Interests: It is hard to believe athat March is almost over. We have been very busy in our guidance department. Our classroom guidance in January for First Grade dealt with "Problem Solving". We had Freddie the Frog and His Problem Solving Lagoon" help us with how to solve our problems. He gave us several steps in handling our problems by using different situational problems to help us. The activity was done in two parts. A letter was given to each first graders to take home to share with their families as to how they learned to solve their problems whenever the need arises. This activity was done in two lessons. The second grade guidance lesson was on building friendly relationships with their peers. Their lesson was on "Snowball of Friends" using cotton balls to help them come up with positive ways to build friendly affirmations to each other. Our fourth graders worked on Conflict Resolution, with an activity called "Red,Light,Green Light" Whenever a negative comment was made, the students used their thinking skills by standing up at their seats to demonstrate that this comment was negative. Whenever a positive statement was made, the students raised both their hands in the air. This activity went well, for they learned to handle conflicts when the need arises. In February the first, second and fourth grade guidance classes worked on Career Exploration. The first grade classes explored various careers and made a career book from A to Z. The second grade guidance classes heard a story about "Roger the Vet" and discovered although Roger always loved animals, he didn't like school and later found out that he was not able to become a vet because he did not prepare himself by doing his best in school. They learned the importance of not necessarily knowing now what they will be when they grow up, but to learn to focus on the school work as a way to prepare them for whatever they want to become. Fourth grade guidance allowed them to explore the six career clusters using hands on props as their guide. This was a way to learn the many possibilities and options that are available to them if college isn't their goal, then there are vocational and trade schools that are also there for them. For the month of March, we focused on Test Taking Strategies. The first grade classes learned waya toa relax and not stress while taking tests. Their guidance lesson was called "Spaghetti Toes", using uncooked and cooked spaghetti as a meam pf demonstating either stressed and relaxed ways to help your body deal with taking tests. The second grade guidance lessons are also on Test Taking. Various strategies are used in successful test taking. Their lesson is called, "Taking Tests Successfully." It demonstrates from eating a good breakfast, getting to school on time,to having two number two pencils sharpened, listen to the teachers directions and instructions, to reading the questions and answers over carefully, to eliminating the answers that are not related to the questions, to making correct choices in anwering the questions. In addition to classroom guidance, the first, second and fourth grade classes have Enrichment, which is one hour and five minutes once every five weeks. The first grade classes worked on Study Skills, when Barney the Bear taught them skills, such as, Listen Carefully and Use Your TIme Wisely, Ask When You Don"t Understand, Do Not Disturb Others and more. They also made Barney Bear masks and put one of the skills on the back of their Barney Bear mask. The second grade enrichment class activity was called "Umbrella of Success", using a first a real umbrella letting them know that it wasn't bad luck to have an umbrella open inside the classroom because of their self confidence was there to protect them. With the poster umbrella and raindrops helped them to explore all the possiblities they have to allow their self confidence to help them be successful. The fourth grade students enrichment was on "Decision Making Personalities". They discovered which personal type they were by learning about a bumper car type personality, race car, family van and eighteen wheeler. Many of them discovered that they were more than one type, including their counselor and that each of these personality had to work with others in order to get along. After our Spring Break, our first through fifth grader will be taking the CRCT standardized test. We know that our students at Frey will be well prepared to successfully take the test with all the preparation they are getting from their classroom teachers and with their guidance counselors. We encourage you to let them know that they will do well and they should "do their personal best.:" Thank you for all that you do as their parents and guardians.