Elkton School Counseling

Testing will begin on Tuesday, April 19th. It will conclude on Friday, April 29th. Please make sure your child gets a good night's sleep each night. Breakfast is offered here at school for free. But, if your child does not want to eat breakfast here, please make sure they have breakfast.

In my class, we continue to talk about several things. Students in grade 4-8 will be doing Progressive Muscle Relaxation. This is one of my favorite classes to do! Students will need to bring a towel or a blanket to my class the day we do this. Second and third grade have just finished this.

Students in grades 4-6 have completed the Self-Control curriculum. We ended by doing activities to help practice self-control. One activity was playing with bubbles! It was really fun watching them play with the bubbles! : )

Students in Ms. Mize's class have been working on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Students in Mrs. Sewell's class are working on self-control. We are currently learning about emotions.

Eighth grade students have completed 4 year plans. The 4 year plans are being put into Major Clarity which is an online platform with access provided by the county. Eighth grade students have also completed a YouScience assessment which looks at students' aptitudes (talents) as well as interests. They currently have access to both.

Students in grades K-3 will finish the year learning about different careers.

If you have any suggestions, I would love for you to share them.

My name is Terri Yates. I am very happy to be beginning my 16th year as a school counselor and my 11th year in Giles County. I am married and have 2 kids and 3 dogs. I have a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in PreK-12 school counseling.

Email: tyates@gcboe.us
Location: 176 College Street, Prospect, TN, USA
Phone: 9314688825

In each newsletter, I will include something that is related to the field of counseling or psychology. In this newsletter, I am going to discuss a relaxation technique called Progressive Muscle Relaxation. (PMR)

PMR was developed in the early 1920's. (That's right! It has been around for almost 100 years!) PMR is not meditating or yoga. It is simply a relaxation technique that has research to back it up. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine even recommends using PMR.

So, how do you do it? It is fairly simple. You tense up or contract different muscle groups for between 5-7 seconds and then relax. You start at the top of your body and work your way down. It begins with the forehead and ends with the feet. In between (and during) each area, you focus on breathing. Breathing should be done in through the nose and out through the mouth. There are different scripts to follow. There are even some for younger kids. (Pretend like you are squeezing a lemon in your hand.)

One of the things I like about PMR is that it can be done anywhere. You can go through as little or as much of it as you need to help you be more calm. It also helps you to feel what different parts of your body feel like if they are tensed up. Have you ever been angry and realized your hands were tightened up into fists? Going through PMR will help you more easily recognize how different areas of your body feel if they are tensed up.

I hope this information has been beneficial. If you have questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to let me know.