behavior & Character in 5 Daysï¿½), and The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child (ï¿½Helping your child thrive in an extroverted world.ï¿½) These are just a few of the resources available to support your parenting. I am planning to catalog the counseling and guidance library this year in order to provide parents with an overview of what is available. Meanwhile, please let me know if you are looking for a resource on a particular topic. Since many (students and adults alike) are experiencing a bit of stress with the increased demands of the new school year, Iï¿½ll mention that Ready, Set, Relax (a book and CD) has been popular with parents the last two years. I sometimes use these visualizations (developed for a school) in guidance classes to teach students how to cultivate the relaxation response when they are feeling anxious or worried. Would any 7/8 parents like to join me at 6:00 PM on curriculum night Sept. 23 (before the presentations) to view the PBS film, Inside the Teenage Brain? This is an informative video with an entertaining feel that gives an overview of the adolescent development process. Please RSVP if you are interested. Iï¿½m working on the schedule for 1-4 guidance classes. Sixth and seventh grade guidance this week focused on organization, time management, and use of the assignment books. Eighth graders learned some common coping/defense mechanisms, and reviewed organizational strategies. As always I welcome your comments and questions. Please feel free to call or email any time. Sincerely, Gail Malsin, M.Ed. School Counselor 9/10/10 Standardized Testing in Grades 3-8 in October The New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) standardized testing will begin in three weeks, on Friday, October 1, and continue through Friday, October 22 for students in grades 3 through 8. While not every class will be testing every day, it would be very helpful if parents could avoid scheduling student medical appointments and trips during this three-week period since make- up tests are stressful for the students and cumbersome for the staff. Below are some test-taking strategies to share with your children. These are guaranteed to help with all tests, not just the NECAPS! ï¿½ Get a good nightï¿½s rest ï¿½ Eat a healthy breakfast ï¿½ Bring a healthy school time snack ï¿½ Try not to miss any school ï¿½ Be sure to read the directions carefully ï¿½ Take your time; donï¿½t rush ï¿½ Be sure to read the entire question and all possible answers ï¿½ If you donï¿½t know an answer, skip it and return to it once youï¿½re done with the other questions. ï¿½ If you have time, check your work over ï¿½ Make educated guesses ï¿½ Keep trying; do your best! Guidance News Other guidance news includes that our several new students seem to be settling in well; the seventh and eighth graders have begun their guidance classes; fifth and sixth grade classes will start next week with other grades to follow; the peer mediation program is in development and the new ï¿½Big Brothers and Sistersï¿½ are in training. For Parents of 7 & 8th Graders I would like to offer the opportunity to 7 & 8th grade parents to view the PBS film ï¿½Inside the Teenage Brainï¿½ before the 7/8 curriculum night on Thursday, September 23. We would run the film at 6:00 PM and if you would like to bring a brown bag supper, I could provide drinks. Please RSVP if you are interested. I am working on the date for our high school information meeting to be held at the end of September or early October. Representatives from LHS and KUA will be available. Please email or phone me with any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Gail Gail Malsin M.Ed. School Counselor 8/31/10 Hello! It is a delight to be returning to Plainfield for the third year as your school counselor. I look forward to working with your children to develop positive attitudes and goals, practice decision- making and communication skills, and increase school success strategies. Iï¿½m particularly enthusiastic about entering the second year of the Developmental Design model in the middle school. The design is intended to enhance student development and learning by meeting basic needs for belonging, autonomy, competence and fun. This programmatic design supports our guidance and health curriculum goals in a very effective manner. Big Sister/Brother Program Our in-school mentoring program will resume soon. Seventh and eighth grade students who choose this elective will each be paired with a student in grades 1 through 4. Students are selected based on teacher input and participation is voluntary. The junior high students are trained and brainstorm activities before the first get-together with their ï¿½littles,ï¿½ which probably be towards the end of September. The activities take place once a week during the younger studentsï¿½ lunch and recess time for a trimester. This is a very rewarding program allowing the older students to practice responsibility and the younger students to connect with an older friend and role model. Peer Mediators The current 6th graders were trained in a peer mediation process last year. Several have volunteered to serve as mediators this year. Once weï¿½ve reviewed the procedure, we will develop a schedule for the morning 1-4 recess, so that a pair of mediators can be available each day to help resolve small conflicts. I will be with the mediators to supervise for the first weeks and the playground staff will also help supervise. In one school everyone became so used to the mediation process that after a few years mediators were no longer needed! If you have a particular interest in having your 6th grader participate in the Peer Mediators program or your 1st through 4th grader participate in the Big Brother/Sister program, please send me a note or an email (gmalsin@plainfieldschool.org) by Tuesday, Sept. 7. If you have any questions, I hope you will call. This year I will be offering a variety of evening parenting sessions. Stay tuned for more information! Sincerely yours, Gail Malsin M.Ed. School Counselor 8/23/10 A team of Plainfield students has put together a team to run in the CHAD half marathon this coming Saturday, in honor of Ms. Lincoln. The team is called "Too Big to Fail." For more information copy and past this link into your browser: http://chadhalf.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp? ievent=336151&lis=1&kntae336151=16A1DF018F4E4BD5A816D096F00F0596&supId =0&team=379 4476&cj=Y ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8/22/10 Program Announcement: Nurturing Healthy Sexuality Tuesday night, Aug 24 at 7 p.m. Meriden Congregational Church Presenters: Leslie MacGregor and Sean Phelps Simple ways to prevent child sexual abuse, how to recognize signs of abuse, and what to do if a child confides in you about anything suspicious. RSVP to lsmacgregor@gmail.