5th Grade Red Ribbon Week Lesson

Please read my previous post about the purpose of our Red Ribbon Week lessons before reading this post.

The PowerPoint presentation used for this lesson is posted to my website.  Please read below to learn more about the lesson in order to fully understand the PowerPoint presentation.

The lesson began by asking the students to discuss the following questions with their small groups of 3-4 students:

• What does it mean to be healthy?
• What are some things we should not do, things that would hurt the way we think and act?
• What might happen to someone who smokes?
• What might happen to someone who drinks beer or other alcoholic drinks?
• Do you know of any other drugs that might keep us from being healthy and taking care of ourselves?

After around 5 minutes, we discussed the students' thoughts on each of these questions as a large group.  Students viewed a picture of a smoker's lungs compared to the lungs of a non-smoker and we discussed the health risks associated with smoking.  Students also viewed a picture of a 15-year-old male brain who does not drink alcohol compared to a 15-year-old male brain who drinks alcohol.  We discussed the dangers of drinking alcohol, especially as it pertains to underage drinking.

Next, the students viewed a video entitled The Boy Who Was Swallowed by the Drug Monster.  The story was written by the mother of a man who started using drugs at the age of 8 to cope with issues going on in his life.  The video is in the format of a picture book being read to the students and they are able to see the dangerous effects the drugs had on the boy and how the drugs changed his life.  The video is a very powerful video marketed for students in grades 3-5 and it shows students how a person can become addicted to drugs even after trying it one time.

After the video, we reviewed the term peer pressure and discussed effective strategies for dealing with peer pressure. We discussed the fact that effective communication is key and we must say what we mean and mean what we say.  The students were given the opportunity to practice saying no using a variety of phrases with the correct tone of voice and assertiveness.

Our lesson ended by discussing three of The 7 Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey.  Students were encouraged to discuss today's lesson with their parents and ask them any questions they may have on the topic.  Students were also reminded that I am available to discuss any concerns they  have on the topic and were reminded how to make an appointment to meet with me.

Thank you for your support of the school counseling program.  I know this is a sensitive topic, but it is one we must teach our students about so they have the knowledge and the skills to make safe, healthy choices.

4th Grade Red Ribbon Week Lesson

Please read my previous post about the purpose of our Red Ribbon Week lessons before reading this post.

The PowerPoint presentation used for this lesson is posted to my website.  Please read below to learn more about the lesson in order to fully understand the PowerPoint presentation.

The lesson began with a game of "True, False, or It Depends".  Statements were displayed and students talked with their small group of 4-5 students about their thoughts on the statement.  After a minute or two, we had a class discussion about the statement.  We discussed the legality of each statement, the health risks associated with the statement, and answered a few questions students had.  We also watched a few videos that demonstrated the risks associated with various substances.  (You can view the videos by clicking on the Husky WILF dog in the top left hand corner of each slide of the PowerPoint.  If the video is a BrainPop video, please see your child's Husky pad for login information.)

After we discussed each statement, I posed the question "What is peer pressure?"  Students discussed this question in their groups,  In order to illustrate the concept of peer pressure, the students watched a clip from an episode of Full House in which Stephanie is offered a cigarette while in the 6th grade.  Students were asked to take note of the tactics the girls used to try to get Stephanie to smoke as well as the steps Stephanie took to get herself out of the situation.  (You can view the video by clicking on the yellow "Caution:  Peer Pressure" sign in the top left hand corner of the PowerPoint.)

We discussed the reasons why peer pressure works.  We discussed the fact that peer pressure does not only pertain to drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.  Negative peer pressure occurs any time a peer tries to get you to do something that you do not want to do or that you know is not right such as calling someone a name, watching a movie you know you are not supposed to watch, playing a video game you know you are not supposed to play, etc.  We discussed effective strategies for dealing with peer pressure and students were given an opportunity to think about how they would deal with peer pressure in various situation.

Our lesson ended by discussing three of The 7 Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey.  Students were encouraged to discuss today's lesson with their parents and ask them any questions they may have on the topic.  Students were also reminded that I am available to discuss any concerns they  have on the topic and were reminded how to make an appointment to meet with me.

Thank you for your support of the school counseling program.  I know this is a sensitive topic, but it is one we must teach our students about so they have the knowledge and the skills to make safe, healthy choices.

