Public Hearing Title VI

THEME OF THE WEEK: Resilience: Trying Even When Things are Hard

Dear Students and Families,

As we finish this last week of January, I hope all of you have gotten back into the swing of things and into a schedule for being successful at school. I would like you to all know how amazing you are and how proud I am of you and your hard work in school.

One of my favorite words is resilience which means even if you are having a hard time that you keep trying and moving forward. Here are some of the qualities of a person who is resilient and bounces back when they

experience a setback or problem.

1. Ask for help

We all need help sometimes. Asking for help is not a weakness, it is a strength. By asking for help you are taking responsibility.

2. Recognize strengths

Think about what you are good at. If you know what you are good at then you can build upon your strengths. And by focusing on what you are good at builds positive thoughts in your brain.

3. Sees lessons in setbacks

Problems are normal in life. Learning from the problem and coming up with a solution is a win.

4. Believe things will improve

Resilience means that you believe that situations can change and skills can improve with work and help. If you believe that progress is possible, that’s a sign of resilience.

5. Set goals

When people struggle, they may lower their expectations for themselves. But if you set new, realistic goals instead of taking the easy way out, it shows a desire to push ahead and improve.

6. Try again

Nobody likes going back to a difficult task and risking more disappointment or failure. If you continue to do math homework every day despite feeling like math is hard, that’s resilience. It means you aren’t afraid to keep trying.

Remember we are here to help you! Students and grown ups, please reach out and ask for help. It takes a village.

With respect and kindness,
Ms. Sandy
(707) 834-2861

It is so wonderful to see our hybrid students at school this week! Our teachers, school staff, Dan and Cas, Ms. Chapman, and our office staff have been working hard to c

ontinue to create a safe and positive learning environment for all students. Thank you for all of your hard work!

This week’s Wellness Wednesday skill is about finding the positive in the world. Some of you may have watched the inauguration where a national poet spoke about hope and kindness, looking for the good in the

world, and being the good in the world. Amanda Gorman is a 23 year old poet who spoke at the presidential inauguration on Wednesday. Her message was about kindness, compassion, and being the positive in the world.

Amanda is from Los Angeles. She had difficulties in school and learned in a different way. She asked for help from her mom and her teachers and succeeded in school with this help and support. Seeing all of you, the students, brings us teachers the light and positive feelings. Amanda said that there is always light and positive, if we are brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.

I see so many of you bringing light, kindness, and compassion to your families, teachers, and your friends. Keep focusing on that! In February, we will celebrate Kindness Week and talk about how to be kind to yourself, others, animals, and your community. In the meantime, focus your energy, time, and actions on the positive. Don’t give away your energy to drama, unkindness, and conflict. Speak your truth in a kind way and look for the best in yourself and others. Agree to disagree. Remember to be kind to yourself and practice kindness by saying kind words instead of unkind words. Stay away from words such as “I am stupid.” or “I am bad.” because these words affect how we feel about ourselves and how we act with others. Over the next few weeks, we are going to start taking about Growth Mindset and the power of YET.  You may feel like you are not good at something such as school, so it is

important to remember that we are here to help you and that you will get better. Be kind to yourself and remember that you will get there.

Remember the power of YET.

With respect and kindness,

Ms. Sandy

(707) 834-2861

One of the ways that I am trying to do is find joy by smiling and laughing as much as I can. Smiles are powerful. Not only do they help to start a positive conversation between two people, but the more someone smiles, the healthier his/her brain can be… Seriously! Smiling more often, regardless of your mood, can improve your health and even help you live longer. Smiling releases endorphins, which helps a person feel happier and more positive. A Scientific American study found that facial expressions, such as smiling, can improve one’s mood and increase positive thoughts. So, the next time you’re feeling a little blue, try smiling – it might make you feel better! Smiling can also activate and relieve your stress response. Studies where individuals had to face stressful situations while smiling were found to have lower heart rates compared to those who weren’t smiling.

As you can see, smiling and laughter are very beneficial for your mind, body and overall well-being! Regardless of your mood, it’s okay to crack a smile or spit out a laugh. In fact, it’s healthy for you!