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summer Supply List Letter Parents of 7th and 8th graders should have received the following letter: August 4, 2010 Dear Seventh and Eighth Grade Students and Parents, There has been a lot of working going on in the seventh and eighth grade classrooms (affectionately called the POD) this summer. The social studies room has new windows and a new outside door with a window adding more light to a dark space. The language arts room has one bank of new windows, and the science room will be sporting a new tile floor. The teachers have met a couple of times this summer to plan for new school year. One of challenges of middle school is the increased number of text books and materials the students need to keep organized as they move around from room to room. Teachers have come up with a plan that will hopefully help students as they learn good habits that will make their school lives easier as they move on to high school. One thing we would like to do is to make sure students have the correct materials, things we know will fit in the space students have to store them and that we want everyone to have. Since shopping for back-to-school can seem daunting (or tempting) with everything being something you might use (or want), below youï¿½ll find a list of supplies needed on the first day of school. We can purchase these materials for students using our bulk purchasing power for a fee of $42.35 (with the calculator) or $31.35 without the calculator. You can also purchase the materials yourself. Please send in a check made out to Plainfield School or the materials on the first day of school. In addition students will need a reasonable supply of their own notebook paper, pens and pencils. We strongly encourage students to write their names on their writing implements in permanent marker. As always, if you have financial need, please contact Gail Malsin, the school counselor, at 603-469- 3250, extension 225. Sincerely, Ellen Langsner, Principal Materials Needed for Seventh and Eighth Grade ï¿½ 3 inch white Avery Heavy-Duty Reference View Binder ï¿½ 1 inch red poly binder ï¿½ 1 inch green heavy-duty binder ï¿½ 8-8 tabbed poly pocket pages ï¿½ 1 mesh binder pocket (for pens and pencils) ï¿½ 1 ï¿½ inch binder clip ï¿½ 1 short point compass ï¿½ 1 clear plastic ruler with 3 holes to fit in binder ï¿½ 1 Safe-T 180 degree protractor ï¿½ 1 TI-30xa Texas Instrument Scientific Calculator ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------- Student Name: ____________________________________ o I have attached a check for o $42.35 (with calculator) o $31.35 (without the calculator) o I have sent my child to school with the needed supplies. o I am including an additional $_____________ to assist any child who needs help paying for the required materials. From the School Counselor 6/18/10 Step Up Day Wednesday, June 16, was Step Up Day. In the morning for half an hour students had the chance to take a look at whatï¿½s ahead next year by experiencing their new class groups, rooms and teachers. There were many smiles of anticipation to be witnessed in these new arrangements. The rising seventh and eighth grade assembled in the band room for a question and answer session. Questions about seventh grade that had been generated in sixth grade guidance classes were answered by volunteers among the older students and a number of fears were laid to rest. As is the tradition, the eighth graders spent the transition half hour returning to the kindergarten room to share memories with Mr. Woodcock. Those who started school in another district provided their own contrasting recollections. Future ninth graders who will be attending Lebanon High School next year then went up to the high school for the afternoon. We enjoyed a bag lunch in the cafeteria and were divided in groups to rotate between stations. Presenters at the stations provided information about the new competencies on which grades will be based and the co-curricular offerings. Students also were assigned shared lockers. A panel of high school students including two former Plainfield students answered questions. One comment was both humorous and insightful: ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½At Plainfield we have four rooms... Our whole school fits into the high school band room.ï¿½ Afterwards, hearing about the many transition activities planned for freshman orientation in August, the students expressed confidence that they would find their way around. I predict that this group of students will do well in high school and maintain the solid reputation and record of achievement that Plainfield students have always enjoyed. From the School Counselor 6/2/10 On Friday, May 28, John and Susan Gregory-Davis led a touching Memorial Day service for the school community as we formed a circle around the flag pole. Each student and staff member whoï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½d recently lost a loved one came to the center of the circle to offer a memorial carnation and a fifth grader honored the memory of our many beloved pets. Bill Knight stood up for the Veterans and Larry Wolkin led the school in a ï¿½Dona Nobis Pacemï¿½ to end the program. The New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) science tests administered in grades 4 and 8 were sent off for scoring at the end of last week. We are proud of the seriousness with which our students approached the tests, particularly the challenging experiments they had to conduct. The results will be available in the fall. Iï¿½m very pleased to report that six Plainfield School students have been accepted to the Hartford Area Career and Technology (HACTC) Camp taking place mornings during the week of June 21. HACTC and I have each sent out letters with explanations of some of the details. The fifth graders have completed their career development classes and have taken home their booklets. These fifth graders have received applications to serve as peer mediators during morning recess next year as sixth graders. They have shown great talent in the initial trainings and will receive further training if accepted to serve. I am delightedly anticipating their help in spreading a peacemaking approach to conflict! The peer mediation applications are due in my office on Tuesday, May 8. Please encourage your fifth grader to participate. Recent topics in 7th grade guidance classes have been anger management, communication and conflict resolution, suicide prevention, and teamwork. In 6th grade weï¿½ve been talking about tolerance and will wrap of the year with a review of several topics and a look ahead at 7th grade. Iï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½m hoping to get into the lower grade classrooms to do a few lessons these last two weeks, as time permits. The Big Brother/Big Sister Program is wrapping up for this year; the last day will be June 11. Itï¿½s been a wonderful year of fun and personal growth for all involved. As always, itï¿½s pleasure to serve you and your children. Feel free to call with any questions. Sincerely yours, Gail 5/7/10 Thank you very much to the PTO for their generous support of the Turning Points Network guest