Nurturing Positive Connections: Fostering Healthy Relationships in November
Hello, amazing parents and students!
Have a look at how our Student Advocacy Counsellors have been fostering wellness here at Duclos during the month of November!
Kimochis
Mrs. Baillargeon and Mrs. Rychlo have been busy facilitating our new character education program, Kimochis. Kimochis is a social emotional learning program that uses Kimochis, Toys with Feelings Inside® to teach children positive habits to lead happy and successful lives. The program curriculum is based on research that tells us that a strong social emotional foundation is necessary for school success, academic achievement, positive social relationships and the development of emotional competence.
One way in which Kimochis strives to help students develop positive social relationships is through positive communication. During Monday morning assemblies Mrs. Baillargeon has been teaching students about the “Kimochis Seven Keys to Communication.” The following four keys were presented during the month of November:
Key 1 - Get Someone’s Attention
Key 2 - Use a Talking Voice
Key 3- Use a Talking Face and Body
Key 4 - Choose Helping words.
Mrs. Baillargeon and Mrs. Rychlo have also been facilitating Kimochis lessons in the classrooms. Through these lessons, students have met the Kimochis characters and learned about the different feelings each character experiences. Students have discussed which feelings are hard to have and which are easy to have as well as discovered tools or strategies for making certain feelings bigger or smaller.
Virtue of the Month: Respect
Throughout the month of November, we have been focusing on the virtue of respect. Students listened to the story, “A Little Respectful Spot” during assemblies and discovered how one can show respect to people, places, and things.
If you would like to listen to this story at home please check out this read-aloud at the following link:
Division Wellness Spotlight: Nurturing Positive Connections
Every month Northern Lights Public Schools focuses on a different area of wellness. This month the focus is on nurturing positive connections. Having positive connections whether that be with friends, family or community members presents children with the opportunity to strengthen their network of support and enrich their lives. It is our hope here at Duclos that our focus on respect and Kimochis this month has helped introduce our students to the skills and virtues required to help foster these positive connections.
Resource Roundup: Nurturing Healthy Connections and Relationships
Explore these carefully curated resources suitable for parents and students of all ages, designed to inspire positivity and cultivate healthy connections:
For more resources, check out the Healthy Relationships page on the NLPS website.
Nurturing Healthy Relationships: Tips for Students
Students, enrich your connections:
- Practice active listening to understand viewpoints.
- Share acts of kindness and compassion.
- Communicate openly and respectfully.
- Seek common interests for bonding.
- Show appreciation to friends and family.
Connect with Our Student Advocacy Counsellors:
Need guidance or want to discuss well-being? Our Student Advocacy Counsellors are ready to help. Reach out at janice.baillargeon@nlsd.ab.ca or stephanie.rychlo@nlsd.ab.ca or call (780) 826-3992. Let's continue our journey of nurturing connections and spreading positivity together.