Message From the Principal
Greetings Southwood Families!
I am so proud of the students, families and staff members of Southwood Elementary School. We are committed to working together to develop a learning community where all students:
Feel physically and emotionally safe;
Develop a sense of belonging in a caring learning community; and,
Experience academic success, maximizing their learning potential.
We are excited to build on our work from last year with our Skills of the Month. Each skill supports students in being their best self within our learning community. To promote these important skills, teachers will recognize 2-3 students from their classroom each month with a Panther Award for exemplifying that month’s skill. There are so many Panthers that are working hard every day, and we’re excited to recognize their efforts in meaningful ways!
In the monthly newsletters, I’ll share a little about each skill so that you understand what we’re working on and can model the skill and encourage them to practice at home too. Here is our rundown:
Skills of the Month
September - Composure
October - Assertiveness
November - Encouragement
December - Respect
January - Choices
February - Empathy
March - Positive Intent
April - Responsibility
May - Kindness
We define composure as “being calm and in control of oneself.” We remind kids that no one can make you angry without your permission. We practice the skill of recognizing our emotions and using strategies to self-regulate. The most common strategies are:
Belly breathing
Count slowly to 10
Use positive self-talk (e.g. “I can do it,” “I got this”)
We are so grateful for your role in our school family, as you support your children at home and find ways to connect with their classes and our whole school. We have a wonderful year ahead of us!
Andy Means
