Counselor's Corner

Summer is here! We are so excited for this extra time we all get to spend with family. Whether you stay home or get to go on vacation, summer is a time all students look forward to. It is also the time all students are risk for the Summer Slide. This slide is the regression they make in their academics over the summer. This may mean they move back a reading level or two or they forget some math skills. This  Summer Slide can also impact students socially as well. Socializing with other children around their age and outside their immediate family is important for children to keep learning how to play, talk, share and problem solve. 

We want you to have fun together as families this summer but want to give you some materials and ideas to keep reinforcing their learning over the summer. We want to give you ways to keep your children reading, using math in real life and playing with friends (off the computer too!) so when they come back to school they are confident and ready. 

Below are some tips to beat the summer slide. 

Beat the Summer Slide Tips:

- Go to a summer camp 

- Participate in a Sport or club

- Read...30 minutes a day is recommended! 

- Watch TV with the subtitles on

- Go to the library and pick out books together 

- Keep a journal and write a few minutes a day

- Do Everyday Math (you can take your kids to the grocery store and have them keep a running total of the items in your cart. Ask them to estimate the total price. Teach your kids about fractions in the kitchen when you are cutting food)

- Practice counting and sorting with toys like Legos and building blocks..

- Use Technology (but don't rely on it solely!)

- Plan a Play Date

- Go to the park/playground

- Create an "I'm Bored Jar"  → Im Bored Jar - Big Life Journal.pdf 

- Build language skills in their first or second language with these tips→  How to Help your Child Develop Their Language Skills at Home.docx 

Let us know what you will be doing this summer. If you have any new ideas you can let us know and we will add it for other families to see. 

Counselors will be providing all students with information on how to be safe when using the internet. We want to share information and activities with you at home. As we all know, students are using technology now more than ever. They play games, learn and socialize using technology. It can be difficult to monitor what they are using and knowing how to speak to children about potential dangers they may come across. Some big words we talk about are private information, digital footprint, cyber-bullying and media balance. We recommend looking through resources below to reinforce certain safety measures with your children. The website Common Sense media also has specific information for each app your student may be using to teach you more about it and safety features you may not know about.  There are also some fun games where students can learn more about these concepts. You might want to even play them together as a family! 

Resources

Common Sense Media

Be Internet Awesome

Interland Online Safety Games

Common Sense Media Games

NYC DOE Digital Citizenship 

We are discussing Respect for All! One way we earn trust is through respecting one another. Important questions to ask goes as follows, "what does respect look like? sound like? and feel like?" Allowing your child to understand Respect through multiple lenses, while relating it to the theme of the month. The Guidance Department looks forward to engaging in conversation with the students to give everyone a voice!

 looks-like-sounds-like-feels-like-chart_46409 1.docx 

NYC DOE information regarding Respect for All Citywide Initiative 

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/school-environment/respect-for-all