The power point presentation is attached: Session ONE - staying-safe-revised-session-one-k-2  Session TWO - staying-safe-revised-session-two-k-2

These power points are also available as a PDF file: Session ONE - microsoft-powerpoint-staying-safe-revised-session-one-k-2  Session TWO - microsoft-powerpoint-staying-safe-revised-session-two-k-2

There is also a parent handout, with tips on how you can protect your children against sexual predators: microsoft-word-protecting-your-children-handout

Your questions or comments are welcome. Please feel free to contact me at 244-3225 x. 1417 (T, W, or R) or kthompson@christianacademyschools.org.

Cool in School boys (12/2) - we reviewed everything we had learned in group. Students listed their favorite topic and demonstrated that skill to the group. We played a few games to emphasize those skills - Simon Says (listening and emotions), Mother May I (following directions and manners), and Emotion Charades. We read Designed by God. Each student choose a few attributes that God gave to them, and we shared these with the group.

Success as if By Magic (12/3) - This was performance day. Each student chose a magic trick to demonstrate to the group, along with the accompanying “lesson”. Performing in front of peers allowed us to work on self-confidence and communication, and being an audience allowed us to practice respectful listening. I was so pleased with each of their demonstrations! Each boy managed to convey an appropriate “lesson” along with the magic trick they performed. At the end of class we learned two quick magic tricks - the changing dice (some things you can’t change, but some things - attitudes - you can) and the disappearing box (getting rid of bad habits and attitudes).

Cool in School girls (12/11) - we reviewed everything we had learned in group. Students listed their favorite topic and demonstrated that skill to the group. We read Designed by God. Students drew a picture and labeled it with talents or characteristics that God gave them.

Students will begin coming home with the Safe Touch pre- and post-tests. Each student took a pre-test before I shared the Safe Touch training, and each student took a post-test after the training. This allows you and me to see how much students already knew, as well as what they learned from the training.

Keeping children safe from those who would harm them requires constant vigilance and care. I encourage you to talk to your children often about their body rights, their feelings, and the fact that they can, and should, talk to you about ANYTHING that makes them nervous, uncomfortable, or awkward.

I encourage you to talk with your children about the Safe Touch test, and ask them to explain the reasons for the answers to you. Those reasons are attached for your information: microsoft-word-unsafe-touch-test-parent-review

The Bully Free Pledge that all elementary students at CAL are asked to sign is as follows:

* I will not bully or be mean to others.

* I will try to help students who are bullied.

* If I know someone is being bullied, I will tell an adult at home and an adult at school.

* I will include those who are left out.

Grades 4 & 5: microsoft-word-bully-free-test-parent-review

Grades 2 & 3: microsoft-word-bully-free-test-2-and-3-parent-review

There is not a test for the kindergarten and first graders. They will come home with a paper for your review.

Thank you for your support in helping to make CAL a bully-free school!

Cool in School boys (11/25) - We read “Boys Wanted” from The Book of Children’s Virtues. The boys then drew a picture of the type of boy God wanted them to be. Then we played with the decision cards. Each boy drew a random scenario and acted out what he would/should do in each situation (i.e. You are watching your favorite TV show. Your mom tells you to turn it off and come to dinner. You…)This allowed us to practice decision making, reacting to others with empathy, and assertiveness.

Success as if By Magic (11/19) - The week in Success we are going to discuss self-control by reviewing and playing part of the Chill Out game throughout the office: microsoft-word-chill-out-game1. But the bulk of our time focused on responsible and respectful behavior. The magic trick to emphasize this behavior is the rising ruler. Students learn how to make a ruler rise from the palm of one’s hand with each demonstration of responsible behavior. We used the decision-making cards (see Cool in School boys) to choose and demonstrate responsible reactions. The secret is to attach a rubber band to a ring or to the child’s finger. Place the botttom of the ruler into the open end of the rubber band and push it down. Hold the ruler with the thumb, while the palm faces AWAY from the audience. The thumb carefully releases its grip, which allows the ruler to rise. NOTE - students are warned that those who shoot the rubber band at people will not be allowed to participate in this trick.

Cool in School Girls (12/4) - We read “There Was a Little Girl” from The Book of Children’s Virtues and talked about making good decisions. Then we played with the decision cards. Each girl pulled a random scenario and acted out what she would/should do in each situation (i.e. You are watching your favorite TV show. Your mom tells you to turn it off and come to dinner. You…)This allowed us to practice decision making, reacting to others with empathy, and assertiveness.

This is a tough rule to follow! I teach kids that God gave us our emotions, and our emotions help us know what to do. But it can be hard to know how to react when angry! This week we will talk about and practice how to respond when angry. We will also play the “Chill Out” game - microsoft-word-chill-out-game

Cool in School boys (Tues. 11/18) - We read When I Feel Angry. The boys went on a scavenger hunt to find anger management strategies throughout my office. Then we acted out feeling angry and managing the anger by taking deep breaths, counting to ten, exercising, relaxing, and praying. We ended group by playing the “Chill Out” game across my office.

Success as if by Magic (Wed. 11/12) - Students had the opportunity to demonstrate the “cut up banana” trick. We talked about how anger can hurt us inside if we don’t manage it correctly. Students went on an office “scavenger hunt” to find ways to manage anger, several of which we practiced in group - deep breathing, counting to ten, exercising, relaxing, talking about it. We played the “Chill Out” game. Today’s magic trick is to apply the magic penny trick in your own life - students are to work on changing their angry or sad feelings to feelings of contentment.

