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GUIDANCE NEWS
What would life be like if we had a Culture of Peace? The sixth grade has been pondering that as part of our Making Peace Where I Live program. We have talked about all of the things that help to define a culture – including foods, customs, religion, the arts, and perhaps most importantly, beliefs, attitudes and mind-sets. People in different cultures do think and approach life very differently. Once the sixth graders decided that a Culture of Peace would involve peaceful means of resolving conflicts, making sure that all peoples basic needs are met, and care for the environment, they came up with a few more specifics. Here are some of the holidays that one group decided would be celebrated in a Culture of Peace:
Peace Day
Respect Animals Day
Read-a-thon Day
Gift Day
Family Day
Fun Fest Day
Loosen up Day
Family Dinner Day
Choice Day
Free Day, in which everyone has the day off from work but still gets paid
Third grade is learning that listening involves more than the ears. When we’re really listening and paying attention, the whole body (eyes, ears mouth hands, feet, bottom and brain) are focused on the speaker. When we “listen with our eyes” we notice important information about body language. When we listen with our brains, we can discover what others need and are thinking about.
Fifth grade is learning some Coping Skills. We have addressed safe and appropriate ways to express anger, and ways that our thinking can influence the way we feel. It’s the old “glass half full/glass half empty” scenario. We can look at things positive or negatively, which affects the way we feel. We all know that, but it’s not always easy to remember it or act upon it!
Kathy Greve, School Counselor
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