Dear Families,

Throughout the course of the school year our students will practice being
bucket fillers! The concept of being a bucket filler comes from Carol McClouds
Book Have You Filled A Bucket Today? and stems around the idea that everyone
carries around an invisible bucket that throughout the day is being filled by the
kind things that you do for others or that others do for you. A bucket filler is
someone who is showing positive character traits (kind, considerate, caring,
respectful) and is being a responsible citizen. When our buckets are full, we feel
happy and when our buckets are empty we feel sad.
For the next few weeks, we will be learning about different qualities that
bucket fillers exhibit. We will continuously be reading and re-reading Have You
Filled A Bucket Today? so students are able to really grasp the concept of bucket
filling. We will practice being bucket fillers in the classroom, and encourage
students to be bucket fillers at home. Throughout the day, when students are
exhibiting sharing, following directions, kindness, and calm bodies, a star goes
into our classroom bucket. When the bucket is filled, the students will receive a
reward that they collectively voted upon. Currently the class is working toward a
cupcake party.
It is very important that this concept is carried over into students home
lives. You can help your child be a bucket filler by discussing the concepts at
home. You can praise your child at home when they do something that fills your
bucket or someone elses bucket. With your help, I hope that we can create a
positive, happy, bucket filling classroom!
Best,
Nancy Wright , M.Ed., Ed.S.
School Psychologist
&
Erica Wolff, M.S. CCC-SLP, TSSLD
Speech Language Pathologist

SOCIAL SKILLS/SPEECH CURRICULUM

Your child will be participating in a weekly, 40 minute whole-class social/speech session that is
taught by the school psychologist and speech therapist. This year we are combining two fantastic
concepts for our curriculum. We will be using puppets named Moe & Zippy, along with the Kelly
Bear C.A.R.E.S. curriculum to teach the following socialization skills:
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Self-awareness and self-respect

Emotional understanding of self and others
Social competence and constructive peer relationships
Self-control
Empathy and kindness towards others
Problem solving and anger management skills
Respect for individual differences
Personal safety
Character traits such as responsibility

The Kelly Bear C.A.R.E.S. Curriculum (Character And Resiliency Education Skills)
Kelly Bear is a friendly, green bear who interacts with children and serves as both teacher and
hero while the children master new skills and understand new concepts. Children readily identify
with the green bear who makes mistakes but keeps trying to do his best. Interactive songs
highlight the program. It has been field-tested and proven effective. An important element that we
will highlight is:

S.T.F.A.
Stop, Think, Feel, and Act in a Kind Way.
The goals of the program are to enhance children's total development and to prevent problem
behaviors by promoting the aforementioned skills.
Moe and Zippy
Moe and Zippy are two adorable puppets that encounter various social situations and learn how to
problem solve them. They begin each lesson by introducing the social skills topic that will be
highlighted during that lesson and also provide examples. The students thoroughly enjoy the
puppets.

Nancy Wright, M.Ed., Ed.S. & Erica Wolff, M.S. CCC-SLP, TSSLD
School Psychologist
Speech Language Pathologist