speaker who came in April. Hartford Area Career and Technology Center summer camp update: There still are spaces available for this great one-week career exploration opportunity for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. The camp runs mornings June 21- 25 which overlaps with our last two days of school but Iï¿½ve been assured that students may miss one or two days and still have an excellent experience. If the $10 fee is a problem, please let me know, since a generous benefactor has agreed to pay the fee. Application forms are available on my door at school and need to be filled out ASAP. Here is the schedule for Science NECAP testing the next two weeks: Fourth Grade Tuesday, May 11: 1:00 ï¿½ 2:30 (Session 1) Wednesday, May 12: 10:15 ï¿½ 11:45 (Session 2) Tuesday, May 18: 1:00 ï¿½ 2:30 (Session 3) (Inquiry Task) Eighth Grade Monday, May 17: 10:20 ï¿½ 12:10 (Periods 3 & 4) (Session 1) Monday, May 17: 1:15 ï¿½ 2:45 (Periods 7 & 8) (Session 2) Tuesday, May 18: 9:05 ï¿½ 11:20 (Periods 2, 3, 4) (Session 3) (Inquiry Task) As always I hope you will email or call if you have any concerns or questions. Sincerely, Gail Malsin, M.Ed. School Counselor 4/30/10 In the sixth and seventh grade classes we are discussing Internet and cell phone safety and privacy issues, cyber bullying and related topics. We talk about the misperception that privacy can be maintained on social networking sites such as Facebook. The reality is that that once something is online it has the potential to be downloaded and used by another, not always for the intended purpose. We talk about the importance of telling an adult if you receive a threatening or harassing message and the seriousness of using technology to ï¿½jokeï¿½ in a harassing manner. We watch a movie called ï¿½Inboxï¿½ dramatizing the hurtful potential of messages delivered electronically. We look at the potential for thoughtless online postings to jeopardize job, school, or scholarship applications. The students offer their thoughts and experiences and we talk about ways to enjoy technology safely. In the school newsletter we've attached a flyer that may contain some useful suggestions for your consideration. Sincerely, Gail Malsin, M.Ed. School Counselor 4/16/10 A guest speaker from the nonprofit organization Turning Points Network (formerly Women's Supportive Services) has been part of our yearly guidance programming for a number of years. This year the special classes are taking place in grades 2, 3, and 4 on consecutive Mondays, April 12 and 26. The visiting teacher, Anne Rawson, is reinforcing the messages of respect and appropriately assertive communication that we work on all year long. Information about the services offered by Turning Points is available at http://www.free-to-soar.org/ Eighth graders have completed their Lebanon high school registrations and recently revisited their career portfolios during an extended advisory period. Seventh grade classes have completed a unit on preventing, recognizing and coping with stress. Sixth graders have completed career exploration and will be moving on to other topics after break. Fifth grade is due for their beginning career exploration; applications for the peer mediation program will be made available soon. Lower grade guidance lessons in recent weeks have involved a number of issues such as recognizing and coping with feelings, tolerance for diversity, communication, multiple intelligences, and safe touch. The 7/8th Big Brother/Sister elective has begun for the third trimester. In almost every case the ï¿½bigsï¿½ have been paired with new ï¿½littles.ï¿½ Iï¿½m very delighted with the responsiveness, initiative and responsibility being demonstrated by this yearï¿½s ï¿½Big Sibs.ï¿½ Playing as a whole group with Mr. Feidï¿½s big parachute in the gym has been a fun activity weï¿½ve tried to occasionally work in. I like to remind you that the Hartford Area Career and Technology Center half day camp (June 21-25) is requesting applications, which are available in my office. With the nearly free cost of $10 this is an excellent opportunity for our students; it does unfortunately conflict with the morning of our last two days of school but parents may wish to choose this opportunity just as they do for other special events. Hartford has assured us that missing one day would not be a problem, so that they could be here for our last half day. If you have any questions, please call me. Wishing you a lovely spring week, Gail Malsin, M.Ed. School Counselor 4/2/10 High school registration forms are due in the guidance office by Monday, April 12, at the latest. 3/25/10 For parents of 8th graders: LHS has mailed the course catalogs to families of rising 9th graders. Anne Evensen, LHS lead counselor in charge of 9th grade, will present information to 8th graders next Wednesday, March 31, during the advisory period. For parents there is an information night on Monday, March 29th, at the high school. Tours will be available at 6:00 PM and the meeting will start at 6:30 in the cafeteria. This event is for parents only. For parents of 6th, 7th and 8th graders: The Hartford Area Career and Technology Center (HACTC) has received a grant to provide a one- week Technology Camp June 21-25. The sessions will be held from 9:00 to 12:00 each morning, and transportation from Lebanon is available. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the educational programs at HACTC and to do a variety of projects in these programs: ï¿½ Building Trades ï¿½ Business Administration ï¿½ Computer Technology Applications ï¿½ Collision Repair & Refinishing ï¿½ Design & Illustration/Media Arts ï¿½ Engineering & Architectural Design ï¿½ Finance & Business Management ï¿½ Industrial Mechanics & Welding The cost of the program is an amazing $10.00 and includes a t-shirt. This is a great opportunity to get started on a path towards marketable job skills and I hope that a number of our students are able to attend. This will also provide an excellent way to make friends with students from around the area. The application forms are available in my office. HACTC will give preference to 8th graders, followed by 7th graders and finally 6th graders. If you have any questions, please call me. Yours, Gail Malsin, M.Ed. School Counselor From the School Counselor 3/18/10 The highlight of this week has been the seventh grade mini ï¿½career fairï¿½ held during the Wednesday upper grade advisory time. This was the culmination of a several week developmental guidance career exploration. Each student used the brochure or poster he or she had created as a resource to provide career information to peer interviewers visiting their ï¿½booth.