Your child is involved in learning-activities designed to develop good character and empower them to make good choices for themselves. He or she may be asked to complete tasks at home. Your cooperation with these activities will support our overall program.

The current lesson is about friendship. For K-2, we sang the song entitled “You are my best friend” followed by a lesson about friendship. For grades 3-5, we sang the song “Count on Me” followed by a lesson about the “Top Ten Ways to Keep Your Friends”. We urge you to ask your child to tell you about the lesson what he or she learned from it.

Friendships are important, but your guidance and monitoring of activities are needed for your child to be safe and successful. Here are some things you can do to encourage your child to develop positive and healthy friendships.

• Encourage your child to talk with you about his or her friends. This helps you get to know their friends as well as your own child.
• Let your child know that friends are welcome in your home.
• Give them lots of opportunities to play with their friends.
• Make your conversations opportunities to solve problems together.
• If your child shows signs of feeling rejected or left out, talk with him or her about it. Share a time when you felt the same way.
• Be sensitive to friendships that may involve negative activities or put-downs of other kids. Discuss it with your child and let him or her know how you feel about it.
• Encourage your child to show appreciation when a friend does something thoughtful or helpful.
• Help your child connect to school and larger community.

At the end of the lesson, students filled out a “Good Friend Award” certificate and give it to a friend as a sign of gratitude and appreciation of being a good friend to them.

 Other tips from teachers and students:

Have playdates. Encourage your child to communicate more. – Mr. Luis Cuellar, 3^rd grade teacher

At school, teachers initiate games to foster intercultural relationships, follow up with similar activities at home. – Ms. Annie Morris, 1^st grade teacher

Share your good memories with them. Don’t judge them, help them change. Understand their feelings. – Dora Hsu, 5^th grade

Be positive! – Sophie Wardle, 11^th grade

Tell your kids to be brave and make new friends. – Ms. Miao Lee, 10^th grade parent

Remind your child to always put himself in the position of others when something happened. – Ms. Nadya Alexander, kindergarten teacher

You may involve them to after school activities to meet other group of friends. Help your child think about different activities that are available and to make good choices. Let them think and have space for independent exploration. Do not be too pushy because your child may pull back and not want to talk with you – Ms. May, school nurse

 Avoid jealousy. Be kind and forgiving. Offer time and attention and appreciate friends!   – Mr. Jamal, Assistant Principal