Counselor's Corner

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Hello! I’m Ms. Duran, your school counselor. I am excited to partner with students, families, and staff. My role is to support students academically, socially, and emotionally while helping them develop skills that will contribute to success in school and beyond.

A few things about me:

• My favorite thing about being a counselor: getting to know every student in the building!
• Something I enjoy outside of school: sports and traveling!
• My favorite school-day snack: fruit
• One thing I want every student to know: My door is always open when you need support!

📧 Email: yduran@dallasisd.org
📞 Phone: 972-749-5134

💻 Request to see your child: https://forms.gle/pNRoAQC5udkeaLKy8

The Counseling Program empowers each and every student with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to achieve academic success, develop college and career readiness, and strengthen social/emotional well-being. In partnership with families, staff, and the community, we support students in reaching their full potential and preparing for success in school, career, and life.

• Building healthy relationships and responding to peer conflict
• Building self-esteem
• Learning how to make healthy decisions
• Managing your feelings (stress, worry, anger, etc.)
• Adjusting to a new school
• Academic Success & Goal Setting
• Becoming college and career ready

• Parent Consultations
• Improving parent-child communications
• Referrals for community agencies/resources
• Help understanding your child’s learning and behavior
• Ways to help your child succeed at home or school
• Working with your child’s teacher

• Parent Consultations
• Improving parent-child communications
• Referrals for community agencies/resources
• Help understanding your child’s learning and behavior
• Ways to help your child succeed at home or school
• Working with your child’s teacher

Our first lesson coming up will be my introduction, reviewing my role as a school counselor, and reviewing the student handbook. Here are some helpful links and examples of what we will discuss.

The Rabbit Listened: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBhfwh5zJJw

Returning to school means adjusting to new teachers, classmates, expectations, and schedules. It is normal for students to need some time to settle into their new routines.

Families can help by:

• Establishing consistent morning and bedtime routines.
• Talking positively about school and new experiences.
• Asking specific questions such as, “What was one good thing about your day?”
• Allowing children time to decompress after school.
• Celebrating small successes and progress.
• Reminding students that asking for help is a strength.

Counselor Tip: Give routines time to work! Consistency helps children know what to expect and can make transitions feel more manageable.

Friendships are an important part of feeling connected at school. Encourage your child to practice these simple friendship skills:

SMILE 😊 — A friendly expression can make someone feel welcome.

SAY HELLO 👋 — Sometimes a simple “Hi!” is all it takes to begin a friendship.

ASK 💬 — Try questions like, “What do you like to do?” or “Want to sit with me?”

INCLUDE 🫶 — Look for someone who may need a friend and invite them to join.

BE KIND ❤️ — Kind words and actions help build strong relationships.

Try This Friendship Challenge!

This week, introduce yourself to someone new, invite someone to join an activity, or give someone a genuine compliment.

Instead of asking only “How was school?”, try:

• “What made you smile today?”
• “Who did you spend time with today?”
• “What was something new you learned?”
• “Was anything difficult today?”
• “How did you show kindness?”
• “Who showed kindness to you?”
• “What are you looking forward to tomorrow?”

These questions can help families learn more about how students are adjusting socially and emotionally.