ï¿½ These projects were the result of research the students had done in guidance class, the library, and on their own. It was an enormous pleasure to spend the weekend reviewing these nicely done projects and then to witness the careful interviewing and presenting that took place grade-wide in advisory. The career fair was a success not only because of the excellence of these young peopleï¿½s efforts but also because of the teamwork among seventh grade staff all of whom were flexible, supportive and had great ideas. Special thanks go to our librarians Ms. Jill and Mrs. Collins, Ms. Thibodeau, Sra Allen, Mrs. Goodrow, Mrs Lanzim, Mr. Collins, and Mrs. Heaton. There will be a display of some of the projects soon. In the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 6th grades we recently covered the topic of safe touch. Students reviewed what to do if anyone ever touches them in their private parts (the parts of the body covered by a bathing suit) for any reason except to keep them clean and healthy. We discussed the need to say NO in a firm voice, to get away, and to tell a trusted adult. In the 5th grade we are proceeding with the mediation process curriculum. The peer mediation program should be ready to go for the fall. Interested rising 6th graders will have the chance to apply to serve as peer mediators for younger students during recess. Career awareness has begun in 6th grade and will be introduced in 5th grade later in the spring. Third graders have had a lesson on understanding anotherï¿½s point of view last week. We watched an excellent movie and discussed standing in someone elseï¿½s shoes. Ask a third grader what empathy is and they will be happy to explain it to you. Fourth graders are scheduled for a lesson on multiple intelligences to increase awareness of individual learning styles. Students who have parents who live apart are participating in small one-time lunch groups. They come to my office for a ï¿½My Two Homesï¿½ game. Iï¿½ve started in 3rd grade and will work my way up through the grades. Wishing you a beautiful almost-spring weekend with your families, Gail Malsin School Counselor 3/12/10 From the School Counselor High School Registration Look in the mail for registration packets from Lebanon High School. Anne Evensen, the high school lead counselor in charge of 9th graders, will be visiting to share information with students at a date TBA. (The event will take place during the school day.) An information evening for parents of 9th graders will take place on March 29th at 6:30 at LHS. Seventh Grade Career Project Seventh grade students have completed a career exploration unit and research project. The projects in most cases are impressive! Students will have the opportunity to share information with each other on Wed., March17th, during the advisory time when we will hold a mini-career fair. The students are encouraged to dress up slightly (business clothes) for this event. Iï¿½m looking forward to sharing further news next week. Yours, Gail Malsin M.Ed. 2/28/10 From the School Counselor My topic today is support for your work as parents. One opportunity that is coming up is the popular Strengthening Families Program for 10-14 yr. olds and their parents and caregivers which will be starting at Claremont Middle School on April 28. Parents may be interested in trying out the program by coming to the first session. The flyer is posted on the Guidance web ages under photos/docs or here is the URL that you can copy into your browser: http://teacherweb.com/NH/PlainfieldElementarySchool/Guidance/SFPPoster-April-2010Clmt11.pdf Those interested in attending may call also Gail Kennedy at 863-9200 or e-mail gkennedy@ceunh.unh.edu. Parenting support is also available through my office. I would be happy to offer an early morning (7:30 AM) coffee and parenting series if there is sufficient interest. Let me know by Friday, March 5 if you would attend. Most likely this would be on Fridays. In the Guidance office there are a number of books and videos that can be borrowed and at the school district meeting there will be a table of books to take home for free as I am weeding out the shelves. Additional resources are available through the NH state library, which mails out resources. A flyer Will be is attached to the school newsletter and a link is posted on the guidance web pages under parent resources. I look forward to seeing you at the school meeting. Iï¿½ll be in the babysitting room for part of the time. If our paths donï¿½t cross please feel free to call or email me with your concerns. Sincerely, Gail Malsin From the School Counselor 1/28/10 G.I.R.L.S. This week was the final meeting of the fourth grade G.I.R.L.S. (Girls in Real Life Situations) groups. Over the course of three months weï¿½ve met in two small groups to explore identity and practice communication. The girls seemed to have fun celebrating their strengths and their natural ability to connect with others. Their interpersonal problem-solving talents have flourished and I am very proud of how many of them are able to demonstrate appropriate, sensitive assertiveness in difficult situations. Classroom Guidance Due to our delayed opening, the fifth grade mediation practices were postponed this week but will resume next week. The students have been wonderfully responsive. In sixth grade over the last weeks weï¿½ve covered a number of topics. One week the students developed skits illustrating the difference between passive, assertive and aggressive responses to conflict. Another week we talked about responding to peer pressures. This week we reviewed study skills and talked about the roots of angry feelings. Before the holidays, the seventh grade guidance classes wrote wishes for 2010. A sampling of these wishes is posted below. We are currently into our career awareness unit. The Seventh Up school success groups will be celebrating the completion of a nine sessions series next Wednesday, and we will then reconfigure the groups for a renewed series of meetings. Iï¿½m in the process of scheduling classroom guidance in the lower grades. Itï¿½s great to see how so many of our guidance goals are incorporated into the daily classroom curriculum. Parent Opportunity Iï¿½m exploring the possibility of providing an early morning (7:30 to 8:30 AM) parenting group open to parents of students of all ages. Coffee and snacks would be provided. If you would be interested, please let me know. This would start after vacation. Dartmouth Partnership We are in the beginning phase of a relationship with the Tucker Foundation at Dartmouth to provide volunteer college age mentors to a few students. Tucker has recently shifted this mentoring program from community-based to school-based. My responsibility is to choose students and make matches, arrange for the necessary paperwork and background check (fingerprinting,) facilitate an initial meeting, mentor the Dartmouth students via email, attend meetings in Hanover, and write reports. The mentors meet outside of school with parent participation involved. There are some transportation challenges yet we hope to see the program prove to be valuable and serve the needs of a few of our students. It is a pleasure to serve as your school counselor. Sincerely, Gail Malsin 12/2009 selected Plainfield School Class of 2011 Wishes for 2010 ? To help people who need it. ? For Obama to do something about the healthcare thingy. ? To sit with different people at lunch. ? That no one has to endure a winter without heat in the house. ? For a lot of snow. ? Progress towards stopping global warming. ? That people just be themselves. ? To keep a pencil longer than 7 hours. ? To stop procrastinating on homework. ? No more smoke! ? For my enemies to become allies. ? *To see friends/family more. ? To think about other people rather than myself. ? No lies. ? Not to go crazy in double classes. ? To get to know my teachers better. ? 