K-8 Emotions & Relationships
As we wrap up the year, students primarily focus on Responsible Decision-Making. Across grade levels, we have been focusing on digital safety, including digital footprint, media choices, and navigating meanness online. Students are highly engaged in discussing the various ways to stay safe online. Middle School students talked about privacy, oversharing, and reflecting on how social media can make us feel. Students are also reminded that everything they do online leaves a history and can be permanent even when they take precautions. Upper Elementary students also focused on meanness online and how to navigate unkind behaviors. Check out Common Sense Media for more information on teaching your student about digital safety: https://www.commonsense.org/

Our youngest students have spent time in “Hedgehog Land,” a video series by the Child Mind Institute designed to teachs students about a variety of skills to support wellbeing. Students learn about managing intense emotions, navigating conflict, and being a good friend. Child Mind had a video series for every age group and additional resources for parents: https://childmind.org/education/thriving-kids/.

– Emma Mamis, Board Certified Dance/ Movement Therapist, Clinical Counselor

Over the final weeks of school, Elementary will be working on perspective taking,  inferencing (using empathy and devising smart guesses), and saying good bye appropriately as we get ready for summer. Transitions can be a bumpy time for our students and learning expected to ways to say goodbye and how to stay in touch can help when friends are leaving or moving – either to different divisions or schools. We will also tap into the joy that summertime can bring.
– Tricia Keener, Speech & Language Pathologist

K-8 Emotions & Relationships
 With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, Students are preparing for upcoming overnight trips. Upper El and Middle Schoolers have focused on developing healthy relationships and readiness for their trips. We talk with students about physical boundaries, emotional boundaries, hygiene, and homesickness. By creating a space for students to discuss these topics, ask questions, and review photos from previous trips, students are set up for successful experientials.
   We remind students that a growth mindset and facing challenges are normal parts of the experience. We identify ways to stretch ourselves enough to grow without hitting our “panic zone.”
Emma Mamis, Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist, Clinical Counselor

Congratulations Stanbridge Bulldogs! 
Our Middle and High School students were able to walk to the park to attend our home Flag Football game against Winston Prep Academy yesterday. It was so impressive to see our students both on the team and on the sidelines supporting each other. Thank you to our fabulous coaches, Coach Daniel Q., Coach Gage, and Coach Tevita, for providing a wonderful experience and an encouraging environment for our student athletes. 
Spirit Week & Field Day
This coming week is Spirit Week with Field Day culminating the events on Friday. Parents are more than welcome to join us for Field Day! Students should arrive at school at regular time and they will be transported to the site in our school vans. A taco bar lunch will be provided and we want to make sure we have enough for our parents as well. Please RSVP  if your student is in a car seat and/or you plan to join us on Friday. 
Volunteer Appreciation 
Volunteer Appreciation is coming up on Wednesday, May 7th. All year long our parent community does so much to support our school and our faculty and staff. This is the time we set aside to gather and appreciate all of YOU, whether you are part of our Parent Association leadership, our Board, volunteered for the book fair, chaperoned for dances, was a mystery reader, provided for bake sales, and more. Currently our RSVPs are very low. Please take a moment to reply to let us know if you can join us on May 7th after school drop off in the morning. Faculty and staff will provide sweet and savory items; we will have a coffee cart here, as well, to provide your drink of choice. We want to celebrate you and all you do for our school community!

Enjoy the weekend ahead,
Julie Smith
Head of School

 This week, Lower El worked on social turn-taking with a phonology BINGO game. Students had to fill in the blank with a rhyming word. A worksheet went home to try for practice. Parents can be the reader or listener for the activity. This builds auditory processing, reading/writing skills, patience, and turn taking.
   Middle and Upperl El groups worked on perspective taking with red vs. green thoughts. They took different scenarios and imagined how certain words or tones of voice can give others red vs. green thoughts (positive vs. negative). We then connected these lessons to our past learning of "Think it" vs. "Say it."
– Tricia Keener, Speech & Language Pathologist

Across Elementary and Middle School, students are engaging in projects about Neurodiversity! March 17-21 was Neurodiversity Celebration Week and April is Neurodiversity Month, as well as Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month. Students across all divisions have engaged in thoughtful and reflective discussions about neurodiversity, what it means, and why it’s important.

