This week support classes are exploring the Yellow Zone Tools - ways and techniques to help us calm down from the yellow zone and avoid the red zone. Strategies suggested included asking for a break, asking for help or using a preferred breathing exercise. Ask your child what helps them calm and share what helps you. It helps children to know that we all experience feelings and we use strategies to return to the green zone.

This week, Early Stage 1 students have been identifying that our behaviors have an affect on others. There are expected and unexpected behaviours that we show when we feel different emotions. When individuals do the expected behaviours in a specific situation or setting (e.g. reading quietly in the library), the people around us tend to feel comfortable and safe. When individuals do unexpected behaviours in that situation (e.g. doing cartwheels in the library), those around us tend to feel more uncomfortable or unsafe. At home, when unexpected behaviours occur, take the opportunity to discuss the feelings that may have led to the behaviour.

In Stages 1-3 this week, we have been focussing on tools we can use to get us back into the green zone. We explored breathing techniques to calm us, in particular Lazy 8 breathing and 6-sided breathing. Ask your child about these techniques and share some breathing strategies that work for you. Not all strategies work for everyone, but the more tools we have at our disposal, the more chances we can find ways to calm.

Last week, all students across the school reviewed the expected behaviours in the playground around safety, learning and respect. We are planning for signage in different parts of the school to show our collective agreement on behaviours in these spaces. This week's classes brainstormed ideas for the playground in general, as well as specifically on the asphalt, grass and equipment, junior playground and soccer fields. The SRC will bring together all the ideas and make decisions on what our new signs will say. 

We use positive language to act as a prompt to reinforce the expected behaviours. For example wear a sun safe hat; use equipment for its purpose and sit to eat your food.  Ask your child how many positive expectations they discussed in different areas of the playground.