100 on one test for each class. ? Not goof around at all. ? Find a good singer for our band. ? Meet new peopleï¿½be friendly with everyone. ? Sister not mean to me. ? To pay attention more. ? My friends to act more their age. ? For my sister to be happy in school. ? Friends wonï¿½t nag or bother me in class. ? More friendsï¿½make new friendsï¿½stay connected to friendsï¿½ ? Become friends with everyone ? Be happy. ? Not let social life get in the way of grades. ? No pink slips all term. ? A fast trimester. ? Look at things with an open mind. ? Get along better with teachers. January 2010 Addendum: Ms. Lincolnï¿½s speedy and complete recovery. ** Wish of many From the School Counselor 1/21/10 In honor of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. this week has been an opportunity to celebrate kindness, tolerance and justice. For example, Mark Woodcockï¿½s kindergarteners created a beautiful bulletin display centered on global diversity. In class kindergartners practiced conflict resolution strategies such as avoiding the escalation of disagreements. Partner-up day on Wednesday (organized by the 5th through 8th teachers with the support of our wonderful librarians Jill Daley and Leanne Collins) included a friendship theme. Many classes had the opportunity to incorporate a friendship peace symbol activity created by Mindy Taber; look for a bulletin board with these creations. Students in 7th grade guidance classes watched a video documentary about a holocaust survivor and next week will be discussing the implications of intolerance, a theme we have been working on all year. My hope is to bring awareness of the wealth of opportunities we enjoy as Americans and that this will enhance motivation as we discuss their futures during our career awareness unit. Morning sing on Tuesday centered on peace and justice as it has at MLK day for many years. The PTO treated the staff to the kindness of an amazing lunch. These events are but a few examples of the how we integrate this theme school-wide not only this week but every week as we strive to enhance student development in all areas: academic, social, and emotional. Parents of 8th graders applying to private schools may rest assured that all materials have been sent in plenty of time to meet the deadlines. A heads up for parents of 7th and 8th graders: Hartford Area Career and Technology Center has received a grant to provide a one week institute late in June at the minimal cost of $10 which will include a t-shirt. Students will need to apply and I will get the details out as soon as I receive them. Look for more news next week! Yours, Gail Malsin M.Ed. School Counselor 1/15/10 Kindness Week January 18 ï¿½ January 22 "Just for today, I will let go of anger. Just for today, I will let go of worry. Today, I will count my many blessings. Today, I will do my work honestly. Today, I will be kind to every living creature." -Mikao Usui Quote courtesy of Lisa Gradijan 12/11/09 At the holiday season with winter truly upon us any gap between income and expenses becomes more intense. If you are experiencing difficulty taking care of the basics of shelter, food and heat, please feel contact me so that we can help. Applications for free and reduced school lunch can be made at any time during the school year and applications are handled with strictest confidentiality. Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor 469-3250 extension 225 gmalsin@plainfieldschool.org From the School Counselor 12/3/09 With the end of the trimester this week, the current session of the Big Brother and Sister elective is coming to a close. A new group of Big Sibs will begin meeting and pairs will be arranged after the holidays. Some of the Big Sibs are continuing, but most will be paired with a new little buddy because we always have many more ï¿½littlesï¿½ than we can take care of. The students to be mentored are chosen by teacher and parent recommendation; if your student wasnï¿½t involved first trimester and you feel there is a need, please drop me a note or give me a call. In the 7th and 8th grade guidance classes and advisory we have been looking at the issue of harassment. This week we looked at a sobering movie incorporating clips from the Columbine High School shooting 10 years ago, with student testimonials. We discussed the sad reality that while in Plainfield we do not anticipate ever dealing with such an event, harassment and isolation can lead to feeling desperate and alienated enough to plan a shooting, and we discussed ways to prevent this. The movie brought home the one of the reasons we practice ï¿½sheltering in place.ï¿½ Again this week Iï¿½m feeling very delighted by the way our Health and Guidance curriculum is integrated into other subject areas. For example, David Keeney had students think of feeling words to go with a musical piece. He integrated this activity with technology by creating colorful emotion collages through Wordle. This week too I enjoyed seeing the student career brochures displayed in Sra. Allenï¿½s classroom. As always, itï¿½s a pleasure to work with you and your children and I hope you will always feel free to contact me with your concerns or questions. Sincerely, Gail Malsin From the School Counselor 11/18/09 Today Iï¿½m feeling grateful about the many ways everyone here practices tolerance and seeks to create group harmony. For example, last week we joined schools nationwide to celebrate ï¿½Mix it Upï¿½ day at lunch. In 5th grade the tradition for eight years has been to get together by birthdays, discussing positive and negative traits of each sign of the zodiac and discussing historical celebrities who share the same sign. Seventh graders recalled enjoying these 5th grade activities with enjoyment and at their suggestion the upper grades used horoscopes as well. I was happy to join the sixth grade, which had been mixed up by color. In a ï¿½yellow dotï¿½ group I enjoyed a lively conversation that included how we would spend a million dollars and how we might get our hands on that many dollars through our work. In kindergarten with Mr. Woodie students not only mixed it up at lunch but also were mixed up in pairs to complete a remarkable cooperative unit. Each duo negotiated to complete a shared book on mutual likes and dislikes. The students looked very professional in their working teams! I could just see them growing up to be very highly evolved ï¿½movers and shakers.