Red Ribbon Week Lessons

During the month of October, the counselors on the Paine campus teach children about personal safety and the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.  Alabama Counseling Standard C states that "students will understand safety and survival skills."  Furthermore, the following indicators must be addressed during the elementary school years:

• PS:C1.7  Apply effective problem-solving and decision-making skills to make safe and healthy choices (Kindergarten-5th grades)
• PS:C1.8  Learn about the emotional and physical dangers of substance use and abuse (Kindergarten-5th grades)
• PS: C1.9  Learn how to cope with peer pressure (3rd-5th grades)

In order to address these standards, we choose to tie these lessons in to Red Ribbon Week, a national week dedicated to bringing awareness to the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.  The purpose of teaching these lessons is not to scare the students or cause worry or anxiety.  The purpose of teaching these lessons is to educate our students about the dangers of substance abuse and help them develop strategies for dealing with peer pressure of all kinds and saying no effectively.

I will post details of each lesson in separate posts.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Thank you for your continued support as we work together to help our children succeed in all areas of their lives!

Red Ribbon Week 2014

Red Ribbon Week

 Oct. 27^th - 31^st, 2014 

  Paine Intermediate

We are joining thousands of other schools across the USA in an effort to raise awareness about the dangers of using tobacco products, other drugs, and alcohol.  Throughout the month, counselors will conduct drug awareness lessons for all classes according to the state counseling standards, and then dress up days during this week will help emphasize awareness too..  Daily themes for the week revolve around PI’s focus on student leadership; “The Leader in Me is Drug Free!”

*Please note:  Since the Hewitt vs. Clay game was moved to Thursday, Oct. 30^th, we are switching the last 2 dress up days..  In support of our HT Huskies, we will now wear our Husky Spirit clothing on Thursday, and then the bright, neon colored clothing on Friday.  Thanks for your understanding!   

Monday- Hats Off to Being Drug Free!

Students are encouraged to wear hats/caps to kick off the week and to help show their commitment to being a drug free leader.

Tuesday- Don’t Let Drugs Erase Your Dreams!

Students are encouraged to wear appropriate pajamas to school to remind them that drugs can erase their future hopes and dreams.  Students must wear or bring tennis shoes for PE! 

Wednesday- Leaders are “Red-y” to Say No to Drugs!

Students are encouraged to wear red colored clothing to show their support for Red Ribbon Week as it is “National Wear Red Day.”  Remember, leaders stay drug free!

Thursday- These Paws Won’t Touch Drugs!

Students are encouraged to support our school team and wear their favorite Husky school spirit clothing to show that Paine Intermediate Husky Leaders will make smart choices and stay drug free. Go Huskies!

 Friday- My Future is Bright so I’m Staying Drug Free!

All students are encouraged to wear bright, neon colored clothing as they commit to make good choices and be drug free for their future.  

5th Grade Lesson - Conflict Resolution

During the month of September, fifth graders participated in a lesson on conflict resolution.  Through class discussion and watching a video entitled Solving Conflicts with Teachers, Parents, and Peers (Human Relations Media, Inc.), we determined that conflict is normal and is not always a bad thing as long as we handle it appropriately. We discussed how poor communication leads to conflict and misunderstanding.  This includes the words we say but also our actions and body language as well.  We discussed guildelines for talking it out effectively and how to apply the "Rules of Fair Play" to conflict situations.  We also discussed the fact that we are responsible for our own actions and reactions.  This is Habit 1 from The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, Be Proactive!

Selected slides from the PowerPoint presentation I used for this lesson are pictured below.  It is my hope that students remember the conflict resolution skills we discussed in this lesson and begin to apply them in their daily interactions at school and at home.

What do you see in the picture above?  Some students saw two faces looking at each other whereas others saw a table, candlestick, and birdbath. 

What do you see in the second picture?  Some students saw a lady's face whereas others saw a man playing a saxophone.  In life, we see things differently, just as we saw different things in the pictures above.

The lesson reinforced the fact that we cannot solve conflicts when we are angry.  We discussed taking time to calm down and think before we try to solve a conflict.  We also talked a lot about the use of "I" statements.  Instead of telling someone everything they did wrong in the situation, rephrase what  you want to say and tell them how you feel or how it appeared to you.  For example, instead of saying "You are mean because you left me sitting all by myself in the courtyard", say "I felt left out when you went to play with her in the courtyard.  I felt alone and upset because I didn't have anyone to talk to."  By rephrasing our statements, we are not accusing the other person of anything and we allow the other person to really see how we feel.

Thank you in advance for reinforcing these conflict resolution skills with your children.  We will continue to work on conflict resolution here at school and help the students learn to apply these skills in their everyday lives.