The Stadium Drive Star Where academics shine through the arts
May 2016
Parents Role in Bullying and Intervention Behavior Patterns Begin at Home Behavior patterns begin at home. Teaching your child good communication and social skills at home will go a long way toward his/her success in school. Talk with your child. From the time children learn to talk, parents can have a running conversation with them about how their day went. This makes it natural to continue the custom after the child starts to school. Ask questions about their days. Ask about their friends. Get to know their classmates and friends. Volunteer your services to the classroom whenever possible. Parents need to be observant of their children's behavior, appearance, and mood, both for signs of the child being bullied or engaging in bullying behavior. Torn clothes, bruises, loss of appetite, mood changes, and reluctance to go to school are all signs that something is wrong. Many children fall deeper and deeper into depression as a result of long term bullying. Signs that a child is engaging in bullying behavior might be impulsiveness, showing no empathy for others, or a desire to be in control. Children who bully are often arrogant and boastful winners and poor losers when they engage in competitive games. A child who has bonded well with his/her parents and feels warmth and caring from them is much less likely to resort to bullying behavior with peers in schools and elsewhere. The parents should have also set adequate limits for a child's behavior at home and not allow aggression toward siblings, other family members and peers. Discipline at Home Establishes a Pattern for Interaction with Others The way a child is disciplined at home will establish a pattern for his/her interaction with other children in school. A parent who disciplines a child with yelling or hitting is teaching a child to react in that manner with other people. Often a child who exhibits bullying behavior in school has been the target of that behavior in the home. Boys who observe their fathers handling disputes with a physical response or girl who observe their mothers practicing exclusion or manipulation of friends or family members will likely exhibit the same behavior in school. Although the data shows that both genders can engage in all of these behaviors, it also shows that boys are more likely to bully other boys physically while girls are more like to bully with manipulation and exclusion or with spreading rumors.
Name calling is a favorite form of bullying behavior among some children. Parents need to be particularly aware of the language children hear at home. Targets of name calling should be taught to look the perpetrator straight in the eye and say, "I don't like it when you call me names," but to go no further. They should be taught not to get into an argument or to try to change the perpetrator's mind. It is a waste of time, and prolonging the situation could lead to physical bullying. Parents Must Monitor Their Own Behavior Too One of the problems that nearly all schools have to deal with at some time or another is bullying behavior on the part of a parent. Parents who want to address a problem or any other concern with school personnel should learn how to approach an administrator, classroom teacher, or other school staff. A parent who is angry and threatening school personnel often solves nothing. Further, parents who punish their children for not fighting back physically are adding to their child's problems. Unfortunately, the parent who engages in bullying behavior often exhibits this behavior both toward school personnel and his/her own child. 1|Page
Self-examination would be a wise course for a parent whose child has been accused of bullying behavior. The parent's first question, before taking any action, might well be, "What have I done to contribute to this situation?" Reprinted with permission from Childhood Bullying and Teasing: What School Personnel, Other Professionals, and Parents Can Do, Dorothea M. Ross, Ph.D.
No School There will be no school on Monday, May 30. Enjoy Memorial Day!
Lunch Prices Lunch prices will be increasing for the 2016-2017 school year. Below is the new fee schedule for all levels: Elementary Middle School/High School
$2.75 $3.00 - $3.25
LOEF Golf Outing The 11th annual Lake Orion Education Golf Outing will be held on Tuesday, June 28 at Devil’s Ridge Golf Club. The Lake Orion Education Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization which was founded by parents and educators to raise funds to help enhance the educational experience for our children. You have their commitment that your donation will be used effectively toward having a positive impact on the educational experience for the students of Lake Orion Community Schools. Please see the attached registration form for further details.
Field Day Field Day is on Thursday, June 16. Grades three through five will participate in the morning from 9:30-11:15 AM. Kindergarten through second grade will participate in the afternoon from 1:453:30 PM. More information will be coming home next week.
than willing to print a second card in the event it gets “lost” on the way home. Lost and Found – Lost and found items are currently located on a table near the cafétorium and theatre classroom. Any item left after Friday, June 17 will be donated to a local second hand store. Student Medicine – Student medicine, epi-pens, and/or inhalers that have been stored in the main office must be picked up by a parent by Tuesday, June 21 at 4:00 PM. Items not picked up will be discarded in an appropriate manner.
Upcoming Events 5/12 – Spring Art Show, Open House – 6:00 PM 5/25 – Dance Spectacular (Matinee) – 2:00 PM 5/26 – Dance Spectacular – 6:30 PM 5/30 – Memorial Day Recess 6/2 – PTO Meeting – 4:10 PM
End of Year Procedures
6/3 – Muffins With Mom 8:00 AM
Report Cards – Report cards will be sent home with students the last day of school. This protocol is one that works with great success at other elementary buildings within the Lake Orion Community Schools, eliminates postage expense, and does not require an additional trip to school by parents. We will be more
6/10 – Teacher Records Day (Half Day of School) – 12:10 PM Release Time for Students 2|Page