Counseling Dept Monthly Update

🤠💙 Hello, Beard Elementary Families!

What a joy it is to welcome everyone back for another exciting school year! I’m Laura Donnel, and I’m thrilled to be beginning my second year as the school counselor at Beard Elementary. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of such a wonderful school community and to work alongside our amazing Beard Buckaroos!

A little about me, I’ve been a school counselor for more than 25 years, and one of my favorite parts of my job is helping children feel confident, supported, and ready to be their best selves. Outside of school, I’m a proud mom of three daughters and have been married to my college sweetheart for many years. One of the best parts of being at Beard is that I’m also a neighbor...I live just five minutes away! 😊

As we begin this new school year, I’m excited to continue building relationships with our students, partnering with our families, and helping make Beard a place where every child feels safe, valued, and that they belong.

Please stop by and say Howdy! 🤠 whenever you see me. I can’t wait to see all the wonderful things our students will accomplish this year!

Wishing all of our Beard families a happy, successful, and fun-filled 2026–2027 school year! 🌟

💙Go Buckaroos! 🤠

If you’d like to preview any of the counseling materials available in my office, please feel free to stop by, send me an email, or give me a call to schedule a time. I’d be happy to share them with you! 🤗

I’m so excited to partner with you and your child this school year! Throughout the year, I’ll be visiting classrooms to teach fun, engaging lessons based on the NISD Guidance Concepts. We’ll focus on building positive friendships, managing emotions, making good choices, solving problems, and developing the skills students need to feel confident and successful at school. 💙🤠

🏫 Hello Parents,

We have had a wonderful start to the school year! During August, students learned about Meet the School Counselor. We also reviewed important School Safety rules and procedures to help keep Beard Elementary a safe and welcoming place for everyone.

💙 September Guidance Topics

This month, we will focus on helping students build positive relationships, solve problems, and make sure everyone feels included.

• Small and Big Problems: We will use Kelso’s Choices to help students learn strategies for solving small problems independently and recognizing when a problem is big enough to involve a trusted adult.
• Making New Friends & Including Others! 🤠💙
  As we welcome new students to Beard Elementary, we want to make sure everyone feels welcomed, included, and part of our Beard family. Students will learn ways to show kindness, invite others to join in, make new friends, and make sure no one feels left out.

🌟 At Beard, there is always room for one more! 🌟

Our goal is to help every student feel that they belong, are valued, and have a place in our Beard family.

In guidance, we’re going to become super problem-solvers! 🧠💡 We’ll learn about Kelso’s Choices and explore different ways to handle small problems independently. We’ll also learn how to recognize when a problem is too big to solve on our own and when it’s important to ask a trusted adult for help. Get ready to practice making good choices and solving problems like a pro! ⭐

Children need to hear positive, encouraging words from the adults who love and support them. Let your child know that they are perfect just the way they are and that who they are matters. Remind them that their voice matters and that you are always willing to listen to what they have to say. Help them understand that it is okay to make mistakes because mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow. Let your child know, “I am always here for you. You can count on me.” Take the time to truly listen and reassure them by saying, “I am listening, and I hear you. How can I help?” Most importantly, don't forget to tell your child, “I am so proud of you.” These simple words can build confidence, strengthen your relationship, and remind children that they are loved, valued, and supported. ❤️

Students in grades 3–5 may request to see the counselor by getting a counselor referral slip from their teacher. This gives students an opportunity to reach out when they need someone to talk to, need help with a problem, or simply need a little extra support. For our younger students in K–2, referrals are typically made by a teacher or parent when additional support may be helpful. My goal is to make sure every student feels heard, supported, and comfortable asking for help when they need it. 🤗