Elementary students are in the midst of completing two projects to Celebrate Neurodiversity. The first is celebrating the uniqueness of every brain through drawing and coloring. The second is all about special interests. Students learn about passion and special interests as a part of neurodiversity. Elementary students are working on self-expression and self-awareness through presentations about their Special Interests.

Middle School students also did a brief overview of neurodiversity, and many students expressed significant knowledge in this area. Students enjoy sharing their knowledge and experiences during these conversations. Middle schoolers are working on posters that develop social awareness regarding well known individuals who have autism, ADHD, and/or other learning differences. They are excited about selecting their own individuals and navigating how to communicate this through writing and artwork.
– Emma Mamis, Clinical Counselor, Board Certified Dance/ Movement Therapist

STANBRIDGE EXPERIENTIAL EARNING – What sets us apart

ELEMENTARY
   Experientials are essential educational experiences that bring curricular subjects, such as history, to life. They foster interaction with classmates and community members, offering unique perspectives and inspiring future interests. For our students, navigating new environments builds cooperation, independence, and valuable life skills. Whether a walk around the block, day trips, or overnights, every excursion extends learning beyond the classroom, promotes curiosity, encourages questions, creates lasting memories, and enriches students' overall development.
   Our excursion this week to the Adobe Home was a success.  Students were engaged in hands-on activities, patient with the rain and candle making, and adventurous running up and down a wet beach!  The program was the right fit for our kids–providing fun activities and giving just enough information about California history. In reflection, students have written solid paragraphs or essays about the trip.
   Upcoming field trips include the San Mateo County History Museum, a ride on Caltrain, and a two-day overnight stay on a working farm in Watsonville.
– Michele Sumpton, Elementary Division

MIDDLE SCHOOL
   This past week was filled with two local field trips for the Middle School. We headed up to the Academy of Sciences and explored all over the museum, enjoying butterflies and birds in the rainforest, and laughing at penguin antics in the African Hall. The following day, we went to see two classmates perform in the Pied Piper Players' "Narnia" and then visited Beresford Park. You may remember that we also visited The Crucible, an industrial arts school in Oakland, last month where our students experienced glassblowing, forging, and other industrial arts.
   These day experientials are valuable to the overall Middle School experience in a myriad of ways including exploring local community resources and bonding over shared off-campus experiences. Piling onto a large spinner at the park with your Middle School friends isn't an experience easily replicated in the classroom! Social-Emotional connections are a hallmark of the middle school years and we want to give them as many structured out-of-class outings as possible to work on building these skills.
   We culminate the school year with our 3-day, 2-night trip to Montara Lighthouse in May. Our Stanbridge Middle School Teachers are pairing up with local naturalists to create the outdoor experiences, from tide-pooling at Moss Beach to Kayaking in Pillar Point Harbor. We are so excited to share such a special place with our Middle School Students!
– Tasha Hudick, Middle School Division

HIGH SCHOOL – Experiential Week is Coming!
   We are so lucky to be able to share off-campus experiences with our students here at Stanbridge. Not only do we get to see them shine in ways we never imagined, but we also get to strengthen our relationships through these wonderful, shared experiences. And don't forget all the hilarious inside jokes that are born on these trips!
   In two weeks, we host High School Experiential Week. During this week we will have a series of day trips and then offer our students a chance to plan, cook, and enjoy a community banquet. I feel very fortunate to work at a school that enables me to engage with my students outside of the classroom and even off campus! Also, Experiential Week happens completely during school hours, so students won't miss shuttles, clubs, or other events. This offers students a chance to participate in our Experiential Program without having to sleep overnight away from home. More information will be sent out next week. 
– Jay Huston, Head of High School

Three cheers for the Stanbridge Experiential Program! More often than not, it is Experientials that Alumni remember most fondly.

