All about penguins...and a new coping skill!

I apologize that it has taken us awhile, but we do have another Parent Support Group meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 10. Our topic will be the zones of regulation and I hope many of you will try to join us!
We began our study of polar animals with a little geography. We learned about the North and South Poles and the equator. We learned that penguins live south of the equator. Although many do live at the Antarctic, some species also live where it is quite warm. We learned that penguins are great swimmers, but cannot fly. They live in groups called colonies. Penguins in very cold regions huddle together, rotating in and out of the center of the huddle to keep warm. We tried huddling too!

We watched some video clips and read some books to learn how penguins hatch their eggs and care for their young chicks in such cold environments. We practiced holding an "egg" on our feet just like penguins!

We worked very hard to create some great penguin artwork.

We learned and practiced a new coping skill. It is a calming sequence that is repeated 5 times when feeling upset. The sequence goes like this: Squeeze your hands together; close your eyes and rub your head; then rub your legs. Repeat 5 times.  Here is a photo of the coping skill:

This calming technique incorporates both a physiological component that helps to calm the sensory and nervous system as well as a cognitive component to calm the mind. It can help students regulate their emotions - to help get them out of the "fight or flight" state that the body goes into when reacting to intense situations. It takes a few minutes to complete the sequence, and that often is just enough time for a student to feel calmer and back in control.

This week we have challenged ourselves with some partner reading...we practice reading the books in our book bags to a friend. We all felt proud to read to someone else!