Counselor Connection

Happy February! I hope everyone has the chance to watch the Olympics and cheer on your favorite athletes! The Olympics are a great way to give our kids real life examples of strong character traits:

Olympic Athletes must have:

Dedication

Patience

Confidence

Bravery

Grit

Listening Skills (to their coaches)

Strength

Positive thinking

Good Attitude

As part of a school wide SEL initiative, students will learn and practice a different character trait each month. These traits will also be highlighted at our monthly Whole School Assembly where our students will have the opportunity to perform a song/act that represents and models the character trait of that month.

February's theme is GENEROSITY! A "kid-friendly" way to describe generosity is "being happy to give to others without wanting something in return".

This is the last week of our Warren School Soup-er Bowl Food drive. So far (in just 1 week) we have collected over 1200 items to donate to the food pantry! Please send in your donations this week!

This week in Social Skills, I taught a lesson centered on our Warren School Core Value of Safety. During this lesson, we focused on how students can advocate for their own safety and respect the personal space of others.

Here are the key takeaways from our lesson:

• Body Boundaries: We practiced asking for a hug before giving one to ensure we are respecting our friends' personal space. We learned that it is OK to say “no” if someone touches you when you don’t want them to.

• The "Bathing Suit" Rule: To help define privacy, we used a cartoon visual of a boy and girl in bathing suits. We learned that the parts of the body covered by a bathing suit are private. We discussed that only "your grownups" should see your private parts, usually to help with health or hygiene. Some students also pointed out that doctors are allowed to look during check-ups to keep us healthy.

• Bathroom Rules: We reviewed our school bathroom expectations to ensure everyone is safe and feels comfortable while using the facilities.

• Trusted Adults: We talked about trusted adults and then brainstormed the trusted adults in the students' lives. At the end of the lesson, each student identified a "Trusted Adult" at home and at school—someone they can go to if they ever feel unsafe, worried, or confused.

These lessons are designed to give students a clear, age-appropriate "Safety Network" and the vocabulary they need to speak up if they ever feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please feel free to reach out to me!

If your child wants to play on the playground (in the snow) they must have:

• Preschool through grade two students are too young to participate in virtual therapy, so Cartwheel offers virtual parent meetings with a licensed therapist for 30 minutes every other week. These coaching sessions aim to help parents understand their child's mental health needs and the skills, knowledge, and confidence to best meet those needs.
• Students in grades 3-12 can participate in individual tele-therapy with little to no wait time! Therapists speak various languages, and Cartwheel takes most insurance.
• If your child would benefit from either of these services, please complete this referral form or contact your child's school counselor for more information.

Cartwheel's free webinars are designed to empower caregivers, family members, and school staff with practical and actionable information on mental health topics affecting youth and families today. Cartwheel's hope is that every person leaves their webinars feeling more confident in how to connect with a child in their life.

Our district partners with Care Solace to provide a free referral service that families can use to help any member of their immediate family access therapeutic support. https://caresolace.com/ashlandk12

• February 16-20: No School, February Vacation
• February 23: Wear Comfy Clothes Day
• Febrary 27: Whole School Assembly, wear BLUE for Ashland pride
• March 18: Literacy Night
• March 20: No School in observance of Eid at Fitr
• March 24/25/26: Early Release at 12:00 for Parent Teacher Conferences. Lunch will not be served