From the Principal’s Desk |
Dear Blossom Hill Families:
Thank you to the many parents who attended the “Parents Need SEL Too” virtual presentation yesterday. The LGUSD Counseling & Wellness Team, The Heard Alliance, and all staff members continue to work diligently to support students and families in our community. In the coming weeks, I will be highlighting several of the take-aways from the presentation.
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SEL is naturally and often intentionally integrated into the instructional day. Teachers have classroom rituals and routines including morning greetings, check-ins, story time, cooperative games, responsive communication, and service learning. However, did you know that SEL is not restricted to only the instructional day? SEL at home includes family rituals and routines including regular schedules, eating meals together, engaging in conversations about the school day, physical activities, story time, cooperative games, responsive communication, and service learning.
As we continue to partner in a parallel SEL quest to support ALL students in the school and home environment, I look forward to proceeding with grace and encourage you to do the same. Our students are counting on us!
In education together,
Lisa Reynolds
Principal, Blossom Hill School
Phone: 408.335.2100
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October
- 10/1 - First Upper Grade Chorus rehearsal, 3:15-4pm (online)
- 10/5 - Professional Development Day - No School
- 10/6 - Virtual Math Night, 6-8pm (online)*
- 10/6 - MOD Pizza Give Back Day*
- 10/7 - H&SC Board Meeting, 8-9:30am (online)
- 10/15 - LGUSD Board Meeting, 6:30-8:30pm (online)
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*Scroll down for more details on these events.
**See details above "From the Principal's Desk"
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IMPORTANT SCHOOL CONTACT INFORMATION |
Office:
408-335-2100
Attendance:
408-335-2145
Office Hours:
7:30 am - 3:30 pm
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Keep Your Bucket Full Series from Parenting Continuum
Part Two
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Last week, we talked about your mental-emotional well-being as a bucket that gets filled when you focus on positivity (empathy, gratitude, curiosity, joyful creativity, calm, etc.) and depleted with negativity (stress, anxiety, frustration, anger, disappointment, shame, guilt, etc.). We explored why your bucket may feel lower than usual and you got a baseline with Positive Intelligence (PQ) assessment.
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This week, we dig into strategies to drain less and fill more.
Drain Less
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Focus on your Circle of Influence. Notice whether you are investing your time and energy on things within your control and influence or outside of them. For example, worrying about climate change or economic stability will not bring about change. Instead look for ways that you can take personal action or influence change. And then make peace with things outside your control knowing that you have done what you can.
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Choose a healthy relationship with social media. Catching up on life events from close friends and family can bring great joy. Reading a recent article on a passion area can spark critical thinking. Limit your COVID-19 related news to 10 minutes or less, says a neurologist focused on leadership development. The same could be said for any other issue from natural disasters to political news to social justice. Focus your news on any new facts or perspectives and what actions you can take.
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Reframe your self-talk. Remove SHOULD from your vocabulary - either do or do not and make peace with it. The word “should” is a clear sign of your inner critic messing with you. If it is important to you, try a reframe like “I getto workout”, “I get to learn something new”, or “I get to spend more time with my family”.
Fill More
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Quarantine-innovate kudos! High five to all the new trial hikers, social distance picnickers, car parade celebrators, and businesses re-imaging work. Give yourself credit for all the things that you and your family have re-imagined and innovated this year!
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Find the silver lining. This can be a great shift when running low on innovation and needing to find the good in what is.
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Boost your happiness chemicals in your brain with simple activities like petting your dog or 1 minute of sunshine. One of my favorites is the laugh challenge. Find 1 or 2 other people (kids are amazing at this challenge). Set a timer for 60 minutes and at the same time each do the goofiest laugh you can. It starts out a bit contrived and before you know it you are cracking yourselves up.
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Replace “I’ll be happy when” with “3 things I am grateful for today are”. Share your gratitude with others. It is contagious. My family likes to share what we are grateful for before dinner each night. This focus on gratitude shifts your brain chemistry.
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Spark positive conversation. Acknowledge something about another person. Share something cool you are reading, watching, or making. Ask “what’s been your best quarantine hack?” Positive focus shifts our mind into curiosity, empathy, possibilities, and activation.
Ask yourself. “What do I need to do,
so that within one year I can say this current situation
is the best thing that could have ever happened to me?”
About the Author: Erin McAuley is a leadership expert and change coach trained in neuroscience and positive intelligence (PQ). She coaches working parents, leaders, and teams to thrive in the now and achieve their “what’s next”. She and her husband Jeff live in Monte Sereno with their 2nd and 3rd grader who are attending virtual school at home. “Our kids are constantly teaching us lessons in self-discovery and change agility.” www.bechange.coach
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From 10:30am to 10pm on Tuesday, October 6th, MOD Pizza will be giving back 20% on qualifying purchases to the Blossom Hill Home & School Club. Raising money for the Home & School Club is easy and delicious. Just follow these simple steps:
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RSVP to the link below. We need at least 20 RSVPs by October 3rd to have our event. It also lets the restaurant be prepared for us.
- Mention the Blossom Hill Home & School Club Fundraiser or show this email when you place your order on October 6th.
- Enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner!
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The Blossom Hill Home & School Club would like to thank Mathnasium for their continued support of Blossom Hill and for helping us keep our Math Night tradition even in a virtual world. We greatly appreciate your organizing this fun event for us. We are looking forward to a fun evening of math games. If you have signed up for our Virtual Math Game Night, Zoom links will be sent out on Monday, October 6th. For more information on Mathnasium, please visit www.mathnasium.com/campbell.
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Blossom Hill Vision Statement
(Abilities and skills we expect our students to acquire and take-out into the world)
All students will have the necessary skills to become enthusiastic, life-long learners and productive, empathetic, respectful members of society.
Blossom Hill Mission Statement
(What we need to do as a school community to ensure this happens)
The Blossom Hill School community takes pride in providing an enriched standards-based curriculum in a safe, nurturing environment. We strive to appreciate an awareness of students’ developmental needs to help them progress towards independence.
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Blossom Hill Elementary School
16400 Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Phone: 408-335-2100 | Fax: 408-356-0887 | Attendance Line: 408-335-2145
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Blossom Hill Home & School Club
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*The Beehive newsletter is approved by Principal Lisa Reynolds and the H&SC Board and is written exclusively to provide the Blossom Hill community with pertinent, weekly school information. Articles, information, calendars, etc. may not be duplicated or re-printed in any manner without the permission of the Home & School Club or the Blossom Hill school administration. |
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Submissions can be made to The Beehive editor, Jennifer Shapiro,
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