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Dr. Umansky's Website
School Counselor
Voice Mail: 868-3679 Ext. 209 |
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Character Trait of the Month |
The character trait for October is respect for others.
Over the course of this year, we will address one character trait per month. These are Responsibility in August, Respect for Self in September, Respect for Others in October, Citizenship in November, Compassion in December, Self-Control in January, Friendship in February, Honesty in March, Cooperation in April, and Courage in May.. Each month, children at all grade levels engage in a variety of activities that emphasize the character trait of the month. At the same time, we and your child's teacher continue to reinforce character traits from prior and future months. Parents play a critical role by modeling these character traits, by talking about them at home, and by reinforcing them when our children display these qualities. Neither the school nor the home can do it alone. It takes working together to make your child successful now and in the future. Plan to devote time each day talking with your child about the best thing that happened in school and about homework. And take every opportunity to discuss and model good character. It's the only way your child will understand the importance of doing the right thing!
This month, we are talking about the "Golden Rule" and how children get along with their peers and adults. We expect children to be kind and helpful to their peers. We expect them to be respectful to adults in their actions and their words.
How a child treats others often is a reflection of how the child feels about himself or herself. Children who are not confident in their abilities or who are insecure have a difficult time treating others well. That's where home and school must work together to be sure that every child has good role models at home, that every child has productive activities in which he or she excels (this does not include videogames!), that every child feels loved, and that every child has the same behavior expecations at home that we have at school. As educators, we often are perplexed and disappointed when our young children come to school wearing eye makeup or provocative clothes, when they wear shorts or T-shirts on freezing days, when they show consistent disrespect for adults and property at school, when they remind us that no one at home cares about how or what they do at school. You see, we consider every child at our school to be a future executive of a big corporation, a successful legislator, a "teacher of the year", a prosperous business owner, a fabulous spouse and parent. We need to work together with you in a partnership to make this happen. Let us all commit to make this school year the year of our children -- a year when we commit to developing their character more than their videogame skills, their vision for a successful and productive future rather than a vision for the day's television schedule. Let us commit to developing in our children a sound mind in a sound body. Let's do that for our children.
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The Bobcat Kids |
Congratulations to the children in each fourth and fifth grade class who were selected to be Bobcat Kids for Blue Ridge. The children are Xavier Adams, Brock Aikens, Shelby Arnold, Jack Bailey, Christa Bell-Isle, Angel Bhardwaj, Taylor Crosby, Kelsey Cunningham, Cade Dement, Jacob Hardin, Katie Henry, Ashton Howery, Mason Johnson, Mark Mann, Michael Mann, Sarah McDaniel, Andy Nguyen, Tabyus Robinson, Lauren Rueda, Michael Ward, and Rina Whitehouse. Their first task was to select the cover for the yearbook. Next, they will be setting up a recycling program at Blue Ridge. Stay tuned for more information on this.
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News from the Gifted Program |
Thirty-six students from Blue Ridge are participating in the Horizons gifted program this Fall. A bus transports the children to Westmont Elementary School one day per week for enrichment activities. The schedule is as follows: 2nd grade on Monday, 3rd grade on Tuesday, and 4th and 5th grades on Thursday.
Eligibility for the gifted program requires scoring at the 90th percentile or above in math, reading, or core total on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and scoring at the 99th percentile for kindergarten through second grade or at the 96th percentile for third through fifth grade on the Otis-Lennon School Abilities Test. A child may not be tested two years in a row. Children who move to Georgia who have been eligible for the gifted program in another state must meet Georgia criteria to be eligible for the program here.
The next round of ifted testing will begin soon after the first of the year. Teachers will be asked to nominate students from their classes. Parents also may nominate their child for testing. Please send a note or email your child's teacher if you are interested in doing this or need more information. |
Giving Our Children Direction |
We hear a lot about the drug problem at our middle and high schools. The thing is that problems which appear in middle and high schools had their roots during the earlier years. That's why it's so important for school and home to forge a common bond to work on some basics with our children.
Children who feel good about themselves are less likely to seek out artificial ways to feel better. They won't need to associate with "problem" kids. They won't have to rely on "substances" to feel good. How do we help our kids feel good about themselves?
-Find activities in which they can excel, which they enjoy doing, which make them feel special. These can include sports activities (not every child is a group sports person, though!), painting, musical instruments, chess, dance, needlepoint, volunteerism, and scouts.
-Every day, when they get home from school, ask, "What was the best thing that happened to you in school today?" That one little question expresses to them the value you place on school. It reinforces the importance of focusing on the positive. It prepares them for doing their homework and lets them know that you are there with them to meet the challenges that school places on our young children.
-Check your children's book bag every night. If you get them used to it now, they won't put up such a fuss when you look in their book bag when they are in middle or high school. And, again, it shows your interest in what they are doing in school. If they know you're looking, they will want to try harder to make the things you see the very best possible.
-Talk about your job and the job that other people have. Help your child develop a vision for their future. Kids who know where they are going are less likely to let themselves be sidetracked by unhealthy lifestyles.
-Limit their exposure to violent television programs and videogames. Know what they are doing on the computer. Use news items as a way to talk about making smart decisions and doing the right thing.
In everything we do, making smart decisions translates into success in the near and long term. Our most important job as parents is to teach our children to make wise decisions when we are around so they will make wise decisions when we are not around. Then, we have been successful as parents.
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CDs Available for Parents |
| Several years ago, I wrote scripts and narrated tapes for three programs that are now available on audio CD for checkout from the media center. The topics are Bringing Out the Best in Your Child, a program on discipline and behavior management; The ABCs of ADHD, a comprehensive discussion of attention problems in children and what to do about them, and; Potty Training Your Toddler, which might be helpful for some kindergarten children or your younger children. See Mrs. Mailey or Mrs. Ramsey in the Media Center to check out one or more of these CDs. |
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