Kittredge Elementary School

Dear Kittredge families,

Happy New Year to all of you! I hope you all had a happy holiday season and an enjoyable winter vacation. I came across this article, "Taming the Teaser," while browsing through some of my old files during vacation. It was originally published on the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin website. I think it worth sharing with you.

Sincerely,
Nancy Jukins

Most school-age children - both boys and girls - encounter teasing or bullying. Whether a victim, an aggressor or a bystander, repeated exposure to this behavior could have a significant impact on a child's self-image and ability to get along with others. Parents and caregivers should be alert to signs it is occurring and provide children the support they need to deal with these difficult situations. Teasing and bullying are designed to hurt someone and can take a number of forms. Verbal attacks often involve taunting, name-calling or threats. Physical acts may include hitting, kicking, spitting, pushing and taking or breaking personal belongings. Some assaults are psychological or emotional, such as spreading rumors, manipulating relationships and engaging in exclusion or intimidation.

Children do not learn how to solve problems alone. They need help learning to be aware of other people's feelings, asserting themselves without being aggressive and suggesting compromises. Here are ways you can help your child with these skills:

• Talk about teasing and bullying. Make it clear you do not approve of hurtful behaviors toward others. Discuss appropriate ways to deal with frustration and anger.
• Explain that nobody needs to put up with attacks from other people. Say that it is wrong for other children to hurt your child physically or with words. Tell you child it is OK to stick up for himself or herself. Encourage your child to talk to you about problems and ask for help.
• Discuss ways to prevent teasing and bullying. These might include avoiding places where problems occur, staying with friends or playing near adult supervision. Encourage your child to leave expensive toys, sports equipment or unneeded money at home.
• Teach options for responding when teased or bullied. Sometimes it works to say, "Stop, I don't like the way you are treating me." Other times, ignoring the bully and walking away does the trick. Role-play by having your child practice responses to different situations.
• Expand your child's support network. Talk to teachers or other adults who can monitor the situations where the teasing and bullying occurs. Look for their help in dealing with persistent problems. Encourage your child to speak up on behalf of other children who are being bullied.
• Foster self-esteem. Every day, tell your child, "I love you." Listen carefully to your child's ideas. Have your child develop a list of things he or she likes about himself or herself.

Children having trouble with bullies often will not tell anyone because they fear adult intervention will make things worse. Signs of teasing or bullying include:

• Hiding injuries such as bruises
• "Losing" money
• Eating more or less than usual
• Having nightmares or difficulty sleeping
• Having moody outbursts
• Acting sad, lonely or withdrawn
• Feeling bad about themselves
• Being unwilling to explain things such as torn clothing or damaged belongings.
• Acting anxious about leaving the house or asking to stay home from school.
• Arriving late at school or home when you know they had time to get there.

Ticket sales will be held on January 14th and 21st from 9:00am til 1:00pm at the North Andover High School in the hallway outside of the cafeteria. Tickets are $25.00 per couple with extra child tickets available for $5.00 each. Cash or checks payable to Thomson PTO will be accepted. Children MUST attend their age appropriate dance.

The Winter Jubilee Dance for grades 4 and 5 will be held on January 28th. The Valentine Dance for grades 2 and 3 will be held on February 11th.

Questions? Please feel free to contact Jayne Dunham at +1 978 688 7851 or Dawn Crescitelli at +1 978 688 0724.

I'm looking for one parent volunteer from each class to help coordinate the KidsArt Fundraiser. If you are interested and would like more details about what's involved, please contact Ginay Pinzer +1 978 685 3062 or gpinzer@comcast.net.

"Anaphylaxis: Understanding, Preventing, and Treating Severe Allergic Reactions to Foods, Medicines, Insects, and Latex" with speaker Dr. John Saryan, MD Chairman of the Department of Allergy and Immunology, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MA from 7:00- 8:30 PM at the North Andover Atkinson Elementary School cafeteria.

All levels - league ages 5 to 16 (birth dates between 5/1/1989 and 4/30/2001) Please bring an original birth certificate, a copy of the birth certificate for the league to keep on file, and a proof of residency (tax bill or utility bill). Registration is also available on-line (for returning players only) at www.eteamz.active.com/NorthAndover.

Classes begin at Kittredge Wednesday, February 1st, 2006. Watch for registration forms being sent home with your child. Registrations are due by January 16th, 2006. Did you miss out on GLOBAL CHILD classes this fall? Contact Regional Coordinator STACIA TAGLIAFERRO at +1 978 447 1862 to find out how you can catch up and join a class starting soon!

New! Merrimack Valley Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) Parent Connection Group, a program of the KID foundation. Second Monday of each month; next one is Monday, January 9th, from 7 - 8:30 pm. Contact Casey Quirk for location and directions: caseyquirk@hotmail.com or cell +1 508 265 4648. Refer to www.spdnetwork.org for more information on SPD and the Kid foundation.

You may register for the Volleyball Program and/or the April Vacation Camp on Tuesday, January 31st, Atkinson School, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

You may also register for the Spring Camp through Community Programs' Spring Sessions' Excel Programs. Registration for the Spring Camp is limited to the first 30 players to sign up. The registration fee for the NABC program is $60 per player and for the Spring Camp $110 per player. All registration fees must be paid at the time of registration. Please download the registration form from the Handout link and bring to registration.

Visit our Kittredge website at http://www.northandover.k12.ma.us/Kittredge/.

Please send via email to kathy.eastwood@comcast.net (please put Newslink in the subject line) or call Kathy Eastwood at +1 978 794 3025 by Friday at noon.

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