From the Desk of the Social Worker

Maintaining a Summer Routine for Middle Schoolers

While summer is a time for students to have fun without classes and schoolwork, it does not mean that your middle schooler should forget about sticking to a routine. A routine for kids during summer break provides security and predictability, which can be especially helpful when there is so much unstructured time that can lead to boredom and sometimes bad decision-making.

Kristina Cappetta, May 16, 2025

French

Wrapping Up a Fantastic Year in Middle School French and World Language! 🇫🇷

As we close out the school year, we are so proud of the growth and enthusiasm our 5th through 8th grade French/WL students have shown! From learning how to introduce themselves and describe their daily routines to exploring French culture, food, and geography, students have built a strong foundation in language and cultural understanding.

Our 5th and 6th graders focused on basics like greetings, colors, numbers, and everyday vocabulary through songs, games, and hands-on activities. Meanwhile, 7th and 8th graders expanded their grammar and conversational skills, tackled short readings, and even created projects showcasing what they've learned.

Merci to all the students for their hard work—and to our families for your continued support. We look forward to another exciting year ahead. Bonnes vacances et à bientôt!

From the Desk of the Social Worker

Screen Time and Summer

Strategies for making a plan that works for both you and your kids

Writer: Dave Anderson, PhD

Read the article HERE.

French

From the Desk of the Social Worker

5 Ways to Set Healthy Boundaries for Mental Wellbeing

Set healthy boundaries

We hear that advice all the time, whether we’re talking about screen time, work-life balance or relationships. But what does it mean? How do we set healthy boundaries?

In a world that constantly demands our time, energy and attention, setting healthy boundaries is essential for protecting our mental wellbeing. But many people don’t know where to start, or even what “boundaries” means.

While it might sound like building walls around yourself, it’s helpful to think of boundaries more like guardrails to protect your time, energy and wellbeing.

Click HERE for the article.

Physical Education

With the crazy Spring weather, P.E. classes have spent some time indoors and outdoors.  A few days were spent on soccer and lacrosse, a few days on fitness games and activities, and a fun day of 4x100M baton relays (pictured below).  Students will continue to be introduced to a variety of activities and games to finish the year, including Frisbee Golf, Golf, KanJam, Spikeball, and more.

5th Grade World language

Our 5th graders have been excitedly presenting in Spanish their “favorite things” , using colors to express themselves in creative ways. We are proud of their enthusiasm and growing confidence! We look forward to our next unit, where students will explore how to describe their personality traits and talk about their pets.

From the Desk of the social Worker

Español 1

Spanish 1 students read a graphic novel titled “Soy Carlos” in class.  Now they are writing a book about themselves in the same format as the book.  They will describe themselves and their likes and dislikes.

Stem

The 7th grade STEM students finished building their "clawbot" addition for their robot. The students are competing against each other in a series of timed  challenges using the claw. The challenges so far have included collecting the most blocks and placing blocks in a specific place as quickly as possible. 

From the Desk of the Social Worker

For many families, school anxiety doesn’t appear overnight. It may start with a few difficult mornings, a stomachache before class, or a request to stay home “just this once.” Over time, those moments may grow into patterns of anxiety and stress that can affect the entire family. 

In this episode of You Only Know What You Know, hosts Beth Hope, LCSW, and Britt Teasdale sit down with Adam Honecker, LCSW, Director of Compass Health Center’s Adolescent Programs in Chicago, to discuss what’s happening beneath the surface for children and teens when school starts to feel impossible. 

They discuss the many reasons students may begin to avoid school, including anxiety, social pressure, perfectionism, burnout, and the need for safety and connection. 

Throughout the conversation, they explore: 

• Why school avoidance often develops gradually

• Why physical symptoms like headaches and stomachaches are common

• How school anxiety can show up differently across ages 

• Practical ways parents can support their child while protecting their own mental health 

By understanding the “why” behind school avoidance, families can begin to shift the conversation from frustration and fear to curiosity, support, and problem-solving.