ï¿½ Under the direction of Ms. C., the entire student body has contributed to a cooperative mural spelling out ï¿½Speak your mind even if your voice shakes,ï¿½ to be posted soon. Coincidentally, assertiveness has been a theme this month in a number of guidance classes classes. In Mrs. Heistadï¿½s class we practiced telling a classmate that we would prefer not to join a particular game, and talked about not taking it personally when an invitation is politely refused. We explored a similar theme in 6th grade this week, practicing ï¿½I statementsï¿½ to communicate things that might be hard to say such as ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½When you spread rumors about me, I feel upset and Iï¿½d like you to stop.ï¿½ ï¿½I statementsï¿½ will also be useful for the 5th graders who are learning how to mediate conflicts. We are hoping to launch a pilot peer mediation program later in the year. In third grade weï¿½ve discussed kindness and honesty; in second grade we reviewed good touch/bad touch. Inspirational/motivational posters by the 7th graders are posted in the lobby and other places around school. They are great! Students were given this in-class assignment as part of our study skills curriculum since half the battle with homework is staying motivated. More recently in 7th grade weï¿½ve been discussing the issues of gossip and harassment, thinking about ways to avoid and cope with this troubling and hurtful behavior. The students agree that the advisory program is helping to promote a culture that discourages uncaring actions, but a deeper conversation on the topic is also needed. Two groups of fourth grade girls are meeting with me regularly in the G.I.R.L.S sessions to focus on identity, self-esteem, communication, and relationships. Two groups of seventh graders are meeting in the Seventh Up groups to focus on ways to achieve school success. I am looking into the possibility of a divorce group, and planning other groups for later in the year. As always, a number of students with social and academic concerns have come into the office for individual and small group counseling. Itï¿½s always a pleasure to witness the skills they are able to develop with a little support. Today I pointed out to a group of girls how far theyï¿½ve come since last year. Theyï¿½ve developed some strategies for working out social conflicts and while there is plenty of work yet to be done I am proud of them. A note to parents of 8th graders applying to private schools: please have your student give us the recommendation requests as soon as possible. Thank you! Sincerely, Gail Malsin School Counselor 11/8/09 Holiday Baskets Once again PES will be offering Thanksgiving Food Baskets for local families in need. You can help by providing $10 gift cards to local grocery stores or other food items. Please take a leaf from the tree in the foyer with the needed item written on the back. Children should check with parents before taking a leaf from the tree. Once you have purchased your item it can be placed under the tree. Gift cards should be brought to the office. All items must be in by Thursday, November 19th. Thank you in advance for your support. It is a time to be thankful and help out our neighbors! We will also be doing our traditional food basket and gift card collection for families during December holidays. Please stay tuned for more details. If you have any questions please be in touch with Gail Malsin or Karen Heaton at 469-3250. 11/4/09 ï¿½Mix it Up Dayï¿½ Tuesday, November 10 "Mix It Upï¿½ is a nationwide campaign that supports students who want to identify, question, and cross any social boundaries that separate them from each other and seeks to help build inclusive, welcoming learning environments. Building inclusive communities is something that we as educators work on constantly. The Responsive Classroom and Developmental Design approaches are examples of this type of work, which also takes place through such approaches as curriculum integration of tolerance themes, and the classroom cooperative learning strategies used by our teachers. From time to time it is useful to focus on themes of inclusion as a school, as we will on Tuesday, November 10, "Mix it Up" day 2009. As in the past, Plainfield staff will be helping to mix student seating at lunch and providing conversation starters. For further information about ï¿½Mix it Upï¿½ day please visit www.tolerance.org. Gail Malsin, M.Ed. School Counselor From the School Counselor 10/30/09 With the month-long New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) testing having completed last Thursday we are able to move forward with a number of guidance and counseling efforts. First on the agenda this week was working on the 8th grade transition to high school. Representatives from Lebanon High School and Kimball Union Academy visited to present information about their programs. If you missed this opportunity you will have another chance in the spring at the LHS 9th grade parent to meet Anne Evensen (who is the new lead counselor at LHS) and assistant principal Kristin Wilson. Those interested in meeting Rich Ryerson, director of admissions at KUA, are invited to attend an open house; there is one scheduled for Saturday, November 7. Applicants to private schools including KUA may want to consider using the Common Application to simplify the paperwork tasks. And speaking of paperwork, we appreciate receiving the recommendation forms as soon as possible in order to write the most thoughtful letters. This has been Red Ribbon week. In seventh grade guidance class we watched a DVD entitled ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½Getting Stupidï¿½ about the physiological effects of substances on the brain and in advisory Karen Heaton showed all the seventh graders a video on the effects of tobacco. Seventh grade guidance classes have also been working on motivational/inspirational posters, illustrating a quotation of their own choosing. They are wonderful! Look for these in the hallways when you come in for conferences. And speaking of conferences, feel free to invite me to attend your childï¿½s conference if you feel my attendance would be helpful. I am also available for appointments outside of conference times, so please call me if you would like to schedule one. A number of new group sessions will be starting soon. A G.I.R.L.S. group for fourth grade girls will begin as soon as we have the permission slips back. All fourth grade girls are invited to meet in a small group on Tuesdays to explore girl concerns. I am using the curriculum by Shannon Trice-Black and Julia Taylor as a springboard and will tailor the meetings according to the girlsï¿½ needs. The girls will need to give up one of their Tuesday recess times to participate but my expectation is that we will have so much fun that the girls wonï¿½t care. Two groups of 7th grade students will be using some of their study hall time on Wednesdays to meet in a solution-focused group to focus on ways to increase success strategies for school. In sixth grade classes weï¿½ve focused on communication and ï¿½rules for fighting fair.