One Mindful Moment at a Time

Virtue of the Month

This month, our students have been practicing self-control. Taking turns, offering materials to a friend, and waiting patiently are all moments that call on our students to put others first and manage their own impulses with grace. As we build these skills together, self-control becomes the foundation for genuine teamwork as they learn to listen, collaborate, and trust one another in ways that go far beyond the classroom. It is through these small, intentional moments that our students are growing not just as learners, but as considerate and resilient teammates.

Parent Connect: Parent Panel

Join us for our Early Childhood Parent Panel, where you will hear directly from fellow parents who have already been through the next grade level. From 8:15 – 8:30 AM, PS parents will learn from PK Parent Panel , 8:30-8:45 PK parents will learn from K parent panel, and 8:45-9:00  K parents will learn from the G1 parent panel. When not in your scheduled parent panel session, there will be the opportunity to connect with our EC Principal and EC Counselor.

Parent Tip of the Week

This month, we continue learning about the Fruit of the Spirit: self-control. One important way to help children develop self-control is by creating routines and environments that help them succeed before problems begin.

The Positive Discipline tool Decide What You Will Do reminds us that we cannot force children to behave a certain way, but we can prepare and respond calmly and consistently. Instead of repeating reminders or arguing, we can decide ahead of time what we will do to guide and support our children.

As discussed before, creating routines with your child—and using visual routines with pictures of your child doing each step—helps children clearly understand what to do. When children can see the steps and know what comes next, they need fewer reminders and begin to build independence and confidence.

Decide ahead of time what you will do if your child has difficulty completing the routine, and then respond calmly with kindness and firmness. For example, if evening routines are difficult, you might say: “I can help you start with the first step. Then you can continue the routine if you would like me to read a bedtime story. It is your choice.” Planning your response ahead of time helps you stay calm, avoid power struggles, and respond in a consistent way. Calm and predictable responses teach children more effectively than repeated reminders or frustration.

Self-control develops through repetition, consistency, and practice. The goal is not perfection, but helping children slowly build habits that allow them to become more responsible, confident, and independent over time.

If you would like to learn more about this tool, please follow this link: https://www.positivediscipline.com/articles/decide-what-you-will-do/