Parents-
I want to start off by saying how proud I am of our Challenger community. On Thursday, I had the pleasure of visiting the capitol building in Lansing with Ms. Williams to receive the "School Wellness Award." Our school was honored for the work we have done to promote healthy eating, positive healthy lifestyle choices, and exercising. This work was sponsored and recognized by the Michigan Department of Education. It is proven that healthy bodies creates healthy minds which are more apt to learning.
I am so proud of the many people that made this award possible. A huge thanks to Ms. Williams and Mrs. Kelly for putting in countless hours of effort to make our after-school Healthy Kids Club a success. Thanks to all of our parent volunteers that supported so many of these events. Thanks to our teachers for promoting the focus of healthy living in their classrooms. Last but not least, thanks to our students and parents for continuing to promote these ideas that are learned at school. It truly takes a village to make our bodies and mind healthy. Thanks for being a partner with us in these endeavors. We already have some great ideas to continue this focus next year!
Mr. Cherry
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Athletic Department Summer Camps
This summer the Howell Public Schools Athletics Department is offering a wide variety of summer sports camps. Camps are being offered for elementary, middle and high school students. To view the full camp brochure, please visit https://goo.gl/SMBKBL. To register online for one of these exciting camps, please visit https://goo.gl/zWKcjS. If you have any questions, please contact the Athletic Department Office at athleticdepartment@howellschools.com or 517-540-8335.
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Learning to Lose without Losing Your Cool
As we launch into spring sports, we have some great opportunities to teach critical social and emotional skills. Through team sports, children can practice working with a group, setting and achieving goals, losing graciously to a competitor, and persevering despite setbacks. Like anything else, good sportsmanship must be modeled and practiced. Here are some thoughts for coaching your kids in sportsmanship:
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Praise effort and celebrate the experience. Point out the specific behaviors that you would like to see repeated, such as working hard, supporting a teammate, or maintaining a positive attitude. Congratulate your child on a well-played game, regardless of the outcome.
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Empathize and provide unconditional positive regard. Let your child know that you are aware of her feelings, whether good or bad. Remind her that there will be other games and opportunities. Avoid pointing out mistakes and debriefing the experience until the child is calm.
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Put your child in control. Make sportsmanship a priority and encourage your child to think about his behavior. How did he react? What went well? What could be worked on? Did he maintain dignity and support/congratulate others?
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Have fun! Everything is more fun when you are playing with good sports that have positive attitudes.
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Inspire your child to play other games. Encourage your child to participate in more than one sport or activity - diversify his interests and skills. It will break the routine, build confidence, and reveal other talents.
The world is a competitive place, so learning to keep cool amidst pressure is vital to emotional stability and healthy social development. As painful as it can be to see our children lose or be disappointed with their performance, these experiences build character and strength.
Your Partner in Education,
Kim Martin