Mustang Memo - February 23, 2024
With Random Acts of Kindness taking place all week, we have continued on with our kindness focus at DCE. After all, it is one of our 4 core values and one of our school expectations!
We see examples of kindness happening all over the school. From big buddies helping their little buddies with reading or math games to students helping out to sort the lost and found tables, there are small acts of kindness taking place all over the school!
Why does kindness matter? It turns out that our brains are actually wired to be kind and to have compassion for each other. Want to learn more? Check out this video on the science behind kindness:
Here's wishing you a weekend full of giving and receiving kindness - because it's good for you!
Helene Hewitt & Jay Robertson
Principal & Assistant Principal
You belong here!
Table of Contents
Week At a Glance
Action
- Pink Shirt Day is Almost Here
Opportunity
- Counsellor's Corner
- Alberta Health Services Addictions and Mental Health Newsletter
Information
- DCE is on Instagram!
- Parents Make the Difference
WEEK AT A GLANCE
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| Tuesday |
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| Wednesday |
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ACTION
Pink Shirt Day is Almost Here
Did you order a DCE pink shirt? It's almost time to wear it!
This Wednesday is Pink Shirt Day! Wear your pink shirt to show that kindness comes first!
What is Pink Shirt Day and why do we recognize it?
Celebrated on the last Wednesday of February each year, Pink Shirt Day is a chance to create a more kind, inclusive world by raising awareness for anti-bullying initiatives. But why a pink shirt?
According to the pinkshirtday.ca official website:
Pink Shirt Day has humble beginnings. Inspired by an act of kindness in small-town Nova Scotia, CKNW Kids' Fund, working with partners Boys & Girls Clubs and 980 CKNW, was inspired to raise funds to support anti-bullying programs. Here is a snippet of an article detailing the original incident:
“David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied [for wearing a pink shirt]…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school. ‘I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders,’ says Mr. Price, 17, who organized the pink protest. ‘Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.’ So Mr. Shepherd and some other headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out message to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag. As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled. The bullies were never heard from again.”
So let's wear our pink shirts and continue to talk about how we can stand up to bullying at DCE!
OPPORTUNITY
Counsellor's Corner
What is Pink Shirt Day and why do we wear pink?
“Pink Shirt Day aims to reduce bullying behaviour by celebrating diversity in all its forms and supporting workplaces, communities, and schools to be safe, supportive, welcoming, and inclusive of all people. Pink Shirt Day aims to raise awareness of bullying behaviour and the unhealthy impacts it can have on others. Many places use the opportunity that comes with Pink Shirt Day and bullying awareness conversations to support programs that foster children’s healthy self-esteem and peer relationships. Pink Shirt Day falls on the last Wednesday of February, annually. Let’s all wear our pink shirts this year on Feb 28th (or another day in February that works for you) and let’s use our voices to stand up to bullying in healthy & respectful ways. Let’s show that it’s ok to be different and to like different things.”
Alberta Health Services Addictions and Mental Health Newsletter
The March edition of the Alberta Health Services Addiction and Mental Health Newsletter focuses on breathing. Newsletter
Themes include:
- Managing stress through breathing
- Practice makes perfect
- Breathing exercises to try with your child
- Breathing exercises to try with your child (cont’d)
INFORMATION
DCE is on Insta!
Do you enjoy a nice picture or two? So do we! That's why Davidson Creek now has it's own Instagram account! You can find us @davidsoncreekelementary. We'll post pictures and other fun information on here so don't forget to check it out!
Parents make the difference
Here is this week's article with helpful tips for families:
Show your child how to become a more confident test-taker
Test anxiety often comes from self-doubt. And it can affect test outcomes. When students don’t think they will succeed, they can’t do their best.
To build your child’s confidence:
- Remove the pressure. Tell your child that tests simply show the teacher what students have learned so far, and what they may need help with.
- Avoid last-minute panic. Your child should begin to study days before the test.
- Teach efficient studying. The focus should be on any material your child has yet to master.
- Encourage positive self-talk. Your child can say things like, “I know this material and I am prepared to do well.”
- Help your child visualize success. With eyes closed, your child should imagine taking the test and knowing all of the answers.
Reprinted with permission from the February 2024 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2024 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.