Primary 20/10: Emotion management and ‘Loose Parts Play’ update

Second Step

For the first couple of weeks of this term, our school wide theme for Second Step is emotion management. In our morning announcements, we’ll be prompting students to notice their own feelings by paying attention to clues in their bodies and to calm down:

• Stop—use your signal
• Name your feeling
• Calm down: breathe, count, use positive self-talk

These skills help students calm down strong emotions when faced with learning and social challenges, which allows them to succeed academically and get along well with others.

Second Step lessons specifically teach about calming down strong emotions such as anger, disappointment, frustration, and anxiety. We’ll be working with students to understand why managing strong emotions is essential, and in 2024, we’ll include fun activities that help them identify strong feelings and calm down. 

Loose Parts Play Update

My dad was a plumber, and we had numerous old and unused tools and equipment to play with in my household. Our house was fun, imaginative, and the place to go when playing with the children in the street.

I have recently read an article suggesting that a child’s lack of freedom and autonomy when playing has impacted how they view the world today. What I love about Loose Parts Play is the beauty of children and the possibilities they see in various tools and that objects are never just one thing. There is a joy in how they can take a seemingly disparate collection of found objects and create something incredible, all with just the power of their imagination.

Here at William Carey, we are finalising of our Loose Parts Play construction. We’d love for you to help us gather the many items for this exciting project. You could have items listed below or seen in this video at your home or work. If this is you, please complete the attached ‘Loose Parts Play’ form here. We will contact you before the end of the term to inform you when you are ready for the items to complete our Loose Parts Play.

Large loose parts examples

•   Buckets
•   Baskets
•   Crates
•   Cardboard boxes
•   Wooden blocks/small wooden posts
•   Kitchen utensils such as tongs or saucepans
•   Tubes – eg. electoral or pool hose
•   Cable Reels
•   Unused computer keyboards
•   Tarps/sheets/blankets

Kind regards,

Mrs Coote

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23