Happy Winter Conway Families!

In this Issue:

1. Counseling Lessons Focus = Mental Health

2. Managing Holiday Stress

3. Student Wellness Challenge = Acts of Kindness

4. Holiday Gifts Support

In my counseling lessons this month we will focus on identifying and regulating our emotions. We will learn about our amazing brains and why our emotions come from our brain, not our stomach. We will learn how to look at facial clues and notice body sensations to help us identify how we are feeling and what our bodies might need to better regulate.

I will be teaching our Zones of Regulation curriculum. This curriculum helps teach students to identify their emotions and categorize them into four easy zones - Green, Yellow, Blue, and Red. Learn more about the Zones of Regulation below! You can use these zones at home too!

This month students will learn about mental health. With winter comes shorter days, colder weather, and many people can suffer from seasonal depression. Students and families can experience depression and anxiety, especially during this stressful time of year. This is a timely topic to cover with middle school students in order to equip them with skills to promote good mental health and coping strategies coming into the holiday season and before winter break.

They will be learning the ACT - Acknowledge, Care, and Tell acronym from the Signs of Suicide Program. Students will learn about common triggers that may cause a student their age to feel stress. Students will learn the difference between sadness and depression and the warning signs to look for in themselves or others. They will identify their safe adults and discuss healthy coping strategies.

To learn more about this lesson and the SOS Program, click the link below.

The Holiday Season is upon us! While many will say this is "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year", over One Third of American adults say that the holidays stress them out. With the many holiday themed parties, family gatherings, house decorating, food prepping, gift shopping, and holiday wrapping, this season creates a full "To-Do List." This can create stress for parents and for children.

Here are a few quick tips on how to manage the Holiday Stress!

1. Stick to your bedtime routine - getting enough sleep is your superpower to managing stress.
2. Try to not take on too much - believe it or not it is OK to say "No" or "Sorry we can't this year" when being asked to bake something, volunteer, or attend a holiday gathering or event.
3. Stick to the budget - overspending can cause a lot of family stress. Look over your budget ahead of shopping and make a plan for what your holiday shopping budget should be and stick to that. Keeping in mind extra for groceries, gift exchange gifts, and work party potlucks.
4. Your quality time is a gift - how you spend your time is a most precious gift. Spend time with your family, loved ones, and friends. Experiences of laughter together can lift your mood and mental health. At the same time, being around others can drain your batteries so pay attention to what your body needs. Maybe you spend quality time doing something just for you and your self-care.
5. Everything is better in moderation - The holiday season is full of parties and potlucks. It is easy to overindulge on sweets or spirits. This increase in sugar or alcohol can greatly impact your mood swings and impact your sleep. Try to be mindful of what you eat and drink during social gatherings and stay within moderation help your body stay in routine.
6. Let it be imperfect- with family and friends coming over we often put high expectations on ourselves to have everything just perfect. This unrealistic expectation can lead to a lot of stress. Instead, let those expectations of having a "Pinterest worthy" clean house or having a "food network level" cooked meal go. Your family will love just being together.
7. Do something positive - paying it forward and doing a kind act will not only boost your mood but anyone around you too. Kindness really is contagious. Say something you are grateful for to start your day. Help out a friend or loved one. Share a compliment to someone that helps you out during your week.
8. Be open to change - The holidays are filled with events, activites, and fun. We all want to be able to do them all every year and sometimes it is best to simplify this list to limit stress. As a family, create a list of what events or activities mean the most to each member and order them by most important. Compare your lists and prioritize them this way.
9. Stay hydrated - Winter is so tempting to cozy up with coffee drinks and what our body really needs is water. Instead of drinking cup and cup of coffee or hot chocolate, try to drink more water. Drinking enough water during your day is the best way to help your body regulate and cope with anxiety or stress.
10. Ask for help if you need it - whether it is help with meal prepping, cleaning, wrapping, organizing, or decorating. If you are feeling overwhelmed with a to-do-list, take a step back, remember to breathe, and ask for support. You are surrounded by a community who loves you and others will be there when you need them. You don't have to do it all alone.

This December your Conway Wellness Committee is encouraging families to look for opportunities to show kindness. Being kind to others has shown to benefit your health in so many ways. Research has shown that performing acts of kindness can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, decrease depression, boost mood, and strengthens your relationships. Here are a few ideas to join in the Kindness Challenge!

1. Have your students write a thank you note to a teacher or staff member at their school.
2. Offer extra rewards at home for doing kind acts for others this month.
3. Send a card or letter to a relative that lives far away.
4. Purchase a coffee for the person behind you at the coffee stand.
5. Let another person go ahead of you in line while at the store.
6. Deliver a treat to a neighbor or friend.
7. Give a hug to someone who may need it.
8. Send a thank you or treat or care package to local first responders or to military members.
9. Donate blankets, clothing, or care kits to homeless shelters.
10. Pick a classmate for the week to give compliments to or include them with activities.

Registration — Will begin on Monday, November 13. There will be no phone registration this year.

Online Registration – See the following links for English or Spanish registration. This may be done on your phone or computer. THESE LINKS WILL NOT BE ACTIVE UNTIL NOVEMBER 13.

Or fill out a registration form – See below under Forms. Select Register as a Recipient and print out the form. Forms may be dropped off at the Skagit County Fairgrounds, 1410 Virginia Street in Mount Vernon. This is the north entrance to the Fairgrounds.

DISTRIBUTION – Will be a drive through pick up for gift bags. Enter the Fairgrounds through the NORTH gate, 1410 Virginia Street in Mount Vernon.

Questions — call 360-419-7261 English or 360-419-7263 Spanish

Sallie Miller (Ms. Sallie)

360.445.5785 x 5526

smiller@conway.k12.wa.us

Counselor Visit Request Form

Family Resources 2023

Conway Counseling Website

Conway School District #317 does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Title IX and Section 504/ADA Coordinator Amanda Lewis: 360-445-5785 or alewis@conway.k12.wa.us; Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator Superintendent Jeff Cravy: 360-445-5785 or jcravy@conway.k12.wa.us. Conway School 19710 Hwy 534 Mount Vernon, WA. 98274