Announcements

SECOND STEP SOCIAL SKILLS PROGRAM

This program teaches skills that help to reduce violence among school-age 
children.  It is offered to all classes.  It takes place within the 
classroom 
for one-half hour weekly for half the year.  some classes are done in the 
begining of the year while the remainder are conducted in the second half.
Lessons are conducted in three areas:  Empathy, Problem Solving and Impulse 
Control, and Anger Management.

Periodically, letters are sent home to families with information regarding 
key themes and information that is being taught in the classroom.  

Pre- and post-assessments are being conducted this year at grades three to 
five to measure program efficacy.

Additional information regarding this program can be found from the Website:
Committee for Children, Second Step.



BANANA SPLITS

This is a program for children whose families have undergone the change of 
separation or divorce.  Children meet in a group with others in their grade 
for approxamately 8 weeks.  They engage in activities designed to help them 
become comfortable talking about themselves and their feelings.  They 
experience that they are not alone, that coming from a family in transition 
is not unique to them.  Childhood thoughts of being to blame for changes in 
the family are challenged to help children start to accept the changes in 
their life.

Worksheets and drawings are done to provide structure with which to discuss 
certain aspects of family change.  This information can be brought home and 
discussed with their family members.

One of the hallmarks of support groups such as these is the rule of 
confidentiality.  This means that we ask all children to observe the privacy 
of all others in the group.  In practice, this means that children don't 
share the names of others in their group without their permission.  This 
does 
not prihibit children from talking abotu wehat was spoken about in group of 
from speaking about their own thoughts and feelings with ther family.