Kelso's Choices

Problem solving and conflict resolution are key skills to successful friendships. We are learning to be problem solvers at GES & WWES using Kelso's Choices. Kelso's Choices teach young students how to be peacemakers in the classroom and at home. Students learned the difference between small problems and big problems that needs to be reported to an adult.

Examples of Big Problems: weapons, drugs, fighting, bullying

Examples of Small Problems: somebody repeating everything you say, somebody accidently making a pencil mark on your paper, two friends wanting to play two different games

Kelso's Choice Wheel teaches students that there are many different ways to solve a problem. Click on the following videos to learn more about problem solving and learning how you can use Kelso's Choices.

Kelso in Action

Putting Kelso Into Play

Problems and conflict happens everywhere. Check out Kelso's Parent Page and watch Beyond the Classroom to see how Kelso's Choices can help solve problems at home and in the neighborhood.

Let's work together to help our children work together and solve problems peacefully. 

Remember: It's Your Choice Baby!

Kelso's Choice Wheel

 

Mix It Up at Lunch

Students at Guadalupe Elementary and William Wood Elementary "mixed it up at lunch" to help foster unity and positive relationships throughout the school. Parents, students from Victoria East High School, and WWES/GES Student Council members helped facilitate conversations and showed the students how to introduce themselves and make friends with everyone. Following the event, students reflected on how using good character helped Mix It Up at Lunch be a huge success and how they can continue to use character to build friendships with their classmates. Mix It Up at Lunch is part of our No Place for Hate Campaign. Our goal is to promote a welcoming and caring environment for all students throughout the year.

MLK Day of Service Monday, January 18th

Volunteer on MLK Day of Service and honor Martin Luther King, Jr. He continues to encourage us  to reach out to others and serve our community. MLK Day of Service PSA

Volunteers (students grades 5th - 12th and adults) are needed to help the Victoria Area Homeless Coalition make care bags for those homeless or on the verge of being homeless.  The VAHC will be conducting a yearly count for our area on 1/21/16 and these bags will be given to those who are surveyed. The items will be packed into care bags from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church Entrance E, 4102 N Ben Jordan.

Parent Volunteers Needed for Mix It Up at Lunch

Volunteers are needed!

Students will "Mix It Up at Lunch" during all lunch times. Students will be assigned different tables at lunch and interact with peers from different classes. Building community and fostering a caring environment takes practice. This activity is part of our "No Place for Hate" campaign. Friendships will blossom as students go outside their comfort zones and build social skills that will last a lifetime.

Volunteers will sit with students at the tables and help guide conversations

January 20th William Wood Elementary 10:45 am - 12:15 pm

January 21st Guadalupe Elementary 10:45 am - 12:15 pm

E-mail Ann Castro for more information: ann.castro@visd.net

Using the Scientific Method to Learn About Friendship

In some of the older grades I use science as a way to teach social skills and character. The kids love it because it is fun and hands on and the teachers love it because I am reinforcing their core academic areas.

Third, fourth, and fifth graders learned about friendship through a science experiment. In this lesson we reviewed watched The Scientific Method Rap before starting the lesson.

Pepper Experiment:
Question: What will happen to pepper floating in water when soap is added to the water?
Hypothesis: _______________ might happen when soap is added to the water.
Materials: cup of water, toothpick with soap, pepper
Procedure: 1) put water in cup 2) add pepper (friends and classmates) 3) put soap (mean words) on toothpick (another classmate) 4) dip soapy toothpick in peppered water 5) Record what happens
Results: The pepper moved away quickly from the soap.
Conclusion: My hypothesis was/was not supported by my results.

Here is a video that shows the complete experiment and explains a little about the science behind surface tension: Pepper & Water Science Trick

Friendship Connection: What happens when you say mean things around your classmates? Is there something that could change the result? How can you use this in your life today?

Celebrate Your Thinking!

Many kids are very critical of themselves and are hesitant to problem solve using their own intelligence. We need to recognize the gift of thinking differently. The lesson was taught to Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade. This activity is a lesson that could be taught in any grade level.

Part One: Introduction to "Celebrating Our Differences"

• Read I'm Like You, You're Like Me, by Cindy Gainer. Discuss parts about accepting others and celebrating our differences. 

Part Two: Introduction to "thinking" activity

• Give each student was given a page of shapes and a "canvas" (a piece of construction paper).  "What pictures do you think you could make with these shapes?"
•  Students answer. Acknowledge similar answers and go into detail briefly. Often kids say, "that was my answer!". Have them notice that their idea of a car might be similar, but not exactly the same. One might decide to color it a different color or have two windows instead of one window. 
• "Today we are going to celebrate the way we think! We will be stopping you throughout the activity to reflect on they way we are uniquely thinking and working on the project."

Part Three: Activity

• Possible Guidelines: "You have to use all the shapes and all the shapes need to be attached to the canvas. You can add to the picture using crayons."
• Let the students begin. Stop them after two minutes and begin a brief discussion on how they are thinking:
• "Who decided to cut out all the shapes first and then color them? Who is color one shape and the cutting it out? Who is coloring all the shapes first and then cutting them out?"
• "How did you come up with your idea?"
• "I love football so I am making a game." (Personal Hobbies and Interests)
• "I saw my friend making a castle and I like the idea." (Cooperation and Brainstorming)
• The students continue the activity and then stop them again. Begin another brief discussion on how they are thinking and their work habits. 
• "How many of you have a lot of details and are carefully coloring in the lines before cutting out the shapes? Do you notice that you sometimes take longer on activities? How does that affect your classwork? How do you organize your time so you make sure to complete all your work?"
• "How many of you colored across the shape and over the lines because you knew that you were cutting it out and it wouldn't matter?"
• The students continue for a few more minutes. Those that are not finished are reminded that there are times during the day when you can work on unfinished projects. 
• "Following directions and stopping is respectful and completing the project later is responsible."

Part Four: Conclusion

• When most of the kids are finished and if there is extra time, take a quiet gallery walk. The students move around quietly looking at all the masterpieces. 
• Encourage the students to quietly compliment each other's artwork and recognize similar thinking strategies and work habits between classmates. 
• "Look Joe! We both had the same idea!"
• "Wow, Sally, you are so creative!"

Celebrate your thinking today!

My "Donors Choose Project: Magnifying Character" has been funded!

I am truly grateful for the donations received towards my Donors Choose Project . It has been fully funded and I look forward to telling the students about our new classroom tools. Using a projector and a document camera with my students will expand the classroom learning possibilities for our students. I will be able to model activities, lessons, and assignments using the document camera and projector. I look forward to seeing the children grow in their confidence and understanding with the use of these classroom tools.