BUE Counseling Corner

Welcome Back Students and Families! BUES Counseling Department wishes you and your family a wonderful new year filled with happiness, health, and well-being.

Warmly,

Erin McGrath, Amy-Beth Veara, Joanie Hogan, Jen Delaney, Laureen Cardoza, and Heather Escandel

4th Grade:

Before Winter Break, students in the 4th grade learned about "triggers" and "sparks". Trigger is an unwelcome event or sensation that causes uncomfortable feelings, such as anger, worry, sadness, or panic. This may cause us to change Zones. Spark is a welcome event or sensation that causes stronger feelings of joy, such as excitement, elation, or silliness. Even positive events can change our Zones. Example: Spark: video games Trigger: Doing chores. When students are aware of their triggers and sparks, they're less surprised when their feelings change and more ready to regulate them. Sharing triggers and sparks with others helps us understand and support each other. To help with learning, feel free to discuss these questions together with your student: What is a trigger you’ve noticed this week? How did it change your Zone? What is a spark you’ve noticed this week? How did it change your Zone? Find some triggers and sparks you have in common!

This month, 4th grade students are learning about regulation tools- a strategy or something we do to help us regulate our feelings, energy, and behavior. Regulation tools include strategies within us, such as deep breathing, stretching, or positive self-talk, as well as things in the space around us, such as drinking water or using a fidget. We use The Zones of Regulation to categorize regulation tools by how they help in each specific Zone. Regulation tools help our brain and body work together. These tools work and feel a little differently for each of us. Knowing the tools that work for each of our Zones and organizing them into a Zones Toolbox makes it easier to find the right tool when we need it. To help with learning, discuss these questions together with your student: What are some regulation tools we have around us? Can you think of a time you have used a regulation tool? How did it help you?

5th Grade:

Before Winter Break, students in the 5th grade continued discussing sensory and movement categorized regulation tools that they could possibly try and use. This included using noise-cancelling headphones, taking a walk/getting a change of scenery, moving your body in a repetitive way (swaying, tapping toes, flapping hands) or using the sense of touch by using a rice bin, sand tray, playdoh or a fidget. This month, students will be learning about mindfulness regulation tools. Students will learn about strategies such as 6 sides of breathing, using your senses as a 5-4-3-2-1 grounding tool, connecting with nature, ocean breaths, and "mind shifts" like puzzles or mazes. At the end of each lesson, we ask students to try or practices these tools to see if there are any that they could use in their own tool box. Feel free to engage with your student about these tools, practice them together at home, and begin creating a list of regulation tools that you and your student can use at home.

As we begin a new year, many families are looking for ways to support their children’s focus, well-being, and healthy development. One area that comes up again and again is screen time — the hours kids spend watching videos, playing games, using phones, or scrolling on tablets. Research shows that screens can be helpful when used thoughtfully, but too much time in front of digital devices is linked with real challenges for children’s health and development. Here’s what parents need to know — and how to start fresh in 2026.

What the Research Says About Screen Time

A large body of scientific evidence indicates that higher levels of screen time — especially when it’s excessive or unsupervised — are tied to a range of negative outcomes in children:

1. Sleep, Attention, and Physical Activity Are Affected: Children who spend more time on screens tend to get less physical activity, experience poorer sleep, and show more difficulties with attention and concentration. These effects span multiple studies and hundreds of participants across age groups.
2. Academic Performance Can Be Lower: Several research studies have found links between total screen time and lower performance on reading and math tests in elementary-aged children. Higher screen usage before and during early school years was associated with lower academic achievement.
3. Emotional and Social Well-Being Can Be Impacted: Studies also associate excessive screen time with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems in children. In some cases, children who already struggle emotionally may turn to screens more often to cope, creating a cycle that’s hard to break.
4. Development of Communication Skills May Slow: When screen media replaces face-to-face play and conversation, important language and social skills can lag behind. While much of the strongest evidence focuses on younger children, early patterns often continue and influence later development.

Why Limits Matter at This Age

Fourth and fifth grade is a crucial time — kids are building academic habits, developing peer relationships, and strengthening emotional regulation. Screens compete with sleep, homework, reading, physical play, and creative hobbies. Setting healthy boundaries now supports balanced growth, not just reduced screen hours.