Handout for Parents

Physical education

The PE classes have been able to get outside a few more times before break.  We're hoping for consistently nice weather when we return to finish out the year.

From the Desk of the social worker

Substance Use in Teens and Adolescents

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (March 16 – March 22) encourages communities to talk openly about substance use and prevention.

At Pillars Community Health, we support teens and families by providing education, counseling, and treatment when substance use becomes a concern. Early conversations and early support can make a meaningful difference.

In our latest blog, we explore the substances teens most commonly encounter, how substance use affects the developing brain, and how families can recognize when a young person may need help.

Pillars Community Health also offers substance use groups for adolescents throughout the year, providing a supportive space to build healthy coping skills and connections.

Pillars Community Health, 2026

French

Students in grades 6-8 are right in the thick of Manie Musicale! We’ve completed our voting for matches 1–4, and four more exciting matchups are still to come. Students are busy discussing the songs, artists, and their countries of origin while sharing their opinions about different musical styles and genres. Along the way, they are working on projects that dig deeper into the music through lyric analysis, vocabulary exploration, and learning about the cultures, countries, and flags connected to the artists. It’s a fun and engaging way for students to experience the French language through music!

From the desk of the social worker

ONLINE SAFETY TALKING POINTS

Have the Talk

It’s never too early to start talking to kids and teens about the risks they face online and continue talking about them at every age. Like teaching a child how to safely cross the street, continuous discussions and reminders are key to safe online habits.

For younger kids:

• Teach them not to click on pop-ups.
• Explain that they should never share passwords, addresses or personal information with people they don’t know online.
• Create a series of steps they should follow if they see inappropriate content, such as looking away and telling a parent or trusted adult.
• Warn them not to trust people they meet online, and tell them they should tell a trusted adult if someone makes them feel nervous, scared or uncomfortable.
• Teach online etiquette and how to be respectful of others, and let them know they should tell someone if they feel disrespected.
• Help them identify a trusted adult or guardian they can go to for help.

For tweens and teens:

• Talk about how they should never post personal information or inappropriate content.
• Discuss sexting and the permanency of online data.
• Teach them how to avoid online predators by setting up privacy controls on their devices, like restricting apps’ location access.
• Explain the warning signs that characterize online predators.
• Tell them that safe adults won’t ask them to keep secrets or disrespect their boundaries.
• Help them identify a trusted adult or guardian they can go to for help.
• Discuss steps they can take if a friend confides in them about inappropriate online interactions, such as telling a trusted adult or pointing them to Know2Protect resources.
• Explain that minors shouldn’t disseminate sexual abuse material because it’s illegal.
• Explain that even if they’ve already shared sexual abuse material or been involved in inappropriate online interactions, it’s not too late to tell an adult and get help.
• Discuss cyberbullying.

https://www.dhs.gov/know2protect/

Music

Band

Congrats to Mrs. Hardesty and the middle school band members for an awesome performance on Feb. 18th! 

Orchestra 

Musicians are learning new techniques for our next concert cycle. Ms. M hopes you are able to hear your child working on these skills at home during practice sessions! 

General Music (Ms. M):

We are wrapping up a great Trimester 2 this week. Students have done a wonderful job learning about historical time periods, composers, and applying these concepts on an instrument in class. I wish all the students the best of luck in Trimester 3!

Español

Levels 1-3

La Locura de Marzo is in full swing! Students have listened to all 16 songs, read about the artists, written and discussed their opinions, and completed their brackets. More than 219,000 students from 49 states and 14 countries are participating (see the attached map). So far, students have voted in 4 of the 16 battles. Ask your child about their favorite song!

From the Desk of the social worker

Helping at home: Tips for parents when dealing with Mental Health

1. The first rule of caring for your child’s emotional or behavior struggles is that there are no rules. Parenthood doesn’t come with a manual and there will be a lot of trial and error as you figure out what works best to help your child.

