Counseling Connection

With Mrs. Cordova, Young Elementary Counselor

March 2025

MARCH Guidance Lessons

Warmer days are ahead! 🌸🌼🌞

This month we are still working on strategies to calm down strong feelings. We stay on this topic for several lessons due to the importance of emotional regulation and the effect it can have on children if not practiced.

We have discussed how to notice feelings in our bodies, using empathy to notice the feelings of others, and then what to do when we start to have those big feelings. We also zero in on specific feelings like anger and anxiety, which are often secondary emotions. Our goal is to catch the feeling before it gets out of control!

We stop, name our feeling and use our calm down strategies!

As we move on from learning ways to manage our feelings, we will begin to discuss ways to problem solve when we have a conflict or need to handle a situation appropriately. More great skills to help us be wonderful friends and to feel good about ourselves!

Guidance in Action!

Last month in 3rd grade, we created "Minecraft" inspired characters with "toolbars" that included our personal calm down strategies. It was so fun to see the students get creative and notice how everyone has different calm down techniques that work for them!

Ideas for Family Fun/Activities and Connection

Check out these fun ways to connect and spend time with your children/family!

March 2nd is Dr. Seuss Day! Celebrate by reading some of his books and watching a movie inspired by them! Maybe even have Dr. Seuss themed snacks! (Click the picture for ideas!)

Learn about the history of St. Patricks Day together 🍀

Paint a nature scene together

Create DIY nature crowns

Play sidewalk games! (hopscotch, 4 square, tic tac toe, etc.)

Community Resource Spotlight

Texas Neighborhood Services

TNS provides community members assistance with utilities, short-term rental assistance, and job placement help.

Here is a little about their mission from their website:

"Our mission is to identify and aid in the minimizing the factors of poverty by delivering assistance in the form of services that are responsive to the needs of the community we serve.

We accomplish this mission through our utility assistance, short term rental assistance and
poverty reduction programs."

To complete an application for assistance or learn more about the TNS organization, click the link to their website below:

https://txns.org/

Young's Got CHARACTER!

This year at Young we are focusing being great humans by improving our manners and building our character traits!

In March, we are highlighting being helpful, playing fair, being friendly, and flexible thinking.

Additionally, some manners we are encouraging are keeping our elbows off the table, waiting until everyone is served to begin eating, washing your hands before and after every meal, and using silverware.

I OFTEN encourage reading with your child to parents because it has so many benefits! Not only does reading together improve your child's language development and vocabulary, but many children's books have an underlying social-emotional theme that can lead to fantastic discussions!

Below are some books that highlight some of the character traits and manners for March (many can be found at our local library!):

Helpful: