Counseling Connection

October 2024

I feel like I say this every month...but there are SO many fun things happening at YES in October! Fall is here...friendships are growing...and so are our brains! I know teachers are working hard to provide engaging lessons for our kiddos and it is evident in the conversations that I hear!

In addition to the fun, there are so many wonderful and important things planned for guidance lessons this month. October is BULLYING PREVENTION month and in each class we will have a lesson on bullying prevention. We want Young to be a safe and nurturing place for kids to learn and thrive so these conversations about kindness and bullying prevention are crucial! The last full week of October is RED RIBBON WEEK. The Red Ribbon Campaign serves as a catalyst to educate youth and our communities to choose and encourage a drug free life! These are very important topics that I encourage you to also make a centerpiece of conversations at home.

We will observe Red Ribbon Week from October 28th - 31st. We will have some fun dress up days and activities to help us celebrate! Our focus for the week will be making healthy and safe choices. Please see the graphic below for information about our fun dress up days! Note: Friday, November 1st is a Student Holiday.

Wise County Toy Run & Santa Cops Applications will be available in Young's front office as soon as they are released.

If you have any questions about these organizations and the application process, please reach out! They are wonderful programs to help those in need during the holidays!

Holiday Assistance Google Form

If you family needs extra support this holiday season please complete this Help for the Holidays 24-25 form to let me know your specific needs!

(Even if you already checked that your family is needing holiday assistance on my letter I sent out at the beginning of the year, still complete this form as it has more specific questions.)

Check out these fun ways to connect and spend time with your children/family!

• Kid Power is a site that has partnered with Cook's Children to provide children and families with FREE fitness, yoga, and social-emotional videos. Children can earn coins that help children around the world. So not only are they keeping themselves healthy, they are assisting children around the world with being healthy too!
• Choose a night to celebrate National Dessert month and have dessert before dinner! 🍰
• Plan an evening of star gazing and identify different stars and constellations! ✨
• Cook a fun fall recipe and let your child measure the ingredients

W.A.R.M. (Wise Area Relief Mission)

During Homecoming week, we collected food items that were donated to our local food pantry, W.A.R.M.

W.A.R.M.s mission is to provide assistance for any needy family in Wise County, TX. They provide food assistance as well as utility assistance. You can find out more on their website: warmtx.org , their Facebook page WiseAreaReliefMission or email angie@warmtx.org. Food pantry is open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 9:00am - 2:00pm, and on Wednesday from 12:00pm - 6:00 pm. They are located at 300 N Trinity, Decatur, TX 76234.

This year at Young we are focusing being great humans by improving our manners and building our character traits!

In October we are talking about the importance of staying motivated, hardworking, having a good attitude, and being reliable and dependable.

Additionally, some manners we are encouraging aide in the art of a first impression- shaking hands, being a good listener, and being on time.

I OFTEN encourage reading with your child to parents because it has so many benefits! Not only does reading together improve your child's language development and vocabulary, but many children's books have an underlying social-emotional theme that can lead to fantastic discussions!

Below are some books that highlight some of the character treats and manners for October: (many can be found at our local library!)

Good Attitude:

• Good News, Bad News by Jeff Mack
• I Can't Do That YET: Growth Mindset by Esther P Cordova
• Beautiful Oops! by Barney Salzberg

Being a Good Listener:

• Listening is Hard by Little Hippo Books
• Bear Has a Story to Tell by Philip C. Stead

Hardworking:

• What Do You Do With A Problem? by Kobi Yamada

Motivation:

• Even Superheroes Make Mistakes by Shelly Becker
• Failure Friday by Andrea Burns

Courtney Cordova M.A.

Counselor

Young Elementary

Email: courtney.cordova@decaturisd.us
Website: https://www.decaturisd.us/domain/551
Location: 379 Buchanan Road, Decatur, TX, USA
Phone: (940)-393-7446