Have you heard Kate Perry’s song Smile? I encourage you to watch it and smile: https://youtu.be/vZA5heWazIQ

In addition to smiling, I have been watching funny kitty videos when I am feeling down. You all know I love funny kitty videos. I encourage you to try this when you are feeling down and try not to laugh. You probably can not help but laugh. Going out to nature is also a great way to help me destress. During distance learning, I try to take a break and go outside and breathe fresh air. It really helps, even when it is so cold outside.
I encourage you all to take one minute and think about your goals for the year. Some of the goals that students have shared with me include:
● Getting better grades
● Getting better at reading
● Trying to be kind
● Staying out of drama
● Focusing on the positive and good
● Focusing on health including sleeping enough, eating healthy, and talking walks

I would love you to share your goals with me. Send me an email, text, or google hangout message. I write my goals
on a sticky note and put them on my mirror to remind myself.
Sending you all ghost hugs and hoping you can focus on some positive goals for yourself,

Ms. Sandy
(707) 834-2861
sradic-oshiro@hcoe.org

SKILL OF THE WEEK: Gratitude

Dear Students, Families, and Teachers,
One of my favorite ways of managing stress and practicing mindfulness is by practicing gratitude.

As many of you may know, my mom passed away last Thursday. I have been sad and am still grieving. I wrote a letter to her and in the letter I thanked her for all of the gifts she has given me including kindness and love of children. Practicing gratitude has helped me cope with her loss.
I try to practice gratitude all the time. Gratitude is the ability to recognize and acknowledge the good things, people and places in our lives. Gratitude means thankfulness, counting your blessings, noticing simple pleasures, and acknowledging everything that you receive. It means learning to live your life as if everything were a miracle, and being aware on a continuous basis of how much you’ve been given.

When we practice gratitude, it helps us feel better, improves our physical and mental health, and makes people feel better in the long run. The brain chemical serotonin is released and makes us feel happy when we practice gratitude. Scientists have found that higher levels of gratitude were associated with better sleep and lower stress, anxiety, and depression.
Take a moment right now and think about three things you are grateful for. Close your eyes and “see it”. Take a deep breath and say, “I am grateful for…my family, my house, my animals, my friends, etc.” We all can find something we are grateful for. Think about the people who support you and think of them and why you are grateful for them. I know alot of us

are spending a lot of time with our families these days with Covid. And I know that sometimes we get on each other’s nerves when we spend so much time together. I encourage you during the Thanksgiving Break when you spend time with your family to take a moment and stop. Look around and for one minute think about who and what you

are grateful for. It just takes one minute but the effects of practicing gratitude can help us feel happier and less stressed. Try to practice this everyday. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I try to do is drink a glass of water and name three things I am grateful for. This starts my day off in a positive way. If I am feeling stressed, I try to stop and take one minute to think about three things I am grateful for.

We wish you a good break next week and hope you can take some time to be with those you love, eat food you enjoy,  and go outside and practice gratitude for the things we do have. If your family eats together on Thanksgiving, take a moment to practice mindful eating. Think about how good the food tastes and practice gratitude for all those that have worked to bring the food to us, farmworkers, grocery store workers, family members, etc. Try to let your thoughts focus on the good in our world.

With gratitude,
Ms. Sandy
(707) 834-2861
sradic-oshiro@hcoe.org

SKILL OF THE WEEK: World Kindness Day 2020

Dear Students, Families, and Teachers,
World Kindness Day is a global day that promotes the importance of being kind to each other, to yourself, and to the world. This day, celebrated on November 13 of each year, has the purpose to help everyone understand that compassion for others is what binds us all together. World Kindness Day is a day to highlight good deeds in our community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness which binds us. Kindness is a fundamental part of the human condition which bridges the divides of race, religion, politics, gender and zip codes. This understanding has the power to bridge the gap between people!
Your act of kindness changes peoples lives every single day. It will never end. You may not realize it, but we naturally do acts of kindness every day — without even knowing. Putting your dishes away, doing nice things without being asked, or feeding your pet are all small acts of kindness.
I encourage you to watch this video about kindness and the power of acts of kindness on others.
https://vimeo.com/367295122
In Spanish, Be Kind is translated to Se Amable.
In Hupa, Xo’niniste Xoniwh-te (pronounced: ho-nin-nis-teh, ho-new-teh) translates to “their body is happy” which is how people feel when others are kind.
In Wiyot, Rra’wuruquk means friendliness.
I can’t tell you how many times I have felt sad or angry about a situation or interaction with someone and wanted to react with revenge. However, I am trying my best to instead treat the person who I feel angry with in a kind way, because I don’t know how they are feeling or what they are going through. This is empathy! I am