ï¿½ In fifth grade we are looking at the possibility of starting a peer mediation program. I will be returning to the primary grade classes as soon as possible to review topics covered last year and continue with the Second Step curriculum we started last year. Itï¿½s a pleasure to be part of the educational team at Plainfield School and to serve the needs of you and your children. I hope that you will call or email me with your questions and concerns. October 23, 2009 Notice for 7 and 8th Grade Families (This notice was sent home as a letter on Wednesday, Oct. 21) Although June 2010 and Plainfield School graduation seems far away, it wonï¿½t be long before our 8th graders will be selecting courses for 9th grade. To prepare for this major transition and the choices ahead, representatives from Lebanon High School and Kimball Union Academy have been invited to provide information sessions next Monday, October 26 at 6:30 PM. The evening is intended primarily for the 8th grade with the 7th grade families cordially invited. The presentations will be held simultaneously and then repeated to allow families to gather information from both schools. Each presentation will last for half an hour so if you attend both sessions the evening will end at 7:30. The meetings will be held in the 7/8 Language Arts and Science rooms. Anne Evensen, who is the lead school counselor at LHS and in charge of 9th graders, will attend along with Kristin Wilson, who is the assistant principal responsible for 9th grade. Theyï¿½ve let me know that they are bringing a lively PowerPoint presentation along with packets of information to take home. Rich Ryerson, director of admissions at KUA, will be offering information and handouts; you may want to follow up with a visit to campus for one of the open houses. The next KUA open house is scheduled for Saturday, November 7th. Iï¿½m excited to begin the process of shepherding these spirited young people into the next phase of their education, and I look forward to seeing you on Monday. Gail Malsin M.Ed. School Counselor Oct. 9, 2009 The NECAP (New England Common Assessment Program administered in NH, VT, RI and ME) standardized testing is in full swing. On Tuesday the eighth graders completed this series of assessments while the seventh graders completed their series in the latter part of the week. Sixth graders finished on Thursday and fifth graders began today. Over the next two weeks the third, fourth and fifth grade students will also complete their series of tests and we will be done in time for Open House. This extensive testing program is federally mandated by the No Child Left Behind legislation and is a significant way that we measure student progress. This assessment requires a great deal of effort on the part of all the staff and the grade 3-8 students. We encourage you to explain to your children the importance of giving relaxed but focused attention during this testing season to produce accurate results reflecting true achievement levels. We ask students to work very carefully and thoroughly and we also ask students to be patient if they are among the early-finishers. For security reasons the test administration procedures, carefully outlined by the State Department of Education, are very strict. We are required to set aside 90 minutes for each section of the test even though not every student needs that amount of time, and we allow students to read quietly once they have finished. If your child is scheduled for an appointment on a test day and it would be at all possible to reschedule it, that would be great, since make-ups interrupt the academic program and are hard on students. Please feel free to contact me about any concerns. Gail Malsin School Counselor October 2, 2009 The 7 and 8th graders who are participating in the Big Brother and Sister elective began to meet with their assigned younger ï¿½siblingsï¿½ this week. The current set of pairs will get together either on Thursday or Friday through December 4. Now that the program is running on the trimester system, weï¿½ll have three sessions of the program. If your child isnï¿½t involved there will be further opportunities later in the year. There are always more requests for big siblings than the program is set up to handle, so if a student is unable to take advantage of the program one time we try very hard to meet the request in the next round. Eighth grade families are reminded that on Monday, October 26 representatives from LHS and KUA will be on hand to meet with you at 6:30 PM. I will be talking with 8th graders about their plans for next year either in Health and Guidance class or in advisory. Any student who is interested in applying to private school should contact the school to ask about application deadlines and testing requirements. Also, if you think your child would benefit from receiving mail regarding the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth summer enrichment programs for gifted students, one way to get on the mailing list is to take the SAT test. If you would like further information, please give me a call. In 7th grade guidance classes weï¿½ve explored the theme of conflict in tandem with the homeroom advisors. Our interdisciplinary trip to the Hood museum enhanced these discussions as we explored the Orozco murals and Felix de la Conchaï¿½s multimedia portraiture. Picnicking on the green provided an opportunity to enjoy each other as a class. I was very gratified by the studentsï¿½ thoughtful responses to the exhibits. These students are deep and creative thinkers. Weï¿½ve also been working on study skills and discussing school success strategies such as time management and organization. We will be doing more with school success skills in weeks to come. In 6th grade Guidance we finished discussing the career exploration booklets from last year and students have been given these to take home. We are beginning to use a series of activities designed to help students develop a sense of self, build collaboration skills, manage emotions, resolve conflicts, resist peer pressure, and solve everyday problems. I am delighted to be working with each sixth grade class every other week and really enjoying the thinking going on in these groups as well. In first and second grade classes weï¿½ve talked about the role of the counselor and visited with the counselorï¿½s furry seal puppets (Seymour and Lucille) who love to see students. My friend Impulsive Puppy often comes along to class to encourage students to listen and participate in discussions appropriately. We also read two stories about helpful friends. In third, fourth and fifth grade classes we are (or soon will be) reviewing listening actively and communicating effectively. As noted in the principalï¿½s notes, the NECAP testing has started and I am working with the special education team and the teachers to ensure another successful test season. I am always happy to hear from parents. Sometimes email is the best since it allows me to respond very early in the