Cool in School girls (Thurs. 11/13) - We read When I Feel Angry and practiced ways mentioned in the book to maintain self control when angry or upset (taking deep breaths, relaxing, exercising, talking about it, praying, counting to ten). We divided into teams and played the “Chill Out” game. We also played “angry potato”. Whoever had the stuffed animal when the music stopped acted out a way to chill out.

Session two focuses on feelings and secrets. We discuss the reason God gave us feelings, and review what to do if something feels wrong or weird or strange. (Tell someone!) Different types of secrets are discussed, but the important take away for children to know is that they can tell someone ANY kind of secret. (Perpetrators will often groom children by convincing them to keep good secrets before moving on to hurtful secrets.) This session closes by discussing who children can tell if something feels wrong.

Research shows that the most beneficial aspect of anti-abuse curriculum is that which encourages children to tell someone if something feels confusing or inappropriate. Because sexual abuse is shrouded in shame, and because 90% of such abuse occurs at the hands of someone the child knows, talking about it can be difficult. Maintaining open lines of communication with your children about everything is vitally important.

The curriculum for the younger elementary students is slightly different. This training will be presented to grades K - 2 beginning in December or January. The powerpoint slides for younger elementary will be available at that time.

Upper Elementary Session One: staying-safe-revised-session-one-3-5 (pdf file: microsoft-powerpoint-staying-safe-revised-session-one-3-5)

Upper Elementary Session Two: staying-safe-revised-session-two-3-5 (pdf file: microsoft-powerpoint-staying-safe-revised-session-two-3-5)

Tips for Parents on Ways to Keep Your Children Safe from Sexual Abuse: protecting-your-children-handout (pdf file: microsoft-word-protecting-your-children-handout)

Cool in School boys (11/11/08) - We started group by reading My Many Colored Days by Dr. Suess. Then we played another round of emotion charades and began working on things we could do to change our emotions from sad, mad, or scared to content (happy). Students were shown and then learned the magic penny trick, in which the penny changes from one emotion to another. They also learned the angry banana trick, in which the banana’s angry emotions “cuts himself up”. This will lead into next week’s focus on managing anger and self-control.

Success as if by Magic (11/5/08) - Group members demonstrated last week’s magic trick - the magic penny - and we discussed ways to change the mad (sad, scared, silly) penny to a happy penny. Then we moved into talking about how our thoughts connect with our feelings. This week’s magic trick is the All Cut Up Banana, which demonstrates what happens when false thoughts take over our emotions. This lesson will move us into anger management and self-control next week. (Parents - the key to this trick is to poke a straightened paper clip through the back of the banana. Then use the paper clip to carefully slice the inside of the banana. The banana will appear untouched, but inside it will be all cut up.)

Cool in School girls (11/6/08) - We read My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss. Then students colored pictures of how they felt today, how they feel when sad, when happy, and how they want to feel tomorrow. We played with the magic penny and practiced ways to change our emotions (just like the magic penny).

Cool in School boys (Tue. Oct 27) - Emotional identification is also important for the young children. While empathy (the ability to recognize and understand the feelings of others) increases as children mature, young children are able to learn about their own feelings and the feelings of others. Developing this skill at a young age will positively impact their school experience. We read the book Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller and played emotion charades. Emotion charades is a great game to work on emotional awareness. An instructional sheet on how to play can be retrieved below. We also drew a feeling face.

Success (Wed. Oct 29) - We begin this group by reviewing last week’s magic trick - catching invisible stones. Several of the boys are great at this! We then moved on to emotions and the importance emotions play in all of our lives - even the lives of boys. We played “Emotion Charades” (see below for game instructions). Many of the boys were great at acting out certain emotions and guessing the emotions of others. This week’s magic trick is the “Magic Penny” in which students will change the penny’s emotional state. This is a fun trick that draws lots of “oohs and aahs”, but that also has important real-world applications, showing us that we can change our emotions.

Cool in School girls (Thurs. Oct 30) - Many girls, even young girls, are adept at recognizing emotion in others. This is a skill that should be nurtured and around which boundaries should be placed (we control our emotions, no one else’s). We read the book Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller, played Emotion Charades, and drew a feeling face.

Link to Emotion Charades word document: emotion-charades

In Cool in School boys (Tues. Oct. 21) we read the book Listen and Learn. We practiced keeping our ears open and our mouths and bodies quiet so we could listen. We also played Simon Says - a great game for practicing the skill of listening! Each group member practiced meeting another group member and putting their social skills to use. Students were encouraged to meet someone new this week.

In Success as if by Magic (Wed. Oct. 22) the boys also role played initial meetings and discussed written and invisible rules, but they added the magic trick of “catching invisible stones”. The invisible stones represent the invisible rules we all must follow to get along with others. Their homework assignment is to practice this trick. Hold the top corner of the paper bag with one hand. With the other hand, pretend to throw an invisible stone in the air. As the stone falls, pretend to catch it in the bag by snapping your fingers that are holding the bag OR by flicking the bag with your index finger. Timing is the key to this trick - that and remembering those invisible rules!

In Cool in School girls (Thurs. Oct. 23) we read the book Listen and Learn. We practiced keeping our ears open and our mouths and bodies quiet so we could listen. We also played Simon Says - a great game for practicing the skill of listening! Each group member practiced meeting another group member and putting their social skills to use. Students were encouraged to meet someone new this week.