not perfect at this and make many mistakes and have apologized to a person for being unkind or impatient. But I am making an effort to acknowledge my feelings and channel my energy towards kindness. I encourage you to do the same, especially during these hard times with Covid. I think more than ever we have learned that having empathy and being kind is what makes the world a better place. And did you know that when you do something kind our brain releases the hormone oxytocin. It is also important to be kind to yourself. Practice self care and compassion towards yourself. Be kind to yourself and tell yourself positive things about yourself, sometimes that can be something like, “I am trying my best!” Being kind to yourself is a way to spread kindness to the world.
Be the change you want to see in this world! Be kind.

Sincerely,
Ms. Sandy (707) 834-2861 sradic-oshiro@hcoe.org
P.S. Kassandra Talvera, an 8th grade student in Ms. Osell’s class, favorite movie is The Help. I highly recommend this movie! To quote from the movie: You are smart. You are kind. You are important.
You matter!

11 11 2020 Wellness Wednesday Newsletter

Dear Students, Families, and Teachers,

As many of you know, I work in a lot of schools around Humboldt County and I can sincerely say that Loleta Elementary School is one of my favorite schools because of our students. Loleta Elementary School is one of the most diverse schools in Humboldt County with families from many different backgrounds, languages, religions, gender identities, ethnicities, and experiences. This diversity makes us strong and beautiful!
Many of you may have experienced some stress with this week’s presidential election and the different opinions that people have about how our country should run. Voting is one of the most important ways Americans, as individuals, have a voice. Voting with my children is one of the proudest moments I experience in my life. When I vote, I feel a part of the decisions in our country and I cherish this right. My parents came from Croatia which is in Eastern Europe. I remember the day my father became a United States citizen and was able to vote. He felt pride with this right and has exercised his right to vote since then. We, at Loleta Elementary School, encourage students to have a voice and tell teachers and Ms. Chapman what they think about how we should run our school. Many of the grown-ups in your lives have participated in committees and discussions about what they feel is important and we hope you and the grown-ups know that they can share ideas or concerns at any time. For the grown ups, we have a Loleta Elementary School Feedback form that can be filled out to share ideas, thoughts or concerns. I encourage all participants in our community to use this form too, including students. These forms are in the office with Ms. Michelle and Ms. Lisa and on our website. I also encourage students to also fill out this form if you have any ideas for Ms. Chapman and the teachers to consider. There is also a comment/suggestion box that you can put a comment in for our school located in the front of the office. Please let your voice be known!

I think one of the most important things I have learned over the last couple of years is that it is okay to “agree to disagree”. There are few things in life that are “right” or “wrong” and most of us know what they are when it comes to how we treat each other. Some of us may experience high emotions or passion about your opinion and that is okay. However, sometimes we may not be able to help someone understand our opinion or belief and that is okay too. We can politely tell the person politely our belief and say that we “agree to disagree”. We can respect all people, regardless of their belief system. It is important that we share our options in a civil way which means listening with:

● Open minds, ears, and hearts
● Speaking in a polite way including being careful of tone of voice
● Using empathy and trying to think about others life experiences
● Assume positive intentions and that the person is doing the best they can

This week many of you may notice that we have posted the below posters in your classrooms to remind us that at our school, we welcome everyone. This means that all individuals are respected and appreciated, regardless of how you look, who you love, and what you feel and believe.

I encourage you to practice “agreeing to disagree” and trying to see the point of view of another person by using your empathy skills.
Remember, our differences make us stronger and we are all in this together. CommUNITY!

Sincerely,
Ms. Sandy (707) 834-2861 sradic-oshiro@hcoe.org