​K-8 Social-Emotional Learning
This week in SEL we focused on problem solving and how to manage problems on the playground with peers. We brainstormed options when a friend is stuck and wants to do things their way. We can walk away ("skeddadle," as Ethan says), ask them to follow the agreed upon rules, or take a break if they don't want to follow the group rules. We can always ask an adult for help if friends are having a hard time listening and following the "group plan." We should remember to practice good sportsmanship by saying "good game," even if we lose.
– Tricia Keener, Speech & Language Pathologist

HIGH SCHOOL EMOTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS
For the last several weeks, High School Social Learning has focused on internet safety, boundaries around sharing personal information, and obtaining consent before taking or sharing photos or videos. We have discussed online bullying and catfishing and when to ask for help determining whether situations are becoming dangerous.  Group texting and gossiping are the current topics being discussed.  The students are engaged and thinking hard about the behavior they see and exhibit online and through communication apps.
– Mary Stadler, Director of Counseling

K-8 Emotions & Relationships
Elementary students continue to focus on Relationship Skills and Communication. This month we worked on the power of our words. Students discussed the various impacts that their words have on peers both short and long term. We talked about being non-judgemental and open. Students practiced sharing and listening to different opinions. We finished the unit by creating positive words and messages to thank adults in our community with a “Heart Attack” prank.

Middle School students have been learning skills for self-management from Dialectical Behavior Therapy. We worked on noticing our thoughts and working towards reducing judgment of self and others. We have been talking about various skills to build awareness of what our brain is doing. After our mindfulness skills, we moved into Distress Tolerance skills for self-management during a crisis to avoid shutting down. Students identified and rated the different things that cause them stress and discussed ideas for managing high-stress situations.

HOME RESOURCE: DBT-RU: DBT Skills from Experts – Mindfulness What Skills

– ​Emma Mamis, MA, BC-DMT, LPCC – Clinical Counselor

High School students are learning about self-advocacy and assertive communication in Social Learning, as well as how to set personal boundaries while respecting others' boundaries. We are examining the in-person and online connections we make and how to evaluate the health of those relationships. We also discussed how we use our cellphone cameras – what boundaries we set when photographing people, including ourselves, and posting photos online or sharing them with others.
​
Here is a helpful link for parents from Common Sense Media:
Help Kids Make Friends and Interact Safely Online

– Mary Stadler, Director of Counseling

Dear Stanbridge Community,
​   The Stanbridge Academy Showcase series traditionally takes place mid-winter afternoons before dismissal. We invite current parents to experience the learning that your child is engaging in at school. Think of Showcases as what used to be called (in our school days) a traditional school open house. Each division showcase builds on previous learning to challenge our students in public speaking, presentation skills, sharing of knowledge, individuality and creativity. Please see your division schedule and plan to have at least one family member attend the event. Also plan to arrive early for parking, as both our lot and the neighborhood are sure to be impacted by these community events.

 HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
High School classes will have two to three student speakers per class period. We will follow your individual student's daily schedule. Please pick one up in Hayden Hall prior to programming.

• Meet in Stanbridge Courtyard. Speaker Head of High School, Jay Huston
• 1st period presentations
• 2nd period Presentations
• 3rd period presentations
• Break - Check out Hayden Hall exhibits and updated hallway bulletin boards
• 4th period presentations
• 5th period presentations
• 6th period presentations
• Dismissal

MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION
Middle School Advisory Groups will present slide decks about life in Middle School. We will meet in Advisory classrooms. Please pick up your individual student's daily schedule in Hayden Hall prior to programming.

• Check out exhibits in Hayden Hall
• Gather in students advisory classrooms (4 student speakers)
• Break
•  Gather in student advisory classrooms (4 additional student speakers)
• Dismissal

ELEMENTARY DIVISION
Families will gather in Hayden Hall to see a variety of presentation formats by all students.

• Gather in Hayden Hall and view exhibits
• Student presentations: Lower El, Middle El, and Upper El students
• Dismissal

We look forward to seeing you at your child's Showcase. More importantly, we look forward to sharing this opportunity for you to see your child shine!

