The Echo
Reflecting Positivity through CRMS Counseling Services
Volume 3 Issue 4
February 5, 2021
Student Highlight
By Shirley Dean- 6th grade counselor
When I think of Sophie Smetana the first word that comes to mind is ambition. From the moment I met her, I knew that she was someone special. She is dedicated and thorough with everything she puts her mind to. Sophie is an avid reader, and somehow has even gotten me to sponsor her Warrior Cat book club. She enjoys baking, writing short stories in her free time, creating online graphic book videos for her book club, riding horses and I can simply go on and on. Covid has created several roadblocks for all of us, but Sophie has made the conscious choice to keep her head high and to keep going, which is admirable.
Sophie has had a tough year but she continues to persevere with a smile on her face. One day I will most likely work for Sophie, but until then I will enjoy guiding her through her middle school experience.
Book Study
By Staci Cote - 7th grade counselor
As mentioned in our first newsletter of the year, the counseling office is reading the book, Deep Kindness by Houston Kraft.
In the last newsletter, Ms. Gripentrog touched on the three main barriers to kindness: Incompetence, insecurity, and inconvenience. Incompetence being when we tend to avoid the things we don’t understand or have not yet mastered. For example, learning the “vocabulary of kindness”. Reference the last newsletter for info on that.
Another area Kraft writes about that we can learn to master, is emotional regulation. Kraft believes the kind of kindness the world needs is rooted in emotional intelligence. Where people can choose to be kind, despite internal and/or external factors. If someone is ill equipped in the area of emotional regulation, they may say or do things that aren’t kind to self or others. It comes down to a combination of lagging skills and/or unsolved problems.
There is not a magical age that social emotional skills are fully developed. In fact, it is a continuous process, learned and practiced. Applicable to children and adults. So how do we learn emotional regulation? How do we teach our children, our students, to regulate emotions and then as a result to be kind to self and others?
In the book, Kraft expands on three ways to put emotional regulation in action.
Mindfulness - awareness to and of our world
Cognitive reframing - reinterpreting a situation and adjusting your response to it
Emotional vocabulary - labeling the feeling appropriately and accurately
A quote is referenced in Chapter 9 by the clinical child psychologist Dr. Ross W . Green. “Kids do well when they can.”
So let’s together teach our kids, our students, ourself, the skill of emotional regulation and expand the capacity for can. Expand capacity for deep kindness.
Kraft, H. (2020). Deep Kindness: A Revolutionary Guide for the Way We Think, Talk, and Act in Kindness. Tiller Press.
Guidance Highlights
By Shirley Dean (6), Staci Cote (7), and Lauren Gripentrog (8)
ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success
Sixth Grade: The next sixth grade guidance lesson will be focused around course selections for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year. Parents will be emailed with more information regarding courses and application deadlines once dates are finalized. During College Awareness week in March, students will have the opportunity to virtually explore college campuses and to learn about various educational pathways.
Seventh Grade: In the spring semester, my guidance lessons will be on helping students select their 8th grade courses, a college awareness week, and a lesson introducing students to high school endorsements and programs of study in preparation for four year planning in eighth grade.
Eighth Grade: Eighth to ninth grade transition is well under way! Be sure to check out all the resources VHS is providing. Click here for more dates and resources you and your child can use in this process. Mark your calendars for College Awareness Week starting March 22rd. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities to start conversations about post-secondary options.
Past Dates
December 11: “The Echo” Volume 3 Issue 3
December 11: Deadline to change learning location for grading cycle 4
December 15: Fall correspondence exam date
December 18: End of fall semester
December 18: End of grading cycle 3
December 18: Early Release
December 21: Holiday break begins
January 4: Staff development/student holiday
January 4: Grading cycle 4 begins
January 5: First day of class for spring semester
January 11-12: VHS presentation for eighth grade students
January 12: VHS webinar for eight grade families
January 13: Early Release
January 14: VHS program night for eight grade families
January 18: Holiday
January 20-25: VHS counselors meet with eighth grade students
January 27: Early Release
February 1-5: 6th and 7th grade transition lessons
February 2: IB program webinar for students through advisory class
February 3: Parent webinar for 6th and 7th grade families
February 3: Early Release
February 5: Deadline to change learning location for grading cycle 5
February 5: “The Echo” Volume 3 Issue 4
upcoming dates
February 8 - Deadline to register for spring AAPPL testing
February 8 - Deadline to register for March exam for acceleration; 4pm
February 9 - IB presentation for 8th grade students
February 10 - Early Release
February 12 - Choice sheet due for current 6/7 graders
February 12 - End of cycle 4
February 15- Staff development day
February 16 - 5th grade virtual visits
February 16 - Parent webinar for 5th grade parents
February 18 - AAPPL testing
February 19 - applications due for current 6/7 students
February 22 to 26 - Counselors on elementary campus for course selection
February 24 - Early Release
March 1 to 3 - LISD exam for acceleration window for March
March 3 - Early Release
March 5 - application courses notify students of acceptance
March 10 - Early Release
March 15 to 19 - Spring break
March 22 - Staff development day
March 22 - Registration opens for June Exam for Acceleration
March 22 to April 1 - College Awareness Week
March 26 - Deadline to change learning location for grading cycle 6
March 26 - The Echo Volume 2 Issue 5 (final one of year)