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January, 2025

Dear Switlik Families,

Welcome back to school; it’s hard to believe we are in 2025!  We hope you all enjoyed the holidays spent with family and friends.

On January 7th and 8th, students from Jackson Memorial High School will visit with our fourth grade students, presenting a program called “Beaded Bliss.” 

What is Beaded Bliss?  Beaded Bliss is a project created by high school students who want to help elementary school children understand the profound impact of bullying. Through the simple yet meaningful act of making bracelets and key chains, we aim to foster a safe space where children can share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences and recognize the lasting effects of bullying.

As high school students, we often look back at our own elementary school experiences and realize how our behaviors and treatment of one another may have affected our self-esteem, mental health, and our ability to form healthy relationships. With the rise of social media, bullying has evolved, and its effects can be amplified by online harassment, making it harder for kids to escape its impact.

Through Beaded Bliss, our goal is to not only help children understand the real consequences of their words and actions and the impact they have, but also to empower them to embrace their individuality and practice self-love. We hope that through the creative process of making bracelets and key chains, the kids will learn how to cope with the harm of mistreating others and recognize their own inherent value.

Each bracelet or key chain we make together will serve as a physical reminder of the positive message we share: that bullying should never define who they are. By creating something beautiful, the children will carry with them a symbol of empowerment, kindness, and self-respect. It’s our hope that this activity will not only raise awareness about bullying but will also inspire the students to be more compassionate towards others and to feel confident in their own identities.

The Ocean County Health Department will be visiting our school with 6-week programs designed for our second and third grade students beginning this month.  Our third grade students will be presented with a program called Unique You and our second grade students will be presented with a program called Footprints For Life.

Switlik School has welcomed  NJ4S Compass to our classrooms in November and will continue to do so throughout the school year.  New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S Compass), a statewide initiative from the Department of Children and Families (DCF), was designed to enhance access for schools to provide FREE prevention and mental wellness services for students, staff, parents and caregivers through counseling services and presentations. NJ4S COMPASS, a program of Preferred Behavioral Health Group, serves public and charter school students and families of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The following programs will be brought to our students:

Grade 5 - January 10, 2025 - Elevate:  Nurturing Positive Self-Esteem for a Resilient Tomorrow (scroll down to second page)- This presentation is designed to inform students about self-esteem and empower them to create a more positive environment. The presentation’s goal is to provide students with the knowledge to recognize the signs of negative self-esteem, the ability to change that course of thinking, and to provide the skills necessary to build a more positive self-esteem throughout their lives.

 

Grade 4 - January 28, 2025 - Conflict Resolution:  Navigating Conflict for Growth and Resilient Relationships

 

Kindergarten & Preschool - February 12, 2025, Grade 1 & Preschool - February 13, 2025,  - The Happy Habits Club

 

Grade 2 - February 20, 2025 - Mindful Moments

Please mark your calendars:

  • 1/16 - 5th Grade Chorus Concert/7:00 p.m. - JMHS

  • 1/20 - School Closed - Martin Luther King Day

  • 1/31 - School Closed for Students (In-Service Day)

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Raymond & Mr. Michael Saulnier