NHE Counseling Corner

Our Kindness Club is meeting on Wednesdays from 3:10-4:15 on Wednesdays between now and December 3rd. If your 4th, 5th, or 6th grade student has not already signed up for a club and wants to join our group, please let me know! We would love to add more kind-hearted kids to Kindness Club!

Unity Day is Wednesday, October 22nd. Wear orange to send a visible message promoting kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. To learn more about Unity Day, check out the following website: https://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/unity-day/

Check out our daily dress up themes for this year's Red Ribbon Week!

Here is an overview of the October lesson topics that will be covered in my counselor lessons with students:

Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grades:

* Bullying Prevention- Students will learn to differentiate between bullying and rude or unkind behaviors. They will also learn how to be an upstander to help protect themselves and others from others' mean words and actions.

* Substance Abuse Prevention and Making Healthy Choices

* Coping Skills- Students will learn a variety of strategies to use to help calm their brains and their bodies when they are experiencing big emotions such as anger, frustration, worry, and nervousness.

4th and 5th Grades:

* Identifying and Managing Emotions-Students will learn to recognize and manage their emotions using healthy strategies. Students analyze how emotions and self-awareness influence decision making, and they identify the value of talking about feelings with parents/guardians and other trusted adults. Students also learn to discern the emotions of others and demonstrate care and respect for self and others.

* Effective Communication-Students will learn and apply effective communication skills to handle conflict peacefully, share feelings and ideas with others, and enhance cooperation in order to maintain positive relationships.

6th Grade:

* Time to ACT/Signs of Suicide (SOS)- Students will be able to identify a variety of emotions. They will also learn how to identify the emotions they are feeling, how to identify the emotions others may be feeling, and how to use ACT (ACKNOWLEDGE how someone is feeling; let that person know they CARE about them; and TELL a trusted adult when needed to help support yourself or someone you are worried about). Students will also participate in a lesson that focuses on learning the signs of suicide and how they can use ACT to help themselves and others when they notice the signs learned in the lesson.

* Identifying and Managing Emotions-Students learn to recognize and manage their emotions using healthy strategies. Students analyze how emotions and self-awareness influence decision making, and they identify the value of talking about feelings with parents/guardians and other trusted adults. Students also learn to discern the emotions of others and demonstrate care and respect for self and others.

Note: Many of the lessons that will be taught in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade this year are from the Too Good for Drugs Curriculum required by RISD.

Please check to make sure you have made a choice regarding your child's participation in our anti-victimization lessons. You can opt-in through your child's FOCUS account or by filling out and returning the form below.

I am looking forward to working with our 6th graders to help prepare them for their transition to junior high. More information will be shared starting in late October or early November.

Save the dates for the Westwood Junior High and West Junior High parent information nights to learn more about the magnet programs offered at these two schools!

Something new for the magnet application process this year (for any parents who have already gone through this process with an older child) is that students who feed into Westwood JH will now need to apply for the magnet programs they are interested in taking in 7th grade. In the past, students did not need to apply and they could sign up for classes they wanted to take.

Click the link below to find out more about how and when to donate clothes to the Clothes Closet or how you can sign up to volunteer. Students who are enrolled in RISD schools are eligible to get clothing from the Clothes Closet. Please contact me if you want to learn more about these opportunities. Here is the link to learn more about the Clothes Closet: https://risdpta.membershiptoolkit.com/clothescloset

Please contact me if you need any information regarding outside counseling support, food, clothing, or other basic needs you may have. I am happy to share contact information of community partners who may be able to help you!

Let me know how I can best support you and your NHE Falcon(s). E-mails and phone calls will be responded to during school hours. I will do my best to respond within 24 hours of receiving your message during the school week.

Email: paige.pendery@risd.org
Phone: 469-593-4332