Are You a Bucket Filler?

Students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade have been focusing on being a "Bucket Filler".  What is Bucket Filling you ask?  Bucket Filling is when you do something kind for others. Have You Filled a Bucket Today, written by Carol McCloud is a wonderful story that teaches children to be kind to others.  But, watch out for the Bucket Dippers!  This year, I found a different version of Have You Filled a Bucket Today, called Bucket Filling from A to Z.  Students in second grade created a "Bucket Filling" Tips Acrostic Poem using the first letters in their names.  Students got very creative!  Some examples are:


R:  Respect Everybody
C:  Listen while others are talking
B:  Be a friend and not a bully
O:  Offer help
A:  Accept differences
T:  Tell someone a nice thing
S:  Smile and see what happens :)

Here are my bucket filling tips:

BHE No Name Calling Week January 21-24

BHE

“No Name-Calling” Week

January 21-24

“No Name-Calling” Week was inspired by a young adult novel entitled "The Misfits" by popular author, James Howe. The book tells the story of four best friends trying to survive the seventh grade in the face teasing and taunts.  Motivated by the inequities they see around them, the "Gang of Five" (as they are known) creates a new political party during student council elections and run on a platform aimed at wiping out name-calling of all kinds. The No-Name Party in the end wins the support of the school's principal for their cause and their idea for a "No Name-Calling Day" at school.

Schools across the nation will be celebrating “No Name-Calling” Week.  BHE will be participating in the annual “No-Name Calling” Week during the week of January 21.  This year’s theme is “Kindness”.  BHE believes in celebrating kindness while working to create a safe school free of name-calling, bullying and bias.  During the counselor class time, Ms. Wessels will be focusing on lessons that teach kindness, bullying, and name-calling.  Please talk with your student about what they are learning.

To show our support, each day, students and staff, will have the choice to dress up in the following ways:

Tuesday:          “Put a Rest to Name-Calling” wear PJ’s to school. 

Wednesday:      “Put a Cap on Name-Calling” wear a hat of choice

Thursday:         “Don’t Stuff Your Feelings Inside…Tell Someone!” Bring a favorite stuffed animal to school.

Friday:             Book Character Day: Students and staff select a book character that they love and think about and share the positive traits of that character.  Book Character Assembly will begin at 8:45 in the cafeteria.

Upcoming Workshop: Parenting with Love and Logic

Click Here for more information or to register

List of Important Dates for Austin ISD Academy and Magnet School Application Process

What is a sincere apology?

We have all been there.  Someone hurts our feelings and simply says, "Sorry" however,  you can tell they don't mean it.  Maybe you were the ones who said, "sorry" and didn't mean it.  Students have been practicing their problem solving skills using Keslo's Choices.  One of Kelso's Choices is to apologize.  When I asked the students if anyone had ever apologized to them but they could tell that the other person didn't mean it, hands flew up!  Below are a few ways students knew that the other person didn't mean it:

1. He said it in a rude tone.
2. She rolled her eyes
3. My mom made her
4. He wouldn't look me in the eye
5. She sounded annoyed
6. She said sorry and did it again
7. He shouted it at me

Together we read the book, Sorry! by Trudy Ludwig.  This was a great book suggested by a fellow counselor in AISD (Thank you Ms. Kolander).  This story is about a boy named Jack who becomes friends with another boy named Charlie who believes that an insincere apology can right all of his wrongs.  However, after the boys ruin a classmate's science fair project, Charlie learns that "I'm Sorry" doesn't always "cut it".  The science teacher teaches the boys that a sincere apology includes actions as well as words.

During counselor lessons, students practiced the proper way to say an apology so our friends, peers, teachers, parents, and sibilings, know we mean it.  Using various scenarios that have happened in class, students used the following apology format:

I'm sorry I ___________________.  I feel _______________.  I will __________________.

*Lesson from That's My Story Too! Lessons and Activities for 52 Counselor Recommended Children's Books and Spectacular Guidance Lessons for Kids

Austin ISD Magnet School Information

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