Kauai Complex Area DOE

MESSAGE FROM PAUL ZINA

Kauai Complex Area Superintendent

Aloha Kaua’i DOE Ohana!

I love my job. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else, even during these trying times. It is a great joy for me to work alongside our school leaders to take care of our haumana every day in school. I want to thank all the school faculty and staff who have been working hard to keep schools safe, healthy and most of all open for learning—as school should be. The pandemic continues to be a challenge for us all. Here is a mantra we have begun to use in the DOE given any emergency response to the pandemic—schools should be last to close and first to open. Help us keep it that way.

Ensure no one in your family comes to school with symptoms of illness. Quarantine or isolate in a safe place when you are sick to protect others. We all need to do our part to stay healthy and safe. Please use the other mitigating strategies we have all learned over the course of this pandemic - get vaccinated if appropriate for you and your family, social distance to the extent possible, wear a mask to protect yourself and others, use good personal hygiene and wash your hands often. We will get through this Kaua’i. We are always better together.

As always, you can find the most current Kaua’i Complex Area updates at our Kaua’i Public Schools launch website at bit.ly/kauaipublicschools. And you can find the most current state HIDOE updates at http://hawaiipublicschools.org.

Stay safe, healthy and strong as we continue to support our children and families as one team!

Mahalo!

Paul Zina Kaua’i Complex Area Superintendent

by Lindsay Fernandez Richardson, MS, LMHC

Youth who feel supported are more likely to grow into healthy, caring, and responsible adults. Here are some research driven tips to try with the young people you care about. 1. Focus on the connection between you and your child.

Find genuine curiosity in who they are. See what you can learn about them and their interests, whether it’s games, artwork, social media, current events, sports, music, etc.

2. Encourage your child to come to

you for help. Regularly ask how they’re doing, especially when they seem upset. Try saying, “I noticed you seem down and I’ve been wondering if there’s anything we need to talk about. How is everything with you?”

3. Help your child feel truly heard by you. Listen with compassion.

Try summarizing what they share and guess how they might be feeling. For example, “Sounds like math has been getting pretty tough. You must be feeling overwhelmed,” or “That girl from class ignored you and you’re not sure if she likes you, so you’re worried.” Your child will only be ready to hear your advice once they feel heard.

4. Show your child that you love

them unconditionally. Highlight their strengths. Rethink jokes or criticisms that are meant to be harmless, but are more hurtful than we realize. Consider working toward a goal of 5 positive interactions for every 1 negative interaction.

5. Stay actively involved in helping your child be successful in school.

Frequently ask them where things are going well and where they might need some help.

6. Manage your emotions while

interacting with your child. Work on noticing your own feelings.

It can help to quietly lengthen your inhale and exhale while remembering that you can handle this temporary discomfort.

Check out future issues for more tips on helping your child develop resilience.

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