Counseling Corner

Transitioning back to school can be hard for some children. If your family is experiencing heightened separation anxiety, try these simple tips! Feel free to reach out to one of us for further information or concerns.

1. Create quick but meaningful goodbye routines (Sing a special song, spritz a familiar home scent on a jacket, give them an object to hold in their pocket, do a fun handshake)
2. Be specific (Instead of saying, "I'll pick you up at 3:30" try saying you'll pick them up after a special or any block at the end of their day)
3. Practice calming techniques (During calmer moments, practice strategies that will regulate their anxious feelings ex: deep breathing, imagining their favorite place, and giving their body a squeeze)
4. Validate what they are feeling (But still reinforce that they can do hard things!)
5. Reward Bravery (Together you can set a goal and have them earn something for showing their bravery. This reward can be tangible or intangible, it does not need to be over the top!)

(healthychildren.org, childmind.org)

As part of our general education social-emotional support, ALL students will receive either weekly or biweekly social-emotional "SOAR" lessons. Kindergarten lessons are taught weekly and grades 1-5 are taught bi-weekly.

• SEL lessons will begin the week of September 15th, 2025

These lessons are based on the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) competencies. Some topics we cover include feeling identification and strategies, problem solving and conflict resolution, friendship and bullying, goal setting, exploring differences, and decision making. Each month, we will provide an updated newsletter which previews our lessons for the month ahead.

Ms. Dore will be teaching lessons and working directly with students in 1st, 2nd and 5th grade. Ms. Songin will be teaching lessons and working directly with students in Kindergarten, 3rd, and 4th grade.

• We will be doing a getting to know you / getting to know the School Counselor
• We will go over the role of a School Counselor and how they can help students
• Introduce what it means to SOAR (Safe, On task, Always Respectful, Responsible)
• Talk about "My Job as an Elm Street Student"

• We will review the role of a School Counselor
• We will also review what it means to SOAR at Elm (We can be SAFE, ON TASK, ALWAYS RESPECTFUL, and RESPONSIBLE)
• At the end of the month we will review the difference between Tattling vs. Reporting. We will connect this to our knowledge of Small vs. Big problems.

• We will review our SOARing expectations and set goals for the school year ahead and anticipate challenges to these goals.

• We will also explore the difference between comfortable and uncomfortable feelings and begin our introduction to the Zones of Regulation by exploring the Green Zone.

• We will do a get to know you/get to know the School Counselor lesson, we will also review the role of a School Counselor
• Review what it means to S.O.A.R at Elm (Safe, On task, Always Respectful, Responsible)
• Towards the end of the month we will talk about Goals we want to set for ourselves, and how to have a positive mindset around those goals

• We will do a get to know you/get to know the School Counselor lesson, we will also review the role of a School Counselor
• Review what it means to S.O.A.R at Elm (Safe, On task, Always Respectful, Responsible), and review 4th grade level expectations as an Elm St student

• Discuss building community, and the impact of individual actions

• We will check-in on our SOARing expectations background knowledge and brainstorm expectations for various parts of our school day.
• We will also identify the different influences we have on our lives and how to decide which influences most positively affect us.
• We will finish October by beginning our unit on Gossip, Rumors, and Cliques.

Kindergarten:

• Mrs. Potato Head Meet the School Counselor Game
• My Job at Elm Street Social Story

1st grade:

• "Clark the Shark" by Bruce Hale
• "Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal" by Jeanie Franz Ransom
  

2nd grade:

• Clip from "Keepy Uppy" from Bluey
• "In My Heart: A Book of Feelings" by Jo Witek
• "A Little Peaceful Spot: A Story About Mindfulness" by Diane Alber

3rd grade:

• Class Dojo Goal Video
• "Someday" by Eileen Spinelli

4th grade:

• “What If Everybody Did That?” Ellen Javernick

5th grade:

At this time, no books will be used in this month's lessons.

Mrs. Tori Dore (grades 1, 2, and 5)

Email: vwintersdore@walpole.k12.ma.us

Phone: 508-660-7374, ext. 5615

Ms. Shannon Songin (grades K, 3, and 4)

Email: ssongin@walpole.k12.ma.us

Phone: 508-660-7374, ext. 5615