Dear Families,
I wanted to thank everyone who reached out about my fathers surgery. I’m happy to report that it went very well and his new knee is already feeling better than his old one.
I also wanted to provide some guidance on the Trunk or Treat that will occur on October 29th! We are going to have the cars that will be decorated in the bus loop behind the school. We ask that families pull their cars into the bus lot and have their trunks face the middle. The food trucks will be in the middle of the bus loop itself which should allow for families to walk around easily to all the trunks. If you are just coming to the Trunk or Treat you can park in the front parking lots and walk around the building to the back. We will have a few porter potty stalls in the back of the school as well for anyone that needs to use the facilities.
I will upload a video to Facebook with a visual of where to park the cars in the bus lot for anyone who is not familiar with the back of the school. I will upload it to the Hutchings Elementary PTO Facebook page as well as the schools. You can find the PTO page by clicking here.
District-wide Canned Food Drive Begins Monday, November 1
The annual district-wide canned food drive to support Gleaners Community Food Bank begins on Monday, November 1, and will run through Friday, December 3. The event is organized by students in Howell High School’s Leadership Class and serves as a way for our schools to support those in need in our community.
Counselor’s Corner
What is Belly Breathing?
When you take air in through your nose, it travels into your lungs. If you take a shallow breath, only the chest cavity expands. Breathing deeply involves more of your body — the diaphragm contracts and both the belly and chest cavity expand. Belly breathing and the “fight or flight” response to stress or anxiety (two feelings we all experience) can’t occur at the same time. When our bodies switch into “fight or flight” mode, we engage in shallow breathing. We’re ready for battle. On the other hand, belly breathing reduces our heart rate and triggers a relaxation response. It slows us down.
Directions
It’s best to start practicing belly breathing when you and your child are already relaxed. This way, your child can build awareness of what being calm feels like. Once your child has the feeling of belly breathing mastered (have her practice it daily), she can apply it to stressful moments.
Now have your child lie on her back, relax her muscles and place her hands on her belly.
With her mouth closed, have her breathe in for four seconds or until she feels her whole chest fill with air, all the way down to her belly.
Have your child hold in the air for four seconds.
Have your child slowly blow the air out until it’s all gone.
Include belly breathing as a regular part of your child’s routine, such as bedtime.
With practice, it can become a familiar strategy that your child can use at any age.
www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/practice-mindfulness-with-belly-breathing
Your partner in education,
Sarah Marker
School Counselor