morning or late at night. (gmalsin@plainfieldschool.org) In any case if you phone or email and fail to receive a reply, please try again. Our communication is important to me. Sincerely yours, Gail Malsin School Counselor September 13, 2009 I've just watched the Sesame Workshop video "Families Stand Together" which aired on public TV this week and is now posted online at: http://www.sesameworkshop.org/toughtimes The hourlong video features Elmo and his family coping with a job loss and lifestyle changes. The site offers a number of resources for families. September 11, 2009 It's gratifying to see all the smiles on studentsï¿½ faces. Many students have told me how much they are enjoying their new classes and teachers. Guidance classes will begin in 6th grade next week and I will be doing lessons in the lower grades before the end of the month. Seventh and eighth graders have received Health and Guidance curriculum outlines this week and a homework assignment of obtaining parent signatures on the outlines. The New England Common Assessment Program testing for grades 3 through 8 will take place between October 1 and 22. It would be very helpful if parents could avoid scheduling trips and appointments during this period since every student must be tested and makeup sessions are hard on the students. When we have settled the schedule for each grade we will make it available. DATE CORRECTIONS: Representatives from Lebanon High School and Kimball Union Academy will be available to offer program information to 7 and 8th grade families on Monday, OCTOBER (NOT SEPTEMBER) 26, at 6:30 PM. Seventh graders will visit the Hood museum the morning of Thursday, September 24. Look for a notice being sent home with students. This week's newsletter incorrectly lists the date as September 26. September 3, 2009 In several of the 7th and 8th grade Health & Guidance classes this week, Karen Heaton and I enjoyed witnessing the collaborative efforts of the students as theyï¿½ve blended individual goals with those of classmates to come up with a group statement of commitment to a positive learning environment, building on the work theyï¿½ve been doing in homeroom/advisory. Karen works most often with the 8th graders in Health & Guidance classes, while I work more with the 7th grade classes, and we also co-teach and switch off. I feel very fortunate to work in partnership with Karen since sheï¿½s established the most outstanding Health program Iï¿½ve ever witnessed. The 7th and 8th grade ï¿½Big Sibsï¿½ are beginning to meet during their weekly elective time and I am developing a list of potential ï¿½little buddies.ï¿½ Students who are not in ï¿½Big Sibsï¿½ first trimester may be involved during one of the other trimesters. Throughout the building Iï¿½ve had the pleasure of reconnecting with students on the playground, in the classrooms, and in the hallways. The students who are new to our school seem to be fitting in very well. Soon Iï¿½ll be visiting 1-6th grade classes to provide classroom guidance. Homework has started; outside my office Iï¿½ve posted a Valley News column of suggestions written by parent and teacher Deb Beaupre and Iï¿½m attaching a homework handout for your convenience. I hope that you will always feel comfortable to contact me with your questions and concerns, either by email (gmalsin@plainfieldschool.org), phone or in person. August 26, 2009 Greetings from the Counselor Hello! Iï¿½m delighted to be returning to Plainfield for the second year as your school counselor. I look forward to working with your children to develop positive attitudes and goals, practice decision- making and communication skills, and increase school success strategies. Right now Iï¿½m particularly enthusiastic about the Developmental Design initiative taking shape in the middle school. All teachers of middle school students are working to enhance student development and learning by meeting needs for belonging, autonomy, competence and fun in a number of new ways. We will also be able to integrate a number of our Health & Guidance curriculum goals through this programmatic design. Big Sister/Brother Program Our in-school mentoring program will resume soon. Seventh and eighth grade students who choose this elective will be paired with a student in grades 1 through 4. Students are selected based on teacher input and participation is voluntary. The junior high students meet with me to train and to brainstorm activities to share with their younger buddies. The meetings take place during the lunch and recess time once each week for a trimester. This is a very rewarding program allowing the older students to practice responsibility and the younger students to connect with an older friend and role model. If you have a particular interest in having your child participate, please send me a note or an email (gmalsin@plainfieldschool.org) by Friday, Sept. 5th. If you have any questions, I hope you will call. Gail Malsin, M.Ed. School Counselor June 23, 2009 Transition to High School We wish the new graduates much success as they head to high school. As of tomorrow, career portfolios will be available to pick up in the office with report cards. Gusanoz, Conflict and Reconciliation On May 29th the seventh graders visited Gusanoz restaurant and the Hood Museum of Art. Thanks to Seï¿½ora Allen, students enjoyed Mexican cuisine and the pleasure of dining together in a congenial setting. Later, at the museum, two docents helped students to understand multi-media portraiture in the exhibit by Lyme artist Felix de la Concha: Public Portraits/Private Conversations. The installation explores the theme of ï¿½Conflict and Reconciliationï¿½ in the lives of local residents. This interdisciplinary event culminated much of the yearï¿½s guidance work, with tie-ins to social studies, language arts, and of course the arts. Students wrote thoughtful follow-through reflections demonstrating connections theyï¿½d made to their own lives. Memorial Day Ceremony On May 29, John and Susan Gregory-Davis led a moving Memorial Day service for the school community, which formed a circle in the gym. The program opened with Will Merchantï¿½s rendition of Taps followed by inspiring words from the Gregory-Davisï¿½s. Each student and staff member whoï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½d recently lost a loved one came to the center of the circle to offer a memorial carnation and a second grader honored the memory of our many beloved pets. Bill Fleming and retiringï¿½C dn0ï¿½@ï¿½lyn Alves played special roles in the ceremony: Bill stood up for the Veterans and Mrs. Alves represented the eighth graders who were in transit to Montreal. Larry Wolkin led the school in a traditional Celtic song to end the program. Career Day May 1, 2009 Career Day was a brilliant success thanks to Stephanie S Automatically clean input to optimize for the web. Or, would you like to view and optionally restore one of these previous versions? Password: Forgot your password?

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