Harlandale ISD Counselors
January 3, 2024
Congratulations!!!!
Our very own Roxane Lopez from Schulze Elementary School received the CREST Award (Counselors Reinforcing Excellence for Students in Texas).
She will be honored at the 19th Annual School Counseling Conference in San Antonio at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on February 4th - 6th.
We would like to thank your Principal, Victoria Trevino, for supporting Ms. Lopez in implementing a Comprehensive School Counseling Program!
Congratulations again to you Ms. Lopez!
You come finally to believe anything you tell yourself often enough — even if it is not true.
If you repeat something over and over to yourself, your subconscious mind will eventually begin to accept it as fact. When something has been accepted as truth by your subconscious mind, it will work overtime to transform the idea into physical reality. You can take advantage of this by programming your mind to think positive thoughts. Use self-motivators or affirmations to persuade your subconscious that you are capable of doing anything you wish. Repeat the self-motivator several times a day until it becomes an automatic reaction to recall a positive phrase whenever you begin to doubt yourself. Replace “I can’t” with “I will!”
Affirmation Ideas
- Paste post-it notes on your fridge and encourage your kid to take a look at them regularly.
- Leave notes in their backpack with positive affirmations.
- Have painting sessions where they draw these affirmations. Frame it and hang it up on a wall where they frequently spend time around.
- Ask them to keep a journal where they write these affirmations and do the same yourself.
- Take out 5 minutes every day to sit together and repeat these affirmations.
- Remind them of these affirmations in relevant situations so that they pick up the habit of practicing them.
Positive Affirmations to Practice:
- Everything is fine.
- My voice matters.
- I accept myself for who I am.
- I am building my future.
- I choose to think positively.
- My happiness is up to me.
- I start with a positive mindset.
- Anything is possible.
- I radiate positive energy.
- Wonderful things are going to happen to me.
- I can take deep breaths.
- With every breath, I feel stronger.
- I only compare myself to myself.
- I can do anything.
- It is enough to do my best.
- I can be anything I want to be.
- I accept who I am.
- I believe in myself.
- I am proud of myself.
- I deserve to be happy.
- I am free to make my own choices.
- I deserve to be loved.
- I can make a difference.
- Today I am a leader.
- I forgive myself for my mistakes.
- My challenges help me grow.
- I am perfect just the way I am.
- My mistakes help me learn and grow.
- I get better every single day.
- I am an amazing person.
- My thoughts and feelings are important.
- I know right from wrong.
- I can learn anything I put my mind to.
- I engage in small acts of kindness to uplift other people.
- I have a big heart.
- My life is beautiful.
- I love myself just as I love others.
- I am safe and cared for.
- I can ask for support.
- I can’t control other people, but I can control how I respond to them.
- There are many exciting experiences awaiting me.
- I can find humor in the day-to-day.
- I am a good listener.
- I can ask for a hug when I’m sad.
- I would want to be my friend.
Time management and study skills
Staying organized enough to get everything done can be a challenge in high school. For kids with learning and thinking differences, it can be even harder to manage time and tasks.
Taking notes in class. Teens may have trouble with taking notes. They may find it hard to keep up with the teacher’s pace. Or they may not be sure what to write down. Have them talk with their teacher to help them with strategies to take notes.
Study skills. Middle School and High school may bring more work and tests. Often, there are a few assignments with the same due dates, too. Show your student how to use a planner, calendar or even google calendar or find an app to help with organization. You can also help break long-term assignments down into smaller pieces that are easier to manage.
If your child has an IEP or a 504 plan, work with your child and the team to figure out accommodations that will help. If your child doesn’t get special education services, you or your child can still ask the teacher if there are any informal supports that would help. That might include teacher’s notes or study guides.
Trade Jobs
Here are some potential companies looking for high school graduates





