Dear Families,
Please see the following information about the end of the school year and some events that are coming up!
5th Grade Families:
You should have received information about the remaining 5th grade events from the 5th grade teacher’s weekly e-mails if you have not gotten that information, specifically about graduation, please connect with your child’s 5th grade teacher to get that information. They will be sending home paper copies here in the near future as well.
3rd Grade Families:
The 3rd Grade Greenfield Village trip is Thursday May 31st and we are leaving Hutchings at 8:30 and returning at 3:00. Please be aware that students need to be at the school between 8:20 – 8:25 for us to leave on time.
2nd Grade Walking Trip:
The 2nd grade is taking their Howell Walking Trip on Wednesday June 6th if you have any questions about the trip please connect with the 2nd grade teachers! They are also going to Voyager Elementary to meet with their pen pals on May 31st!
Lunch:
Any outstanding debt in lunch accounts must be paid off by June 4th we will be sending home reminder notes with students if their lunch account is in the negative as we approach the end of the year. A school lunch is 2.70 and we have 23 days left so that is roughly $62 dollars to cover the rest of the year if a child bought lunch every single day.
Field Day:
Just a reminder that field day is May 29th if you have an interest in volunteering for field day please fill out the form from Mr. Adam. If you need another form please let Mr. Adam or the office know!
Library Books:
The last day to check out any book from the library is June 1st!
Last Day of School:
Due to the snow days our last day of school has been pushed back to June 14th please remember to pick up all medicine that is here at the school for your child. Also please check the lost and found as you are here to ensure all of your items are returned to you!
MacGregor's Message:
This summer the Howell Public Schools Athletics Department is offering a wide variety of summer sports camps. Camps are being offered for elementary, middle and high school students. To view the full camp brochure, please visit https://goo.gl/SMBKBL. To register online for one of these exciting camps, please visit https://goo.gl/zWKcjS. If you have any questions, please contact the Athletic Department Office at athleticdepartment@howellschools.com or 517-540-8335.
Learning to Lose without Losing Your Cool
Spring….the swing of the bat, the scoring of a goal, the cheers of the crowd, trophies and ribbons being won!
Sports are not just about winning. They are also teaching life lessons of working with a team, practicing to be your best, and achieving a goal. They also teach children about learning to lose graciously. Even outside of sports, all children experience wins and losses, successes and disappointments. As parents, we do not want our children to feel pain or disappointment, but losing is often difficult for kids. Losing, however, helps teach sportsmanship and perseverance, and leads to social and emotional growth while preparing kids for the future. While losing will naturally occur, gracious losing must be taught and modeled and continually practiced.
Parent tips for good sportsmanship:
- Praise efforts. Tell your child that you are proud that he/she practiced and worked so hard. Mention personal highpoints. Emphasize the fun.
- Celebrate losses and wins. Congratulate your child for a well-played game.
- Empathize. Let your child know that you are aware of his/her feelings. Support him/her by saying that you know he/she practiced hard and that there will be other games or opportunities.
- Don’t lecture. Your child probably already knows what went wrong and could have been done better. You will only make him/her feel worse by pointing it out. After your child is calm, let him/her know that you are available if he/she wants to discuss the game.
- Provide unconditional positive regard. Don’t express your unhappiness. Let your child know that you love him/her and that they have not let you down.
- Be yourself. Your child will behave and act like you do. Remain calm and positive and expect the same from your child.
- Encourage self-reflecting. Encourage your child to think about his/her behavior. How did they react? What went well? What should be worked on?
- Encourage him/her to become a fan. Let him/her follow his/her favorite sports personality and view how he/she practices sportsmanship by shaking hands, high-fiving, congratulating others and maintaining dignity.
- Break the winning habit. Do not allow your child to win easily even if he/she becomes upset when losing. Remind him/her that it is more fun to play with a good sport.
- Inspire him/her to play other games. Encourage your child to participate in more than one sport, one activity or one type of game. It will break the routine and you may discover other talents.
The world is competitive and learning to keep your cool while losing is vital to emotional stability and healthy social development. Dealing with disappointment should be instilled at a young age. Losing graciously teaches how to learn from the experience, put it behind you, move on from the disappointment, and work toward your goal.
Your Partner in Education,
Jennifer Starkey