Tips to Start the Year with Healthy Screen Habits

Here are research-based strategies to help your family begin 2026 with good screen balance:

1. Create Clear, Consistent Limits: Decide together on a daily or weekly screen time limit based on family values, schoolwork needs, and after-school activities. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s predictability and balance.
2. Turn Screens Off Before Bed: Screens emit blue light that can interfere with sleep. Turning devices off 30–60 minutes before bedtime can help children fall and stay asleep more easily.
3. Keep Tech Out of Bedrooms at Night: Charging phones and tablets in a common space overnight helps eliminate late-night usage and reduces distraction.
4. Prioritize High-Quality Content: Not all screen time is equal. Choose educational apps and programs, and where possible, watch or play together so you can discuss what your child is seeing and thinking.
5. Design Screen-Free Times & Zones: Family dinner time, car rides, and one evening a week can become screen-free moments to connect and engage in deeper conversation or shared activities.
6. Model Healthy Behavior: Children learn from watching you. When parents and caregivers limit their own screen habits — especially around children — kids are more likely to follow suit.

How to Talk About Screen Time Constructively

Instead of saying “no screens,” try these conversation starters:

• “What’s something you want to do more of this year that doesn’t involve a screen?”
• “How did you feel after using screens yesterday? Energized or tired?”
• “Can we look at your schedule and find time for reading, play, and screens?”

These questions help children develop self-awareness and ownership of their habits — a valuable skill well beyond screen limits.

Screens are part of our modern lives — and when used thoughtfully, they can inform, entertain, and even support learning. But research clearly shows that too much screen time can interfere with physical health, emotional well-being, development, and school success when it displaces real-world activities. This new year is an opportunity to reflect, reset, and support our children in using technology in ways that enhance their lives — not overshadow them.

Please feel free to contact us anytime via email or phone call to the main number, 508-420-2272 and our listed extension.

Jennifer Delaney, School Counselor

delaney_jennifer@mybps.us

ext. 1333

Feltes/Caputo; Fischer/Egan; Manfredonia/Carey; Ohlson/Read; Brigham/Kelly; Raye/Batson-Heath

Amy Beth Veara, School Counselor

veara_amybeth@mybps.us

ext. 1326

Rezendes/Grant, Blackwell/Munn, Vachon/Cole, McAvoy/Hazard, McGuinness/Chase, Silva/Anglim

Laureen Cardoza, School Counselor

cardoza_laureen@mybps.us

ext. 1062

Curtis/Kerr, Tang/Thulander, Tanous/Sheehan, Byrd/Ewald, Sullivan/Harmon, Crough, Smith-Stauder

Erin McGrath, LMHC- School Adjustment Counselor

mcgrath_erin@mybps.us

ext. 1315

5th Grade IEP students

Heather Escandel, LMHC- School Adjustment Counselor

escandel_heather@mybps.us

ext. 1217

4th Grade IEP Students

Joanie Hogan, LICSW- School Social Worker

hogan_joan@mybps.us

ext. 4214

4th & 5th Grade IEP Students

Barnstable Public Schools, in partnership with Cape Kids Meals of Cape Cod, provides weekly food bags on Fridays to students and families with meals and snacks for the weekend. If your family could benefit from this free and confidential service, please reach out to the BUES Counseling Department at 508-420-2272 ext 1511.

If you would like to support this amazing cause, please feel free to reach out:

Cape Kids Meals of Cape Cod

All families of Barnstable Public Schools students have access to this free services. Families can get food every other week after picking items off of a food list. Food lists include things like cheese, meat, fish, fresh produce, canned goods, juice, rice, beans, laundry detergent, and more. Pick up location is at Barnstable High School 8-12pm or 3-5pm. If you would like more information or would like to sign up for this service, please reach out to your students' school counselor.

Our Counseling Department provides short term, solution-focused counseling for students in the school setting. Your child may need more support. If you are looking for help in finding a therapist for your student, please feel free to reach out to your student's school counselor.

Here are some agencies we have partnered with in the past for referrals:

Child and Family Services

Cape Cod Human Services

Cape Behavioral Health/Northeast Health Services

Enlightened Interventions, LLC.

JRI Cape Cod

Psychology Today

Free service to connect children and families with behavioral health services across Massachusetts.

Available to call, text, or chat 24/7, 365 days per year.

833-773-2445