Park Avenue Kindergartners Become Emotionally Intelligent
Kindergartners at Park Avenue Elementary School learned how to manage their emotions during a recent unit in their Health and Wellness classes.
Social worker Alexis Fassenfeld visited youngsters to give them strategies to manage anger. She said that while it is a perfectly naturally feeling to have, it is important to avoid harmful behavior. Through songs, stories and discussions, kindergartners learned techniques to experience their emotions in healthy and productive ways.
For one activity, Ms. Fassenfeld presented students with relatable scenarios and they had to hold up a thumbs up or thumbs down card if the story demonstrated the right way or wrong way to react. The goal was to equip children with problem-solving skills to use if faced with a situation that could make them angry.
The lesson started off with a bumble bee breathing exercise, and other strategies they learned to help regulate emotions included belly breathing, counting and positive self-talk. The North Bellmore School District’s Health and Wellness programs provides age-appropriate, push-in classroom lessons that promote physical and emotional well-being.
