Special School District Social Worker-Christina Shapiro
Hello Wonderful Hixson Families!
Looks like Fall is among us, all things Pumpkin Spice and sweaters. Please send students to school in appropriate clothing as they are often outside for P.E. and lunch. An extra jacket in the locker is always helpful, as the A/C in the classroom can be a bit chilly.
I wanted to express that there has been a death of a student in the Webster community and provide a local resource that assists children and families if having difficulty with processing this or any other loss. I have attached the link below and an article for your consideration.
The Six Reconciliation Needs of Mourning Children - MemorialCare
Restorative Center & Student Support Center-Loneesha Carter & Emily Bardot
Are your actions helping or hurting you?
Something we focus on in the restorative center is to help students identify and set both personal and academic goals for themselves. A common question we pose is “are your actions helping you or hurting you?”
Say a student’s goal is to turn in all assignments on time but during work time during class they are talking with a neighbor and in the evening they spend their free time playing video games. This is when we help students reflect on if how they’re using their time is helping them reach their goal, or interfering with their ability to turn in work on time.
Say a student’s goal is to “stay out of the drama” but they told one of their friend’s secrets to someone else and now the information shared in a trusted conversation has spread to others. We like to encourage students to take ownership of their actions and explore how their choices impacted others and themselves.
You can continue this theme of conversation at home when talking to your child about their day, week, and goals for themselves. Having your child identify if their behavior is helpful or hurtful encourages them to think critically and explore other options to better reach their goals.
Self-Care Feature!
Each week we will highlight how a member of the Student Services Department or a Hixson staff member takes care of themselves with focused self care.
This week we will be highlighting one of our incredible PE and Health Coaches, Jordan Bufka. Mrs. Bufka likes to prioritize activities that bring her joy. She likes painting her nails, reading a book, or watching a movie. Mrs. Bufka especially enjoys getting outdoors for activities like going for a walk, hike, fishing, geocaching, disc golf, or planting flowers. She says, “being outside makes me happy and helps me clear my mind when I need to think or take a break from the world!”
Mindful Moment
Each time we publish a newsletter we like to highlight a mindful practice, technique, or tip. Be on the lookout for ways for you and your family to stay present in the moment and hopefully take better care of yourselves physically and emotionally.
This week we’d like to take Mrs. Bufka’s lead and connect with nature through the practice of Color Walking. The way to do it is simple. Pick a color and for the length of your walk, focus on that color and try to spot as many things as you can that are that color. This activity allows you to give yourself some headspace and focus on your task in a mindful way, giving yourself a pause from the worries and to-list swimming around in your head.
Check out this short, guided color walk from Brain Hug Meditations: Guided Color Walk GREEN 🌳 | Walking Meditation | Mindful Walk | Mindfulness Practice
Contact Counselors
- 6th Grade-Constance West, 918-4554 or west.constance@wgmail.org
- 7th Grade-Scharma Banks, 314-918-4553 or banks.scharma@wgmail.org
- 8th Grade-Jeanine Young, young.jeanine@wgmail.org
- Building Level Counselor-Sarah Bodi, 918-4555 or bodi.sarah@wgmail.org
- Alternative Programming Specialist, Emily Bardot, bardot.emily@wgmail.org
- Special School District Social Worker, Christina Shapiro, shapiro,christina@wgmail.org
Website: https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/Domain/250
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hxcounselors/