Counselor Connection

Reading is all around at Warren School! We are in the middle of our Readathon and the halls are covered in paper chains celebrating the books we've read, both in school and at home. Next week, kids will visit the book Fair and we will have Literacy Night. Warren Clockers love to read!

As part of a school wide SEL initiative, students will learn and practice a different character trait each month. These traits will also be highlighted at our monthly Whole School Assembly where our students will have the opportunity to perform a song/act that represents and models the character trait of that month.

March's theme is Cooperation. A kid friendly way to describe Cooperation is: Working together to get a job done. Examples of cooperation that kids will relate to:

Teamwork - being a part of a team

Sharing - letting others have a turn

Listening to others

Cleaning up together

Solving a problem with a friend

Compromising - find a solution that is good for both people.

• Solve Puzzles Together: Working on a jigsaw puzzle encourages teamwork and shared problem-solving as family members look for matching pieces.
• Team Up for Chores: Involve your child in simple household tasks like setting the table, sorting laundry, or tidying toys to show the value of working together.
• Build a Living Room Fort: Use blankets and pillows to create a "base," requiring everyone to negotiate where pieces go and how to keep them standing.
• Play Cooperative Board Games: Choose games where players work together against the "board" rather than each other to reach a common goal.
• Cook or Bake as a Team: Assign your child specific "sous-chef" tasks, like stirring or pouring, to complete a delicious family recipe.
• Create a "Progressive" Story: Take turns adding one sentence at a time to a shared family tale, which practices both listening and collaborating.
• Design a Family Mural: Spread out a large piece of paper or use sidewalk chalk to have everyone contribute to one big, shared piece of art.
• Navigate a "Minefield": Set up a simple obstacle course and have one person verbally guide a "blindfolded" partner safely through it.

This month, are are addressing another kindergarten (and life) challenge: Waiting!!!!

We started our lesson talking about all the things that kindergarteners might have to wait for (and there are a lot!)

Some examples we came up with are:

Waiting for your bus.

Waiting in line for lunch.

Waiting for your turn in a game.

Waiting for the teacher to call on you.

Waiting for your birthday!

Waiting in line for a ride.

Click on the sport to go to the registration page:

Soccer

Lacrosse

Baseball

• Preschool through grade two students are too young to participate in virtual therapy, so Cartwheel offers virtual parent meetings with a licensed therapist for 30 minutes every other week. These coaching sessions aim to help parents understand their child's mental health needs and the skills, knowledge, and confidence to best meet those needs.
• Students in grades 3-12 can participate in individual tele-therapy with little to no wait time! Therapists speak various languages, and Cartwheel takes most insurance.
• If your child would benefit from either of these services, please complete this referral form or contact your child's school counselor for more information.

Cartwheel's free webinars are designed to empower caregivers, family members, and school staff with practical and actionable information on mental health topics affecting youth and families today. Cartwheel's hope is that every person leaves their webinars feeling more confident in how to connect with a child in their life.

Our district partners with Care Solace to provide a free referral service that families can use to help any member of their immediate family access therapeutic support. https://caresolace.com/ashlandk12

• March 18th: Literacy Night, 5:00PM

  March 19th: Rock Your Socks for Down Syndrome Awareness!

  March 20th: No School in observance of Eid al Fitr

  March 24th: Early Release - Parent-Teacher Conferences (12:00PM Dismissal)

  March 25th: Early Release - Parent-Teacher Conferences (12:00PM Dismissal)

  March 26th: Early Release - Parent-Teacher Conferences (12:00PM Dismissal)

  March 27th: Glowing and Growing Day! (Dress comfy and in bright colors!)

  March 30th: Wear blue for Ashland spirit!