Dr. Siverhus Dear Students/Parents: Welcome back to second semester of the school year. We hope that the rest of school year with us will continue to be educationally profitable for you. As you have already experienced, the workload and social adjustments have been greater than what you had experienced at the elementary level. You have also noticed that greater emphasis is placed on students to attend school regularly, complete all assignments, and behave appropriately. Your remaining semester will continue to be exciting and filled with many new opportunities.  With that said, I would like to share a tip that serves to teach students responsibility and learn how to get along with each other. This tip involves a three-step process for resolving personal conflicts. When he or she gets angry at someone else, tell her/him to say:  “Why did you do that?” Asking people the reasons for their actions helps to open dialogue. It gives room for the other person to say, “I didn’t realize . . .” or “I’m sorry.” Or the person can explain the action.  “When you did that, I felt . . .” This helps a child identify his or her feelings. It helps the other person see that a particular action has had an impact.  “I would feel better if . . .” “This is a critical step because it requires a child to think in advance about what will help resolve the situation,” says one teacher who teaches this process. “A conflict is much easier to resolve when at least one of the parties has an idea or two for improvements.” I sincerely wish the best to all of our students at Highland Park Junior High School. I hope that the remaining school year will continue to be a great learning experience.     Cordially, Dr. Pat Siverhus Assistant Principal