2. Cover the basics. Before you dismiss your child’s outburst as a lack of control, ask yourself if there is a simple explanation for what’s going on. Are they hungry or thirsty? Are they too hot or cold? Are they overstimulated? Did they get enough sleep? Are they feeling under the weather (i.e. – colds, allergies, headaches, upset stomachs)?

3. Pick your battles. Ask yourself if this specific behavior is doing any harm, or if it’s just annoying—annoying probably isn’t worth arguing over. If you do get in an argument with your child, resist the urge to raise your voice. Be matter-of-fact and stand your ground.

4. Environment matters. Do your best to create a home that is low on stress, safe, and supportive. A “Mary Poppins”-type household would be great, but let’s get real. If you and your significant other get in a fight, keep it away from the kids. Give reasonable timelines for getting chores done. Praise your child for the things they do well and let them know that you love them.

5. Encourage communication. Let your child know that they can talk to you about their thoughts, feelings, or difficult situations they’re dealing with. When they do come to you, really listen to what they have to say. You may not agree or understand, but you need to accept that the difficulties they are having are very real to them. Think about things you struggled with when you were their age.

6. Timing is everything. In stressful situations, allow your child some space and address issues later when they have regained control over themselves, otherwise you’re basically pouring gasoline on a fire.

7. Create calm. A child in crisis and out of control cannot rely on reason. Your gut reaction may be to panic or go into mama/papa bear mode, but they rely on you to help them regain a sense of calm and stability. Soften your voice and use short, clear directions: “Come with me.” “Sit down.” “Take a deep breath.” “Tell me what’s going on.”

8. Help them to help themselves. Check out Helpful vs Harmful–Ways to Manage Emotions, for a breakdown of constructive ways to deal with feelings. It’s great for your child in the long-term and their teachers will also appreciate strong coping skills. Praise successes and use failures as learning opportunities. Ask questions like, “What can you do the next time you’re in this situation?” or “What made you feel better the last time you felt this way?”

9. Tackle troubling thoughts. Sometimes the brain can play tricks on us. We’ve all had something unsettling cross our minds or have assumed someone was mad at us when they weren’t. Break down problem thoughts and bring your child back to reality. For instance, if they think that a friend doesn’t like them anymore, ask them why they think that and if their friend did anything to make them think that way. Or if they are worried that you are going to get hurt in a car accident, remind them that you drive safely to and from work and/or school every day and that your car has airbags to help keep you safe. If there seems to be a bigger problem with anxiety or depression, take the Parent Screen at mhascreening.org to see if professional help may be needed.

10. Create routines. Routines give a sense of stability to children and teens, especially those who struggle with anxiety. Keep both bedtime and the morning in mind. The Sleep Foundation recommends 9-11 hours of sleep for children ages 6-13, and 8-10 hours of sleep each night for teens ages 14-17. Make sure that your morning routine includes a healthy, low-sugar breakfast, which keeps young people from getting tired in school and helps improve attention span.

11. Check your tone. You may find it tempting to blame problem behaviors on your child hanging out with the “wrong group of friends” – but if you use an accusatory tone, odds are your son or daughter will stop listening. Frame your approach from a place of care and concern, not anger.

12. Learn from other parents. Each state sponsors a Family Run Organization to provide educational advocacy for youth with mental or behavioral health struggles. They have many tools, workshops and conferences to share with parents and caregivers on how to advocate for these young people. Find an organization in your state at http://familyorgdirectory.fmhi.usf.edu/map.cfm. MHA Affiliates also provide support, advocacy tools, and training for parents and caregivers—search for your local MHA here.

Adapted from Red Flags, “Coping with Depression at Home.”

music

February = Concert Month for our Music Department! 

Chorus:

Congrats to Mr. Martinez and our 5th grade chorus members for a great performance on Feb. 5th! 

Orchestra

Congrats to Ms. M and the middle school orchestra members for a great performance on Feb. 11th! 

Band

Coming up - Winter Middle School Band Concert - Wednesday, Feb. 18

Please wish our 5th-8th grade band members good luck on their concert next week, Wednesday, Feb. 18th  in the Middle School gym 7:00pm.