Counseling Corner

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.

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.

Mrs. Dore will be teaching lessons and working directly with students in kindergarten, 1st and 4th grade. Mrs. Simpson will be teaching lessons and working directly with students in 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grade.

• SEL lessons will begin the week of September 16th, 2024

• We will focus on relationship building and learning the role of a School Counselor.
• We will also introduce what it means to SOAR at Elm (We can be SAFE, ON TASK, ALWAYS RESPECTFUL, and RESPONSIBLE)
• Students will learn that our SOARing expectations help us be the best we can be at school!

• We will focus on relationship building and learning 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)
• Students will end the month by talking about the Zones of Regulation and which feelings go in each zone.

• 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 set goals for 3rd grade using the "Staircase Strategy." We will learn that goals are best achieved by setting smaller, more attainable goals that lead up to a bigger goal.
• We will begin our review of the Zones of Regulation by discussing the Green and Red Zone and identifying individual strategies for each Zone.

• We will focus on relationship building and briefly reviewing the role of a School Counselor.
• We will also discuss the importance of our SOARing expectations and how seemingly small positive changes can impact the larger school community
• We will finish October by talking about personality traits and setting goals for the school year

• 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:

• "The Rabbit Listened" by Cori Doerrfeld

1st grade:

• "The Way I Feel" by Janan Cain
• "My Body Sends a Signal" by Natalia Maguire

2nd grade:

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

3rd grade:

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

4th grade:

• "I Promise" by Lebron James

5th grade:

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

Mrs. Tori Dore (grades K, 1, and 4)

Email: vwintersdore@walpole.k12.ma.us

Phone: 508-660-7374, ext. 5615

Mrs. Jessica Simpson (grades 2, 3, and 5)

Email: jsimpson@walpole.k12.ma.us

Phone: 508-660-7374, ext. 5615