Student Advocacy

February 2022

Advocacy Note

Hello! February is going to be full of great things! We are celebrating Kindness Week, National Counselor Week, and not to mention Valentines! We have a Kindness Week Challenge for 02/15/22-02/18/2022. Remember to Thank your site school counselor 02/07/2022-02/11/2022. They do so much every day to help all students!

I complete individual counseling at all four school sites. In these lessons we work on self-advocating, self-regulation, self-awareness, and health/appropriate coping skills.

I have small counseling group lessons at the Elementary and Intermediate School. We work on social skills, impulse control, emotional regulation, and coping skills. If you would like your student included, please complete the small group consent under counseling forms in this newsletter.

I am completing whole class counseling lessons at the Junior High. Our fifth lesson is on Communication.

Winter is a tough season for many people. If you are struggling with harmful thoughts, you can call this number 24/7. 800-273-8255 (Talk)

Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns!

Ask The Counselor!

Ask the Counselor!

We would like to invite you to ask the counselors questions to support you and your student anonymously. We will share the question here and a strategy to help for others to see. No identifying information will be shared (age, gender, etc.). You can ask with the button above.

How do I help my child control their emotions?

We use coping skills to help us control our emotions. Before we can use a coping skill, we must first acknowledge our feelings. Our feelings give us warning signs in our body. Sometimes it is a tummy ache, a headache, or shaking/tapping our foot.

Steps to take control of emotions: 1:take time to notice the signs of an emotion. 2:name the emotion. 3:remind yourself it is okay to feel your emotions. 4:allow yourself to feel the emotion. 5: use a coping skill to release the emotion.

Coping skills can be simple. It can be taking a deep breath, counting down from 10, chewing on ice or gum, and going on a walk.

With children, help them name how they are feeling, do a coping technique with them (say breath with me or count with me), and talk to them about their feelings. Tell your child their feelings are okay to feel and are normal; everyone has feelings. This simple support and modeling will help your child learn to control their emotions.

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Sleep helps us control our emotions!

Sleep is very important for growth, development, and emotions! A good night of rest helps students regulate their emotions! Emotions feel so much bigger when one is tired. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for sleep are below.

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-How-Many-Hours-Does-Your-Child-Need.aspx

Counseling Forms

We have small groups, work individually, and using whole class counselings lessons to meet the needs of all students. To help us learn more about how best to serve students, please complete the parent survey below for your student's location.

If you would like your student to be considered to participate in small group counseling, please complete the small group consent form.

If you need help with resources such as food and clothing, please completed the resource form.

We appreciate your input and support to best serve all students!

Small Group Consent

Elementary Parent Survey

Intermediate Parent Survey

Junior High Parent Survey

High School Parent Survey

Resource Form