Welcome back to school
We are excited to announce our school colors and mascot. We are the Sherman Sharks and our colors are black and turquoise.
This year health and safety of our students and staff are of utmost importance. All staff will be wearing masks or face shields at all times. Students will be strongly encouraged to wear face coverings, especially in the halls and when social (physical) distancing is not possible. We will be taking a teaching perspective, not a punitive one. We will be washing hands frequently and using adult supervised hand sanitizer. Materials will be sanitized frequently as well. Student temperatures will be taken at the cars, as students come off the bus or at the door. You will be asked to take your student home if a fever of 100.4 or higher is observed (in the heat, you will have the opportunity to cool down for one minute).
Please understand that we will respect the opinion of all, yet we need to take all precautions for the health and safety of all.
We are so excited to have children in the building and know it will be a great year!
We are excited to announce our school colors and mascot. We are the Sherman Sharks and our colors are black and turquoise.
This year health and safety of our students and staff are of utmost importance. All staff will be wearing masks or face shields at all times. Students will be strongly encouraged to wear face coverings, especially in the halls and when social (physical) distancing is not possible. We will be taking a teaching perspective, not a punitive one. We will be washing hands frequently and using adult supervised hand sanitizer. Materials will be sanitized frequently as well. Student temperatures will be taken at the cars, as students come off the bus or at the door. You will be asked to take your student home if a fever of 100.4 or higher is observed (in the heat, you will have the opportunity to cool down for one minute).
Please understand that we will respect the opinion of all, yet we need to take all precautions for the health and safety of all.
We are so excited to have children in the building and know it will be a great year!
Spanish Instruction Added at Sherman
All kindergarten students at Sherman will be introduced to basic Spanish vocabulary and phrases this year. We are excited to be able to offer this opportunity as a part of the specials classes for every kindergarten student.
We are excited to see Mrs. Beltran lead this program. Spanish instruction will be attended every other day as part of our specials rotation. Students will be introduced to basic vocabulary and concepts in Spanish through songs, chants and fine motor activities that will make this learning fun and interactive.
All kindergarten students at Sherman will be introduced to basic Spanish vocabulary and phrases this year. We are excited to be able to offer this opportunity as a part of the specials classes for every kindergarten student.
We are excited to see Mrs. Beltran lead this program. Spanish instruction will be attended every other day as part of our specials rotation. Students will be introduced to basic vocabulary and concepts in Spanish through songs, chants and fine motor activities that will make this learning fun and interactive.
REMINDER: Breakfast is available in every kindergarten classroom for all students at no cost to the family. Breakfast is served beginning at 7:50 AM and is completed by 8:15 AM.
TIPS for Parents:
Tragedy and Disaster Response Resources (from CRISIS Management Institute)
Parents and families,
Traumatic events prompt us to ask how we can help our children. We may begin to wonder how do we talk to our own children about sensitive topics such as death, school safety and other traumatic or emergency situations. Below are some conversation starters to use to talk with your child(ren). You will also find some links to resources to assist you in speaking with your child(ren) at the end of this section.
This event might bring up some questions, concerns or fears for your child. Here are some ideas for how you might support your child:
* Be sensitive about whether your child is needing to talk.
* Bring it up in case he/she is reluctant to do so.
* Ask about his/her reaction to this, and accept whatever he/she says! Resist the temptation to
minimize the pain, deny the feelings or give advice. Simply listen! Helpful responses on
your part:
"Tell me more about that."
"What have other kids said about that?"
"I wonder if there are other things that are worrying you?"
* Be concrete and brief in your answers, especially with younger children. Allow some silence and processing time after a statement. Don't rush in with your thoughts.
* Allow for regressive behaviors. Kids might need to sleep close to an adult for a while.
* Be especially emotionally available and nonjudgmental.
* Youth move in and out of processing this at different times and different rates. Some kids who seem to
be doing well now may have periods of struggle later. Don't assume that just because they look OK
in the outside that they are doing OK. Ask them questions that encourage conversation and make it easier for them to talk:
"What are some things that have surprised you these past days?"
"How have you seen adults trying to be helpful to kids?"
"If you could tell me one thing I could do to help you right now, what would that be?"
"Are these kids you're worried about?"
"Do you have any ideas about what kids could be doing?"
* Turn off the television.
Media coverage of traumatic events creates psychological saturation. This can lead to more anxiety
for children and adults alike.
When television is on, you may have casual comments, but that isn't a deep conversation. The
greatest gift you can give your kids is the gift of your time and your full attention.
Some kids talk when you're in the car together. Take a drive with your child and take advantage
of the opportunity to have a conversation.
Get out in nature. It is calming to the soul, even in cool or wet weather.
**Kids can only recover as well as the adults around them. Good self-care is part of taking care of your
kids.
* Remember the importance of humor, laughter and fun.
RESOURCES:
Local Resources - Fort Morgan: Centennial Mental Health
Website: http://www.centennialmhc.org
Helping your Child Deal with Death from Kids Health
Website: http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/death.html
Helping Children Cope with Tragedy Related Anxiety from Mental Health America (MHA)
Website: http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/coping-with-disaster/helping-children-handle-disaster-
related-anxiety
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tragedy and Disaster Response Resources (from CRISIS Management Institute)
Parents and families,
Traumatic events prompt us to ask how we can help our children. We may begin to wonder how do we talk to our own children about sensitive topics such as death, school safety and other traumatic or emergency situations. Below are some conversation starters to use to talk with your child(ren). You will also find some links to resources to assist you in speaking with your child(ren) at the end of this section.
This event might bring up some questions, concerns or fears for your child. Here are some ideas for how you might support your child:
* Be sensitive about whether your child is needing to talk.
* Bring it up in case he/she is reluctant to do so.
* Ask about his/her reaction to this, and accept whatever he/she says! Resist the temptation to
minimize the pain, deny the feelings or give advice. Simply listen! Helpful responses on
your part:
"Tell me more about that."
"What have other kids said about that?"
"I wonder if there are other things that are worrying you?"
* Be concrete and brief in your answers, especially with younger children. Allow some silence and processing time after a statement. Don't rush in with your thoughts.
* Allow for regressive behaviors. Kids might need to sleep close to an adult for a while.
* Be especially emotionally available and nonjudgmental.
* Youth move in and out of processing this at different times and different rates. Some kids who seem to
be doing well now may have periods of struggle later. Don't assume that just because they look OK
in the outside that they are doing OK. Ask them questions that encourage conversation and make it easier for them to talk:
"What are some things that have surprised you these past days?"
"How have you seen adults trying to be helpful to kids?"
"If you could tell me one thing I could do to help you right now, what would that be?"
"Are these kids you're worried about?"
"Do you have any ideas about what kids could be doing?"
* Turn off the television.
Media coverage of traumatic events creates psychological saturation. This can lead to more anxiety
for children and adults alike.
When television is on, you may have casual comments, but that isn't a deep conversation. The
greatest gift you can give your kids is the gift of your time and your full attention.
Some kids talk when you're in the car together. Take a drive with your child and take advantage
of the opportunity to have a conversation.
Get out in nature. It is calming to the soul, even in cool or wet weather.
**Kids can only recover as well as the adults around them. Good self-care is part of taking care of your
kids.
* Remember the importance of humor, laughter and fun.
RESOURCES:
Local Resources - Fort Morgan: Centennial Mental Health
Website: http://www.centennialmhc.org
Helping your Child Deal with Death from Kids Health
Website: http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/death.html
Helping Children Cope with Tragedy Related Anxiety from Mental Health America (MHA)
Website: http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/coping-with-disaster/helping-children-handle-disaster-
related-anxiety
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________