School Counseling at CCE

When Small Problems Feel Big

Recently, a student became very upset with a friend over something minor; not being chosen first for a game. Instead of calming down, she yelled, pushed her chair, and needed extra time to get back in control. This is an example of dysregulation; when a child’s emotions or behaviors don’t match the size of the problem.

Why Dysregulation Happens

Children can become dysregulated for various reasons, including tiredness, hunger, stress at home, academic challenges, or difficulty managing intense emotions. Increasingly, screen time is also a factor. Long hours spent on devices, playing aggressive video games, or scrolling through social media can overstimulate the brain and body, making it harder for kids to regulate their emotions, shift their attention, or respond calmly in social situations even long after the screens are off.

The Role of Digital Literacy

Digital literacy isn’t just about knowing how to use technology; it’s about teaching children how to use screens in a healthy and balanced way. By learning to think critically about online content, setting boundaries around screen time, and reflecting on how technology affects their feelings, children can develop the skills to stay regulated and make choices that support their well-being. Families and schools can support this by encouraging open conversations about screen habits, modeling balance, and helping kids practice other calming and engaging activities that are not screen-based.

How Adults at Home Can Guide & Coach

Parents & guardians can coach children on digital literacy without taking devices away entirely.

Set clear boundaries around screen time while involving kids in the decision-making process.
Let them choose educational apps.
Use built in time limits on devices and apps, or plan breaks between screen based activities.
Model healthy tech use, such as reading together on a tablet or discussing online content.
Having a "homebase" in the house where all phones and tablets go when it's time to be offline (yes, that means adult phones too!)
Encourage conversations about what children see, play, or read online, helping them think critically and reflect on their feelings.

All of this teaches responsibility, self-regulation, and healthy habits instead of making screens feel forbidden.

Quick Tips for Families

Create screen-time routines and breaks and enforce them consistently.
Discuss content together, asking: “What do you think when you see this?" or "How does this make you feel?”
Balance online activities with offline hobbies like reading, art, or outdoor play.
Model calm and reflective screen use yourself.
Praise kids when they make healthy choices online.

Additional Resources:

Family Activity - Kindergarten

Family Activity - 1st Grade

Family Activity - 2nd Grade

Family Activity - Relationships & Communication - Grades 3-5

Family Activity - Digital Footprint & Identity - Grades 6-8

Digital Citizenship Week Oct 20-27

Each year during the third full week of October, Common Sense Media leads Digital Citizenship Week, an annual campaign to promote a healthy, balanced, and positive approach to media and tech use among young people.

For links to the information above and even MORE family resources (in English and Español), visit Common Sense Media Resources for Family Engagement.

Wayfinder Core Skill Focus for October

Simply put, self-awareness it is the ability to notice and reflect on one’s thoughts, emotions & behaviors, enhancing personal growth & decision-making.

Developing self-awareness involves being mindful of our choices, an openness to feedback from others and reflecting on past experiences, both successes and failures, to gain deeper insights.

There are countless ways that students can learn to become more self-aware and the Wayfinder curriculum is a big part of that at CCE. Backed by science, the lessons and activities that teachers and counselors explore on a weekly, if not daily basis, are helping students grow academically, foster better relationships and enhance overall wellbeing.

Social Emotional Learning Curriculum

Teaching relational and critical thinking skills
Weekly lessons led by classroom teachers
Monthly, building-wide themes and activities
Connect classroom learning to the future-ready skills needed to succeed in the real world

Resting the brain

"Attentionally resting" refers to activities and states that allow for the recovery and restoration of our directed attention, which can become depleted during demanding, goal-directed tasks. This is why many students arrive home from school, exhausted, grumpy and emotionally dysregulated. Adults may feel this way after a long, demanding day of work as well. We all need a little downtime for the brain. Let's look at how to do this, and the science behind it.

Key aspects of attentionally resting

Recovery of Directed Attention: Directed attention is the voluntary effort we exert for focused tasks and can be easily fatigued. Attentionally resting helps regenerate these mental resources. [1, 4, 5, 6, 7]
Soft Fascination: Natural environments, through elements like beautiful scenery and flowing water, engage "soft fascination," which captures involuntary attention and allows voluntary attention to rest. [2, 3]
Nature Breaks: Spending time in nature is considered highly beneficial for attention restoration compared to typical urban environments, although any form of rest break can offer some benefit. [2, 3]
Mindfulness and Awareness: Practices like mindfulness and breath awareness can also contribute to attentionally resting by shifting focus from the mind-wandering to the present moment. [3]
Resting State Networks in the Brain: Neuroscience research shows that the brain has intrinsic activity patterns during rest (resting-state networks), and these networks, particularly the fronto-parietal network, are implicated in attention processes and can be studied using techniques like fMRI. [8,9]
Physiological Links: Resting state measures like heart rate variability (HRV) have been linked to attention and attentional maintenance, with higher HRV associated with better attention maintenance. [10, 11]