Stay Strong, Bulldogs!
Danny Martin
Principal

SOCIAL THINKING WITH TRICIA (K5)
  The focus before the holidays was gratitude. Executive Function skills were was built into the Secret Santa party and gift shopping, which included planning, organizing, and following through. Everyone enjoyed their gifts! A big thank you to the parents for shopping with your kids and helping to make this lesson a success.
   With the New Year, we are continuing to work on gratitude,  adding in empathy and compromise over the next several weeks. We will connect empathy with the Martin Luther King, Jr., recognition and Black History month. This can also be a continuing conversation at home. Students have many questions about Martin Luther King, justice, and injustice. Keep conversations simple and answer only the questions your child asks in order to encourage understanding at their maturity level. Expanding too deep into the topic before they are ready can cause feelings of anxiety and confusion. Keep it simple.
– Tricia Keener, Speech & Language Pathologist

Talking With Your Child About Their Diagnosis
Parents often ask our counselors how and when to talk with their children about their diagnosis. This excellent article from the Child Mind Institute gives guidelines for beginning and continuing this conversation. Even if you have discussed this with your child, the article may be helpful. You'll discover how the ongoing conversation may change as your child grows into adolescence and adulthood. There are additional links on the web page to insightful articles about how to talk with relatives and others about your child's diagnosis.

HS Social Learning
High School students are using Social Learning time to consider how we communicate with words, body language, and gestures. We've looked at slang and when it should be used, how to determine whether teasing is friendly, annoying, or malicious, and the pros and cons of gossiping. Students have had robust discussions about using group chats and how to keep them positive.
​– Mary Stadler, Director of Counseling

ELEMENTARY
   After popping in to observe the Elementary's Language Arts periods, it is wonderful to see the Kinder to 5th grade progression in literacy! Lower Elementary has been focusing on learning beginning, middle, and ending letter sound recognition in consonant-vowel-consonant (cvc) words. Moving to Middle Elementary, spelling practice is continued. Reading sight words, responding to writing prompts, and verbally answering follow up comprehension questions to read aloud materials are other language arts activities occurring. Advancing into Upper Elementary, students are independently reading nonfiction passages, forming key vocabulary word banks, and retelling information learned by writing an expository paragraph.
   All classes are conducting teacher read alouds and dedicating a portion of time to Lexia online reading program. Elementary teachers encourage all households to have dedicated family literacy time – a time for adults to read their own books alongside their children, modeling reading for pleasure.
– Michele Sumpton, Elementary Division Lead

MIDDLE SCHOOL
   This week, students in English-Language Arts received their Creative Writing Journals. The response was overwhelmingly positive! The prompt for our story this week was for students to write how they would respond if they arrived at school and there were no teachers. Henry Lu chose to write his composition about Ben Grigsby.

• "Here's what I would do if I came to school and Ben was missing. When I arrived at school, I would ask 'Where is Ben'? The first place I would look for Ben is space. Yalin would help me find Ben. We would take a rocket & find Ben to save him."

   Among the other responses were student-led field trips to Starbucks, and of course Mars, as well a student organized party with household pets in attendance. Letting their imagination run wild on the page allows them the freedom and autonomy to safely explore any environment they choose. We look forward to more stories to come!
– Emma Woods, Middle School Language Arts

HIGH SCHOOL
   During the first quarter of High School English, we learned about story arcs and used plot maps to outline the arc of three short stories by authors like O. Henry, Edgar Allan Poe, and several others. Some of the stories we read were text-only, and others were in graphic novel form. Through our short stories, we learned about the use of irony in literature, with a focus on verbal, dramatic, and situational irony.
   In our current unit of study, we’re honing our skills as essay-writers, exploring several different literary concepts such as allegory, similes, metaphors, and story elements like setting and characterization. We’ll soon be applying these concepts to our novel studies of The Wizard of Oz (as a political and monetary allegory) and the first book in The Wild Robot series by Peter Brown. As a capstone project for the unit, we will write persuasive or informative essays with evidence from a variety of sources.
– Kantodeia Schnabel, High School English